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+{"text":" \nA strange, sharp sensation smote Lyrralt's left shoulder, so hard it knocked him to the floor, slicing into his bones.\n\nHe gasped as though his lungs had emptied of all air.\n\nSensations too varied, too contradictory to assimilate, flashed through his muscles, across his skin. Heat and cold, pressure from within and without, pain and pleasure. Blissful pain, as if his flesh were being peeled from his body.\n\nLyrralt opened his mouth wide and screamed in agony... and joy.\n\n**From the Creators of the DRAGONLANCE \u00ae Saga**\n\n**THE LOST HISTORIES**\n\n**The Kagonesti**  \nDouglas Niles\n\n**The Irda**  \nLinda P. Baker\n\n**The Dargonesti**  \nPaul B. Thomson and Tonya Carter Cook\n\n**DRAGONLANCE \u00ae SAGA**  \n **The Lost Histories**  \n **Volume Two**\n\n**THE IRDA**  \n\u00a91995 TSR, Inc.\n\nAll characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.\n\nThis book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC.\n\nPublished by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Hasbro SA, represented by Hasbro Europe, Stockley Park, UB11 1AZ. UK.\n\nDragonlance, Wizards of the Coast, D&D, TSR, Inc., and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.\n\nAll Wizards of the Coast characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC.\n\nCover art by: Larry Elmore  \nInterior art by: Jeff Butler\n\neISBN: 978-0-7869-6196-2\n\nFor customer service, contact:\n\nU.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, & Latin America: Wizards of the Coast LLC, P.O. Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, +1-800-324-6496, www.wizards.com\/customerservice\n\nU.K., Eire, & South Africa: Wizards of the Coast LLC, c\/o Hasbro UK Ltd., P.O. Box 43, Newport, NP19 4YD, UK, Tel: +08457 12 55 99, Email: wizards@hasbro.co.uk\n\nEurope: Wizards of the Coast p\/a Hasbro Belgium NV\/SA, Industrialaan 1, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, Tel: +32.70.233.277, Email: wizards@hasbro.be\n\nVisit our websites at www.wizards.com  \nwww.DungeonsandDragons.com\n\nv3.1\n\n# Contents\n\n_Cover_\n\n_Other Books in the Series_\n\n_Title Page_\n\n_Copyright_\n\n_Acknowledgments_\n\nMap\n\nPrologue: Song of the Ogre\n\nChapter 1 - A Good and Perfect Gift\n\nChapter 2 - Destiny's Song\n\nChapter 3 - Theft of History\n\nChapter 4 - A Friend of Treachery\n\nChapter 5 - Passing of the Gift\n\nChapter 6 - Magic to Spill Men's Blood\n\nChapter 7 - If This Be Treason\n\nChapter 8 - With Dangers Compassed Round\n\nChapter 9 - Battles Lost and Won\n\nChapter 10 - Directions from Above\n\nChapter 11 - Glory and Danger Alike\n\nChapter 12 - A Lesson Put to Use\n\nChapter 13 - Murderous Innocence\n\nChapter 14 - Vengeance of the Gods\n\nChapter 15 - Blessed with Victory and War\n\nChapter 16 - Song of the Island Home\n\nChapter 17 - Drawing Near to Dust\n\nChapter 18 - Ending and Beginning\n\nEpilogue: The Book of the Irda\n\n_About the Author_\n\n# **Acknowledgments**\n\nTo all the following friends and family, who have been with me along the way, part of who I am and what I write, a very special thank you:\n\nMy sisters, Laneta and Lisa, and my mother-in-law, Gerry, for putting up with me\n\nMy bosses, Gene, Gardner, and Jean, without whose understanding and support I could never have finished this book\n\nAnn Zewen, my first editor, who gave me the courage to begin and continue\n\nCarolyn Haines, one of my first writing instructors, for giving me belief in myself when she said of my short story, \"You can get this published!\"\n\nJan Zimlich, teacher, editor extraordinaire, and the voice of my conscience, thanks for holding my hand and cheer-leading and saying, \"You're going to finish this if I have to kick your butt the whole way!\"\n\nMargaret Weis, for inviting me into the wonderful world she created, giving me my first chance, and for her gracious support and advice\n\nPatrick McGilligan, my editor, for patience beyond the call of duty and for all he's taught me\n\nLast, but not least, I dedicate this book to:\n\nMy mother, Lena, who has also been father and friend and supporter, and who likes my fantasy writing although she doesn't read fantasy\n\nAnd my husband, Larry, with all my love and gratitude, for the 2 a.m. sessions, for thinking everything I write is wonderful, for being my champion, and because he \"don't wanta hear no negative waves!\" I couldn't have done it without you!\n\n#\n\n**The Keeper of the History of the Ogre stood alone and** unassisted on the platform, though she was as ancient as the stone walls of the castle. She had buried the bones of all her friends, of her children, and still she lived, because of the Gift, which she alone possessed.\n\nShe opened her mouth, and it came, the Gift of the gods. A voice as pure and clear, as bright and beautiful, as stars shining in the darkness of a night sky. The ribbon of sound pierced the air. The words wove the History of the World, of the Ogre, firstborn of the gods.\n\n_By the hammer of the gods, the universe was forged from chaos_.\n\n_From the sparks of the anvil, the spirits were scattered_ ,\n\n_Cast to glimmer and dance in the heavens_.\n\n_From the forge of the gods, the world was wrought_ ,\n\n_Playground of the gods_.\n\n_The spirits were singing, their voices like starshine_ ,\n\n_Shining like the gods themselves, pieces of the heavens_.\n\n_The gods looked upon them and found them most wondrous_.\n\n_The gods looked upon them and coveted their souls_.\n\n_The world shuddered_.\n\n_Battlefield of the gods_.\n\n_The High God looked down upon what his god children had destroyed;_\n\n_His wrath was mighty, his pain transcendent_.\n\n_From the fire of his anger_ ,\n\n_From the divine breath of Takhisis_ ,\n\n_From the heart of the flames, the races were born_.\n\n_Takhisis, Sargonnas, Hiddukel, gods of the Dark_ ,\n\n_Made the stony Ogres_.\n\n_Gifted with life, gifted with beauty_ ,\n\n_The Ogres turned their faces earthward_.\n\n_Children of the stars_.\n\n_Firstborn of the gods_.\n\n_Paladine, Mishakal, Those of the Light_ ,\n\n_Made the willowy Elves_.\n\n_Cursed them with goodness, cursed them with virtue_.\n\n_Those of the middle, Gilean, Reorx, Gray gods all_ ,\n\n_Made the plodding humans, set them to serve_.\n\n_Watchers of the darkness are the mighty Ogres_ ,\n\n_Cast down to rule the world from the lofty mountains_.\n\n_Hair colored of the shadows, eyes like the moon_ ,\n\n_Fairest of all and truly immortal_.\n\n_Singers of starshine, masters of all created_.\n\n_Rulers of the low ones; the animals, the elves, the humans_.\n\n_Within our hearts, all dreams are dark_.\n\n_Within our souls, all pain is pleasure_.\n\n_We turn our faces upward_.\n\n_Born of the stars, chosen by the gods_.\n\n#\n\n**\"My dear, you know that magic, beyond that necessary** for daily needs, is forbidden to all but the Ruling Families.\"\n\nLord Teragrym Semi, eldest of the five Ruling Council members of the Ogres, considered by many in the royal court to be the most powerful, plucked a piece of fruit from the bowl sitting at his elbow.\n\n\"Yes, Lord, I know. But... there have been exceptions.\"\n\nEyes cast down, the young Ogre who kneeled before him allowed her voice to trail off. Her eyes, so strange and black, stole upward, then back down too quickly to give offense.\n\nTeragrym pretended to examine the fruit, searching the fuzzy red skin for blemishes, then tossed it back into the bowl with a sneer. He did not deem it vital to mention that the punishment for disobedience of the law was death. He assumed she was willing to risk death.\n\nMagic danced in the air about her, well concealed but barely controlled. Powerful enough so that he could sense it without casting a \"seeing\" spell. Just that feeling, coming from one not of a Ruling Family, was enough to condemn her.\n\nHer fingers twitched, and he imagined he could see the spell she was longing to cast dancing between them. It would probably be something spectacular, designed to impress. No doubt she knew more than just spells of fire and water, of mischief and play.\n\nFor a race renowned for its beauty, she was striking and exotic, dark where most of the Ogres were silvery. Pale of flesh where the norm was emerald and indigo and raven black. Her black eyes were almost elven, and there was a warmth to the gem-green paleness of her skin that reminded him of the pale-pink flesh of humans. It was an almost repellent mixture and strangely compelling.\n\nWith her billowing robes spread about her in a perfect fan, she made a fetching picture. A perfect, ripe flower, offering herself. \"You are very beautiful. Young. Healthy. Well placed at court. You could make a brilliant match. Be secure. Why do you risk telling me this?\"\n\n\"I can make a match for myself, yes,\" she whispered. \"Or my uncle will make one for me, and himself. Perhaps it would even be a brilliant one, with a well-suited family. But I do not wish to be some family's adornment.\"\n\nTeragrym snorted, almost laughing in her face. This particular Ogre did not strike him as being malleable enough to be anyone's adornment.\n\n\"I would never be allowed to learn magic as I wish to.\" She glanced up, smiled with beguiling sweetness. \"Please, Lord, families have been known to take in someone who showed promise, who could be of use... who would vow undying devotion in exchange for... considerations.\"\n\n\"Yes,\" he agreed. \"That is true. At least, it was, before the clans were united by the-council. Now...\" A great many things had changed in the time since the Ruling Council had gained power and the king's supremacy had declined. \"But now, I think such a person would have to convince me that I need a mage in my household who is not of my clan.\"\n\n\"My lord, you toy with me.\" There was sharpness in her tone, carefully controlled disapproval. Perhaps even a hint of anger.\n\nHe responded with mild rebuke, thin-lipped lechery. \"Did you expect there would be no obstacles?\"\n\n\"I will meet any test you see fitting!\"\n\nHe laughed, delighted in spite of himself. With a nonchalant flick of his wrist, he cast a spell. Wordlessly, so effortlessly it was mocking.\n\nA snarling, slavering thing appeared at her elbow. A creature of shadows and decay.\n\nShe flinched, edging away from the vision. With the slightest effort, she snuffed the enchantment, using a powerful \"dispel.\"\n\nHer triumph was short-lived.\n\n\"That is no proof of worthiness.\"\n\n\"Lord, set me a test. I will pass it!\"\n\n\"But, my dear, that _is_ the test. Prove yourself.\" Before she could protest or question, he motioned for his assistant, indicating that the interview was over.\n\n\"Send for Kaede,\" he ordered the aide who scurried to his side.\n\nShe almost protested. Her long, thin fingers twitched. Her chin came up. At the last moment, with obvious effort, she bowed. \"Thank you, Lord Teragrym. I will provide suitable proof.\" As she rose, smoothing the folds of her robe, she said softly, \"Proof of worthiness.\"\n\nHe waited until the heavy stone door had slid silently closed behind her, leaving him alone in his audience hall.\n\nThe room was small but high ceilinged, ornate, plush. Teragrym breathed deeply, allowing the pleasing surroundings to relax him as he motioned his aide closer.\n\n\"Watch her,\" he told the young Ogre. \"I think she could be dangerous.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\n\"The Prince of Lies will speak to you,\" the High Cleric said. \"Or not. Accept you. Or not.\"\n\nLyrralt nodded, not trusting himself to speak, for surely it would be unseemly to reveal his excitement, his agitation, before the altar of Hiddukel, the dark god of gain and wealth.\n\nHe had been preparing for this moment of being judged worthy or not worthy for all of his young life, for perhaps two hundred of his three hundred years.\n\nTo a human savage from the plains, it would have been many lifetimes; to the long lived elves, a fraction of a lifetime. For an Ogre, it was a pittance of time.\n\nThe High Cleric was placing the bowl of scented water before him, folding away the light robe she'd brought.\n\nThe room was devoid of furniture save for the altar, a huge block of marble bearing the broken scales, symbol of his god, and the small chest on which lay the garment, symbol of his hope. There was no carpet on the floor, no hangings on the walls to insulate the chill of stone.\n\nLyrralt rubbed his bare arms and stared with open envy and longing at the High Cleric, at the delicate runes marking her emerald skin. They marched from shoulder to wrist on both arms, symbols of her devotion, symbols of Hiddukel's blessing.\n\nThe High Cleric faced him one last time before leaving him to his test. \"Let Hiddukel set the runes rightly,\" she said softly, bowing her head, both to him and to the altar. Then she left him alone in the cold, dim room.\n\nHe took a deep, deep breath, told himself he was not cold, then knelt on the cold marble floor and bowed low, palms open and exposed.\n\nLyrralt took up the silver bowl which sat at the foot of the altar, sipped of the scented water. He rinsed his mouth and spat delicately into a smaller bowl carved from bone. He dipped his fingers in the water and touched the liquid to ears and eyelids. Then he scooped a handful of the cold liquid and splashed it on his shoulder and upper arm.\n\nRitual complete, he was ready to ask Hiddukel's blessing.\n\nHe closed his eyes, concentrated with all his strength, and prayed. \"Please, Mighty One, Lord of Fiends and Souls, Prince of Lies, accept me as your servant.\"\n\nHe paused, feeling nothing but his clammy, wet skin, then squeezed his eyes even more firmly and prayed even more fervently. He promised undying devotion, unquestioning obedience. He glanced at his shoulder. The indigo skin was unblemished, perfect.\n\nHe prayed and he pleaded. He made promises. He bowed until his forehead was touching the floor. The water evaporated from his skin, but he felt no response from his god.\n\nIt was not fair! Lyrralt rocked back on his heels and sat, palms on thighs, breathing heavily with the exertion of his entreaties. He had wanted only this for so long, neglecting his duties on his father's estate, shirking his responsibilities as eldest son and older brother.\n\nHe had thought of little but the things he would gain as a cleric of Hiddukel. The esteem, the advantage, the wealth. Oh, the benefit the robes of the order would give him once his father was dead and he was master!\n\nA strange, sharp sensation smote his left shoulder, so hard it knocked him to the floor, slicing into his bones.\n\nHe gasped as though his lungs had emptied of all air.\n\nSensations too varied, too contradictory to assimilate, flashed through his muscles, across his skin. Heat and cold, pressure from within and without, pain and pleasure. Blissful pain, as if his flesh were being peeled from his body.\n\nLyrralt opened his mouth wide and screamed in agony... and joy.\n\nAs quickly as it had come, it ended.\n\nHe sat up, shivering but no longer cold. He touched his shoulder. There was no pain, but his perfect skin was flawless no longer. The bone-white runes, stark against his dark complexion, marched in three rows across his shoulder.\n\nThe door opened, and the High Cleric entered, followed by others of her order, and they gathered around him, exclaiming happiness and welcome. The High Cleric sank to her knees beside him and gazed at the markings on his shoulder.\n\n\"What do you see?\" Lyrralt demanded.\n\nShe smiled at his impatience and ran a fingertip across the sigils. \"Many things. You have many paths you may follow, young Lyrralt. Many possibilities.\"\n\n\"Tell me.\"\n\n\"I see a beginning. Hiddukel shows...\" She lifted an eyebrow, impressed. \"The Dark Queen. Perhaps you will be called upon by the Dark One herself.\"\n\nLyrralt shuddered to think of being honored by Takhisis herself, Queen of Darkness.\n\n\"No, perhaps it means only darkness or death to a queen. A dead queen. It is not clear.\"\n\n\"But we have no queen!\"\n\n\"Hiddukel will guide you,\" she admonished gently and continued to examine the runes. \"There is family here. Someone close. There is mischief. Revenge. Success.\"\n\nThe High Cleric motioned to one of the others, and he brought Lyrralt's robe.\n\nAs Lyrralt stood, he asked, \"It's not very clear, is it?\"\n\n\"Never in the beginning, but the Prince will guide you.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe lamps danced in the mine, bright pinpricks of light stabbing through darkness as thick and black as ink. The timbers that shored up the walls and ceiling creaked, and the rocks they held back groaned, singing a song eerie and sad.\n\n\"The slaves say the earth is crying for the gems and stones we take out of it.\"\n\nIgraine, governor of Khal-Theraxian, largest province in the Ogre civilization, smiled indulgently at his daughter, Everlyn. In the dim light, he could barely see her, but he knew her eyes were dilated with excitement, her deep-sea complexion darkened to emerald.\n\nOnly child, pampered, spoiled, raised in the brightness and cheer of one of the finest estates in the mountains... He couldn't explain why she preferred the darkness, why she preferred the rocks and minerals his slaves dug out of the earth over copper and gold and polished gems.\n\nHe glanced up at the ragged rocks just inches above his nose. His race had lived in the Khalkists from the beginning of time, choosing as their rightful place the lofty mountain range that divided the northern half of the continent of Ansalon. The mountains spread downward from the Thorad Plain, home of the wild humans, to the tip of the forest of the elves.\n\nKhal-Theraxian, built on the southernmost arm of the Khalkists, was only a few days' ride from the heavily wooded edge of the elven forests. At one time, it had been a bustling center of trade for those dealing in stolen elven goods and elven slaves. But that was many generations ago, before the riches under the ground had been discovered, before the firstborn had realized that the good and gentle elves made poor slaves and the malleable humans made excellent ones.\n\nIgraine's ancestors had worked the mines of Khal-Theraxian, had perhaps even stared up at this very ceiling, for this particular passage was a very old one, just recently reopened and reused. Perhaps they, too, had stared overhead and wondered if the ceiling of rock would come crashing down upon their heads.\n\nThe tunnels were dug by humans, sized for humans, not the lofty Ogre masters who towered over them by at least three hands.\n\nAlthough his nerves danced, Igraine didn't show any worry or concern. A governor had to set an example. He didn't quake in the face of a slave uprising, nor when caught in the midst of a mountaintop blizzard. And he did not show how the creaking and singing of the rock in the depths of his most productive mine made his skin tighten and crawl.\n\nEverlyn glanced up at him, her even white teeth a slash in the shadows, her silvery eyes aglitter.\n\nDespite his unease, he returned her excited smile with one of pride. Beautiful and spoiled and fearless. Her emerald skin and her willowy stature might be from her mother, but her spirit was from him. If not for her, he would never have ventured so deep into the mines.\n\nThe dark, dank place with its low ceiling was fit only for slaves, for the humans who chipped away the rock and brought out the gemstones, the best in twenty provinces. Some gems were as large as their small-boned hands, better even than those from the elven lands to the south.\n\n\"The earth sings louder and louder as we go deeper,\" said the harsh, grating voice of one of the human slaves, the one who called himself Eadamm. He was a strong man, just approaching middle age for a human, perhaps almost thirty, which seemed a child to Igraine's seven hundred years.\n\nIgraine knew the slave because he had pale hair and eyes as blue as the summer sky and because the slave brought Everlyn samples of the rare rocks and stones of which she was so fond.\n\n\"I don't think it's safe.\"\n\nIgraine glanced at the slave sharply. Had there been a note of anger in his voice? Of surliness?\n\nThe human had already turned away, raising his lantern to lead the way deeper into the low tunnel. Whereas Igraine had to stoop to fit, Eadamm was able to walk with head held high and shoulders straight and tall. Even Everlyn, who was tiny for an Ogre, was bent.\n\n\"We found the bloodstone back there, Lady,\" Eadamm told Everlyn, pointing toward an irregular oval of midnight blackness, a hole in the dark.\n\nEverlyn started down the sloping tunnel toward the opening.\n\n\"Lady, it's not safe.\" Eadamm glanced back at Igraine for support. \"The rock shifts and groans constantly. We've been bringing out the rubble and looking through it for stones.\" He pointed to the littered floor.\n\nWithout hesitating or even glancing back, Everlyn disappeared into the blackness. Her voice floated back to them. \"I want to see.\"\n\nWith a grimace, Igraine followed. Light flared in the room ahead, blinding him for a moment.\n\nMagic in the tunnels wasn't wise. Besides ruining the vision of the slaves, who had spent so many years below ground they could barely see in the brightness elsewhere, there was something not quite safe about using magic so deep underground, as if the very earth were trying to spoil the magic.\n\nHe went forward quickly into the light, bumping his head on the low ceiling. \"Everlyn...\" His warning trailed away as he stepped through the opening. His daughter had set a small fireball to sparkling in midair, illuminating the small cavern.\n\n\"Isn't it wonderful?\" She paused to look back at him. She leaned against the far wall, pushing and prying at a large chunk of rock. \"Look at the bloodstone I've found!\"\n\nEadamm paused beside Igraine, blinking in the sudden brightness. \"I'll get a pick, Lady.\" He set his lantern on the ground and retreated. His voice echoed back into the small chamber as he called to one of the other workmen.\n\nHis words sounded like gibberish to Igraine. Before his eyes, the fiery orb bobbled. The jumble of rocks that served as walls seemed to move with it in the flickering light. His daughter's magic made his skin squirm.\n\n\"Ever\u2014\" The breath was sucked out of his mouth by the grinding of stone against stone. The ceiling was moving!\n\nEverlyn screamed as the wall before her shifted, leaned inward as if pushed by an unseen hand.\n\nIgraine leapt toward her. Pain lanced through his arm and side as something struck his shoulder, knocking him backward. Dust flooded into his nostrils, his mouth. Jagged rocks, torn from the ceiling, rained down on him. Through the crashing of stones and the creaking of timbers, he could hear his daughter crying out.\n\nEadamm grabbed him and pushed him out of the path of a huge crush of ceiling. His head struck hard against something as he fell out of the small room.\n\nSparkling dust and pebbles rained everywhere. The floor tilted. Igraine clung to the wall, feeling the stones shift beneath his fingers. He could hear Eadamm calling for Everlyn, could hear her answering, her voice threadbare with fear.\n\nHe pushed to his feet, heart pounding. As he stumbled toward the sound of Eadamm's voice, Everlyn's magical light went out. Her cries fell off abruptly, leaving him alone with fear.\n\nThe cries of the slaves, screams of pain from farther in the direction of the main tunnel, joined with the groaning of the earth.\n\nA moment later, Eadamm was there, a hand under his arm, trying to help him move, his lantern casting wavering shadows through the haze of dust. Eadamm shouted for help. Slaves crowded into the passageway, pushing and shoving and crying out with fear.\n\nThe sickening scent of humans, unwashed and afraid, of blood and grit, Igraine sucked into his nostrils. His head ached, a huge throbbing alarm like bells between his ears.\n\n\"We must get out,\" Igraine rasped, tasting blood and dirt. He passed his hand over his forehead and eyelids, hoping to clear his vision. His fingers came away wet and sticky.\n\n\"Lord, no!\" Eadamm thrust his lantern into Igraine's hand and snatched up a timber almost twice his own height. \"She might still be alive!\"\n\nIgraine could barely hear the words the slave had spoken, but from Eadamm's actions, he understood.\n\nEadamm wrestled the thick log under one of the sagging beams overhead. When he bent to pick up another timber, another slave hurried to join him.\n\nThe huge, rough-hewn log Eadamm had braced against the ceiling trembled. Pebbles and sand sifted down. The ceiling bowed with the weight of the earth above.\n\nAnother rumbling from deep in the bowels of the mine was followed by the crashing of rock. Farther down the passageway, a slave screamed.\n\nThe slaves crowded in beside Igraine were the best miners in the Khalkists. Irreplaceable. Worth too much to risk.\n\n\"There's no time!\" Igraine grabbed Eadamm and pointed up. On cue, more rock vibrated and fell. The rumbling from deep in the mine sounded again.\n\n\"Everyone out!\" Igraine raised his voice to be heard above the sounds of the mine and shouted the order again. He wished for Ogre guards to help, to get the stupid humans moving in an orderly manner, but there were no guards in the mine, only a couple stationed at the exit for show. It was a matter of pride for the whole province that Khal-Theraxian's slaves were so well-conditioned, so well-behaved.\n\nBobbing specks of light began to recede from the cramped passageway, back the way they had come, as the slaves began to obey. But some of the slaves stayed where they were. Under Eadamm's guidance, they were already methodically digging away the stones that entombed Everlyn.\n\nIgraine grabbed the nearest human and shoved him roughly toward the safe end of the tunnel. \"There's no time. Get out now! All of you.\"\n\nHe led the way out of the passage, back the way they had come, climbing over boulders and rocks that had not been there before.\n\nThe long walk toward safety was a journey of darkness and fear punctuated by falling rock and death cries from behind, deeper in the mines. Igraine's head throbbed, and his ankles protested. The tunnels through which they passed had been distorted by the movement of the earth, were twisted, jumbled, blocked. With every step he expected that the ceiling would crash down on him, blotting out the pinpricks of light from the lanterns ahead.\n\nHe stumbled and would have fallen but for one of the slaves. The man, bent and gnarled from years of toil in the mines, smelled horribly of human sweat and sweetly of human blood.\n\nIgraine shoved away the helping hands, stood on his own. \"How much farther?\" he asked. Dust sifted down from above, sparkling in the lantern light.\n\n\"Just ahead, Sire.\" The slave pointed.\n\nIgraine saw that the light that was illuminating the motes of dust wasn't from his lantern, but came from the warm yellow glow of Krynn's sun. \"Make sure everyone gets out,\" he mumbled, hurrying toward the exit.\n\nSunlight bright as molten gold stung his eyes as he stepped into the fresh afternoon air. It seemed hours ago that he had entered the dark, gaping hole in the mountainside.\n\nThe slaves were coming out behind him, looking as stunned as he felt. A handful of the group that had accompanied him, cousins and staff and guards, saw them coming out of the mine and hastened to meet them.\n\nIt was a lovely fall day, air clear and crisp, sky blue and unmarred by clouds. His entourage wore bright splashes of color, red and blue and green silk. He could sense their agitation, hear their voices lift in excitement as they saw him.\n\nHe must be a sight: clothes torn, face bloodied, eyes hollow and distant. In a moment, they would descend upon him. He couldn't bear the thought of facing their distress, their questions, the crying of the old aunts who had raised Everlyn after her mother had died.\n\nHe turned back to his slaves, to count how many had not escaped the mountain, to see that the injured were looked after. He realized immediately that some were missing.\n\n\"Where's Eadamm?\"\n\nThe humans nearest him shook their heads. Of those who were just emerging from the mine, who had been in the rear, three refused to meet his gaze. They stood with eyes cast down, shoulders hunched as if waiting for a blow. Finally one mumbled, \"He stayed behind, Lord, to save the Ogre.\"\n\nThe one in the middle elbowed the speaker hard. \"He means 'the lady,' sir. 'The lady.' \"\n\n\"Yes, Sire, the lady. I meant no disrespect.\"\n\nIgraine backhanded the man, knocking him against the walls of the mine. So Eadamm had gone back, disobeying his orders.\n\nIgraine, governor of the district of Khal-Theraxian, had built his reputation on his handling of slaves. On his _ruthless_ handling of slaves. The king had given him position, land, a title because of it. Igraine never allowed a slave to break a rule, to show disrespect, to shirk his duties, to disobey an order. Examples had to be set.\n\nHis personal honor guards came rushing up the path from the meadow, exclaiming, bowing. One grabbed up the slave Igraine had struck and dangled him by his arm.\n\n\"Lord, what has happened?\"\n\n\"Where is Lady Everlyn?\"\n\n\"Are you harmed?\"\n\nThe questions came at Igraine too fast and thick to answer, and he turned and waited until the rest of the group was within hearing distance. He didn't want to tell what happened more than once. \"There's been a cave-in. Everlyn is... lost.\" He steeled himself for the cries of anguish.\n\nNaej, who had been mistress of his estate until Everlyn was old enough, who had been mother and mentor and friend, covered her face with her hands.\n\n\"Sort out the slaves,\" he told the captain of the guard. \"Make sure they see to their injured. Find the foreman and see how many are lost.\" Igraine's face hardened. \"And find out how many stayed in the mine against my orders. These three knew of it. Keep them separated from the others.\" If the ones inside the mine died, these three would be used to set an example.\n\nBehind him, a feminine voice started a song of sorrow for Everlyn, a melodic sound without words that was eerily like the grating of stone against stone in the tunnel. Naej whimpered, and another voice, this one masculine, joined the song.\n\nIgraine whipped around, intending to tell them to shut up, to leave. He knew he would have to sing, to mourn, but not yet. Not just yet.\n\nNaej had uncovered her face, was opening her mouth to sing. Instead she cried out, the O shape of her mouth going from anguished to astonished and delighted. \"Everlyn!\"\n\nHe wheeled to see six figures emerging from the entrance to the mine, one tall, five short: Everlyn and the five slaves who had remained behind to save her.\n\nShe was alive! Walking, albeit unsteadily. One sleeve was missing from her tunic. The hem hung in shreds around her slender hips. Both knees, scraped and bleeding, showed through rents in her pants. Her long hair was sticking out in tangled lumps. Her dark skin, bloodied at temple and shoulder, was coated with gray dust.\n\nIgraine had never seen a more beautiful sight.\n\nFor the second time that day, pandemonium erupted around him as his guards, his entourage, his slaves, rushed to aid those who had just emerged from the mine.\n\nIgraine plowed through them, stepping on Ogre and human alike to get to his daughter.\n\nShe threw herself into his arms, tears streaking the dirt on her face. \"I thought I would never see you again!\"\n\nHe squeezed her tightly. \"I thought I would never see you,\" he said gruffly.\n\nNaej, brushing at the dirt and small rocks tangled in Everlyn's long hair, said as she had when her charge was a child, \"Let's get her home, Igraine.\"\n\nBefore Naej could lead her away, Eadamm stepped forward and bowed. \"Lady... This is for you.\" From the front of his shirt he produced the rock Everlyn had been trying to free from the wall of the tiny room.\n\nIt was a bloodstone, smoky and black\u2014so dark it seemed to suck in the light and hold it\u2014and shot through with globs of carmine. It looked like huge drops of blood had been trapped inside. Too ugly for jewelry, too soft to be useful in making tools, bloodstone was mostly used by minor magicians for show. With the casting of a spell, they made the red glow and throb like fire. This piece was the size of a potato with three thumb-sized pieces like growths protruding from one end.\n\nEverlyn laughed, taking it as gently as if it were an egg, with much delight. \"It will always remind me of how I felt when I saw the light of your lantern burst through the wall of rocks.\"\n\nEadamm bowed to her again and started away, but Igraine stopped him. He motioned for his guards to come forward.\n\n\"Put these slaves under arrest along with the other three.\"\n\nEverlyn looked up from the gray-black rock. \"Why, Father?\"\n\n\"They disobeyed my order to evacuate the mine.\"\n\nEadamm met her solemn gaze without lowering his.\n\n\"I understand,\" she said, softly, regretfully.\n\n* * * * *\n\nIgraine, governor of Khal-Theraxian, sat alone in his office, the only light coming from the glowing coals in the fireplace. He had moved his favorite chair, the one covered in elf-made cloth, next to the huge, floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked his estate.\n\nSolinari, the silver moon, overwhelmed her sister moon, Lunitari, bathing the garden and fields and distant mountains in pale light. Igraine's eyes saw none of the cold beauty spread before him, not the nodding heads of fall flowers, not the mountain peaks already beginning to display their snowcaps.\n\nA tap on the door interrupted the silence. A shaft of light cut through the room as a guard opened the hall door and peeked through. \"I've brought the slave, Lord.\"\n\nIgraine murmured an incantation, and several candles leapt into flame. A small fire hissed and crackled into life in the fireplace. \"Bring him in.\"\n\nThe guard gestured to the human who was waiting in the hall, then withdrew when Igraine motioned him away.\n\nEadamm came into the room. He was clean, wearing clean though threadbare shirt and pants. Only his hands, bruised, scraped raw, and bound with chains, showed the signs of the afternoon's events.\n\nIgraine regarded him in silence for several minutes, during which the human stood without moving, his gaze fastened on the windows and the view outside.\n\n\"There is something I would like to understand,\" Igraine said finally, noting that the human didn't flinch when he spoke, didn't fidget in the silence that followed.\n\n\"I have always prided myself on being a fair master.\" He saw, finally, some emotion on the face of the slave, a flitting feeling that he didn't know human faces well enough to recognize, but perhaps he could guess.\n\n\"A fair master,\" he repeated more firmly. \"Harsh, but fair. My laws are harsh, but none of my slaves can say they don't know them. Therefore, if they break them and are punished, it is their own fault.\"\n\nAgain the twinge of expression, quickly suppressed.\n\nIgraine continued. \"But I understand their infractions. I understand the taking of things, for I, too, wish to have more. I understand the shirking of hard work. I understand running away. All of these are things which a slave thinks and hopes will not be discovered. I understand breaking rules when one does not expect to be caught. But what you did...\"\n\nIf Eadamm understood that he was being offered a chance to respond, perhaps to beg apology, he didn't show it.\n\n\"You knew that by disobeying my orders, you were condemning yourself.\" Igraine said. There was just enough question in his tone to allow Eadamm to dispute him if he wished.\n\nHe didn't. \"Yes, Lord, I knew.\"\n\n\"Then this I do not understand. A runner thinks only of the freedom of the plains, not of the capture. You knew you would be caught.\"\n\n\"Yes, Lord.\"\n\nSo vexed he could no longer sit, Igraine stood and paced the length of the windowed wall, then turned swiftly to face Eadamm. \"Then explain this to me!\"\n\nIn the face of Igraine's agitation, Eadamm lost his calm. \"If I had not disobeyed your orders, Lord, the lady would have died!\" he almost shouted. Then he controlled himself. \"The lady has been kind to the slaves. She has...\"\n\n\"Continue.\"\n\n\"She has a good heart. It would have been wrong to let her die.\"\n\n\"Wrong?\" Igraine tasted the word as if it was unknown to him. He had used it many times, in many ways, with his slaves. \"Wrong to obey me?\"\n\nFor the first time since he'd entered the room, Eadamm looked down, casting his gaze to the floor as a slave should.\n\nRather than being pleased that his slave was finally cowed, Igraine wished Eadamm would once again look up, that he might see the expression on the ugly human face. \"You knew you could not escape. You knew the punishment would be death.\"\n\n\"Yes. I chose life for her.\"\n\nIgraine sighed. He sat back down in his chair. He waved his hand in dismissal and turned back to the view of his estate. He heard the door open, then close.\n\nAs soon as it closed, Everlyn stepped into the room from the porch. She stood, flowing nightdress silhouetted in reverse against the night.\n\n\"You should be in bed,\" he said gruffly.\n\n\"I couldn't sleep. Father,\" she whispered, her soft voice tearful, \"could you not _choose_ to let _him_ live?\"\n\n#\n\n**The audience hall glittered as if it were filled with burning** stars, ashimmer from gilt embroidery on fine robes, gems dripping from throats and fingers and wrists. The flames of hundreds of candles danced in glass lamps etched with the symbols of the evil gods, reflected off the gold and silver of ceremonial daggers, and still the huge room was not illuminated. Shadows clung to the corners, filled the three-story-high ceiling.\n\nThe scent of heavy perfumes from a dozen provinces plaited and twined, choking the air, battling the aromas of melted candles, spiced wine, warm sugar cakes and succulent human flesh wrapped in seaweed and baked to savory tenderness.\n\nThe clamor of a thousand voices, the ring of goblet against goblet, had quieted as the Keeper of History stepped forward to the front of the throne platform and sent the Song spiraling forth to mingle with the glitter and the scents.\n\nKhallayne Talanador paused on the first landing of the huge southern staircase and allowed her eyes to half close so that only pinpricks of light sparkled through, a thousand-thousand, four-pointed, multicolored pricks of light dancing against her lashes.\n\nThe sweet, siren voice of the Keeper, singing the History of the Ogre race, lulled Khallayne into almost believing she stood alone instead of in the midst of the best-attended, most brilliant party of the season.\n\nAs the Keeper sang, her elaborate, flowing gown shifted and shimmered around her feet. The many scenes embroidered on it, exploits of past kings and queens, glorious battles, triumphal feasts, exquisite treachery, seemed to come to life.\n\nKhallayne's gown was a copy of the Keeper's, with shorter sleeves to allow her hands freedom and fewer jewels worked into the embroidered vestrobe. But where the Keeper's gown had a multitude of scenes, hers bore only one. The depiction of Khallayne's favorite story danced about the hem, the tale of a dark and terrible Queen. First she was alive and vigorous, then dying, then rising up from the shards of her burial bones, her subjects quaking before her.\n\nShe had come to be known as the Dead Queen, sometimes as the Dark Queen. She had ruled in the early times, when the mountains were still new. It was told that she was more beautiful, more cunning and clever, than any Ogre ever born. Suspecting that the nobles about her were scheming, she had her own death announced, then waited in the shadows to see who would grieve. And who would celebrate. The purge was quick and glorious; the Dead Queen left few alive to mourn their executed brethren. Three of the present Ruling Council families, all unswervingly loyal to the Dead Queen, had come to power during that time, replacing those who had not sung the funeral songs quite loudly enough. Khallayne had loved the story since childhood, admiring and aspiring to such perfect cunning.\n\nThe last sweet notes of the Song ended, but Khallayne remained where she was, held in place as if mesmerized by the shimmer of the Keeper's gown, by the old story she knew by heart.\n\nShe could remember a time when she was a child, before her parents' death, when the Keeper had walked, albeit a little unsteadily, to her performances. The Keeper had been ancient even then. The Ogres were a long-lived race, so near immortality they were practically gods, but even they had marked limits. For the good of the whole, no Ogre was allowed to live to the point of being a burden, not even the king. None except the Keeper.\n\nFor her extraordinary talent, she was allowed a rare privilege. Now, elite honor guards carried her everywhere in a litter, waiting in the background while she sang the History of the Ogre.\n\nThe guards, puffed with pride and importance, flanked the Old One now, and escorted her through the elaborately carved private exit behind the platform.\n\nFrom where Khallayne was standing, she watched the honor guard give way to guardsmen who had been standing in the shadows, just out of sight. As the last one turned smartly and disappeared, she saw that his brown tunic was emblazoned with a blue diagonal slash down the arm, the uniform of the Tenal clan.\n\n_There_ , whispered the dark voice of her intuition. _There is the thing you seek_. Khallayne touched the beaten copper crescent pinned to the lapel of her tunic.\n\n\"Thank you, Takhisis,\" she whispered. \"Thank you.\" Her smile rivaled the glitter of the party for its brightness.\n\nShe stepped back into the pale shadow between the wall and a huge stone column and murmured softly the words of a \"seeing\" spell. It was a risky thing to do, casting in this room, where someone might be sensitive to a flutter of power, but she felt rash and exhilarated now\u2014now that she knew how invincibility would soon be hers.\n\nThe roar of hundreds of voices muted to a whisper. Her vision faded until her surroundings became only a soft focus of brown and gray.\n\nBelow her, on the floor of the great hall, the pinpricks of light that were enchanted gems sparkled like embers. A hazy aura surrounded those who wore spell-enhanced finery. Such simple spells, like lighting candles and starting fires, were the kind of magic allowed anyone, regardless of position.\n\nThe auras that fascinated her were much different. She sought the magic of the most powerful nobility, the ones who were allowed to progress as far as their natural abilities permitted. Across the room, Lord Teragrym, for example\u2014his was a seething aura of darkness, a great power.\n\nShe smiled, tasting the triumph to come.\n\n\"Looking for something, Khallayne?\"\n\nShe tensed, then relaxed as the playful tone of the words was made clear through the distortion of the spell. The voice was filled with biting cynicism, yet still warm and sensual. It could only be Jyrbian.\n\nShe turned carefully, slowly allowing the \"seeing\" to seep away, colors and sights and sounds returning to normal. He was exactly what she required, perfect for her plans.\n\n\"Good evening,\" she said.\n\nJyrbian bowed, smirking, managing as only he could to be both admiring and sarcastic at the same time.\n\n\"Good evening, Khallayne.\" Lyrralt, older than Jyrbian, bowed more sincerely than his brother. He didn't come forward to take her hand, but stayed back a step, his eyes tracing the fine slave-embroidered brocade of her gown.\n\nAs he stared in astonishment at her, she stared back, then broke into a wide grin.\n\nNever were two brothers more alike in some ways, yet more different in others. Jyrbian and Lyrralt bore the same dramatic coloring, skin the dark blue of sapphires, eyes and hair like polished silver. The similarity ended there. Lyrralt was tall and lean, where Jyrbian was shorter and more muscular. He was also quiet while Jyrbian was brash, furtive where Jyrbian could be demanding, fierce and directed while Jyrbian played and joked and smirked.\n\nInstead of his usual tunic, Jyrbian wore the sleeveless dress uniform of a soldier, form-fitting silk with bright silver trim.\n\nAs subdued as his brother was flashy, Lyrralt was wearing his simple white cleric's robe. It was decorated with dark red embroidery that looked like drops of blood. His only adornment was a bone pin with the rune sign for his god, Hiddukel, burned into it, also in red. The formal robe, with its one long sleeve hiding the markings of his order, gave him an appearance of mystery and dignity.\n\n\"I didn't realize this was a costume ball,\" Khallayne teased.\n\nThey had been playmates in childhood, before her parents had died, before the Ruling Council had reclaimed their estate for distribution to a worthy courtier, and she had been forced to live with cousins. Since her uncle had bought a place at court for her, she had learned that the two grown-up men were very like the little boys she fondly remembered. She and Jyrbian had become friends again. Lyrralt was more difficult to gauge.\n\nThey reacted to her teasing just as she'd expected. Jyrbian grinned, spread his arms for her to better see his uniform and the strong muscles it emphasized, while Lyrralt frowned. \"This is not a costume,\" he reprimanded gently.\n\n\"Oh, no,\" Jyrbian said with a biting tone. \"My brother has been blessed by his god.\"\n\nLyrralt tugged at his long left sleeve proudly, symbol of his acceptance as a cleric of Hiddukel. \"Yes, I have, more than you know. You could have chosen this path, too. But you are irreverent to a fault. Playing at being a soldier instead of applying yourself to something useful.\"\n\nJyrbian scowled. \"I do not play, _brother_. Just as you do, I look to the future, and I see what is coming. I see what will be needed.\"\n\nKhallayne stepped between the two, forestalling further disagreement. It was an old argument, one she'd heard many times in many guises. Lyrralt thought his brother useless and frivolous. Jyrbian was ever scheming, jealous of all that Lyrralt, as eldest, would inherit.\n\nShe spoke first to Lyrralt. \"I didn't mean to tease. You know I'm proud of you.\" Then Khallayne turned and laid her hand on Jyrbian's bare forearm. \"What do you mean? Are you implying that the clans are going to be allowed more warriors sometime soon? There's been no increase since\u2014since\u2014\"\n\n\"Since the Battle of Denharben,\" Lyrralt supplied. \"Before our parents were born.\"\n\nNo Ogre house had made war on another for centuries, at least not openly, not with soldiers. Once, it had been every clan for itself. Smaller clans had been forced to ally themselves with larger ones to survive, until they grew strong enough to attack their allies. It was a perpetual cycle. But since the Ruling Council members had solidified their position with the strategic use of economic reprisals and land redistribution to their supporters, they had managed to limit the number of warriors a clan could have.\n\nFeuding between the clans had become more subtle, and positions as warrior and honor guard had become prestigious and rare, passed down from parent to child the same as land and title. A warrior was born to status, not hired.\n\n\"There have been rumors,\" Jyrbian said mysteriously.\n\n\"I should have you thrown from the parapets!\" she laughed. \"You know something you don't want to tell. Besides, you've never really trained as a warrior.\"\n\n\"No one's trained as a true warrior anymore,\" Lyrralt scoffed. \"They're all just honor guards who play with swords and pikes and practice marching in perfect rows. Even the king's guard is mostly show.\"\n\n\"You're wrong, as usual. I've watched them train.\" Jyrbian twined his fingers with Khallayne's and tugged her toward the stairs, talking as he moved. \"True, I haven't practiced at marching. But I promise you, my other skills are not lacking.\"\n\nKhallayne allowed herself to be drawn away, leaving Lyrralt behind. She couldn't imagine what gossip Jyrbian must know if he thought warriors would yet again be in demand.\n\nAnimal herders were all that were necessary for the raids on human settlements. And the raids on the elven lands, deep in the forests to the south, were easily handled by thieves. The things that could be stolen, beautiful carvings and thick, lustrous cloth, could not be matched anywhere on the continent of Ansalon, but the elves themselves, with their stoic demeanor and their unwavering devotion to goodness, made terrible slaves.\n\n\"Jyrbian...\" She touched his forearm. Hard muscle rippled under his indigo skin. \"Come and eat dinner with me. We'll go up on the parapets afterward and look at the stars. I have something to tell you. And something I'd like you to help me do.\"\n\nLaughing at her with his pale eyes, Jyrbian slipped his fingers under her sleeve and stroked the soft flesh of her wrist. \"You're the most beautiful woman here tonight,\" he whispered, \"the most beautiful woman in Takar.\"\n\nShe laughed. Khallayne knew he'd probably uttered the same words to every woman with whom he'd spoken since the party had begun at sundown; certainly he had said them to her every time they'd crossed paths for the past twenty years. And as she had answered for all those years, now she answered smugly, \"I know.\"\n\n\"We do make a perfect pair,\" he murmured, holding up her hand, admiring the darkness of his wrist against skin the pale green of sea foam. \"Like day and night. Unfortunately... I hope you will forgive my bluntness, but there are more important dinner partners in the room. As my brother is so fond of reminding me, I must be mindful of my duties\u2014and my fortune.\" He brought her hand up to his lips, kissed her knuckles, then wheeled away smartly.\n\n\"Jyrbian...!\" Left standing on the stairs, Khallayne watched in disbelief as he bounded down the steps, his long silver hair, braided warrior-style, swaying back and forth across his shoulders.\n\nKhallayne's fingers twitched, itching to be at work in the air, inscribing some terrible spell.\n\n\"He's trying to get a special assignment from the Ruling Council.\"\n\nKhallayne had forgotten Lyrralt was nearby. Absentmindedly, she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. \"I don't understand how you can tolerate him sometimes,\" she said coolly, watching Jyrbian's progress through the crowd. \"You know sooner or later, the thought will occur to him that the easiest way to 'make his fortune' is to inherit it.\"\n\nAcross the room, Jyrbian joined a group of Ogres standing near the steps to the throne platform. A young woman dressed in a fancy tunic immediately took his arm.\n\nThe words of a spell, one they had used when they were children, which made the skin sting as if nettled, leapt to Khallayne's lips. She had not thought of it in fifty years, hadn't used it in a hundred, but it would be very interesting to see whether Jyrbian could be as charming if she sent it spiraling through the air. She could almost taste the words, then forgot them as Lyrralt spoke.\n\nHe faced her with a mock look of remonstrance wrinkling his forehead. \"My father's minor nobility and wealth isn't enough to suit Jyrbian. He's aiming much higher these days. And so far, all it has gotten him is an errand that will make him miss the slave races next week.\"\n\n\"What errand?\"\n\nThe closeness of her body, the warmth of her breast against his arm had the effect she desired.\n\nLyrralt covered her hand with his and leaned closer, answering as if he were not aware of the words. \"Some fool errand to Khal-Theraxian for Lord Teragrym.\"\n\nAs he said \"Teragrym,\" she turned her face away, afraid that he would see the change in her expression, in her smile. Surely she must look like a wolf, ready to pounce. \"Yes, I've heard talk,\" she said, \"about the governor of Khal-Theraxian. Something about a new method of working his slaves that has increased production.\"\n\nShe composed her expression, molding it to a flirtatious one. Tucking her hand securely into the crook of Lyrralt's arm and lifting the heavy hem of her robe, she started down the stairs. \"Is that Teragrym's youngest daughter with Jyrbian?\"\n\n\"No, that's Kyreli. She's not the youngest. She's the one who sings so well. I think Teragrym is hoping she'll be the next Singer.\"\n\nKhallayne's brows pulled together in a frown that had no playfulness about it at all.\n\nThe Ogres made a song for everything. They sang for happiness, for sadness, for rain, for sun, for cold, for heat. They raised their lovely voices in song for the most important thing and for nothing at all, and even the gods paused to listen. Hunters charmed the beasts with the beauty and grace of their voices; slavers lured their prey into shackling their own hands.\n\nKhallayne was irritated by it all. For she of winsome ways, of quick mind and daring beauty, could not sing. She had hair that was like silk pouring through a man's fingers, eyes that could beguile the most hardened heart, a magical power so natural and strong she dared not expose it. But she could not sing. Her singing voice had all the beauty, the charm, of a stone door scraping over a sill filled with grit.\n\nLyrralt stopped as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He leaned close and lowered his voice as if imparting a secret. \"Have dinner with me. I've got something to tell you that's much more exciting than rumors of warriors.\"\n\nShe considered him from beneath her eyelashes. Maybe he knew something of Teragrym's interests in Khal-Theraxian.\n\nShe smiled and took his arm once more, settling in against his warmth, and leading him toward the far end of the huge chamber that contained the dining area.\n\nThey circled the king's table, off which nothing could be eaten. It was there purely to be savored, relished, for admiration of the \"flavor of the appearance.\"\n\n\"Have you ever wondered from where this curious custom comes?\" Lyrralt asked as he slowly walked the length of the table, admiring the rare ghen blossoms cooked in honey and floating in wine, sea darts and other fish, brought all the way from the Turbidus Ocean, swimming in spices and gingerlike leaves.\n\n\"No, I haven't.\" Khallayne followed him, barely noticing the complementary arrangement of scent and texture and color.\n\nAs she filled a plate with juicy, broiled scrawls and bread dripping with honey jelly, she asked, \"Did you notice earlier, when the Keeper left the stage, that Tenal guards were waiting in the hallway?\"\n\nShaking his head, Lyrralt placed something on her plate that resembled a delicate blue flower.\n\n\"I was thinking that perhaps it means one of Tenal's sons or daughters has been named as successor to the Keeper. She's well past the age when the Song should have been passed on.\"\n\nThough he tried to cover it, she saw that Lyrralt had made the connection she'd hoped he would. He furrowed his heavy, silky brows in surprise. They found an empty table against a wall, somewhat isolated from the other tables, and dispatched a slave for wine.\n\n\"I thought it especially odd,\" Khallayne picked up the thread of their conversation with false nonchalance. \"Because I felt sure one of Teragrym's daughters would be chosen....\"\n\n\"So was Jyrbian.\" Lyrralt grinned suddenly. \"And he's pursuing the wrong daughter! He had big plans for tonight... I think I'll wait until tomorrow to tell him. The look on his face will be\u2014\"\n\n\"Oh, I think we can do better than that.\" Khallayne sipped her wine, savored the tartness on her tongue. \"Much better.\"\n\nLyrralt paused, goblet halfway to his mouth, staring at the gleam in her black eyes. He'd never seen an expression so wicked, so alluring. Excitement and foreboding surged within him. The runes on his shoulder burned as when they were new. \"Is this why you wanted Jyrbian's help?\"\n\n\"Yes. But I think you'll do a much better job.\"\n\nShe paused. \"I've got an idea,\" she purred. \"A perfect idea. It will get us both what we want.\"\n\nLyrralt drew his chair close, leaned toward her. \"And what is it _you_ want?\" He could feel the heat of her body. \"It's never seemed to me that you strived for the usual things\u2014position, nor even gift of land or a home outside the castle walls. When Jyrbian and I heard you were coming to court, we thought you'd seek to regain your family estate from the Tenal clan. But, unless you're even more devious than I imagined, I haven't seen any evidence of it.\"\n\nShe smiled and touched the rim of her goblet to his. \"Thank you, sir. I _am_ even more devious than you imagine. But land is not what I desire. What I have learned in my three hundred years is that land is a transitory thing, easily given, easily taken away on a whim. I seek a more permanent reward.\"\n\n\"And you will tell me. Perhaps tonight as we walk the parapets?\"\n\nShe stared at him, speculatively, and slipped a hand underneath the edge of his sleeve.\n\nHis eyes widened as her fingers crept upward on his skin. When she touched the edges of the runes, he trembled.\n\n\"Wouldn't your order be extremely pleased if you obtained the sponsorship of Lord Teragrym?\"\n\n\"How?\" He drained his goblet without taking his eyes from the movement of her hand under his sleeve.\n\n\"Very simple. I think we can get our hands on something Teragrym wants very much. And we can do it so that Jyrbian would be blamed, in the unlikely event this... redistribution was discovered.\"\n\nFor a moment, Lyrralt was too stunned to speak. All the blood had drained from his face, rendering his skin a dull grayish hue.\n\nBut Khallayne knew she had him\u2014a fish swimming lazily along, complacently, agreeably, right into her net. His mouth was even hanging open in an oval, like a fish gasping for air.\n\n\"The runes spoke of this,\" he whispered.\n\nHer hand froze, then the tips of her fingers twitched on his skin, on the spongy runes just above his elbow. \"Of what?\"\n\nHe gazed at his sleeve. The runes engraved into his skin were the gift of his god, a sign that his piety had been accepted. Even more importantly, they were a gift _to_ his god. For a race as beautiful and as proud of its beauty as the Ogres, to allow their flawless skin to be marked and scarred was a sign of absolute devotion.\n\nThe first markings were not usually shared with those outside his order. Few were privileged to view the first communications of Hiddukel with a disciple. Later, when his arms and hands were covered with markings, he would wear sleeves that exposed his forearms and wrists, as the High Cleric did.\n\n\"The runes spoke of many things. Of destiny and revenge. Of position and power. And there was a reference that I didn't fully understand, until I saw you tonight. To a dark queen.\"\n\n\"But I don't understand. I'm not a queen.\"\n\n\"Your gown, Khallayne. The decoration on your gown, of the Dead Queen. And there's more. The runes speak of family and revenge.\"\n\nShe slowly withdrew her hand from beneath his sleeve, scraping her nails along his skin as she moved. There was a humming in her mind, as of bees around a field of flowers, and a cold prickling on her skin. She whispered. \"The Dead Queen... That settles it. We're going to steal the Song of the History of the Ogre from the Keeper and give it to Teragrym.\"\n\n#\n\n**\"We'll need something of Jyrbian's. A bottle, a container of** some kind. A charm, or a jewel. I'll find a slave who knows in whose apartments the Keeper is staying, one we can trust not to tell.\"\n\nSo easy. It had been so easy. Lyrralt, though obviously stunned, had not questioned her directions.\n\nHe had pushed away his plate of half-eaten food, followed her from the noisy audience hall, and gone, quickly and lightly, in the opposite direction, toward the southern end of the castle, toward his and Jyrbian's apartments.\n\nThe hem of her gown whispered softly on the stone floor as Khallayne escaped the din of the party. She went down, descending into the service passageways of the castle.\n\nAs she entered the bustling kitchen, she lifted the hem of her gown off the floor, stepping over a puddle of grimy water. The room was smoky from the huge cooking hearths, humid with the steam of boiling kettles and pots, the uncirculated air choked with the nauseating scent of humans.\n\nNot one of the slaves looked up to meet her quick scan of the room. Just as well. Their ugly pink faces were as disgusting as their scent.\n\nKhallayne snapped her fingers at a small, scurrying slave who wore a serving dress with little grace, as if it were stitched-together cleaning rags.\n\nThe girl bobbed a quick but respectful curtsey. \"Yes, Lady. May I help you?\"\n\n\"I need Laie.\"\n\nThe girl glanced back over her shoulder. \"Laie is... occupied, Lady. May I serve you?\" She dipped another curtsey, again quick and nervous, betraying her fear far more than did the quake in her voice.\n\n\"Occupied? What do you mean?\"\n\nThe woman bobbed again, never raising her eyes from the tips of Khallayne's soft leather shoes. \"She is\u2014\" She glanced behind her for support and found none. \"She is...\"\n\n\"Stand still and tell me where the slave is!\" Khallayne snapped, irritated by the bobbing woman and the overpowering smell of so many unwashed slaves.\n\n\"Lady, Lord Eneg is in the kitchen!\"\n\nKhallayne made a sound of irritation, at last understanding what the mumbling slave was trying to indicate. An Ogre would have to be an outcast to have not heard of the appetites of Eneg.\n\nKhallayne had used Laie many times before, to spy for information, for errands she wanted kept secret. As slaves went, Laie was brighter than most, a wellspring of information, and she knew to keep her mouth shut. If Eneg killed Laie, another would have to be found and trained. \"When did Eneg take her?\"\n\n\"Only just a moment ago.\"\n\nGood. There might still be time. It was rumored that Eneg enjoyed playing with his victims.\n\nKhallayne gathered the hem of her gown up above her shoes. \"Take me to him.\"\n\nStill obviously nervous, the woman led Khallayne to the back of the kitchen, through a low door, and into a long, narrow, dark hallway. A supply passage, Khallayne supposed, built for the smaller, shorter human slaves. It was very different from the wide, sweeping hallways in the rest of the castle.\n\nKhallayne had to duck as she stepped through the doorway into a room. A moldy, sweet smell of sweat and the coppery, decaying scent of human blood greeted her as she stepped over the threshold.\n\nKhallayne spared barely a glance for the room, which was outfitted for Eneg's sport. The important thing was, Laie was still alive, kicking and whimpering as she tried to pull free of Eneg's grasp.\n\nWith a menacing scowl, Lord Eneg turned around as the door banged into the wall. His emerald skin was splotchy and blemished, so dark it was almost black, glistening with moisture and blood.\n\nWhen he saw who the intruder was, his expression became a leer. \"Have you come to join me, Lady Khallayne?\"\n\nKhallayne shrugged, shaking her head. She didn't see how he could stomach the small, low-ceilinged room and the awful stench. The foul odor of the kitchen was a spring morning compared to the rotting air concentrated in this small space. \"I require the services of this slave.\"\n\nThe scowl returned. \"Get another!\"\n\nLaie renewed her struggles to free herself.\n\nKhallayne studied him for a moment, ignoring the slave, then said sweetly, \"Lord Eneg, this slave belongs to me. If I had to train another, I would be very displeased.\" She rubbed her fingers together, holding her hand up so he could see that the air around the tips of her fingers glowed slightly with the beginnings of a fire spell.