The goal of the 2008 Geotourism Challenge is to identify and showcase innovators, individuals and organizations that support geotourism initiatives. According to National Geographic, geotourism means “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

“We are pleased that Rios Tropicales has been among the winners of the prestigious 2008 Geotourism Challenge,” said Maria Amalia Revelo, Deputy Manager & Director of Marketing for the Costa Rica Tourist Board. “We believe that responsible and sustainable tourism are the only options for our country, this encourages us and the Costa Rican industry to strengthen our efforts in the protection of the environment and natural resources, as well as working more closely with our communities” she added.

Rios Tropicales is an innovator in sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. The company has an exemplary program, which encompasses education, reforestation, conservation and health projects. Through the Rios Tropicales Foundation, the company works in partnership with the local communities to establish innovative conservation and education programs in elementary schools. One example is The Regional River Environmental Educational Pilot Project in which the company educates children about the importance of natural resources conservation, water quality, river pollution solutions, among other topics. This program has already been implemented in most schools throughout the country.

The winners of the 2008 Geotourism Challenge will work with National Geographic and Ashoka’s Challengemakers in expanding their conservation and community initiatives. Goals for Rios Tropicales include the creation of additional healthcare and education projects to fulfill the urgent needs of the local communities. Additionally, they will work on projects which promote conservation and rainforest restoration.

The 2008 Geotourism Challenge winners are 3 Nepali Sisters Adventure Trekking, Rios Tropicales and the Yachana Foundation. The sponsors of the challenge will host an award ceremony in Washington DC next October 13-15, 2008.

About Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located in Central America, nestled between Nicaragua and Panama, and bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the west by the Pacific Ocean. This small country represents only .01 % of the planet’s surface and it shelters almost 4% of the existing world’s biodiversity. It has given priority to the conservation of its natural resources, protecting 26% of its national territory through the creation of National Parks and other natural areas.

The country also offers world-class eco-tourism and adventure travel. The options are unlimited for any discriminating traveler: horseback riding on a secluded beach; hiking through the lush whispering greenery of a rain forest; having an exhilarating experience on a white-water rafting trip, observing the tropical forests from a canopy tour; surfing the blue waves of either coast; experiencing a quite, close encounter with different species of birds and wildlife; and enjoying the diverse culture and hospitality of the Ticos.

About the Costa Rica Tourist Board
The Costa Rica Tourist Board, created in 1955, is an autonomous institution of the State, responsible for regulating the tourism activity in Costa Rica and promoting Costa Rica’s tourism attractions and destinations both at a national and international level. The Costa Rica Tourist Board creates tourism norms, regulations, incentives and grants the tourist declaratory for Costa Rica’s hotels, travel agencies, rental cars and other tourism organization and service provider.

Location: North Namibia

Here are a few thoughts of my first several days visiting the Oso Peninsula during the wet season in Costa Rica.

Bugs are everywhere. If you are hoping to find a bug-free, five-star hotel in the jungle, forget it. Use loads of bug repellent and sleep under a mosqito net when available. Right now there are twenty-five types of insects on the floor of my bathroom, which is relatively clean. There are also two small tree frogs in there too. I leave them all be. Actually, I woke up with a stray dog sleeping on the floor next to my luggage. He seemed like he belonged, so he stayed too, until he left on his own.

Expect a bumpy ride. Smooth roads are the exception to the rule, not the norm. Roads frequently have streams running through them and frequently get washed out and can strand visitors unwilling to cross on foot.

The jungle is far from quiet. Barking monkeys, clucking and clacking birds, croaking frogs, and a variety of noises coming from the most bizarre insects on earth do not care about human slumber. And no, they do not take a break.

Mother Nature has the final word on everything. When it rains it pours and plans are based upon her whims, so I always plan for my roll-with-the-punches attitute.

The best advice I can give potential rain forest visitors, think adventure, not vacation and expect a lot of memories to pile on.

I fought the urge to touch her. She was like an intricate red clay
doll with soft curves that were as if molded to perfection. Smeared
head to toe with gee mixed with ochre-based paint, harvested by
post-menopausal tribal women on a long pilgrimage to Angola. Her long
dreadlocks were each tightly bound with the same substance, and
included hair from other women of the tribe, as well as animal hair. I
didn’t notice at first, but her bottom front teeth had been knocked
out for “beauty, fashion, tradition, and better pronunciation of the
language”. Above her bare feet her ankles were enclosed in thick bands
made of strung beads - the ankles in the Himba culture are believed to
be the most private and intimate part of the body, and are not to be
seen by anyone, not even a sexual or spiritual partner.

Location: North-West Namibia

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First I left San Jose, Costa Rica, on one of those 20-seat, puddle jumpers with propellors. Then, I landed in Drake’s Bay before moving on to a second flight to Golfino. Then there was a high speed boat across the bay to Puerto Jiminez where I then boarded a jeep for a 45-minute ride on unpaved roads and through swollen streams, which included stopping to see a family of endangered macaws. I arrived at an eco-lodge named, Lago Rios.

Later, I walked toward my room, tired and joyed, wondering if the jaguars and poisonous snakes of the Costa Rican jungle might be inches from me, while I continued to whistle in the dark.

