We loved our tour in Costa Rica.  The photo/birding tour was great and we were able to see different areas of the country as well as stay in nice hotels.  The highest mountains are 12,000 feet and the birds, animals and vegetation varies with the elevation.  The country may now be the most environmental aware country in the world with newly passed laws to protect the birds, animals, vegetation and water.  40% of the countries income comes from mostly eco friendly tourism. The last two days we spent with the parents of a college student that has been visiting with our son Cary.  He and his family were her family away from home for two years while she attended the United World College near Las Vegas, NM. Visiting Nicol's parents organic farm turned out to be the highlight of the trip.  The have a lovely family and an interesting lifestyle that may be common in Costa Rica.  Organic farms may be the most popular type in this country.  They are able to make, or grow almost all they need for eating.  They have cows, pigs, chickens, milk cows, a vegetable garden, fruit & nut trees, sugarcane and fields of crops for the animals.

The large kitchen was equipped with four stoves, one electric, one gas, one wood and another with gas they produced from some sort of composting process.  The large refrigerator was necessary for all the fresh fruits and vegetables.

One daily shore was cleaning the eggs for market

Guillermo showed us how cocoa is grown and made

I took this photo from Nicol's bedroom window. There are many kinds of beautiful birds all around  the farm

Luz made great meal including breakfast of fried bananas, rice and beans,  eggs and as for all meals fresh squeezed juice and fresh fruit. 

Luz and her garden

Neighbors on a Sunday ride

An outside bathroom sink and cabinets with a sink large enough to clean fruit and veggies.  The river was just below and out about 100 feet. 

Cattle were spoiled with bananas, sugarcane and other hardy foods before going to market.

Reed helping to squeeze the sweet juice out of the sugarcane.  They make and sell sugar from the sugar cane as well as feed it to the cattle.