\n\nEneg growled, a rumble deep in his throat so menacing that the slave in his grasp screamed and yanked her hand free. She stumbled and tripped the few feet to Khallayne and fell.\n\nKhallayne gestured toward the whimpering woman. \"Surely another slave would suit your purpose as well as this one...\"\n\nEneg took a step toward her. The determination he saw in her face changed his mind. He waved his hand dismissively. \"Take her. Send another from the kitchen.\"\n\nKhallayne swept back down the low hallway without waiting to see if the woman would follow. No doubt the slave was eager to escape from the hot, fetid room.\n\nIn the kitchen, Khallayne pointed at the first slave she saw, a young man no larger than Laie. \"Lord Eneg requires your services.\" She pointed back down the hallway and escaped into the passageway outside the kitchen.\n\nLaie came stumbling behind her, trembling with fear, stinking of Eneg's playroom and blubbering her thanks for being saved.\n\n\"Hush!\" Khallayne said irritably, as the slave thanked her for the fifth time and tried to kiss her hand. Khallayne dipped her hand into the tiny pocket in the lining of her vest and produced a small coin. She held it out so that it was visible in the dim light, but pulled it back before it could be snatched by the slave's eagerly outstretched fingers. \"Do you know which apartments house the Keeper of History tonight?\"\n\nEyes fastened on the dull copper which Khallayne turned slowly in her fingers, the slave nodded. \"No, Lady, but I can find out. A tray was sent up earlier.\"\n\nKhallayne closed her fingers over the coin. \"Then do so. But first, go to your quarters and wash, then meet me here. And quickly, or I'll give you back to Eneg!\"\n\nTense and irritable, heart thudding with anticipation, Khallayne hovered in the shadows of a cavernous doorway until the slave returned.\n\nShe was wearing a clean shift and her short, straw-colored hair was mostly combed. \"The lady Keeper is staying in Lord Tenal's guest apartments, Lady.\" She curtseyed and thrust out her hand.\n\nWith a smile, Khallayne put the copper coin into her palm without touching the slave's grubby pink flesh. \"Fetch a tray of food, whatever the Keeper prefers, from the kitchen.\"\n\nThe slave's odd-colored blue eyes grew round and large with fear at the suggestion that she return to the kitchen.\n\n\"If anyone asks, say Lord Teragrym has commanded it. And if Lord Eneg chooses you again, simply tell him you belong to me,\" Khallayne told her. \"Remind him I don't want to have to train another slave.\"\n\nKhallayne shook her head as Laie vanished. In the time it took an Ogre to mature from child to young woman, human slaves went from babies to old and useless. But no matter how old or young, they were worse than children. Slow and dumb and witless, even one supposedly as bright as Laie.\n\nLyrralt was waiting for them at one of the side exits to the audience hall, leaning against the stone wall.\n\n\"The Keeper's in Tenal's wing.\"\n\nLyrralt nodded, eyeing the slave who stood half-concealed behind Khallayne.\n\nMotioning for Laie to proceed, Khallayne and Lyrralt started along the passageway, nodding to other guests as they went. \"What did you bring?\" she asked.\n\nLyrralt patted a pouch hanging from his belt, bowed once more to an older lady as she eyed the two of them curiously. \"Crystals from Jyrbian's collection.\"\n\nOnce they were upstairs, in the second-floor hall and away from the strolling party guests, they followed Laie until they rounded a corner and found her peeking around the corner at an intersection. \"This is the hallway where the apartment is,\" Laie whispered, pointing ahead. \"There are guards.\"\n\nKhallayne smiled, both at the roundness of the slave's eyes and at the way Lyrralt's arm tensed under her fingers.\n\n\"Do we kill them?\" he asked.\n\n\"It's all right. I expected them.\" Feeling less calm than she allowed herself to show, she drew away from him and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and, as in the audience hall, the sounds and smells of her surroundings grew blurred and hazy.\n\nLyrralt gasped.\n\nKhallayne knew that he was feeling the surge of magical power she was drawing about her like a cloak. She trembled with the power of concentration, murmuring words she had wrested from the memory of a human wizard. Her hands came up, for a moment covering her face as if masking it, and she uttered the words again, lips moving silently.\n\nLyrralt gasped again. The slave whimpered.\n\nKhallayne opened her eyes. Where Lyrralt had stood, now there was almost nothing, a disquieting disturbance in the air, a warm, scented breeze as if a ghost had brushed past.\n\n\"What have you done?\" Lyrralt's voice, stunned, fascinated, whispered from the nothingness.\n\n\"A spell of... of distraction, I suppose you would call it. If we make no sound, the guards won't see us.\"\n\n\"It makes my eyes hurt.\"\n\n\"Yes, there is a small bit of aversion to it. It makes the illusion easier to maintain.\" Turning to the slave, she murmured, \"Laie?\"\n\nThe woman was crouched back against the wall, her eyes so round and large it seemed they might burst from her head.\n\n\"Laie? Go down the hall. Tell the guards that Lord Tenal has ordered a tray sent to the Keeper. When they let you through the door, make sure to leave it open long enough for us to slip inside.\"\n\nWith obvious effort, the slave controlled her fear. \"But, Lady, what if they won't let me through?\"\n\n\"They won't stop you. Just make sure you keep the door open. Now, go!\" Khallayne, who had stepped closer to the woman, gave her a shove.\n\nThe slave almost squealed with fright, but she moved quickly, looking back over her shoulder as if she were being pursued.\n\nIt went as Khallayne had said. The guards leered. One lifted the corner of the linen napkin to inspect the tray, but they allowed the slave through. Laie paused just inside the heavy wooden door, holding it open with her foot while she pretended to balance the tray. She felt a spectral puff of air, then another, flit past.\n\nOne of the guards took the tray from her and placed it on a nearby table. \"The Old One sleeps,\" he whispered. \"Leave it here and go.\"\n\nThe slave nodded gratefully and hurried out.\n\nThe Keeper's room was as lavish as anything Khallayne had seen since arriving in Takar. Two smoldering torches cast the only light, imparting flickering shadows more than illumination. Even in the smoky dimness, she could see the opulence of the slave-carved wood furnishings, the gleaming mirrors on walls covered with lush tapestries. She was sure, had she been able to examine it in daylight, that she would have found the thick carpet on which she trod to be elf made.\n\nWith a whispered command, the distraction disappeared and Lyrralt was visible.\n\n\"This...\" she breathed, leaning into Lyrralt in the near dark, pressing her mouth close to his ear, \"... this is how I will live someday.\"\n\n\"Perhaps we both will.\" For a moment, his hands hovered near her.\n\nThe Keeper was asleep on a low couch near the hearth.\n\nKhallayne had never seen an Ogre so aged; most accepted an honorable death long before the years advanced to such fullness. She stared at the Old One's face, lined and seamed with wrinkles, as Lyrralt stirred up the dying embers and started a small fire in the fireplace.\n\nFrom his pouch Lyrralt produced a clear crystal sphere and two faceted crystals, one a double-pointed amethyst, the other a perfect sapphire as dark blue as his skin.\n\n\"I wasn't sure which would be best,\" he whispered, holding them out for Khallayne's inspection.\n\nShe chose the crystal sphere, the plainest of the three.\n\nLyrralt would have backed away, but Khallayne caught his wrist and pulled him close to the Old One. \"Kneel here.\"\n\nLyrralt burned to ask what she was going to do and how and where she had learned such things. He watched carefully as Khallayne placed her hands on the Keeper and whispered words that to his ears were unintelligible.\n\nKhallayne placed the sphere on the Keeper's mouth. For a moment, it seemed as if it would roll off, then it caught and rose, floating less than two fingers above the Old One's lips as if suspended on the soft exhalations of her breath.\n\nLyrralt whistled soft and low in admiration.\n\nKhallayne moved to the end of the couch and stood over the Keeper. She fixed Lyrralt with an intense, unwavering gaze. \"I'm going to try to use your energy in addition to my own,\" she said. It won't hurt you, but you may feel... tired. After I begin, make no noise, speak no sound, unless you wish to lose it forever.\"\n\nHe nodded.\n\nKhallayne cupped her hands around the Keeper's head. She opened her eyes wide and concentrated. The currents of power flowed through the room, tugging at her gently.\n\nShe _had_ performed the spell many times, but never before on one of her own kind. Now that she could feel the papery, withered old flesh between her fingers, she wished she'd risked the working of this one, just once, on an Ogre.\n\nGathering her concentration, striving for confidence that suddenly seemed to be ebbing away, she murmured the words of the spell and sent the pulsation outward. The Keeper moaned softly and rolled her head as if feeling the touch of Khallayne's magic, then was still.\n\nAfter a moment, while Khallayne held her breath and waited, a soft, throbbing light began to materialize between her hands. Careful not to allow her exhilaration to overcome her, she raised her arms slowly, tenderly, feeling the pressure against her palms, the thrill of magic coursing through her fingers and arms.\n\nThen Khallayne pressed her palms together lightly. The incandescent light shifted, surged, began to stream into the crystal sphere.\n\nIt appeared to Lyrralt that the Keeper's head was suddenly filled with light, flowing from her lips into the crystal poised above. Power filled the room. The air smelled like the coming of a thunderstorm.\n\nAs the crystal sphere became more radiant, filling with a golden rainbow of light, the Keeper grew darker and darker.\n\nEven after the light had gone from the Keeper and was imprisoned in the pulsating sphere, Khallayne remained standing over the Keeper's body for a long moment. Then she plucked the sphere out of the air and away from the Old One's mouth.\n\nLyrralt felt the sudden release like a jolt to his nerves. When he was free of the tug of the spell, he felt a terrible urge to speak.\n\nClinging to furniture for support, Khallayne edged away from the Keeper. Though she trembled with the weight, she held the pulsating sphere up in the air.\n\n\"The Song of History,\" she whispered in a tired voice as Lyrralt climbed to his feet and joined her \"It's done.\"\n\nHe took the sphere gingerly, and carefully turned it in his hand, holding it up toward the fire to see the light pierce it through. \"How wonderful!\"\n\nKhallayne sank onto a stool. \"Yes, wonderful. This is the legacy that's been stolen from us. Kept from us by greedy nobles.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne gazed out the large window in Jyrbian's apartment, eyes roving lazily over the twinkling lights of the city below, refracted and splintered by the beveled glass. How boring, how sad, she thought to be staring out of one of those houses, looking up enviously at the twinkling lights of the castle.\n\nShe, however, was where she belonged, and for a moment she gazed at the dozen miniature reflections of her own face in the panes of glass. The myriad Khallaynes smiled back at her wearily.\n\n\"Are you going to tell me how you did it?\"\n\nLyrralt sat on a low stool in front of the fire. He cradled the sphere between his palms, watching the light twist and twine through it. \"Are you going to tell me how you did it?\" he repeated.\n\n\"Magic,\" Khallayne answered, her voice unconcerned, barely conversational.\n\nHe turned and saw from her broad smile that she was teasing him.\n\nShe joined him, kneeling on the floor and taking the sphere from his fingers.\n\n\"I know it's magic. Where did you learn to do it?\"\n\nShe turned the sphere over and over in her hands, then used the edge of her vest to polish it. \"From human wizards.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\nShe lifted her chin defiantly. \"I took the knowledge from human wizards who were slaves in my uncle's household.\"\n\nWhen he offered no condemnation, she continued. \"I was always much quicker to learn magic than my cousins. When they were still playing with sticks and dry leaves, I could light a fire, boil water, float objects.\n\n\"When I was ready to progress, my tutors told me I had learned as much magic as was allowed a child of my station.\" The sphere lay forgotten in her lap as she balled her fingers into fists.\n\n\"I didn't like being told no. I didn't see why I should be restricted. There was a slave on a nearby estate. I knew she was a mage because the lord there was a friend of my uncle's, and he had bragged that he held her there by keeping her daughter as a hostage. I made a deal with her.\n\n\"For her knowledge, I agreed to free her daughter The spell I used to steal this\"\u2014she indicated the sphere\u2014\"was one of the things I learned from her I've spent many years draining the magical knowledge of human mages.\"\n\n\"You freed a slave!\" Lyrralt gasped, more aghast a that revelation than any other.\n\n\"Of course not,\" she said coolly, standing and taking the sphere to the window. \"I didn't have to, once I learned this spell.\"\n\nOn the sill beneath the etched glass was a collection of crystals and spheres and rocks, all arranged neatly, sitting in brass holders or dangling from silk thread. She took a larger crystal, placed it in an empty stand, and laid the Song of History in its place. \"What do you think?\"\n\nAmong the grouping of more colorful rocks on the sill of Jyrbian's window, the sphere was plain and unremarkable. He slipped an arm about Khallayne's waist. \"He'll never know it's there. Unless we're discovered and have cause to reveal it.\"\n\n#\n\n**From his position on the receiving platform, Lord Teragrym** motioned for Jyrbian to sit on the level below in front of him. It would not do to have the younger Ogre tower over him.\n\nIn the presence of Teragrym, Jyrbian's joviality and brashness was dampened into watchful respect. Teragrym, who had kept his seat on the Ruling Council longer than any other because he was not careless, observed that Jyrbian bore watching.\n\nJyrbian sat, bowing before and after he had lowered himself to the floor, feet and lower legs folded under his thighs. With a negligent flick of his wrists, he arranged the vestrobe he wore over simple tunic and pants into a fan of cloth. The movement showed surprising grace for one so large and appeared totally unself-conscious, as if he did it without consideration for his appearance.\n\nThe audience room into which he had been received was not large, but it was opulent. Thick carpets warmed the stone floor. Painted screens and tapestries and heavy curtains left almost nothing of the stone walls visible. The furniture was sparse, consisting only of a stool for Teragrym, a low, heavily carved table at his elbow, and a writing desk farther back on the platform.\n\nJyrbian glanced surreptitiously about, taking in the luxury, the understated elegance. He could imagine himself quite easily in a cozy setting like this.\n\n\"My daughter has mentioned to me that, aware of my interest in what is happening in Khal-Theraxian, you have volunteered to make a visit there and report back to me.\"\n\nJyrbian smiled, then modified the expression. \"Yes, Lord. I would be pleased and honored to be of service.\"\n\n\"And what would you expect in return for this service?\"\n\nJyrbian's pulse accelerated as the answer leapt to his throat: power, prestige, wealth, permanence, but he didn't voice that thought. \"I ask nothing, Lord. I'm honored to simply serve.\"\n\nTeragrym smiled. The younger one stared down at the patterned carpet and appeared deferential, but Teragrym knew the avarice in his soul, the envy in his heart. Teragrym, too, had been a second son, brighter and bolder and more worthy than his firstborn brother. \"There is a hunger in you, young Jyrbian. It is not so well disguised as you think,\" he added when Jyrbian's head came up with whiplash speed, his silver eyes a mere hint of evil in the darkness of his face. \"The journey could be dangerous.\"\n\nTeragrym was about to add, \"Very dangerous,\" but Jyrbian interrupted. \"I know about the attacks on the mountain trails.\"\n\n\"That report was for the Ruling Council exclusively. How do you know?\"\n\nJyrbian merely shrugged. \"There's always talk.\"\n\nTeragrym's estimation of Jyrbian increased a notch. \" _Very_ well, so you know of the attacks, which seem to be increasing in our mountains. Will you, therefore, take a company of guards with you?\"\n\n\"I would not be likely to inspire the governor's confidence riding into Khal-Theraxian surrounded by guardsmen. Besides,\" Jyrbian scoffed, \"I am as well trained as any guard. I will go alone. Or perhaps as one of a small party. I know someone who is acquainted with the governor's daughter. Perhaps we might pay a social call.\"\n\n\"I approve.\" Teragrym nodded slowly. \"Surely there is something you would ask? Such service should not go unrewarded.\"\n\nJyrbian shook his head. He had thought it through carefully before he came. If he asked for something specific, that would be all he received. If he didn't specify, there would be no boundaries on what he might receive, should his errand prove worthwhile. \"If the lord would feel me deserving of reward, naturally I would be honored. But I would also be honored simply to be of service.\"\n\nTeragrym smiled again, almost as if he could read the calculations going on in Jyrbian's mind. \"Very well. I accept your offer to serve. And I'll expect you to report back to me\u2014and only to me.\"\n\nJyrbian nodded stiffly.\n\n\"I need to know\u2014\" Teragrym paused, considering. \"I need to know _everything_. Be observant. I want to know what Igraine is doing to increase the production in his mines. I need to know if he says anything that could be considered treasonous.\"\n\n\"Treasonous?\" Jyrbian shifted forward, poised eagerly for what would come next.\n\n\"That is a rumor we have heard. But whether it is exaggeration or truth...\" Teragrym shrugged. \"The line between acting for the good of all and the good of oneself is sometimes subtle. Sometimes it is the same thing. I must have enough information to judge for myself. I must know what is said, and what is not said.\"\n\nTeragrym waited a moment, scrutinizing Jyrbian, then dismissed him.\n\nJyrbian was so excited he could barely maintain his poise until he was out of Teragrym's sight. The reward for such a task should be excellent indeed! As he exited into the hallway, he was beaming so broadly that the female Ogre who was waiting to enter paused in surprise in the doorway.\n\nShe watched him until he turned a corner, and hesitated even a moment longer.\n\n\"Kaede?\"\n\nTeragrym's voice snapped her back to the present and into the room.\n\n\"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?\"\n\nKaede bowed and sank to her knees, knowing how Teragrym hated having someone loom over him. \"Lord, forgive my unannounced arrival, but I have come to ask a favor.\"\n\n\"What sort of favor?\"\n\nKaede clasped her hands in her lap to cover her agitation. \"I have come to ask your permission to right a wrong that has been done my family.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nLyrralt paused inside the door of his apartment. He lit the candles with a few words and a flick of his wrist. His rooms were larger than Jyrbian's but located on the far side of the hallway, so he was without windows.\n\nHe had spent his morning walking the cold hallways of the castle, listening in on conversations, joining groups of Ogres to exclaim in dismay at the news. The Keeper could not be awakened. She lay as if dead, but breathing, and no one had been able to rouse her. He had started for Khallayne's rooms but wound up in his own instead. The Ogre female with whom he'd passed his night after Khallayne pleaded tiredness was gone from the room, leaving not even a trace of scent, less of memory.\n\nHe possessed no wall hangings to brighten the dark room. He owned no carpets on his floors to dispel the coldness that emanated from the very bones of the old castle. He preferred things that way. He preferred the severe beauty of the gray stone walls, the stingy light, and he filled his space with beautiful, delicate things instead of expensive ones.\n\nOn an ornately carved table against the back wall was a marble water bowl. He lifted it carefully, rinsed his mouth, and spat into a smaller bowl exactly like it. He dampened his ears and eyelids.\n\nShivering in the cool air, he slipped out of his long robe and replaced the garment with a sleeveless praying robe, then settled before the fire to pray, to ask for guidance, to learn what Hiddukel, God of Wealth and Accumulation, thought of his impending good fortune.\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne was dreaming of magic, of spells so powerful that her mind could barely contain them.\n\n\"Khallayne, wake up! Wake up!\"\n\nThe voice penetrated her consciousness, jarring her awake even as a hand on her shoulder shook her. \"Wake up!\"\n\nShe opened her eyes to the warm, golden sunlight of a fall morning.\n\nSilhouetted in the light, Lyrralt was leaning over her, his face in shadow. \"Wake up,\" he repeated.\n\nGroggily, she covered her eyes with her hand. What time was it? Had he been there all night, in her apartments? Then she remembered that he hadn't and why he hadn't. He had wanted to stay, but she had talked him out of it because she had wanted to distance herself from him.\n\n\"Are you awake?\"\n\nThe question finally got through to her, and she sat up, pulling the down coverlet up over her breasts.\n\nHis face, now that she could see it, was a study in displeasure, brow pulled low, eyes narrowed and dark.\n\n\"What is it? What's wrong?\"\n\n\"They discovered the Keeper this morning. It's all over the castle.\"\n\nHer heart gave a thump. She fought the fear she felt, remembering the steps she had taken to protect herself, thinking quickly that she must order Lyrralt from her room. Get him as far away, as quickly as possible.\n\nThe last thing she had done, before they had slipped away from the Keeper's apartment the night before, was work a \"masking\" spell, a kind of camouflaging of her presence. But the essence of Lyrralt, the magical scent that a really good mage could find if he or she knew how, that she had left. Just in case. \"So?\"\n\n\"They can't wake her. It's like she's dead, but still breathing.\"\n\n\"Do they suspect magic?\"\n\n\"Not yet. Everyone seems to feel that it's an illness, or that she's simply so old. But they will figure it out, won't they?\"\n\nShe relaxed against the pillows, the cover spilling off her shoulders, exposing her lovely skin. \"What do you mean?\"\n\nHis fingers clenched. He longed to drag her from the soft bed and dash her head against the wall! \"You've done something. Something to lead them to me!\"\n\n\"Of course I haven't,\" she protested immediately. \"Why would you even think such a thing?\"\n\nHe walked to the fireplace and murmured an incantation. Small flames licked up from the embers and rapidly grew to a small, crackling fire. The runes on his shoulder, and the new figures below on his arm, itched. \"I have been warned of treachery.\"\n\nKhallayne reached for her robe, slipped it on as she climbed out of bed. The silk kimono was cool and soft on her skin and very pleasing to the eye.\n\nDespite his anger, Lyrralt's gaze was drawn to her, which irritated him even more.\n\nShe stretched, reaching for the ceiling. \"Don't be ridiculous,\" she said lazily. \"We're perfectly safe. The Keeper won't wake. No one will ever know what we did, except Teragrym. And he will never tell.\" She shrugged, watching the way his eyes followed the movement of her breasts under the loosely wrapped robe. \"All the others were like this. After I took what I wanted, they slept. Then they died.\"\n\nShe opened the door of a wardrobe and selected one of the tunics hanging within. \"Now all we have to do is wait. After she's dead, the History is ours to bargain with.\"\n\nHe was across the room in an instant, his fingers squeezing her upper arm until he could feel the hardness of bone beneath the flesh. \"That was a pretty speech, but I'm not convinced. Hiddukel does not lightly offer his counsel! Be warned, if I am suspected of this crime, I will not go to the dungeons alone! And you have more to lose than I.\"\n\nDespite the pain, she didn't wince. He could have pinched the limb off and still she would not have allowed him the satisfaction of seeing her show pain. \"But you're being foolish to think I would risk telling anyone. There is too much to lose. Too much to gain. Be warned yourself, I do not take lightly to threats!\"\n\nShe stopped and glared at his hand. A moment later, a sharp pain shot up his arm. Lyrralt snatched his hand away and stepped back.\n\nShe pushed so close he could feel her hot breath on his face. \"Do not touch me so again!\"\n\n\"My apologies.\" He grinned, admiring her in spite of himself, shaking his hand to ease the stinging of it. He executed a mocking little bow and slammed the door loudly as he exited her bedroom.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe morning sun was up over the castle wall, the last of the bags loaded onto the horses, when Khallayne strode into the courtyard.\n\nJyrbian paused to watch her as she came down the steps and across the flagstones, leaving Lyrralt to finish checking the saddle and packs on their horses.\n\n\"Are we ready?\" she asked, tossing her saddlebags across the rump of her gray gelding.\n\nLyrralt, squatting to check the hooves of his horse, stood up so quickly that the animal shied sideways. His gaze locked with Khallayne's, his brow furrowing with surprise and anger.\n\n\" _I've_ been ready since sunrise.\" Jyrbian said. \"We'll leave as soon as everyone is here.\"\n\nWithout taking her eyes from Lyrralt, she asked, \"Everyone?\"\n\n\"You know Briah, don't you? She's going, and her sister, Nylora. And Tenaj and those two cousins of hers. I can never remember their names.\"\n\nAs if summoned by their mentioning, the remainder of the group came trooping down the steps, bright laughter and conversation rumbling up into the morning sky. They were a polychromatic lot, with skin tones ranging from almost as pale as Khallayne to deep sea green. All shades of silver hair, from Briah's bright mercury to the cousins' soft pewter, were also represented.\n\nWith Jyrbian distracted, matching everyone up with their horses, Lyrralt sidled around to Khallayne.\n\n\"When did _you_ decide to join this expedition?\" she asked, her voice cold and disapproving.\n\n\"When it occurred to me I would be safer away from the castle for a while.\"\n\nKhallayne caught up her horse's reins. \"There is no place you'd be safe if I truly wanted to implicate you!\" she hissed. \"I included you because I thought we shared a common interest. A common goal.\"\n\nLyrralt smiled at the others but said to her out of the corner of his mouth, \"I became disturbed when the Keeper didn't die in a day or so, as you said she would. Now I find you leaving the city with my brother.\" He held out his hand, offering to assist her in mounting her horse, thinking how much he would instead like to pitch her across the horse and watch her brains spill out onto the flagstones.\n\nKhallayne pushed his hand out of her way and mounted without any help. \"I planned since the night of the party to visit Khal-Theraxian. Jyrbian provided a convenient means to get there.\"\n\n\"Are we riding, or are you going to talk all day?\" Jyrbian interrupted, riding toward them on his huge stallion. \"At this rate, we'll just clear the city gates by nightfall.\" He reined the horse around and headed toward the southern gate.\n\nWith a quick glance at Khallayne, Lyrralt mounted. Lagging as the others went ahead, he guided his horse close to hers.\n\nAfter a moment, she sighed. \"Lyrralt, the Keeper will die. No one will ever know we stole the History.\n\n\"And even if the truth is discovered, Jyrbian will take the blame.\" She turned her unblinking gaze at him, her eyes as black as a starless night, yet as bright as starshine. Slanting, alien eyes. Depthless, ruthless. \"I think you'd be glad to have him out of the way. I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to do the same to you.\"\n\nThe corners of his mouth twitched. \"I'll be watching you,\" he said simply, without rancor, before he cantered ahead.\n\nThe castle of Takar was set high on a mountainside overlooking the crescent of city wrapped around its base and the open valley beyond, site of many of the Ruling Council's estates.\n\nBefore the Battle of Denharben, Takar had been one of four cities in which the king resided. He had traveled between Takar, Thorad, Bloten and Persopholus, giving equal time and attention to each; and for a time, after the Ruling Council had solidified its position and taken power in the king's name, its members, too, had kept up travel between the cities. But the key to their power had been the relocation of their enemies to the outlying districts, where lesser properties were located, while ownership of the best provinces and estates went to their strongest supporters. Takar had been the main seat of power ever since.\n\nAs the travelers descended through a series of switchbacks, the magnificent view of the valley and the purple mountains in the distance slowly disappeared, and they entered the city proper.\n\nPassing through a magnificent stone archway inlaid with bronze panels depicting battles of old, they rode into what the commoners covertly called \"the hostage district.\" It was so called because the council, in another step toward gaining control, insisted that the families of the rich and powerful occupy their city homes year round. The homes, fashioned of stone with high garden walls of mud brick, were nearly as magnificent as the private quarters in the castle, and certainly more roomy.\n\nLyrralt rode ahead, joining Jyrbian at the front of the group.\n\nThe populace had long been awake by the time they rode through the city, which was filled with the bustle and noise of everyday trade. Takar's wealth lay in commerce, the trade of riches from the surrounding areas, ore and gems from the mines, foodstuffs from the rich valley farms, slaves from the faraway plains.\n\nNear the southern wall of the city was the huge coliseum where games and slave battles drew Ogres from miles around. It loomed, blotting out the sun, a massive bowl dropped down among the dwellings. The group shivered in its enormous shadow as they passed.\n\nThen they were through the southern gate and into bright, golden sunlight.\n\nFor over two hours, they rode south along a ridge overlooking the Takar Valley, then they veered to the east and up sloping trails. This led them into the forests and higher ridges, where they would make camp for the night.\n\nTheir companionable chatter silenced the twitter of birds and sent small animals scurrying through the thick underbrush.\n\n* * * * *\n\nR'ksis emerged in stages, skittering out into the sunlight, then dipping back into darkness. Each time, she stayed out longer. Finally, clinging to the shady side of the trees, she remained above, but not far from the mouth of the cave. No disr wanted to leave the dark, cool safety of its underground home.\n\nThe world outside was thick forest. Golden leaves overhead filtered the bright light. Scrubby bushes and a thick carpet of decaying leaves lay underfoot. The boulders that hid the entrance to the subterranean home had a coating of gray-green fungus. R'ksis scraped some off with a crescent-shaped claw and stuck the appendage in her mouth.\n\nShe spat it out. Compared to the rich, moldy taste of such food from beneath, it had little taste. It was sun-spoiled. It was not what she and the others had braved the surface for, anyway.\n\nR'ksis sniffed, testing the air. Blood. Sweat. The odor of horse and Ogres hung in the air, scenting the forest. \"The Old Ones,\" she nearly hissed, motioning for the males to come forward.\n\nThey stayed inside, in the comforting darkness. When she motioned again, they hissed and clicked their claws against the rock walls. \"Light bright. Too bright. Hurt eyes. Sun too warm,\" they protested.\n\nWith an oath, she left them, knowing they would follow.\n\nThe scent of the Old Ones thinned as she moved through the forest. She adjusted her course. By the time she'd picked up the trail once more, the ten males had caught up. They had taken the time to roll on the ground, camouflaging their pasty green flesh.\n\nShe nodded her approval, then quickly flung handfuls of leaves and dirt across her own body.\n\n\"Food,\" G'hes, the oldest male, clicked and hissed, sniffing. He sounded much more assured now.\n\n\"Old Ones!\" She bent, scooped up a large rock and crushed it in her claws, as she would crush the Old Ones. The Ogres were an ancient enemy, thieves who lived above, yet forced their slaves to tunnel into the mountains\u2014not to make homes, but to rob the earth.\n\n\"Old Ones taste good?\" The youngest member of the party asked eagerly. S'rk was the only one of them who had never been above before. He stood completely upright, taller than the others, his compact body taut with excitement and fear.\n\nThe others hissed their pleasure. Ogres tasted even sweeter than the tunnelers, the slaves of the Ogres.\n\nIt took almost an hour to find the source of the lush blood scent. As they walked, trees and boulders thrust up through the earth's surface, and dense patches of undergrowth, where the sun broke through the canopy of leaves, passed by unnoticed. It was all featureless terrain to eyes accustomed to the lush darkness of the underworld, to the beauty of dripping caverns.\n\nAs the scent of the Old Ones grew unbearably thick, G'hes, the oldest male, chortled, \"Tribe be pleased.\"\n\n\"First, catch,\" she warned him.\n\n* * * * *\n\nJyrbian ranged from the front of the procession, where Lyrralt rode silent and morose, to the back, where Khallayne did the same.\n\nHe joined her for the third time in as many hours, asking the same question he had before. \"Why so glum? Isn't this a beautiful day for a ride?\" Then he loped ahead once more when she refused to talk with him. Then Tenaj called, \"Quiet!\"\n\nThey obeyed at once, because Tenaj was the hunter of the group, the one who spent long hours on the trails, in the forests.\n\nJyrbian waited for Tenaj to catch up with him, motioning the others past. \"What?\" He mouthed the word, making not a sound.\n\nTenaj glanced down the trail, the way they had come, then into the forest. Except for the unnatural quiet, which could easily be caused by their passing, everything appeared normal.\n\nExcept for that sense of someone\u2014something. Not watching exactly, but _waiting_.\n\nTenaj shook her head. \"Something,\" she said quietly. \"I don't know.\" She rubbed the back of her neck. \"Maybe I should ride back a ways, just to check things out.\"\n\n\"Not too far, okay? There've been a couple of attacks on hunting parties on this trail. I don't think we should get too spread out along here.\"\n\nNodding agreement, Tenaj reined her stallion around.\n\nShe kept her hand on her sword as she rode toward Takar. The forest was too still, showing no signs of life, even though the party had passed by several minutes before. It made her jittery, and her horse, already half-wild, skittish.\n\nThen she went around a turn, and there was the reason. Disr, four of them, on the trail! They blinked their pale, watery eyes. Dirt and leaves stuck to their slimy flesh. Probably more of them in the shade beyond, she thought. For a second, they gazed at her, eyes blazing with hatred and hunger. Then there was noise from the forest, and the dense, compact bodies moved in unison.\n\nTenaj turned and ran. \"Disr!\" she screamed, as soon as the others were in sight. \"Disr! At least five of them!\"\n\nKhallayne was in the rear. She slowed her horse as she heard Tenaj yell and half-turned in the saddle.\n\nFrom the left, something hit Khallayne's arm. Something dense, but slick and large. Her breath left her lungs. She felt numbness shoot through her shoulder and arm. She cried out as the ground came toward her face with startling speed!\n\nShe struck the hard, packed earth, then glimpsed something dank and dense, with claws and a compact body, moving impossibly fast. Horses' hooves danced near her eyes. Pain shot through her thigh, as if a knife had just ripped the flesh.\n\nScreams sounded from above and in her own throat. Fear, warning, pain! An even more frightened scream came from a horse. The slimy thing, smelling of vinegar and rot, was upon her, tearing at her flesh. Everywhere it touched, pain.\n\nThrough the confusion, she heard someone scream her name. She heard a war cry, terrible yet reassuring. There was frenzied movement above her. Then away from her.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe Old One surprised them! The scent had been so strong, they hadn't sensed the Ogre female on the trail. At a hiss from R'ksis, the group divided, scuttled back into the forest, and pursued, dropping to all fours for speed.\n\nAs they flanked the Old Ones, the scent of food was overpowering. The voices of their prey were raised in alarm, the hooves of their mounts sending a fear-filled vibration through the packed earth.\n\nLeading her group, R'ksis attacked first, using the momentum of her speed to launch herself at the first Old One she encountered. The Ogre's body was knocked from the saddle, falling heavily to the ground.\n\nWith the battle lust of the young, S'rk was upon the stunned Ogre in an instant. He ripped at the leg of the creature, opening the flesh. Ripped again with his jagged fangs.\n\nThe Ogre screamed, flailed weakly at her attacker, then collapsed. To R'ksis, the sound of her enemy's pain was as welcome as home; the scent of the warm, steaming blood was sweet.\n\nA terrible screech rent the air as S'rk reached again for the fallen Ogre. R'ksis glanced up to see a large Old One leap to the ground. A male, from the looks of it, drew his sword as he jumped. Another Ogre, the one from the trail, joined him.\n\nThe very sight of them infuriated her. Meal forgotten, R'ksis jumped up to meet them. Her nostrils flared as she caught the scent of Ogre sweat, of fear. And then the Ogres were upon her!\n\nR'ksis swiped at the bigger one, claws extended to their full range. But her reach couldn't match that of the Ogre's sword. The blade struck her a glancing blow, bouncing off the natural armor plates covering her shoulders.\n\nThe Ogre attacked again, swinging his sword in a low, whistling arc. R'ksis rolled and dove between the two attackers, slashing at their legs. They wheeled with her, and the female's blade sang in the air above R'ksis's head. She backed away as they split, trying to flank her.\n\nAll about her were the sounds of battle. The hissing and clicking of attacking disr. The scream of a wounded animal. The hiss of a dying disr.\n\nThe Ogres attacked in unison, and R'ksis ducked beneath the swinging weapons. The female changed her tactic, lunging forward with one foot and thrusting with her sword. R'ksis stumbled back, falling out of range of the sword.\n\nTwo of her males were dead, their bodies crumpled in the sunlight. But across the path, G'hes was closing in on a female Old One, his long, sharp tongue tasting the air in anticipation.\n\nS'rk joined the fight, leaping in from the side.\n\nR'ksis heard the female Ogre's sword bite into the thick covering on S'rk's back. He rolled and came to his feet, eyes clenched with pain.\n\nR'ksis met their assailants alone, protecting S'rk with her body. She stumbled backward, avoiding a sword thrust, would have fallen but for S'rk. His hands were trembling. She could smell the sharp odor of disr blood.\n\n\"Run, youngest! Run far!\" She pushed him, just as the male Ogre swung. The blade, wicked and gleaming, missed her, missed S'rk. Then, incredibly, reversed its direction, slicing back. The edge, as sharp as disr claws, bit into S'rk's throat. The youngest one gurgled, gazed up at her as he fell.\n\nJust as she saw the life dim in S'rk's eyes, she heard G'hes's death cry, saw him fall, clutching at his chest. Before the Ogres could attack again, she screamed a wordless warning of retreat to those of her pack still standing. Then she blended into the forest, so quickly that the Ogres couldn't respond.\n\n* * * * *\n\nTopsy turvy, the sky tilted, trees growing sideways.\n\nKhallayne saw Jyrbian battling a nightmare, a thing with armor plates on its rubbery, four-legged body, with eyes as red as Lunitari. It reared up on its hind legs and stood as an Ogre, met him with hissing and clicking, like a beetle.\n\nJyrbian swung with his sword. Blood, as red and thick as any Ogre's, spurted from the creature's neck. It choked and crumpled. Another creature, standing near Tenaj, darted a panicked glance about, then melted back into the forest.\n\nThe sky tilted sickeningly again. Khallayne remembered no more.\n\nShe woke with dirt clogging her nostrils and the smell of something rotten mixed with her own blood. The hands that were turning her over were not gentle, and pain throbbed dully in her shoulder, thigh, and arms. Voices, warped and only vaguely recognizable, filtered through to her mind.\n\n\"Careful.\"\n\n\"How bad is it?\"\n\n\"Don't touch the slime around the bites! It's poisonous.\"\n\n\"Tenaj, Levin, stand guard.\"\n\n\"We need to get moving. There may be more.\"\n\nThis voice she recognized as Briah's, and she struggled to sit up. But hands held her down.\n\n\"How bad?\" another voice insisted again.\n\n\"Can you heal her?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" The hands probed the wound on her thigh, sending bursts of pain like glass shards rocketing up her leg. \"But there will be a price.\"\n\nShe gasped aloud with pain.\n\n\"Do you understand, Khallayne? Do you agree? There is always a price from the gods for a healing.\"\n\nAt last, she knew the voice, knew the hands. She opened her eyes and stared into the face of Lyrralt.\n\n\"I can heal you if Hiddukel grants it, but there will be a price. Sooner or later, he will ask something of you and you will have to give it. Do you understand?\"\n\n\"Just do it, Lyrralt!\" Jyrbian snapped. \"Do you think she has any choice?\"\n\nNow Jyrbian's face, shining with sweat, eyes glazed, exhilarated with battle lust, came into view. \"That thing ripped her leg open almost to the bone. If she doesn't bleed to death, the disr poison will kill her. Get on with it.\"\n\nKhallayne caught the sleeve of Lyrralt's tunic, remembering the feel of the runes on his skin. To whom would the price have to be paid? \"I agree.\"\n\nHe laid his hands on her and raised his eyes to the sky, lips moving. He twitched. His fingers tightened, then relaxed.\n\nThe pain surged, worse than anything she'd ever dreamed. As she opened her mouth to scream, she felt her flesh ripple, join, torn edge against torn edge, and begin to knit.\n\n#\n\n**The estate of Lord Igraine, called Khalever, after his daughter** , was different from any Jyrbian had ever seen.\n\n\"What is it? Do you feel it?\" he murmured to Khallayne, who rode behind him, her arms linked around his waist.\n\nThe creature in the forest had killed her horse, and since no one had wanted to turn back, they had been taking turns riding double.\n\nKhallayne shook her head. \"I don't know.\" Peace, quiet, contentment were the words that came to her.\n\nThere were sounds aplenty, wind in the trees, bees, birds, a door slamming, the nickering of their horses, and the welcoming neigh of one of Igraine's animals, but quiet was still the sense of it. Quiet... but something missing... She looked about uneasily, puzzled, as her fingers clutched Jyrbian tightly.\n\nAt the end of the long drive stood the main house, tan stone decorated with insets of pinkish shale around the sparkling windows. Gently rolling fields of grain stretched away toward the hills, verdant and lush in the summer sun.\n\nLord Igraine, governor of Khal-Theraxian himself, came out onto the wide porch to greet them. He was small for an Ogre, a good two hands shorter than Jyrbian, and simply dressed. His skin was a rich green. His eyes crinkled as he smiled, welcoming them to his home. \"It is always a pleasure to have visitors from Takar. How was your trip? What is the news of court?\"\n\nNylora and Briah both spoke at once of the attack in the forest and Jyrbian's bravery in dispatching the danger, of the death of Khallayne's horse and the hardship of riding double, of the Keeper's sudden sleep.\n\nIgraine smiled through all of it, turning his head from person to person, seemingly fascinated.\n\nAs he listened to each person in turn, Igraine gave them such attention that each felt all-important. His demeanor was compelling. Jyrbian had to study the technique, for surely anyone could learn to feign such intense interest.\n\n\"How terrible!\" Igraine pulled a sad, shocked face when told of the Keeper. And, \"I hope you are not too badly shaken,\" when told of what had happened to Khallayne and her horse.\n\nThe group grew silent as they waited for Khallayne to respond. Though nothing had been said, the silence between Khallayne and Lyrralt had grown increasingly uncomfortable over the last three days.\n\n\"I'm fine,\" she said, then, because everyone still waited, she added, \"Lord Lyrralt healed me.\" She could barely say the disgusting words.\n\n\"A healer!\" Igraine's gaze settled on Lyrralt, on the robe with one long sleeve. \"A cleric of Hiddukel. Honored Sir, you are welcome in my home.\"\n\nLyrralt's expression was smug.\n\nJyrbian's frown drew his brows almost together.\n\nIgraine made an expansive gesture that included his house and the surrounding areas. \"You are all welcome in my home.\"\n\nThe chatter started immediately, Nylora and the cousins exclaiming at the loveliness of Igraine's estate and about parties and such at court. Khallayne cut through the babble without raising her voice. \"You are the news of the court, Lord Igraine. Everyone is talking of your new prosperity and wondering how such a thing is possible.\"\n\nThe crinkles around Igraine's eyes grew even deeper as his smile broadened. \"Lady, I should be glad to tell you all.\" He bowed low over her hand as she passed by him and entered the large foyer.\n\nJyrbian glared at the back of her head and imagined his fingers closing around her lovely neck. It wasn't that he minded her bluntness with the governor, but that she had said such things in front of all the others! Such matters should be discreet. And _he_ wanted to be able to report back to Teragrym, without word-of-mouth stealing his thunder.\n\nAt the same time he admired her agile mind, her smooth tongue. He wished he could extract both from her head, slowly, painfully. \"I, too, would be interested in hearing your story,\" he said quickly, wiping the perturbed expression off his face for the benefit of his host.\n\n\"Yes, of course. Come inside.\" As Igraine turned, a lovely young woman, tiny for an Ogre and unusually delicate, stepped into his path. He caught her hand and drew her through the door. \"Meet my daughter, Everlyn, who is really the beginning of and the reason for my tale.\"\n\nJyrbian knew his eyes widened and his smile came alive, but he was unable to control his reaction to the sight of Everlyn.\n\nShe was as delicate as a flower, as bright and unblemished as the purest of crystals. Her eyes were the silver green of sunlight sparkling on a clear water, her shining hair almost too thick against her small face. Though she was at least two hundred fifty years old, he guessed, fully grown, the top of her head barely reached his chin. Even more intriguing, she smiled with an expression unlike anything he had ever seen in his life, an enigma he could not solve.\n\nJyrbian bowed low. \"If I hear no story at all, this trip will not be a loss.\"\n\nInstead of the ardent response he expected, she smiled mysteriously and glanced away from the intensity in his eyes, murmuring a thank you for the compliment.\n\nPlaying the part of gracious host, Igraine led them into a large, cool room outfitted as an office. With its heavy oak walls, it would have been dark but for the gallery of tall windows that looked out over the back of the estate. The ceiling was painted the color of the night sky, and silver had been worked into it in the pattern of the constellations of the gods.\n\nAs everyone exclaimed at the beauty of the room and asked how the slaves had created the decoration, Khallayne strolled along the windows and gazed out toward the mountains that ringed the perimeter of Igraine's property.\n\nCareful to make sure she was unobserved, Khallayne whispered the words to a \"seeing\" spell, shivering as the power rose up and skittered along her nerves. As the power took hold, she realized what it was about Igraine's estate she found so disquieting. Her mouth fell open.\n\n\"What is it?\" Jyrbian asked. He had Everlyn's hand tucked firmly through his arm and was leading her along the windows, admiring the view. He had come up behind Khallayne.\n\nKhallayne was so surprised, so astounded, she spoke without taking note of Everlyn. \"Where are the wards?\" She gestured outside, toward the estate. \"There are no wards, nothing, to prevent the escape of the slaves. There aren't even any guards!\"\n\nJyrbian scanned all that was visible through the tall windows, but he didn't really need to confirm her news. She was right. That was what felt so odd about the place! No guards.\n\nAlthough Igraine's personal wealth originated from inheritance, it was well known that the largest part of his income came from his mines, which lay north of his estate. The majority of his guards would naturally be stationed in the mountains. But Jyrbian still expected to see at least a handful of guards around the grounds. Honor guards in fancy dress, if nothing else. Or slave guards, especially near the slaves' quarters. Yet there were none. None as far as he could see.\n\nAnother oddity. The slaves' quarters were not usually so close to the main house. But he could see the stone huts of the slaves\u2014with glistening thatched roofs, not the miserable, ugly hovels he expected. These were clean, almost picturesque, set against the backdrop of slate-gray mountains, green fields, and blue sky. Beside several of the dwellings, humans worked with rakes and hoes in tiny gardens. Human children, their grotesque little bowed legs bare, played in the nearby dirt. A snatch of human song, low and unlovely, carried on the breeze.\n\nIt seemed almost profane.\n\n\"You are admiring my estate?\" Igraine spoke from behind them.\n\nJyrbian started, wondering how long the Ogre had been standing there, how much of their observations he had overheard. \"We were noticing that you do not guard your slaves, neither with wards nor sentries.\"\n\n\"Because my slaves are happy here. They do not require wards, magical or otherwise.\"\n\n\"Happy?\" Khallayne sampled the word on her tongue. Slaves were not happy or unhappy. They were simply slaves. \"How is this unusual state achieved?\"\n\n\"It has been the best kept secret in our world.\" Igraine laughed. \"I will share what I have learned if you truly seek knowledge. But I caution you, what I say will not be easy to understand at first. It will go against many of the things you have been taught, many of the things you believe. You must be willing to listen with an open mind. An open heart.\"\n\nHe looked first at Jyrbian, then at Khallayne, waiting for their signal to continue.\n\nJyrbian wanted to learn all he could for Teragrym and then shut his ears, hear no more. He nodded for Igraine to continue, as did Khallayne.\n\n\"Very well. What I have learned is this.\" Igraine pushed open the tall windows before them, and a breeze cooled by high mountain snows wafted in. \"Choice.\"\n\nLyrralt, who had joined them, looked puzzled, Khallayne felt sure Igraine was toying with them. They stole glances at each other to reassure themselves they had heard correctly.\n\n\"All beings, be they Ogre or human or elf, master or slave, have choices.\"\n\n\"You joke with us, Lord,\" Jyrbian said, careful to keep his voice respectful. \"Of course, we have choices. What has this to do with your prosperity?\"\n\n\"You do not understand.\" Igraine noticed that most of the group had drifted over. \"Come, sit down. Let me tell you the story of how this happened. Then you will understand what I mean.\" He herded them toward the circle of chairs around the fireplace.\n\nWhen they were settled, he told his story, speaking in a solemn and poignant voice of the mine, of the groaning and crying of the earth, of the death cry of his daughter, of all that had happened to tear the blindness from his heart. Overcome with emotion, he paused for a long moment. When he continued, his tone had changed into one of bitterness and self-recrimination. \"In my selfishness, my greed, I ordered the slaves out. The sides of the tunnel were still shifting, the ceiling still falling. They were too valuable to risk.\"\n\n\"But that was a rational assumption,\" Nylora protested. She was seconded with nods from most of those present. \"What else could you have done?\"\n\n\"I could have tried to save my daughter, as one of my slaves did. In spite of my orders, he rallied the other slaves. With bare hands, they held back the sliding rock while others ran for beams to shore up the roof.\n\n\"They braced the beams with their bodies while he dug me free,\" Everlyn said softly and shivered. \"It was terrible in that little space, with the rocks pressing down on me. The air was choked with dust. I could feel blood on my face.\" She shuddered.\n\n\"All this simply because Everlyn wanted to mine a piece of bloodstone for herself.\" Igraine pointed at his daughter, frowned sternly, but the frown gave way to a bittersweet smile.\n\nKhallayne looked around at the others' rapt faces. They didn't understand.\n\n\"Bloodstone? What is that?\" This from Briah.\n\nIgraine pointed to a hand-sized chunk of rock in a brass stand on the mantel. \"A rock. A plain rock, too soft for building, too ugly for jewelry. Who but Everlyn would even want one? Who but my strange daughter, who collects such rocks and stones!\"\n\nAfter glancing at Everlyn for permission, Khallayne reached to pick up the bloodstone. It was the size of a potato, smoky, so dark it seemed to suck in the light and hold it, and was shot through with fat streaks of red that looked like drops of blood.\n\nIt was, as Igraine had said, quite ugly, shiny, as if had been polished, but rough to the touch. Khallayne offered to pass it to the others, but only Jyrbian held out his hand.\n\n\"I myself am a collector of crystals,\" he said, turning the rock in the light.\n\nEverlyn smiled shyly, took the stone, cradling it in her small hands, and again glanced away from the interest shining in his eyes.\n\n\"This is the first time I've heard of slave disobedience bearing good results,\" Briah said sharply.\n\nLyrralt struggled to comprehend the story, trying to piece together the meaning of it. He realized there was more to it, something else Igraine was waiting for them to grasp. His arm throbbed, the runes tingling, a grim sensation. \"There's more,\" he said, almost in a rasp.\n\nIgraine nodded. \"I couldn't understand why a slave would disobey so flagrantly, why he would choose the life of another over his own.\"\n\nLyrralt made the leap before the others. \"You didn't destroy him,\" he guessed.\n\nKhallayne and Jyrbian both looked at Igraine with amazed expressions. Igraine smiled back. \"How could I?\" he said simply.\n\n\"But he disobeyed,\" Khallayne protested. \"The penalty is death.\"\n\n\"He saved the life of my only child.\"\n\n\"But the law\u2014\"\n\n\"Eadamm saved my life!\" Everlyn interrupted hotly, a fierce expression on her face.\n\n\"Shhh.\" Igraine quieted her. \"It is not easy to understand.\"\n\n\"No, I don't understand,\" Briah insisted. \"The slave disobeyed, no matter the consequence. If he was not put to death...\" For a moment, she was quiet, pondering her next words. \"If he was not put to death, then you broke the law. Your broke the law on behalf of a slave.\"\n\n\"I did not break the law.\"\n\n\"Then the slave was executed?\"\n\n\"I sentenced Eadamm to death at my whim.\"\n\n\"And your whim has not yet transpired?\" Jyrbian guessed.\n\n\"No. And I doubt that it will. Eadamm not only saved Everlyn, but when I spared him, he proved a natural leader. He organized the other slaves. In one month, they took as much ore from the low mines, as many gems from the high mines, as they previously had in two months.\"\n\n\"Doubled?\" Jyrbian breathed deeply in disbelief. \"Your production has doubled?\"\n\nIgraine had told the story before. He had seen the same expressions flit across the faces of his neighbors, his relatives, his guests. First anger, disbelief, then awe and finally greed.\n\n\"There's more. When I saw this happen, I tried an experiment. I loosened the restrictions on the slaves. I gave them tiny freedoms, inconsequential things, and again they worked harder. They produced more. This summer, I allowed the huts and the gardens you can see from the windows. In the meantime, my profits have _tripled_.\"\n\nNow avarice gleamed at him from five pairs of eyes\u2014all except Lyrralt's and Khallayne's.\n\nJyrbian thought of his family's land, much like Igraine's, though on a smaller scale: lush farmland backed up to cliffs and mountains riddled with mines, many of them unplumbed. To triple the output! He thought of Ogre cities built entirely of the valuable green stone shot through with tans and grays and pewters, which came from the rocky hills like those behind his home.\n\n\"We must have refreshments,\" Igraine said, changing his tone and standing. \"Everlyn, why don't you take everyone on a tour of the house? I'm sure they'd like to see our excellent examples of elven sculpture.\"\n\nLyrralt glanced up and found Igraine's gaze fixed intently upon him. Lyrralt suddenly felt the runes on his arm dance feverishly.\n\nDutifully, Khallayne stood to join the others, but stepped through the tall windows onto the porch instead. The sun was setting, the land beginning to take on the shadows of darkness. Toward the slave huts, the sparkle of lantern light came to life.\n\nIt took a moment for her to understand why the lantern glow seemed so out of place, then she realized that on her uncle's estate the slaves were not given lanterns in their quarters. At nightfall, if they weren't working, they were expected to rest for the coming day.\n\nAs she stood there, breathing the fresh, cool air, a silhouetted figure eased out of a door at the other end of the gallery and into the shadows of the yard, a woman slave with a shawl draped over her head.\n\nTrying to see where the woman went, Khallayne didn't hear Igraine slip up behind her until he had touched her arm. \"Are you not hungry, Lady?\"\n\nShe started, then relaxed, smiling apologetically. \"I was only admiring your estate, Lord. And noticing how odd it seems to see lights in the slave huts.\"\n\n\"Yes, it is. But they appreciate having a little extra time for themselves in the evening. And the amount of oil they may use is rationed. In the end, I gain more than I lose.\"\n\nShe looked pensively at the lantern-lit windows again before turning to him. \"What you're doing is very dangerous, isn't it?\"\n\nHe raised an eyebrow.\n\n\"In Takar, I've heard things said,\" she continued. \"They're jealous of your success, and perhaps a little afraid of it. There are some who say the number of runaway slaves has increased dramatically since you began your program. We were warned to be careful on the trails.\"\n\n\"But you experienced no trouble,\" he admonished gently, \"not from slaves anyway. And believe me, I have not had a runaway since last summer. You know how the court is for starting rumors. Perhaps others cannot control their slaves. If so, surely it is no concern or fault of mine?\"\n\nHe certainly was persuasive. She had to grant him that. \"Yes, of course, you're right.\"\n\n\"Lady Khallayne, many have come to hear of my success. They go away changed or confused or even angry. There is very little in between. Yet I had the feeling you were mostly disappointed with my explanations.\"\n\n\"Lord, I hope I've given no insult\u2014\"\n\n\"None,\" he said. \"But I have the feeling you didn't really come here for the same reason as everyone else anyway.\"\n\n\"Really? Why?\"\n\n\"Well,\" he admitted, laughing. \"Lord Jyrbian did tell me you do not own an estate. Of what use would my management techniques be to you?\"\n\nHe walked off into the shadows and seated himself on a long, low settee. \"Come.\" He patted the soft cushion on the seat. \"Tell me why you have come so far to meet me.\"\n\nEverything about him, his voice, his open manner, his beguiling tone, the way he sat patiently, quietly waiting, invited her to confide in him. She strode to the settee and sat down beside him. \"Truthfully, Lord\u2014\"\n\n\"Igraine,\" he interrupted. \"Just Igraine.\"\n\nFor a moment, she was taken aback by such familiarity, but there was nothing insincere about Igraine. \"Igraine.\" She tried the word and found the sound of it, like its owner, forthright and comforting. \"I did come to hear your tale, to learn how you've become so successful, but I had thought...\"\n\nHe waited in silence for her to continue. She felt his entire attention was hers.\n\n\"I thought the reason for your success would be magical in nature.\"\n\nHe straightened.\n\nShe felt a thrill of triumph to have startled him.\n\n\"Magic! You thought I had increased my profits by magic?\"\n\n\"I... hoped,\" she admitted. Tensely she waited for his reaction.\n\n\"Jyrbian did not say you were of a Ruling Family.\"\n\n\"I'm not.\" She drew one leg up on the settee so that she could face him. \"But I know a lot. And I want so badly to learn more. I think I could be so\u2014\"\n\nShe stopped when she realized what she'd confessed. She tensed as he looked her over, as his lips moved. The scrutiny of the spell he cast passed over her like fingers on her skin, on her very bones. The sensation lasted only a moment, then was gone.\n\n\"Yes,\" he mused. \"Very powerful. Well, Khallayne... My methods for running this province are not magical. And I am not of a Ruling Family, but as governor I have been allowed some leeway. I will be glad to teach you what I know.\"\n\nIn the minutes since they had started talking, the sun had set. Khallayne knew he couldn't see the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks, the dilation of her pupils, but surely he could feel the heat, hear the pounding of her heart. \"You will?\" Then immediately, \"Why?\"\n\nHe stood, reaching down to pull her up. \"As you said, there are those who do not appreciate my ways. I believe there are dark days coming, for me and for all the Ogres. I think an ally such as yourself would be most beneficial.\"\n\n\"What would I have to do?\"\n\n\"Help me spread the word. Help me change the world. Be my friend. I can use someone as powerful, as persuasive, as you.\"\n\nHe sounded almost insane. She had never encountered anyone like him before, and she wondered if perhaps he were using some sort of spell to influence her, because, lunacy and all, she wanted nothing so much as to do as he said.