A Tour through Central America - 2010 - p1/2



During February and March of 2010 we travelled through the southern end of Central America. We flew into Panama City, visited the Panama Canal, Portobello and an indigenous Embera Indian village. Moving up towards Costa Rica we stayed at Finca Lerida on a coffee estate near Boquete before crossing the border and heading for the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge near the Golfo Dulce. After several nights here we then moved north to Villa Lapas in the Carrera National Park. Then on, via Liberia, to the Nicaraguan border at Peñas Blancas and the island of Ometepe with its twin volcanoes. After a short stay on the island we drove on northwards to León. for a couple of nights beofre retracing our steps to the lakeside city of Granada. One of the highlights of this area must be the drive to the edge of the smoking crater of the Volcán Masaya. Equally fascinating is the Archipiélago Las Isletas in the warm waters of Lake Nicaragua. Finally, we returned to Costa Rica and just time for a short walk around the bustling capital of San José.
 
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Portobello. One of the
colourful local buses		 A display of molas
in the market		 The San Lorenzo fortress
guarding the bay		 The harbour and old
Customs House, Portobello
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The front of the partially
restored Customs House		 Just having a nap! Looking seaward from the San Geronimo fort Welcome to the Embera village of Errebache
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Some of the young girls give a display of dancing The village hall, thatched
with palm leaves		 One of the local capuchin
monkeys enjoying a banana		 Some of the other
village buildings
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Returning to our world. The river was very low and
the canoe needed a push!		 A container ship entering
the Miraflores locks at the
Pacific end of the canal		 The lock gates open
and the 'mules' haul
the ship through		 Slowly does it.
There is very little
clearance on either side
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Returning home by bus
after a long day		 Two very different methods of transport The row of cabins at the "Finca Lerida", Boquete
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Colourful berries
on a coffee bush		 Rows of coffee bushes
line the slopes		 The estate manager explains the techniques
of growing coffee		 The coffee beans at the first
stage of the drying process
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...and the final drying
of the beans		 The long and complicated process of coffee tasting. A carefully weighed
sample is first ground and then 'nosed' before the hot water is added to the cup
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The hot water is added and the resulting liquor is again carefully 'nosed' and copious notes are made The pond at the Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge in
S.W. Costa Rica with its resident caiman
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The main building
houses the restaurant
and social area		 Nearby is the Casa de Orchideas on the
Golfo Dulce		 A flowering pepper and the
flowers of the cannonball tree
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A Star Anise and an opened cocoa bean The lounge area of the
Esquinas Eco-Lodge		 The Lodge is virtually hidden in its forest setting
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The sign welcoming
us to the Lodge		 The Lodge's Turtle Pond The distinctive Heliconia Access to the Lodge
was rather rickety!
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The 'Skywalk' at the
Villa Lapas, Costa Rica		 The 'Tourist Tree', so called for the way its bark peels! "Don't climb me,
I'm very prickly"		 A tiny little colourful toad
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A toucan watches
as we pass by		 The 'Spanish Village' adjacent to the Villa Lapas One of the residents
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A juvenile bare throated tiger heron
and snowy egret on the Tárcoles River		 "Come on, grub up!"
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One of the many large crocs on the Tárcoles River Caracaras and a tiger heron on the river bank The sun sets as we cruise through the mangrove swamps
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A Pacific sunset at the entrance to the estuary Scarlet macaws at a
coffee stop		 Any excuse for a parade! This time in Liberia.
Giant figures, bulls, horses, a band

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Thursday, December 16, 2010 - Alan Gentle
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Portobello


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One of the colourful local buses
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Portobello


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A display of molas in the market
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Portobello


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The San Lorenzo fortress guarding the bay
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Portobello


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The harbour and old Customs House
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Portobello


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The front of the partially restored Customs House
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Portobello


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Just having a nap!
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Portobello


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Looking seaward from the San Geronimo fort
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Errebache


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Welcome to the Embera village of Errebache
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Errebache


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Some of the young girls give a display of dancing
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Errebache


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The village meeting place, thatched with palm leaves
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Errebache


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One of the local capuchin monkeys enjoying a banana
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Errebache


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Some of the other village buildings
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Errebache


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Returning to our world. The river was very low and the canoe needed a push!
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Miraflores


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A container ship entering the Miraflores locks at the Pacific end of the canal
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Miraflores


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The lock gates open and the 'mules' haul the ship through
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Miraflores


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Slowly does it. There is very little clearance on either side
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Panama City


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Returning home by bus after a long day
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Panama


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Two very different methods of transport
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Panama


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Two very different methods of transport
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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The row of cabins at the "Finca Lerida"
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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Colourful berries on a coffee bush
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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Rows of coffee bushes line the slopes
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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The estate manager explains the techniques of growing coffee
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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The coffee beans at the first stage of the drying process
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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...and the final drying of the beans
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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The long and complicated process of coffee tasting. A carefully weighed sample...
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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...is first ground...
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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...and then 'nosed' before the hot water is added to the cup
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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The hot water is added and the resulting liquor is again carefully 'nosed'...
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Finca Lerida, Boquete


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...and copious notes are made
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The pond at the Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge in S.W. Costa Rica...
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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...with its resident caiman
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The main building houses the restaurant and social area
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Casa de Orchideas


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Nearby is the Casa de Orchideas on the Golfo Dulce
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Casa de Orchideas


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A flowering pepper...
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Casa de Orchideas


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...and the flowers of the cannonball tree
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Casa de Orchideas


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A Star Anise...
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Casa de Orchideas


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...and an opened cocoa bean
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The lounge area of the Esquinas Eco-Lodge
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The Lodge is virtually hidden in its forest setting
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The sign welcoming us to the Lodge
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The Lodge's Turtle Pond
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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The distinctive Heliconia
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Esquinas Rainforest Eco-Lodge


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Access to the Lodge was rather rickety!
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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The 'Skywalk'
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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The 'Tourist Tree', so called for the way its bark peels!
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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"Don't climb me, I'm very prickly"
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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A tiny little colourful toad
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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A toucan watches as we pass by
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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The 'Spanish Village' adjacent to the Villa Lapas
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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The 'Spanish Village' adjacent to the Villa Lapas
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Villa Lapas, Costa Rica


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One of the residents
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Tárcoles River


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A juvenile bare throated tiger heron
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Tárcoles River


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...and snowy egret on the Tárcoles River
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Tárcoles River


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"Come on, grub up!"
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Tárcoles River


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"Come on, grub up!"
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Tárcoles River


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One of the many large crocs on the river
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Tárcoles River


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Caracaras and...
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Tárcoles River


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...a tiger heron on the river bank
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Tárcoles River


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The sun sets as we cruise through the mangrove swamps
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Tárcoles River


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A Pacific sunset at the entrance to the estuary
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Costa Rica


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Scarlet macaws at a coffee stop
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Liberia


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Any excuse for a parade!
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Liberia


First Previous 1x1 C. America 1x1 1x1. . . more?
This time in Liberia. Giant figures, bulls, horses, a band

Revised Thursday, December 16, 2010 - Alan Gentle
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