Award-Winning Costa Rican Inn Offers Tours of Certified Organic Coffee Farm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Finca Rosa Blanca
CONTACT: Glen Jampol
TEL: + 506-2269-9392
E-MAIL: info@fincarosablanca.com
WEB: www.fincarosablanca.com
Click Here for Media Kit

Award-Winning Costa Rican Inn Offers Tours of Certified Organic Coffee Farm
Santa Barbara de Heredia, Costa Rica-- Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, situated above the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica, is an exclusive hideaway that was built with the goal of creating an ecological haven and a sustainable tourism destination in a high-quality, aesthetic environment for visitors who want to experience the biodiversity of Costa Rica. The inn has 30 acres of hard bean coffee which is certified organic by an international organization called OKO Garantie and is certified sustainable by the Rain Forest Alliance and CICAFE, the Costa Rican National Organization for Coffee.

The inn is located 4000 feet above sea level on a temperate plateau in an environment that is ideal for producing some of the world’s best coffee in the lush volcanic soil, and this coffee is an integral part of the guest experience. Guests of the inn are encouraged to participate in the picking, processing and roasting of Finca Rosa Blanca coffee. Visitors can take a tour of the farm and learn about the history of the coffee including how coffee was discovered, traded, and consumed, while touring the stunning landscape. They are shown the entire process of organic cultivation and harvest, including participating in the picking of coffee during the harvest season which takes place during the months of October through January. Visitors are shown the processing of coffee, including cleaning the berries and drying the coffee, and ultimately roasting their own coffee

Visitors also learn how the experts discern and rate gourmet coffee by participating in a “coffee cupping” session with famous Barista and Tour Guide, Leo Vergnani. The walk ends with a visit to their famous coffee bar participants learn to make cappuccino, café latte, and espresso coffee. After a tour, guests can sit out on the spacious deck and enjoy the views of the volcanoes above and coffee fields below while learning more about the benefits to the environment and the community of an organic sustainable coffee farm.

The experience can be topped off with a “Finca Rosa Blanca Organic Coffee & Almond Buff” in their luxury spa. The naturally exfoliating and exhilarating properties of coffee from Rosa Blanca’s own organic plantation plus native almonds combine in this unique Costa Rican body blend. Cleansed and polished, the skin is then moisturized with natural oils and a smooth body massage completes the spa experience.

This tour plus the cupping session and the coffee break and pastries session lasts about 2 hours. Cost is $25 per person including coffee break beverage and pastries. As the tour includes some hiking, the inn provides visitors with hiking sticks, and slickers in case of rain. For more information about Finca Rosa Blanca and to schedule a tour, visit the website at www.fincarosablanca.com or call 617-395-1175.

About the Inn
Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, is one of the most famous and award-winning hotels, and continues to be a leader in sustainable tourism. Finca Rosa Blanca has achieved the goal of proving that luxury accommodations and excellent service are entirely compatible with sustainable development. The inn is ideally located only 15 minutes from San Jose Airport in Costa Rica. Tucked away in the foothills of the stunning Central Valley area, it's a cozy and inviting hideaway that's perfect for a weekend getaway or week-long respite. The Inn offers two extraordinary master suites, and eleven elegant yet whimsical junior suites, four of which can be combined to form two spacious villas. All of the luxurious rooms include private Jacuzzi baths and mini bars as well as private verandas overlooking the spectacular Central Valley and the volcanoes above. Guests will also enjoy gourmet dining, and on-site luxury spa, and abundant outdoor activities

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Press Release: Fishing for Avid Anglers at Colorado's Historic 4 UR Ranch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4UR Ranch
CONTACT: Aaron Christensen
TEL: 719-658-2202
E-MAIL: info@4urranch.com
WEB: http://www.4urranch.com/
Click Here for Media Kit

Fishing for Avid Anglers: Experience Colorado’s Historic 4UR Ranch
Creede, CO— In addition to boasting top-quality horses, a nationally-renowned children’s’ program, majestic vistas, legendary hot springs, superb dining, a fascinating history, and sweater-cool weather well into August, the 4UR Ranch offers anglers an unforgettable fishing experience in the vast wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Nestled in the stunning valley of south-central Colorado, the centerpiece of the ranch is Goose Creek, with over seven miles of private stream and fishing opportunities that will stun even the most avid fly fishing enthusiasts.

