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Biking in Ireland is No Blarney

Cyclists meet for lunch in Irish Village
Bicyclists meet for lunch at a village pub on a California Native bicycle tour.

Top o’ the morning to ya! Spring has finally sprung and it’s a perfect time for a bicycle trip in the Emerald Isles.

Ireland has so much to offer—rugged mountains, sea-battered cliffs, quiet woodlands and beautiful lakes, and each time you turn a corner the scenery changes. Bicycling through the countryside, along quiet country roads past scores of castles, Iron Age forts, and prehistoric burial sites, you are constantly reminded of the country’s ancient past. In this fairy tale environment, it’s not hard to imagine that a leprechaun is watching you from just behind an ancient stone fence.

The mild climate and wandering trails make bicycling the perfect way to explore this colorful country, where there are no language barriers, and the friendly Irish people make you feel at home.

Irish country roads are perfect for bicycle touring.
Ireland with its quiet country roads is a perfect destination for bicycle touring.

Our tours start each morning with a hearty breakfast. Then, a few hours of leisurely cycling brings us to our lunch stop, where we relax and swap stories. Continuing on, we explore the countryside at our own pace. There is plenty of time to stop, make a detour, or grab a pint in a village pub. We bicycle about 30 miles a day and our guide is always on hand in case we want a lift.

We spend our nights at small family-run hotels and charming B&B’s and, of course, we enjoy the music and good cheer of Ireland’s famous pubs.

So join us on one of our bicycle tours of Ireland.

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Join Us for a Cup in Costa Rica

“Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!” – Johann Sebastian Bach, “The Coffee Cantata”

Costa Rica is a coffee growing paradise.

According to Greek mythology, coffee originated when Zeus’ daughter, Helena, prepared a drink that “had the power of robbing grief and anger of their sting and banishing all painful memories.”

Throughout history, religious leaders preached that the drinking of coffee was dangerous and the “drink of the devil,” but in the 17th Century, the Pope gave his blessing on the consumption of coffee, and in Turkey, as part of the marriage vow, the husband had to provide (till death do they part) his wife with coffee—failure to do so was grounds for divorce.

Coffee arrived in Costa Rica in the 1790’s, and one could describe the relationship between Costa Rica and coffee as a love story—they were made for each other—the rich soil, ideal climate and altitudes were perfect for growing the red berries. Costa Rica exported its first coffee to Columbia in 1820, and twenty-three years later, London became a profitable market for the rich beans, converted in the mills to “grains of gold.”

After a brief civil war in 1823, free land grants, coffee plants and small parcels of land were given to families that wanted to grow coffee. Thus, Costa Rica is said to be based on a “Coffee Democracy.”

Coffee was originally hauled from the Central Valley to the coast on the backs of mules, but by the mid-1800’s, roads were developed and oxcarts replaced the mules. Even today some farmers rely on this traditional method of transporting their goods.

The coffee industry plays such a prominent role in the existence of this nation, that there is a special branch of the government that deals solely with coffee—The Costa Rican Coffee Institute or Instituto del Café. León Cortés Castro was the institute’s first president, and in 1936, went on to become president of the country.

Today, there are approximately 50,000 coffee producers in Costa Rica and together they produce more than 170 million tons of coffee. Costa Rica’s fine, high quality coffee is known throughout the world, and is frequently used to upgrade lesser quality coffees, like those of Brazil.

Modern medicine is still undecided on the health effects of this caffeine beverage but one thing is for sure, Costa Rica has found it quite stimulating.

So join us for a cup—in Costa Rica!

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Traveling in Mexico

We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month, Stan and Elizabeth Williams, from Calgary, Alberta, traveled with us to Copper Canyon. Before returning home they sent us an e-mail which we posted two weeks ago. In a followup e-mail they discussed the state of tourism in Mexico and the issue of security:

Hi Laurie:

Attached is our evaluation form for our Copper Canyon Tour from February 6 to February 15, 2011. Overall, you get straight “A’s”!! You can read the details but we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more and the tour ran like clockwork! We are already looking forward to our next California Native tour.

