La Orquidea Locos (Those Crazy Orchid People in Costa Rica)

This trip began as a taunt: ''Well Tom, you are always talking about organizing a trip to Costa Rica and you are always talking about the orchids there. Why don't you just do it?'' And Tom hooked up with Adventure Life, and sent an email to a few friends and acquaintances and within a very short time, with the help of Adventure Life, a trip was born: ''Orchids of Costa Rica.'' Months later, ''La Orquidea Locos'' would come to be and an adventure of a lifetime begun. From here and there, we gathered in San Jose. Most of us only knew the person who sent the email - Tom. Yet all of us were called to the challenge. After all, us ''Crazy Orchid People'' share a passion in common: all things orchids whether it be growing, photographing, judging, learning, exploring, and learning. A group of strangers with a single passion, with a dash of a challenge in a promising location - what could be better? It turns out - not much! In a word, the trip was fantastic. The first day, we all arrived from various points in the United States to Hotel LeBergerac, in San Jose, Costa Rica - a quaint and lovely spot with touches of Spanish influence in its courtyards. The staff was gracious (a trait that we would encounter throughout Costa Rica) and welcomed us warmly.