The 4UR Ranch waters are divided into 20 "stations” and guests choose the stations after dinner each night by lottery. Each guest has the opportunity to experience all twenty stations during their visit, giving them a variety of fishing during their vacation. Fifteen fly fishing stations are marked off along Goose Creek as it twists its way through the valley. Four stations are on the famed Rio Grande River and "Beat 20" is in the Weminuche Wilderness. The waters hold a myriad of trout: rainbows, browns, Snake River cutts, cutt-bow hybrids, and even brookies. Anglers can also take a guided fishing trip above timberline to Lost Lakes for rare Rio Grande cutts, or fish Station 21, a trophy pond in the ranch valley. All waters are catch and release fly fishing only, except for Walton Pond, which is ideal for kids.

Southern Colorado's Goose Creek drainage is quite unique. Flowing from the Weminuche Wilderness, it passes through only two pieces of private property, both 4UR and the neighbors, before reaching the Rio Grande. The neighbor's reservoir feeds the creek from its cool waters via an 80-foot dam, making this creek one of only a handful of "private tail waters" in America. Years of astute stream management and rigorous catch and release practices make for some surprisingly big, well-colored trout. 4UR Ranch has all the hot, local fly patterns plus rods, reels, waders, etc. in their ranch store. Guides and group casting lessons are also available.

The 4UR Ranch offers families an all-inclusive vacation spot at a good value complete with plenty of outdoor adventure, a dose of history and culture, and lots of family togetherness. For more information, please visit the website or contact Aaron Christensen at 719-658-2202.

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Arriving in Rome

I remember that it was swelteringly, smoderingly hot. I arrived at the end of the month of July, no doubt Italy's hottest period of time--I don't recommend it. It was so hot that my shirt was sticking to my back and my ass was sticking to the cheap pleather seat in the cab on the way to my rented apartment. It didn't bother me...at first.

I was far too busy gawking out the window as Rome flashed before my eyes. Snazzy Italians zoomed by me on their mopeds and the cypress trees lined the streets, standing like soldiers to welcome me to the Eternal City. I had been to Rome before for a few days, but I was trying to absorb the fact that I would actually be staying there for four months (and possibly longer). I had this hunch that I would fall in love here (and my prophecy would ultimately be fulfilled). The sun glittered in the sky, the sweat rolled off my brow, and my heart was beating wildly as I attempted to take a mental snapshot of the ancient buildings and the decadently-dressed Romans.

We zoomed past Santa Maria Maggiore, the basilica that would be like a guardian angel, watching me in silence as I spent many Roman nights laughing, crying, kissing, and soul-searching in her piazza. The taxi pulled up in front of a haggard-looking wooden door attached to a building that had some issues with paint peeling. My apartment. My heart sank as it occurred to me that I had no idea what this apartment looked like. It could have been the roach motel for all I knew, and I had committed to living there for at least a month.

I knocked on the door, but no one answered, and then I worried that Maria Teresa, the landlady, might have forgotten me.

All Roads Lead to Rome

I was in a weird place when I decided to quit my job and take off to Rome for four months. I was beginning to feel stuck in my career as a retail store manager, and my love life just continued to be a total disaster. I wanted my writing career to take off, but I just don't know how to get started. My original plan was to go to graduate school, study English or journalism, become a serious writer, get some glam job, meet the man of my dreams, and just get on with it. But, things don't always turn out the way we think they will. And in this case, like the cartwheels I used to do when I was a little girl, my world went upside-down and then sideways.

