US Embassy and Intel

The Embassy is much bigger than others I've seen. We had a briefing with the economic officer and the head of consular division. Little known fact was that Americans lose more passports in Costa Rica than anywhere else, however, the number that was reported was only 5,000 per year when there are more than one million US tourists visiting here each year.

We also visited Intel and had a really interesting presentation about Intel's financial services division. The industrial campus we visited was really large and we liked walking through the office area to see all the sustainabile practices the company was using. Intel seems to be doing a good job of walking the talk.

Tomorrow we go to Earth University to learn about their programs and visit the banana plantation. We leave at 6:30 am to go to Guacimo. We're very excited about our day.

Dinner at Ram Luna

Dancers and UNO students at Ram Luna

This is oneof those times where all mydigital toys frustrate me.  It was impossible last night to capture all that we saw at Ram Luna.  I wish I could have captured the bus ride from our hotel, through rush hour traffic and a twisting and turning road to the top of a mountain to the restaurant.  There were times when our driver had to take the whole road to make the hairpin turns and then he only just missed swiping one of the houses on the corner.  Once atop the mountain, we knew the drive had been worth it.  The view of the city laid out in the valley below us was spectacular.  The widest angle lens could not have captured it.  The restaurant was decorated in a traditional style with murals celebrating Costa Rica's coffee industry of the past.  We drank local rum and beer while dining on an enormous variety of traditional dishes.  After dinner we watched dancers demonstrate traditional folk dances and a few of our EMBA students even joined in.  The clown dancers were some of the most unusal and you'd have to be there to fully appreciate why.  We then went out on the patio for fireworks and a street celebration--here's where even my video couldn't capture the moonlight, the live band, the crazy clowns, the smell of sparklers and the twinkling lights.   

We have arrived in beautiful Costa Rica!

Despite having to be at the airport at 4:00am, we wll managed to perk up as they announced that we were landing here in Costa Rica. We now understand what the guidebooks meant by the Central Valley. As we looked out the windows on the left of the plane--mountains--to the right--more mountains. The airport was between them and we could see sunny skies, palm trees and green fields! We also saw another mountain--the mountain of luggage for our band of 23 students and four faculty members! Truly amazing! The porters had them loaded on to our super deluxe bus in no time and we were off to our hotel. We are all checked in and enjoying beautiful singing from the local birds in the garden below our rooms. We have a great evening planned at Ram Luna. We are going to Tierra Tica night-- a traditional dinner buffet with traditional marimba music and dancing. We'll see real fireworks tonight. For those of you in Omaha, it is 74 here! Pura Vida!

Sportfishing in Costa Rica

By Osvaldo Perez, Alex Skillman and Joe Pattrin
Costa Rica boasts a wide variety of popular saltwater game fish that attract anglers from around the world. The opportunity for an adventure that is radically different from your grandfather’s fly fishing expeditions abounds, no matter where a traveler finds himself in the country. Costa Rica has four distinct fishing regions, the North Pacific, Central Pacific, South Pacific, and North Caribbean zones that each present a unique experience. Each of the fishing regions is easily accessible to visitors and hiring a boat is easy at one of the many charter shops around Costa Rica.

Contrasted with commercial or recreational fishing, sportfishing is for the fun and competition of angling in a trophy fish.  Sportfishing is done with a rod, reel, and different types of lures, rather than nets or other methods.  The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has specific angling rules that anglers must comply with to have a proper & successful catch that can be recorded.  Traditional sportfishing uses a baited hook called the “J hook”, which results in very high catch rates. However, Costa Rican sport fishing centers on catch and release fishing. The traditional J hook typically results in traumatized fish that are unlikely to survive if released. To combat this, the “circle hook” was developed that maximizes the chance of cleanly catching fish with minimal trauma.  

San Jose Night Life

By Tyler Budke and Javier Alba

San José is the largest city of Costa Rica with a population just shy of 300,000 and also happens to be the capital city. It was founded in 1738 by the Cabildo de León. During colonial times the economy was mainly fueled by tobacco exports only to be replaced by coffee plantations during the middle of the 19th century.

San José today is a modern city complete with an international airport, parks, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and tall buildings. Along with this modernization comes a very interesting and diverse night life.

There are many districts with a night life but the three main ones are El Pueblo, San Pedro, and Barrio La California.

If you are taking a taxi to any of these locations do not give the driver an address or you will get lost. It is widely accepted that you give them some landmarks that are nearby where you want to go and you will arrive on time.


El Pueblo is a shopping center during the day and becomes a clubbing district at night. There are several bars and nightclubs cluttered in the tiny little alleyways.

Selvatura Adventure Park at Monteverde

By Kelly Kneival and Lacey Merica

Monteverde did not always start out as one of Costa Rica’s top three tourist destinations. In its early beginnings Monteverde was a milk producing community that was settled by Quakers who were in search of a better future for their family. The Quakers settled Monteverde in a humble fashion for the single purpose of providing sustenance for their families. This value was one shared by both Costa Ricans and the Quakers.

During the initial settling of Monteverde families were primarily concerned with planting and growing crops and milk cattle. Families would take their goods to local markets in the area such as Guacimal, Chomes and Puntareanas. At this time the Quakers practiced controlled deforestation. The practice of controlled deforestation is cleaning the farm land of trees and other plants to make room for planting and areas for cattle to graze.

Costa Rican Traditional Foods

By Ngoc Nguyen and Lolita Schumacher

Costa Rica is a small Caribbean country located on the Isthmus Peninsula, boasting 1,290km of coastline, between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The country supports tropical and subtropical climates. Beautiful coastal plains are separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones. Nestled in this warm tropical climate, you will find 4.5 million Ticos (Costa Ricans) enjoying a colorful, bountiful table filled with local fruits and vegetables. The cuisine of Costa Rica is rich in color and texture, yet the dishes do not carry the spicy hot taste traditionally found in Mexican food. Costa Rican dishes are famous for more subtle flavors. Regarding drinks, coffee is the favorite- Ticos drink theirs strong and black.

Costa Rica attracts many tourists because of the breathtaking sightseeing and delicious food. Most traditional dishes incorporate rice and beans (frequently black beans) accompanied with beef, chicken, or fish. A traditional Tico breakfast includes ‘gallo pinto’ (pinto rooster) which is a dish that sauteés cooked rice, black beans, onions, red pepper, cilantro, and special spices. The dish will be served with eggs, natilla (sour cream), and bread. Gallo Pinto is a household stable and many cooks and chefs will tell you the secret ingredient is a sauce known as Lizano. This greenish brown sauce is packed with flavors that release a slightly sweet taste. Lizano is made from puréeing cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and countless other spices. Lizano is a Tico favorite and used on everything, much like Americans use ketchup.