I was there about 5 years ago, though I haven't been to Lankester Gardens so I can't offer any comments comparing the two. I highly recommend a visit. It's a homestead in the jungle owned by a very interesting and hospitable American couple who have been there since the 70's or so. Very nice folks, and very knowledgeable -- this is definitely NOT a tourist attraction. It's the real deal. They grow and live off of a fantastic array of plants in their gardens, and it was my first introduction to orchids, which were growing everywhere -- in the ground, off the trees, and in 1/2 coconut shells around the house. They are self-taught botanists, and though I didn't know anything about orchids at the time, I recall that Ron spoke about them at length. His wife Trudy showed us around the gardens, and we saw beautiful scarlet macaws and toucans in the trees, and a VERY large blue boa constrictor (if that's what it was -- that's what it LOOKED like!) slithered out of a tree trunk in one of the beds. I still remember the cold drink she made us -- made from oranges (that tasted like lemons) from her trees, and fresh ginger from the garden. Heaven.
The tour cost $5 at the time (I believe it's $10 USD now), but getting there involves hitching or chartering a ride on a boat from Puerto Jimenez or Golfito, the nearest villages. Golfito is closer, a 45 minute boat ride away. When I was there, Ron & Trudy were accepting guests on their property, in the cabin originally built for the schoolmistress brought in to teach their kids. I stayed at Dolphin Quest, about 1km down the beach. Hope that helps. Sandy On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 09:03:53 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello OGDers : > > Did you have the opportunity to visit the privately own botanical garden > Casa Orquideas ? > > see > > http://www.infoturistica.com/tours/orquideas_esp.html > > Is there research about orchids conducted there or it is mainly a tourist > attraction ? > How does it compare to the Lankester Gardens ? > > Thanks in advance for sharing your travel experience. > > Regards, > > Viateur > > > > _______________________________________________ > the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids > > > -- www.pollenatrix.com "Botanical discipline, daily."
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