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APRIL 27 - MAY 5, 2005
$1550 - Trip FULL - Contact Leader for Waiting List
Ken Kaufman, Leader
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| Costa
Rica is a tiny but remarkable country spanning the land bridge between
North and South America. Smaller than the state of West Virginia, it
lies in a region unique in the world, where species from both
continents mix and mingle with unique indigenous plants and animals.
Costa Rica is home to an estimated half million species, or about 5% of
all the plant and animal species known to exist on the planet. And,
most extraordinarily for a small, developing country, it has preserved
about 25% of its land area in national parks and reserves. This trip is designed to concentrate on just two distinctly different eco-zones, the coastal rain forest and the mountain cloud forest. The objective is to become immersed in the jungle and see wildlife. After spending a night at an elegant San Jose hotel, we will fly by single engine charter aircraft about one hour to the remote Tiskita Jungle Lodge, a private reserve on the southwestern Pacific coast, where we spend three days exploring the coastal rain forest and beach. We then fly back to San Jose and drive about 3 hours south into the Talamanca Mountains, to the Savegre Mountain Hotel, for three days of exploring the mountain cloud forest, at elevations from 7,200 to 11,200 feet. Savegre is reputed to be the best place in the country to see the magnificent and exotic resplendent quetzal, revered by the ancients as a god. We then return to our hotel in San Jose for one more night, with a free afternoon to explore the city. (For more detailed information on Tiskita and Savegre, please check their websites.) We will have our own, private, English-speaking naturalist guide throughout our stay. Hikes will generally be moderate, with distances of 4-8 miles, although longer hikes are available. Price of $1550 ($75 nonrefundable) includes: All in-country transportation and transfers, 8 nights lodging, 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners, private guide and most gratuities. Not included: Airfare to Costa Rica, airport departure tax, alcoholic beverages, personal items, other extras and special tours that may be offered by the hotels. The group size is limited to 11 participants plus the leader. For more information and to sign up, contact the leader, Ken Kaufman, 123 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152, telephone 315-685-7456, E-mail KaufmanPE@verizon.net. |