\n\n\"I don't think the world needs changing, but I do want to learn the magic.\"\n\nIgraine clasped her shoulders and smiled at her.\n\n\"Perhaps I already can help you,\" she continued. \"With this warning. As governor, you report to Lady Enna, correct? And the profits of the province must be tithed to her?\"\n\nIgraine nodded.\n\n\"And the other ruling members might be... threatened by your success?\"\n\nAgain he nodded.\n\nShe leaned close and said in an almost-whisper, \"Then I think you should know that Jyrbian has come at the behest of Teragrym.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nJyrbian looked up and frowned as Igraine strolled into the dining room with Khallayne on his arm.\n\nHe was already in a sour mood. Everlyn had brought him to the room and introduced him to the large crowd of visitors and relatives. She had bustled about, ordering extra plates and more food.\n\nHe had invited her to dine with him, had deliberately saved the chair beside him for her, even glowering at Briah when she tried to sit in it. But Everlyn had disappeared through the door to the kitchen and never returned.\n\nNow it appeared that Khallayne had been in private audience with Igraine. His scowl deepened.\n\n\"Oh, how lovely,\" Khallayne exclaimed, detaching herself from her host so that she could walk to the head of the table and look at the elegant dining table that dominated the room. It appeared to be built of translucent ice.\n\n\"It's very old, from a time when my family traded in elven slaves.\" Igraine said.\n\n\"Is it made of crystal?\"\n\n\"Can you imagine an entire city made like this?\" One of the females Everlyn had introduced as an aunt beamed proudly at Khallayne.\n\nAs the two of them launched into a discussion of elven architecture, Jyrbian pushed away his uneaten supper and joined Igraine.\n\n\"Lord Igraine, if I may be so bold? This slave who saved Everlyn...\"\n\n\"He is an extraordinary human.\" Igraine took up the conversation with only the slightest prompting. \"It is from him that I have learned everything.\"\n\n\"I would like to meet this extraordinary slave.\"\n\n\"I would, too.\"\n\nJyrbian looked around to discover Lyrralt standing behind him. He grimaced, but before he could tell his brother he wasn't welcome, Igraine answered, \"I'd be pleased to have you both tour the grounds and meet Eadamm. Of those who have come to visit and to learn, there are always those who see beyond the obvious. I hope this time it will be you.\" Igraine bowed and left them standing there, wondering to which of them he had spoken.\n\n\"And me? I always see beyond the obvious, too,\" said a lovely voice behind them.\n\nThey turned to find Khallayne lounging against the sturdy elven chair at the head of the table. Her heavy, dark hair looked like coal against the crystal, and her black eyes glittered as if lit by candles.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe slave named Eadamm was unlike any human in Jyrbian's experience. He had never seen one who bore himself with such pride and audacity. He had none of the hunched look of a slave waiting for the next command. He stood tall, shoulders back, and his gaze met Jyrbian's squarely, without flinching.\n\n\"It's almost as if he doesn't consider himself a slave at all,\" Lyrralt murmured.\n\nJyrbian, who usually was offhand with slaves as long as they performed their tasks with a minimum of efficiency, found the slave's attitude unsettling. \"A slave wearing decoration?\" he questioned, pointing out the black-and-red stone wrapped in silver hanging from a silver chain on the slave's neck.\n\n\"It does seem a bit frivolous,\" Lyrralt agreed.\n\nDespite his misgivings about the slave, Jyrbian was impressed with the quality and quantity of raw gems being processed from the mines. Igraine's fields, also, were thriving. What could this philosophy do for his father's estate?\n\nHe glanced speculatively at his brother, who had edged away and was standing near Everlyn, listening as the slave explained their mining procedures. He sounded unbearably pompous. Yet Everlyn was smiling at him as if his words were as fascinating as thoughts from the gods.\n\n* * * * *\n\nLater that evening, Jyrbian lay in bed and remembered the slave and the way he held Everlyn's attention. Jyrbian didn't seem to be able to coax more than a pleasant but detached smile from her.\n\nHe pulled the rope over the bed, which rang a bell in the kitchen. When the night slave entered his room hesitantly, minutes later, he was standing beside the window, naked, the moonlight shining on his magnificent skin.\n\n* * * * *\n\nLyrralt, too, could not get the slave out of his mind. He could almost hear Igraine's persuasive words. \"Think of it, Lyrralt, a choice. A true choice. Decide for yourself what is right or wrong. Good or bad.\"\n\nIn the privacy of the room he'd been given, he opened the vial of water, rinsed and spat, touched ears and eyes.\n\nWorse even than Eadamm's face, the whispered words that none of the others had heard kept returning. When Igraine had seen that the sight of Eadamm and the happy, confident slaves had intrigued him, had puzzled him, Igraine had whispered, \"Free will, Lyrralt, such as only the humans who live on the plains have. To choose even which gods you will worship!\"\n\nHe banished the memory and prepared to pray, to meditate.\n\nThere was no warning. No buildup of itching and tingling. The searing agony branded his flesh, speared him with instant pain. He writhed on the cold stone floor and cried repeatedly the name of his god until it was over.\n\nWhen sanity returned, and he could move his arm without torment, he sat up. It was several minutes before he dared look down at his arm. To his surprise, there was only one rune. Even with his novitiate's eye, he had no trouble reading the augury.\n\nIt had only one meaning: Doom.\n\n#\n\n**On the morning they were to start for Takar, Khallayne** slept late. In her dreams she found herself alone in Igraine's audience parlor. As she looked up at the constellations on the ceiling, they began to spin, moving faster and faster, until the pinpoints of brilliant light became magical threads, streams of silver, gushing across the sky. Her feet drifted upward.\n\nThe embroidery on her tunic, which depicted an inferno, ignited. She could taste the smoke, smell charred skin, singed hair. Then Jyrbian was at her side, and Lyrralt, and Briah, smiling as their faces melted, as their flesh dripped in globs onto the floor. And still the constellations swirled, visible through the flames and smoke.\n\nAnd she, whirling in the flames, untouched, laughed and laughed and laughed.\n\n* * * * *\n\nAlthough the members were the same, the group that started back to Takar was not the noisy, playful one that had left three weeks before. Subdued, lost in thought, they rode the steep path single file.\n\nInstead of taking the faster route, through Therax Pass, the way they had come, Jyrbian had decided to return by a western trail that wound around the mountain and along a high ridge.\n\nBriah and her sister, Nylora, and Tenaj and her two cousins rode together and spoke in low whispers. Jyrbian, Khallayne, and Lyrralt rode apart, alone with their thoughts.\n\nThe roar of rushing water drew them forward and upward. The sound at the beginning of the steep trail was just a distant hissing, but it grew louder and louder as the trail leveled and foliage thinned, becoming scrubby plants and tufts of grass.\n\nRight beside the waterfall, the sound grew deafening. The rushing water threw a rainbow of spray into the air, then fell away into the valley, a silver ribbon snaking its way through the fields. Stands of green-and-gold grain rippled gently in the breeze.\n\nKhallayne, riding in the middle of the group, reined in her horse and sat staring at the magnificent view before her. One corner of the fields, all Igraine's land, was bisected by the river. Farther to the northwest, out of sight, was the manor, and even farther were the mines.\n\nShe had been to the mines, riding with Igraine. There had been no special magic at work there, just the usual activities of slaves, the starting of cook fires, the wielding of common tools, jewels laboriously dredged up from the bowels of the earth. Those were mostly mundane tasks, which was disappointing, but the things Igraine had begun teaching her, spells of higher cunning than anything she'd stolen from humans, unusual wards of defense, were special. And there would be more. Just as soon as she could, she would make arrangements to return.\n\n\"What do you think of it?\" Jyrbian stopped beside her, interrupting her daydreams.\n\n\"It's breathtaking.\"\n\n\"I didn't mean the view,\" he said acidly. \"I meant Igraine and his ideas.\"\n\n\"I don't know. It's... They're...\" She was stalling. She knew exactly how she felt. Igraine's ideas were at best dangerous, at worst treason.\n\nLyrralt stopped beside them. \"What if everyone decided to act in this fashion? What would happen, Khallayne? Our world is built on order. To each, his place. To everything, its reason. What will it mean if everyone chooses to behave anyway he or she pleases?\"\n\n\"For myself, I think I like the idea of choice.\" Jyrbian nudged his horse on. He would prefer to be alone with his thoughts of Everlyn; he intended to ask for her when Teragrym offered him a reward for his services.\n\n\"You don't know what you're saying!\" Lyrralt snapped.\n\n\"Yes, I do.\" Jyrbian reined in. \"And I know what I would choose for myself.\"\n\n\"You mean _who_ , don't you?\" Khallayne asked.\n\n\"Women and sex!\" Lyrralt snorted with disgust. \"You think of nothing else!\"\n\nFor a moment, Jyrbian stared at his brother with something like astonishment, then he shrugged and raised his eyebrows. \"What else is there, Brother?\" When Lyrralt didn't respond, Jyrbian shrugged and twisted his face comically, the old expression of cynicism returning to his eyes.\n\nKhallayne didn't laugh. For just a moment, just before Lyrralt had broken the spell, the expression on Jyrbian's face had been something she'd never seen before. For just a moment, he was alien to her, a handsome stranger whose face shone with pure, sweet emotion, totally devoid of hunger and greed.\n\n\"Let's move on. I want to make time to stop at the Caves of the Gods,\" Lyrralt said, ending the conversation by turning his back on both of them and riding away.\n\nThe Caves of the Gods were one of most visited landmarks in the southern Khalkists, located at the highest point on the Therax Ridge, where three trailheads met.\n\nFrom that wide, well-worn section of trail, travelers could head down along the north face of the ridge and continue deeper into the Khalkists, or go down along the south face to Takar, or even farther down the mountainside and out across the plains to where the eastern arm of the southern Khalkists wrapped the ancient city of Bloten in a protective curve.\n\nThe Caves of the Gods were little more than a squiggle of trails honeycombed in the mountain. But the caves had three entrances near the trailheads, and inside, the paths formed a circular maze, all interconnected, all leading eventually, some way or another, back to one of the three mouths. The mouth by which one exited, upper, middle or lower, foretold the answer of the gods to one's prayers.\n\nIt was from the mouth of truth, the mouth of success, that the attack came.\n\nLyrralt had walked far back into the cave, away from the soft voices of his companions, until all he could hear was the monotonous drip of water and his own soft footfalls in the dust. Travelers and pilgrims over the centuries had carved niches into the soft stone and left charms, talismans, icons as evidence of their passing.\n\nFinding a place where cool air seemed to flow from the rock wall, Lyrralt had stuffed his torch into a sconce and stood, watching the light flicker on the stone and the gray smoke waft away into darkness.\n\nIt was then he heard the voices\u2014the whispering, rumbling voices of many\u2014of humans.\n\nHe hurried back the way he had come, shouting a warning. He turned the wrong way twice and had to backtrack. By the time he dashed into the midmorning light of outside, slaves were leaping from the upper mouth of the cave. Shrieking men and women streamed from the ridge.\n\nKhallayne had been rubbing her horse with a bit of old blanket when the animal screamed in anger and pain as a rock struck its withers. It lashed out with its hind legs, sending her flying backward. As she landed on the soft clay embankment across from the caves and slid down, chaos exploded around her.\n\nHowling humans leapt off the clay embankment above her and charged the party from the opposite edge. Lying on her side, gasping for breath, Khallayne first felt an urge to laugh.\n\nThere were probably ten of the enemy, men and women as ragged and tattered as the lowliest sewer worker, so scrawny that their legs and arms looked like sticks draped with dirty flesh. The weapons they flourished were simple farm instruments, hoes and rakes and shovels, makeshift pikes and crude clubs.\n\nAcross the path, Briah leapt astride her horse as one of the slaves swiped at her, leaving bloody gashes down the horse's shoulder and Briah's leg. Khallayne's urge to laugh was stifled by disbelief and a rush of fear.\n\nAs the ragtag army ran toward him, Jyrbian reached back with both hands, drawing the sword he wore strapped across his back. Standing nearby, Tenaj followed suit, leaping to Jyrbian's side.\n\nThe others in the party were trying to control their mounts. The animals were kicking, bucking, wheeling in circles. The pack of humans turned as one toward the two who stood alone, Jyrbian and Tenaj. The ring of steel made Jyrbian's heart sing as he met his first attacker, an ugly, scarred male with a pointed iron spear that might once have been part of a gate. The sound was followed by a gurgle of death as Jyrbian easily parried the first thrust and slit the slave's throat.\n\nLyrralt regained control of his mount, leapt astride it and, drawing his mace, rode toward the clump of slaves, slashing right and left.\n\nStruggling to regain her composure as another human leapt from the embankment above, Khallayne managed to kick out and trip the man. They rolled, a tangle of arms and legs and heavy wooden cudgel. Although smaller, the slave was strong from years of toil in Ogre mines. He managed to end up on top of her, but his first blow was clumsy. The club grazed Khallayne's temple.\n\nShe didn't allow him another chance. She yanked her dagger free with such force that she split the scabbard, then she plunged it into the man's ribs. The man's blood gushed over her hands and onto her belly, soaking her tunic. Bright red. Slippery. The salty scent of copper filled her nostrils. The human's face, looming above her, looked comically surprised, then life drained from his brown eyes and he slumped.\n\nShuddering, Khallayne pushed him away and crawled to her feet. The fighting was all around her, the clang of sword against metal, the war cries of the attacking humans, the neighing of an injured horse, the scent of blood and the sour sweat of human slaves. Human fear.\n\nLyrralt, no longer astride his horse, was conspicuous in the melee, swinging his mace in wild, whistling arcs. He was doing little real damage, but holding back the attackers.\n\nJyrbian and Tenaj stood back-to-back. Nylora, Briah, and the two cousins also fought with their backs together. All wielded swords stained with blood. The ground was littered with the bodies of humans who had stupidly ventured within range of their practiced blades. The remaining slaves were ranging and scuffling about the two groups, threatening.\n\n\"Khallayne, do something!\" Lyrralt shouted, gesturing toward the embankment above the caves. At least ten more humans could be seen approaching, thrashing their way through the scrub and trees.\n\nShe knew what he was asking, but it would mean exposing herself... The others would realize her power. And would die knowing anyway, if they were outnumbered.\n\nSomething boiled inside her. Something bubbled with excitement.\n\nOne of the humans stabbed, and Briah jumped to block him. Her wounded leg refused to bear her weight and, as she slipped, a woman slave swung her weapon with all her might.\n\nBriah screamed and fell with the long spikes of a farm rake buried in her body. Trying to aid her sister, Nylora would have fallen also had one of the cousins not stepped in to close the gap and yank her back.\n\nBreath coming in short, painful gasps, Khallayne gripped the bloody handle of her dagger. Fury, the flame of temptation, writhed inside her.\n\n\"Khallayne, now!\" Lyrralt shouted, pointing toward the embankment with the tip of his mace. At the last moment, he lashed out viciously with it and gutted a slave rushing toward him.\n\nDespite her fear of being exposed, she shivered in anticipation. The squirming inside was a thrumming in her blood, a music pulsing in her veins. Pleasure, almost carnal, slithered across her skin. She spoke the words that leapt into her throat and flung her hands out.\n\nLyrralt's attackers burst into flame, so suddenly that the two humans had no time to scream. Lyrralt was almost engulfed. His mace was scorched, but then he managed to jump backward and roll away from the flame licking at his hands and arms.\n\nKhallayne saw Lyrralt only dimly through a wall of rushing wind. Her vision clouded by blood and smoke, she flung out her hands and spoke the words again. The incantation seared her throat.\n\nThe slaves who had started to scramble down the embankment were thrown back by a wall of fire.\n\nVision and hearing still impaired, Khallayne threw out her hands again, this time sending a fireball slamming into the embankment. Shards of gray rock and red clay went flying. Another spell was bubbling in her throat when something barreled into her and knocked her down.\n\nShe scrabbled for her dagger, sensing the handle against her palm through a haze of fury. She came up fighting, the words to another spell forming on her lips, bare fists striking out, only to realize the person she was hitting was Jyrbian. What she had heard through the roaring in her ears was his voice shouting her name.\n\nShe collapsed into his arms, gasping and spent, but also exhilarated.\n\nJyrbian supported her in the crook of one arm, his sword at the ready, but the few slaves left alive had fled. \"Whatever you did,\" he said, his voice husky with admiration, \"it worked.\"\n\nShe said nothing, simply looked up and met Lyrralt's gaze as he came over to them.\n\n\"Are you harmed?\" Lyrralt asked.\n\nShe managed to shake her head and push herself away from Jyrbian.\n\nBlood was running off the bodies of the dead, pooling on the hard ground. The woods at the edge of the clay bank were charred, little trickles of fire still licking the dry leaves. Above the caves there were three lumps of charred black that vaguely resembled human forms.\n\nThe only sound came from Nylora, who had knelt beside Briah's body and was moaning. She touched her sister's lifeless body at the forehead and throat and wrist, desperate to find some sign of life.\n\nIt was obvious to the others that there was none. A row of neat punctures, encircled with blood, ran diagonally across Briah's chest.\n\nNylora looked up and saw Lyrralt. \"Heal her,\" she pleaded. She paused and touched the hole over Briah's heart. Her fingers came away red and sticky.\n\n\"I can't,\" Khallayne heard him whisper as he went over to Nylora.\n\n\"You saved Khallayne,\" she accused Lyrralt.\n\nOne of the cousins leaned over and caught Nylora's arm to pull her up, but she resisted. \"You saved Khallayne! I saw what she did. I saw her use magic!\" she screamed. \"If you don't heal Briah, I'll tell everyone!\"\n\nLyrralt dropped to his knees in front of Nylora and grasped her bloody hands. \"I can't,\" he said with anguish. \"The gods have not yet granted me such power.\"\n\nShe jerked away from his grip, moaning, \"This is what comes of Igraine's free will.\"\n\n\"These weren't Igraine's slaves,\" Jyrbian said gently, holding out his hand to help her stand.\n\n\"What does it matter _whose_ slaves they were?\" She slapped his hand away and pointed at Jyrbian. \"This is what comes of it!\" She threw her short sword at him, but the weapon thunked onto the ground harmlessly.\n\nLyrralt looked around. There was blood all around him, on his hands and his clothes. He could taste it in the air. The rune on his arm throbbed. He had to struggle not to give in to the whisper \"Doom,\" while they tried to console Nylora.\n\nLyrralt stared at Briah's body, his fingers clasped over his left shoulder. Khallayne gazed only at the scorched earth across the path.\n\nJyrbian took charge. Only Tenaj was unaffected, alert and aware of the possibility of further danger.\n\n\"We need to round up the horses,\" he told her. \"The slaves may have run, but that doesn't mean they won't come back.\"\n\nBriah's horse had been killed, and the others had disappeared into the forest. With a curt nod, Tenaj strode off, calling for Khallayne to help.\n\nOnce found, the horses were nervous; precious time was spent calming them, while Jyrbian grew more agitated, sure that the group would be attacked again.\n\n\"I'll put Briah's body behind me,\" Tenaj said.\n\nJyrbian shook his head. \"No. I want the strongest fighters mounted separately, in case we're attacked again.\"\n\nSoon they had checked each mount for injuries and were ready to move. Eyes tearstained, Nylora took up Briah's sword and the heavy rings from her sister's fingers and climbed to her feet. \"It's Igraine's fault. It's his fault Briah is dead. And when we get home, I'm going to make sure everyone knows what he's doing! I'll make sure everyone knows everything!\"\n\nKhallayne, her expression stiff, mounted without bothering to glance at the hysterical Ogre.\n\n#\n\n**A gong pealed, sonorous and stately, and five doors** opened simultaneously onto the raised platform of the chamber of the Ruling Council. Five council scribes, stiff and formal with importance, entered onto the platform, carrying their writing trays before them.\n\nThe audience, seated in semicircular rows ranging from the foot of the platform to the back of the room, placed their right hands over their left on the floor and bowed low over them. The most important families, or their representatives, were seated in the front, with the ranking members kneeling beside the center aisle.\n\nThe room was full, the back rows crowded, as it had been since the Keeper had died the week before. Each morning, as many Ogres as possible crowded into the chamber, hoping to hear an announcement about the History.\n\nThe scribes took up places behind the low tables of the council, but remained standing.\n\nAfter another sounding of the gong, four of the five members of the Ruling Council\u2014Teragrym, Enna, Narran and Rendrad\u2014entered from opposite doors and took their places at the long, low tables, leaving the center seat open.\n\nA moment later, the final member, Anel, entered from the center door and joined them. Her family held the king in traditional safekeeping and, therefore, she was the leader of the council.\n\nAs a group, the five members sank to the soft linen cushions that protected their knees from the floor. Their elaborate robes fanned out in circles of bright color about their bodies, silver embroidered with white, palest yellow, bird's-egg blue, a dark burnt umber the color of plowed earth, and, in the center, the leader, in a plain, unadorned red the color of rubies.\n\n\"Who is the first petitioner?\" Anel began the council's official business with the ritual question.\n\n\"I am, Lady.\"\n\nA soft gasp went up from the audience. The speaker was not an aide, but Lord Narran himself. \"I bring a matter of government security before the council, and I ask that the chamber be cleared.\"\n\nAgain a sound went through the audience, a barely voiced groan of disappointment. The council frequently met behind closed doors, but normally not on an audience day. However, the audience rose to go, filling the room with the sound of rustling cloth.\n\nWhen they were alone, even the scribes gone, and all the doors closed, Anel turned to Narran. \"What, my lord, is so important as to warrant that kind of drama?\"\n\n\"This morning, I was given information which I feel we must act upon immediately, Lady.\"\n\nAnel dipped her head slightly, granting permission for him to continue.\n\n\"Is it about the History?\" Rendrad asked.\n\nNarran shook his head. \"No, it's more serious than even that. I believe Igraine, governor of Khal-Theraxian, is responsible for the slave uprisings that have troubled us of late.\"\n\nEnna half rose from her cushion. Though Igraine had been appointed governor by the whole council, Khal-Theraxian was in her domain. Her own winter home was in the province, not far from Igraine's estate, and she was supplied with a healthy percentage of the levies. \"Narran, you go too far! I know you've been jealous of Igraine's improved production, but\u2014\"\n\nNarran, too, rose, his yellowish green complexion growing dark. \"I do not\u2014\"\n\n\"Enough.\" Anel cut through both their angry voices with just the one softly spoken word. When they had both subsided, she spoke to Narran. \"Have you evidence to back this claim?\"\n\n\"I have details of what he's been doing. Once you've heard, I believe you will agree that he is committing both treason and heresy.\"\n\nEnna clenched a fist on top of the smooth parchment that lined her table. \"Heresy, Narran? Surely not!\"\n\n\"Heresy,\" Narran repeated firmly.\n\nAnel sighed. \"Then we must hear your details. If you're right, we will send for Igraine.\" She gave Enna a reassuring look. \"He will be given an opportunity to explain himself.\n\n* * * * *\n\n\"Lord Teragrym cannot see you now.\"\n\nA young Ogre, wearing a tunic with the dragon logo of Teragrym's family, tried to usher Jyrbian out of the small, private waiting chamber. The setting was intimate, lush, the gray stone walls covered by rich hangings, a small, cheery fire crackling in the fireplace, its reflection dancing on the marble of the hearth. Beside the hearth was the stool on which Teragrym had sat in the audience chamber. It seemed like months ago, instead of only four weeks.\n\nJyrbian brushed at his soiled tunic, at the bloodstains on his sleeves, and wished he'd taken the time to change before reporting to Teragrym. But the closer the group had come on their trek back to Takar, the more urgency he'd felt. Too many people knew what was going on, and Teragrym wasn't going to reward him for information he might pick up in the dining hall.\n\n\"Did you tell him how important it is that I see him?\" he demanded of the Ogre, shaking free. \"Did you tell him I've just come from Khal-Theraxian, and that we were attacked by a band of escaped slaves?\"\n\nNot to be brushed off so easily, the younger one smiled politely, bowed, and readjusted his grip on Jyrbian's elbow. \"Yes, of course, I did. But the lord is very busy. Perhaps tomorrow...\"\n\nJyrbian gulped the glass of wine he'd snatched from a slave in the hallway on his way to Teragrym's quarters, not caring that he appeared mannerless. The smooth, sweet liquid soothed his dry throat, his agitation.\n\n\"I realize the lord is busy, but I have news that I must pass on! Information about Governor Igraine\u2014\"\n\n\"Not today.\" The Ogre's pleasant voice disappeared, became as cold as stone. \"Lord Teragrym has heard enough of that one.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Haven't you heard? The council has issued a warrant for the governor's arrest. He has been charged with heresy.\"\n\nJyrbian was so surprised that he allowed the aide to push him out the door. Khallayne was waiting in the hallway. Unlike him, she had bathed and changed clothes, her long black hair brushed to a high gloss. She wore a silk tunic and embroidered vestrobe.\n\nShe smiled politely, as if she barely knew him, and allowed Teragrym's aide to usher her through the door.\n\nFury welled up in him beyond his capacity. He could imagine Everlyn slipping through his fingers. His hopes for estate dashed. He threw the wine glass at the wall across from Teragrym's door. Shards rained down upon the floor.\n\nInside the chamber, Khallayne, pausing as she heard the glass burst, smiled.\n\n\"What was that?\" Teragrym's aide asked.\n\n\"Jyrbian venting his frustration, I would imagine.\"\n\nTeragrym didn't keep her waiting long.\n\nAs he entered, she placed her hands on the floor, palms up and open in the posture of supplication, and bowed low. Only when the lord's shadow had passed over her did she slowly sit up.\n\nTeragrym was seated before her on the stool.\n\n\"Lord, I\u2014\"\n\n\"You have come from Khal-Theraxian,\" he interrupted.\n\nShe hesitated, stammered. For the whole trip back, she'd rehearsed what she would say to him. She wanted what he could teach her, more than ever. She needed his sponsorship more than ever.\n\nThe words had been rehearsed over and over again in her head even before she'd seen the bone-white ribbons on the city gates, the funeral colors for the Keeper.\n\nNow she had to struggle to find her voice. \"Y\u2014yes. I've b\u2014been to Khal-Theraxian.\" She struggled to regain her composure. \"Some friends were visiting, and I went along. I'm sorry, Lord. Should I have informed you?\"\n\n\"Tell me what you saw there.\"\n\n\"What I saw\u2014? I don't understand. We saw the estate and the mines. Governor Igraine's\u2014\"\n\n\"Do not test my patience!\" Teragrym snapped. \"I believe you know what I mean. What did you see of Igraine's behavior? Was there anything you would deem treasonous?\" He hesitated, drawing that last word out, almost as if he expected to trap her.\n\n\"Treason\u2014\" The word choked her, got lost in the quickening of her breath. \"My lord, I...\" An image of Igraine flashed through her mind, of him in the darkness saying, \"Perhaps someday you will be in a position to benefit me.\" But if she lied to Teragrym and was discovered... \"I\u2014\"\n\n\"Did you or did you not discern any treasonous activity?\"\n\n\"My lord, forgive me. You've startled me with so strong a word. We saw... I saw Igraine and his holdings. And I met his family. And he showed us his new methods for increasing production among his slaves.\"\n\n\"And did these methods strike you as treasonous?\"\n\nShe made her choice. Her allegiance had to go to Igraine. She took a deep breath. \"No.\" The word was out of her mouth before she realized it, irretrievable.\n\nTeragrym nodded, his expression unreadable.\n\n\"Lord, about the test. I have something for your consideration.\"\n\n\"Test?\"\n\n\"You said if I could prove myself worthy, you would consider taking me into your household.\"\n\n\"I could not possibly concern myself with that now.\" Teragrym stood. \"I'm sure you understand. I have simply too much to attend to, with all this going on about Igraine.\"\n\n\"Going on?\" She looked at him, stunned, disbelieving. Not interested in the test? How could he say he was not interested?\n\n\"Yes. Igraine has been charged with treason and heresy. An envoy and guards have been sent to arrest him and bring him before the council. But surely everything will turn out fine, since you've been to his estate and seen nothing extraordinary.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\n\"Captain.\" The envoy of the Ruling Council stood on the slope behind the tree cover, but where he could see Khalever, the estate of the governor of Khal-Theraxian. A blanket was draped over his uniform to keep out the dewy chill of the morning.\n\nNot many weeks to go and fall would turn to winter. Already some of the higher mountain passes were impassable. Even at this lower altitude, the mornings and the evenings had grown cold.\n\nThere were five guards accompanying him, one from each council member, just enough for protection from the dangers of the trail. Even those five had been hotly debated among the council, with Enna arguing that they could simply send a summons to Igraine. In the end, Narran's report had swayed them. The envoy was glad for the protection.\n\nThe captain of the guards strode over to him, carrying two cups of steaming tea. She needed no blanket, for the guards had winter uniforms with heavy cloaks.\n\nHe accepted the tea gratefully and wrapped his cold fingers around the metal cup before sipping. \"I think it would be better if you remained out of sight and allowed me to go in alone. After all, Igraine is the governor. We should allow him the dignity of obeying without coercion.\"\n\nThe captain, a female Ogre who was half a hand taller than the envoy, shrugged. \"This is your mission.\" She said it as if she didn't envy him a bit.\n\nShe took the cup back and walked with the envoy to his horse, then stood watching as he rode away into the woods. The sun was visible on the horizon when she spotted him emerging from the woods and heading toward the long drive that led to Igraine's home.\n\nShe went back to her troops, to check that they were faring well after another hard night on the trail. Like her, they were unaccustomed to nights spent in the wild, in the cold, but she was proud of the way they had adapted.\n\nIt was late afternoon when one of the sentries came running to her and announced that he had seen the envoy returning along the same road from the house.\n\n\"Was Igraine with him?\" she asked.\n\n\"He was alone, Captain,\" the young one said breathlessly. \"But I'm sure it was him. I recognized his horse.\"\n\nSometime later, the horse trotted up the trail with the envoy tied to the saddle, his head slumped backward at an impossible angle. The insignia of the Ruling Council had been ripped from the breast of his uniform.\n\nIt took the council guard only four days to make the trip back to Takar. They arrived, exhausted, barely able to sit their horses, and went straight to the council.\n\nA second envoy was dispatched, with a guard of ten with instructions by Narran to take Igraine prisoner. A flurry of arrows took the guard by surprise before they ever left the woods on the border of the estate. One of the first lodged between the eyes of the envoy.\n\nThe guard was well trained, fearless, but with no enemy in sight, they had no way to fight. Only six returned to Takar.\n\nKhallayne had spent the days waiting, cautioning herself to be patient. A week after their return, she sent a carefully worded note to Teragrym, hinting that she might be able to break the impasse, but there had been no response.\n\nThough they had grown friendlier after the slave attack in the forest, Lyrralt had again ceased speaking to her. He had learned of her visit to Teragrym from Jyrbian, and accused her of trying to bypass him, deny him his proper reward.\n\nJyrbian was surly and unapproachable, speaking to no one.\n\nSo Khallayne played at board and card games with acquaintances, and wished the whole charade were over so she could return to Khal-Theraxian and pick up her studies.\n\nAnxious to get out of the castle, she enthusiastically joined the majority of the courtiers to attend one of the last slave races of the season. The day dawned bright and sunny and unseasonably warm. Half the city had turned out for the event.\n\nThe huge oval stadium was filled with laughing, cavorting Ogres. The sound of so many packed into one place was as deafening as the sight of them, brightly bedecked in all the colors of the rainbow, was blinding.\n\nNormally, Khallayne would have an invitation from someone with good seats, but she hadn't wanted to have to be charming and brilliant, so she had come alone, choosing to sit in her uncle's reserved area. Though her mother's brother had bought her place at court, she avoided contact with the family as much as possible. She hoped her presence would not remind him of the debt.\n\nThe horn sounded the first event, and she leaned forward with the crowd to see the runners bolt out of their blocks. But today the runners appeared lackluster and apathetic. They showed little speed and loped along, obviously not interested in competing with each other.\n\n\"Obviously, their trainers didn't adequately explain the inducements,\" observed the Ogre sitting next to her, a distant cousin in the city for a visit.\n\nBored, Khallayne fanned herself. \"How hard could it be to make them understand?\" she responded. \"Run or die. Win and live. It's probably just because it's the end of the season. The slaves are always tired toward the last.\"\n\nThe Ogre grunted and sat forward again as the second race was announced.\n\nKhallayne didn't strain to watch.\n\nThe second contest was as dull as the first. There was no rivalry. As the slaves crossed the finish line almost side by side, their trainers stepped out of the staging area to acknowledge the crowd. The boos changed to a roar of approval as they saw that the trainers carried whips.\n\nNow Khallayne did ease forward, as the humans were led back from the track toward the posts in the center of the stadium. She felt the surge of excitement that rippled through the spectators. The first crack of whip against flesh was like music, a song of pain which an Ogre could not hear without responding.\n\nKhallayne closed her eyes, then opened them again in surprise as a roar went up from the crowd at the far end of the stadium. Whatever was happening nearest the city gate was obviously more exciting than any slave whipping.\n\nIt took only a few moments for news to reach her. Igraine was being brought into the city, to stand before the council.\n\nBy the time she understood, the crowd was already pushing toward the high end of the stadium overlooking the main street. She made it to the far aisle and went down the wide steps toward the floor of the stadium. In the dark tunnels that led out to the street, she found almost as much of a melee as above. She wasn't the only one who'd thought to go out on the street for a look.\n\nShe pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the protests as she shoved and jostled and was jostled in turn. She used a little of her magic, giving one a poke here, another a prod of there, discreet but enough to move people out of her way.\n\nShe emerged onto the street, into light that blinded her as well as the milling crowd. Igraine's procession was already past. She hesitated, wandering about on the wide walkway beside the street, loathe to head back inside. In doing so, she learned something she would never have guessed had she not been among a crowd of merchants and commoners.\n\nNot everyone, it seemed, supported the council's decision to question Igraine. It was a revelation to her, for she had been raised never to question the rulings of the leaders. How naive she'd been to think she was the only one who supported Igraine!\n\nShe collected her horse and started back for the castle immediately. In the stables and yard, even in the hallways, there was almost as much of an uproar as there had been at the stadium. It took only a little detective work to discover that Igraine was being housed as a \"guest\" in Enna's wing, and just a small bribe allowed her to slip down a small hallway and into the suite of rooms assigned as his quarters.\n\nIgraine was seated before a roaring fire, his hands and booted feet stretched toward the flames. He looked up as she slipped through the door and smiled sadly. \"I'd forgotten how drafty the castle car be.\"\n\nThe room had the chill feeling and damp smell of having been unoccupied for a long time. The furnishings were as lavish as anything to be found in the castle, the huge bed piled with blankets, covered trays of food standing on a side table, but still it evoked visions of a cell.\n\n\"You shouldn't have come, Khallayne.\" Igraine stood and accepted her quick bow with an incline of his head.\n\n\"I had to come. I had to...\"\n\n\"You had to what, child?\" He came forward caught her cold fingers, and drew her closer to the fire.\n\n\"I don't know,\" she admitted, surprised that she really didn't know why. \"I want you to know I told one of the council members that I didn't see anything I regarded as treasonous.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\" He patted her hand. \"It's not treason to try to increase production in one of the state's provinces. It's not treason to try to save your people.\"\n\n\"Then why did you kill the messengers?\"\n\n\"I didn't.\" He dropped heavily back into the chair \"My slaves did, with the permission of some of my family. I didn't know until the third one came.\"\n\nShe breathed a sigh of relief. \"Then it'll be all right. All you have to do is tell them, and\u2014\"\n\nThe sadness on his face deepened. \"You have understood nothing, have you? Nothing of all that I told you those days in Khal-Theraxian.\"\n\nOf course, she had, but...\n\n\"I can't sacrifice my slaves to save myself! If I do, then what I believe is as nothing!\"\n\n\"But they're only slaves. You can always get more.\"\n\nIgraine erupted from his chair, his face contorted, and she saw for the first time since she'd met him the strong and terrible Governor of Khal-Theraxian, whose province was the most trouble free in all the mountains.\n\n\"The slaves are the innocents in this, despite their killing!\" As quickly as it had come, Igraine's temper waned and his sadness returned. Suddenly he looked very old.\n\n\"Khallayne, don't you see what our world is becoming? Don't you see that if we don't make changes now, we're doomed?\"\n\nHe held out his hand for her to come closer. \"Our civilization was once vital and innovative. Our citizens were warriors and thieves. We took the best from over the whole continent. Now we do almost nothing for ourselves. Our warriors have grown soft and useless, our people decadent. Our cruelty insists on the suffering of others.\"\n\nKhallayne dropped to her knees before him, mesmerized by the power of his voice, hypnotized by the sweet reason of his words.\n\n* * * * *\n\n\"Igraine, Governor of Khal-Theraxian, you have been charged with treason and heresy, with endangering the lives of your neighbors and friends by inciting the slaves to insurrection.\"\n\nKhallayne kneeled as before in Igraine's room, only this time, she was squeezed in between Jyrbian and an Ogre female she didn't know. And Igraine was pleading his case before the council.\n\n\"It is not treasonous for me to increase the production of my holdings tenfold,\" he argued. \"It is not heretical to treat my slaves with kindness if they work twice as hard.\"\n\n\"And this is the philosophy of 'choice' you espouse?\" Narran prompted. \"What you call 'free will'?\"\n\n\"We have grown hard in our ways,\" Igraine responded, loudly and proudly enough that no one doubted his belief in his words. \"We are selfish while espousing order and obedience. Enslaved by our needs. In doing so, we have grown cold and hollow. We decay day by day, and the ugliness that fills begins to show outside.\"\n\nThe audience gasped. Some hissed softly between their teeth, but that didn't stop him.\n\n\"It is time we decided for ourselves who we will be and what will be our destiny. We are the firstborn of the gods, the brightest, the best. The most beautiful. Is it not time we lived up to our potential?\"\n\nKhallayne shifted imperceptibly. The heat was stifling, the scent of perfumes and bodies thick. She longed for fresh air, a clear head.\n\nIgraine's words, which had seemed so reasonable the day before, in the bald light of a council hearing bore a tinge of the lunatic. Even so, as she looked around, she could see that not all of the others thought him mad. A few, a very few, were gazing at him as she had the day before, enthralled by the power of his voice.\n\nIgraine ended his impassioned speech by turning his back on the council and opening his arms as if he would embrace the whole audience. \"I'm sure there are many who agree with me, who believe as I do. Join me. Show your council that we mean no harm.\"\n\nKhallayne's breath caught in her throat. Several of Igraine's neighbors and family were in the audience, and they stood, joining him before the council.\n\nIgraine's eyes swept the room, urging more to come forward, lingered on her. His scrutiny reminded her of the pain of Lyrralt's healing.\n\nHer muscles tensed, wavering. Just as she started to rise, Jyrbian placed his hand on her forearm. It appeared an innocent gesture, but his fingers bore the weight of his body.\n\n\"I think it's going to go very badly for him,\" Jyrbian whispered, leaning very close, his lips barely moving. \"And very badly for any who can't distance themselves from him.\"\n\n#\n\n**Khallayne tiptoed into her place a few moments before the** judgment was to begin. She craned her neck and peered down the aisle toward the front of the audience hall, where families knelt near the throne platform.\n\nOnly the families and allies of the Ruling Council were allowed to kneel in the presence of the king. The rest stood in rows, ranked by order of their importance and heritage. As she did, others in the depths of the audience hall shifted from foot to foot and craned for a glimpse of their sovereign.\n\nThat the king was putting in a rare appearance was probably not a good sign for Igraine, she reflected.\n\nThe huge chamber looked very different in the light of day, in the midst of controversy, than it had the last time Khallayne had been there. The ceiling was lost in shadow and without the sparkle of candlelight; the walls were once again cold granite that reflected the slightest whisper or scuff of boot.\n\nThere was no singing of the History. Khallayne felt a pang of remorse. How odd to begin an official function without the reminder of whence they had come.\n\nTeragrym was still refusing her attempts to see him. Even Lyrralt had relented and talked with her about it. She craned farther out into the aisle, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lyrralt, but she wasn't sure where he was standing.\n\nHer remorse was not enough to make her come forward with the crystallized Song. All Ogres knew the words by heart from hearing it since birth, but the weaving of the intricate melodies, the layer upon layer of meaning, the subtle tonal changes from word to word, sometimes syllable to syllable, were not so easily repeated. Those were locked in the sphere.\n\nThe call to come forth and be heard opened the trial.\n\nA stir went through the crowd as the huge doors at the back of the hall opened and the procession began, first clerks and underlings, then lesser nobles. Finally, after a long pause, came the Ruling Council, its members resplendent in their brightly colored tunics, each followed by a standard bearer. Then, after another wait, the king entered, flanked by standard and staff bearers, followed by the largest and most finely attired retinue.\n\nWhen all had made their way slowly to the throne platform and taken their places, the Noble at Arms advanced with much ceremony up the stairs and bowed to the king.\n\nKhallayne shifted from foot to foot, wishing they would hurry. The floor was cold and bumpy through the soles of her thin dress slippers.\n\nThe noble, a thin but broad-shouldered female whose face was lined with age, rapped the steel-capped butt of her staff on the floor three times. \"Lord Igraine, Governor of Khal-Theraxian, appear and face your judgment,\" she sang out in a booming voice.\n\nKhallayne took a deep breath and eased back into her place, shrinking from view. Suddenly, she wished she had not come. Attendance was mandatory, but surely no one would have missed her.\n\nAfter another long wait, Igraine came slowly down the aisle, his head held high and proud. A gasp went through the room as everyone saw that he didn't walk alone, as those charged with serious crimes normally did. Following him, dressed in their finest, were representatives of the branches of his family, heads of the clans of his neighbors, even some who were from provinces far removed.\n\nAcross the aisle and closer to the front of the chamber, she spied Jyrbian pushing through his kinspeople to the aisle. They, like she was, were so shocked at the size of the group behind Igraine that they ignored the abominable behavior.\n\nKhallayne heard the drone of the noble's voice as she read out the formal changes and counter-charges. There were almost fifty Ogres standing with Igraine in an unprecedented show of support. Did they realize this wasn't a council meeting, where they might voice their opinion? The risk of yesterday, of being tainted by association with Igraine, was nothing compared with this public display. If he was found guilty of treason and heresy, by standing with him they would share his sentence also!\n\nShe searched the crowd again for Lyrralt. He was nowhere in sight, but Jyrbian still hovered at the edge of the aisle, staring in open-mouthed awe at the backs of Igraine's supporters. As if feeling her gaze, he glanced around at her. Seeing disapproval in the curve of her brows, her lips, he shrugged, raising his palms slightly.\n\nWould this save her from suspicion, this ostentatious display of favor on the part of so many?\n\nThe verdict was read by one of the clerks of the council in a voice too low to carry, but his words were picked up in the front and echoed to the back of the chamber, even before the noble could proclaim them.\n\nThe judgment.\n\n\"Insane...\"\n\n\"Heresy...\"\n\n\"Guilty...\"\n\n\"Guilty...\"\n\n\"Guilty...\"\n\nVoices rose and fell in shock, in glee and dismay.\n\nKhallayne's head snapped back. She lost her footing momentarily as if the whispers had been a slap at her. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!\n\nWhat would happen now?\n\n* * * * *\n\nFire. Red. Burning. A face loomed before her, twisted and leering, fleshly gnarled with growths, eyes dull and mad. A hand, fingers twisted like stunted twigs, grabbed her shoulder.\n\nKhallayne opened her mouth to scream.\n\n\"Khallayne, wake up!\"\n\nThe dream stopped, shattered into reality. She bit back a cry as she woke to darkness and the scent of Jyrbian. He was leaning over her bed, shaking her awake. With only the barest illumination from the coals in the fireplace, she couldn't see his face, but tension was evident in his voice, in the way his fingers gripped her shoulder.\n\n\"Wake up!\"\n\nShe pushed his hand away, sat up. \"What is it? What's wrong?\"\n\n\"We have to go. Get dressed.\" He yanked the blankets, barely sparing a glance for her nudity.\n\nShe rose quickly and reached for a robe.\n\n\"No. Get dressed for traveling. Sturdy clothes, good boots.\" Jyrbian crossed to her wardrobe and rifled through the items hanging there.\n\nShe quickly donned her undergarments, choosing to layer fine silk next to her skin despite his instructions and pulling sturdier linen over that.\n\nJyrbian tossed things from the closet, sturdy riding pants, a long-sleeved blouse and tunic, a cloak.\n\n\"What's happened?\" she asked as she donned the clothing.\n\n\"Two of Igraine's followers are dead. Officially, while trying to escape during questioning. Unofficially, under the knife of one of the council's interrogators.\"\n\n\"Interrogators?\"\n\n\"Torturers. They were tortured to death. Executed for their support of Igraine.\"\n\nKhallayne froze, her fingers tangled in the lacings of her high riding boots. Tortured. Executed. Suddenly, her fingers found a life of their own, moving swiftly to complete their task. \"Where are we going?\" she breathed.\n\n\"Igraine's people are helping him escape tonight. You're going north with them.\"\n\n\"I don't understand.\"\n\n\"Igraine's people\u2014\"\n\n\"But why do _we_ have to go?\" she interrupted. \"We didn't stand up with him.\"\n\n\"Lyrralt has seen a list of suspected supporters. Your name is on it. And mine.\"\n\nShe stomped her feet on the floor, as much in frustration and anger as to settle the boots into a comfortable fit. \"Where north?\"\n\n\"Perhaps to Thorad. Or Sancron. Perhaps we'll have to build our own city.\" His voice was excited.\n\nNorth. She nodded, swallowing her dread. She had lived her whole life to advance her magic. Now... there was no help for it.\n\n\"My travel packs are here.\" She threw the contents of a heavily carved wooden chest onto the floor and tossed a heavy leather saddlebag toward Jyrbian.\n\nHe grabbed up the leather pack. \"Do you have winter traveling gear? It'll be cold in the northern passes.\"\n\n\"There.\" She pointed to another chest, under the window. While Jyrbian was occupied stuffing woolen pants and her heavy winter cape into the bags, she packed her hairbrush, perfumes, a few pieces of jewelry, and the one human spellbook she'd never gotten around to destroying. It was very old, the spells very basic, but the bindings, the handwriting, were so beautiful, she'd never burned it.\n\nJyrbian, the heavily stuffed saddlebags thrown over his shoulder, caught her hand as she slipped the book into the bag. He tilted her wrist until the bare light from the fireplace illuminated the dark red binding, reflected silver highlights off the embossed runes. \"Will you teach me?\" he asked softly.\n\nKhallayne was astonished by the awe, the hunger in his voice. She started to deny him for all the old reasons, then realized suddenly that now she could do as she pleased. \"Why not?\"\n\nJyrbian joined his laughter with hers and, holding her hand, pulled her into the dark corridor. Together they ran lightly toward the stables.\n\nThere were others, dark figures who joined them, as they emerged from the building, who slipped from shadow to shadow without making a sound, following Jyrbian's lead.\n\nIn the stable and at the southern gate, the bloodied bodies of Ogre guards lay on the ground, their throats cut or the feathered tails of arrows protruding from their bodies. Not one had drawn a weapon. They had all died unaware, without sounding an alarm.\n\nAs she and the others galloped out of the courtyard, Khallayne glanced back at the fallen bodies. There was no turning back for any of them.\n\nThey rode quickly through the sleeping neighborhoods, taking the side streets and alleys that ran behind the grand homes. Their horses' hooves were muffled with cloth; their identities so obscured by folds of cloak and cape that Khallayne recognized only Tenaj, and her only because of the half-wild stallion that no one else could ride.\n\nNear the trading district, they stopped. Jyrbian and two others dismounted and quickly snipped the twine that held the cloth on the horses' feet. Following whispered instructions, the group broke off in smaller parties of two and three.\n\nIn the nighttime hustle and bustle of the warehouses and taverns, they were barely noticed. Riding between Jyrbian and someone she didn't know, Khallayne kept her hand on her dagger, waiting with tensed muscles for obstacle or interference.\n\nWhen the alarm flare of the castle whined overhead, it was no surprise. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the white rush of sparks and fire shoot into the sky over the castle.\n\nThen there was no time left for fear or contemplation. She heard Jyrbian hiss, \"Ride!\" and she kicked her horse into a run.\n\nHer heart lurched as the animal's hooves slipped on the cobbled street. For a moment, she thought he would go down, then he caught his balance and sped after Jyrbian's stallion. They were heading for the southern gate\u2014the same one the group had used only weeks ago on their trip to Khal-Theraxian.\n\nHadn't Jyrbian said they would be going north? But behind her she could hear the pounding of hooves as others followed Jyrbian's lead. She let the horse have its head and hoped that Jyrbian knew what he was doing.\n\nDespite the danger of riding so hard in the darkness, they passed the dark stadium, the city gate, without incident. At least now if she fell, it would mean a mouth full of dirt, not that her head would crack open like an egg on the uneven, cobbled streets.\n\nWhere the road narrowed and forked up into the forest, the group of about fifteen stopped, milling about in confusion. She found Lyrralt and Jyrbian arguing with Tenaj and a woman she didn't know.\n\n\"\u2014north,\" Tenaj was saying. \"To join up with the others. Won't they expect us to return to Khal-Theraxian?\"\n\n\"That's the first place they'll send troops,\" the woman agreed.\n\n\"I'm going back to Khal-Theraxian,\" Jyrbian said, so quietly and with such resolve that it was obvious his mind couldn't be swayed. \"But I agree you should head north. All I'm saying is that you should fork back through the forest to the high road. The first thing they'll do is cover all the city gates. And if you cut back around the wall to head north, you'll have to pass the eastern gate.\"\n\nLyrralt nodded in agreement. \"He's right.\"\n\n\"But can we get through the forest?\" Khallayne asked.\n\n\"I know a hunting trail,\" Tenaj said.\n\nWithout further argument, they turned south, up into the mountains. They rode hard without pause. Khallayne's horse labored under her, his sides heaving as he climbed the steep trail.\n\nFinally, they reached an intersection in the hunting trail, a mere widening of the distance between thick trees. In unspoken agreement, everyone halted and dismounted.\n\nKhallayne could barely walk. She stumbled to the edge of the trail, sank down and stared up into the gray nothingness of the predawn sky. Someone passed her a waterskin. She gulped from it, water dripping from her chin.\n\nNever in her life could she remember being so tired, so drained. Slowly she became aware that most of her fellow travelers were equally exhausted, collapsed in tired heaps much as she was, where they had dismounted.\n\nOnly Jyrbian and Tenaj were active, moving from horse to horse, running practiced hands over the animals, arguing as they went. Tenaj was trying to convince Jyrbian that he needed to continue on with them, over the ridge and north toward Thorad.\n\nHer bones feeling as if the weight of the mountains were pressing down on them, Khallayne rose and went over to where Lyrralt sat, resting against the ruffled bark of a tree as if his neck would no longer support the weight of his head.\n\nFor the first time in weeks, he smiled at her without malice, handing over the skin that drooped from his fingers. It held sweet wine, much better than the tepid water she'd drunk minutes before.\n\n\"Why does Jyrbian insist on going to Igraine's estate?\" she asked after she'd drunk deeply of the liquid, felt its strength and fire slide down into her throat.\n\n\"For a female. Why else?\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nIt was Everlyn herself, a voluminous shawl swathed over her nightdress, who answered Jyrbian's insistent banging on the door of Khalever. She opened the heavy, carved door barely a crack and stared fearfully out at him, past him to the group of five who sat, still mounted, near the steps.\n\nHe smiled at the sight of her. She was so tiny, so delicate, so beautiful. Then he realized, from the way her large eyes were stretched wide and round, that he frightened her by his appearance.\n\n\"My lady, forgive me.\" He sketched a sweeping bow, which, until that moment, he could not remember ever executing without some touch of sarcasm. \"I've come on the word of your father, to take you to safety.\"\n\n\"My father!\" Everlyn threw the door open wide. \"Oh, please, is he safe?\"\n\nJyrbian took in the group of humans and Ogres who huddled in the hallway behind her, their faces white and fearful. \"Yes. He's being taken to safety in the north, even as we speak.\"\n\nThe deep silver of her eyes, which had heretofore been as sorrowful, as cold as granite, lit from within. The change was like a glorious sunrise, filling Jyrbian with warmth and light.\n\nHer gladness just as quickly became confusion. \"Taken to safety? I don't understand. He isn't coming home?\"\n\nJyrbian started to explain, but the jingling of a bridle, the impatient stamp of a horse, reminded him of the urgency of his mission. \"Lady...\" He took her elbow and guided her back into the house. The hallway was still shadowed by early-morning dimness and cold. \"Your father has been judged insane by the Ruling Council.\"\n\n\"Insane! For what?\"\n\nThe voice was familiar, insolent. It grated on Jyrbian's nerves. He turned and saw Eadamm standing in the doorway of the audience chamber. The slave met his gaze squarely. Another handful of slaves, all dressed as though they worked in the house, stood behind him.\n\nAs if she sensed his irritation, Everlyn laid her hand on Jyrbian's arm and led him past Eadamm into the chamber. \"Please, Jyrbian, what has happened to my father?\"\n\nIt was easy to follow her sweet voice, to turn away from the ugly, strutting human and concentrate on her instead. He saw the warning glance she shot the slave. \"The council judged him guilty of treason and heresy for his teachings.\"\n\nEverlyn's deep-green complexion seemed waxy in the dim light. \"Treason.\"\n\n\"Yes. But there were many who supported him, and they've fled north with him, to safety. I've come to take you along.\"\n\nEverlyn's gaze drifted past Jyrbian, in the direction of the group of slaves. \"Leave here?\" she whispered.\n\n\"Everlyn, it's no longer safe here. This is the first place the king's soldiers will look for your father.\"\n\nThe group stared, first at him, then at each other, with slowly dawning comprehension. A female Ogre drifted toward the long windows and peered outside. When she turned back, she nodded grimly to the others. \"He's right. We should go.\"\n\nOnly Everlyn wasn't sure. Jyrbian could read indecision in the set of her delicate shoulders, in the glossy dampness pooling at the corners of her eyes.\n\nShe crossed to the hearth and took down the bloodstone. Cradling it in her palms, she whispered, \"But this is my home.\"\n\nBefore Jyrbian could respond, Eadamm said quietly, firmly, \"The lord is right, Lady. You would not be safe. And think what they could do to your father if they held you hostage. He would do whatever they said, even if it meant walking to his death.\"\n\nAware of the minutes ticking away while they debated, Jyrbian bit back the harsh words he wanted to fling at the human. If the human could persuade Everlyn, he would allow those transgressions to pass unmentioned for the moment.\n\nStill not convinced, she pressed the large rock to her breast. \"They have no right...\"\n\n\"They have every right,\" Jyrbian said. \"This is your father's land by their grace.\"\n\n\"They will attack,\" Eadamm said. \"And these people will die defending you.\" He gestured toward the gathered Ogres and slaves.\n\nTears spilled down her cheeks, but she nodded in agreement. \"I'll go,\" she whispered. Still clutching the bloodstone, she motioned for two of the slaves to follow. \"I'll get my things. Eadamm, will you come? I have instructions for the others. And we must dispatch messengers to alert our neighbors.\"\n\nOnce her decision was made, Everlyn and her family moved swiftly, efficiently, waking the rest of the household, feeding the children, packing clothing, tools, food, weapons.\n\nBy the time all were assembled in front of the manor, his small contingent of four had swelled to fourteen adults and three children, all well mounted. They were as orderly and disciplined as if they'd trained for this day all their lives.\n\nEverlyn guided them around the house, choosing a path through the sea of grain, which she said would take them through the fields and set them much more quickly on the mountain path toward the caves.\n\nAs they rounded the back corner of the house, Jyrbian saw movement, frantic activity, in the area of the slave cabins. Women and children with packs of belongings on their backs were disappearing into the tall corn. Along other trails through the waving sea of gold, he saw the flash of morning sun on weapons. He straightened, rising up on his stirrups as he reached to draw his sword.