I was in Costa Rica in 1990. I have traveled a lot...all over the planet. But now I don't go anywhere. Maybe it is because I am in my 70's. Maybe it is because travel is more costly now. Maybe it is because being somewhere is great, but getting there isn't that much fun anymore. But I think mostly it is because the whole world is suffering from "Over-Tourism." There are guidebooks for everywhere you could possibly think about going, not to mention all the info on the internet. I understand why people want to travel, but there are just too many of them everywhere. This is not good for the local residents, for the environment as well as for the travelers, who are not able to have the kind of experiences I did when I traveled. I recently had a conversation with my girlfriend . (We are still very good friends after being together in our 20's). She said she saw a show on TV on Stonehendge. There were so many people there no one could really see or enjoy it. She said she remembered that when we were there in 1972, we were the only ones there. This is the case for so many places all over the world. I live on Maui now, so maybe I have less of an incentive to go anywhere as I live in such a beautiful tropical place. But we are also affected by "Over-Tourism" in a big way. COVID was a big wake up call for us. With so few tourists the roads and beaches weren't crowded. There were more turtles and fish and birds. The air seemed fresher. You could go places that you avoided because of the throngs of tourists. So I say, just give the planet a rest for awhile and just stay home.
I read Dan Buettner's book BLUE ZONES several years ago. I told many others about the book; but most people think I am telling them about the latest, usual BS which so many con artists and hustlers write about in books and on line. Possibly, this is partly because the hustler Dr. Mehmet C. Oz recommends the book and his name is prominently displayed on the book's cover.
US citizens are so convinced that this is the "greatest" country on the globe that they simply do not believe there are five "blue zones" on Earth and only one is in the US: It is the Seventh Day Adventist community in the Los Angeles area. The other three Blue Zones are: Sardinia, Okinawa, Greek islands.
If my memory serves me well there were six foods which seem to be favored by the centenarians in all five Zones: greens, grains, beans, nuts, tubers and citrus. They ate other things as well. But these six were common to all Zones. The people on the Nicoyan Penninsula also ate maranon and anona. These fruits are five times richer in Vitamin C than oranges. I never heard of them. The Nicoyans also cooked their corn in lime which is calcium hydroxide.This is the rich source of calcium in their diet. This dietary calcium discourages soft arterial plaque and keeps bones strong.
I was in Costa Rica in 1990. I have traveled a lot...all over the planet. But now I don't go anywhere. Maybe it is because I am in my 70's. Maybe it is because travel is more costly now. Maybe it is because being somewhere is great, but getting there isn't that much fun anymore. But I think mostly it is because the whole world is suffering from "Over-Tourism." There are guidebooks for everywhere you could possibly think about going, not to mention all the info on the internet. I understand why people want to travel, but there are just too many of them everywhere. This is not good for the local residents, for the environment as well as for the travelers, who are not able to have the kind of experiences I did when I traveled. I recently had a conversation with my girlfriend . (We are still very good friends after being together in our 20's). She said she saw a show on TV on Stonehendge. There were so many people there no one could really see or enjoy it. She said she remembered that when we were there in 1972, we were the only ones there. This is the case for so many places all over the world. I live on Maui now, so maybe I have less of an incentive to go anywhere as I live in such a beautiful tropical place. But we are also affected by "Over-Tourism" in a big way. COVID was a big wake up call for us. With so few tourists the roads and beaches weren't crowded. There were more turtles and fish and birds. The air seemed fresher. You could go places that you avoided because of the throngs of tourists. So I say, just give the planet a rest for awhile and just stay home.
Mr. Hartmann,
I read Dan Buettner's book BLUE ZONES several years ago. I told many others about the book; but most people think I am telling them about the latest, usual BS which so many con artists and hustlers write about in books and on line. Possibly, this is partly because the hustler Dr. Mehmet C. Oz recommends the book and his name is prominently displayed on the book's cover.
US citizens are so convinced that this is the "greatest" country on the globe that they simply do not believe there are five "blue zones" on Earth and only one is in the US: It is the Seventh Day Adventist community in the Los Angeles area. The other three Blue Zones are: Sardinia, Okinawa, Greek islands.
If my memory serves me well there were six foods which seem to be favored by the centenarians in all five Zones: greens, grains, beans, nuts, tubers and citrus. They ate other things as well. But these six were common to all Zones. The people on the Nicoyan Penninsula also ate maranon and anona. These fruits are five times richer in Vitamin C than oranges. I never heard of them. The Nicoyans also cooked their corn in lime which is calcium hydroxide.This is the rich source of calcium in their diet. This dietary calcium discourages soft arterial plaque and keeps bones strong.
Great topic, good job.
I’ve known several couples who have used Costa Rica for a destination wedding.