This Tamarindo home is a wonderful example of how the use of renovated shipping containers have become a popular use of recycled materials. Two containers braced by bamboo support beams. The light color and high ceilings contributes to a sense of airiness and space.
“Green’ Construction or decreasing “Carbon Footprints” in the beach areas of Costa Rica is a doubly demanding task as the weather conditions reach two extremes for a considerable period of time depending on what part of the country you are in.
In the dry tropical rain forest in the Province of Guanacaste the rainy season and the dry season are on full throttle roughly half the year. The green minded Costa Rica contractor, architects and engineers must plan for 6 months of torrential rain and high humidity, but must also keep an eye open for 6 months of almost desert like conditions of high heat and little to no moisture.
In Central Valley and Caribbean locations moisture is a year round issue. Fortunately many techniques used for cooling in a hot climate also apply to humid conditions. Natural ventilation is the key. Read more... (917 words, 2 images, estimated 3:40 mins reading time)
Using natural products and custom furniture with all amenities helps make a eco-friendly home.
The beauty of Eco-friendly architecture is that you are tapping into and amplifying the peace and exhilaration of nature.
Since graduating from Santa Clara University with a double major in environmental studies and anthropology I have remodeled and landscaped our family vacation home into a luxury villa which is now available to rent by night, week or month. When I first walked the hill above the Sarapiqui River I could feel how peaceful that area was. The goal of remodeling the villa was to combine luxury in the jungle with a peace beyond imagination.
Arriving from the Juan Santamaría airport you will experience a scenic 2 hour drive passing through the pristine forests of the national park Braulio Carrillo. We are 20 minutes from the world famous La Selva Biological Station (OTS), with its 400 bird species and just 2 minutes from the Tirimbina Rainforest Center.
Eco-friendly activities surrounding us include many one-day tours like bird watching, day and nighttime jungle tours, whitewater rafting, kayaking, canopy zip lines, rappelling, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking, Read more... (658 words, 3 images, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)
You are seeing more an more hotels rooms with the "NO FUMA" sign
If you smoke, you may have problems in Costa Rica. Back in May, 2009 the government imposed a tax hike on cigarettes which pretty much outraged smokers when the price jumped about 30%, then it followed with a year later the countries first international say “No” To Smoking Day. A few days later thousands of school children in Cartago gathered to unite against smoking at “Fello” Meza Stadium – one of the stadiums to ban smoking.
Laws on smoking narrow down to the option of the business and not government enforcement; in other words, pretty much all of the larger tourist corporations are jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon, especially in the downtown section of San Jose.
At San Jose International Airport, many think it is government operation. However, it is run, maintain, administrated, and operated by a private company, Alterra Partners, who have elected to have a smoking room below the Burger King food court. Read more... (703 words, 3 images, estimated 2:49 mins reading time)
Road Conditions in Costa Rica can be sever, like this washout during Tropical Storm Tomas.
When you vacation in Costa Rica, you will most likely rent a car when you arrive in San Jose. The highway system in the capital city of San Jose is comprised of modern multi-lane freeways that look very much like freeways in other large cities around the world.
Road conditions in Costa Rica can change very quickly during heavy rains, etc especially in the rural countryside. During Tropical Storm Tomas many roads became blocked due to mudslides, washouts and in some cases, bridges went out. With said, traffic can backed up as far as one can see. Detours are most common and it would take days. if not weeks for the road to be cleared.
One of the best way to make sure of the road conditions along the route you intend to travel is to stop often and ask the locals for information on whether the road has problems or is passable with 4WD, which is a must to rent due to the high clearance, better handling and 4-wheel drive features. Read more... (294 words, 1 image, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)
Bridge Crossing pass Puerto Jimenez
Tropical Storm Tomas pounded Costa Rica with strong winds and heavy rains that triggered hundreds of landslides, power outages, and road closers all over Costa Rica. The storm hit the Quepos area very hard.
The country’s National Emergency Commission said in an e-mailed statement, torrential rains have left Costa Rica in emergency status; mudslide in Escazu (suburb of San Jose) killed 20 people with an unknown number missing. All over the country, many roads are closed and some bridges out. It has not stopped raining for three days. Rain was coming down so hard; it felt like it would knock you to the ground. Flooding was everywhere.
After fishing in Puerto Jimenez, and hearing about the storms impact via Twitter, Facebook and calls to us, we left early. About 30 kilometers later we got stopped dead, staring at a sink-hole section of road about 20 yards wide, that happened just 30 minutes before, because there was only a few truckers and one car in front of us. Getting around it was a feat, and we have some unreal video of it. One person got hurt when he slipped and fell into the hole. Read more... (552 words, 3 images, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)
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