\n\nEverlyn stopped him by catching his reins. \"There's no cause for alarm,\" she said. Something in her voice belied that, a little catch, a breathlessness.\n\n\"The slaves are escaping,\" he exclaimed. \"Arming themselves!\"\n\n\"Yes,\" she said, and this time the tone was fearful, as if she were a child, defiant and afraid before a parent. She looked back, sadness marring her beautiful face. \"They will guard our escape. And as for running away... They may go where they wish. I have freed them.\"\n\n\"Freed them!\" Dismay, astonishment and indecision warred within him. It was already too late to turn back, round up the fleeing slaves. There were too many of them, too few Ogres, too little time to waste. Then, suddenly, he realized what she had done. All his emotions gave way to admiration. \"By the gods,\" he told her, reaching out to squeeze her hand, \"what a ploy! When the King's Regiment arrives here and finds the slaves have run, they won't even think of coming after us. That was brilliant!\"\n\nHe spurred his horse and rode to the head of the line. Jyrbian's passage frightened a covey of birds. With raucous cries of protest, they burst from cover and zipped skyward, their brown wings beating in time to his pulse, sending a draft of warm air to caress his face. Glancing back to see that the others were following, he kicked his horse and sped off, imagining that, he, too, had taken wing.\n\nThey rode, a ribbon of colorful silks and wool winding through the golden field. Their passage stirred, above the wheat, a cloud of insects as thick as dust, opalescent wings awhir.\n\nThrough the fields and into open meadow they rode. Across a swath of river, the water a thin, silver scrim over a bed of white pebbles. Their passage sent up a noisy spray of droplets that sparkled like fire in the morning sun.\n\nEverlyn kept up Jyrbian's pace, pointing out the path through the fields, the places where it was safe to veer off and cut through the meadows.\n\nUp into the mountains they continued, under cover of thick evergreens and oaks, which blotted out the heat and the light. To Jyrbian, the transition from grassy meadow to the hard, packed earth was an assault to his ears. Surely the entire forest boomed with their presence. Once more he took the lead, pushing as fast as he dared on the steep mountain trail. He slowed as they approached the Caves of the Gods, and sent a scout ahead to make sure the area was clear. Finding that it was, he called a halt.\n\nHe was the first to touch his feet to the ground, leaping nimbly from the saddle so that he could help Everlyn dismount. She seemed pale and clung to his supportive arm for a moment as she stretched her legs.\n\n\"How are you faring, Lady?\" He went quickly to his horse and brought back a full wineskin.\n\nShe sipped delicately and passed it back. \"It's a hard ride.\"\n\nAll around them were groans and gasps, of both pleasure and pain, as others dismounted. Only the children seemed unaffected, running about, laughing and shouting.\n\nEverlyn's aunt grabbed an older child as they went past. \"Care for your mounts first,\" she ordered angrily. \"Then play.\"\n\nThe horses were lathered and still breathing hard. As Jyrbian, too, moved to water his stallion, to rub the animal down and feed him a handful of oats, he realized that the group with which he had begun the trip had doubled in size. There were many crowding into the open area before the cave entrances.\n\nThe size of the group had grown again by the time he called the next stop, and with each succeeding stop, until Jyrbian was leading a group easily one hundred strong.\n\n#\n\n**The added number didn't slow the group significantly. Two** weeks later, at a crossroads high in the mountains to the north of Takar, Jyrbian caught up with the smaller group who'd left Takar with him. Three days later, he led them down into a small dip in the trail, where they joined with the group that had escaped with Igraine.\n\n\"I'm not sure where they all came from,\" Jyrbian said in amazement.\n\n\"They're from Khal-Theraxian. From estates that bordered mine,\" Igraine supplied, seeming not at all surprised at the size of his following. \"They're from many districts. From anywhere that the Ogres wanted to embrace a new path.\"\n\nEverlyn, holding the arm of her father as if she would never again let him go, looked around, spying faces she recognized. \"There's Lord Nerrad from Bloten, and Lady Rychal. Her land borders ours on the east. And I think that's most of the Aliehs Clan...\" She pointed toward a large crowd of mostly young Ogres who looked as if they were on a picnic instead of running for their lives.\n\nTheir picnic was interrupted as an Ogre, riding at breakneck speed, tore through their blankets, his horse scattering adults and children and food. The rider sawed viciously on his reins, trying to slow his horse; then the animal reared and stopped.\n\nOne of the Aliehs started toward the rider, his scowl evidence of his intentions, but the rider's words stopped him cold.\n\n\"King's troops!\" He waved back toward the way he'd come. \"Coming this way fast!\"\n\n\"Damned idiot\u2014!\" Jyrbian started toward the Ogre, his next words drowned out by the reaction of the crowd, gasps and shouted questions, as they surged forward. A child began to cry, a high, rising wail that was picked up by other children. Jyrbian reached the Ogre and dragged him off his horse.\n\nAnother Ogre, almost Jyrbian's height, though not so muscular, reached the two of them and thrust out his hand. Jyrbian remembered seeing him among the crowd at Khalever when they had left the house. \"What's the meaning of this?\" Jyrbian snarled.\n\n\"I'm Butyr, Igraine's nephew,\" the Ogre told him, trying to catch hold of the newly arrived rider. Jyrbian refused to release his grip and turned, shaking the younger Ogre as he led him, practically on tiptoes, away from the thick of the crowd.\n\n\"I sent scouts down the west trail to follow behind us,\" Butyr said, joining the small circle of Igraine, Everlyn, Lyrralt, Tenaj, and two others Jyrbian didn't know, which quickly surrounded them. Finally Butyr managed to break Jyrbian's grasp on the rider. Jyrbian glared at him. Scouts were a good idea, one that he should have instigated.\n\nTenaj interrupted. \"Did you also tell them to ride back into camp and start a panic?\" she snapped.\n\nButyr's small eyes narrowed dangerously. \"Of course I didn't!\"\n\n\"You said there are troops?\" Igraine broke in smoothly, turning to the scout.\n\nThe Ogre nodded. His face was pale. \"Coming fast. Along our back trail, but they're moving as if they already know we're here.\"\n\nButyr shot Jyrbian a look of disgust, as if the situation was all his fault. \"They probably had scouts out, too. How far behind are they?\" asked Butyr.\n\n\"Thirty minutes. Maybe forty. I\u2014I rode as fast as I could.\"\n\n\"How many?\" demanded Tenaj.\n\n\"I couldn't tell. Fifty, seventy, maybe more. They were coming up the ridge, where the trail is narrow. They're riding two abreast, so I couldn't see the end of the line.\"\n\nButyr slapped the Ogre on the shoulder. \"Well done, Eilec. You've given us time to set up a defense.\"\n\nButyr shouted out the names of several of his cousins, motioning them to come forward.\n\nJyrbian looked around wildly, trying to see past the milling crowd, to make out the lay of the land. They were in a low place where trails from all four points of the compass descended and crossed.\n\nButyr squatted and quickly sketched a U-shaped defense in the dirt. \"We can send the families on. And disperse everyone who is well versed with sword here and here.\" He indicated points along the sides of the trail. \"Our bowmen should be positioned here.\"\n\nJyrbian peered at the nearby crowd. Bowmen? From the way Butyr said it, he half expected to see a troop of smartly dressed fighters, instead of such a weary crowd of refugees. But, yes, he did recall seeing some of Igraine's people with bows slung across their backs. And rare was the Ogre who had not been taught as a child to use a bola for contests. It was considered a skill of the upper class, used to while away summer evenings.\n\nSo Butyr's plan had potential, except at this altitude. The forest wasn't dense; the thin, pale-barked trees offered little concealment. Jyrbian tried to remember the paths to the north and west. Didn't one of them climb, then level off, then climb again before it crested? He whispered to Tenaj, and she gazed first north, then west, remembering, then pointed north.\n\nIgraine was nodding as he peered at Butyr's marks in the dirt. With a quick glance at Lyrralt, Jyrbian stepped forward. \"The enemy will be attacking from the high ground,\" he said harshly. \"We'll be slaughtered.\"\n\nEverlyn's face paled. Jyrbian could see her fingers tighten on her father's arm.\n\nButyr rose slowly and faced Jyrbian, his eyes black with fury. \"I suppose you want to ride away as fast as we can,\" he sneered.\n\nJyrbian drew himself up. He towered over the smaller Ogre. Only his brother was as tall among the Ogres who stood listening.\n\n\"I only meant that we should withdraw along the north trail, where the ground levels out.\" Disdainfully, he erased Butyr's plan and drew a new one. \"Then we can deploy those with bows here, where the king's troops will be riding uphill. And those with swords can wait behind, for any who are brave enough, or foolhardy enough, to make it through. Remember, the king's troops are mainly an honor guard, trained for ceremonial duties, carrying flags and the like.\"\n\n\"And I suppose you were trained to the sword, Lord Jyrbian,\" Butyr said.\n\nBefore Jyrbian could reply, Igraine stepped in. \"It's a good plan, thanks to both of you,\" he said with heavy emphasis on both. \"Everlyn, you get the others to help you start the children on ahead. Jyrbian, you go ahead and choose positions. Butyr will organize everyone into groups.\"\n\nJyrbian nodded his agreement and, with a quick bow to Everlyn, strode off.\n\nLyrralt went with him wordlessly, mounting and following him up the north trail. Jyrbian tossed him the reins and walked to the high point on the trail, looking back down to reconnoiter.\n\nAs they stood watching the long line of families and older Ogres go past, Jyrbian asked, \"Where's Khallayne? I could use her, there on that rise.\"\n\nLyrralt looked at him as if he were crazy, but said simply, \"She's gone ahead with the others.\"\n\n\"What's wrong with you, Brother?\"\n\nLyrralt looked at him, then back down the hillside, where their comrades were separating into groups, some with swords already drawn. He could see the flashes of sunlight off the sharpened blades. \"Does it disturb you not at all that we're about to fight our king?\"\n\n\"It's their necks, not ours,\" Jyrbian said sharply. When Lyrralt didn't respond, he continued, even more harshly, \"If you don't want to fight, then go with the children. Stay out of the way.\"\n\nLyrralt stiffened, meeting Jyrbian's angry gaze with fury. \"I'll fight, Brother. I just don't like it.\"\n\nDespite his strong words to Lyrralt, as the King's Guard charged up the hill, Jyrbian felt the shock of staring into faces he'd seen at jousting matches, at suppers, at assemblies.\n\nThe bowmen proved a success and would have made a rout with sufficient numbers. As it was, there were enough of them to do damage, to delay the enemy, but not enough to stop the inevitable charge up the hill.\n\nJyrbian met the guard head-on, on foot, a mad courage coursing through him. As he cut the first Ogre from his horse, as his sword met another high in the air, he felt the song of battle in his blood, in his bones. He forgot fear. The enemy was upon him, and he attacked left and right, refusing to give ground, to even step back as he parried. Lyrralt and Tenaj and Butyr were forced to stay by his side or allow him to be overwhelmed. Buoyed by his courage, attracted by his killing frenzy, others joined them, their fierce, exuberant expressions matching his own.\n\nA blade slipped past his defenses and touched his side, but there was no pain. A warm, slick wetness slid down his body, inside his tunic; he felt only joy as he pressed his arm against the wetness and continued to fight. His sword swung in perfect arcs, a beautiful thing to behold, almost poetry in the air.\n\nIn sheer numbers, the royal troops outmatched them, but Jyrbian had chosen his spot well. Riding uphill, the King's Guard stood no chance. The ground had turned into bloody mud. The bodies of their fallen comrades crunched underfoot. They gave up and ran, leaving behind a battleground littered with the first casualties of Igraine's War.\n\nJyrbian raised his arms in jubilation, in thanksgiving. The gods' bloodlust, their blessings, had poured down upon him, upon his troops.\n\nHe rode at the head of the troop, still wearing the clothes in which he'd fought, into which his blood and the blood of his enemies had soaked. In the stained, torn silks, he looked like the embodiment of a dark god himself, proud and arrogant, triumphant.\n\nRiding swiftly, they had easily caught up with those they'd sent ahead. The eyes of men and women and children, admiring, grateful, followed Jyrbian as he led his warriors into the camp. He failed to capture the admiration of only one, the one he most wanted.\n\nHer face puckered with worry, Everlyn ran out among the mothers welcoming sons, husbands welcoming wives, children underfoot everywhere, searching frantically for her father. When she found him, standing near Jyrbian, her face broke into a sunny smile.\n\n\"Lady,\" Jyrbian said, bowing. \"Would that I might make you smile so.\"\n\nFlustered, she turned away to greet her father.\n\nJyrbian determined, at that moment, that he would be whatever he had to be, do whatever was required, to make her pixie face light up for him.\n\nKhallayne's face did light up, for him and for Lyrralt, who was still trailing him, a silent, bad-tempered wraith. She held out her arms to Jyrbian and hugged him close as if she would never let him go, as if they were long-parted lovers. \"I was afraid...\" she whispered, her arms tightening around his shoulders. \"I thought I might never see you again.\"\n\nFor a moment, his roguishness rekindled and he pulled her close, swung her easily off her feet even though she was as tall as he. \"Did you miss me, then?\" he whispered back, turning his head so his breath tickled her neck.\n\n\"Terribly,\" Khallayne laughed, but when she pulled back and turned to Lyrralt, her expression turned serious. \"What is it?\" she whispered. \"Are you injured?\"\n\nHe looked so tired. She reached for his hands. They were as cold as ice.\n\nJyrbian snorted and turned on his heel, leaving the two of them staring at each other, hands clasped as if they had shut out the world. He went in search of another healer for the wound in his side. He didn't trust his own brother to heal it properly.\n\nKhallayne spared barely a glance at his retreat. The pain she saw in Lyrralt was greater. \"Lyrralt?\"\n\nHis grip on her fingers tightened. \"Khallayne, do you know what I've seen?\" he whispered, his voice taut. \"The end... Doom.\"\n\nShe shook her head.\n\nHe mumbled barely intelligible words about the fight, about seeing the bodies of Ogres he knew, about blood and bone fragments and swords flashing in the sunlight. Something about the future and runes. Again the word \"doom.\" His fingers twisted in hers.\n\nWith a soft cry, she wrenched free.\n\n\"Khallayne?\" Lyrralt reached to touch her, this time his fingers gentle. \"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just... I just...\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Nothing.\" He turned away, his eyes searching for and finding Igraine. He had to stop the madness soon.\n\nHe followed the crowd, which ebbed and flowed around Jyrbian. His brother, now wearing a clean tunic and showing no symptoms of his wound, was arguing to split the group of Igraine's followers, send the families with children on ahead. \"We'll keep the warriors behind to guard the rear. I know Takar will not give up so easily.\"\n\nLyrralt watched him, suddenly reminded of Jyrbian wearing a soldier's dress uniform, proclaiming that someday there would again be a need for fighters.\n\nButyr argued against splitting the group. \"We've defeated the best the court could send against us. We have nothing to fear at the moment.\"\n\nThey mounted at Igraine's urging, moving on without solving the disagreement. For the next week, while passing through the southernmost part of the Khalkist Mountains north of Takar, Jyrbian and Butyr continued to argue. Split up or separate. Head north or west. Attempt to settle in Thorad, or build a new home of their own.\n\nIgraine, who could have settled all arguments, listened and made no judgment.\n\nThey began to climb into the main body of the mountains. The trails, which had been wide and well traveled, became narrow, rutted for miles on end, then overgrown with roots. The dense undergrowth disappeared, the oaks became conifers, and the land rocky. The nights grew cold. Game, which had been plentiful and had made their nighttime fires smell of rich stew, became sparse.\n\nThere was no more arguing. They turned west, working their way toward more hospitable terrain.\n\nKhallayne rode with Lyrralt or Jyrbian as much as she could. Neither were ideal traveling companions. Jyrbian spent his evenings in debate with Butyr or silently sitting at Igraine's campfire, as near Everlyn as he could get.\n\nLyrralt was withdrawn, uncommunicative, spending his evenings in communion with his god. \"I feel as if we're floundering,\" he said. \"Adrift.\"\n\n\"Childish prattle,\" Jyrbian responded. But Khallayne knew it was more than that. Just as she knew her own power, she sensed Lyrralt's. \"Doom,\" she pressed him, \"Why do you say that?\"\n\n\"Because Hiddukel has told it to me,\" was all he would say.\n\nKhallayne opened her mouth to ask another question when the horse in front of her reared. Its rider fell backward, an arrow protruding from her chest!\n\nA child screamed. Pandemonium erupted around them. Arrows flew, as thick as bees. Horses stampeded.\n\nTenaj, who had fallen when the horse ahead of them reared, cried out as the panicked horses almost crushed her.\n\nJyrbian materialized and, catching a fistful of her tunic, dragged her off the path, away from the skittish horses. An arrow whizzed overhead, and he let her drop to the ground.\n\n\"Get down!\" he shouted, kicking his horse in the flank. \"Everybody, keep low!\"\n\nKhallayne yanked her horse in a circle, trying to see who was attacking, and from where. The arrows seemed to be coming from all directions.\n\nThe \"who\" was answered immediately. The man behind her slumped. The Ogre arrow in his forehead sported the brilliant colors of Clan Redienhs.\n\nShe ducked lower, clutching her horse's neck. The animal's muscles were trembling under its silky coat. She wanted to scramble into the thick undergrowth that lined the trail, but dared not. Dared not even dismount.\n\nKhallayne could hear Jyrbian's voice, farther away now, shouting orders. She moved toward the sound. To her right she could hear the sing of steel against steel, the shouts of battle, and she knew her people had left the trail, had plunged into the forest to meet their attackers.\n\nAhead of her on the trail, Jyrbian was in the thickest of the fighting, a dark god of war, terrible and beautiful. With arrows flying through the air around him, he stood in his stirrups. He managed to keep his horse under control with one hand while he signaled with the other, directing archers to cover on the left side of the path, those with swords to dismount and flank the enemy on the right.\n\nSeeing him so much in control, so dauntless, Khallayne lost her fear. She rode into the thick of the fighting. The scent of blood rushed at her, filling her with pure euphoria. The thrill of being able to use magic without restraint wiped out all the sights and sounds.\n\nThe power leapt up in her, so voraciously that she didn't even need to use her hands to direct it. Her mind sent it outward, unfocused.\n\nThe enemy guardsman who had been nearest Jyrbian had been lifting his bow. He dropped where he stood, his heart burst in his chest. A trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth was the only tangible sign of injury.\n\nShe felt his death, the sudden explosion of tiny veins, of life-sustaining arteries, as a sickening swelling in the power. She doubled over as the Ogre's death struck her a blow like a fist to the chest. But there was no time to stop and think. She turned, sent the magic outward again, and felt the energy billow as two more fell. And two more.\n\n\"Khallayne! Khallayne! There!\"\n\nShe drew in the power enough to clear her vision. Jyrbian was still standing in his stirrups, bloodied sword held at the ready. Lyrralt was at his side. Jyrbian pointed to her right, into the forest. \"There!\"\n\nHe wheeled his horse around and almost rode down one of his own people to get to her side. \"There!\" He pointed again. \"The archers. Can you get to the archers?\"\n\nShe stared, but could see only splashes of color, here, there, among the thicket of trees and vine growth. Only the arrows continuing to rain from that direction told her for certain that the enemy was there.\n\nWith Lyrralt on one side and Jyrbian on the other, she closed her eyes, envisioned the forest, the undergrowth, the Ogres crouched beneath for cover, rising up to fire an arrow, then dropping back down again.\n\nThe power was awakening within her, demand ing, thrashing, screaming to be released. She let loose the magic. The forest sprang to life. In the discretion Jyrbian had indicated, every vine, blade of grass, every leaf shifted, stretched, moved, became animated.\n\nA male Ogre on Jyrbian's right screamed. Farther down the line of fighting, again and again, the cry was echoed.\n\nFor a moment, Jyrbian froze. Every muscle in his body turned to ice. \"Khallayne!\" His voice cracked then picked up strength as he saw a vine stir over head. \"Khallayne, control it!\"\n\nHe didn't know if she heard or not, but the for est turned away from Igraine's people, toward the attackers.\n\nHe heard the enemy shout, first surprise, the warning, screams of pain, cries of questioning terror.\n\nKhallayne sat rigid in her saddle, reins limp in her hands, eyes glazed. Jyrbian looked about. Tenaj was nearby, remounted. \"Guard her,\" he ordered, indicating Khallayne.\n\nHe didn't know if it was safe, but he urged his horse forward, off the path, into the forest. Everything was moving, leaves, vines, dead branches reaching and twisting and killing.\n\nThe enemy was caught in its deadly embrace Vines as thick as his arm wrapped around archers twining about them. Their bodies were being crushed to pulp.\n\nFarther into the forest lay more horrors, more crushed bodies, bodies impaled on thick branches of living trees. A standard bearer had dropped his staff the body beside it was covered with crawling, wriggling leaves.\n\nA vine as thin and dangerous as razorwire dropped down from a branch and struck out at Jyrbian like a snake. Backing away, he slashed at it with his sword. Green ichor spurted from the severed limb. Something hissed. Jyrbian wheeled his horse and kicked it hard.\n\n* * * * *\n\nBakrell turned from the view of the castle courtyard and the skyline of Takar at midmorning. \"Kaede, you can't do this!\"\n\nAs his sister took clothing from her wardrobe and ferried it to the bed, Bakrell followed her, back and forth.\n\nTraveling packs were laid, already partially filled. Kaede laid another stack of clothing beside what was already there, then gathered another armload from atop a nearby chest before answering. \"Why not?\"\n\n\"Because... Because it's crazy. It dangerous, that's why!\"\n\nShe snorted at him with amusement. \"You've grown soft, Bakrell, too accustomed to silks and slaves.\" She rubbed the brocade lapel of his embroidered vest.\n\nHe watched, silent for a moment, as she continued to pull out all she had packed in order to sort through it again. She had, arrayed on the bed, an incredible collection of luxurious as well as sensible belongings, including a bejeweled bracelet worth as much as everything else combined.\n\n\"Why would you need this?\" He picked up a silky tunic, so soft and delicate it might have been spun by spiders.\n\nKaede snatched it back, arched an eyebrow. \"You never know what you might need. I'm not giving up civilization completely.\"\n\n\"You're really looking forward to this adventure, aren't you? You're not going to mind at all, giving up these creature comforts.\" He waved his hands to indicate the sumptuous room.\n\n\"No, I don't mind.\" She took a bracelet from him and, eyeing him mischievously, slid it onto her wrist, hiding it inside the cuff of the expensive leather riding jacket.\n\nHe considered the packs on the bed only a moment longer, then decided. \"All right, I'll go with you.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"You can tarry a little longer while I pack. I don't see why we have to sneak away in the middle of the night anyway,\" he said over his shoulder as he started for the door.\n\n\"Perhaps you'd like to leave the castle after a hearty breakfast tomorrow morning, announcing to all within earshot that you're off to join the followers of the heretic Igraine?\" she called after him.\n\nHe paused at the door, grinned at her, excitement beginning to shine in his eyes. \"Don't forget to pack food.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nBedraggled, bloody, beaten, the remnants of the guard of Clan Redienhs rode into the rocky gorge. Afternoon sun beat down on them, reflected warmth back from the red, rocky walls on both sides of the wide trail. In unspoken agreement, they slowed their pace once the group was within the gorge, out of the forest.\n\nRiding near the front of the group, Daria glanced back, making sure her brother was also clear of the trees. She shivered, remembering tree limbs crackling with energetic movement, vines writhing across the ground, reaching for her. In the depths of her worst nightmares, she had never dreamt of such horror!\n\nRaell had stayed near her, once the attack began, even though he was a swordsman and she an archer. He considered himself protecting his younger sister. It had almost cost him his life. When the forest had come alive... Despite the warmth of the sun, she pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders. She clutched the silver clasp, etched with the condor symbol of Sargonnas, at her throat. They were both lucky to be alive.\n\nShe was so engrossed, she noticed the agitation in the ranks only when Raell galloped up beside her. \"What's going on?\" she asked, suddenly noticing the movement ahead.\n\n\"Look!\" He pointed toward the end of the gorge, at the brightly colored troops coming to meet them, flags with the colors of Clan Signet flying snappily above, one flag in particular, with the logo of the clan leader on it. \"Reinforcements!\"\n\nReinforcements. That meant turning back, perhaps another battle. The idea of more fighting didn't bother her. The thought of riding back into the forest did.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe shadow detached itself from high up in the tree and scuttled quickly to the ground, dropping sometimes as much as two feet from branch to branch. The humans on the floor of the hillside gasped each time the girl let go of a handhold, each time she caught. Eadamm grinned as she paused on the last branch, dangling precariously several feet from the ground.\n\n\"Stop showing off,\" he called with pretend gruffness. \"Tell me what you see.\"\n\nShe dropped the last ten feet and landed with a bone-jarring thud. \"Two or three new companies of Ogres, wearing yellow, with a shiny star here.\" She sketched a square above her left breast. \"What was left of the other group has joined them.\"\n\n\"Clan Signet,\" Eadamm interjected. \"What are they doing?\"\n\nShe smiled. \"Camping.\"\n\nEadamm's lips stretched back in a feral grimace. His teeth were white against his dark skin. \"We'll attack at dusk.\"\n\n\"I don't see why we should attack at all,\" Jeb, one of Eadamm's generals, protested. \"We're free. We're less than three days' ride from the plains. From home!\"\n\nEadamm resettled a stolen Ogre sword more firmly around his hips. Though some of the others wore stolen Ogre finery, he'd refused to wear even a cloak from his former masters. He wore a blanket, with armholes slashed in it, over his torn and stained slave garments. \"And how long do you think you'll be free if we do nothing to stop the Ogres. Perhaps you'd live out your life a free man. But what of our people? If we don't stop the Ogres, they'll just kidnap new slaves and start over.\"\n\nJeb peered at him. \"You just want to protect your old master!\"\n\nEadamm started to retort, but instead shrugged. \"Again, if we don't, how will we ever be secure in our homes? Igraine's followers must persevere. For our safety.\"\n\nJeb looked at the plans Eadamm had been sketching in the hard ground. \"I don't agree.\"\n\n\"You don't have to stay with us if you don't want to,\" Eadamm said gently.\n\nJeb straightened, his hand going to the dagger tucked into his belt before he realized Eadamm meant no offense. For a long moment, he regarded his friend. \"I have nowhere to go. But do we have to attack in the dark?\"\n\n\"It won't be any darker than it was in the mines. Until we're ready for light,\" he added cryptically.\n\n* * * * *\n\nEadamm was right. Perhaps to the Ogres, who had not toiled in darkness for years, it was night. To him, even in the wee hours before dawn, that darkest time before sunrise, the craggy canyon in which the Ogre troops had chosen to sleep was plainly visible. The crags and sheer faces of the canyon walls were shadowed and spooky, but the tents of the Ogre troops were outlined sharply.\n\nThe blades of Ogre swords flashed in the moonlight as the humans swept down on the camp, pouring into it from both ends, cutting off any chance of retreat. Eadamm's people carried stolen weapons and homemade ones\u2014lovely swords of elven design taken from some rich estate, pikes hand carved from elm wood and capped with hand-hammered metal, axes stolen right out of firewood, hoes and rakes and scythes still smelling of grain fields.\n\nEadamm led the first charge, riding at the front of his people. The sounds were overpowering; screams of rage and vengeance about to be realized echoed off the canyon walls. It surged in his blood, fueling his battle lust. He met his first opponent, a wild-eyed sentry, and cut him down with one quick slash.\n\nThe Ogre response to the attack was sluggish but fierce. Attacked from two sides, they poured out of the tents, leapt from their blankets to meet Eadamm's troops.\n\nShrieks and death cries filled the air. Sword rang out against sword, pike against pike. Over the din of weapons striking each other, Eadamm could hear an Ogre commander trying to rally his archers. Eadamm wheeled and charged in the direction of the voice. The Ogre had the presence of mind to send an arrow whizzing past Eadamm's ear before he was cut down.\n\nThe humans torched the Ogre tents, sending up an eerie light, which cast their shadows, several times enlarged, dancing on the canyon walls.\n\nThe Ogres, caught in disarray, rallied quickly, forming pockets of resistance against which the humans battered. They grabbed up shields and pikes and fought back-to-back, protecting the archers, who rained arrows down on the humans. The arrows flew up and out of the circles of Ogres, appearing as if by magic.\n\nAgain and again, Eadamm's people rushed the lines, skewered an Ogre here, one there. But again and again, the humans were repelled.\n\nStragglers, caught too far away to join in the protective circles, fought hand to hand, silhouetted against the flames. Humans picked up bows and quivers of arrows and picked off those Ogres who thought they could climb up the canyon walls to safety.\n\nFor sheer ferocity, the humans equaled the larger, better-equipped Ogres. In sheer force, they were no match. For each human killed, Eadamm felt the decimation to his numbers. For each Ogre who fell, another stepped forward to take his place.\n\nHe stood in his stirrups and yelled for one of the soldiers on foot to bring him bow and arrow. He lit the feathers from the flames of a burning tent, nocked the arrow quickly, and let it fly. The burning signal sailed in a high arc over the battle. Even before the wildly dancing flames had disappeared from overhead, a bolt of blue sizzled upward into the sky, like lightning in reverse.\n\nThough he was expecting it, the brightness of it blinded Eadamm and panicked his stallion. The big animal reared, pawing in midair. Eadamm felt the momentum of the horse's action toss him backward. He went sailing through the air and landed with a bone-jarring _whump_!\n\nAs he gasped for breath, his vision deserted him. Stars danced before his eyes, but whether from the lightning or the fall, he didn't know. Then he could see, figures blurry and indistinct, both atop horses. As he strained to see, the larger figure leapt from his saddle, carrying the smaller one to the ground.\n\nHis vision cleared to reveal Jeb and a large Ogre female, locked in a death grip. He tried to stand, to go to Jeb's aid, but his balance was off. He stumbled, went to his knees. Dimly, he was aware when the larger figure lifted a gleaming silver dagger. She lifted it high in the air, then brought it down again and again. The man who had been his second-in-command since the escape from Khalever slumped.\n\nA woman who had escaped from Bloten rushed to Eadamm's side. As she helped him to sit, the lightning sizzled again, lighting the night as brightly as the sun lit the day. The woman, hearing the warning whine of the spell building, covered her eyes.\n\nThis time, Eadamm was sure it was the magical lightning of their one human wizard that left spots of color dancing behind his eyelids. He could see barely two feet. Despite the disorientation, he scrambled to his feet and remounted the skittish horse.\n\nAll about him, the Ogres were in disarray, blinded and frightened by the magical flash of light. The lines of carefully tied horses had broken loose and were careening through the camp.\n\nEadamm veered like a madman through a large group of Ogres, cutting a bloody swath through the group. Hacking with his stolen sword, he stabbed and slashed his way through and out of the circle on the other side. Inspired by his bravery, a group of humans plowed through behind him, cutting down their enemy left and right.\n\nFor several minutes after the magical lightning, the battle raged around him. Surging through the flames and smoke, the humans pressed their advantage. The Ogres scrambled to regain their defense, but to no avail.\n\nThe humans surrounded the few last groups of Ogres and hacked and slashed their way to victory. Until, at last, the mere sight of so many humans, bloodied, was enough to make the few remaining Ogres break formation and run.\n\nThe humans gave chase, but Eadamm called them back. \"Leave some to carry the tale,\" he shouted.\n\nTwo of Krynn's moons, near to setting, hung low in the sky. It seemed only minutes ago that the battle had begun, rather than more than an hour.\n\nJeb was dead, pierced through so many times that it seemed the Ogre had been trying to obliterate him rather than just kill. Eadamm knelt at his friend's side and covered his broken body with the fine woolen cloak that had been torn half off him. It was muddied, ripped, stained with the blood of Ogres and Jeb himself.\n\n\"We won,\" Eadamm told his friend. Only then did he notice how quiet the canyon had become.\n\n#\n\n**Anel stared at the female Ogre who stood before the Ruling** Council. Although every hair was braided and neatly in place, she still appeared harried and frightened.\n\n\"The forest killed them?\" Anel asked, her voice disbelieving even though she had already heard similar reports from the three guards who had escaped. She glanced at her fellow council members. Their faces were equally stunned.\n\nThe warrior nodded. \"We were lucky. Our group leader saw the danger, and we managed to pull back, rested, and regrouped. Then, when we were ready to attack again, that's when the humans surprised us. We\u2014We were in the back. We barely escaped with our lives. My brother was... Raell...\" Her voice choked off. \"He was one of the unlucky.\"\n\nAnel nodded in sympathy. \"We will sing for your loss.\" She motioned an aide to step forward and lead the female away. She didn't need to probe the mind of this one. She'd already probed the first three for truth. Except for minor details, this fourth story corroborated the others.\n\n\"We must send another company,\" Teragrym began even before the door had closed. \"A stronger, more dedicated one.\"\n\n\"Who do you suggest?\" Enna responded acidly. \"They have defeated our best. And from where? We need more guards for the estate trails. Two more supply caravans were struck this morning by runaway slaves. And _to_ where? Our scouts have died alongside most of the Redienhs warriors.\"\n\n\"Then we must begin conscripting from the common classes. Train harder, faster, better,\" Teragrym said dryly. \"And we must send mages.\"\n\nNarran flipped open his fingers, sending a jagged flash of light shooting toward the ceiling. It sizzled and disappeared. \"Which of us do you suggest, Teragrym?\" he asked angrily. \"Perhaps you want to send one of your children?\"\n\n\"We have to fight magic with magic, not swords. I do not prefer to send my family into danger, but what I must do, I will do. As you will.\" He fixed Narran with a withering glance. \"But don't worry. For the moment, I have someone besides you in mind to command a counterstrike.\"\n\n\"Then you may proceed accordingly, Teragrym,\" Anel said. \"Enna, you will institute a program for selecting and training more guards.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nCalmness. Serenity. Eight days of safety.\n\nButyr's young sister had been one of those killed, as well as two sons of the wild Aliehs clan, and five others they couldn't spare, but they had gone on.\n\nThe last days had been a healing time, a calming time, though with none of the comforts to which Khallayne had been raised and barely enough food, and that ill cooked.\n\nHer legs aching and belly rumbling, without a home, she had never been happier. Jelindra, a young female Ogre barely a hundred years old, her pale hair still tied with childish ribbons, rode by her side, hanging on Khallayne's words as she taught the young one the incantation for disguise.\n\n\"We're close now, Khallayne.\" Tenaj rode back from the front of the group to interrupt the lesson. Jelindra grimaced with disappointment but obediently rode away, still counting off the lines of the incantation on her fingers.\n\nKhallayne watched her go with a smile. \"I think she'll be very good someday. She's very accepting of the power.\"\n\n\"I'd like to learn,\" Tenaj said very quietly, very shyly. \"I've never been very good, but...\"\n\nKhallayne smiled with pleasure so genuine that the expression lit up her face. \"Oh, Tenaj, you have no idea. This is unbelievable. My whole life I've had to hide my magic. Now everyone knows, and instead of being punished, they're asking me to use it more! I'd love to teach you, anything you want to learn.\"\n\nThey both had to gallop to catch up with Lyrralt.\n\nThe whole company wanted to go into the city, but they understood the danger involved. Lyrralt had not wanted to go, but had been chosen, along with Tenaj and Khallayne, to check out the city, to spy.\n\nThe city of Thorad was as unlike Takar as Lyrralt's father's estate was different from the king's summer home. Like Takar, it was a center for trade, but unlike Takar, it wasn't walled. Built after the Ruling Council had brought peace, the young city had sprung up in the very center of the Khalkists as the hub of the Ogre empire.\n\nIt was laid out in the orderly, wagon wheel style of old, its outermost ring consisting mostly of taverns and inns. All the buildings had high, sloping roofs, the better to shed the heavy snows of winter, and the windows had folding wooden shutters that could be closed to shut out the elements. Today, they were all thrown open to let in the warming rays of the unusually warm fall day.\n\nLyrralt was glad to the see the streets filled with traders, merchants, and travelers. He slowed his horse, wondering which way would be best. They needed information and supplies, but it had to be done without arousing suspicions.\n\n\"What do you think?\" Tenaj reined in beside him.\n\n\"Well, the easiest way to get information in the castle was to sit in the dining hall. I have little familiarity with such places as these.\" He indicated the rough-looking inns and taverns lining the street. \"But I suppose they're the best place to start.\"\n\nTenaj nodded agreement, pointing to one across the street.\n\nThere were several horses crowded to the hitching rods outside its door. He shrugged and steered his horse toward it. The one Tenaj had chosen was as good as any other.\n\nInside, the inn was dark, but warm from a crackling fire in a fireplace as large as any in the castle. There were perhaps twenty other guests in the room, mostly at the bar. The tables and chairs in the cramped dining area were gray stone, and as soon as he and Tenaj sat down, Lyrralt understood why the fire was kept hot. The stone leeched the warmth from his body right though his cloak.\n\nAn Ogre wearing a huge medallion with the sigil of Hiddukel brought the three travelers some wine without being asked. He bowed to Lyrralt, saying, \"You're welcome in my inn, Lord.\"\n\nLyrralt relaxed at once, knowing they'd come to the right place. All merchants worshiped Hiddukel, god of ill-gotten gain and greed, but, fearing to insult their customers, who were sponsored by other gods, few did so blatantly. He leaned close so that he could speak without being overheard by the other diners. \"With luck, I'll be able to get the information we need out of this one.\"\n\nTenaj nodded. \"If I stood at the bar, I could listen in on the conversations.\"\n\n\"And I could find another place.\" Khallayne sipped her wine and made a face. \"Preferably someplace with better food and drink.\"\n\nLyrralt nodded, motioned them closer. \"Listen for anything at all that might tell us what the council is up to. Anything. A large supply order or an inn too full could mean a guard unit on the move. And anything at all about Igraine. How do the citizens feel about him here? What have they heard?\n\n\"Most of these people are traders. They travel most of the year. We might learn of someplace where we could settle. The others wouldn't like to hear of it, but I don't think there's anyplace in the Khalkists where we'll be safe anymore.\"\n\n\"I agree,\" said a voice behind Lyrralt.\n\nLyrralt whipped around, his hand automatically slipping inside his robe for his dagger. How had the two who stood staring down at him sneaked up without being detected?\n\n\"Who are you?\" Tenaj asked suspiciously, her hand also hidden under the table.\n\n\"I'm Bakrell. This is my sister, Kaede. We didn't mean to startle you.\"\n\n\"We've been waiting for you.\" The female Ogre spoke in a sweet voice.\n\nThe two, brother and sister, smiled the same smile and took seats on the stone bench on either side of Lyrralt without being invited.\n\nExcept for the smile, the two were so different, Khallayne's immediate assumption was that they must have had different fathers. Kaede possessed skin as dark indigo as Jyrbian's and Lyrralt's, eyes so pale a silver that they were almost white. Her brother had medium royal-blue skin, average silver eyes, average build and height. He would have blended into any crowd, from royalty right down to the lowliest shopkeeper. Except for his expression. Despite the smile, he looked at all of them from under his brows with a strange intensity.\n\nShe shivered. The temperature felt as though it had dropped ten degrees.\n\n\"Waiting for us?\"\n\n\"Yes. Not you, exactly, but for someone from Takar. For someone traveling with Lord Igraine. We've heard... many things.\"\n\n\"We wanted to know more.\" Kaede's voice was as light, as beguiling, as her brother's was dark. \"We... We want to join you. The talk is of nothing else. Of the new life you\u2014Lord Igraine\u2014will build out of the old. I\u2014We want to be a part of it.\"\n\nKhallayne stared at her through slitted eyes. There was something about her, something she thought she ought to recognize. Had she seen her before somewhere? \"You said the mountains aren't safe?\"\n\nBakrell nodded. \"We left Takar the week after Lord Igraine escaped. We've been forced to take back trails to avoid the troops.\"\n\nThe two strangers both had their hands on the table in plain sight. Lyrralt relaxed a little, eased his hand out of his robe. \"How long have you been here?\" He took a sip of his wine.\n\n\"Over a week. We knew\u2014well, we hoped someone would come this way. We thought you'd need supplies.\"\n\n\"What we need,\" Tenaj said, \"is information. About Takar.\"\n\n\"The last we heard, the word in Takar is that the Ruling Council is determined that Igraine be caught. We don't know if it's true, but the main trails out of the city are heavily watched.\"\n\nTenaj grimaced. \"It's what we expected.\"\n\n\"So what do we do now. Live on the plains among the humans?\" Khallayne asked, half sarcastically.\n\nKaede's expression brightened. She turned to her brother. \"That would be exciting, wouldn't it?\"\n\n\"Among the humans?\" he asked. \"Surely there is a better alternative?\"\n\nKhallayne looked at Kaede. \"Have we met? I have the feeling I know you.\"\n\n\"Perhaps you've seen me in the castle. Bakrell and I visited occasionally. I know I've seen you. That's how we knew you were from Takar. I've always admired your unusual beauty. I'm so glad we spotted you. We've been watching the taverns for days.\"\n\nKaede sounded sincere. Their story sounded honest. Everything seemed right except for their clothing. They wore simple garb that didn't stand out in the surroundings unless one recognized quality. Khallayne wore the roughest clothes she owned, and the trail was beginning to tell on them. The cloth of Kaede's and Bakrell's tunics and cloaks was the finest material. The clasp at the throat of her cloak was brushed gold, the bands on his wrists polished silver. They seemed unlikely refugees.\n\n\"We've been purchasing trail supplies since we got here,\" Bakrell said. \"A little every day, in different places. We thought, if anyone came, it might come in handy.\"\n\n\"I'm sure Igraine will welcome you both.\" Lyrralt sketched a little bow of welcome.\n\n* * * * *\n\nSeveral hard days later on the trail, Khallayne's skeptical opinion of the brother and sister still hadn't changed. They did everything that was asked of them, Bakrell haughtily, glancing around to see who might be admiring him. Kaede carried water and started fires as gracefully as if she were at court. But instead of the gaze of many, in just one day, it was obvious she was interested only in the gaze of one person\u2014Jyrbian.\n\nWith amusement, Khallayne noted that Jyrbian was as oblivious to Kaede's admiration as Everlyn was to his.\n\n* * * * *\n\nLyrralt sat well away from the others, behind the curve of a ditch. He uncapped the vial of water he carried always. The flickering fire was barely enough to hold back the encroaching darkness.\n\nThe fugitives were camped in a large, open area almost devoid of the dense forest that surrounded them. In the warm glow of the setting sun, the view from the ridge was fabulous, a glorious panorama of the Khalkists, awash in rose and orange and gold.\n\nThe History said the bald areas were caused when the gods thumped their fists onto the mountains. But sitting on the ground, with the quietness of the earth seeping into his bones, speaking to his heart, Lyrralt could sense an ancient fire that had burned away the trees, leaving only grass. It seemed a fitting place for his meditations.\n\nAs he did each evening, Lyrralt raised his eyes to the heavens, to the constellation of Hiddukel, and whispered a prayer, an entreaty for guidance.\n\nSince the mad flight from Takar, he had been without direction, adrift. Hiddukel had told him nothing since. He knew only that Khallayne was involved in his destiny, and there was doom in the teachings of Igraine. There was also a blindness in the future, something he would not be able to see.\n\nPerhaps tonight guidance would come. Glancing around once more to make sure he was unobserved, Lyrralt slipped his tunic to his waist, exposing his shoulders and arms to the cold night air. The runes glowed white and milky against his skin, mirroring the glow of the stars in the velvet sky.\n\nHe waited, lips moving in almost desperate entreaty, praying for guidance and the loving touch of his god.\n\nThe inner flesh of his arm tingled, so lightly it might have been only the breeze caressing his flesh. Lyrralt held his breath. Again, the tingle. The sensation was so layered, so complex that it could not be separated, could not be differentiated. Then pain, hunger, rhapsody all vibrated along his nerves.\n\nHe wanted to watch, to see the writings that would appear on his flesh, but he could not. The pain, the pleasure, drew his head back, made him take great gulps of air. He could only hold out his arm to the sky and wait for the test to be done.\n\nThe stars had moved in the sky by the time Lyrralt was once again conscious. The sensation on his skin had become a mere itch. He hoped the sigils would not be too cryptic, now that he had no experienced priest to guide him.\n\nOr, looking at it another way, he had the highest advisor of all, Hiddukel himself. And with such a guide, how could he fail?\n\nLyrralt looked down and saw a band of runes encircling his arm, just beneath the one rune that had appeared at Khal-Theraxian. He moved closer to the fire and stirred up the embers until he had some light. His breath caught in his throat.\n\nThe symbols could be read easily, even by a beginner. Death. Stealth. Igraine\u2014that symbol he knew already on his arm. And the next one, too, the dead queen\u2014Khallayne. But he couldn't tell what had appeared next to her name. He would have to study it.\n\nFor the moment, the ones he could discern were enough to set Lyrralt's head spinning. Getting Igraine away from the protection of Jyrbian and Everlyn wouldn't be easy. But it was necessary.\n\nIgraine had become almost holy to most of the group. Every night, a different group huddled around him at his campfire, clung to his words as if they were bits of wisdom from the gods themselves.\n\nLyrralt would have to watch and wait and plan. He snuffed out his fire and returned to camp.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThey rode north, higher into the mountains to avoid the main trails. Using the back ways slowed them. Somehow more refugees found them, some from Takar, some from Thorad, even a handful from faraway Bloten, and the added numbers slowed them further.\n\nRain poured from the sky with such ferocity that Tenaj remarked that the gods must surely be weeping. Water dripped from the leaves, cut grooves into the paths, flowed until the travelers had not a thread of dry clothing left.\n\nEach morning Lyrralt woke wet and miserable. He searched the distant mountainside for new landslides. There was always at least one, an ugly scar marring the green slopes, a clay-colored wound where the earth had simply given up and let go. With each slide, he rode more nervously, wondering if the next one would be the one to come down on his head.\n\nThe path forked, narrowed to a ledge, and disappeared around a bare cliff face toward a roaring waterfall. To the northeast, the path went around the same cliff, wide and smooth as it meandered toward Thordyn Pass.\n\nThey climbed down and gathered around a map, which Jyrbian hunched over and held as tightly against his body as possible to shield it from the rain. It was old, probably inaccurate, but was all they had. This part of the mountains was all bare cliff faces and rocky outcroppings. No one would need a map of it, except thieves and criminals.\n\nLyrralt peered over his brother's shoulder. The path to the east was nearly twice as long and wound through a narrow valley that would make an excellent spot for ambush, if the tree cover was good.\n\n\"I think we should take the west path.\" Jyrbian folded the map and put it away in his saddlebag.\n\nLyrralt quickly remounted, his heart beating as loudly as the rain thrummed on the leaves overhead. By the time he was settled, Butyr and Everlyn were arguing for the easier path.\n\n\"Jyrbian, it's still raining. That path will be dangerous.\"\n\n\"And least likely to hold an ambush, besides being half the distance,\" Jyrbian said firmly.\n\nLyrralt let out his breath, relieved that Jyrbian had the presence of mind to resist Everlyn. He edged his horse toward the narrow path.\n\nThe rain had eased to a trickle, coating the trail with a layer of moisture. The rocky path was bare and slick, so narrow that their legs would brush the granite wall. They would be forced to ride single file. And it would be easy for a horse to slip, for the slick hooves to skid, for a rider to tumble down the cliff's side...\n\n\"What do you think?\"\n\nLyrralt turned to find Igraine beside him. The Ogre was watching him with a solemn, penetrating gaze. Looking at _him_ , not the trail, as if he could see deep into his heart.\n\nThe hieroglyphs woke on his arm, writhed and itched. \"It's very narrow. Slippery and treacherous. But it is shorter, and\u2014\"\n\n\"Still you favor it?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" Lyrralt said, looking away, suddenly sure that Igraine knew what he was planning, knew he was thinking how easy it would be, once they were on the narrow ridge, for Igraine's horse to plunge accidentally over the edge.\n\n\"I'm glad you agree, Brother,\" Jyrbian said as he pushed past, his horse nudging Lyrralt's aside.\n\nLyrralt looked back and saw Everlyn, Khallayne and Tenaj, and behind them, two of the newcomers, Bakrell and Kaede. Butyr was farther back, scowling, talking with large gestures to one of his cousins.\n\nTwo of the Ogres who always loudly supported Jyrbian, who had established themselves as sword-masters, pushed past before Lyrralt could close the gap. \"After you, Lord,\" Lyrralt said when the two were past and motioned courteously for Igraine to precede him.\n\n#\n\n**They rode out onto the ledge**.\n\nThe fear they all felt was like the gray mist, thick enough to see, to taste. Lyrralt forced himself to concentrate on Igraine's broad back, to watch for an opportunity.\n\nThe ledge on which they rode was so narrow that they loosened grit and pebbles from the cliff face with each step of their horses.\n\n_No going back_.\n\nLyrralt tore his gaze from Igraine and settled on the immense gulf of open air between him and the ground below.\n\n_No going back_. The words beat a refrain in his mind.\n\nThe roar of the river, the rushing of the waterfall, the pounding of his own heart, made a song to Hiddukel. In tempo to it, he whispered a chant aimed at Igraine and the horse he rode. He urged his horse forward, as close to Igraine's as he dared.\n\nIgraine's horse shied, indication that Lyrralt's chant was working. It whipped its glossy mane back and forth, then stopped, lowering its rump preparatory to rearing. Igraine stiffened, fought against the fear that enveloped him. Somehow, he kept his head, restrained the horse.\n\nLyrralt chanced releasing his reins and touched his shoulder, drawing on the magic of the runes. He could feel the power flowing through him, out of him, streaming toward the Ogre and beast ahead.\n\nA scream! Lyrralt started, then froze, every muscle in his body seizing up. The magic of the runes died, cut off abruptly.\n\n\"Don't stop! Keep moving!\" The words echoed, came from somewhere far away, perhaps originating from ahead, perhaps from behind. Perhaps it was Jyrbian's voice. Perhaps his own.\n\nMore screams broke through, more than one voice. There was a crack, like a whip striking the cliff face, and pebbles rained down on his back. More screams were followed by a horrible sound of a rider and horse falling, somewhere behind him. The screaming died away and ended abruptly with the sickening, bone-cracking thud of bodies slamming into rock.\n\nLyrralt's horse, responding to the terror of the other animal, tried to bolt. Its hooves scrabbled for purchase on the path. The rider behind him cried out.\n\nLyrralt grabbed for the cliff face with one hand, yanked at the reins with the other, tightened his grip on his mount, and prayed for the animal to regain its footing.\n\nThe rider behind him cried out again as Lyrralt's horse stumbled backward.\n\nLyrralt nails tore as he grabbed for an outcropping of rock, a crevice, anything. He kicked out. His fingers found only slick stone. Then he was free, hanging by his fingertips in the air.\n\nHis body slammed back into the wall. As breath whooshed out of his lungs, his grip on the sharp rock broke, and he knew momentum was going to carry him over the cliff.\n\nSomething\u2014someone\u2014caught him. Strong hands encircled his wrist and yanked him forward. He danced for firm footing, found it, and looked up into Igraine's eyes. His face taut, Igraine held his wrist firmly, held his arm stretched at a painful angle across the backside of his horse, as he tried to control the animal, tried to keep his own precarious balance.\n\n\"Don't let go!\" Lyrralt gasped.\n\nIgraine gave a single shake of his head and pulled harder, righting himself and steadying the horse with a mighty effort.\n\nMuscles stretched to the breaking point, Lyrralt lowered himself until his feet found the path. He would have fainted but for the pain coursing through his body, but for the steely gray eyes locked with his, holding both of them upright almost by sheer will.\n\n\"Slowly...\" Igraine said tensely, looking back down the trail. \"Slowly. Climb up behind me. Now! Climb up!\" Igraine pulled on his wounded arm.\n\nLyrralt gasped as pain shot through his joints.\n\nBehind him, someone screamed. Something slapped against the cliff above him. Pebbles rained down on his back. It was starting all over again!\n\nMore screams, more pebbles. A fist-sized rock struck his shoulder. Something hit Igraine, and he let go.\n\nLyrralt fell back and flattened himself against the granite cliff. Tentacles, ghastly yellow and banded with brown, fleshy rings, were reaching up from beneath the ledge, slithering along the path, searching, tapping the space between riders. When they didn't find anything, first one tentacle, then another, reared back and hammered the wall, sending a shower of pebbles and rocks exploding outward.\n\nAs the tentacles returned to their searching, Lyrralt realized he could hear a slavering, gurgling hiss. He reached for his arm, closing his fingers over the runes for strength. He closed his eyes and whispered to Hiddukel, asking for a shield, something to disguise his body from the slithering arms.\n\nA scream louder and more terrible than any before broke his concentration. His eyes snapped open. The tentacles found a victim! As Lyrralt watched, the arms plucked a rider and horse from the ledge and dragged them over and down, out of sight.\n\nThe sounds that followed were indescribable. Lyrralt's stomach lurched and would not be denied. Clinging to the cliff, he bent at the knees and vomited over the side.\n\n\"We must move. Quickly.\" Igraine had turned around on his horse, his hand extended.\n\nHe seemed to be very far away. The distance from Lyrralt to the back of the horse seemed insurmountable. Lyrralt shook his head. \"I can't.\"\n\n\"Can you walk?\"\n\nLyrralt nodded. He stepped, clutched the wall tighter, and inched forward. His feet were numb. One step. Another. Somehow his legs supported him. His arm, though aching, held on to the cliff.\n\nAfter a moment, Igraine gently urged his horse onward.\n\nLyrralt dared to look back at the Ogre on the path behind him. They nodded at each other as Lyrralt forced himself to take another step, then another, another.\n\nThe rain had started again, drops so huge that he could feel them roll down his neck. They soaked the ledge. Still he forced his legs to carry him on, concentrating on just one step at a time.\n\nIt seemed that days passed before the ledge began to widen and he stepped off the shelf. He rushed forward, past Jyrbian, past Igraine, past Khallayne's outstretched hand, past the riders who had stopped ahead of him. He didn't stop until there was solid ground for twenty feet all around him, trees blocking the view down the mountainside. There he fell to his knees and retched helplessly.\n\nWhen he finally looked up, it was Igraine who had dismounted and was coming to help him, Igraine's hands that held his shoulders, supported his head. Then there were others, supporting his body, someone gently wiping his face with a soft cloth, another Ogre handing him wine to rinse his mouth.\n\nShamed to his core, he pushed everyone away, stood on his own, and found himself surrounded by concerned faces, Igraine, Everlyn, Khallayne, Tenaj, Everlyn's Aunt Naej.\n\n\"I thought we were going to lose you,\" Igraine said with a smile, evidence of how pleased he was that they had not.\n\n\"I was just ahead,\" Khallayne said. \"I saw your horse go over, and I could tell there was a problem, but I didn't know what happened.\"\n\n\"He saved Lord Igraine!\" the Ogre who had been behind Lyrralt on the trail said.\n\n\"What!\" The word was spoken by a chorus of voices, Lyrralt's among them.\n\nThe runes on his arm roused, clamped down, burned. \"I didn't\u2014!\" Lyrralt protested. He looked at Igraine's face, saw only a serene smile there, instead of irritation for the mistaken idea. \"Igraine saved me!\"\n\nThe mumbling died down. The crowd turned to Igraine, waiting for his response.\n\n\"I'd say we saved each other.\" Igraine clasped Lyrralt on the shoulder.\n\nThere were words of approval from the crowd. Some reached out to touch Lyrralt, to pat him, to murmur wordless awe and approbation. He had saved and been saved by Igraine. It was almost as if they felt that by touching him, they touched Igraine and took for themselves a blessing, a charm of protection.\n\nLyrralt, ignoring the seething runes, was amazed by their warmth.\n\nAs the Ogres began to drift back to their horses, ready to move on, Lyrralt looked up.\n\nJyrbian sat on his horse, looking away toward the horizon, his face dispassionate, expressionless. Lyrralt realized that, of all the hands that had reached out to help him, his own brother's had not been among them.\n\nJyrbian looked down at him finally and said, \"Are you going to stand there all day?\" He spurred his horse. The huge animal gave a lurch in Lyrralt's direction, then wheeled and headed up the trail.\n\n* * * * *\n\n\"Lyrralt will be one of the ones to go. It's his horse we need to replace.\" Jyrbian's voice, speaking with the authority of one who knew he would not be disputed, echoed in Lyrralt's thoughts as he and his entourage of fourteen rode into the human settlement.