This coming November 2-6, 1998 the V International Bamboo Congress & VI International Bamboo Workshop will be held in San Jose, Costa Rica for the first time outside of Asia. The focus of this conference is "Bamboo for Sustainable Development" and is sponsored by the Bamboo Foundation (FUNBAMBU) with the International Bamboo Association (IBA) and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) as Co-sponsors. This provides an excellent opportunity for those of you who plan on attending this conference to learn more about Bamboo in Costa Rica, while at the same time exploring Costa Rica’s natural beauty.

My name is Desha Peacock and I am an American student studying the environmental benefits of bamboo in Costa Rica. Together with my Spanish associate, Alvaro Sanchez, we took a trip to various places in Costa Rica which would be of interest to bamboo lovers. Fortunately, the sites we visited are also wonderful eco-tourist attractions, making it a great place to enjoy time with family and friends before or after the conference. Therefore, we have devised a complete and functional itinerary for those of you who would like to spend extra time in Costa Rica or for anyone else interested in learning about Costa Rica and Bamboo. These trips and research is sponsored by Richard Lemire, owner of Hotel California in Manuel Antonio, and Bamboo Pura Vida S.A. reforestation project.

The itinerary consists of locations of bamboo plantations, furniture factories, visits to the national Costa Rican project of bamboo, and various tourist attractions. The package tour includes hotel packages, travel information and directions, as well as a little history and tourist information about each location you will visit. But first, a little background information on the country itself ...