I just have a comment about the state of Mexico tourism in general. Prior to our trip, when people found out we were traveling to Mexico they said “isn’t that dangerous?” (in reference to the recent media reports). We responded by saying that it is no more dangerous than some parts of Calgary and we that were traveling with an experienced tour company called “California Native.”

We love Mexico. We find the people to be very friendly, helpful even with our broken Spanish, and curious about us. But the tourism situation in Mexico is in very sad condition. Despite being in the low tourism season, we expected there to be more foreign tourists than were there. We often had individual service at hotels restaurants, on tours and on the train because there were very few other travelers. The Mexicans we encountered depend on tourism for their livelihood.

If tourists have concerns about traveling in Mexico, then it is all the more reason to hire a tour company, like California Native, who knows the lay of the land and local customs, have dealt with service providers for years and can “put all the pieces” of a tour puzzle together so very well.

Thanks very much!

Stanley Williams, BSc P.Geol
Senior Geologist, CBM
Nexen Inc.
Calgary, AB, Canada

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“Jump Start to Spring” Sale on Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the perfect place for monkey watching.This year’s winter has been a harsh one across North America. From the record breaking weather to the unsure economy, it has been trying for everyone. Here at The California Native, we want to shine a little light on those cold dark days. We know that many of our fans are looking for a great escape, so we are announcing our “Jump Start to Spring” Sale on our Costa Rica vacations.

Costa Rica is just the paradise to make the winter blues go away. It has rainforests and jungles loaded with exotic animals and birds—monkeys playing in the tree tops, sloths hanging from tree limbs, basilisks (Jesus Christ lizards) walking on water, macaws flying above, and butterflies dancing everywhere.

The scenery is unbelievable. From the Caribbean to the Pacific the country has so much to offer—fiery volcanoes, lush rainforests, mysterious cloud forests, and beautiful beaches.

Looking for a little action? Costa Rica boasts some of the best whitewater rafting around, canopy tours where you can fly above the tree-tops on a zip-line, hiking, horseback riding, swimming and kayaking. Whew! Need relaxing time? Nothing like a soak in hot-springs heated by the Arenal Volcano.

Costa Rica is the perfect place to thaw out. Located in the exact center of the Americas, right next to the equator, the temperatures are warm year round. (It is tropical, so it usually rains in the late afternoon but the rain is warm and not uncomfortable.)

Hungry? On your Costa Rica vacation you will savor fantastic seafood, tropical fruit and delicious coffee—all very fresh and oh so delicious. And the people who call it home, the Ticos, are warm-hearted and friendly which really puts the icing on the cake of a perfect vacation.

Join us on one of our Costa Rica Nature Explorer Tours by September 30, 2011 and receive our “Jump start to Spring” discount. All you have to do is mention this offer when you reserve your trip to paradise and you will receive a $400 per couple discount.

Phone or email us today and start packing for a wonderful adventure.

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“Well Done California Native”

We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog for everyone to enjoy. Last month, Stan and Elizabeth Williams, from Calgary, Alberta, traveled with us to Copper Canyon. Before returning home they sent us this e-mail:

Hello:

We are sad to be finished with our “10 day to the bottom” California Native Copper Canyon adventure but we are so glad to have had such a fantastic trip. The train ride was amazing, the natural and human history of the area is very interesting and diverse, the Canyon scenery and immensity is almost indescribable and you can’t get the true scope of the canyons unless you are there. The trip to Batopilas down THAT road was incredible and our driver was excellent!

I have hundreds of photos to sort through and there aren’t many “rejects!!” The accommodations were great.

One of the best parts about the tour was that all of the parts of our California Native tour worked so well. The best surprise was that there was no disappointing surprises, just wonderful surprises! From the time we arrived in El Fuerte on February 5 until the time we left El Fuerte today, everything went very smoothly! All the transfers were on time or even a little early, the drivers and the guides were knowledgeable, cordial and courteous and , well, excellent! The tour was well paced and the many options for activities were amazing!

Well done California Native and thank you very much! I’m looking forward to telling my friends about California Native and to exploring future trips elsewhere with your company.

Stan Williams