\n\nSince the deaths on the trail, Jyrbian _wasn't_ likely to be disputed. His loudest detractor, Butyr, had been the first one dragged from the ledge to gruesome death. Lyrralt, who was exalted for having been saved by the grace of the gods and the intercession of Igraine, hadn't even tried to argue, though he had not wanted to make the trip into Nerat for supplies and information.\n\nThe three weeks of travel since the deaths of those on the cliff trail had been long and tedious. Lyrralt had watched, planned, waited for another chance to do his god's bidding, but the opportunity eluded him. Now Igraine was always encircled by a group extolling his brave actions.\n\nLyrralt himself was sought out, admired. Perhaps, he reflected ruefully, that was why Jyrbian had insisted he lead the group into Nerat. Perhaps Jyrbian didn't want anyone else becoming popular and powerful.\n\nObviously relishing his leadership of the refugees, Jyrbian was trying to pattern his mannerisms after Igraine.\n\nLyrralt had watched his brother, day after day, pulling a mask over his natural cynicism, forcing out calm, gentle words where harsh ones would have been more comfortable on his lips, striving to show a face that would prove worthy of Igraine's approbation... and Everlyn's love.\n\nUnfortunately, the latter eluded him. Igraine might smile at Jyrbian and nod approvingly, but his daughter seemed oblivious to Jyrbian, impervious to all his smiles and courtly bows.\n\nAs the party rode into Nerat, down the middle of the main street, all human eyes, hostile and cold, turned on them. This burg was nothing like Thorad. It was a poor, dusty collection of unmatched buildings, a few made of stone, some rotting wood, and some apparently made of nothing more than mud and sticks.\n\nLyrralt and his people were accustomed to humans as slaves, dispirited and harmless, their wills broken, all resistance crushed. These humans didn't appear to be any of those things.\n\nLyrralt chose a ramshackle building that appeared to be a merchant center and motioned for half his party to accompany him and the other half to remain with the animals.\n\nThe inside of the wooden building smelled abominably of human sweat and unclean flesh, of unfinished, weathered wood and mysterious human spices. It was dark, lit by only the light from two dirty windows and lanterns in each corner. The single room was piled with bags and boxes of merchandise, shelves stacked with unmarked earthen containers.\n\n\"We don't want your kind in here,\" a harsh, guttural human voice said from behind the counter, which ran the width of the back of the room. Behind it were more shelves, these containing bottles of ale and wine.\n\nLyrralt, whose eyes were still adjusting after the noon sun's brightness, could barely make out the lean figure of a male human, fists propped on the bar. The human had long, dark hair curling about his shoulders and shorter hair across his entire face.\n\nBecause of the hostility, the outright hate in the human's voice, Kaede, hand on the hilt of her sword, started forward. Lyrralt stopped her unobtrusively.\n\nIgraine and Everlyn had both spoken with him on the trail, warning him of reacting too severely to the hostility they were sure to encounter in Nerat. They had been extremely forceful in their opinion that the humans should be dealt with fairly and respectfully.\n\nLyrralt said coldly, \"We have coin. We require supplies and information. We can pay handsomely. And we offer information in return.\" Igraine had told him to say that, too.\n\n\"I said we don't\u2014\" The human who had spoken first began again, his tone even more rude, even louder than before, but another cut him off.\n\n\"Turk... Let's hear what he has to say.\" The speaker was taller and leaner than the first human, and even uglier. He had a small circular hat perched on his thin head.\n\nHe motioned for the angry human to step back, then turned to the group of Ogres. \"We don't get many Ogre _customers_. The only time your kind visits Nerat, it's to steal our children.\"\n\nEverlyn stepped forward, her palms extended. \"Please, we mean no harm. We're not like that. We are...\" She paused, obviously searching for some way to explain. Finding no single word, she used many, quickly explaining the actions of Eadamm, the philosophy of Igraine, and how they had happened to be on the plains.\n\nThe human grunted when she had finished. \"Uh. I'd heard something like that. Didn't believe it, though.\"\n\n\"We need horses, five or ten, as many as you can sell us,\" said Lyrralt. \"And supplies. Dried meat, flour, sugar, salt.\"\n\n\"Wine,\" said Tenaj from behind him.\n\n\"And we need to know about the land around here. What lies north? And east?\" As he was speaking, Lyrralt pulled money from his pocket, displaying a handful of steel and copper coins.\n\nThe human's eyes, which had grown narrow and suspicious at his questions, now glinted. He was no different from an Ogre merchant in that respect. \"Get the supplies.\" He motioned for the one named Turk to bring the items Lyrralt had listed. \"There's maybe three horses in the village for sale, I guess. No more.\"\n\nTurk, who had stomped away to do as he was told, now returned. He slammed a heavy, dusty sack onto the counter, and glared at Lyrralt and Everlyn with such anger in his eyes that Lyrralt would have liked to hack his eyeballs from his head.\n\nHe touched the dagger hidden at his waist inside the flowing folds of his cloak. The movement was not lost on the humans.\n\n\"Turk was a slave in Thorden,\" the taller human explained without any hint of apology in his voice. \"He has better reason than most to hate your kind. He lost his fingers during his slavery.\"\n\nAs Turk slammed another sack onto the first, he laid his arms on the top of it. It was true; he had no fingers on his left hand and only two on his right.\n\n\"Lost them?\" Turk growled and held up his scarred hands, first in the human's face, then waving them toward Everlyn and Lyrralt. \"My master\"\u2014he spat the word, forming his right hand into a fist\u2014\"ate them. While I watched.\"\n\nEverlyn flushed. Lyrralt shrugged. An Ogre might do as he or she pleased with property. Just the same, he turned away from the sight of the man's missing fingers.\n\n\"Get someone else to serve them.\" Turk slammed his fist into the bag of flour once more before stomping away.\n\n\"We'll do it ourselves,\" Tenaj said softly, moving toward the sacks.\n\nLyrralt was surprised to see that her face bore the same compassion as Everlyn's.\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne sat on a row of rocks at the edge of the camp and stared at the flat line of the horizon. Even after days of existence on the plains, she wasn't accustomed to the eternal flatness.\n\nA few feet away, Jelindra and Nomryh worked at starting fires and extinguishing them. Jelindra had progressed at an amazing pace, but her brother was having more trouble with the fundamentals of magic.\n\n\"No, no, Nomryh,\" Khallayne admonished. \"You're depending too much on the incantation. Try to _feel_ it. Try to forget the words and feel the power.\"\n\nHe nodded and bent to a small, cleared space with a pile of dry grass in the center.\n\nKhallayne went back to gazing at the horizon. For all her life, she'd lived in the mountains, where even the largest valley was ringed with mountains. She found the flatness of the land, the infinity of it stretching away, frightening and fascinating.\n\nShe felt what the gods must have felt, looking down on Krynn in the beginning. Away from the camp, with only her two charges and the soft murmuring of the spells for company, she felt small and inconsequential.\n\n\"Khallayne?\" Jyrbian slid down on the rocks several feet away. \"I was watching you work with the children.\"\n\n\"Are you having trouble with your magic?\" She patted the rocks closer to her, beckoning him closer.\n\nHe nodded, looking so dismayed that she laughed. \"It took me two hundred years, Jyrbian. You can't expect to master it in a few weeks.\"\n\n\"I know.\" He shifted nearer. \"It's just that I've come so far...\"\n\nShe understood exactly. \"For two hundred years, I tortured human mages, extorting their knowledge from them. But until the battle in the forest, I didn't understand.\" She turned sideways, drawing her knees up. \"Human magic and Ogre magic are vastly different. I didn't realize that I was hampering my own abilities by relying on the human requirements for incantation and spell components.\"\n\nHe was following every word, but she saw that he didn't really comprehend.\n\n\"I'm sorry, Jyrbian. I can't explain any better than I already have. You just have to let go. You must trust your own intuition.\"\n\nShe held out her fist and popped her fingers open. Puffballs danced in her palm, like those on the tops of the nearby grasses, except that hers glowed at the center. \"Try to _feel_ it. I can't tell you any more than that.\"\n\nHe held out his fist, concentrated, and opened his fingers. There was nothing there.\n\nShe smiled at his crestfallen expression. It was harder for him than most. The mighty warrior Jyrbian was not accustomed to failure.\n\n\"It'll come, Jyrbian. It'll come the way it did for me. And Jelindra.\"\n\nHe was no longer paying her any attention. He was looking eastward, where the line of sky and land was broken by a group of riders on horseback.\n\n\"Look!\" she called to her students, pointing.\n\n\"It's only Lady Everlyn and the others,\" Nomryh protested.\n\nKhallayne looked at him sternly. \"Yes, I believe so, too. But what should we do?\"\n\n\"Run and alert the sentries. Sound the alarm.\" He spoke in a tired voice, by rote.\n\n\"Very good.\" _Khallayne_ took pity on them, shooed them away. \"Go tell the sentries as you're supposed to. Then go and play for a while before supper. You've done enough for today.\"\n\nThe two hurried away, their energy already renewed.\n\nJyrbian, too, stood. \"I'd better go and see what they've found out.\" He held out his hand to help her to her feet, but she demurred.\n\n\"I think I'll stay a while longer.\"\n\nThe clamor of the camp rose as Lyrralt and his group rode in, leading three new horses loaded with supplies. Everyone came over to see what had been brought back, to hear the news, everyone except for Kaede. She left the camp, a shawl folded over her arm.\n\nKhallayne watched lazily, observing the ebb and flow of the crowd, Kaede's wandering. Kaede roamed far out onto the plain, then bent down.\n\nKhallayne sat up straight and shaded her eyes with her hand. She could see Kaede's arms moving up and down, as though digging.\n\nKaede must be digging for roots. Some of the Ogre cooks had been experimenting with roots and berries and grasses, looking for something to flavor the monotonous meals. So far, dried meat, boiled and mixed with greens and herbs, still tasted like dried meat.\n\nStill, Khallayne sat there, staring out over the plains, waiting for the golden disk of the sun to slowly drop toward the dark meeting point of land and sky.\n\nThe humans attacked at dusk.\n\n#\n\n**For a moment, Khallayne's mind refused to be drawn away**. The violent sounds seemed unreal, far away.\n\nHumans erupted from the grass, screaming and yelling, like fish leaping from beneath the peaceful waters of a pool. The pounding of horses, the screams from camp, the sudden peal of blade against blade, all were background.\n\nThen reality intruded, and Khallayne leapt to her feet with a gasp. Humans were attacking!\n\nShe ran, the pumping of her blood thrumming in her ears, fuel to the coursing of the magic. By the time she reached the encampment, the humans were fiercely engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with the Ogres. They had attacked the east perimeter of the camp.\n\nPower coiled in her belly, ready to be unleashed. The fighting was so close, there seemed no way to set it free without danger to her own.\n\nThis was no ragtag band of runaway slaves, wielding homemade weapons and crude spears. These warriors rode into the line of Ogre defense, laying about with axe and mace. They ran, sword in hand. Archers knelt just outside the light of the campfires and let fly arrows feathered with the colors of the prairie.\n\nKhallayne wheeled in time to see a female Ogre run down by a grinning, snarling human on horseback. He crushed her skull with one blow of his heavy mace, then wheeled his mount toward other fighters.\n\nShe snatched up the fallen Ogre's sword and ran toward the human. He swung at her, and she felt air whistle past her face. His horse danced sideways, and he jerked it around.\n\nAs he charged again, she darted in under his weapon and grabbed his leg, sent magic whooshing out through her fingertips. She had no idea what she was doing. She felt the power, as she had in Khal-Theraxian, as she had in the forest. And as before, the power served her without direction.\n\nThe human screamed, fell from his horse, and lay writhing in the dirt, begging for mercy as he died. Without a backward glance, Khallayne threw down the sword.\n\nAnother sword sliced through the air. Materializing as if from thin air, Tenaj met the low, whistling swing and deflected it from Khallayne with her sword. Her next movement ripped open the gut of the man, left him standing with his hand pressed to his bleeding stomach, his expression comically surprised. Before Khallayne could say anything, Tenaj had wheeled toward an opening in the line of defenders, blocking to prevent another attacker from slipping through.\n\nKhallayne pivoted. In the thick of the fighting she saw Jyrbian. He was standing his ground, seemingly invincible. Lyrralt fought near him, meeting the human attackers with the same ferocity as his brother.\n\nAll around them, the others were rallying to him. She ran toward them. The humans were being driven back!\n\nAs Khallayne struck out at the nearest human, Everlyn ran past, weaponless. Khallayne darted to intercept her, past sword thrusts and under swinging axes, but Everlyn reached Jyrbian first. She threw herself between him and the human he was fighting, a husky, hard-muscled human who held his weapon awkwardly because of missing fingers on his sword hand.\n\nJyrbian dropped his guard, and the human was so surprised at seeing an Ogre throw out her arms to shield him, that he didn't take immediate advantage of the situation.\n\n\"Please stop!\" Everlyn cried.\n\n\"Everlyn! Get out of the way!\" He reached out to snatch her aside.\n\nShe evaded him, still using her body to protect the human. She reached out and shoved the human who was fighting Lyrralt. The woman warrior was so surprised, she almost dropped her weapon.\n\nLyrralt, however, didn't. He stepped in, lifting his mace high over his shoulder.\n\nBefore he could knock the woman's head from her shoulders, Igraine stopped him. He stepped in front of Lyrralt, raising a hand in front of Lyrralt's mace.\n\nWith a glance at her father, Everlyn dropped her arms and said simply, \"We have to stop the fighting.\" Despite the softness of her voice, the words carried to the others.\n\nOn both sides, the attacks slowed until, all along the line, humans and Ogres stood warily still, breathing heavily, weapons frozen but held at the ready.\n\n\"Please...\" Everlyn turned to Turk, the human who had shown her his crippled hand in Nerat. \"This is not what we came here for. Please, stop the fighting. We mean you no harm.\"\n\n\"Ogres always mean harm!\" he snarled, thrusting his maimed hand into her face.\n\nJyrbian growled as Everlyn closed her fingers over the man's hand, showing him tenderness. Disgusted, Jyrbian reached for Everlyn, but Igraine stepped between them.\n\n\"We aren't like that,\" Everlyn told Turk, meeting his shocked gaze unflinchingly. \"That's why we're here, because we\u2014we _choose_ not to keep slaves, not to harm others. That's why we've been driven from our homes.\"\n\nTurk pulled his hand away from her. \"You'll not find a welcome here. Too many have died, or worse, at the hands of your kind.\"\n\n\"Then we'll go,\" Igraine spoke for the first time, laying a hand on his daughter's shoulder. \"Put away your arms. Leave us, and tomorrow we'll be on our way. We want no more killing. We want only a place to make a home in peace.\"\n\nKhallayne looked up and down the line and saw that Igraine's words found support, even among the humans. They had begun to lower their weapons, to stand down from their tense posture. She felt the pressure easing.\n\nTurk looked at Everlyn. \"Is this the truth?\" he demanded of her. \"Will you leave, without further harm to any of my people?\"\n\nBefore Jyrbian, or any of the dozen or so others who seemed about to answer, could speak, she nodded emphatically. \"Yes. I promise.\"\n\nTurk gestured abruptly, and the humans began to withdraw.\n\n\"I'll take your word on this,\" Turk warned Everlyn, \"though I may be crazy to do so. But if you break your word...\"\n\nWithout completing the sentence, he backed away. As quickly, as silently, as they had come, the humans melted back into the plain, taking their fallen with them, leaving behind a band of dazed Ogres. If not for their few dead and wounded, Khallayne could almost believe the fight had never happened.\n\n\"What...?\" Even Jyrbian, usually so authoritative, so sure of himself, was at a loss.\n\n\"What have you done?\" Lyrralt asked finally, in a silence so profound that all could hear his words. \"Why did you stop the fight? We should have killed them all!\"\n\n\"Is that what you've learned from my father? Is that who you want to be, after all we've been through?\" Everlyn asked with quiet strength.\n\nObviously struggling to understand, Jyrbian said, \" _They_ attacked us.\"\n\nKaede appeared at Jyrbian's elbow, a bloody dagger in her hand. \"They're humans.\" If she had said \"animals\" or \"dung,\" her voice could not have portrayed more disdain, more contempt. \"And they attacked us without provocation.\"\n\nKhallayne remembered that Kaede had left the camp. She tried to remember if she had seen Kaede during the fighting.\n\n\"They have _reason_ to hate us,\" Igraine was saying softly, \"after all that we have done to them.\"\n\nJyrbian opened his mouth to disagree with Igraine, to agree with Kaede. Humans were stupid and savage, good for nothing but slavery. And as for humans who would attempt to kill Ogres... his hatred, his lust to kill them boiled over inside. But Everlyn was watching. Sweet, kind, gentle Everlyn, who seemed so fragile that surely his rage could burn her up.\n\nVisibly he controlled his emotions and was rewarded with a smile that warmed his heart. But when he stepped toward her, as usual she turned away.\n\nKaede put her hand on Jyrbian's, her breast against his arm and gazed up at him with all the heat, the desire, he wished to see in Everlyn's eyes.\n\nHe turned away. \"We cannot go on this way,\" he said, facing Igraine.\n\nKhallayne stepped forward. Lyrralt was at her elbow. Bakrell, also, seemed to have appeared from nowhere, clutching a bloody weapon, as his sister had.\n\nToning his words with respect, Jyrbian said, \"Now is the time to speak of the future. We've been running. Now you want us to run again, this time from a pack of puny humans. We could have vanquished them, made slaves of them! Built a new place here.\"\n\nThere was only a minimum of mumbled agreement and much shaking of heads from those around him, but none spoke out. They waited for Igraine to respond.\n\nEverlyn, her face flushed, eyes narrowed, said hotly, \"You've learned nothing! Slavery is an evil thing! We can never build\u2014\"\n\nIgraine hushed her with a glance. \"We must find our own place,\" he said, softly, then he repeated it in a louder voice for those at the back of the crowd. \"And we must build it ourselves. Of our own sweat, not on the misery of others.\"\n\n\"You mean, no slaves?\" Lyrralt stared at Igraine in disbelief. The preaching of kindness and generosity in order to increase production from slaves had seemed bad enough. But this...!\n\n\"Lyrralt. It's wrong to take a person from his home, from his family. It's wrong to lock a man away, take away his freedom.\" Everlyn touched his arm, as compassionately as she'd touched the human.\n\nJyrbian's expression changed into one of jealousy and desire.\n\nLyrralt stared at her as he had stared at Igraine, as if he'd discovered someone, or something, he'd never seen before.\n\nIgraine's persuasive words filled the silence. \"If we don't change our ways, we're doomed. Did you\u2014all of you!\u2014not see it in Takar?\" He swept his arms wide.\n\nThere was murmured assent. \"Did you not feel the hopelessness, the uselessness in your lives?\" Jyrbian looked around at the crowd, saw the eager faces, the fevered eyes.\n\nIgraine's voice took on a compelling, urgent quality. \"Can you not see what our kind will become if we continue on that misbegotten path? Have you ever felt more alive, living as we have these past few weeks, than in all of your miserable lives before?\"\n\nHe had them now, their hearts and minds. The surge of joy, of faith from his followers, was almost tangible to behold. \"We will leave in the morning.\" he said. \"We will find a place of our own, where we can be safe and happy.\"\n\nThe crowd sighed. The Ogres, arms around their loved ones, began to drift away.\n\nEverlyn went with her father, without a glance for Jyrbian, who would have followed her had Lyrralt not caught his arm and pulled him back.\n\n\"Is this heresy what he has been preaching all along, about not having slaves?\" Lyrralt accused his brother, his glance taking in Khallayne, too.\n\nJyrbian shrugged, watching Everlyn's disappearing back. \"I've been too busy to sit around Igraine's feet like a doting child.\" He turned away.\n\nThe others also walked away, leaving only Khallayne and Bakrell to hear Lyrralt's horrified voice. \"This is madness! It was bad enough when he was talking about 'choosing for yourself.' Now he wants you to live as humans live, digging in the dirt for food, building miserable clay huts with your own hands! Don't you even care?\"\n\n\"Do you? Care, I mean?\" Bakrell peered closely into Lyrralt's eyes as if to gauge the sincerity of his answer.\n\n\"Well, I don't care,\" Khallayne said, before Lyrralt could answer.\n\n\"You don't care as long as you can practice your heretical magic!\"\n\nShe met his angry gaze with an expression of equal determination. How long since she'd thought of her magic as a thing to be hidden away? As a wrongness? Any philosophy, heretical or not, was worth the peace and joy and sense of belonging of the past weeks. She shrugged, looking eerily like Jyrbian a moment earlier. \"You're right. I don't much care about his philosophy, one way _or_ the other.\"\n\nShe turned and walked away, leaving Lyrralt alone with a renewed conviction that he must act soon, whether a good opportunity presented itself or not. He had been looking for a safe moment to kill Igraine, one that would allow him to escape before his deed was discovered. Perhaps he would have to die in the act.\n\nThe runes hummed approvingly on his skin.\n\n* * * * *\n\nFear. The face was there, and it was her own. But it wasn't. The pale sea-green complexion, which had always drawn men to her like bees to honey, was mottled, as splotchy and knotted as tree bark. The black eyes were dull and stupid and humorless. But they were hers.\n\nScreaming woke her. The sound so nearly matched the images of her nightmare that for long moments, Khallayne lay, twisted in her blanket, wrapped in screams that seemed to be her own, except...\n\nThe screaming went on and on, growing louder then ending abruptly in a silence more terrible than all the noise.\n\nThinking, at last, that the voice crying out in terror had been Jelindra's and not her own, Khallayne leapt to her feet, stumbling as her blanket caught around her ankles.\n\nAcross the campfire Tenaj and Lyrralt each fought free of their blankets, too. Nearer the tent where Igraine slept, Jyrbian tossed off his blankets with a curse that woke more people. \"What in the name of Sargonnas is happening now?\"\n\nBefore anyone could answer, a new scream ripped through the air. Without hesitation, Jyrbian drew his sword and wheeled in the direction of the disturbance. But his sword would be of no use against the thing that had sprung into the air, conjured out of nothing. Or maybe there was more than one. Khallayne wasn't sure.\n\nAs Jyrbian charged, slashing with his sword, the cloud that rose into the sky might have been one or twenty creatures. The faces of it changed rapidly. The monster was catlike, snakelike, fanged, black-mawed, a rock, mere mist. There were two, then one, then a mass of them, writhing like snakes streaming from their winter cave into the spring sun.\n\nJyrbian's sword sank into flesh and mist. An appendage, flickering between long, slithery tentacle and claw-tipped, gnarled horror, reached out and threw Jyrbian backward twenty feet. He landed in a heap and was still.\n\nKhallayne started toward him, and Tenaj grabbed her, hauling her back. \"Forget him!\"\n\nThe creature was smaller now, more solid, more deadly, but still moving slowly, dreamlike, almost loving in its gestures, as it grasped a female Ogre around the neck with its impossibly long fingers. She tried to scream, but all that came out was gurgling, then abruptly no sound at all.\n\nThe cloud creature had gained in substance while the living being had become a flimsy husk, lifeless, no more substantial than paper.\n\nThere were new cries from about the camp as more Ogres awakened to find their view of the stars blotted out by the gruesome creature. Lords and ladies who had, weeks before, known a dagger only as a jeweled object to decorate a belt, took up their ceremonial swords and their crude pikes and prepared to fight.\n\nKhallayne knew their courage would do them no good. Hadn't Jyrbian just proved that? She could sense Tenaj collecting her power, could hear the murmured words of a spell forming on the other Ogre's lips. Tenaj was still only learning things Khallayne had practiced as a child, still tentative about the power inside her. Khallayne realized she had to help.\n\nThe cloud creature turned on them. Its features were two, three, a dozen frightening faces, shifting until they were one, multiplying again, then melting into something ugly and monstrous and monolithic.\n\nKhallayne tried to close her eyes, tried to concentrate and bring up her own power. She couldn't. She couldn't move a muscle. Even her eyelids refused to budge, to blot out the dreamlike movement, the painfully slow change of features, from one to many. Chameleonlike. Dreamlike.\n\nTenaj finished her spell, the words to a \"banishing\" spell hurled at the creature with all the neophyte force she could muster.\n\nThe thing wavered in the air, then reared and moved in their direction, all teeth and roaring maw. It leapt at them, like a snake coiling and striking.\n\nIn the instant before it struck, Khallayne perceived its true nature. Fifty feet away, maybe seventy, the tenuous, smokelike tail that tethered the cloud creature to the earth was connected to a sleeping form. In the center of pandemonium, in the middle of the attack, Jelindra slept. The creature issued from her. And it was Jelindra's voice that had wakened Khallayne...\n\nTenaj fell, struck by one of the writhing tentacles. She tried to regain her footing, but was dazed by the blow. She slipped. Her arms refused to support her weight as she tried to push herself back up.\n\nThe horrible, half-melted, half-monster face leered at Khallayne. The stench of filth and corruption filled her nostrils. The nearness of the thing freed her tightened muscles.\n\nShe flung up her hands, forming a shield to protect herself and Tenaj.\n\n\"Do something!\" Lyrralt materialized at her side, mace clutched in his fingers. He helped Tenaj to her feet, his tall, strong body bracing her, then grabbed Khallayne's shoulder. \"Stop the thing!\"\n\nKhallayne tried to tear herself from his steely grasp. The tips of each of his fingers pressed bruises into her flesh. The thing lunged at them again and rebounded off her shield. It struck again and was repelled again. It reared up into the night and screamed, a roar of fury and frustration. It turned on the warriors surrounding it, on Ogres who hadn't the power to shield themselves. It grabbed a young boy and lifted him, screaming and kicking, into the air.\n\nLyrralt shook Khallayne. \"Khallayne! Do something!\"\n\n\"Jelindra\u2014\" she managed to gasp. \"Jelindra's nightmare. Wake her.\" She pointed to the sleeping form, barely visible through the crowd.\n\nAt last comprehending, Lyrralt went into action. He leapt campfires, dodged confused, shouting Ogres, made it across the camp, and grabbed the sleeping Jelindra.\n\nHis touch was rough and abrupt. In response, the creature writhing in the air above his head roared, spewing fire and noxious smoke. The flame licked at Lyrralt's head and shoulders.\n\nKhallayne surged forward, sure he was about to be immolated. Just as she reached him, the creature disappeared. She blinked, blinked again.\n\nThe monster was gone, leaving dark sky and twinkling stars overhead as if nothing had happened. Jelindra was sitting up, clutching her blanket in her fists. Lyrralt, standing above her, mace still clutched in hand, was unharmed.\n\nThen Jelindra screamed, hideously, pitifully.\n\nKhallayne and Lyrralt wheeled in the direction of the child's stare, both expecting to find another monster.\n\nWhat they saw instead was Celise, Jelindra's mother. She was kneeling on the ground, weeping over the lifeless husk that had been Nomryh.\n\n#\n\n**\"Is Jyrbian all right?\" Khallayne asked Lyrralt as she wiped** at her forehead wearily.\n\nJelindra and Celise had been calmed at last, thanks to some wine, a little magic, and Igraine's comforting, soothing words.\n\nBakrell swaggered up in time to hear her question. \"He's making full complaint of an interesting bump on his head. Everlyn is patting his wrist, and my sister is fuming.\"\n\nHolding her injured arm against her side, Tenaj laughed, a bell-like peal as silvery as her eyes.\n\nBakrell looked at her with an appraising, appreciative expression that reminded Khallayne of the old Jyrbian, the one who had wooed her and every other woman at court with rowdy charm and high spirits. Now he had vanished behind a mask of authority, straining for the affection of a woman who paid him no attention.\n\nShe felt a moment's pang for that Jyrbian, that bygone world, then let it pass. Not for a return to that comfortable life would she give up the magic.\n\nThe crowd around Jyrbian parted. He walked with a slight limp, his arm around Everlyn's shoulders for support. His expression, beatific, was like nothing Khallayne had ever expected to see on his face.\n\nWhatever the extent of his injuries, at that moment he didn't seem to be suffering much. Just as Bakrell had said, Kaede was holding his elbow for support. Storm clouds in the sky could be no darker than the expression on her face.\n\n\"How's Jelindra?\" Everlyn asked, looking around for the child.\n\nKhallayne waited until the threesome was within hearing. \"She's better. Your father's with them.\"\n\n\"Do you really think she dreamed that monster?\" Jyrbian asked, his voice clipped.\n\n\"Yes, but you can't hold her responsible. She's only a child, and she's half mad with grief. And no one can control their dreams!\"\n\n\"If she caused that thing once... what do we do in the future?\" he asked. \"Let her accidentally kill us off one by one?\" His voice was less harsh, less accusing, but still bitter.\n\n\"I don't know.\"\n\n\"We could take turns at night watching her,\" Everlyn suggested. \"Surely, if it happens again, we can wake her up right away and break the spell.\"\n\n\"Or you can die, sucked dry, like her brother did.\"\n\nEverlyn slipped from under Jyrbian's arm, her face suddenly distant. \"I think I'll check on her.\"\n\n\"What about me?\" Jyrbian called after her, his voice playful. Only Lyrralt knew him well enough to sense the disappointment in his tone.\n\nEverlyn smiled back over her shoulder, her long hair tumbling like silk down her back. \"Surely you'll manage.\"\n\nThe warmth of her smile made him forget everything. He didn't notice Kaede's expression slipping from troubled to bleak. Without glancing at Kaede, Jyrbian limped toward his bedroll.\n\nWith a longing glance at Jyrbian's back, Kaede turned to Bakrell. She motioned for him to stay with the group. He caught her arm and wordlessly held her for a moment.\n\n\"Keep them occupied,\" she whispered.\n\nReluctantly, he nodded and went back to Khallayne's side as Kaede went to her bedroll for a shawl and a small package.\n\nAs Kaede slipped out of camp, she saw that Bakrell was still in the center of the group, drawing their attention with his questions and conversation.\n\nSince the human attack near Nerat, the Ogres had been posting sentries at night. Kaede and Bakrell had taken turns, sitting outside the perimeter of the camp and watching the darkness. But someone could have slipped out\u2014or in.\n\nKaede pulled the dark shawl over her bright hair and crept away from the camp, heading out onto the plain. Solinari was just rising, offering a pale, cold light on the horizon. She walked through the tall grass, damp with dew, until the fires of the camp were mere twinkles in the distance, until the only sounds were the rustling of grass and the chirp of nightbirds.\n\nShe searched until she came to a small rise. Beyond it, she dug a hole and planted the small package. There were no rocks on the plain, as there had been in the mountains, so she marked the place by pulling up all the grass around it for the width of her two hands. Then she set a small spell on it, a beacon for anyone who knew how to search.\n\nBrushing grass and dirt off her pants, she rose and started back to camp. Voices, so nearby that she could understand what they were saying, interrupted the quiet, sibilant whisper of the breeze.\n\nKaede dropped to the ground, flat on her belly, waiting for the voices to start over. In a moment, a female's soft voice broke the silence.\n\n\"I'm here.\"\n\nAn equally soft, male voice answered.\n\nThe female's voice again. \"Oh, Love, it's you who've come.\"\n\nThis time Kaede recognized it. In spite of the pleasurable tone she'd never heard coloring Everlyn's speech, she knew it was Everlyn's voice! And in a lover's clandestine meeting!\n\nHer heart caught in her throat as the male voice responded. She couldn't hear it well enough to identify it. Praying that it wouldn't be Jyrbian, she raised herself cautiously for a better look.\n\n* * * * *\n\nBakrell was sitting on her bedroll when Kaede slipped back into camp, waiting for her with a tense expression on his face.\n\nShe glanced about, checking that no one appeared overly interested in their conversation before leaning close. \"Bakrell, you won't believe what I've discovered about Everlyn!\" she whispered.\n\nHe looked at her flushed face, at the exhilaration shining in her eyes. Her lips were pulled back in an intense smile. \"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Kaede.\"\n\nThe caution, the disapproval in his voice, dimmed her enthusiasm.\n\n\"I was wondering... if you haven't forgotten why we came here.\" He looked first at her, then at his own hands, clasped in his lap.\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Just what I said.\" He edged closer to her. \"I was wondering, considering the way you feel about Jyrbian and all, if you've\u2014\"\n\n\"I haven't forgotten anything!\" Kaede glared at him, slapping away the conciliatory hand he extended. \"I've searched and searched, but I'm convinced that Jyrbian is the one. Why do you think I keep running after him?\"\n\nBakrell lifted an eyebrow at her and smiled.\n\n\"All right,\" she admitted. \"I do want him for other reasons. What's wrong with that? That only makes it more convincing. I haven't forgotten why I came here, and I resent\u2014\"\n\n\"Kaede.\" He stopped her by gently placing his fingers over her mouth. \"Slow down. You misunderstand. I wasn't accusing you. I was\u2014I've been thinking. This life really isn't so bad, is it? I mean, it's pretty exciting, and we can do as we please. And I was just thinking maybe we shouldn't cause any trouble...\"\n\n\"I have no intentions of causing trouble,\" she said sweetly, and pushed him off her blankets.\n\n* * * * *\n\nTwo days later, Kaede waited for Jyrbian near the edge of the camp. He greeted her with a smile, which he regretted the moment her face lit up. She was a beguiling woman, and she had left no doubt about her interest in him. In another life, just a few short weeks ago, he would have been interested in her. But now there was Everlyn, and she eclipsed Kaede the way the sun outshone the stars.\n\n\"Jyrbian,\" she said, her voice as sweet as cream. \"I have to talk with you.\"\n\nThe way she said it, he thought talking wasn't what she had in mind. He answered with a word, her name. He eased the warning in his tone with a slight smile.\n\nShe reached for him, wrapping her arms around his, pinning them to his sides playfully. Her breasts were soft against his chest, her breath sweet. \"I want you.\"\n\nHe stepped back, gentle as he pushed her away. \"Kaede, don't. I won't say I'm not tempted, but...\"\n\nHer expression went from lighthearted and seductive to disappointed and grim. \"You think you want her. But she's not what she seems.\"\n\n\"Don't say anything against Everlyn, Kaede,\" he warned.\n\n\"Then ask her yourself! Ask her why she leaves the camp when she thinks everyone is asleep. Ask her who she meets during the night! Ask her...\"\n\nFor the first time since she'd met him, Jyrbian's fearsome temper frightened her. His face twisted with fury. His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her arms.\n\n\"You're hurting me,\" she whimpered, pushing closer to him.\n\n\"Hurting you!\" he roared. \"I'll kill you!\"\n\n\"Then kill me!\" She went still in his grasp. \"Ask her, then kill me if I'm lying. I'll sing my song of death quickly and lie quietly under your sword.\" She pressed into him harder.\n\nHe allowed it. He crushed her to him so hard that the knots in his belt scraped her skin. He twisted his fingers in her hair and yanked her head back.\n\n\"Ask her. Unless you're afraid to hear the truth. Unless you're willing to accept her with the scent of a human's hands still fresh on her body.\"\n\n\"What are you saying?\" Jyrbian rasped.\n\n\"The truth. I've seen things. Before you decide who you want, you should know the truth. Ask her. I'll wait.\"\n\nJyrbian looked at her. He stepped back so suddenly that she stumbled. \"I'll be back,\" he almost hissed.\n\nThe conviction in her voice didn't waver. \"Not to kill me.\"\n\n\"I may kill you either way,\" he vowed.\n\nHe found Everlyn in Igraine's tent, sitting on a camp stool at the makeshift table where Igraine kept his maps. A stub of candle on a piece of bark provided some illumination, warming Everlyn's face with a soft glow. In a shadowed corner Jyrbian could discern a figure underneath a blanket that must be Jelindra, breathing rhythmically.\n\n\"Is she sleeping?\" he asked.\n\nEverlyn nodded. \"You seem better.\" When he appeared not to understand, she pointed at his leg and said, \"You're not limping anymore.\"\n\nHe shrugged, indicating that his injury was of no consequence.\n\n\"What's wrong?\" She stood and moved closer to him, nearer the flap of the tent, away from the sleeping figure. Still speaking softly, she laid her hand on his arm and repeated the question.\n\n\"Everlyn...\" He almost walked away. For a moment, he thought, I cannot live with knowing. But he had to know. \"I have to ask you something. I have to... Is there\u2014? I've been told\u2014\"\n\nHe saw the truth in her eyes, the sadness, the fearful anticipation, even before he could finish the question. He knew the truth of Kaede's words.\n\n\"It's true! You are sneaking out of the camp to meet someone.\"\n\n\"Yes.\" She said it quietly, softly, without any regret.\n\nIf she'd a tinge of remorse... \"Who?\"\n\nShe shook her head and looked away.\n\nWeeks of watching and waiting washed over him like fever. \"Why do you meet in secret like thieves?\"\n\nAgain she shook her head, but he already knew the answer. \"So it's true!\" he hissed. \"You turn me away, ignore my every smile, refuse the touch of my hand, for a _slave_.\"\n\n\"He's no slave! He's a... a being with a heart and a soul, the same as you and me.\"\n\nHer quick defense, her easy tenderness, fanned his anger. A dagger slid into his belly would have caused no more agony.\n\n\"Jyrbian, I'm sorry. I know this is not easy to explain, but... once I knew him... I couldn't help it. I couldn't help but love him! I couldn't help but\u2014And now, I don't know what to do.\" The words began to pour out of her. \"I don't know where to turn. We could never live with my people. And his kind hate the Ogres so. They'd never accept me.\"\n\nEvery word was a thorn driven into his heart. Yet, he wanted her to go on, wanted whatever intimacy she was willing to share, wanted to be the one to whom she revealed her heart.\n\nShe glanced up, saw his stricken expression, the warring of emotions on his face. \"Jyrbian, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But he has worn my heart... from the day he saved my life...\"\n\n\"Eadamm,\" he breathed. He remembered the way the slave had spoken to her, that morning in her father's home, the way she had looked at him. He realized that Everlyn would have stayed at Khal-Theraxian if the slave had not advised her to go. He whispered the name again, tasting hatred and jealousy on his tongue.\n\n\"Yes,\" she admitted reluctantly. \"He's been following us, protecting us. His people have been harrying the king's troops in the mountain passes. That's why they haven't followed us so far.\"\n\nHe barely heard the last words. She was offering him crumbs. \"Do you think you could ever love me?\" He saw the answer in her eyes before the whisper had died on his lips. He understood before she murmured a sound.\n\nShe lifted her hands slowly and rested them on her belly. \"I bear his child.\"\n\nHe reached for her. She stepped into his embrace, resting her forehead on his arm as if putting aside a heavy load. \"I don't know what we'll do, where we'll go so that our child can be raised without hatred and pain.\" He closed his eyes and felt a deathly stillness creep over him, a peacefulness such as he'd never known before.\n\nHe moved his hands slowly up her back, feeling the delicate bones, the thin layer of flesh through the silky cloth. His fingers touched her shoulders, slipped tenderly up to her throat.\n\nShe made one sound, an ecstasy so exquisite it could barely be discerned, before his fingers closed. She struggled almost not at all.\n\n\"Everlyn?\" He eased her down gently and smoothed her hair back from her face, straightening the long strands until they fell prettily over her shoulders. \"Everlyn?\"\n\nSo still. So pretty. He placed her hands at her sides, touched her cheek. Her skin was smooth and warm. Her tunic was rumpled around her neck, and as he straightened it, a necklace fell out: a stone wrapped in fine silver wire, hung on a silver chain, shiny and black, shot through with red, and shaped like tear.\n\nHe yanked it from her neck, breaking the chain.\n\nA sound, a soft chuckle, disturbed the silence.\n\nHe looked up and saw eyes staring at him from the darkness: Jelindra's eyes, wild and mad.\n\n\"Get up,\" he told her. \"We're leaving.\"\n\nThe girl obeyed his orders, showing not the least hint of repulsion, though he walked with his arm firmly around her shoulders, so he could stop her if she made a sound.\n\nHe led Jelindra through the least populated areas of the camp. Kaede caught up with them at the line where his horse was tethered. \"You said you'd come back for me,\" she said accusingly.\n\nHe looked at her as though he'd never seen her before, yet he said, \"Get our things.\"\n\nShe stared at him open-mouthed for a moment, then rushed off. By the time he'd readied the horses, she had returned. She carried his bedroll and saddlebags as well as her own.\n\nThe sight of her snapped him back to reality. How long since\u2014? His mind fled from the memory of soft skin against his fingers.\n\nHe looked around quickly. Still nobody had noticed them. \"Stay here. Watch the girl. If she makes a sound, kill her.\"\n\nKaede opened her mouth to question him, but he had already gone back into the camp, slipping silently among the sleeping Ogres.\n\nHe found Khallayne easily, quickly. She was buried in her blankets, only the top of her head showing, black hair spilling out onto the ground. He started to shake her awake roughly, then thought better of it and slipped his hand down into the blankets until her soft breath touched his fingers.\n\nThe soft skin of her cheek reminded him of another's skin. He stroked her face gently, remembering soft skin and a sweet scent.\n\nKhallayne woke, striking out at his hand. He clamped his fingers over her mouth, leaning down until his lips were against her ear. \"Shhh, Khallayne, it's me.\"\n\nShe stopped struggling, and immediately he eased the pressure on her mouth, helped her to sit.\n\n\"No need to wake the whole camp,\" he said easily.\n\n\"What's wrong?\"\n\n\"Nothing.\" He picked up her boots and held them out. \"It's the girl. I need you to come with me.\"\n\n\"Jelindra?\" Instantly, she was wide awake. She took the boots and pulled them on. \"What's happened?\"\n\n\"Nothing. She's just\u2014wandered away from camp, and she's frightened. Come with me.\"\n\nKhallayne stood quickly and grabbed her jacket.\n\n\"That way.\"\n\nAs Khallayne started to move, Lyrralt stirred and sat up. His bedroll was only a few feet away. \"Jyrbian?\"\n\nJyrbian put a finger to his lips and shushed Lyrralt.\n\n\"Jyrbian, what's wrong? Where's Khallayne going?\"\n\nJyrbian gave him a look such as Lyrralt had not seen since Takar, one eyebrow raised high, self-deprecating charm twisting his mouth. \"It's none of your _affair_ , Brother, if you know what I mean. Go back to sleep.\"\n\nJyrbian picked up Khallayne's saddlebags and eased away into the darkness. Khallayne was almost to where he'd left Kaede and Jelindra when he caught up with her.\n\nKaede and Jelindra were mounted. Kaede was holding the reins to the other horses. The girl appeared even more docile, even more remote, than before.\n\n\"What's going on here?\" Khallayne wheeled on him.\n\n\"We're leaving,\" he said. \"Mount up.\"\n\nKaede tossed him his reins, her expression murderous.\n\n\"I'm not going anywhere with you, Jyrbian,\" said Khallayne.\n\n\"We don't need her,\" Kaede jeered.\n\nJyrbian responded to Khallayne as if Kaede hadn't even spoken. \"You don't have to if you don't want to. But if you don't, you'll find her body\"\u2014he paused and jerked his thumb in the direction of Jelindra\u2014\"left to rot on our trail.\"\n\n\"Why are you doing this? What's happened?\"\n\n\"It's your choice,\" he said conversationally. \"Her only use to me is as a hostage, to keep you in line. If you're not with me... And before you think of casting a spell, are you willing to bet you could take care of both of us before one of us kills her?\"\n\nWhen Khallayne still didn't move, he turned his horse and started to ride away. Kaede followed him, leading Jelindra's horse.\n\n\"I wouldn't do that, Jyrbian.\" Lyrralt's voice came out of the darkness.\n\nJyrbian spun, his hand moving to his sword, and found himself facing off against his brother and Bakrell.\n\n\"Why not?\" Jyrbian asked softly. He dropped his hand from his sword hilt, with his palm open and ready, dangling at his side.\n\n\"They've found Everlyn.\"\n\nJyrbian started at the name. Quickly, he regained his composure. Beyond them, in the lights nearest the tent, he could see agitated movement.\n\n\"What's happened to Everlyn?\" Khallayne asked.\n\n\"She's dead. From the bruises and marks on her body, strangled.\"\n\n\"Jyrbian?\" Khallayne stepped forward.\n\nHe was reminded of Everlyn, stepping between him and the human at Nerat. The memory seemed etched in blood.\n\n\"What happened?\" Khallayne asked. Hers was a voice of reason, of conciliation.\n\n\"Everlyn was seeing a human male, at night, outside the camp.\" Kaede also edged forward, her voice brisk, cold.\n\n\"Seeing a human?\" Lyrralt didn't understand.\n\n\"He was her lover.\" Kaede spat the word as if it were filth.\n\nThe others responded with shocked silence.\n\nBefore they could react, Jyrbian surged forward and grabbed Khallayne. He yanked her by the back of her tunic, up and over his saddle. Before she could recover her senses, he thumped her across the back of her head and she went limp.\n\nLyrralt started forward, stopping when Jyrbian reached with one hand for his sword. His horse danced, agitated by the extra weight and the tension around him. \"Go back, Brother. Go back to your miserable friends. Don't follow us. Don't\u2014\"\n\n\"Jyrbian, don't do this.\" Igraine's voice, choked with grief, interrupted the scene. \"There's been enough damage. Don't do anything more.\"\n\n\"You're responsible for this!\" Jyrbian retorted, eyeing the silent crowd amassing behind Igraine. \"You! Preaching of better ways. But there is only so much we can change while still giving honor to the gods. Still honor our traditions. If you continue this way, the vengeance of the gods will rain upon your heads!\"\n\nHe glanced at Kaede, the only person in the whole camp who sided with him willingly, and jerked his head in the direction of the mountains. He galloped away, Khallayne hanging limply on his horse.\n\nKaede started to follow, then stopped and turned back for a moment, yanking on the reins of Jelindra's horse to control the animal. The child sat astride, much more docile than the horse.\n\n\"Bakrell?\"\n\nCaught by surprise, Bakrell opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.\n\n\"You're not going to stay here? There's no reason anymore. We have what we came for.\"\n\nShe waited, but Bakrell refused to meet her gaze. \"No,\" he said at last.\n\n\"You're staying?\" Kaede was incredulous, but when he didn't speak to her again, she yanked her horse around and galloped after Jyrbian, leading Khallayne's riderless stallion and the horse on which Jelindra rode.\n\n#\n\n**The sound of the four horses, galloping through the dry** grass, pounding the earth, sounded across the plain for a long time.\n\n\"We have to go after them!\"\n\nTenaj was in favor of pursuit. Several others standing nearby rumbled agreement.\n\nLyrralt shook his head. \"If you chase them in the darkness, they'll kill their hostages for sure. Or you. It would be easy to set an ambush.\"\n\nTenaj's hand dropped from its customary set on the pommel of her sword. \"Why did they take Khallayne and Jelindra?\"\n\n\"I don't know.\"\n\nIgraine, shoulders drooping, turned slowly back toward camp, but Bakrell blocked his way.\n\n\"Lord, please.\" Bakrell fell to his knees before the older Ogre, hung his head in shame. \"I must confess what I've done. I must tell you all that I know.\"\n\nThose who had been drifting back toward camp stopped. Lyrralt and Tenaj moved in closer. Igraine put a hand on Bakrell's shoulder and nodded.\n\nBakrell swallowed. He began with his gaze fastened on the ground at Igraine's feet. \"My sister and I are of the last of the Tallees Clan, the clan of the Keeper of the History of the Ogre.\"\n\nLyrralt gasped.\n\n\"My sister and I joined you partly because she thought someone here knew about what happened to the History.\"\n\n\"I don't understand,\" Igraine said solemnly. \"I thought the Keeper died a natural death.\"\n\n\"That is what the council allowed everyone to believe. But Kaede believes there was a conspiracy. And she believes the Song is still alive. For our family, the Song has its own special... music. She hears it, still.\"\n\nBakrell paused, cocking his head as if he, too, were listening to something far off. \"I haven't her abilities, but I must say, I agree with her. I think, if the Song were truly gone, there would be a... silence.\"\n\n\"Go on,\" Igraine prompted when Bakrell lapsed into silence.\n\n\"The Song drew Kaede here, to someone among us. But she wasn't sure who. Two nights ago, she told me she thought Jyrbian was the culprit.\"\n\n\"So you came here to find the Song,\" Tenaj said coldly. \"Is that all?\"\n\n\"No. We also came...\" He mumbled something.\n\n\"What?\"\n\nIgraine put his hand on Bakrell's chin, tipping it back so he could see his face. \"Don't be afraid. No one is going to hurt you now. What is the other reason you joined us?\"\n\nBakrell squared his shoulders. \"We came on behalf of the Ruling Council.\"\n\nA gasp went up from the crowd, and there was a surge forward, but Igraine controlled everybody with a wave of his hand. \"Continue.\"\n\n\"Things are very bad in Takar,\" Bakrell said. \"The humans. Escaped slaves are everywhere in the mountains. When we left, there had already been three supply trains attacked and destroyed.\n\n\"There were many who didn't approve of how the Ruling Council handled Igraine. They were incensed that an Ogre was punished for consolidating his profits. And they have become even angrier that the council seems powerless to stop the human attacks.\"\n\n\"The council sent out troops to find you. You met the first, and the second, and destroyed them. What you don't know is that they have continued to send reinforcements. As far as I know, from the last communication from our contact, every one of them has been attacked and harried or destroyed. By humans. They thought that you were using humans for soldiers, because there were so many attacks by the escaped slaves, so many coordinated, planned attacks.\"\n\n\"And that's why they sent you?\" Igraine asked.\n\nBakrell nodded. \"They wanted information. Kaede volunteered to come.\"\n\n\"But we haven't been in communication with any groups of slaves,\" Tenaj protested. \"Surely you discovered that weeks ago.\"\n\nBakrell started to tell them what Kaede had discovered about Everlyn, and the slaves who'd been guarding their flanks, since after the attacks in the mountains, but he couldn't. Igraine looked old, immensely tired. His eyes were swollen with grief. Bakrell couldn't add to his misery.\n\n\"Yes, we did. We realized that immediately. We stayed on, hoping to discover the truth of the lost History. And\u2014\" He hesitated. \"There's one other thing. Kaede's\u2014that is, _we've_ \u2014been relaying messages for a courier, messages to the council, with maps and information on your whereabouts.\"\n\nThere was no response this time, no emotion at all from the broken and grieving refugees. They were stunned.\n\n\"We don't know if the messages got through,\" he said hurriedly. \"We don't even know if they were picked up as they were intended to be. We'd just leave them behind, marked in the prearranged way.\"\n\nBakrell clutched Igraine's hand. \"Please, Lord, the reason I've told you all this is because I have made a decision. I want to stay. The longer we dwelt among you, the more convinced I became that yours is the right way to live. I know I've committed transgressions against you, but I want to stay.\"\n\nWearily, Igraine patted his hands. \"I can't make that determination, Bakrell. Everyone will have to decide. But for myself, I welcome you. We have all committed crimes and atrocities. We have all suffered.\"\n\nAs if suddenly reminded that Igraine's only child lay cold and dead within the tent, the assembly broke up without any other words, forming into smaller groups. They silently drifted back to the tent at the center of the camp. There they built a pyre for Everlyn's body and sang their songs of sorrow for Igraine.\n\nBakrell moved among them. Although none spoke to him, none turned away as he helped with the sad tasks.\n\nLyrralt took his blankets and slipped away, alone, to the edge of the camp, past the lines of horses and the watchful eyes of the sentries.\n\nTonight. He knew it had to be tonight. Igraine would be left alone with his grief. And Lyrralt would be able to slip into his tent.\n\nThe runes throbbed on his shoulder, itched down his arm. He sat alone in the darkness and wished for a moment's numbness, that he might be free of the urging of the runes. He searched for the constellation of Hiddukel in the night sky, but clouds had covered Solinari and blotted out the stars.\n\nIn the blackest hours of the morning, he slipped back into camp and into Igraine's tent. The interior was dark; only a single candle was guttering in its own wax, almost dead.\n\nIgraine sat on a mat of thick carpet, his legs crossed, his hands lying on his knees. He didn't look up as Lyrralt entered, but said, \"So you've come at last to kill me.\"\n\nLyrralt was so surprised, his hand halted in the act of drawing his dagger from inside his robe. \"Kill you, Lord?\"\n\nIgraine slowly raised his head.\n\nLyrralt gaped when he saw that Igraine's silver eyes had gone gray.\n\n\"Isn't that why you've come? Isn't this what you've planned for, watched for, for weeks?\"\n\nLyrralt shrugged and drew the dagger. So, Igraine knew. Soon he would be dead, and it wouldn't matter anyway. And if he raised the alarm, it would be over before anyone could come. \"Yes. That's why I've come.\"\n\n\"You won't stop what is happening, you know. What I've begun is larger than me now. It's larger than any single Ogre.\"\n\nDespite the tiredness, the defeat in Igraine's voice, Lyrralt felt the pull of persuasion. The runes squirmed, reminding him of his duty. A calmness came over him. \"I don't care about what you've begun. Only you.\"\n\nIgraine nodded. He hadn't made any move to defend himself. Lyrralt shifted the dagger to his left hand and wiped his sweaty palm on his tunic. The runes seemed to wriggle, wormlike, faster and faster. He struggled to maintain the objective in his mind.\n\n\"You know you don't _want_ to do it, though, don't you?\" Igraine asked. \"You haven't for some time now. If you had wanted to, you would have done it long ago.\"\n\nLyrralt paused in the act of raising the dagger. It didn't matter what Igraine thought. He would soon be dead. \"There was never an opportunity. You're always surrounded by admirers, by acolytes.\"\n\n\"There have been plenty of opportunities. You've ignored every one of them until tonight.\"\n\nUntil tonight. Lyrralt lifted the dagger over Igraine, meaning to plunge it downward into his skull. On his arm, the runes felt as if they had caught fire, as if they had grown roots, which were biting deep into his flesh, reaching into the marrow of his bones.\n\nLyrralt groaned in pain, reared back, and brought the dagger down with all his might! It thudded dully, vibrating as it lodged in the wooden post above Igraine's head.\n\nPain ripped through his shoulder. He screamed and fell, writhing, spine contorted, onto the mat at Igraine's feet.\n\nIgraine touched his back, his hip, his aching shoulder, and the pain eased. He heard the sound of running feet, the flaps to the tent being shoved open, but he couldn't move.\n\n\"Lord?\" Tenaj's voice sounded from the entrance. \"We heard a scream.\"\n\n\"It's all right.\" Igraine smiled down at Lyrralt. \"It was just a muscle spasm.\"\n\nLyrralt sat up slowly and saw several faces peering worriedly through the open flap.\n\nIgraine waved them away. All but Tenaj and Bakrell disappeared.\n\nThose two entered. Bakrell stared at the dagger embedded in the post. He considered the weapon, Igraine, then Lyrralt, then wordlessly he pulled it free and offered it to Igraine.\n\nIgraine took it and passed it back to Lyrralt.\n\nBefore Bakrell could comment, Tenaj said, \"I want to go after Khallayne and Jelindra.\"\n\n\"And I have told her it is I who should go.\" Bakrell squatted on the mat beside Lyrralt, facing Igraine. \"My sister is partly to blame.\"\n\n\"And it is my friends they've taken.\"\n\n\"They are just as much my friends, Tenaj, though I have not shown them the honor friends deserve,\" Bakrell said.\n\n\"Why you instead of me?\"\n\n\"Because we'll need you to lead the warriors in Jyrbian's place,\" Lyrralt told her softly when his wits had returned. \"If the council knows where we are, we will need you more than ever. Bakrell should be the one to go.\" It was only after he'd spoken that he realized what he'd said. He looked to Igraine for permission or censure, but Igraine did as he'd always done when, before, Jyrbian had made some decision of which he approved. He merely smiled.\n\nBakrell was nodding agreement, too.\n\n\"I wouldn't be too pleased,\" Lyrralt said, rubbing his shoulder as the runes started to dance again. \"You're probably riding to certain death, whether you catch Jyrbian or not.\"\n\n\"No. I'll be careful. Maybe we can figure out some way to get a message to the humans who're guarding us. And if I don't catch them before they get to Takar, I can lose myself in the city, where I'll be perfectly safe.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne woke, groggy. Her neck and the back of her head ached. Her belly hurt, and someone was shaking her so hard, she thought she was going to be sick.\n\nShe opened her eyes, and the ground rushed past her eyes with sickening speed. Suddenly, she remembered.\n\nJyrbian had grabbed her and thrown her across his horse. Then darkness had descended, and she remembered nothing. Until now.\n\nShe struggled to hold her head up, to steady it against the horse's bouncing. She pounded on his leg with her fist and was rewarded with laughter from above.\n\nThe horse slowed and broke into a trot, which almost tore her head from her shoulders, then slowed some more and stopped. Jyrbian dragged her up and over the horse until she was on her back, cradled in his strong arms.\n\n\"So you're awake?\" he asked.\n\n\"Where are we going?\" Khallayne tried to ask, but her mouth felt as though it were filled with puffballs.\n\nJyrbian motioned for Kaede. He took the reins of Khallayne's stallion.\n\n\"We're riding, my love, into the night.\" He pushed one of her legs over the saddle of her horse, then lifted her up onto the horse's back. \"And remember, if you get any ideas about not keeping up with us, or of getting lost, Jelindra will be staying with us, even if you do not.\"\n\nHe grinned cruelly at her, then kicked his horse into a run. They stopped sometime in the wee hours of the morning, and Kaede tied her wrists and ankles together as she fell asleep, too exhausted, too sick with pain and heartache to resist.\n\nThe sun was up, shining in her eyes, when she regained consciousness. She rolled over and buried her face in the crook of her elbow, trying to shut out the sunlight. Darkness descended, and she realized she overheard Kaede talking to Jyrbian.\n\n\"Why, Jyrbian?\" Kaede was demanding. \"Why do we need them? They're just slowing us down.\"\n\n\"It's my decision, that's why,\" Jyrbian's voice answered.\n\nKhallayne was very alert.\n\n\"You asked me to come with you! You want me to help you watch the girl. I think you owe me an explanation!\"\n\n\"I didn't _ask_ you to come,\" Jyrbian responded, still sounding bored. \"And you're free to leave anytime you choose.\"\n\nKaede's voice softened, lost its stridency. \"I didn't mean it that way. You know I want to be with you. But, I see why they have to come along with us. I don't want\u2014\" Her voice died away.\n\n\"Well, I do want them with us.\"\n\n\"Buy why?\"\n\n\"Very well, I'll tell you. If it will satisfy you and stop you from complaining.\"\n\nKhallayne heard crunching sounds, footsteps on dry grass.\n\nWhen Jyrbian spoke next, his voice was right above her. \"The girl I care nothing for, except to make this one behave. But this one...\" The toe of his boot grazed her hip. \"This one is going to teach me everything she knows about magic.\"\n\nHe slipped his foot under her and shoved hard, turning her over. \"Do you hear me, Khallayne? You're going to make me the most powerful Ogre in all of Takar.