Steven A. Melnick ⁽⁷¹⁾

For more than 65 years, Costa Rica has had no standing army. In December, 1948, President Jose Figueres publicly handed the keys to the nation's military headquarters, Bellavista, to the Minister of Education. President Figueres announced that Bellavista would become a national museum and the…

In my life I have, on rare occasions, been cheated, gipped, ripped-off, shortchanged. Minor events to be sure (11 donuts in the one dozen bag), but renting a car in Costa Rica takes the feeling of being ripped-off to an entirely different level. Because we…

Soda La Perla de Pacifico--best food in Huacas ! When our son Mark was younger, he and I went on a number of motorcycle trips together that, at one time or another, took us as far south as southern North Carolina, and north through upstate…

I was outside early this morning waiting to see the sunrise over the mountains beyond Potrero Bay to the east of us. I have no doubt that at 6:00 AM my appearance screamed, "Gringo!" As I sat on the wall along the road, a young…

View from my writing table on the balcony... Meeting new people, experiencing other cultures, and perhaps learning a new language (one can only hope, Amigo) places traveling on my list of life's enjoyments. Heide and I have embarked on a two month trip to Costa…