Cuba & Costa Rica Blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- Last blog post on Costa Rica and Cuba
- First-ever group motorcycle tours of Cuba successful
- Cuba’s Mariel port readying for Panama Canal expansion
- Musings on wildlife encounters on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
- Cuba’s Steam Trains puffing their last gasp
- My top five thrilling activities in Costa Rica
- Cuba’s fun February festivals include Harleys, Books, Cigars
- Five top volcano viewing experiences in Costa Rica
- New road along Costa Rica / Nicaraguan border mired
- Cuba’s Hotel Campoamor at Cojímar to be restored?
- Cuban revolutionary Celia Sánchez honored in new book
- Christmas challenge for Costa Rica’s sexually abused girls
- Costa Rica opens Chinatown in downtown San José
- David Soul films Hemingway’s car restoration in Cuba
- National Geographic Expeditions receives license for Cuba tours
New Orleans mayor raises storm with comments on Cuba's hurricane preparedness
Freshly returned last Thursday after a six-day fact-finding mission to Cuba, New Orleans' controversial mayor Ray Nagin stirred up a hornet's nest when he praised Cuba's hurricane preparedness, which is regarded as the best in the world. Nagin was accompanied by 15 city and state officials, including police, fire and port agencies,
"The president and the governor were going back and forth," said Nagin, referring to Hurricane Katrina. "In Cuba you don't have that problem. The government says, 'This is what we're doing, these are the resources we are going to deploy, ' and it pretty much happens."
Nagin's comments were right on the button, as exemplified by the fact that only seven Cubans died when three massive hurricanes—Gustav, Ike and Paloma—slammed the island in quick succession last year. Mass evacuations ensured that literally millions of people were swiftly moved out of the danger zones ahead of the hurricanes' arrival. more >>
Costa Rica's Mountain of Death route makes the top 10 list
Last week I posted on the new paved road linking Quepos and Dominical has provided a viable alternative to the dangerous Pan-American Highway link over the 'Mountain of Death.' Hot on the heels of that post came the release, by the Association for Safe International Road Travel, of a list of the ten most dangerous roads in the world.
The list includes roads in India, Egypt, and China. All expected. But there, as the fourth most dangerous section of road in the world, is Costa Rica's own Cerro de la Muerte section of the Pan-Am Highway. And I quote... more >>
Obama administration easing up on travel to Cuba
In two weeks time I'll be back in Cuba for two months exploring to catch up on developments and to update Moon Cuba. It will be my fortieth or so visit during almost two decades of reporting on Cuba.
Passing through U.S. Customs on the return has generally been a good gauge of where each U.S. administration's intentions lie regarding U.S.-Cuba relations.
Under Clinton, most typically U.S. Customs officials (Immigration isn't an issue) would simply ask why I was in Cuba then wave me through with a "Welcome home!" At the most they'd confiscate anything over the $100 limit on purchases then in effect (but since reduced to $0). more >>
Costa Rica's highway between Quepos and Dominical is paved... FINALLY!
It was a long time coming, but after several false starts and many false promises, the formerly horrendously potholed 27 mile (45 km) stretch of Costanera Sur (Southern Coastal Highway) between Quepos and Dominical has been paved. As I type, about three-quarters of the section has been completed.
Driving this road used to be a hell of an ordeal. If the corrugations and potholes didn't drive you nuts, the dust did, often requiring you to drive with your headlines on to be seen through clouds kicked up by the big-rig trucks hauling African date palm fruits. Then there was the mud in rainy season.
All gone!
Your sigh of relief may be short-lived. The upgrade inevitably means that traffic has already increased significantly, causing heretofore unknown traffic jams to pass across the narrow one-lane bridges that still remain in place. Hey, this is Costa Rica!
Fortunately, the bridges are being replaced one by one. more >>
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