\"\n\nHe smiled and walked out of her range of vision.\n\nKhallayne sat up slowly, shielding her eyes from the sun. \"And what if I refuse?\"\n\nHe was standing beside Jelindra, who was still asleep, wrapped in a blanket. He touched the girl's head gently with the toe of his boot and looked back at Khallayne. \"I don't think you will.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nLyrralt sat on a broken wall and stared around him. After several days of hard riding, they were camped in the ruins of a human city in a small range of low hills. They must be nearing the edge of the plains, he supposed, since the flatness was beginning to be broken by rolling land and small hills.\n\nBakrell was several days gone. He had ridden back the way they had come with a jaunty wave, leaving Lyrralt with the melancholy feeling that he would never see him again.\n\nWhat was left of the city around him was sad. The crude, half-standing stone walls gave the impression that they had never stood straight and strong as intended. Perhaps they had been broken and leaning, even when new.\n\nLyrralt walked through the fallen rock, the piles of dust and rubble and wondered who had lived in the place, and why. There was something about it that reminded him of Bloten. Humans attempting to build an Ogre city? It made no sense. Humans were savages who eked their lives out of the plains. They barely had civilization. Or had they built their own cities and roads, before the Ogres had discovered their usefulness as animals of burden, of hard work?\n\nHe was standing on the highest place in the ruin, a small portion of a wall that ran along a ridge, when the rain began.\n\nAt first, the downpour was so heavy that it seemed like stars falling from the sky! Burning stars! Stars trailing fiery tails.\n\nThe first one hit, not far out on the plains, as he'd thought it would, but nearby, just feet from the sheer drop of the ledge. It was a rain of fire! Pebbles and dirt and rainbow flame exploded upward!\n\nHe looked up into the sky and saw more, thousands more fiery spots of light, trailing downward. He shouted a wordless warning to those several feet below him, poking through the ruins. As he pointed, more balls of light hit, sending up gouts of flame.\n\nOne of the older cousins of Igraine's clan was standing nearby. A spout of fire curled up and slapped him down. He said, \"It's cold,\" in an unsurprised voice. Then his flesh began to melt, like wax dripping from a candle, and the sound that came from him was an ululation of pain and despair.\n\nAs the Ogre fell, a dark, fused mass of flesh and bone, the real horror began. Great balls of the light, feet apart, inches apart, came down! Coldfire it was, sent from the heavens by the gods. Wherever it touched, it burned without flame, burned cold, but with a heat more intense than anything Lyrralt had ever experienced.\n\nLyrralt leapt down from the wall, landed on the side of his foot, and rolled on the hard ground. He came to his feet running. Where was Igraine? He had to find Igraine.\n\nAnother Ogre was hit by the coldfire, and another: Haleyn, who made such beautiful music with his flute, and Issil, who supervised the carrying of live coals from camp to camp, always making sure the Ogres had continued warmth.\n\nOne of the children of Igraine's clan, the noisy one, fell. His sister screamed and grabbed him as the fiery ball crashed onto his back, and she, too, was consumed. And Celise, Jelindra's mother, also died shrieking.\n\nHe saw Tenaj run, dodging the fiery explosions, dragging two of the children away before they could touch the melted body of their father and become part of his boiling flesh.\n\nHe stopped, looked about wildly, and ran again. As he ran, Ogres died all around him. But none of the deadly fire came near enough to touch him. He looked up at the sky. This was no attack of humans or Ogres! No attack even of any kind of magic he recognized.\n\nReaching inside his tunic, Lyrralt grabbed the medallion that hung around his neck and yanked it so hard that the chain cut into his skin and broke. He clasped it between his palms and shouted\u2014sang!\u2014screamed!\u2014a prayer to the heavens. \"Mighty Hiddukel, Great Goddess Takhisis, why have you spared me? So that I might observe death all around me? Have mercy on your children! Show forgiveness and spare us\u2014!\"\n\nThe silver disc that bore the etched symbol of his god heated up so that he flung it away without thinking. The disc sailed up as he gasped, realizing what he had done.\n\nHe grabbed at it. But it exploded. Many-hued brightness erupted, searing his eyes and etching a line like a jagged glyph down his face from eyebrow to chin. He felt the runes on his arms writhe and burn even hotter than the metal.\n\nHe screamed and fell back, away from the unbearable pain, trying to escape the agony of his burning flesh. He tore the sleeve from his robe, scraped at his arms, his face.\n\nThe pain ended as suddenly as it had begun. The last thing he saw, before darkness overcame him, was the skin of his left arm, unmarked and dark indigo, as unblemished as the day he'd first appeared before his first clerical master.\n\nA peacefulness came over him, covered him like a blanket, like nothing he'd ever known. _This is what it is to die_ , he thought. _This quiet, this dark..._\n\nTenaj and Igraine found him. The fiery rain of stars had ended. The fire of the gods had left no wounded, only melted lumps of flesh, no longer recognizable as Ogres.\n\nLyrralt was sitting, his back against a broken wall of stone, legs crossed comfortably, his hands clasping his unmarked forearms.\n\nHis face, his beautiful, finely chiseled face, bore a craggy scar that began at his hairline, dipped to his heavy eyebrows, zagged across his high cheekbone, back across his cheek, and disappeared underneath his chin. It looked like a thunderbolt, molded of silver as bright as the color of his eyes. Except that his eyes were no longer bright silver. They were a shining, opalescent white with no sign of any pupils at all.\n\n\"Lyrralt?\" Tenaj kneeled beside him, afraid almost to breathe his name, for fear that he would start to scream. Or that she would.\n\n\"Lyrralt, are you...\" What she meant to ask seemed a stupid thing to inquire, with his face disfigured and his eyes so strange.\n\nFor a moment, Lyrralt continued to stare, then he stirred, slowly straightening. He reached out, obviously for her hand, but not in the right place.\n\nIgraine took his hand tightly. Tenaj reached across and placed her palm on their joined hands.\n\nLyrralt fumbled for the linked hands and felt first her fingers, then Igraine's beneath them. He said softly, \"I can't see you.\" And he smiled.\n\n#\n\n**The cool, crisp mountain air felt like home after the alien** heat of the plains. Tree branches hung low overhead. The damp, welcoming scent of decay permeated the mulch underfoot.\n\nJyrbian rode in silence, as he had for days, drawing the scent of rot, the humidity, into his lungs. His despair rode with him.\n\nKhallayne was sullen and withdrawn. Kaede was, for the moment, wise enough to remain silent, for Jyrbian's thoughts were not kind.\n\nThe bloodstone seemed warm in his pocket, as if he could feel it against his hip through the layers of cloth. He could still envision it, lying against the smoothness of her throat, the polished black surface of rock, the red veins pulsing through it, pulsing, though blood no longer pulsed in her veins.\n\nDid her human lover know that she was dead? His mouth curled. His fingers clenched into fists; the leather of his reins cut into his palm. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to pound his fists on something until his hands were numb, until his fingertips could not remember the sweet sensation of smooth flesh beneath them.\n\nHis horse nickered softly and danced sideways, almost unseating him. He pulled at the reins and tightened his grip on the animal.\n\n\"Jyrbian.\"\n\nHe glanced back at Kaede irritably, still tugging as his horse pranced. He saw that her horse, too, was misbehaving, throwing its head up and down.\n\nImmediately alert, Jyrbian signaled for silence. Dismounting, he soothed his mount with gentle hands, then checked his sword, easing it a hand's length in and out of the scabbard twice, just to make sure it was ready to do his bidding. Holding firmly to the reins, keeping the horse's head down, he eased along the trail. With a stealth that spoke of experience, Kaede slid to the ground and followed, leading Jelindra.\n\nKhallayne slid to the ground, too. They knew, as long as Kaede held Jelindra in her thrall, that she would follow them.\n\nThe woods had become silent. Gone was the chitter of birds and the rustle of small animals in the undergrowth. The cool, leaf-shaped shadows had become menacing.\n\nBeside the trail, Kaede discovered what was making the horses so restive. Dumped carelessly between the roots of a huge, old tree were what was left of two Ogre guards, a male and a female, wearing uniforms that had probably once been the immaculate white-and-red of the Dalle Clan. The cloth was so stained with blood and dirt, coated with dead leaves and twigs, that it was difficult to know for sure. It seemed as if they had been hacked and battered to death, the bodies dragged off the trail and left for the animals.\n\n\"No attempt to hide the bodies,\" Jyrbian whispered, sliding close to Kaede so that his lips barely made a sound. \"Whoever did this didn't care who discovered the evidence.\"\n\n\"Humans!\" The word was a hiss, a warning, a curse. Kaede turned away, one hand on her sword hilt, one on her stomach as if she were sick.\n\nJyrbian knew, however, that she actually clutched the dagger she wore tucked in her belt, hidden beneath the folds of her tunic. He backed carefully away from the bodies and back onto the hard ground of the trail, careful to make as little noise as possible among the leaves and dead twigs.\n\nThey were west of Thorad by at least two day's ride. If he remembered correctly, the trail forked ahead, heading east down into a valley and west up into the mountains, bypassing the city. Intuition told him the humans would be to the east, on the more passable trail. Food would be easier to find, and so would prey.\n\nHe grinned at Kaede. \"Shall we see what lies ahead?\"\n\nHe glanced back. Khallayne was on foot, leading her stallion, staring at the two guards' bodies with dread fascination. Jelindra was still mounted, staring off into space.\n\n\"Can you make her watch the horses?\" Jyrbian gestured toward the trees on the opposite side of the trail.\n\nThey were very near where the trail came out on a low ridge overlooking the valley.\n\nKaede spoke for a moment with Jelindra, words Khallayne couldn't hear, and then left her holding the horses. \"She'll be all right,\" Kaede assured Jyrbian.\n\nCrouched low, hidden by scrubby plants and rough, sharp-edged boulders, Jyrbian and Kaede edged through the sparse woods, out to the ridge overlooking the valley. Khallayne followed.\n\nJust clear of the shadows of the forest, where the trail ran along a rocky ridge that circled the valley below, Jyrbian paused, lay down on his belly, and crept to the edge of the crest, keeping his head low.\n\nA troop of Ogres was camped in the curve of a gurgling stream. The camp was orderly. Bedrolls of four to five warriors were laid out neatly around campfires that ringed the field tent. The Ogres were busy cooking. They stood out in the green field, wearing the red-and-white silks of Clan Dalle.\n\nJyrbian made a sound of disgust. They might as well be painted with targets.\n\nKaede sidled up beside him, shushed him, and pointed toward the slope to their left.\n\nThere, among the thin forest that marched down the hillside, was flitting movement!\n\nSilent shadows weaved in and out among the trees, working their way down to hiding places among the shrubs at the water's edge.\n\nWhoever commanded the company, whoever had chosen such a vulnerable place to camp, deserved to die, to be gutted and left for carrion birds! Unless the approaching humans made noise, they would be upon the guards on two sides of the camp before an alarm was raised.\n\nKaede tensed, ready to rise and warn her compatriots of the approaching danger. Her sword was already half drawn when Jyrbian grabbed her.\n\nShe yanked free of his grasp. \"They'll be slaughtered!\"\n\n\"Wait! Think!\" He held her arm. \"If you shout now, the humans will melt back into the forest. And we'll be alone up here with them.\"\n\n\"So what do we do?\"\n\nJyrbian grinned, a crooked, thin-lipped expression that made his eyes look as hard as granite. \"We go down.\"\n\nBefore she could question him, stop him, he melted back into the shadows.\n\nA moment later, he came crashing past, mounted.\n\nKaede stared up at him as if he were crazy, then leapt to her feet and followed. Khallayne hesitated a moment.\n\nAs Jyrbian reached the edge of the ridge, he drew his sword and held it high over his head. The blade threw out glinting red highlights from the evening sun as he forced his horse to leap down the slope.\n\nThe ground was a mixture of dark soil and creek-side sand, cut through with gullies of rainwater. The slope was steep, and his horse went down at an angle, sliding, running, falling.\n\nAs he reached the level ground, Jyrbian tugged viciously at the reins and sent his horse careening along the edge of the stream, toward the tree line. As he flew past, he noted dark-skinned faces with silver eyes open wide with surprise.\n\n\"Humans on your flank!\" he shouted. He tore into the woods, into the nearest concentration of humans, and flailed about with his sword. He hit one on the side of the head with the flat of his blade and felt another taste its sharp edge.\n\nThe humans had to stand and fight, exposing their positions to the Ogre company.\n\nJyrbian wheeled his horse among the trees, slashed at a human with a wooden pike, then wheeled back to meet another with a sword. His steel blade sang against inferior metal. He felt as near to ecstasy as could be.\n\nHe realized the overwhelming numbers, saw his own death if the sluggish company of Ogres did not respond, then raised his voice in the first, terrible notes of a battle song, a death song.\n\nHis foot landed squarely on the chest of a human woman and echoed with a thud and crack. The human emitted a gurgle and fell back. His sword made a welcome whir in the air as he wheeled to meet the next attacker.\n\nThen Kaede was coming to his aid, leading Jelindra into the battle, their horses sending up a spray of sand and pebbles. Her cry of attack made the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge. At last, the Ogres responded to Kaede's battle cry, ran for their weapons, and rushed across the stream to join in the attack.\n\nJyrbian allowed the first of them to sweep by him, then met the next handful of charging warriors, blocking their path. \"That way,\" he commanded, pointing with his bloody sword. \"Into the woods. Flank them.\"\n\nIf there was any hesitation on their part to follow the orders of a complete stranger, he didn't see it. Swords waving, they raced up the hill as he had directed, meeting further waves of humans in the woods.\n\nQuickly, he dispatched others, five here, ten there, any he could commandeer, until the enemy was engaged in a melee all along the stream and through the woods. The Ogre troops might have been slow to respond, but they were making up for it with ferocity.\n\nThree humans fell for every Ogre overcome. Leaping free of his horse, Jyrbian rejoined the fighting for the pure joy of making the odds even heavier. Every human whose throat he slashed, whose belly he stabbed, bore Eadamm's face. He fought and fought harder, mind lost to battle lust.\n\nFinally, he wheeled, sword held before him, and wheeled again, disappointed to find no remaining opponents. Nearby a young female with a short sword was battling a human male with two daggers. Jyrbian stepped into the fray and plunged his sword into the man's chest. As the man slid free of the blade, leaving it coated with his blood, Jyrbian lunged cruelly and cut his throat as well, from ear to ear.\n\nThe blood was like an intoxicant. He raised his sword to strike at the body even as it lay, already dead, then Kaede stepped in front of him.\n\nShe laid a hand on his trembling arm. \"He's dead, Jyrbian. They're all dead. Or running.\"\n\nFor a moment, he stared at her blankly, then the words penetrated. He looked around. The woods, the shores of the stream, were littered with bodies. The water ran red. It seemed the sky darkened with blood. A heavy, rhythmic wind poured through the clouds, a pounding echoed off the mountainside.\n\n\"Let the rest go,\" Kaede insisted, holding his arm.\n\nSlowly he became aware that his fingers were knotted with pain from gripping his sword, that the heavy, bellowslike sound was not coming from the sky, but from his own lungs. The pounding was the beating of his heart, blood pulsing in his veins.\n\n\"Let them go,\" she repeated in a softer tone, easing the weight of her hand on his arm. \"There are troops in the woods who will hunt them.\"\n\n\"Indeed?\" said a grating voice behind them. \"And I should like to know who thinks himself high enough to order my troops around during battle.\"\n\nWhen Jyrbian turned, he automatically adopted a fighting stance.\n\nSeveral of the Ogres who had surrounded Jyrbian in the heat of the fighting also followed Kaede's example and stepped away from the building confrontation.\n\nThe Ogre who faced Jyrbian was obviously the captain of the company. He was tall, though not as tall as Lyrralt, and so slender that he was almost gangly. He wore a fancy version of the red-and-white Dalle uniform, the front so ornamented with citations and ribbons that the cloth barely kept its shape. He had \"dandy\" written all over him, a soft, pampered member of the high nobility who had probably never set foot away from the court before this life-or-death excursion.\n\n\"Ahh.\" With an exaggerated courtesy, Jyrbian straightened, bringing his booted heels together with a tap. Though he affected a bow, he never took his eyes from the slender Ogre. \"And I should like to know who so stupidly risked the lives of these fine warriors by bivouacking in a place that invites ambush.\" His voice was like steel and ice.\n\nAnger flared in the captain's eyes. He turned purple with rage. His hand flew to the jeweled hilt of his sword, slid the clean, unbloodied blade from its scabbard.\n\nJyrbian attacked before the Ogre had a chance to act, but the other parried well. Their blades met high overhead, then lower, at waist level, and locked as the hilts slammed into each other.\n\nWith muscles hardened by months of riding and grueling work, Jyrbian was bound to win any test of strength.\n\nIndeed, the captain fell back. One step, two, three, and the growing crowd around them, strangely watchful and silent, flowed with the contest.\n\nAgain Jyrbian attacked high, was met, and sent his opponent stumbling backward. He sliced low.\n\nThe captain scuttled sideways.\n\nJyrbian could see the trace of fear in the other man. The other parried, defended, skipped about in desperation to elude the blade that seemed to shimmer in spite of the blood drying on its edge, despite the diminishing light.\n\nJyrbian reached deftly past his defenses and pricked his opponent's neck, sliced his arm, light cuts that seemed more taunting than harmful. He caught the captain's sword and flipped it neatly out of his hand. With a quick sweep of his foot, he tripped the Ogre.\n\nWhile the captain lay on the ground, cringing, Jyrbian stepped on his sword and broke the brightly polished blade. Standing over the fallen man, his own sword dangling carelessly so that the tip hovered over the Ogre's chest, Jyrbian said quietly, \"I am Jyrbian, of Clan Taika.\"\n\nHe paused, just long enough for the Ogre's eyes to grow large, for him to tremble. Then Jyrbian coldly turned his back and strode away.\n\nThe warriors in his path respectfully parted to let him through. Then he heard the whoosh of something fly through the air. He wheeled and crouched low.\n\nThe Ogre captain was half sitting, his arm extended, fingers spread. Jyrbian had seen Khallayne in the same posture when she was spellcasting. But this Ogre would cast no more spells.\n\nHe was staring stupidly, not at his own hand, but at the dagger protruding from his chest\u2014Kaede's dagger, buried to the hilt.\n\nKaede stood to Jyrbian's left, her hand still extended. Looking at Jyrbian, her lips curved in a smile. He remembered then that Khallayne had been teaching her magic.\n\n\"Apparently,\" he said, \"you've progressed quite nicely in your lessons.\"\n\n\"Now they're _your_ troops,\" she replied.\n\nHe looked about at the sweaty, bloody Ogres. He nodded. \"And now we're going to win some battles, instead of sitting and waiting for the humans to come and slaughter us.\"\n\nA shout of victory, of celebration, went up around him.\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne had been left behind when Kaede had gone crashing down the slope, dragging Jelindra along with her. Her horse had almost thrown her.\n\nKaede was about to join the fighting when Khallayne caught up with her and tore Jelindra's reins from Kaede's saddle. Kaede had barely paused before turning her attention to the battle.\n\nKhallayne took Jelindra into the valley, away from the worst of the fighting. Jelindra was dazed, caught up in some spell. She tried to get away. Khallayne rode her down, caught her by the back of her tunic, and held on as the girl kicked and screamed. Khallayne slid to the ground, still gripping Jelindra's tunic.\n\n\"Jelindra! Jelindra, stop it! Let me talk to you!\"\n\nJelindra kicked her, tried to run.\n\nKhallayne tackled the girl, brought her down hard. When Jelindra rolled over and tried to fight back, she slapped her. \"Stop fighting me!\" Khallayne shouted.\n\nJelindra collapsed into sobs. \"Please, let me go! Please, Khallayne, let me go. She keeps the thoughts away. Please let me go.\"\n\n\"What are you talking about?\"\n\nThe fighting had grown fierce near the stream. Khallayne held Jelindra's face against her shoulder and watched the Ogre company sending the humans fleeing back into the forest. Their chance to escape would soon vanish if they didn't leave now.\n\n\"She lets me forget,\" Jelindra cried, pushing away from Khallayne. Her childish voice rose to a piercing scream. \"She lets me forget Nomryh! She lets me forget that I killed him!\"\n\nKhallayne sat stupefied as the girl jumped up and ran back toward the group of Ogres who were congregating at the stream, toward Kaede.\n\nShe witnessed the end of the fight between Jyrbian and the Ogre captain. She saw Kaede send the dagger flying. Then she saw Jyrbian look around for her and send a handful of guards trotting across the field toward her. She sat on the cold ground and waited for them.\n\n* * * * *\n\nJyrbian claimed the tent of the dead leader. No one disputed his right.\n\nKaede stood for a moment at the door, surveying the small room created by canvas walls. It housed a cot, which appeared fairly comfortable, a chest, and a small folding table. The table bore neatly folded squares of thick paper, obviously maps, which the Ogre captain had not seen fit to consult.\n\nJyrbian unbuckled his sword and laid it on the table, then sat on the edge of the cot and loosened the laces of his boots.\n\n\"You made the mistake of turning your back on him,\" she said finally, part statement, part question.\n\nHe eased one boot off and stretched his foot out in front of him before planting it on the carpet. \"You were there.\"\n\nShe smiled at his confidence in her, at the appreciation in his gaze, and remembered with pleasure flinging her dagger and feeling the power of her magic send it to its target.\n\n\"Where're Khallayne and the girl?\" Jyrbian asked.\n\n\"The girl came back to me,\" Kaede said smugly. \"I'll assign guards to keep them under watch, but she won't stray.\"\n\n\"No. I want them in here.\" He removed the other boot.\n\nKaede's expression went from joyous to disappointed, but she turned to follow his orders.\n\n\"But not now.\" He reached out and caught her before she could take a step, caught the front of her tunic and used his grip to pull her close. With one arm around her, he tugged on the material again, and one of the carved bone buttons popped off.\n\nHe tugged again, harder, and thread snapped as two more buttons flew. As she reached for the front of the tunic to unbutton it rather than ruin it, he yanked more buttons off. \"Never mind. You'll need a new uniform for our return to Takar anyway.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nThey rode into Takar at the head of the company, flags held high, symbolizing their victory.\n\nThe warriors' uniforms had been altered as much as possible, stripes and decorations torn off. They all wore, as did Jyrbian, the crescent symbol of Sargonnas, God of Destruction and Vengeance, fashioned from the bones of their enemy. They were no longer of the Dalle Clan. They were Jyrbian's.\n\nThe pageantry of the warriors drew a crowd of onlookers as they rode through the streets, stirring cheers.\n\nKaede was breathtaking in her red-and-white silks, her long, silver hair pulled back and braided warrior style.\n\nKhallayne and Jelindra rode behind them, flanked by guards. Jelindra was swallowed up in her warrior tunic. Khallayne wore hers carelessly, showing her disdain.\n\nJyrbian proudly wore the same clothes he was wearing when he had left Takar, now bloodstained and well used. He'd cut his long hair to just above shoulder length and gathered it at the nape of his neck. His sword lay across his back.\n\nThe crowd responded to him, to the power they felt in him. They cheered and ran alongside the troops to keep him in sight.\n\nRiding beside him, Kaede felt like laughing, and did so as the cobbled streets grew crowded and boisterous.\n\n#\n\n**Jyrbian faced the Ruling Council as dirty and bloody as the** last time he'd stood before one of them. But this time, they were the ones who needed something, and he was the one in a position to bestow favors.\n\nKaede stood to his right. Jelindra was behind her, and Khallayne stood farthest away, back against the door.\n\nThe five members of the Ruling Council seemed smaller somehow, aged by the weeks that had gone by. Jyrbian stood, tall and proud, and did not perform the requisite bow. \"I've come to offer my services as leader of all the troops of Takar.\"\n\nThey glanced at each other, but before Anel, the leader, could respond, Jyrbian continued. \"My proposal is this. I will consolidate the guards of the clans, and I will turn them into one army. I will reclaim the mountains from the humans. My army will make all the roads safe, as well as the passes and estates. My army will put the slaves back to work, where they belong.\"\n\nHe took a step closer to the platform on which the five council members knelt and lowered his voice. \"And when I have done that, my army will track down the heretic Igraine and his treasonous followers and bring them all back to stand trial for their crimes.\"\n\nHe heard Khallayne's soft gasp, but paid it no attention.\n\nWithout glancing at the others, Anel smiled and nodded to Jyrbian. \"This plan you propose is indeed ambitious, Lord. We shall take it under serious advisement, of course. I'm sure you realize we'd like to discuss it first and hear the report of our agent.\" Anel glanced at Kaede. \"We\u2014\"\n\n\"Of course, I understand, Lady,\" he interrupted smoothly. \"But you must also understand, of course, that I will do these things with or without your approval.\"\n\nThe gasps this time were from the council, and Teragrym and Enna both half rose, ready to challenge him.\n\nJyrbian waved them back down. \"With you or without you. It is your choice.\"\n\nHe left the audience chamber as abruptly as he had come, Kaede, Jelindra and Khallayne trailing in his wake. He spoke to the first Ogre he encountered in the hall.\n\n\"Who are you?\" he demanded.\n\nThe Ogre, a male about Jyrbian's age, but much smaller and paler, had obviously heard of their arrival. \"I'm Ginde, Lord Jyrbian, general aide to the council,\" he said nervously.\n\n\"Well, now, you're my aide,\" Jyrbian said brusquely.\n\nThe Ogre gulped, looking first at the door to the chamber, then at Kaede, then back at Jyrbian. \"Yes, Sire.\"\n\n\"I'll be wanting new quarters. The larger ones on the southern side of the building will do nicely.\"\n\nJyrbian started off down the hall, the aide dancing alongside him, trying to catch his attention.\n\n\"But, Lord, those are occupied by\u2014\"\n\n\"I don't care. Have them _unoccupied_. Now. And I'll want my troops quartered in the section the king's troops used to occupy,\" Jyrbian said, banging open the door to the dining hall.\n\nThe room was half filled, busy for midafternoon, and the conversations died away as everyone looked at Jyrbian.\n\n\"I'll be wanting all new things,\" he said over his shoulder. \"I left nothing behind of any importance. You can put Khallayne in my old apartment. And give Jelindra Lyrralt's old room for the time being.\"\n\nKaede nodded, leaving him at the door of the dining hall, motioning for the two of them to follow her. Jelindra obeyed with alacrity, Khallayne sullenly.\n\nThere were guards everywhere, at corners and doors where there had never been guards in the castle for as long as Khallayne could remember. And very few slaves, most of whom were wall-eyed and cowed.\n\nThey passed a small woman slave carrying a tray, and she recoiled against the wall as if she expected to be struck as Kaede brushed by her.\n\nHad the slaves always been so afraid of them? Had they always walked with bowed heads and cringed at the slightest sound of a raised voice? Khallayne glanced back at the woman, but kept walking.\n\n\"In here.\" Kaede held open the door to Lyrralt's old apartment and waited for Jelindra. As soon as the girl was inside, Kaede pulled the door closed and locked it, tucking the key inside her jacket.\n\nKhallayne heard Jelindra scream.\n\n\"Kaede\u2014!\" She wheeled toward Jelindra's door, then toward the rooms that would be hers\u2014Jyrbian's old apartment. The door was already closing behind Kaede. Khallayne surged forward, realizing that, now that Jelindra was safely locked away, Kaede had released the spell that had bound the child's memory.\n\nKhallayne banged the door open, slamming it into the wall.\n\nKaede looked up from a chest set against the far wall, her eyes narrowed, dangerous, as she waited for Khallayne to speak.\n\n\"Looking for something?\"\n\nKaede stood and allowed the lid of the chest to bang shut. \"Evidence.\"\n\n\"Of what?\" Khallayne pulled her jacket close against the chill in the room. It smelled damp and musty, of being closed up for weeks. Without moving a muscle, she lit the half-burned logs in the fireplace.\n\nKaede didn't blink. \"Of the Song of History.\"\n\n\"The what?\" Khallayne covered her quick intake of breath by turning toward the crackling fire and holding out her hands. Every ounce of her willpower was required to not look at the window, at the sill, to see if Jyrbian's collection of crystals still stood there.\n\n\"The Song of the History of the Ogre.\"\n\n\"I don't understand,\" Khallayne lied, pretending to examine the figurines on the mantel. Surreptitiously, she glanced at Kaede in the mirror that hung above the fireplace.\n\nKaede had the door to the wardrobe open and was fingering Jyrbian's clothes. \"Bakrell and I are the last of the Clan of the Keeper.\"\n\n\"I thought the Keeper was the last.\"\n\n\"My mother was not born in a sanctified marriage, but we are blood nonetheless!\" Kaede said the last fiercely, as if daring Khallayne to deny it.\n\nWhen Khallayne said nothing, Kaede continued, \"I've never felt the Song was dead. Never. There would be a silence in me if it were gone.\"\n\n\"So... where is it?\"\n\nKaede looked frustrated. She went to the center of the room and turned slowly, eyes closed tightly, as if sampling the air. She sighed. \"I don't know. But I feel it strongest when I'm with Jyrbian.\"\n\nKhallayne nodded. \"Why haven't you just asked him?\"\n\nKaede grinned. \"Obviously you don't know Jyrbian as well as I thought you did. If he knew I really wanted it, he'd never give it to me.\"\n\nThe room was beginning to warm. Khallayne slipped off the heavy riding jacket and tossed it across a chair. \"If you know what kind of Ogre he is, I don't see why you follow him.\"\n\nKaede laughed mirthlessly. \"Obviously, you really _don't_ know him.\" She was still laughing as she left the room without bothering to lock Khallayne in.\n\nKhallayne ran on light feet to the door and opened it just a crack. She could hear Kaede's laughter dwindling as she strode down the hall.\n\nShe retrieved her jacket and forced herself to wait several more minutes before venturing out into the hall.\n\nA guard was stationed at the intersection of the corridor at the other end of the hall, and she straightened as Khallayne emerged. Khallayne concentrated, striking with a mental blow, right above her eyes, as hard as she could.\n\nThe guard dropped with a clatter of sword.\n\nKhallayne held her breath. She waited for someone to come to the guard's aid, but the hallways remained silent. She pressed her face against the heavy carving on the door, but there was no sound coming from Jelindra's rooms. \"Jelindra?\" She called softly.\n\nNo answer.\n\nShe was afraid of what the girl might have done when all the memories, of her nightmare and the death of her brother, were unmasked and given back to her.\n\nKhallayne breathed deeply, forced herself to control her fear. She concentrated as she hadn't concentrated since the battle in the forest, drawing power from inside.\n\nShe had intended to blow the door off its hinges, to blast it into tiny pieces, but at the last moment, she changed the spell. Made it something delicate and precise. She slipped it into the keyhole in the door, into the tiny passages in which the key fit. _Click_. _Click. Click_.\n\nThe door swung open with just the tiniest pressure.\n\n\"Jelindra?\" Her voice was soft, as delicate as the spell.\n\nThe room was in darkness, even colder than hers, but she was loathe to light it with magic. She bumped into the bed and felt across the uneven surface until she touched Jelindra's hair, spilling out over a pillow. \"Jelindra?\"\n\nA tiny sob escaped the bundle of blankets.\n\n\"Jelindra. It's me. I've come to take you out of here.\"\n\nThe girl sat up and folded herself into Khallayne's arms, erupting in a torrent of tears. \"She gave it all back, Khallayne. She gave it all back. After she promised! She made me remember it all.\"\n\nKhallayne held her for a moment, then pulled back the covers. \"You knew you couldn't forget forever, didn't you?\"\n\nJelindra tried to pull away.\n\n\"She takes away the good memories, too. And you don't want to lose those, do you?\n\nJelindra began to cry again, but she shook her head. \"No, I don't. It's just that\u2014it's just that it hurts so much. And I'm afraid.\"\n\n\"I know. I am, too. But it'll get better. I promise.\" Khallayne held out her hand. \"Come on. We're leaving.\" Jelindra took it and allowed herself to be pulled up and out of the room.\n\nKhallayne led her through passages remembered from another lifetime. The walls were familiar, the rooms they passed likewise, but they seemed to belong to a past unconnected with her own. The guards they passed, one after another, were also from another life altogether. Khallayne disabled the first two, then after that, used a \"sleep\" spell to save energy.\n\nThey reached the stables without arousing any suspicions. Jelindra was breathing hard, but moving with quick steps. With another blow, Khallayne incapacitated the stable guard. She waved away the slave working in the stalls, and he shrank fearfully into the shadows.\n\nKhallayne led their horses from the stalls, grabbed blankets and saddles, talking as she did so. \"Jelindra, listen to me, okay? And try to remember all this. If we're separated\u2014\"\n\nJelindra started, tears welling up in her eyes, and Khallayne wasted precious minutes calming her. \"Just listen. I'll be right behind you, okay? But in case something happens, ride for the western gate. Okay? Get away from the city, but stay on the main trail. I'll come that way as soon as I can. Okay?\"\n\nJelindra nodded and vaulted onto the back of her horse. \"The west gate. I'll wait for you.\"\n\nThey started out of the courtyard, riding slowly in the watery winter sunlight. Khallayne would have preferred the darkness of night to cover their movements. She magically muffled the sound of their horse's hooves slightly, hoping nobody would hear them.\n\nThe gates of the courtyard loomed overhead, casting a shadow over the cobblestones. She breathed a sigh of relief. They were going to make it.\n\nSuddenly, a cry of alarm went up from the castle. She glanced back and saw Jyrbian, standing at the top of the steps, pointing at her.\n\n\"Stop them!\" he shouted. \"Don't let them get away!\"\n\nKhallayne slapped the rump of Jelindra's horse. \"Go!\" she screamed. \"Run!\"\n\nThe horse leapt forward and streaked through the gate, Jelindra bent low over its back. Khallayne wheeled to face Jyrbian.\n\nGuards poured from the castle and from the exercise yard behind the courtyard, running for the stables. If they reached their horses, they would catch Jelindra for sure!\n\nPower hummed along her nerves. She cast it out, slamming the doors to the stables, fusing the hinges. The guards beat against the doors, then turned and headed toward her.\n\nShe spoke a word, a simple word, and a wall of fire sprang up to meet them. The guards fell back.\n\nAn arrow whizzed past her, far off to the side. She heard Jyrbian scream, \"Don't hurt her! I want her alive!\"\n\nShe could see him, through a haze of heat, gesturing at the guards. His lips were moving in spell casting, and she felt the power of the fire waver. She breathed the wall of flame higher.\n\nShe wheeled her horse again, turning toward the city. The animal, frightened by the fire, scrabbled for purchase on the cobblestones, almost fell, then righted himself. The gate flashed past as he leapt forward. She was clear! She was free!\n\nSomething smote her, something like a giant hand. It jarred her teeth, jolted her muscles, then lifted her up off her horse and dropped her with skull-crushing force. She cried out, braced for the impact.\n\nAt the last moment, something equally powerful cushioned the fall so that only her back was bruised, her breath knocked out of her.\n\nDazed, she sat up. Clattering feet were right behind her, but it wasn't too late to buy more time for Jelindra. She came to her feet, ready to fight.\n\nThe two guards in front drew bows, nocked arrows, and dropped to their knees.\n\n\"Gently,\" Jyrbian called, striding down the hill toward her. \"Gently.\" He was smiling, waving the guards away as he moved forward.\n\n\"Khallayne.\" When he reached her, he motioned the guards away and walked right up to her. He clasped her shoulders in his big hands. \"Thank you.\"\n\nShe jerked away from his grasp. \"For what?\"\n\n\"I understand.\" His smile grew even wider. \"When you ran, I tried to stop you, but the words wouldn't come. But then the spell did, from inside, just like you said it would.\"\n\nHe tilted his head back, face to the sky, and laughed. \"Now there's nothing I can't do!\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nShadows moved. Stars as bright as gems burned holes in the black sky and twinkled so brightly that Bakrell thought he could hear them singing a song of fire and darkness that tinkled like chimes. The night seemed full of rustling movement.\n\nHe rode easily, humming to himself for company. Two warriors had ridden with him, but as they had neared the mountains, he had sent them back. Tenaj would be angry. If he ever saw her again, he was sure she would have a few choice phrases, but he also felt he would be safer alone.\n\nThe mountains loomed, a blot in the sky, casting a long, dark shadow out on the plains. In the next hour, he would be in the foothills.\n\nHe kicked his horse to a canter. He watched for any sign of human or Ogre encampment, listened for warnings in the hooting and calling of the nightbirds, of the rustling of animals in the grass.\n\nHe chose the most direct route he knew, a trail almost straight up into the Khalkists, riding into rain as soon as he left the rolling foothills behind. The drizzle made pleasantly pattering sounds on the leaves, dripped down the back of his neck, and plastered his clothes to his skin.\n\nIt was miserable in the higher elevations. The mountains smoked, a phenomenon Bakrell had heard about but never seen. It seemed the bluish smoke from dozens of campfires spiraled up through the lush foliage and blended into the blue-gray sky. It was quite beautiful, and he hoped to never see it again, if it meant being this cold and wet.\n\nAfter days of travel, he still had seen no Ogre parties, which both relieved and puzzled him. Had the council given up their pursuit? He was sitting at the edge of the forest, staring at the city of Thorad, when he came up with an idea.\n\nMaybe he could find an inn near the edge of the town. He was so cold and miserable that he was willing to risk it for one night of comfort, of sleeping on a surface that didn't squish.\n\nWith no walls like those that protected most of the older cities, Thorad had been an easy target for human attacks. At the wide road that was the main entrance on the east side, barricades marked where attacks had been met. Bags filled with earth, huge timbers, even barroom tables filled the gaps. Buildings bore charred facades.\n\nAs Bakrell rode in, a few Ogres eyed him with suspicion, unease, and downright hostility. He had never seen such Ogres as these! They looked as bad off as Igraine's people. In fact, refugees were exactly what they appeared to be, families with belongings piled in two-wheel carts, farmers with packs slung on their backs, all as wet and miserable as he.\n\nHe chose the inn where he and Kaede had stayed before. The public room was empty save for two Ogres huddled near the fire in the dining area. The innkeeper, whom Bakrell remembered, was behind the bar, polishing the shiny surface of the old wood.\n\nIt was then that Bakrell realized what made the city seem truly strange and empty. There were no slaves! He hesitated, thinking back, and could not remember seeing one human face in the streets.\n\n\"Come on in, stranger,\" said the innkeeper.\n\nThe two at the fire looked up at him warily, but quickly went back to their mugs when he nodded at them.\n\nThe innkeeper placed a mug of steaming tea before him as Bakrell climbed onto a stool. \"Berry and bark,\" he offered as explanation when Bakrell sniffed it. \"All we've got.\"\n\nBakrell wrapped his fingers around the mug and took a sip. The brew was weak and bitter, but the warmth of it felt like the finest whiskey. \"I'd drink plain water and be as happy as if it were wine, as long as it's hot.\"\n\n\"Been traveling?\" There was suspicion in his tone, under the nonchalance.\n\nBakrell nodded. \"It's been miserable, with all the rain. I need a room for the night.\"\n\n\"You can have your pick if you've got the price.\"\n\n\"I have money.\" Bakrell dug into his cloak and pulled out a soggy purse. Coins clinked as he counted them out on the bar.\n\nInstead of the gleam Bakrell had expected, the innkeeper's face showed disappointment. \"Better than nothing,\" he said. \"Rather have food, or candles. Or wine.\"\n\n\"I have\u2014\" In his mind, Bakrell went over the items he was carrying on his horse. He had no candles, and he wasn't willing to give up his two skins of wine. \"I have dried meat,\" he offered finally. \"And salt.\"\n\nThe innkeeper's face brightened. \"Salt? You can have a room for a whole turning of the moons!\"\n\n\"It's in a pack on my horse, outside.\"\n\n\"Outside! You can't be leaving something valuable like that outside. It'll be gone before you can blink.\" The innkeeper rushed to the door behind the bar and shouted for someone to go and get Bakrell's horse. \"And bring the bags in here!\"\n\nBakrell sat back, his fingers closed on the warm mug.\n\nThe innkeeper narrowed his eyes. \"Where is it you said you're from? Have I seen you around here before?\"\n\n\"I stayed here in the fall. My sister and I. We were waiting for... someone.\"\n\nThe Ogre's eyes narrowed as he considered Bakrell. \"I remember a young one with a sister sharp as a whip. He was pretty useless-looking, though, decked out in fine clothes. Not like you.\"\n\nBakrell smiled sadly. \"No, I guess I don't look much like that.\"\n\n\"Them two, they were heading out onto the plains, looking for Igraine.\" The innkeeper spat on the floor as soon as he said the name. \"And may they find him, too. Heretic bastard!\"\n\nBakrell nodded, then sipped thoughtfully at his drink.\n\n\"He's the cause of all this, him and his ideas about slavery.\" He waved his arms about, indicating the empty room. \"Me with no slaves to work the place. Not that it matters. Got no customers anyway. Half the population doesn't even have homes anymore.\"\n\n\"I saw all the people outside. They looked like they're on the move.\"\n\nAs the innkeeper continued to speak, he became more agitated. \"City's not safe. No walls. The humans ride in and do whatever they want and ride back out again before the guard even rouses itself.\"\n\n\"Where will they all go?\" Bakrell was beginning to be sorry he'd ventured into Thorad, information or not.\n\n\"Humans'll slaughter most of them on the trails. Damn fools don't know what it's like out there. Think they'll be better off running away. Others'll starve when they get to Takar and Bloten and find they're not wanted there either.\"\n\n\"But surely they'd be welcome in Takar. The Ruling Council\u2014\"\n\n\"Ruling Council! Pahhh!\" He spat again, with as much animosity as when he'd spoken of Igraine. \"They're sitting behind those walls, safe and warm. Don't care if their own starve. Why would they want any more?\"\n\nBakrell sighed heavily, pushing his cup toward the Ogre for a refill. \"How did things get so bad, so fast?\" he whispered. He felt, suddenly, a desperation to find Khallayne and Jelindra and get away from the mountains as quickly as possible.\n\n* * * * *\n\nLyrralt stood on the shore, digging his bare feet into the sand. The breeze off the water was bitterly cold. The sand was cold between his toes, and grainy.\n\nReaching the Courrain Ocean, the great body of water to the north of the continent, had been a joyful moment. They had been camping nearby for almost a week, and many of the Ogres still ventured down to the beach despite the cold. They had spread out in small family encampments all along the seaside, among the sandy, grassy hills.\n\nChildren played near the water's edge, laughing and shouting, mixing their voices with the cries of the seabirds and noise of the surf. He heard all, saw nothing.\n\n\"You shouldn't be walking around without your shoes,\" Tenaj called cheerily, crunching her way across the sand toward him. Igraine was with her, just back from a trip into Schall, a human city two days to the west. Lyrralt recognized him from his scent.\n\n\"How was your trip?\"\n\nThe smile on Igraine's face vanished.\n\nTenaj tucked her arm through Lyrralt's, but waited for Igraine to speak. Igraine grimaced. \"Disappointing. I'm afraid the reputations of our brethren have preceded us. We were most unwelcome. I've brought plenty of supplies, but I think we need to move on soon.\"\n\n\"Before the humans decide to attack?\" Lyrralt guessed.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Is there no place where we can be safe?\" Tenaj asked, her voice suddenly depressed. \"I'm tired of running. I'm tired of always looking over my shoulder.\"\n\n\"Perhaps there is a place.\" Lyrralt turned her toward the ocean. \"In Schall, were there sailing vessels?\" he asked Igraine.\n\n\"Yes. I saw sails near the waterfront.\"\n\n\"Large enough to carry us? All of us?\"\n\n\"I don't know.\"\n\nTenaj was trembling. \"Where?\" she whispered. \"Where would we go?\"\n\nLyrralt pointed out over the water.\n\n\"How do you know this, Lyrralt?\" Igraine's voice was caught by the wind and tossed back to him so that it seemed to come from very far away.\n\n\"There's an island somewhere to the north. It's... It's calling me.\"\n\nIgraine turned into the ocean breeze, feeling the salt spray on his face. He tried to quiet his thoughts, putting away the worries of caring for so many Ogres, feeding them, sheltering them, keeping them alive. Yet he heard no song, no call from across the ocean waves. As always, when he allowed the mask of day-to-day worries to fall away, he felt only grief, the overwhelming sorrow and loneliness that had permeated his soul since Everlyn's death, a heartache almost too strong to bear.\n\n* * * * *\n\nDarkness, dank and dripping. Scuttling of claws on stone, somewhere in the shadows. Light from a smoky, oily torch, showing flashes of moldy walls, of grayed, chewed lengths of bone.\n\nThere were doors, recessed, so thick and heavy that they might never open. One door was open, and Khallayne backed away from it, instinctively knowing that she didn't want to know what lay out of range of her torchlight.\n\nShe was in the dungeons beneath the castle. The guard who had come for her volunteered no information, and he responding to her questions with only, \"I'm following Lord Jyrbian's orders.\"\n\n_Lord_ Jyrbian. Lord Jyrbian had, so far, been as good as his word. He had organized the troops. He and Kaede had drilled them until they were ready to drop, then Kaede had drilled them more. made them fight each other with pikes, with swords, with fat maces, like the humans used, on foot and on horseback. And they loved him for it. The first supply train guarded by his troops had come through unscathed, and now everybody loved him.\n\nKhallayne and the guard passed a deep doorway, and in the flash of torchlight she saw an unidentifiable mass, disintegrating cloth that might have been a pile of rags, or might have been a body. A lump of clothes, flesh all but gone, with wispy blond hair sticking up like straw.\n\nShe gasped softly, drew back. Had this always been here, this suffocating, dark place, below the rooms where she danced, ate, made love?\n\n\"In here, Lady,\" he said, stopping before a door, deep-set in granite. \"Lord Jyrbian is waiting.\"\n\nShe froze, suddenly sure that if she went through the door, she would never leave the cell alive. She would spend the rest of her life eating unidentifiable food passed through a slit, living in the darkness until her skin was leeched of all color, her mind of all sanity.\n\nThe door swung inward, and yellow light spilled into the corridor. The warm air that came rushing out hinted at a scent musky yet somehow familiar. After the chilly dampness, the light and warmth pouring through the door should have been welcome.\n\nIt wasn't. Her intuition told her so.\n\nJyrbian was just inside the door. His lips were moving, but she couldn't hear the words.\n\nThe power. The power in the room. She sensed the seething of the magic, the darkness despite its brightness. An aura greenish and ugly, stronger than any she'd ever seen, enveloped Jyrbian.\n\nThe guard pushed her hard in the small of her back. Inside the room, the din of the spell was even worse. Her own power crawled in her veins, wanting to respond, to protect, but she fought it down. She'd never felt anything like it, not even the magic that flowed about the Ruling Council. Such malevolence! Such evil!\n\nThen she saw what\u2014who\u2014Jyrbian had brought her to see. Hand to her mouth to stifle a cry of anguish, she took a step forward.\n\nBakrell was tied to a slab of stone in the middle of the floor, its surface angled. He was naked, muscles bulging. His mouth stretched wide, teeth bared in a silent mask of anguish.\n\n\"I'm sure you remember Bakrell,\" Jyrbian said smoothly. As he spoke, the aura of power around him ebbed and diminished.\n\nBakrell made a pitiful sound, an animal whimper. Except for the trickle of blood that oozed from the corner of his mouth, he might have been sleeping. Or dead.\n\nKhallayne maintained her composure. She dug her toes into the soles of her boots, feeling the coldness of the floor. Fought to keep her face impassive because she sensed her safety and Bakrell's life depended on it. She fought and lost. There was no way she could conceal her horror, her disgust, her nausea.\n\n\"I know him,\" she choked out, horrified when her voice stirred him, made him open his eyes.\n\nJyrbian straightened, made some small gesture she noted only at the periphery of her vision, and the putrescence that was his power poured back into the room.\n\nBakrell's body contorted, straining at his bonds with such ferocity that it seemed he burst. And just as suddenly, slumped pathetically.\n\n\"Jyrbian, please...\" Although every inch of her skin crawled with revulsion, Khallayne held out a hand to him. \"Why are you doing this?\"\n\nJyrbian took her hand, drew her close enough that he could put a hand on her shoulder. \"Because it pleases me.\" He turned toward his captive and asked, \"Doesn't it please you, too?\"\n\nBakrell's eyes were dull, the shine of life gone from them, and she knew he was dying. She'd seen too many, fallen in battle, their lives draining away, not to recognize the signs. Gaze locked with Bakrell's, she whispered, \"Jyrbian, please don't do this. I'll do whatever you want.\"\n\n\"My dear, you have nothing left that I want. He, however, has information that might lessen his suffering, should he choose to share it.\" His fingers tightened on her shoulder, then eased off into a caress.\n\nShe couldn't stop the shiver of repulsion that ran down her spine. \"What?\"\n\n\"The location of Igraine's camp.\"\n\nThe greenish light, the malevolent power, leapt again. Bakrell's body arched up off the stone. Jyrbian grabbed Khallayne as she tried to do something, grabbing her around the waist with strength she hadn't known he possessed.\n\n\"Bakrell, if you know, tell him!\" she cried.\n\nBakrell didn't respond. His body pushed up off the stone, held for long moments, then dropped. His eyes rolled up in his head.\n\n\"If you know, tell him! He'll kill you!\"\n\nBakrell simply shook his head. No.\n\nIrritated, Jyrbian flicked his fingers.\n\nBakrell's body spasmed. His muscles bunched as if they would rip through his skin. He screamed. And screamed. The sound reverberated around the small room, echoing, stabbing her ears, her heart, like daggers driven into her skull. So loud, so tortured a sound, that it persisted in her mind even after Bakrell went silent.\n\nJyrbian released her. He went to Bakrell, touched him as gently as a lover. \"Don't you want the pain to be over? Don't you want this to end? All you have to do is tell me. Just tell me where I can find Igraine. I know you know where they were going. How else were you going to take Khallayne and Jelindra back?\"\n\nUnable to speak, Bakrell rolled his head back and forth. Back and forth. No.\n\nHis dull eyes stared out through swollen lids at Khallayne. For a moment, just a moment, there was recognition in his face. Horror. Understanding. \"Forgive me,\" he rasped, his voice a blood-filled whisper. With effort, he rolled his head back until Jyrbian was in his vision. \"You won't hurt her?\" he rasped, and when Jyrbian agreed, whispered, \"Near Schall. On the shore.\"\n\nHis eyes slid shut. His head rolled heavily to the side. His chest heaved, then settled, and didn't rise again.\n\nFor a moment, the silence in the room was overwhelming. With a triumphant malevolence, Jyrbian turned to the guard in the doorway. \"Take a company immediately. Start tonight. Bring Igraine back to me, dead or alive. But the humans who guard him I want alive.\"\n\nThe Ogre saluted smartly, disappearing into the dark corridor.\n\nWhen his footfalls had died away, Jyrbian turned to Khallayne. \"Allow me to escort you back to your apartment.\"\n\n#\n\n**Sunlight pierced deep into the clear blue waters of the** Courrain Ocean. As she often did in the mornings, the Xocli paused, her large, flat tail moving lazily in the current, and turned one of her three heads to watch the return of her fellow sea creatures, riding the warming beams of light down from the surface.\n\nA stately leaffish drifted by; the rippling fins for which it was named gamboled like ornaments, waving a warm good morning.\n\nThe nightly, vertical migration had begun at dusk. Tiny fish, too small for the Xocli to actually see, rose, seeking food. Slowly, the small fish that fed on the tiny ones followed, and the larger creatures followed them in turn. Nighttime in the depths of the Courrain Ocean was a totally different world than the day.\n\nShe watched the nightly dance and the morning return, though the Xocli didn't rise with nightfall, not unless there was a voice, calling to her\u2014as one called to her this morning, faintly and dimly.\n\nThe caller was not nearby, perhaps not even on the water, but she could feel the call of its sadness; the sorrow touched her core. Motioning to her children, she set out across the ocean floor, allowing the current to pull her along, take her where it would. There was no hurry. The melancholy of the caller would tell her when to rise.\n\nOne of her heads snapped up a larval shrimp floating on a sea leaf that sparkled like sequins. The tiny morsel made her hungry for more. She opened her three mouths and gulped in water, enjoying the rush of it through the gills on her necks.\n\nSpectral light played across the gossamer, transparent mantle that shielded the organs in the Xocli's necks and torso. Streaming along behind her, the little ones, the children, frolicked in and out of the beams of sunlight, diving below the reef and popping back out above or behind it.\n\nThe children ranged wide, then circled back to her as she turned. Not only was she avoiding the colder area north of the reef, where a vent in the ocean floor sent inky fluid smoking toward the surface, but the melancholy from the surface was stronger, singing in her bones, a siren song that could not be ignored.\n\nThe young were miniature copies of her: three heads sitting atop long necks, golden scales and fins rippling with all the colors of the ocean. The transparency of their young skin, their developing mantles, made them difficult to see against the reef, save for the brightness of their eyes.\n\nShe felt, rather than heard, the cry of one of the children. Turning back rapidly, she counted. One, two, three, against the reef. Another out on the floor, examining a miniature \"chimney,\" the beginnings of a vent, from which pale particles drifted upward. Another, still farther away, swam lazily. That left one unaccounted for, the one who was bugling in pain and fear.\n\nThe cry was coming from the north, from the vent. Ordering the others to stay away, she darted toward the sound. She twined her three long, thick necks and swam with her three heads nose-to-nose. Gone was the lazy, panoramic view of the underwater as she homed in on the pleas.\n\nVisibility narrowed as she approached the vent. The smoky black fluid that spewed from the vent clouded the water until almost no sunlight penetrated. She swam by feel, following the vibration of her child. Its pitiful cries were weakening, moment by moment.\n\nShe bugled her distress, and a mere whimper was the only response from the lost one. She circled in the cloudy darkness. Just when she thought she would never find the little one, she saw it, its back closer to the reef than she had thought, trapped in the waving tentacles of a giant tube worm.\n\nThe tube worms were not maneuvering creatures. They lived out their lives attached to the reef or a boulder, unable to chase after their prey. They shot stinging tentacles into the current to capture their food, then dragged the stunned, hapless creature back in a deadly embrace.\n\nThe little one was mewling weakly. Held immobile in the grasp of the huge tentacles, it was drowning. The Xocli swept in toward it, screeching a cry of warning, of distress and challenge.\n\nThe tube worm, stupid and sluggish when feeding, was quick when it sensed prey. The stinging tentacles darted out and latched onto the tender flesh at the base of her necks.\n\nPain like the bite of hundreds of tiny teeth shot through her nervous system. She squealed and kicked backward with her large pectoral fin. Her weight and the power tore her loose, leaving her flesh on the barbed tentacles. She darted in again. And again the tube worm pricked her, pumping its venom into her veins.\n\nShe tore loose again, tearing several of the tubes from the base this time. She felt the whisper of the mindless creature's anger conveyed through the water. She surged in once more, spreading her three necks as far as they would go, as wide, attacking from three different directions.\n\nIgnoring her pain, she attacked. Again and again. Tireless. Desperate. She besieged the tube worm from above, below, charged in, a direct frontal assault. She tore off pieces of the ugly, writing tentacles, snapped whole clumps from the base.\n\nThe tube worm met her assault on all sides, spraying out a thick, noxious white poison in addition to the stinging tentacles. The Xocli backed away, blinded, bleeding, defeated. Her little one moved no more in the grasp of the tube worm. Its ululations stilled forever.\n\nShe reared back and sounded her distress, her grief. Her anguish was so great, it almost overwhelmed the calls from the surface. With one last glance back at the remains of her child, she swam upward, signaling for the other children to attend her.\n\nShe shot upward, heeding the siren call from above, feeding on the misery of the caller, drawing it into herself.\n\nAdded to her own sorrow, the emotion was overpowering. She gave vent to her pain. Anguish became fury, building inside her to a fever pitch, until the Xocli that broke the surface of the ocean, rising up into the air, was crazed with rage.\n\nThe tiny ships pitched on the ocean's surface below her. And she drank in the fear and pain of the tiny beings that clung to the decks. She sucked in the anesthetizing, exhilarating emotions.\n\n* * * * *\n\nWater, blue-gray and endless, stretched as far as the eye could see, merging with the sky. Rippling in the cold sunshine, it looked like melted glass.\n\nThey were north of the continent of Ansalon, far west of the Khalkists. Nearby were islands, called the Dragon Isles, the human captain assured them, some of them large enough to support a colony of Ogres.\n\n\"How much farther?\" Tenaj called to Lyrralt, who sat in the shade of the upper deck, his back braced against the bulkhead. She strode across the rolling deck, stepping over those lolling in the sun with the ease of many days aboard ship, and squatted down next to him. \"How much longer?\"\n\nHe smiled, turning his sightless eyes toward her. \"Not much longer. Can't you hear it?\"\n\nShe cocked her head. \"Yes.\" She drew the word out in a sibilant hiss. And she did hear something, as they all were beginning to, a siren call, drawing them across the water. \"But it's still so faint. I can't tell if it's near or far.\"\n\n\"It's near,\" said someone behind her. \"Very near.\"\n\n\"It better be,\" another voice growled.\n\nTenaj stalked back to the bow. That was the problem with being packed on the ship so close with so many others. There was no privacy. The smaller ship, which sailed behind them, was probably even worse.