My decision to walk away from a successful seven and a half year job as a store manager with Pier 1 Imports wasn't too difficult. I liked the company, but was tired of the long work hours and having to give up almost every Saturday of my life for work. I was just experiencing burnout and it was time to move on. I worked to save up the money for the trip for almost a year (I was living with parents at the time) and then turned in my two-weeks notice. It was a shock to walk out of my store on the last day. It was even more shocking how quickly I moved on.

I had already booked my flight, rented an apartment in Rome, and found three volunteer projects to participate in when I arrived--just to make sure that I wouldn't spend four months in loneliness and cross-cultural isolation. I enjoyed my last bon voyage party, said good-bye to my friends, and headed for Rome. I sat on the plane with my plastic cup of wine and realized that I had no idea what would happen next with my life. Would I find a job in the writing industry? Would it be in Europe or the US...or somewhere else? Most importantly, would I fall in love with an Italian? Or maybe it would be an American living overseas? Would I ever marry and have children? Or would I just live like a vagabond---packing my suitcase and seeing the world---the single writer who just walked away from everything to lead the glamorous life of a gypsy? My next stop was Termini, Rome's train station, and I had no plan, no goal, and no agenda.

Then, I was scared. I took a deep breath, sipped my wine, and braced myself for the whirlwind of experiences that were coming next....

Quotes from Famous Writers

Need some inspiration to pick up the pen (or pull out the keyboard)? Here are a few choice quotes about writing that always get me going (taken from http://www.quotegarden.com/ ):

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say."
~Anaïs Nin

"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."
~Sylvia Plath

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison

"Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."
~Mark Twain

"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter."
~James Michener

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."
~William Wordsworth

"Easy reading is damn hard writing."
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

"A metaphor is like a simile."
~Author Unknown

"If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." ~Isaac Asimov

Enjoy and happy writing!

Houston Trivia Bites: 10 of My Favorite Houston Celebrities

Ever want to know who calls the Bayou City home? As the 4th largest city in the US (but often overlooked, in my opinion), we've got a whole lot of interesting folks who got their start in H-Town.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Beyonce Knowles (no explanation necessary)

ZZ Top (again, no explanation necessary...unless I'm just getting old)

George Foreman

Chandra Wilson (of Grey's Anatomy fame)

Blue October (if you don't know this band, then you're just missing out)

Bela Karolyi (Olympic Gymnastics Coach of Mary-Lou Retton Fame)

John Lithgow (Actor)

Clint and Lisa Hartman Black (I'm not into country music, but they are just a cute couple)

Chloe Dao (Project Runway Winner)

Yolande Adams (Singer and Grammy Winner)

To find out more about Houston celebrities, click here.

Update from Volcanoes Safaris on the situation in Goma and Eastern Congo in the DRC

VOLCANOES SAFARIS
The No 1 Gorilla Safari Companyhttp://www.volcanoessafaris.com/

Update from Volcanoes Safaris on the situation in Goma and Eastern Congo in the DRC 18 December 08

Dear colleague,

The unstable situation in Eastern DRC obviously continues to receive attention and causes concern to those traveling to neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda and these are our views on the situation in the area.

In our view as the situation currently stands, we do not see any reason for clients not to proceed with their travel plans in Uganda and Rwanda. The travel advisories of the main western governments reflect this view. DRC Eastern DRC has, sadly, remained volatile for many years and these phases of instability re-emerge periodically. As a company we cannot comment on the complexities of the issue but we hope that the governments of the region and the international community work towards a resolution of the thorny issues at the talks being held in Nairobi. We hope the region can return to normality and whenever we can, we add our small voice to this objective.

Paradoxically the areas of South Kivu and North Kivu in DRC are among the most biodiverse and beautiful areas in Africa and the two gorilla parks there could rapidly help rebuild these devastated areas once peace returns. The humanitarian situation around Goma, North Kivu province, DRC for the people displaced by the instability is of course very distressing. Donations to help with the humanitarian situation can be made through The UK Disasters Emergency Committee <http://www.dec.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=282> which co-ordinates the British non-profit agencies working in the area or through The International Rescue Committee in the USA <http://www.theirc.org/news/latest/page-28545316.html>.

