Wilde Adventures

George & Marney Wilde

This was a port we were really looking forward to reaching. On a previous trip to Costa Rica we were introduced to Britt Coffee. We ordered some to be shipped to our home and soon decided that we'd not enjoyed any coffee as much as we like this one. We've become regular customers, placing an online order whenever our supply ran low. A trip to visit their facility was possible and we pre-purchased this shore excursion through Holland America. There's travel involved; the planned trip would run 8 hours out of a port stop of 8 and a half hours, and we didn't want to risk missing the ship.

We thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the Cafe Britt location. Once we arrived we were offered the most delicious cold coffee/chocolate drink, and taken to see a demonstration of how the beans are grown, harvested, and processed. We saw a map that displayed the various areas in which their beans are grown and had a chance to talk with their staff. The conversation gave me the answer I'd wanted about their newest Fair Trade variety: the beans are grown in Southern Costa Rica by a local women's cooperative. Each of their varieties come from a distinct coffee-growing area and they are very selective about which beans are chosen. There's a Cafe Britt Coffee link below.

We were treated to a local lunch on our return trip to the ship.

The photos below, except for the sugar cane image, are all from Britt, not from the port area or the countryside. There simply wasn't time for other exploration on this trip.

Costa Rica is an interesting country. Having chosen to not invest in an armed forces, the government there has invested in infrastructure such as national parks, conservation efforts, and economic development.