\n\nIgraine came up beside her, laid a hand on her shoulder. \"Feeling crowded?\" he asked quietly.\n\nAs always, Tenaj was surprised at how well he read her mind and ashamed to have harbored such unworthy thoughts. \"I know I should be grateful,\" she admitted contritely. \"We were lucky to find a captain willing to take us all at once.\" Lucky to find a human whose greed appreciated the coin they could pay.\n\n\"We're lucky to be here, all healthy.\" Igraine said it ruefully, for he had been one of the few who had taken seasick the first few days out. Then very quietly, very sadly, he whispered, \"I wish Everlyn could have seen the new home.\"\n\nTenaj looked at him in surprise. It was the first time she'd heard him mention Everlyn since the killing.\n\nIgraine wasn't the same leader who had left Takar. His daughter's death had drained all the life from him, leaving a male who seemed diminished, his silver hair and eyes now a drab gray. But his voice still carried the authority to move mountains.\n\nShe squeezed his hand sympathetically, turned her face to the wind, and stared out at the sea. Just as Igraine started to speak, she drew a sharp breath and leaned forward, over the railing.\n\n\"Do you see the island?\"\n\n\"No.\" She shook her head, pushed away his hand. \"No.\" What she saw was a pattern in the water, a whirling pattern that wasn't natural. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to the captain, trying to make her voice heard above the billowing of the sails. \"Something's ahead!\"\n\nThe captain pantomimed that he couldn't make out her words. Shielding his eyes, he peered ahead, then abruptly grabbed the wheel of the ship and strained to change direction, shouting orders to his men.\n\nThe ship pitched as it turned, groaning in the water.\n\nTenaj grabbed Igraine and hustled him toward the bulkhead, toward the stairs and belowdecks. \"Everyone get below!\" she shouted.\n\nEveryone had already risen in alarm, and when the ship had turned about, sending up a plume of water, they'd scattered.\n\nIgraine gasped. Screams broke out across the deck, and Tenaj turned just in time to see something raise its head, a golden snout breaking through the surface, water sheeting off its rippling skin. It was beautiful and horrible, she thought, a creature cast in transparent, pearlescent gold, with the scales of a fish and eyes as red as rubies.\n\nAnother head broke the surface beside it, then another, three of them, huge, mantled necks bulging, glistening. They reared back, sending air whistling past her ears, her hair whipping into her eyes.\n\nThe captain was yelling something unintelligible. Ogres were shouting, running. Igraine was the one pushing her now. She bumped into Lyrralt, standing with his back braced against the bulkhead.\n\n\"Brace! Brace!\" the captain was shouting.\n\nThe creatures were surging forward, churning white froth in their wake, their huge blunt heads lowered for battering. She had only a moment to think, to act, before the creatures bashed into the side of the ship. Surely its timbers couldn't withstand the tremendous blow!\n\nTenaj threw up her hands, making a shield with every ounce of magical power at her disposal. The monsters' heads struck the invisible shield with such force that she felt the tremor. One of the heads crashed past and rammed the ship.\n\nThe ship rocked with the impact, pitching wildly back and forth. Wood groaned and splintered, threatening to give way. The blow threw Tenaj to the deck. Her head struck the planks. She rolled onto her back, dazed, and saw the sea monsters preparing to ram again.\n\nShe pushed to her knees, muttering under her breath the words to another spell, hoping to strengthen it.\n\nAn instant later, Igraine was there beside her, and Lyrralt, helping her to stand. Then others, crowding in close, added the strength of their own magic to hers.\n\nThe creatures attacked again, coming up hard against the invisible shield. Bugling in fury and frustration, the creature reared back, rising up another fifty feet into the sky, and attacked again. It struck a blow that tossed them all to the decks as if they weighed nothing. The shield shook with the force of the blow, but held.\n\nFrom behind them, a cheer went up. Anticipating the creatures' next attack, Tenaj shouted, \"Concentrate!\" There was another shout as Lyrralt grabbed her. \"They're going!\"\n\nA human sailor went running past, and Igraine grabbed him. \"What are they?\" he demanded.\n\n\"Not they. It! A Xocli. It's trying to feed its young! We're the food.\"\n\n\"It's heading for the other ship,\" Tenaj said dully. She ran toward the railing, waving her arms and shouting as she went, hoping to distract the creature.\n\nIt sailed past, half submerged. As she reached the end of the deck, she cast a spell with all her might. Something like a thunderbolt sizzled through the air and fell short. She threw fireballs, one, then two, more. They flew through the air, but fell short.\n\nBy her side, Igraine also cast a spell, and something hit the water very near the monsters, sending a geyser high into the air.\n\nThe Xocli swam on toward the smaller ship.\n\n\"There's no one on that ship with the power to stop it,\" Tenaj said, her voice defeated. The ones who were more advanced in magic and spellcasting had sailed together, hoping to spend their time on board learning from each other.\n\nShe watched numbly as the creature repeated its performance with the smaller ship, ramming it repeatedly. She saw bodies fall into the water, heard thrashing and screaming, then stillness. On her ship, there was moaning and songs of sorrow.\n\nThe smaller ship tipped over on its side, like a toy in a pond. Bodies slid off the deck, scrabbling to hold on. Something beneath the water tore at the Ogres as they hit the water. Still the creature butted its golden heads against the ship. Again and again.\n\nTenaj tore loose from Igraine and ran back up to the captain. \"Go back!\" she screamed. She scrambled up the ladder to the upper deck. \"Go back! We've got to help them!\"\n\n\"We can't.\" The human met her gaze squarely. \"It would sink us, too.\"\n\n\"Doesn't matter,\" said his second mate gruffly, pointing. \"It's going.\"\n\nTenaj turned. The sea monster was sailing away, gracefully, beautifully, gradually disappearing beneath the water as it moved.\n\nThe second ship was still afloat, but listing badly to the right. Starboard, she corrected herself.\n\nAs they watched, signal flags slid up the mast. \"Taking on water,\" the captain translated. \"Able to sail, though. Signal them back. We'll fall in beside. Help out as best we can.\"\n\nTenaj insisted they circle close and check the water for survivors, but she knew it was useless, even as the captain acquiesced.\n\nHow many lost?\n\nShe went back down the ladder to her place at the bow. The people behind her on deck were subdued now, crying softly, speculating in whispers as to who among their friends and family was lost.\n\nIgraine joined her, then Lyrralt. The sun set. Still she stayed, watching the black water ahead, lit by Solinari so that it sparkled like diamonds. The wind grew colder. The stars came out.\n\nShe was still standing there when the lookout shouted. \"Land!\"\n\nShe looked this way and that, then realized it was right in front of her. The blackness she'd taken for starless sky was an island.\n\nA large island.\n\nIgraine and Lyrralt joined her once more, pushing through the Ogres who had crowded up from below deck.\n\nFor a moment, Igraine stared at the black finger of land on the horizon. Then he spoke quietly. \"We will be called the Irda, Children of the Stars, Watchers of the Darkness. As we have found our way to this place, we will make our own way into the future.\" For the first time since Everlyn's death, he felt hope and peace and a wonderful calmness in his heart.\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne sat for days, silent and uncommunicative. She ate when food was put before her, slept when a slave led her to bed. She shivered when the room was cold, sweated when she sat too near the fire.\n\nShe hurt. Her teeth, her skin, her fingers. Her muscles, her eyes. Everything ached, and for days, a sound, even the tiniest one, made her cringe. But she knew all that would pass. Her aches would recede, and her ears would return to normal. She wasn't so sure about her sanity.\n\nIt was all hazy, like an early morning high in the mountains when the clouds haven't lifted and the air hangs heavily moisture laden and nothing has sharp edges.\n\n\"Why are you keeping her alive?\" Kaede's voice, tinged with jealousy, broke through the haze.\n\n\"Because it amuses me,\" Jyrbian's voice answered, his despicable voice as smooth as silk.\n\nShe watched it all as she would have watched a play, waiting for her heart to wake up and tell her she was alive. The thing that made her look, listen, made her at last return to the world of angry whispers, was a scream, the scream of a dying man.\n\n\"So,\" a voice said from near the window. \"You are going to wake up.\" The voice didn't sound very pleased with the prospect.\n\nSlowly, Khallayne sat up. She spotted Kaede standing at the window, a crystal from Jyrbian's collection held in her palm.\n\nBakrell's death came back to her. \"Bakrell...\" she choked out.\n\nKaede put the crystal back onto its bronze stand and turned toward her. \"Ummm. I always thought you liked my brother a little more than you let on. No doubt he's one of Igraine's most loyal followers by now. He never did anything halfheartedly.\"\n\nShe didn't know! Khallayne understood immediately. Jyrbian hadn't told her. She opened her mouth to tell her, to let the anger and pain come pouring out. But she didn't. That revelation might be something she could put to good use, later.\n\nWith effort, Khallayne pushed her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled herself up. Wobbly and weak, she made her way toward her scant wardrobe. \"What does Jyrbian want with me?\"\n\nKaede shrugged, but Jyrbian answered her from the door. He was dressed beautifully in a red uniform, brimming with good health. \"There might still be a few spells I don't know.\"\n\nShe leaned her head against the door of the wardrobe. \"You'll have to kill me,\" Khallayne said quietly. Then with growing vehemence, she added, \"I'll die before I'll ever teach you another thing!\"\n\nHe shrugged as if it didn't matter.\n\nAnd it didn't. What miserly, little spells could Khallayne teach him when he already knew how to torture someone to death without leaving a single mark on the body? When she glanced at Kaede, standing in the light pouring through the window, her fingers moving lazily over the crystals from Jyrbian's collection, she suddenly knew there was one spell to teach. And she knew, even before Kaede gasped, that he _would_ kill her, if necessary, trying to wrest the secret from her.\n\nAt that moment, Kaede snatched up the crystal, her mouth open wide in disbelief, holding it up to the light. The clear, round ball was filled with a curling ribbon of smoke. Sunlight streamed through the crystal, creating a dancing rainbow of light.\n\n\"The History!\" Kaede gasped, holding it close to her ear. \"The History. Jyrbian, how did you get it?\"\n\nJyrbian was as perplexed as Khallayne was horrified.\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" He held out his hand, but she refused to give him the crystal. He wrested it from her hand, repeating his question.\n\n\"It's the History. The Song of the Keeper! It's _in_ there. How did you get it?\"\n\n\"Are you sure?\" He held the sphere up to his ear, then up to the light. \"That's ridiculous! How could that be?\"\n\n\"I. can hear it! Give it to me. It's mine! Someone stole it from the Keeper. She wasn't sick. She was murdered!\"\n\nHe held it higher, out of her reach, pushed away her grasping hands. Before Kaede could stop him, he'd strode to Khallayne, thrust it into her hand.\n\nRound and smooth and cool. Khallayne's fingers closed around the sphere. She recognized the tingle of life. She carried it, cradled, to the fire and held it up.\n\n\"You did this,\" Jyrbian said with absolute certainty. \"Lyrralt said something the day the Keeper took sick, something cryptic, about singing for his fortune, the same day he was so angry with you. But he alone never had the knowledge to do this, so you must have helped him. How?\"\n\nYes, the Song was still in there. She could feel it, the way Kaede could hear it. \"No. I didn't do it.\" She lied. Khallayne handed the crystal back to him. \"I don't feel anything but a piece of glass.\"\n\nJyrbian regarded her for a moment. \"Try to remember,\" he said sweetly. \"Perhaps it'll come back to you. Before I have to jog your memory, the way I had to jog... someone else's.\" He thrust the crystal back into her hands.\n\nKaede cried out in protest. \"It's mine! You can't\u2014\"\n\nOne glance from Jyrbian silenced her, and she followed him from the room with murderous eyes.\n\nKhallayne carried the sphere to the bed. Propped up on pillows, buried in warm quilts, she placed the crystal in her lap and stared at it, trying to remember the night it all happened, trying to remember the spell and how it had felt and the way it had all worked together.\n\nThen, when she thought she remembered the ribbony darkness and the flow of the Song from the Old One's lips, she reached out with her power. In her mind, she tapped the crystal ball.\n\nAnd the sphere opened. The Song flowed out, around and about her hands, through her fingers, a music beyond description, so bittersweet that tears clouded her vision, a song about a world that would soon vanish forever. A beautiful, glittering world like an apple with a worm of decay in it.\n\nShe was lost in the Song, unable to follow the music, when she heard cheers, the uproar of something in the courtyard below. She leapt to her feet and ran to the window.\n\nIn the courtyard below, she could see a crowd of troops, all milling about, shouting, crying out greetings and congratulations. She thought she saw Jyrbian, resplendent in dress uniform, marching through the crowd of men and horses. Then she saw the reason for all the noise.\n\nThe crowd of troops surrounded a group of prisoners, chained together around a wagon on which a lone prisoner stood, chained and tied: Eadamm, the human leader for whom Jyrbian had been searching like a madman.\n\n* * * * *\n\nJyrbian forgot everything\u2014the History, Kaede's angry entreaties, and the tantalizing spell Khallayne would surrender to him, sooner or later.\n\nHundreds of humans, old and young, had descended into Jyrbian's dungeons and not returned. They had died, screaming and begging for mercy, or so far gone into insanity that they could not even cry out. As he had destroyed each of them, it had been Eadamm's likeness he saw on their savage human faces, Eadamm he wished he were killing.\n\nNow he would have that pleasure.\n\nJyrbian strode through the throng of Ogres and humans who had crowded into the courtyard, pushing them out of his way. He climbed up onto the wagon and faced the human he hated above all else. \"What a pity you can die only once,\" he told the man, disappointed when the slave maintained his composure.\n\nHe searched the crowd for the captain of the troop that had brought the human in, motioning the man forward. \"Where did you find him? Was he guarding Igraine's people, as I thought?\"\n\n\"No, Lord. As far as I know, the others have not been found. He was captured near Persopholus. We think he was directing the siege of the city.\"\n\n\"And the battle?\"\n\n\"We won, Sire.\" The captain pulled himself up proudly. \"The humans were slaughtered.\"\n\nJyrbian grinned with pleasure and leaned down to clap the Ogre on the shoulder. \"And did you find anything valuable on him?\" He jerked his head in the direction of Eadamm.\n\n\"Yes, Sire, just as you said. My warriors brought it to me.\" The captain reached into his tunic and drew out a pile of silver chain attached to a charm, wrapped in silver wire.\n\nFrom his tunic Jyrbian pulled out another charm just like it. The bloodstone he'd taken from Everlyn's neck. He held them both up wordlessly for the slave to see.\n\nEadamm lunged at him, his lips pulled back, teeth exposed like a feral animal. The chains wrapped around his body held as Eadamm strained against them uselessly.\n\nA beatific smile on his face, Jyrbian climbed down from the wagon. He found Kaede in his bedroom. She was barely dressed, her hair long and loose, her perfume heavy and heady, seductive.\n\n\"You've heard?\"\n\nShe nodded, proffering a glass of wine. \"His death must be spectacular. It must be an example to others.\"\n\nA slow, candied smile creased his lips. His mind was already beginning to ferment with ideas, with images. His smile grew wider, eyes wandering over her body. He took a step toward her, saw her answering smile and the heat in her eyes...\n\n* * * * *\n\nKhallayne barely heard the noise of the crowd as she mounted her horse and followed the others out through the courtyard and into the city. The sun was bright on the cobblestones and glinted on the gray stone walls.\n\nShe rode behind Jyrbian, fear in her throat. \"Only a parade,\" he had said, smiling a smile as guileless as a child. \"In honor of the capture of the humans. You really shouldn't miss it.\" She had played along, eager to get out of the castle, hopeful of a chance to escape.\n\nNow they traveled slowly, regally, down the curving switchbacks that led into the city streets, and along the wide avenues toward the coliseum. All along the route, Ogres lined the streets, waiting for the entertainment, drinking, buying food from vendors who worked the crowd. Khallayne felt a terrible foreboding about the event for which the whole city had turned out.\n\nThe streets outside the coliseum were lined with platforms, viewing stands draped with satin in the colors of all the powerful clans. Jyrbian's was nearest the center, in the shade of the looming coliseum. Only the Ruling Council's was better positioned.\n\nKaede was already on the stand, resplendent in an emerald gown with matching jewels at ears and throat. But when she saw that Khallayne sat at Jyrbian's right, she frowned and turned away. Jyrbian dismounted and led Khallayne up the stairs.\n\nThe Ruling Council arrived. Anel looked across the banister and bowed to Jyrbian. There was a buffet table, laden with delicacies, at the back of the viewing stand, and someone thrust a bronze goblet filled with deep red wine into Khallayne's hand.\n\nMusic began, the high, trilling sound of a flute. Other instruments joined in, adding their melodies. Drums. Cymbals. Bells. Another flute. Twining their light, playful sounds.\n\nThe light seemed to dim, as if the sun had gone behind a dark cloud. Khallayne shivered, blinked her eyes to clear them, and found the light as bright as before. She clutched her goblet tighter to keep her fingers from trembling and peered down the street, as everyone around was doing. All except Jyrbian, who stood straight, stared straight ahead.\n\nFirst to appear were the children. Ogre children, dressed in white with ribbons of every color, strewing flowers in the street as they danced, laughed, played, and shouted.\n\nBehind them were the flute players, more musicians, more children. Young women and men tossed flowers to friends in the crowd. Troops, smartly dressed in their best, swords shining in the light, followed, then more children, older ones, all so filled with a gaiety that it struck Khallayne as false.\n\nThen came the captured slaves, naked, barefoot, oiled as if they were on display for the auction block. They were bound together with chains that shone as bright as the soldiers' swords.\n\nThe crowd cheered and clapped the same as they had for the dancing children.\n\nThrough it all, Jyrbian displayed a ghastly smile. \"You don't want to miss this,\" he said, taking her arm gently.\n\nMore troops marched out of the coliseum. These were on foot, though from their uniforms it was obvious they were officers, higher in rank than those who had come before. They walked in perfect rows, in perfect step, shoulders thrust back proudly.\n\nAs they drew near, Jyrbian's fingers tightened on her arm.\n\nThree figures walked in the center of the rows of officers\u2014one stumbling, almost carried by the two who walked at his side.\n\nThat one was Eadamm. His wrists were bound in front, and his legs streaked with bright red. He had been hamstrung, the heavy tendons cut just above the knee.\n\nKhallayne cried out. The goblet of wine fell from her fingers, flashing in the sunlight. Jyrbian held her against him, forcing her to stand where she was. When the goblet hit the street below, it made not a sound.\n\nKhallayne looked down and saw that, while Jyrbian held her in a tight grip with one hand, with the other he held Kaede's fingers, lightly, gently stroking them. \"Eadamm will be paraded every day for six days,\" Jyrbian was saying. \"One day for each of the six months since the rebellion. Then he will be publicly executed.\"\n\nHe looked down at her and smiled before turning back to the spectacle, his eyes following Eadamm's every step.\n\nAnd Khallayne saw that his face, which had once rivaled hers for beauty, now had become twisted and ugly, like his soul.\n\n* * * * *\n\nTwo.\n\nThree.\n\nFour.\n\nFive.\n\nSix.\n\nEach day, Jyrbian sent a new dress to Khallayne's apartment, each more elegant than the last.\n\nEach day, he sent two burly guards, well versed in magic, to escort her. They broke through her wards. They carried her when she resisted.\n\nEach day, Jyrbian sat astride his horse in the courtyard and watched as they brought her out and lifted her into the saddle of her horse beside him.\n\n\"Why do you slap and kick when you could destroy them with a simple magical thought?\" he asked, amused.\n\n\"Kill them because they blindly follow your orders?\" she asked. \"That would make me just like you.\"\n\nEach day, he laughed as he led her down the mountain into the festive streets.\n\nEach day, he stood beside her and held her arm and forced her to watch Eadamm's humiliation, Eadamm's torture.\n\nOn the seventh day, it was late afternoon before a slave came with the tunic and embroidered vest she had worn all those many nights ago, at the party where she'd looked at Jyrbian with lust and anticipation.\n\nThe castle had been rumbling with parties and celebrations all day. The execution was soon, she knew. And she knew Jyrbian would force her to watch, but she could feel nothing but relief that it would soon be over. At least Eadamm would be beyond Jyrbian's reach, beyond pain.\n\nThe late afternoon sun shone brightly in the courtyard, making the cobblestones so warm that she could feel them through her boots.\n\nJyrbian was waiting for her as always, as was Kaede. She mounted without being prompted, but held back on the reins until Jyrbian turned back to her. \"Why do I have to go to this?\" she asked quietly.\n\nHe smiled and chided her, \"Khallayne, you were here for the beginning. You can't miss the end.\"\n\nThe end was even more bizarre than what had gone before.\n\nThe coliseum was packed and surrounded by hundreds of Ogres who couldn't get in. They wouldn't have made it through the crowd without Jyrbian's guards opening a path. The mood was ugly; there were mutterings and complaints because there wasn't space for everybody.\n\nJyrbian and his entourage rode under the heavy stone arch into the coliseum. The sounds of the crowd muted. The whole coliseum became strangely quiet. They dismounted and were escorted to Jyrbian's box, a private chamber that opened onto a huge balcony overlooking the stadium field. It was only then that she understood.\n\nAll around them, in other special boxes, were courtiers, packed into seats, hanging over the balconies, calling to each other and laughing.\n\nTo her horror, the majority of the seats were filled with slaves. They were interspersed with guards who brandished swords and pikes and bows.\n\nThe entertainment began. Dancers and jugglers and acrobats. Smartly trained horses and smartly trained soldiers went through their paces. Troops marched and saluted with perfect precision. Magicians magicked, pulling flowers out of thin air and juggling fireballs.\n\nThe Ogres clapped and cheered and drank. The slaves sat silently.\n\nThen great torches were lit, and the real entertainment, what all the Ogres had come to see, began.\n\nEadamm was brought into the center of the coliseum.\n\nEvery slave in the place sat forward.\n\nShackles were attached to his arms with great ceremony. Horses backed into their traces.\n\nKhallayne turned away. Jyrbian didn't notice. His eyes were glued to the tableau, fists tapping his thighs. Kaede stood near him, brushing his arm, but he was unaware of her.\n\nKhallayne saw Anel, in the center box, raise a red square of cloth, saw it fall, felt the sudden hush, heard sounds so horrible, she knew she would never be able to wipe them from her mind again. Whips cracked. Something creaked and snapped. Something tore.\n\nShe clapped her hands to her ears to shut out the raucous, frenzied cheering. Tears streamed down her face.\n\nThere was another burst of cheers, higher and louder than the first, then another, and she thought, \"It's over. It's over.\"\n\nEadamm had been drawn and quartered.\n\nThen came a sound like nothing she'd ever heard in her life, like nothing she would ever hear again. It was dim at first, but building, surging, a hum that became a song that became a fire that became an explosion, rage and fear and horror too long suppressed, pain too long endured.\n\nThe slaves were rising up. The sound was their fury, all of them, as if someone had passed a signal. They were turning on their masters, on their guards.\n\n#\n\n**Kaede screamed. Jyrbian shouted orders**.\n\nThough she knew, from his gestures, that he was marshalling his guards to rush them to safety, Khallayne didn't care. Now was her chance to escape!\n\nShe moved quickly, catching up her long skirts and pushing through the confused, frightened crowd toward the door. Guards were trying to block any attack. Their backs were to her.\n\nShe looked around. The drop to the ground was over three times her height. But then she would be on the field.\n\nIn the box next to Jyrbian's, on the opposite side of the Ruling Council, there were fewer guards, more courtiers. Pandemonium. The box itself was lower to the ground. If she jumped, then the ground was only perhaps ten feet away.\n\nShe climbed onto a chair, kicking food and porcelain out of her way. For a moment, she wasn't sure she could manage it. Then she heard Jyrbian shout her name, and she pushed.\n\nShe reached out as she fell. Her fingers caught on the rough stone, scraping, tearing nails and palms. Her body slammed into the wall. Her breath whooshed out of her, and she let go.\n\nShe fell the rest of the way and hit the ground hard. Stars danced before her eyes, and she felt sharp jabs of pain lancing on her left side. She rolled onto her back, gasping for breath. Above her, staring down, she could make out Jyrbian face. And Kaede's.\n\nShe rolled to her hands and knees. She pushed up to her feet and stood. With a glance to make sure she wasn't being pursued, she slipped out from between the boxes and looked for an exit.\n\nMost of the slaves had jumped from the stands onto the field and fled toward the city gate. Many were still in the stands, and what they were doing to their owners, to the guards, made her whimper. She hugged the wall, aiming for an exit. A few yards away was the tunnel used to transport slaves and animals onto the field.\n\nShe edged around the corner into the darkened tunnel and came face-to-face with a slave, a human whose head barely came up to her shoulders. He had carrot-orange hair and mean, little eyes twisted with hate, and blood spattered across the front of his ragged shirt.\n\nHe grinned at her, a Jyrbian grin, all teeth and loathing. He was carrying a stick, perhaps a piece of a lance or pike, jagged on both ends where it had been broken. In the darkness, it looked as if it had blood on it.\n\nBefore she could react, a woman's voice interrupted the rise of the club.\n\n\"Stop!\" A small slave woman ran toward them out of the darkness. \"Not this one,\" she told the man, stepping between Khallayne and her attacker.\n\nHe shoved her away and raised his club. \"All Ogres die!\" he snarled.\n\nThe slave grabbed a stick of wood and swung it, hitting the male squarely in the back of the head with a sickening thump.\n\n\"This way,\" the human said without a glance for the crumpled man, jerking her head toward the dark tunnel.\n\nBefore she could turn, Khallayne caught her arm. \"Laie?\" There was no one else it could be. The kitchen slave who had helped her the night she and Lyrralt had taken the History, now thinner, harsher around the eyes, but with the same straw-colored hair and bluer-than-blue eyes.\n\nThe slave looked at her, a strange expression in her eyes. Khallayne felt guilty. The female obviously knew her. Why else had she saved her? \"Laie, thank you.\"\n\nThe slave looked around her, checking to see that no one observed them. \"Hurry.\" She turned and ran back down the dark tunnel.\n\nWithout any hesitation, Khallayne followed. With her longer stride, she caught up easily and followed Laie almost to the end of the tunnel, then through two turns and three different corridors.\n\nTwice they were almost seen by other slaves, but each time they were able to slip back into the shadows, behind a door, until the danger was past. And once, Khallayne had time to work her spell of \"distraction,\" so the running slaves passed them by.\n\nAt last, they came out into the street, into a city gone mad. The last of the sun had faded, and night should have settled over the city, but the city was in flames. The sky was filled with an orange glow that threw shadows so long they stretched across the street. Buildings on either side of the coliseum had flames spouting from their windows. The street was littered with debris and bodies. Screams and wild laughter echoed off the walls of the houses.\n\nHow could it all have happened so fast? Khallayne stared into the sky. Would there be anything left standing when the sun came up?\n\n\"We have to go!\" Laie caught her sleeve. She led the way up the street, dodging other slaves carrying weapons, walking around lumps in the road that were crumpled and broken and gleaming red.\n\nOne of the broken bodies that littered the walks seemed to writhe into something alive as they passed it. Khallayne saw it first, felt it. She caught Laie and yanked her away.\n\n\"What is it?\"\n\nKhallayne knelt and stared at the writhing thing. She could feel the malevolence of it, the power that still clung to it. \"I don't know. A spell gone awry, maybe. Just don't touch it. And watch for others. Let's get out of here.\"\n\nLaie nodded, but this time let Khallayne led.\n\nKhallayne saw two other things that seemed wrong to her. A thing, similar to the one they'd passed, clung to a brick wall. And a body that was so badly damaged, it had to be dead, still moved and crawled, reaching out for them.\n\nThey found an alley filled with barrels and boxes and crouched in the shadows while figures ran past not five feet away.\n\n\"I have to go to the castle. There's something there I must retrieve.\" She was free, out of Jyrbian's grasp. Her common sense screamed at her to run, but she'd left the crystal\u2014the History of the Ogre, laid out from the beginning of time\u2014in the castle. She had forgotten it once. She didn't want to make the mistake of leaving it behind again.\n\nLaie looked at her as though she were crazy. \"Back into the castle? I can't go there.\"\n\n\"I know. I understand. But I have to.\"\n\nLaie nodded, turned away.\n\n\"Why?\" Khallayne blurted out. \"Why did you save me?\"\n\nThe blue eyes stared at her. \"I owed you a life. I've paid it back.\"\n\nKhallayne nodded. \"Thank you.\" She was almost to the end of the alley when she impulsively turned. \"Laie, if you can make it out of the mountains, head northeast. There are human towns there, humans who aren't afraid of the Ogres, who fight and live good lives.\"\n\nThen she turned around and walked away rapidly, not looking back.\n\nThe castle was strangely empty, strangely dark, though there were candles everywhere, on the floor and window ledges and tables, as if the Ogres who were still there were attempting to expel the darkness.\n\nThey, not the humans, were the scurriers now, carrying their own belongings, packs stuffed with food, as they prepared to flee.\n\nNo one gave her a second glance as she strode rapidly through the halls. They were all too intent on saving themselves.\n\nThe apartment in which she'd dwelt for the past weeks was brightly lit, the door standing open in welcome. She knew who would be waiting for her inside.\n\nJyrbian was by the fireplace. He wore a fresh uniform. His hair was combed, not a strand out of place. He leaned, one arm draped across the mantel, as casually as if she had stopped by for an evening visit.\n\nKhallayne didn't see Kaede, standing by the window ledge where the sphere was concealed, until she was already through the doorway.\n\nKaede smiled cruelly when she saw Khallayne's glance. \"I didn't expect we would ever see you again,\" she said dryly.\n\n\"Oh, I knew she'd be back,\" Jyrbian said easily.\n\nKhallayne looked at him, surprised. Then she saw what he held in his hand, casually rolling it in his palm: the crystal sphere.\n\nHis movements might be indifferent, his voice bland, but his face was taut, the skin stretched over the muscles. His eyes were a tarnished metal gray, heavy lidded, and completely mad.\n\n\"You still haven't told me how you did it.\"\n\nKhallayne's eyes followed the crystal.\n\n\"Please, Jyrbian,\" she said softly.\n\nJyrbian threw back his head and laughed, low-pitched and filled with madness.\n\nShe took a step toward him, sensed Kaede take one toward her. \"Please, Jyrbian, let me have the sphere. You have no use for it here. Takar is gone forever. But it doesn't have to be forgotten. All that we were doesn't have to be forgotten.\"\n\n\"You want it to take back to Igraine?\" He held it out teasingly.\n\n\"To our people, not to Igraine.\"\n\nHe grinned, his teeth gleaming. \"You do know where they are? You knew all along.\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"No, but I'll find them. Somehow.\"\n\n\"Tell me.\" He held out the sphere. \"A trade. The History for the location. For my curiosity.\"\n\nHer intuition said run. Now, quickly. No more conversation. Just feet moving, one in front of the other. Quickly.\n\n\"No. You'll just kill me, the way you killed Bakrell.\"\n\nKaede made a muffled noise at the mention of her brother's name. She stepped forward.\n\nLaughter was bubbling out of Jyrbian once again. The laughter erupted, demented, maniacal. Jyrbian held the globe out to her, cupped between his palms and, as she stepped forward, smashed it, crushed it in his bare hands.\n\nWith shards of crystal and blood dripping from his hands, he regarded her.\n\n\"How could you?\" Kaede screamed. \"That was mine! Mine! You've destroyed it, as you've destroyed Bakrell!\"\n\nJyrbian sidestepped her, continued his stalking of Khallayne, but Kaede jumped in front of him again. \"Tell me why you killed my brother!\" she screamed in his face.\n\n\"He murdered him for no reason,\" Khallayne said. \"He died in the dungeons of this castle.\" Khallayne backed away quickly as Jyrbian swept Kaede aside effortlessly.\n\nWith a scream, Kaede rushed him. He backhanded her casually, sending her sprawling on the floor. Her head hit a chair.\n\nMagic seethed in the pit of Khallayne's stomach, reminding her of flames. Fire. Now. It had to be now. She closed her eyes, a dangerous thing to do, but it helped focus the power.\n\nShe felt Jyrbian tense, ready to leap, and she cast the power outward with all her strength. Coldfire. She had no idea where the spell came from. It was intuition by now.\n\nThe bluish orange flames leapt toward Jyrbian, enfolded him. He screamed in rage and twisted within the field of flame, shouted out words of an incantation, a prayer for protection from his god. Flames weakened, sputtered; still she concentrated, putting all her knowledge, her fear, her pain, into maintaining the spell. He stumbled, staggered, clutching his brow.\n\nThen, incredibly, Kaede was standing, adding her force to the fire.\n\nJyrbian turned on Kaede, reaching out through the wall of flame. He grabbed her shoulder, pulled her close, into the fire with him.\n\nKhallayne cried out. Kaede convulsed, her body arching in pain. Jyrbian's fingers dug into her throat.\n\nKhallayne fell to her knees, sweat and tears mixing on her face. She balled her fists into her stomach and doubled over with the effort of maintaining her attack. Kneeling on the floor, she could feel the broken shards digging into her knees and cutting into her palms. She gathered the pieces up into her hands. A residue of magic still clung to them, an echo of power and song.\n\nJyrbian dropped Kaede, abandoning her bruised body, and turned his attention to Khallayne.\n\nKhallayne rose to meet him, the pieces of crystal in her fingers, met him with fury for what was lost\u2014the city, the Ogre civilization, the Song of History.\n\nUnable to defeat the flames that surrounded him, he reached through them. A lamp exploded. Something large fell behind her. The window, the beautiful, etched glass window, exploded inward, sending glass arcing toward the ceiling.\n\nBehind him, Kaede climbed slowly to her feet, almost unable to walk. Khallayne couldn't understand her, but her lips were moving as she stumbled toward Jyrbian.\n\nHe turned his attack on her. Something leapt toward Kaede. She took the blow full-force in the chest, but kept moving, walking toward him, leaning forward as though into a blizzard-strength wind.\n\nToo late, he realized what she was doing. He tried to back away, but Kaede reached out for him. She stepped into the fire of Khallayne's spell, bringing with her whatever spell it was she'd been casting, and turning the power of his own attack back on him.\n\n\"Go!\" she whispered to Khallayne. \"Go!\"\n\nKhallayne ran as things in the room erupted into flame, as the rocks and crystals on the window ledge began to explode.\n\nIn the doorway, she paused to look back, seeing only Jyrbian's face, the face she'd once thought the most beautiful in all of Takar, twisted with hate.\n\nShe wheeled and ran down the corridors, down the stairs, and out into night, into the cool air. But she could still hear Jyrbian's voice, twisted, demented, inside her head, screaming.\n\n_Run! Run! There is no place on all of Krynn where the Ogres will not find you, where the gods will not find you!_\n\n* * * * *\n\nHer horse had been left at the coliseum, so she took Jyrbian's big stallion. He stood in his stall, still saddled.\n\nKhallayne galloped down into Takar, back into the flames, automatically heading for the west gate. To get back to the plains, she'd have to take a different route than before, toward Bloten. The passes northward would already be snowed in.\n\nThe streets were almost empty. Most of the houses and buildings showed damage, but the worst of the fires still burned brightly to the east, nearer the coliseum.\n\nNo one bothered her. No guards challenged her as she galloped through the gates and out onto the wide road leading out of Takar.\n\nShe almost didn't hear her name being called out over the pounding of the horse's hooves. She looked back and saw a small figure in rough clothing running down the shoulder of the road, waving her arms, cloak streaming out behind.\n\nJelindra! She pulled hard on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop. She was sure Jelindra would be gone by now! She slid to the ground. Jelindra almost knocked her off her feet as she threw her arms around her.\n\n\"Oh, Khallayne, I though you'd never come!\"\n\nKhallayne hugged her just as tightly. \"I thought I wouldn't either. I can't believe you're still here.\"\n\nJelindra appeared healthy, though her face was dirty and her hair full of twigs. \"I told you I'd wait,\" she said. \"I hid in the woods, and I watched the road every day. Then I saw the fires, and I thought you weren't going to come!\" She threw her arms around Khallayne again.\n\nKhallayne hugged her back. \"Well, I'm here now. Let's go home.\"\n\nNodding, Jelindra stepped back, wiping away tears and streaking dirt across her cheeks. \"How will we find them?\"\n\nKhallayne shrugged. \"I don't know. But we'll manage somehow.\"\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe two stood on the deck of the huge ship and leaned against the rail.\n\nBeneath Khallayne's feet, the ancient timbers of the deck creaked. Above her head, the canvas sails snapped and billowed in the wind. And all sounds were underlined with the soothing motion of the ship slicing through the ocean, smooth, relaxing, as lulling as going back to the womb.\n\nKhallayne leaned far out, feeling the sting of salt spray on her cheeks and forehead, the splintery oak beneath her fingers as she gripped the rail. Would the island be there? Would their people be safe? In Schall they'd lost the last trace of them, but a sailor had told an incredible story of a group of people called the Irda, beautiful people who'd gone away to live on an island\u2014an island that had called to them.\n\nKhallayne, too, heard the song on the wind. It was a sound more beautiful than any Ogre voice, high and pure like crystal chimes, more beautiful than the voice in the sphere.\n\nThe bright, silvery light of Solinari sparkled on the featureless water, as far as they could see. But there was no island yet. No finger of land to mar the perfect beauty of the moonlight on the black-silk water.\n\nBare feet gripping the wooden deck, Jelindra ran to the other side of the boat and hung over the rail, but that way, too, was water, dappled with moonlight. Jelindra ran back to Khallayne.\n\nWater and moonlight seemed unbroken to the horizon. Jelindra slumped against the rail where moments before she'd eagerly leaned across. \"What do we do now?\" she asked. \"If there isn't an island...\"\n\n\"It has to be there!\" Khallayne thumped the railing with her fists. Her heart wouldn't contemplate otherwise. \"I can hear it.\"\n\nJelindra cocked her head. \"Yes,\" she agreed. \"I can hear it. Let's go!\"\n\nBefore Khallayne could stop her, she'd slipped down the rope ladder to the little boat they'd prepared earlier in the evening and started to untie the rope mooring it to the ship.\n\nKhallayne climbed down into the boat. \"Are you sure? You know, if you're wrong, we'll die!\"\n\n\"We're not wrong,\" said Jelindra firmly.\n\nThe little boat slowed and pivoted as the ocean took it, slipping away from the ship with the current. They had committed themselves. Noisily, Jelindra dipped an oar into the water. The boat responded, and she stroked again.\n\nThe boat shot forward. Khallayne dug into the water again and again, matching her strokes to Jelindra's, aiming the craft toward where she thought, hoped, _believed_ , the island should be.\n\nShe rowed until her arms ached, until her shoulders burned with fire, until the pain almost drowned out the song of the land, until she couldn't move the wooden oar anymore and it hung over the edge of the boat.\n\nThen, suddenly, as if a fog had lifted, the island was before them. A dark silhouette loomed up to block out the gorgeous sky.\n\nLaughing, crying, Jelindra reached back to hug Khallayne, then began to row faster.\n\nThe pain forgotten, Khallayne pulled with her oar, sliding it so deeply into the water that she was dipping her fingers, until she felt the boat scrape bottom.\n\nThen she slid into the cold water and pulled the boat by a rope. It seemed to take forever. Jelindra joined her, adding her insubstantial weight to the rope.\n\nThe boat scraped sand, and they left it, running the rest of the way, until warm, dry sand was beneath their feet.\n\nKhallayne dropped to her knees, dug her fingers into the gritty sand. She pressed it to her face and felt the grains stick to the furrows that tears had left on her cheeks.\n\n\"Home, Jelindra! We're home!\" She threw handfuls of sand into the air, then covered her eyes when the ocean breeze blew it back in her face.\n\n\"Khallayne...\"\n\nThe fear in Jelindra's voice ended Khallayne's celebration. She saw that someone was coming toward them.\n\nBlinking against the sand that coated her lashes, she stood and took a tentative step toward the figure, partially hidden in shadows at the edge of the trees. \"Who's there? I'm Khallayne. I've come to find Igraine...\"\n\nLyrralt! It had to be Lyrralt. She knew the way he moved, the way he stepped, his scent on the salt breeze.\n\nThe figure moved forward cautiously, too small, too slight, to be an Ogre. \"Khallayne?\" The light caught the soft hair, the canted eyes of an elf.\n\nKhallayne froze.\n\nJelindra's cry shattered the stillness of the night.\n\nKhallayne stepped in front of the girl, reaching back to protect her, to comfort her, and the figure said her name again, no longer in question, but in joyous greeting.\n\nIt dawned on her. An elf had said her name! A male, tall and slender, with the features of an elf\u2014only with Lyrralt's voice.\n\nBefore their eyes, he transformed. It was a shape-shifting, like the appearance of the island, magical, miraculous. The lithe elf became Lyrralt, tall and strong and broad of shoulder, sapphire skin gleaming in the light of Solinari, silver hair as bright as the moon. And sightless now, forever.\n\n\"Forgive me,\" Lyrralt said, holding out his arms to them. \"Forgive me, but I had to be sure.\"\n\nKhallayne ran to him, threw her arms around him. A moment later, Jelindra threw herself bodily against them, joining their circle.\n\nHe shivered, held them closer.\n\n\"How did you do it?\" she asked. \"For a minute, I thought you were an elf!\"\n\nLaughing, he released them. \"The gods have touched us, Khallayne, blessed us with a gift beyond believing, beyond\u2014beyond\u2014\"\n\n\"Stop.\" She touched her fingers to his mouth to stop his excited, confusing words, felt the warmth of his breath under her fingers, and something else. The scar. She turned him in the moonlight and saw the jagged mark running the length of his face. \"Start slowly. Tell us everything.\"\n\nIn response, he ran his fingers across her face, as if reassuring himself about the Ogres who stood beside him. He brushed sand from Jelindra's hair. In a serene tone, he explained, \"Last month, at the High Sanction of Solinari, the gods touched us. In the night, they touched us with peace, with calm. And when we woke, we could change.\"\n\n\"Change?\"\n\n\"Shapechange, as you saw me a moment before. I can assume the shape of another being. We all can. Do you realize what that means?\" His voice rose excitedly. \"It means that we never have to be afraid again. We never have to run again. We will always have the perfect disguise. Even if the island is discovered, no one will ever know who we are!\"\n\n\"The island! Why couldn't _we see_ the island?\" Jelindra demanded.\n\nHe paused, smiling shyly. \"It's my spell, a spell of hiding, but we all work to maintain it.\"\n\nKhallayne could hardly dare to believe it. There was simply too much information, too fast. Gifts from the gods. Everyone's magical ability, powerful enough to hide an island? And Lyrralt, blind, scarred and using magic?\n\n\"Khallayne?\" He caught her hand.\n\n\"It's so much to take in,\" she whispered. \"So much.\"\n\nThe sadness in her voice, in her face, registered. \"What is it? Tell me,\" Lyrralt asked.\n\nShe caught his hands in hers. \"There's so much, I hardly know where to begin...\"\n\n\"Jyrbian?\"\n\n\"Dead, I think,\" she whispered, hoping it was true. She hoped there was no way he could have survived Kaede's fire, for she never wanted to think of Jyrbian alive as she had last seen him. \"Bakrell, too. And Kaede.\"\n\n\"And Takar burned,\" Jelindra piped in.\n\nKhallayne nodded. \"We looked back, just before we left the west road. It was like a smoking cinder. The whole city...\"\n\n\"The others will want to hear.\"\n\n#\n\n**The Keeper of the History of the Irda stood on the hillside** , surrounded by her people, assisted by friends and love ones, though she was as young and strong as the saplings that grew nearby. She had seen the world of her childhood pass on, had seen the sacred History of her people destroyed, but still she smiled, because of the Gift that she would give to all her people.\n\nShe held up the book, the Gift of the gods, and in a voice as pure and clear, as bright and beautiful as sunshine, spoke the beginning of the words written within, the words that wove the History of the World, of the Ogres, firstborn of the gods.\n\n_This I have salvaged out of the destruction. The music is gone forever, as is the beauty of the Ogres, but the words are preserved for all to read_.\n\n_We are the Irda, firstborn of the gods_.\n\n_The High God looked down upon the chaos and bid the god Reorx to forge the universe with his mighty hammer. From the forge of the gods, our world was wrought and the gods played here, as children gambol in a field_.\n\n_In the sculpting of the world, sparks flew from the anvil and settled in the skies, danced in the heavens. The sparks were spirits with voices like starshine. They shone as the gods themselves, for they were pieces of the gods themselves_.\n\n_The gods saw the spirits and wanted them for themselves, and they battled over them, striking mighty blows upon the world. The High God looked down upon the destruction and was angry with his children. In the heat of his anger, he decreed that each of the triumvirate of the gods, Evil, Neutral and Good, could gift the spirits with one legacy, and afterward, must allow the spirits to go free_.\n\n_The gods of Light gave the spirits bodies, that they might master their world. The Dark gods offered weakness and want, that the spirits might learn greed and corruption. The gods of Gray, the Shadow gods, gave the spirits free will, that they might shape their own lives_.\n\n_And so, the races were born_.\n\n_From the gods of Evil came the Ogres, firstborn of the world. Gifted with immortality and untold beauty, the Ogres chose the lofty mountains as their home_.\n\n_From the gods of Goodness and Light came the elves, graceful and regal and good, who sought the enchanted forests and hid themselves away to live in harmony with the land_.\n\n_Those of the Middle, the Gray gods, brought forth the humans. They were short lived and brutish, but they had the capacity to both destroy and love. To them were left the grassy plains_.\n\n_The Ogres set themselves above to rule the other children of the world, but the elves were too placid, too good to make suitable slaves. The Ogres turned to the humans to build their castles and their cities and their roads. On the bones of humans, the Ogres built a civilization_.\n\n_Like stars in the sky, the watchers of the darkness were the mighty Ogres, building a nation of order and discipline. But their hungers consumed them, their greed and desire made them weak and ugly, and their appetites devoured them_.\n\n_The humans rebelled against their cruelty and vengeance, and the Ogres fell from the grace of the gods_.\n\n_Igraine, governor of a mighty province, learned from the humans the most precious gift of all. He learned of choice, of choosing between right and wrong. He learned from the humans the gift the gods had given, the ability to destroy and to love and the potential to choose between_.\n\n_He gathered about him the Irda, the Children of the Stars, his friends and family, those who believed his vision, and they fled the mountains. Through hardships they traveled, finding a new home, Anaiatha, among the Dragon Isles_.\n\n_The Ogres are no more. They will disappear back into the chaos from which the world was made_.\n\n_But the Irda will continue, in goodness and strength, firstborn of the gods, chosen of the gods_.\n\n_And this History, the Irdanaith, the Book of the Stars, will continue. I write it for all the Irda to see and study, that we may never make the mistakes of our ancestors, that the History will never be lost_.\n\n#\n\n**It was hot that morning, damnably hot.**\n\nFar too hot for late spring on Ansalon. Almost as hot as midsummer. The two knights, seated in the boat's stern, were sweaty and miserable in their heavy steel armor; they looked with envy at the nearly naked men plying the boat's oars. When the boat neared shore, the knights were first out, jumping into the shallow water, laving the water onto their reddening faces and sunburned necks. But the water was not particularly refreshing.\n\n\"Like wading in hot soup,\" one of the knights grumbled, splashing ashore. Even as he spoke, he scrutinized the shoreline carefully, eyeing bush and tree and dune for signs of life.\n\n\"More like blood,\" said his comrade. \"Think of it as wading in the blood of our enemies, the enemies of our Queen. Do you see anything?\"\n\n\"No,\" the other replied. He waved his hand, then, without looking back, heard the sound of men leaping into the water, their harsh laughter and conversation in their uncouth, guttural language.\n\nOne of the knights turned around. \"Bring that boat to shore,\" he said, unnecessarily, for the men had already picked up the heavy boat and were running with it through the shallow water. Grinning, they dumped the boat on the sand beach and looked to the knight for further orders.\n\nHe mopped his forehead, marveled at their strength, and\u2014not for the first time\u2014thanked Queen Takhisis that these barbarians were on their side. The brutes, they were known as. Not the true name of their race. The name, their name for themselves, was unpronounceable, and so the knights who led the barbarians had begun calling them by the shortened version: brute.\n\nThe name suited the barbarians well. They came from the east, from a continent that few people on Ansalon knew existed. Every one of the men stood well over six feet; some were as tall as seven. Their bodies were as bulky and muscular as humans, but their movements were as swift and graceful as elves. Their ears were pointed like those of the elves, but their faces were heavily bearded like humans or dwarves. They were as strong as dwarves and loved battle as well as dwarves did. They fought fiercely, were loyal to those who commanded them, and, outside of a few grotesque customs such as cutting off various parts of the body of a dead enemy to keep as trophies, the brutes were ideal foot soldiers.\n\n\"Let the captain know we've arrived safely and that we've encountered no resistance,\" said the knight to his comrade. \"We'll leave a couple of men here with the boat and move inland.\"\n\nThe other knight nodded. Taking a red silk pennant from his belt, he unfurled it, held it above his head, and waved it slowly three times. An answering flutter of red came from the enormous black, dragon-prowed ship anchored some distance away. This was a scouting mission, not an invasion. Orders had been quite clear on that point.\n\nThe knights sent out their patrols, dispatching some to range up and down the beach, sending others farther inland. This done, the two knights moved thankfully to the meager shadow cast by a squat and misshapen tree. Two of the brutes stood guard. The knights remained wary and watchful, even as they rested. Seating themselves, they drank sparingly of the fresh water they'd brought with them. One of them grimaced.\n\n\"The damn stuff's hot.\"\n\n\"You left the waterskin sitting in the sun. Of course it's hot.\"\n\n\"Where the devil was I supposed to put it? There was no shade on that cursed boat. I don't think there's any shade left in the whole blasted world. I don't like this place at all. I get a queer feeling about this island, like it's magicked or something.\"\n\n\"I know what you mean,\" agreed his comrade somberly. He kept glancing about, back into the trees, up and down the beach. All that could be seen were the brutes, and they were certainly not bothered by any ominous feelings. But then they were barbarians. \"We were warned not to come here, you know.\"\n\n\"What?\" The other knight looked astonished. \"I didn't know. Who told you that?\"\n\n\"Brightblade. He had it from Lord Ariakan himself.\"\n\n\"Brightblade should know. He's on Ariakan's staff. The lord's his sponsor.\" The knight appeared nervous and asked softly, \"Such information's not secret, is it?\"\n\nThe other knight appeared amused. \"You don't know Steele Brightblade very well if you think he would break any oath or pass along any information he was told to keep to himself. He'd sooner let his tongue be ripped out by red-hot tongs. No, Lord Ariakan discussed this openly with all the regimental commanders before deciding to proceed.\"\n\nThe knight shrugged. Picking up a handful of small rocks, he began tossing them idly into the water. \"The Gray Robes started it all. Some sort of augury revealed the location of this island and that it was inhabited by large numbers of people.\"\n\n\"So who warned us not to come?\"\n\n\"The Gray Robes. The same augury that told them of this island also warned them not to come near it. They tried to persuade Ariakan to leave well enough alone. Said that this place could mean disaster.\"\n\nThe other knight frowned, then glanced around with growing unease. \"Then why were we sent?\"\n\n\"The upcoming invasion of Ansalon. Lord Ariakan felt this move was necessary to protect his flanks. The Gray Robes couldn't say exactly what sort of threat this island represented. Nor could they say specifically that the disaster would be caused by our landing on the island. As Lord Ariakan pointed out, perhaps disaster would come even if we didn't do anything. And so he decided to follow the old dwarven dictum, 'It is better to go looking for the dragon than have the dragon come looking for you.' \"\n\n\"Good thinking,\" his companion agreed. \"If there is an army of elves on this island, it's better that we deal with them now. Not that it seems likely.\"\n\nHe gestured at the wide stretches of sand beach, at the dunes covered with some sort of grayish-green grass, and, farther inland, a forest of the ugly, misshapen trees. \"Elves wouldn't live in a place like this.\"\n\n\"Neither would dwarves. Minotaurs would have attacked us by now. Kender would have walked off with the boat _and_ our armor. Gnomes would have met us with some sort of demon-driven fish-catching machine. Humans like us are the only race foolish enough to live in such a wretched place,\" the knight concluded cheerfully. He picked up another handful of rocks.\n\n\"It could be a rogue band of draconians or hobgoblins. Ogres even. Escaped twenty-some years ago, after the War of the Lance. Fled north, across the sea, to avoid capture by the Solamnic Knights.\"\n\n\"Yes, but they'd be on our side,\" his companion answered. \"And our wizards wouldn't have their robes in a knot over it.... Ah, here come our scouts, back to report. Now we'll find out.\"\n\nThe knights rose to their feet. The brutes who had been sent into the island's interior hurried forward to meet their leaders. The barbarians were grinning hugely. Their nearly naked bodies glistened with sweat. The blue paint with which they covered themselves, and which was supposed to possess some sort of magical properties said to cause arrows to bounce right off them, ran down their muscular bodies in rivulets. Long scalp locks, decorated with colorful feathers, bounced on their backs as they loped easily over the sand dunes.\n\nThe two knights exchanged glances, relaxed.\n\n\"What did you find?\" the knight asked the leader, a gigantic red-haired fellow who towered over both knights and could have probably picked up each of them and held them over his head. He regarded both knights with unbounded reverence and respect.\n\n\"Men,\" answered the brute. They were quick to learn and had adapted easily to the Common language spoken by most of the various races of Krynn. Unfortunately, to the brutes, all people not of their race were known as \"men.\"\n\nThe brute lowered his hand near the ground to indicate small men, which might mean dwarves but was more probably children. He moved it to waist height, which most likely indicated women. This the brute confirmed by cupping two hands over his own breast and wiggling his hips. His men laughed and nudged each other.\n\n\"Men, women, and children,\" said the knight. \"Many men? Lots of men? Big buildings? Walls? Cities?\"\n\nThe brutes apparently thought this was hilarious, for they all burst into raucous laughter.\n\n\"What did you find?\" said the knight sharply, scowling. \"Stop the nonsense.\"\n\nThe brutes sobered rapidly.\n\n\"Many men,\" said the leader, \"but no walls. Houses. \"He made a face, shrugged, shook his head, and added something in his own language.\"\n\n\"What does that mean?\" asked the knight of his comrade.\n\n\"Something to do with dogs,\" said the other, who had led brutes before and had started picking up some of their language. \"I think he means that these men live in houses only dogs would live in.\"\n\nSeveral of the brutes now began walking about stoop-shouldered, swinging their arms around their knees and grunting. Then they all straightened up, looked at each other, and laughed again.\n\n\"What in the name of our Dark Majesty are they doing now?\" the knight demanded.\n\n\"Beats me,\" said his comrade. \"I think we should go have a look for ourselves.\" He drew his sword partway out of its black leather scabbard. \"Danger?\" he asked the brute. \"We need steel?\"\n\nThe brute laughed again. Taking his own short sword\u2014the brutes fought with two, long and short, as well as bow and arrows\u2014he thrust it into the tree and turned his back on it.\n\nThe knight, reassured, returned his sword to its scabbard. The two followed their guides deeper into the forest.\n\nThey did not go far before they came to the village. They entered a cleared area among the trees.\n\nDespite the antics of the brutes, the knights were completely unprepared for what they saw.\n\n\"By Hiddukel,\" one said in a low voice to the other. \" 'Men' is too strong a term. _Are_ these men? Or are they beasts?\"\n\n\"They're men,\" said the other, staring around slowly, amazed. \"But such men as we're told walked Krynn during the Age of Twilight. Look! Their tools are made of wood. They carry wooden spears, and crude ones at that.\"\n\n\"Wooden-tipped, not stone,\" said the other. \"Mud huts for houses. Clay cooking pots. Not a piece of steel or iron in sight. What a pitiable lot! I can't see how they could be much danger, unless it's from filth. By the smell, they haven't bathed since the Age of Twilight either.\"\n\n\"Ugly bunch. More like apes than men. Don't laugh. Look stern and threatening.\"\n\nSeveral of the male humans\u2014if human they were; it was difficult to tell beneath the animal hides they wore\u2014crept up to the knights. The \"man-beasts\" walked bent over, their arms swinging at their sides, knuckles almost dragging on the ground. Their heads were covered with long, shaggy hair; unkempt beards almost completely hid their faces. They bobbed and shuffled and gazed at the knights in openmouthed awe. One of the man-beasts actually drew near enough to reach out a grimy hand to touch the black, shining armor.\n\nA brute moved to interpose his own massive body in front of the knight.\n\nThe knight waved the brute off and drew his sword. The steel flashed in the sunlight. Turning to one of the trees, which, with their twisted limbs and gnarled trunks, resembled the people who lived beneath them, the knight raised his sword and sliced off a limb with one swift stroke.\n\nThe man-beast dropped to his knees and groveled in the dirt, making piteous blubbering sounds.\n\n\"I think I'm going to vomit,\" said the knight to his comrade. \"Gully dwarves wouldn't associate with this lot.\"\n\n\"You're right there.\" The knight looked around. \"Between us, you and I could wipe out the entire tribe.\"\n\n\"We'd never be able to clean the stench off our swords,\" said the other.\n\n\"What should we do? Kill them?\"\n\n\"Small honor in it. These wretches obviously aren't any threat to us. Our orders were to find out who or what was inhabiting the island, then return. For all we know, these people may be the favorites of some god, who might be angered if we harmed them. Perhaps that is what the Gray Robes meant by disaster.\"\n\n\"I don't know,\" said the other knight dubiously. \"I can't imagine any god treating his favorites like this.\"\n\n\"Morgion, perhaps,\" said the other, with a wry grin.\n\nThe knight grunted. \"Well, we've certainly done no harm just by looking. The Gray Robes can't fault us for that. Send out the brutes to scout the rest of the island. According to the reports from the dragons, it's not very big. Let's go back to the shore. I need some fresh air.\"\n\nThe two knights sat in the shade of the tree, talking of the upcoming invasion of Ansalon, discussing the vast armada of black dragon-prowed ships, manned by minotaurs, that was speeding its way across the Courrain Ocean, bearing thousands and thousands more barbarian warriors. All was nearly ready for the invasion, which would take place on Summer's Eve.\n\nThe knights of Takhisis did not know precisely where they were attacking; such information was kept secret. But they had no doubt of victory. This time the Dark Queen would succeed. This time her armies would be victorious. This time she knew the secret to victory.\n\nThe brutes returned within a few hours and made their report. The isle was not large. The brutes found no other people. The tribe of man-beasts had all slunk off fearfully and were hiding, cowering, in their mud huts until the strange beings left.\n\nThe knights returned to their shore boat. The brutes pushed it off the sand, leaped in, and grabbed the oars. The boat skimmed across the surface of the water, heading for the black ship that flew the multicolored flag of the five-headed dragon.\n\nThey left behind an empty, deserted beach. Or so it appeared.\n\nBut their leaving was noted, as their coming had been.\n\n# **About the Author**\n\nA resident of Mobile, Alabama, Linda P. Baker has been writing most of her life, but _The Irda_ is her first published novel. She also wrote the short story \"Into the Light\" in _The Dragons of Krynn_ anthology, set in the DRAGONLANCE\u00ae saga.\n**CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE**\n\nThe Dungeons & Dragons\u00ae Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set has everything you need for you and your friends to start playing. Explore infinite universes, create bold heroes and prepare to begin\u2014or rediscover\u2014the game that started it all.\n\nWatch Videos  \nRead Sample Chapters  \nGet product previews  \nLearn more about D&D\u00ae products  \nat  \n **DungeonsandDragons.com**\n\n","meta":{"redpajama_set_name":"RedPajamaBook"}}
