his edition would not have become a reality ...

This edition would not have become a reality without the invaluable help of many people. I would first like to thank my graphic designer, William “El Mago” Morales, for his hard work and patience.

I am also very grateful to Mary De Waal at Blue Jewel Travel. A special thanks to the following local writers and Costa Rican residents for their contributions to this edition: Jay Trettien, Rob Hodel, Roger Petersen, Martha Bennett, Scott Oliver, Todd Staley, Michael Pierpont, Deibem Gómez, Carlos Morton, Les Nuñez and Landy Blank. I am indebted to all the critics whose many favorable reviews made my previous edition a success.

I would like to acknowledge all of the help I have received from the Publishers Marketing Association’s andAmazon.com’s programs for independent publishers. Thanks to them, this book is now available in the U.S., Canada and rest of the world. A special thanks to my Costa Rican distributor, 7th Street Books, for a job well done.

Finally, I would like to express my eternal gratitude to members of my family, especially my late mother, for their constant support when I needed it the most.

Christopher Howard
San José, Costa Rica