Evenings in Ubud are full of interesting characters, pleasurable music and the taste of arak (an alcoholic drink made from palm sap), which is cheap, yet I think palm sap requires a trained palette. A night in Ubud will not go by without a choice of music being played for visitors and locals, as I often heard the sounds of Marley (or random cover versions) being played out in bars along the main stretch of Monkey Forest Road and the surrounding areas. I also very frequently heard Gamelan music which is recognized as the music of Bali, a powerful blend of various percussions, strings, gongs and xylophones. I could only describe this music as a combination of thundering sounds, jangling bells and an energy that fills the listener with excitement, yet even this would not do it enough justice.

I felt curious to explore a traditional performance so I headed for an evening of the ‘Kecak dance’. This is a beautiful, enchanting, hypnotising performance and a traditional Balinese dance of Hindu origin. The ‘Kecak dance’ is a fire/trance dance, and the name of the dance really does express what the experience is like. The Kecak is the most overwhelming dance I have seen, with a choir of over a hundred and fifty men chanting and moving with the rhythm of the fire. Dancing, fire burning, chanting and the swaying of arms overtook my mind and almost sent me into some form of trance (I’ve never stayed so quiet!). The male choir provide the musical accompaniment to the dance and their chants change throughout the dance as the mood of the dancers change, a truly exotic performance.

Amongst thousands of islands in Indonesia’s archipelago, Bali is a small island and offers a warm friendly welcome to those who explore its soil. Even amongst a developing and changing world, Bali still holds on to its traditions and offers a slow pace of life for those who wish. I was touched by the richness of Ubud and the beauty of its people. You won’t have to walk far to find a smile along the way.

In the morning, I was greeted by macaws and monkeys, mosquito netting and the unrequited feeling of unread emails. This is only the beginning.

Stay tuned for more on my trip to Costa Rica.

Months ago, much like a progeny of Zeus, I mused about this upcoming road trip and the relevancy of this type of travel. I asked, “Will gas prices continue to skyrocket as they have this summer?” However, instead of spiking even higher, I now see them dropping.

Today I’m in Italy for the harvest season and a cutting edge journey that some have coined “Geocache Touring.” This unique tour is organized by Zephyr Adventures, and it uses GPS technology and Portable Video Players to reach the hidden gems that few find on their own. Adventurous spirits and space age technology is guiding my copilot and I to out-of-the-way hill towns, food and culture, while our electronic tour leader Giovanni tells us all about what we’re seeing.

For more on Zephyr Adventures, http://www.selfguidedadventures.com/

Road Trip Travel Enters the Space Age, part 1

“Stella can take you” said a girl from the village, “She’ll be back from work soon.” Waiting, I entertained the local children by showing them their own photos on the screen of my camera. When Stella arrived it turned out she was a cleaning woman from a nearby lodge. We took her in our car and drove around in the dry river bed looking for the elephants, but had no luck. The ride was rough and in the back seat Stella and Alex were in the air half the time, landing hard after every bump. It seemed that to our guide’s taste we were driving too fast and too rough, and when after an especially sharp turn Columbus, our truck, coughed and briefly died, she got out of the car and said she’ll walk back. The only thing that could stop her was a desert elephant in her way, and as she took a few steps around the curve there it was, a whole herd of them. Our happiness, though not Stella’s, must have influenced Columbus (or was it Alex digging in its engine), because it came back to life and with me sitting on the open window, aiming with the camera that bears some resemblance to an elephant rifle, drove into the herd. Alex was holding my legs so I wouldn’t fall out of the window, and Vlad was driving in zigzags to avoid bumps on the road. Stella was speechless except for a few moans here and there. It must have been a worthy circus balancing act so when a three-tier jeep with tourists on a game drive from a nearby lodge went by, searching for the same elephants, they were all looking at us instead of the herd. “The elephants are that way…” I pointed.

I returned Stella to her village and drove off. It was getting late and we still needed to find something to eat and somewhere to sleep. Happy to find what I’ve been looking for, I considered the day a success, and was relaxing on the back seat when I saw something that looked like an elephant-shaped cardboard cutout advertising yet another lodge. “Elephant? ELEPHANT!” Screeching brakes. Reverse. Me on the window again and Alex out the other window with our spotlight, I barely had a chance to aim when another car drove by slowly. “Watch out,” I warned, “There is a big bull elephant there, on your left.” “Elephant?! Cool!!!” exclaimed the driver, took a sharp left turn and nearly drove right into it. Columbus vibrated with the booming trumpet-like sound that must have been heard for miles. In less then a second the brave cowboy was gone. Through the dust from his tires I was driving for about a mile.

A new book has been published and released, Sketches of a Young Man Wandering & Other Stories, by Bradley Fink. It is an exceptional first book by a young American writer. It hasn’t hit the shelves yet, but you can buy it now at http://www.goodbookgroup.com. We hope that you enjoy his stories.

Thanks for reading.
publishers@goodbookgroup.com

About the Author
For most of thirty years Bradley Fink has lived on the southern coast of Florida. Having studied writing at Florida State University and New York University, he has written fiction and editorials for a number of international publications. Right now he is somewhere far away on travels around the world. Sketches of a Young Man Wandering & Other Stories is his literary debut.

www.goodbookgroup.com

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