Volcanoes Safaris do not currently take clients to the gorilla parks of the DRC because of the volatile situation but through our operations in Uganda and Rwanda we remain close observers of the situation there. We believe it is essential to keep hope alive in this devastated part of the DRC so that one day tourism can help create peace and prosperity as it has done in post-conflict Uganda and Rwanda. In October we made a presentation in Kinshasa to the government of the DRC, diplomats and donors on the steps that will be required to relaunch tourism in these two parks when peace returns. We hope that one day this can become a reality.

UGANDA and RWANDA
Volcanoes Safaris has operated in the gorilla parks of southern Uganda since 1997 and in Rwanda since 2000, when we became the first international company to take clients to post-conflict Rwanda on a regular basis. By being the only company to build lodges near the gorilla parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda and Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda, we have been intimately connected to the region for over a decade. Goma in the DRC is not far from the gorilla parks of Uganda and Rwanda but the problems in the Eastern DRC are confined to that country and travel in Uganda and Rwanda continues normally and the borders of both Uganda and Rwanda have been reinforced.The chain of nine Virunga volcanoes that are part of the Virunga massif are part of three national parks found in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, each under the separate management of the governments, park authorities and military of the three countries. The Ugandan side is called Mgahinga; the Rwandan side is called Parc des Volcans; the DRC side is called Parc des Virunga. Volcanoes Virunga lodge is in Rwanda and faces the Virunga mountains but is not in the mountains and it should not be confused with Virunga National Parc in DRC.

Our complete update on the gorilla parks is on the website <http://www.volcanoessafaris.com/info-gorilla-parks.htm> . We hope this reassures clients about their holiday and we look forward to taking them on safari. We will continue to monitor the situation and would be happy to answer any further questions.
Praveen Moman
Co-founderVolcanoes Safaris

Recession, Recession

Recession, Recession
by Stephanie Moreland
(adapted from "Homework! oh Homework!" by Jack Prelutsky)

Recession, Recession, I hate you, you stink.
I want to flush you away down the sink.


You're tiring, you're boring,
Wish the markets were soaring.


But Recession, you've done nothing but cause us much strain.
I think someone should drag you out in the rain...

On my door Mr Bills keeps on knocking
And my checkbook is shocking...


Now part-time and full-time are the jobs I must take
To pay my bills on time so they won't be late.

Now my clients are dropping
And there's no money for shopping...

Oh, Recession just please pack your things and go
I just want to live in peace with my dough!

Recession, I'm giving your pink slip today
Three cheers, Recession's leaving, so hip, hip, hooray!

Now don't say you're sorry,
We don't want to hear your sob story.

Just hit the road, Jack, and don't you come back here no more.
If you ever come back here, we'll just have to settle the score.

Next time it won't be that pretty,
And I won't be this witty....

Now don't let the door hit you,
Where the good Lord split you...

Good-bye Recession, we hope that we see you no more!

Courage

It's really scary to be a writer. If you're me, anyway. A wise person once told me that you should "write what you know". But, what I know is scary and I don't have the courage to reveal it yet. As with any other human that walks the planet, I've had my fair share of trials and tribulations. My biggest problem is not a shortage of stories---it's the shortage of courage. I don't want to be naked in front of the metaphorical classroom. The thought of revealing my most hidden fears and life-altering events makes me shake in my shoes.

But, I do know that any writer who's worth a flip tells the truth---at least their version of it. But do I run the risk of offending anyone? I could try my hand at fiction, but as much as I read it, it just never squeezes my hear the way a good true-to-life work of non-fiction does. That's why I love writing about travel---it's all about the inward journey coupled with the external escape that gets my motor running.

I wish I could run to Target, pick up a bottle of Courage, and take a swig at a time. I think I'm a decent writer, and I've even gotten paid for it a few times. But, I never submit anything. Despite that, through my public relations connections, I have access to many editors and publications, I just never take a deep breath and send the hallowed query. I need to get over it and just take the plunge.