+{"text":"\n\n_EVITA FIRST LADY_\n\n# _EVITA FIRST LADY_\n\n_A Biography of Eva Per\u00f3n_\n\n**John Barnes**\n\nCopyright \u00a9 1978 by John Barnes\n\nAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Scanning, uploading, and electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated. Any member of educational institutions wishing to photocopy part or all of the work for classroom use, or anthology, should send inquiries to Grove\/Atlantic, Inc., 841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 or permissions@groveatlantic.com.\n\n_Published simultaneously in Canada  \nPrinted in the United States of America_\n\nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data\n\nBarnes, John, 1935\u2014  \nEvita, First Lady.  \nIncludes index.  \n1. P\u00e9ron, Eva Duarte, 1919-1952  \n2. Argentine Republic\u2014Presidents\u2014Wives\u2014Biography.  \n3. Women in politics\u2014Argentine Republic\u2014Biography.  \n1. Title.  \nF2849.P37B3 982\u2032.06\u20320924 [B] 78-3185  \neBook ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-9652-1\n\nGrove Press  \nan imprint of Grove\/Atlantic, Inc.  \n841 Broadway  \nNew York, NY 10003\n\nDistributed by Publishers Group West\n\nwww.groveatlantic.com\n\n## _CONTENTS_\n\nPrologue\n\n 1 The Wrong Side of the Tracks\n\n 2 An Aspiring Actress\n\n 3 An Ambitious Army Officer\n\n 4 Eva to the Rescue\n\n 5 Per\u00f3n for President\n\n 6 Evita\u2014-First Lady\n\n 7 European Adventure\n\n 8 'Love Conquers All'\n\n 9 Eva's Rule\n\n10 Teething Troubles\n\n11 Repression\n\n12 'My Life for Per\u00f3n'\n\n13 Death of the Legend\n\n14 Saint Evita?\n\nBibliography\n\nIndex\n\n## _ILLUSTRATIONS_\n\nBetween pages 40 and 41  \nJuana Ibarguren  \nA pampas rancho  \nFirst Communion  \nEvita, aged 14  \nHer first big picture  \nA scene from Circus Cavalcade  \nThe young star posing  \nA little light music  \nBetween pages 72 and 73  \nEvita with her lover  \nThe young marrieds in 1946  \nEvita distributing gifts  \nOn the balcony of the Casa Rosada  \nA glance of love and affection  \nIn Madrid with Se\u00f1ora Franco  \nArriving in Rome  \nWith General Franco and the matadors  \nBetween pages 104 and 105  \nIn Paris  \nGeneva  \nAt the Vatican  \nDistributing gifts to children  \nPreparing for a busy day  \nThe start of a formal evening  \nA gala night  \nEvita held up by her husband  \nA warm embrace  \nBetween pages 168 and 169  \nVoting for her husband  \nThe last public appearance  \nQueueing to view the body  \nCrazed with grief  \nThe flowers  \nEvita's Milan grave  \nJuan and Evita united  \nThe Duarte tomb  \nIn life and death\n\n## _PROLOGUE_\n\n_Estas cosas pense en la Recoleta  \nen el lugar de mi ceniza._\n\nThese thoughts came to me in the Recoleta  \nin the place where my ashes will lie.\n\nJorge Luis Borges\n\nIn the early hours of October 22, 1976, an Argentine army truck loaded with well-armed troops drove out through the gates of the presidential residence in Olivos and headed towards Buenos Aires, a few miles away. It was followed by an ambulance, which in turn was followed by another truck. The convoy drove through the still dark streets of the capital to Recoleta Cemetery, a little city of the dead where the bodies of presidents, generals, and other illustrious Argentines are housed in rows of opulent, mansion-sized vaults along avenues lined with cyprus trees. It is _the_ place to be buried in Argentina, the most fashionable necropolis in a country where the dead, like the living, are judged by their houses. Thirteen of the country's presidents are there. So is Luis. Angel Firpo, the Wild Bull of the Pampas, who earned his place in the national pantheon with a punch that knocked Jack Dempsey out of the ring, although Dempsey climbed back in to beat him. Outside his vault stands a bigger than life size bronze statue of the 'Bull' in his dressing gown and fighting boots. Around him, in the cemetery's bleak, grassless chaos of marble and granite, soaring spires and domes cast shadows on generals on horseback and politicians exhorting invisible crowds. Bronze scrolls on the vaults list the inhabitants' honours. Inside, ornate coffins are draped with lace, lined with candles, and decorated with flowers. There are chairs for living visitors. Circular stairways wind down into the earth where other family members are buried. The place is full. There's an Argentine saying: 'It's easier to get into heaven than into Recoleta.'\n\nUnderstandably, it is one of the most popular attractions in Argentina. More than a thousand people stroll down Recoleta's cold streets every day \u2014 not only the old women, the regulars at every cemetery with their bunches of fresh flowers, but also the tourist groups from the provinces with cameras and school children in white smocks on their class outing stare at the houses of the famous dead.\n\nBut there were no visitors on that chill morning of October 22. It was too early for the old women, and, anyway, the cemetery was ringed by policemen carrying sub-machine guns to deter the curious as the convoy of army trucks and ambulance ground to a halt outside the doric portico of Recoleta's front entrance. Two cemetery workers, called in for special duty, helped unload a coffin that was covered by a mattress so that no one, not even the soldiers, could take a peak at the face of the woman who lay serenely beneath the glass top. Surrounded by their military guard, the workers carried the coffin along one of the avenues, then down a narrow side street, stopping in front of a black marble crypt belonging to the 'Familia Duarte'. They carried it inside. There was no ceremony. The workmen removed the mattress and quickly left, slamming the ornate steel gate locked behind them. 'The soldiers were nervous and in a hurry,' said one of the workers later. 'They just wanted to plant her and get out of there.'\n\nThe nervousness of the soldiers was understandable. They had just 'planted' Eva Per\u00f3n, the long dead wife of former President Juan Per\u00f3n and the beloved Saint Evita of millions of adoring Argentines. It was the second time in almost quarter of a century that the military, who so often rule Argentina, had hurriedly disposed of Eva's body in a desperate effort to purge their country of the turbulent passions inspired by her name. During her lifetime, at the height of her career in the late 1940s, Maria Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n was one of the most loved and hated, powerful and capricious women in Argentina and the world.\n\nWhen she died in 1952, her widower, President Per\u00f3n, was never able to persuade his people that he was now the substance and she the shadow. Within three years, Per\u00f3n had been overthrown, fleeing into exile aboard a Paraguayan gunboat. Argentina's long-repressed anti-Per\u00f3nists erased every physical vestige of Evita. Bulldozers tore down her monuments. Her pictures, books, personal papers were burned in public bonfires. Even her body disappeared from the Confederation of Labour headquarters where it had been kept to await the completion of a multi-million dollar mausoleum, which was to be taller than the Statue of Liberty.\n\nFor sixteen years the body of Evita Per\u00f3n was missing. But in Argentina, the cult of Saint Evita flourished, dooming every attempt by the nation's generals to return the government to stable civilian rule. Posters of an ethereal Evita plastered the walls of every town and village in the country. Terrorists killed in her name. The president who had taken power soon after Juan Per\u00f3n was overthrown was kidnapped and murdered in an unsuccessful effort to make him tell where Evita's body had been hidden. Finally, however, the Argentine Army capitulated. In Lot 86, Garden 41 in Musocco Cemetery in Milan, Italy, the body of Maria Maggi, an Italian woman who had died in Argentina, was exhumed. The coffin's wooden casing was rotting. But the coffin itself, of silver with a glass window, was in excellent condition. So was the corpse. It was the embalmed body of Evita Per\u00f3n.\n\nOver two decades, she travelled far and wide \u2014 a macabre odyssey across five countries of two continents. Now that she has been interred in Argentine soil, perhaps her fellow countrymen will let her rest in peace. But it is doubtful. There is a macabre, almost necrophiliac love of the dead in the soul of the Argentine people. Famous cadavers have often stood for national causes in the years since the country won its independence from Spain in 1810. It is as if the body had become the flag of political battle. Possession is everything, in a way it is like owning a splinter of the True Cross. There is also the terror of it falling into the hands of the enemy \u2014 the fear of defilement. In the early days of the nation when a provincial _caudillo_ (dictator), General Juan la Valle, was shot dead by his enemies, his friends dug up the body and carried it on horseback out of the country to Bolivia for safe-keeping. When it began to decompose on the trail, the funeral escort dismounted, skinned and eviscerated the corpse and carried on, packing the relics in saddlebags. Even today, the battle over the bones of another nineteenth-century dictator continues as fiercely as ever. Posters plastered on city walls proclaim that 'Rosas Lives'. But, in fact, Juan Manuel de Rosas, a fierce, throat-cutting _gaucho_ (cowboy) has been dead for over a hundred years. He created the first secret police in South America and ruthlessly forged the country's quarrelling provinces into a single nation before he was overthrown. He lived out his remaining years in Southampton, where he is buried. But in Argentina, the question of whether his bones should be brought back to his homeland still provokes controversy among pro- and anti-Rosas factions.\n\nBut Argentina is not just a land in love with the heroic dead. Grotesque death in every conceivable form is a ritualistic everyday business in Argentina, where left-wing guerrillas kidnap, torture, and murder, and, in turn, are themselves captured, tortured, and then often taken out of their cells and machine-gunned or dynamited together in bundled groups. Perhaps it is something in the character of the people who inhabit this remote, empty, desolate land of a million square miles \u2014 five times the size of France \u2014 a brutish land of plunder, virtually peopled in this century. In 1850, there were fewer than a million Argentines, and Indian territory began less than a hundred miles from Buenos Aires. Those Argentines were the descendants of the hardy soldier-adventurers of Spain who first colonised the land in the early 1500s. They became the gauchos, the cowboys who pushed out into the vast Indian-infested grazing lands called the pampas, rolling plains which stretch from the sweltering jungles of the Chaco on the Bolivian border in the north to the freezing antarctic wastes of Patagonia in the south, from the snow-capped Andes in the west to the Atlantic in the east.\n\n'It was the gaucho who made Argentina,' wrote John White in his _Life Story of a Nation._ 'First, he helped the Spaniards win the country from the Indians by providing an effective barrier between the civilised towns and the raiding savages. Later, he formed the mounted militias which won freedom from Spain, not only for Argentina but for Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Then, after many years of civil war, he finally forced the City and Province of Buenos Aires to join the Federation. It was then, and not until then, that Argentina became a nation.' So the gaucho is the national hero of Argentina, immortalised in a long epic poem, _El Gaucho Martin Fierro._ Most Argentines can recite a few verses of the poem in which the gaucho extols liberty, manhood, and justice. But Walter Owen, _Martin Fierro's_ English translator, took a clearer-eyed view of the gaucho in his introduction, one that could just as easily apply in many ways to the present day Argentine.\n\nHe was, wrote Owen, a 'strange mixture of virtues and vices, of culture and savagery. Arrogant and self-respecting, religious, punctilious within the limits of his own peculiar code, he was yet patient under injustice, easily led and impressed by authority, ferocious, callous, brutal, superstitious and improvident.' He was as 'pitiless as the savage Guaycurus (Indians) of his native plains, who as an old chronicler says, were \"the most turbulent of heathen, who extract their eyelashes to better see the Christians and slay them.\"... In no country and at no time, perhaps, has a race existed among which physical courage, intrepidity, indifference to suffering and endurance have been held in such high esteem.' The gaucho's law was his knife, or _facon,_ a short sword with a double-edged curved blade. His poncho wrapped around his left arm and used as a shield, he fought, whirling his facon, waiting for an opportunity for a sweeping blow that would lay his opponent's throat open. To the gaucho, throat-cutting was the only satisfactory way of killing an enemy. W. H. Hudson, the English naturalist and novelist who was born and grew up in Argentina in the middle of the 1800s recollected in his book _Far Away and Long Ago_ listening as a child to groups of gauchos as they sat around and yarned at the close of day in the _pulperia_ , the village store, bar, and general meeting place.\n\nInevitably, the talk turned sooner or later to the subject of cutting throats. Not to waste powder on prisoners was an unwritten law and the veteran gaucho clever with the knife took delight in obeying it. Remembered Hudson: 'It always came as a relief, I heard them say, to have as a victim a young man with a good neck after an experience of tough, scraggy old throats: with a person of that sort they were in no hurry to finish the business; it was performed in a leisurely, loving way... He did his business rather like a hellish creature revelling in his cruelty. He would listen to all his captive could say to soften his heart \u2014 all his heartrending prayers and pleadings; and would reply: \"ah, friend,\" or little friend, or brother \u2014 \"your words pierce me to the heart and I would gladly spare you for the sake of that poor mother of yours who fed you with her milk, and for your own sake too, since in this short time I have conceived a great friendship towards you; but your beautiful neck is your undoing, for how could I possibly deny myself the pleasure of cutting such a throat \u2014 so shapely, so smooth and soft and so white! Think of the sight of warm red blood gushing from that white column!\" And so on, with wavings of the steel blade before the captive's eyes, until the end.'\n\nIt was a cruel, brutal country out there on the plains in noman's land beyond the frontier posts of the Argentine army. For the settlers, pushing west and south in their bullock-wagons, the greatest terror was reserved for the Indians, who bitterly resisted the encroachment on their ancestral hunting grounds. Even the tough gaucho felt a fear and respect for them. It was a similar story of course on the North American plains, thousands of miles away. In both countries, encroaching white settlers viewed the embattled Indians as savage beasts\u2014\n\n'Those horrible howling bands,' wrote the gaucho Martin Fierro\n\nThat fall like a swarm on town and farm;  \nBefore the Christian has time to arm,  \nThey have seen the sign; they have sniffed the wind  \nAnd they come like the desert sand . . .\n\nThe only thing in his savage creed  \nThat the Indian's sure about  \nIs this: that it's always good to kill,  \nAnd of smoking blood to drink his fill:  \nAnd the blood he can't drink when his belly's full  \nHe likes to see bubble out . . .\n\nLike ravening beasts on the scent of blood  \nThey come o'er the desert broad,  \nTheir terrible cries fill the earth and skies  \nAnd make every hair on your head to rise,  \nEvery mother's son of their howling horde  \nSeems a devil damned by God.\n\nIn 1832, when Rosas was busy trying to wipe out the pampas Indians, his camp was visited by Charles Darwin during the British naturalist's historic voyage in HMS _Beagle_ to Latin America. Darwin described the place as looking more like the hide-out of brigands than the headquarters of a nation's army. Guns, wagons and crude straw huts had been formed into a sort of compound, 400 yards square. Encamped within it were the general's gauchos. The young Englishman was fascinated by them \u2014 their mustachios, long black hair falling down over their shoulders, their scarlet ponchos and wide riding trousers, white boots with huge spurs, and knives stuck in their waistbands. They were extremely polite and looked, Darwin said, 'as if they would cut your throat and make a bow at the same time.' He got the same feeling about their general \u2014 extremely courteous but capable of ordering a man to be shot on the slightest whim.\n\nRosas's campaign strategy against the Indians was simple. He rounded them up a hundred or so at a time and slaughtered them without compunction or mercy \u2014 men, women and children. In fact, while Darwin was in the camp, a company of gauchos rode off on an Indian hunt. They spotted a party of Indians crossing the open plain, and after killing a few who fought when cornered, they finally rounded up 110 men, women, and children. They shot all the men except three who they kept for interrogation. The better looking girls were set aside to be distributed among the gauchos. But the older women and the uglier girls were also killed immediately. The children were kept to be sold as slaves. The three surviving Indians were then shot in turn as they refused to divulge the whereabouts of the rest of the tribe, the third of them pushing out his chest proudly as he told his captors, 'Fire, I am a man. I can die.'\n\nTo the horrified Darwin, it was the Argentines who were the savages, not the Indians. But then he was a genteel young man from the peaceful Shropshire countryside. While his voyage led him to a revolutionary concept of the evolution of life, he was incapable of understanding the basic facts of life in a raw, brutal land. It was win or die. Prisoners always had their throats cut after battle. It came as no surprise to them. As for the charming Rosas, he ruled through terror and repression. He allowed no constitution or parliament. He banned books and newspapers. But he enjoyed wide support among the people who counted for nothing in Argentina \u2014 the poor, the gauchos, who worshipped him. He could throw the bolas, break horses, and cut throats with the best of them.\n\nHe once explained to a friend how he held on to power. Although he was a landowner, he said, he knew and understood the lower classes. 'I know and respect the talents of many of the men who have governed the country . . . But it seems to me that all committed a great error; they governed very well for the cultured people but scorned the lower classes, the people of the fields, who were the men of action. I believe it is important to establish a major influence over this class to contain it and direct it, and I have acquired this influence. I am a gaucho among gauchos. I talk as they do. I protect them. I am their attorney. I care for their interests.'\n\nThe Indians of the Argentine plains were doomed by the hatred and terror they inspired. For a large part of the last century they held back the white tide with their raids on isolated farms and military outposts, armed with nothing more than their eighteen-foot lances tipped with a foot-long blade, their _bolas,_ three heavy metal balls attached to ropes which were whirled and thrown to upend their enemies, and their bows and arrows. But eventually \u2014 and less than one hundred years ago \u2014 the Argentine cavalry swept through the pampas. Unlike the United States, where the Indian survivors were rounded up and herded into reservations, in Argentina the slaughter was total. Indian settlements were razed to the ground. The few remnants of a proud and skilled people were sent to Buenos Aires as captive servants. Even rebellious gauchos, known as _montoneros,_ who on more than one occasion had taken on the national army in open battle, were exterminated or brought to heel. The vast lands of the pampas, ripe for exploitation, disappeared into the hands of generals, the land-owning aristocrats of colonial descent, and speculators. British-built railways probed out into the empty land, carrying hundreds of thousands of Spanish and Italian immigrants to work as peasants on the land, living in mud and straw huts, transient hovels for men who felt no kinship to the rich, black pampas soil but dreamed of earning enough from it to take back to the land of their birth.\n\nNot even the _estancieros,_ the wealthy ranchers who owned hundreds of thousands of pampas acres \u2014 estates as large as English counties \u2014 sank any roots in this desolate, monotonous land. To them it was a commodity. The railways carried their grain and cattle to the port city of Buenos Aires. From there the wheat and meat were shipped on to the booming markets in Europe. Overnight, the cattle ranchers from Argentina became the world's newest nouveau riche. They owned mansions in Buenos Aires, Paris, and London. On their lands in the pampas they built French chateaux and gabled English country homes, surrounded with eucalyptus groves, lawns and rose gardens, which they visited on the occasional weekend. But the wealth of the land was such that it could support those who milked it with such abandon (there is an old Argentine saying which has stood the test of time \u2014 no matter how hard Argentines try they can never bankrupt Argentina).\n\nThe land could also support the thousands of immigrants pouring into the port of Buenos Aires every week. They came in such numbers that the population soared from nearly 2 million in 1869 to 4 million in 1895 and 8 million in 1914. By then three out of every four adults in Buenos Aires were European born. The vast majority of the nation possessed no ties that bound them together as one people with a feeling and understanding for one another \u2014 outside the family the lack of tolerance of Argentines towards one another has haunted the nation down to this day. At the turn of the century, at the critical moment of nation-building, the only bond among the thousands of new Argentines pouring into Buenos Aires was that in building a new city in place of the old-fashioned, large village _(la grand aldea)_ between the River Plate and the pampas, they, as labourers on the building sites, in the cattle slaughter houses, and on the dockside, and the carpenters, grocers, milkmen, butchers, servants, householders, and peddlers, all owed their livelihood to the vast, empty hinterland beyond the city.\n\nIt was a land, wrote American poet Archibald MacLeish, 'in which the distances from house to house are too great for the barking of dogs on the stillest night; a country in which the cock crows only twice because there is no answer... a country so level that even time has no hold on it and one century is like another; a country so empty that the watches at night put their eyes along the ground to see the circle of the horizon; a country in which the sky is so huge that men plant islands of eucalyptus trees over the houses to be covered from the blue. It is a country of grass, a country without stone, a country in which the women are always together under the dark trees in the evening, their faces fading into the loneliness with the night.'\n\nIt was on the pampas, near the village of Los Toldos in the Province of Buenos Aires, some 150 miles west of the Argentine capital, that Maria Eva Ibarguren was born on May 7, 1919, in a ramshackle farmhouse built of mud bricks and roofed with tiles of red clay and corrugated iron.\n\n## _1_  \n _THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS_\n\n'If ever a man wishes to know what it is to have an inclination to commit suicide, let him spend a week in a rural town in Argentina.'\n\nIt was a foreign visitor to the Argentine pampas who made that remark long ago in the 1890s. Los Toldos is that kind of town. It hadn't changed from the days when it was a frontier outpost less than fifty years before Eva Ibarguren was born. It's still the same today \u2014 a dreary, squalid, little _pueblo,_ built on the site of a long-forgotten Indian encampment. Dusty, unpaved streets wander out from the grassless, empty plaza and disappear into the plains. Dust covers everything, a foot thick on the ground, choking up in yellow clouds with the passing of each truck or herd of cattle, colouring the brown mud walls of the houses a faded grey. When the violent south-west wind, the _pampero,_ blows across the pampas, Los Toldos disappears from view in the dust. Then black clouds sweep out from the horizon, swallowing up the sky, unleashing thunder, lightning and torrents of rain, isolating the pueblo in a sea of mud.\n\nJuana Ibarguren, a pretty, plump girl of Basque descent, lived on the edge of the town. It was not much of a home; one room and a patio shared with the chickens, goats, and five children. But then her lover, Juan Duarte, a local landowner, already had a wife and other children to support in Chivilcoy, another rather larger pampas town not far away. Still, he was a man of moderate means and it was naturally accepted that he would have another woman elsewhere. In fact, he would have been thought of as odd by his friends if he had not. _Machismo \u2014_ the cult of sexual conquest \u2014 was, still is, deeply rooted in the Argentine way of life. Women, legally as well as socially, were regarded as part of a man's material possessions, as wives, virgin daughters, and mistresses \u2014 the first two to be protected from dishonour, the third to be pursued and used for pleasure. A wife could not get a divorce in Argentina (she still cannot) and, legally, both she and her children were considered part of her husband's property. She expected him to be unfaithful. She might not like it. But she put up with it as long as he did not embarrass her by flaunting his girl friend in their own social strata. In wealthy families, he would have his _gar\u00e7onni\u00e8re,_ bachelor rooms, in a discreet block of flats in town. For those who could not afford such luxuries, there were always the _amoblados,_ love hotels which exist in every town and city in Argentina, where rooms are rented by the hour. In the countryside, in the home of the wealthy estancieros, the sons of the family gained their sexual experience with the servant girls or the daughters of the estancia's farmworkers. They could not, of course, sleep with a girl from their own class of society. Her virginity was the most prized family possession of all, to be relinquished only for the price of a good marriage.\n\nFor the poor girl on the pampas, virginity was almost certainly a thing of the past by her fourteenth birthday. Few could expect anything more from life than grinding poverty. However, if she was really pretty, there was always the possibility that she might find a married man of means to support her. Juana Ibarguren was certainly pretty in a plump, pinchable sort of way. She also had an effervescent personality, the kind that usually gets what it wants. At the Duarte farm in Chivilcoy, where she worked as a cook, she had quickly fastened her flashing dark eyes on the master of the house. It was not long before she was pregnant with the first of her five children, all of them born in the one-room house that Juan Duarte had rented for her in in her home town. Her father had been the local coachman in Los Toldos, carrying the rich estancia families in his horse and trap to and from the local railway station, where Juana's brother worked as the stationmaster. So she was not from the very lowest rung of rural peasant life, which often dispensed with the cost and formality of marriage. Perhaps then, it was understandable that some of her more 'respectable' neighbours looked with disapproval at Juana Ibarguren and her growing number of illegitimate children.\n\nBut her relationship with Juan Duarte was a stable one. After all, it lasted for nearly fifteen years. Even if he did not live with the family, Juan visited them frequently. But although they were not deprived of his love and affection, they learnt at a very early age what it was like to be branded as bastards. Los Toldos was so small it could hardly be called a town, just a stop on the little railway line that meanders for a 100 miles through that part of the pampas, giving up midway to the next village of O'Brien.\n\nEveryone led much the same squalid, poverty-stricken life. Even so, the Ibarguren children were ostracised. Neighbours would not let their own children play with them. But while that is something that no child would ever forget, the deepest scarring experience in Eva's childhood \u2014 she was the youngest and nearly seven at the time \u2014 occurred when her father died. Juana Ibarguren, being a practical woman, knew that she could not go to the funeral (which in Argentina has to take place within 24 hours of death) because of the bitter hatred that Juan Duarte's wife, Estela Grisolia, felt for her. But she wanted her children to see their father for the last time. So the girls \u2014 Elisa, the eldest, who was about 16, Blanca 14, and Arminda, a year older than Eva \u2014- were dressed in mourning, black smocks and long black stockings, while Juan, the 10-year-old boy, wore a band of crepe around his sleeve. They set out on their first ever ride in a sulky to the Duarte estancia. But when they got there, they were not allowed into the house.\n\nWith death and funerals occupying such significant roles in Argentine life, Dona Estela was determined not to allow the evidence of her late husband's unfaithfulness to be displayed in public around his coffin. So the bewildered little girls and their brother sat up in the sulky, crying their eyes out, not really comprehending what it was all about. Finally, a brother of the dead man interceded on behalf of 'those little wretches who want to take one last look'. They were allowed to follow the coffin, in Indian file, after the family to the local cemetery.\n\nLife was rough for Juana Ibarguren for the next couple of years. Juan Duarte had been her sole means of support. All that he left her was a legal declaration that her children were his \u2014 in order for them to be able to bear his name. So, in order to pay the rent for her tiny one-room house, she and the girls hired themselves out as cooks in the homes of the local estancias. It was then that Eva got her first close look at the rich, powerful families who controlled Argentina through the wealth generated by their ownership of the land. In Buenos Aires Province, which includes Los Toldos and is the largest of the pampas provinces, 15 families owned a million acres of land each. Another 50 families owned 50,000 acres. The estancias where Eva often worked existed virtually as independent mini-kingdoms. They had their own schools, chapels and hospitals. The estanciero families would divide their year between Paris and Buenos Aires, visiting the estancia usually at Christmas-time, at the start of the long, hot Argentine summer. Their journey to and from their nearest pampas railway station was, more often that not, their only connection with the tiny pueblos that had grown up around the stations that the British-owned railways had built to serve the estancias. For Eva, helping out in the kitchens, it was a world to be gawked at as a child \u2014 the crowds of guests and children, the nannies, governesses and major domos, and the patron, wearing the inevitable, expensive imitation of the clothes that the impoverished gauchos wore on the plains.\n\nEva never forgot those years or the dusty, grubby little pueblo by the railways tracks. In her autobiography, _La Razon de mi Vida_ (The Reason for my Life), published shortly before she died in 1952, she recalled her childhood: 'I' remember I was very sad for many days when I discovered that in the world there were poor people and rich people; and the strange thing is that the existence of the poor did not cause me as much pain as the knowledge that at the same time there were people who were rich . . . From each year I kept the memory of some injustice that roused me to rebellion.'\n\nBut life improved a little when she was ten years old \u2014 her mother had finally found another protector. It had taken a while. But despite five children and a growing plumpness, she could still attract men. There was a sexuality, a ripeness about her, an alluring excitement in her flashing, dark eyes. In her late thirties, mature and voluptuous, she had not lacked admirers. But it was finding the right one, the man who could pay _la cuenta_ (the bill), that had taken the time. Finally, he appeared in the form of a local, small-town Radical politician. He had met her on a visit to Los Toldos and had promptly fallen for her charms. Like his predecessor, Juan Duarte, he was getting along in years and already had a family. Juana didn't mind that. It showed a stability, lacking in the handsome, young _machos_ who had been prowling around her and her daughters in Los Toldos. So he set her up in a small house on Julio A. Roca Street in Junin on the other side of town from his own home. It was not much of a place, built of whitewashed mud brick around a patio, its front door leading directly onto the pavement, typical of an Argentine provincial town. For although Junin boasted a population of over 30,000, it was still very much a town of the pampas \u2014 surrounded by the endless plain, the field of corn and herds of cattle.\n\nTo Dona Juana's children, moving to Junin from their tiny pueblo was like moving to the big city. There were paved streets, two storey buildings, shops that sold dresses made in Buenos Aires, and even a cinema. Going to the cinema or walking down to the railway station to watch the arrival of the Buenos Aires train provided the main out-of-school entertainment, although in the spring and summer, on warm evenings and lazy Sunday afternoons, the girls would often head for the plaza, where they strolled arm-in-arm in the shade of the broad, leafy ombu trees, giggling and listening to the young men, who circled the other way around the plaza, passing the girls with a _piropo,_ a whispered compliment in words that had not changed in generations. To the girl in a green dress: 'You are a miracle when green; what will you be when you are ripe.' Or to the girl in red: 'Pretty as a rose \u2014 but I'm afraid of thorns.'\n\nIt is doubtful that Eva Duarte had many piropos whispered in her ear. She was still very much of an ugly duckling in those early teenage years. There is an old school picture of her that has survived \u2014 a classroom group photograph taken at the end of the school year with the girls in freshly-starched white smocks with bows like butterflies on top of their heads. Eva is half-way back, a rather plain, sullen-looking child with dark, brooding eyes staring unhappily out from a sallow complexion. There's no indication there of the beauty-to-be. Not even a hint of the curves that Argentine girls develop so delightfully at an early age. One of her classmates from those days remembers her as a girl who kept very much to herself, a quiet, day-dreaming type. She was not a bright student, and all the indications were that she faced a depressing future. Her mother had already found husbands for her three eldest girls from the succession of young bachelors who lodged at the house. Elisa married an army officer after finishing high school and getting a job in the post office, thanks to a little string-pulling by Dona Juana's benefactor. Blanca had married a struggling young lawyer, and Arminda married the lift operator at the town hall. Son Juan had picked up a job selling soap on commission to the local stores. As for Eva, mama's plans for her went no further than finishing primary school, then helping out full-time in the boarding house. But her youngest daughter had other ideas. In October of 1933, she had been given a small part in a school play called _Arriba Estudiantes_ (Students Arise), an emotional, patriotic, flag-waving melodrama. From that moment on, Eva Duarte resolved to shake the pampas dust from her shoes. She was going to become a great actress.\n\nShe did not waste time. The first thing she learned from the film magazines she bought from the _kiosco_ at the corner of the plaza was that there was only one place in Argentina where a girl could become a star \u2014 Buenos Aires, the nation's capital. That presented certain problems. For a start, there were several hundred miles of pampas between her and the big city. She had no money, and there was certainly no way her family was going to help her. Then, she was still at school, and she was only fourteen years old. But when Eva set her mind on something it was very rare she failed to get it. A few months later, just after her fifteenth birthday, a handsome young tango singer, Agustin Magaldi, came to Junin to play a couple of nights at the local theatre. Juan Duarte had a friend who worked there and who arranged for Eva to slip in through a side door of the theatre during the first night's performance. When Magaldi left the stage, he found this slip of a girl with very white skin and very red lips waiting for him in his makeshift dressing room at the back of the building. The next evening, after the show, they drove through the night to Buenos Aires.\n\n## _2_  \n _AN ASPIRING ACTRESS_\n\nFor an aspiring young actress, no other city in Latin America offered such a kaleidoscope of opportunity. Buenos Aires in the 1930s was _the_ cultural mecca, the leader of the continent's artistic and literary world. There were twenty-five theatres, nine radio stations, and three film companies, all squeezed into the city's compact downtown area of wide avenues and narrow side streets. To the _porte\u00f1os,_ the people who live in the great port on the River Plate, their capital was the Paris of Latin America, a city of beautiful parks, elegant shops, restaurants which were packed until the early hours of the morning, flower sellers, book shops, and pavement caf\u00e9s; the whole overlaid with an Italianate air, derived from the ornate marble and granite fa\u00e7ades of the buildings and the noisy vibrance of the street life.\n\nEva moved into the heart of theatreland on her very first day in town \u2014 taking a room in a cheap hotel just off Calle Corrientes, a street that slashes from west to east across the heart of the city centre. It is the Broadway of Buenos Aires known to porte\u00f1os as 'the street that never sleeps'. During the day, crowds flock to the banks and stores that line its pavements. At night, while the bankers and shopkeepers sleep, Corrientes changes its image and becomes a neon-lit street of dreams \u2014 theatres, cinemas, cabarets, and dance halls \u2014 glittering with excitement and romance until the dawn tarnishes the gilt.\n\nFor Eva, the glamour of Calle Corrientes faded quickly, blotted out by the desperate need for a job. She made the rounds of the theatrical agencies. But she had no background, no experience, no references. She dressed badly, and her rough country accent more often than not provoked a smile and a shake of the head among the agents who deigned to see her. She fell nearly three months behind in her rent, and she was reduced to a diet of sandwiches and coffee. Sometimes, she did not even have the few centavos necessary for that.\n\nHer brother Juan, himself now working in a bank in Buenos Aires, tried to persuade her to return to Junin. 'Leave me alone,' she said. 'I know what I'm doing.' She had no intention of leaving. Her will to survive was unbreakable. She told everyone she met that she was going to be Argentina's leading actress \u2014 an ambition that must have seemed as ridiculous to the theatrical agents she pestered constantly as if she had announced that one day she was going to be Argentina's First Lady. For she lacked talent, beauty, and charm.\n\nIn those humid early summer days of 1935, Eva Duarte's sole preoccupation was getting a job, any job. Indeed, there may well have been moments when she came perilously close to following in the footsteps of so many young peasant girls who arrived in Buenos Aires full of dreams and ambitions, only to finish up in the sleazy brothels down by the waterfront. But in March, just when things were at their darkest, Eva got her first break, a small part in _La Seora de Perez,_ a comedy at the Comedia Theatre, starring Eva Franco, one of Argentina's most popular actresses, and Pascual Pelliciota, an actor who quickly replaced her Junin saviour, Magaldi, the tango singer, in her affections. It was the first of a long series of lowly-paid bit parts and short-lived love affairs. The acting jobs never lasted long, either, as it was rare for a play to run for more than a few weeks in Buenos Aires.\n\nIn July, she picked up a job in _There's a World in Every Home._ But she was dropped from the company when the play went on tour in the provinces. Then there was a drought until December when she got the part of a laundrywoman in _Madame Sans Gene_ for which she received three pesos per night (in those days about 37p). The other members of the cast teased her at rehearsals, testing her dramatic progress by asking her to walk with a book on her head and a lighted candle in her hand. One of the actors in the play remembered her as 'childish, naive, and very romantic', an interesting recollection of a girl whose life was a constant struggle for survival.\n\nIn June, 1936, Eva went off on her first provincial tour in a play called _The Mortal Kiss,_ about the evils of sexual promiscuity. It was financed by the Argentine Prophylactic League, an organisation of well-meaning, wealthy ladies who believed that they could cut down the illegitimacy rate in Argentina's rural towns with good rousing melodrama. If that was a theme that cut too close to home, the illegitimate girl from Los Toldos needed the money too much to complain about it. Half-way through the trip, however, one of the cast fell ill with an undiagnosed infection. She was sent to hospital and no visitors were allowed. But Eva was determined to show everybody how much she cared for her colleague. She slipped into the hospital and visited her. Inevitably, she became infected, too, and lost her job.\n\nIll health dogged Eva throughout her life. But she never gave up. That was one thing about which her admirers and enemies could agree. She was quickly back on her feet and making the daily rounds of the theatrical agencies, driving them and her acquaintances mad, begging for parts, any parts, trying anything to charm the influential in the world of the theatre. One of her young contemporaries, Pierina Dealessi, remembers the day when her theatre manager told her there was a girl outside looking for a job. 'We were casting a new play. So I had a chat with her. Evita was a plain girl, very thin, black hair. I asked her if she'd ever worked on the stage before. She told me that she was just back from a provincial tour with Pepita Munoz. We took her on at a miserable salary \u2014 180 pesos a month (about twenty pounds). There were no rest days; besides which we gave four shows on Sunday. We always took a tea break in the middle of the afternoon. Evita drank mat\u00e9 (a relaxing Paraguayan tea drunk out of a gourd through a metal tube). She looked so thin and delicate that I used to add a little milk to her mat\u00e9 to give her some nourishment. She weighed nothing at all. What with hunger, poverty, want, and general neglect, her hands were always cold and damp. We were doing a play called _The Horn of Plenty_ by Ricardo Hickens. Evita's part was that of a young, well-dressed lady. She had a beautiful bust but it hung badly because she was so skinny. She once borrowed my stockings to build it up a bit \u2014 poor kid. Time and time again I told her \u2014 \"eat more; don't stay up late, you're in no state to take late nights!\" She told me that she had to moonlight other jobs in order to send her mother 700 pesos per month. That was a lot of money in those days. Poor Evita.'\n\nJust how she earned that extra money is one of the many mysteries surrounding Eva Duarte's actress years. Later, she never referred to that period of her life except, vaguely as her 'career as an artiste'. A rumour, never substantiated but long lingering, was that she spent those late evenings in the city's gaudy, noisy nightspots, places like the Tabaris, the Gong, the Embassy, where rich businessmen spent as much on champagne in an evening as a third-rate actress could count herself lucky to earn on the stage in a year. The girls made a tiny percentage on the drinks bought by the men they met at the bar. At closing time, after the final cabaret, Argentine dignity, respectability, and the law, made it impossible for couples to leave the club together. So assignations would be made to meet at nearby amoblado love hotels or the man's gar\u00e7onni\u00e8re bachelor apartment. At dawn, the girl would take a taxi home, richer by fifty pesos or so.\n\nWhether Eva went that route or not, she certainly collected a succession of lovers, each one carefully picked to help her career. One of her earliest, most 'helpful' romances began when she was making the rounds during her daily job hunting. It was early in 1937 and she was just eighteen. She called in on _Sintonia Magazine,_ which covered theatre and films in typical movie fan magazine style with lots of pictures and breathless reports about the stars and starlets of Argentina's stage and screen. Eva told a friend later that she fell head-over-heels in love with _Sintonia's_ owner, a tough former motor racing driver named Emilio Kartulovic, at that very first meeting. It was a romance that did not hurt her. Immediately doors started opening. She got her first job in films, a small part in a fight film called _Seconds out of the Ring._ Gossip had it that during the filming she indulged in a quiet, brief affair with the film's star, Pedro Quartucci.\n\nFrom then on the threat of hunger disappeared. Jobs were easier to come by, although even she probably realised by then that she was never going to become the great theatrical star of her childhood dreams. She eked out a living with small parts on the stage and in radio. She appeared, briefly, in a few dreadful Argentine films \u2014 _The Charge of the Brave_ (1939), _The Unhappiest Man in Town_ (1940), and _A Sweetheart in Trouble_ (1941). And every now and again she landed a modelling assignment for fashion houses and hairdressers. She was learning to take care of her appearance and becoming a good-looking young woman.\n\nShe was making enough to move into a better hotel (although she still couldn't afford an apartment) and she even considered having plastic surgery to enlarge her breasts (in crude Argentine macho talk, a girl had to have _melones_ (melons) rather than _limones_ (lemons) if she wanted to keep a man). But when the day came for the operation, she failed to appear. She had apparently decided to leave nature alone, although the decision may well have been determined by an unexpected setback in her fortunes at about that time. Her brother Juan phoned her to say that he had been caught stealing money at the bank where he worked. It was not a large amount. But if he could not replace it immediately he would go to jail. Eva did not hesitate for a moment. She appeared to have a genuine love for her big brother, despite his playboy ways. She sold everything she had, gave him every peso she possessed and moved back into a cheap boarding house, this time in the Boca, the old Italian district down in the port, where the buildings lean crazily over twisting, narrow alleys leading down to the quayside.\n\nEva had the steel will of a survivor. Living in the Boca could not have been a pleasant experience for a single girl on her own. In those days in Argentina's big cities, an unchaperoned girl was considered fair game. On the narrow dockside streets, she had to contend with the _chirripos,_ the neighbourhood dandies in their tight black suits, gummed-back hair, and highly polished shoes, who lolled their days away in street corner bars, passing leering comments at any girl who passed by. But they quickly learned to respect the backlash of the peasant girl from Los Toldos. 'she had a tongue to skin a donkey,' one of them remembered admiringly years later. Then, after running the gauntlet of the chirripos, Eva would ride the _collectivos,_ the fat little buses that rattle round Buenos Aires packed to overflowing (former motor racing world champion Juan Fangio developed his lightning reflexes as a collectivo driver). Eva rarely survived one of those journeys without two or three black pinch marks on her behind. 'Everybody makes a pass at me,' she'd grumble once safely inside the theatre stage door.\n\nThe years passed with a gradual improvement in her fortunes. One of the reasons for this was the current prosperity in Buenos Aires. For while war clouds rumbled across Europe and the Pacific in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Argentina was reaping handsome profits from the sale of its beef and grain to countries that had beaten their ploughshares into tanks. In Buenos Aires, the lights burned late and the champagne flowed. The sensual tango moved uptown from the old waterfront bars and flourished in the dance halls along Corrientes. The theatres were packed, and the city's radio stations thrived on the advertising of rich foreign companies \u2014 Cinzano, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Harrods, Ford, RCA, and many others \u2014 whose products impinged on the daily lives of every Argentine. It was during this period, when Eva was in her early twenties, that a wealthy soap manufacturer fell in love with her and gave her a radio programme of her own.\n\nCesar Marino, head of production at Radio Argentina, recalls that early in 1942, his boss, Roberto Gill, who owned the station, called him into his office and introduced him to Eva Duarte. 'She had obtained the backing of the Radical Soap Company and was looking for a station to put her show on the air. Gill was more interested in the advertiser than the actress, as he'd never met the Duarte girl before, either. \"As from now,\" he told me, \"she is going to be our leading star.\" I didn't know where to begin as the kid was a very, very poor actress. But she was docile, well behaved, nicely-mannered and serious. She always arrived an hour early for rehearsal and left immediately after the broadcast. She never talked to anybody.'\n\nThat may have been because Eva was becoming a busy young lady. Besides Radio Argentina, Radio El Mundo was also enjoying her soap-sponsored talents. There, appropriately, she broadcast soap operas with titles like _Love was born when I met you,_ and _Love promises._ Later, she also began appearing on Radio Belgrano, where, in January of 1943, she began a radio series that was to make her well-known throughout Argentina. It was called _My Kingdom of Love,_ and consisted of weekly soap operas written by a student of philosophy. In them, Eva acted out the lives of famous women in history \u2014 Lady Hamilton, Queen Elizabeth I, the Empress Josephine, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the Tsarina Alexandra of Russia.\n\nThe series ran for over a year and was so successful that Eva's picture appeared twice on the cover of _Antena,_ a weekly radio newspaper that had one of the largest circulations of any publication in the country. Argentine families bought it primarily for its programme listings. They learned from the coy cover stories about Eva that she loved sentimental waltzes and Greer Garson films. She confessed to being 'a tranquil woman, a homemaker, one who loved family life'. What they did not learn was that the tranquil homemaker had been busily making powerful friends in high places.\n\nIn June 1943, a military coup had brought a small group of Army generals to power in Argentina. One evening a month later, Eva picked up the telephone in the dressing room she shared with other actresses at Radio Belgrano. 'Girls,' she said, 'listen to this,' as she dialled a number. 'Hello, is that Government House? Give me President Ramirez.' Then, as the girls gaped, wide-eyed, 'Hello, Mr President. This is Eva Duarte . . . Yes, I'd love to have dinner with you tomorrow evening. At ten. Good. Until then. _Chau,_ Pedro.'\n\nWord of the conversation quickly reached the ears of Jaime Yankelevich, the owner of Radio Belgrano. He was a shrewd fat man who had laid the foundation to his fortune in 1923 by cornering the market in the crystal headsets that were needed for the primitive radios of the time. It was just before the world heavyweight boxing championship between Jack Dempsey, the holder of the title, and Argentina's hero, Luis (The Wild Bull of the Pampas) Firpo, and Argentines were rushing to buy radios to listen to the broadcast of the event. So Yankelevich made a fortune. Eva's dinner date prompted him to make another investment. He raised her salary from 150 pesos a month to 5,000. But such uncharacteristic generosity was not prompted by any optimism that a relationship between his young actress and the nation's president would help him. He knew it would not.\n\nPresident Pedro Ramirez had the reputation of being a henpecked husband whose wife kept a very un-Argentine grip on him. On top of that, his stiffness and reactionary ways had earned him the nickname of the 'Little Stick'. So Yankelevich was fairly sure that Eva would not get very far with the president. But he knew something that the other girls in his radio station did not: that Eva already had hooked a member of the military government who was in a position to be much more useful to him. It was Colonel Anibal Imbert, the Minister of Communications, a post which controlled the country's radio stations. The Colonel, a stout little man, had already moved his young, pretty mistress out of the Boca and into a comfortable apartment on Calle Posadas, a quiet, tree-shaded street just off Avenida Alvear, a very fashionable part of Buenos Aires. As far as Jaime Yankelevich was concerned, any girl friend of the man who controlled the life and death of his business was well worth a substantial increase in salary, even if she was a terrible actress.\n\nWhen the other actresses at Radio Belgrano found out about the sudden rise in their colleague's salary, they were more amused than angry. Knowing the reason, they called it Eva's 'official velocity' and they expected her to fall to earth with equal speed as soon as the Colonel dropped her, which the girls, wise to the demi-monde life that most of them lived, knew would be sooner or later. They could not have been more wrong. Eva was on her way to dizzying heights and it was the plump Colonel Imbert who dropped by the wayside, a combination of events that, ironically, he had the misfortune to arrange himself.\n\nOn January 15, 1944, an earthquake almost completely destroyed the old Spanish colonial town of San Juan, 500 miles to the west of Buenos Aires. Thousands were killed. In the tremendous wave of sympathy that swept the nation, actors and actresses pounded the streets to collect money to help the survivors. As part of that fund-raising effort, Eva persuaded her lover to stage a monster variety show in Luna Park, a large open-air boxing arena in the centre of Buenos Aires. Leading theatrical and radio stars turned out to perform before a packed audience and a nation-wide hookup of all the country's radio stations.\n\nAs the stars mingled on the stage, taking their turns at the microphones, Eva, who had arrived on the arm of Colonel Imbert, caught sight of Libertad Lamarque, one of Argentina's loveliest actresses. She was talking to a tall, handsome army officer. Eva knew who he was \u2014 Colonel Juan Domingo Per\u00f3n. He was rumoured to be the Strongman among the colonels who controlled the military government. She went over to Libertad, whom she knew only slightly, and asked to be introduced. Then, when it was the actress's turn to take the microphone, Eva slipped into the empty chair beside the colonel.\n\n## _3_  \n _AN AMBITIOUS ARMY OFFICER_\n\n'I put myself at his side. Perhaps this drew his attention to me and when he had time to listen to me I spoke up as best I could: \"If, as you say, the cause of the people is your own cause, however great the sacrifice I will never leave your side until I die.\"'\n\nThat purple passage from _La Razon de mi Vida_ is Evas description of 'the marvellous day' when she met Juan Per\u00f3n. It sounds more like something out of one of the cheap comic-book romances she liked to read. But what is certainly true is that she wasted no time that first night. It was a warm, spring evening. They slipped away from the rally and drove out of the city to the Tigre, a suburban river resort of muddy delta waterways, tiny islands, boat clubs, mosquitos, and secluded weekend homes hidden away from prying eyes by the purple and orange blossoms of jacaranda trees. The next morning, Eva arrived for work at Radio Belgrano in a War Ministry limousine.\n\nDespite the difference in years \u2014 at forty-eight, Per\u00f3n was exactly double Eva's age \u2014 they had a lot in common. For he was a country boy, born on October 8,1895, on a small pampas farm owned by his father just outside the town of Lobos, 65 miles south of Buenos Aires. Like so many Argentines, his heritage came out of the mass of southern European peasantry that poured into Argentina in the middle 1800s. He claimed that his family name was originally Peroni and that his greatgrandfather had been a Sicilian senator. His mother was what is known in Argentina as a _chinita_ \u2014 a little country girl with Indian blood in her veins, reflected in her son's high cheek bones, ruddy complexion and black eyes.\n\nWhen he was five years old, the family moved to Patagonia in the deep south of the country. It is a desolate, cold and wind-battered land, hospitable only to sheep. Juan Per\u00f3n grew up strong and tough, living the life of a gaucho, breaking wild horses, lassoing ostriches with the bolas, fording icy streams in sub-zero weather, riding the stony _mesa,_ spurs strapped to his bare feet, his poncho streaming out in the wind. When his father died, his mother kept the ranch and, when he was sixteen packed him off to military college in Buenos Aires where he was an indifferent student but a tough soldier and a brilliant sportsman (he was one of the army's best shots, its fencing champion for sixteen years, and a bare-knuckle fighter much feared in the dockside bars of Buenos Aires during his college years \u2014 a bony knob on his right hand tipped off former world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney that he was shaking hands with a man who had used his fists).\n\nHe was a handsome, athletic-looking man, over six-foot tall with thick jet-black hair combed back from his forehead, black-brown eyes of shimmering intensity, and a complexion made startlingly florid by a vivid labyrinth of veins on both cheeks. But it was not just his commanding physical appearance that made him the centre of attention in any company. He spoke German, Italian, and a little English, and he was well read, astonishingly so for one who had made the army his whole life. He had personality and charm \u2014 a ready smile and a quick wit that drew people to him long before he wielded the sort of power that automatically commanded respectful attention. 'You sat down with Per\u00f3n and in a few minutes he had won you into his world,' recalled one of his old army friends. 'He'd talk to a young captain, put his arm around his shoulders, and tell him what he wanted to hear. He could convince a socialist that he, too, was a socialist. But then a fascist would talk to him and leave absolutely certain that Per\u00f3n was a fascist.'\n\nPer\u00f3n's persuasive powers had worked like magic in the rural isolation of the Andean mountain garrison where had been posted in the summer of 1940. It had not taken him many months to cajole his fellow colonels into joining him in forming a political organisation that would channel their aspirations. Called the GOU, which stood for either Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (United Officers' Group) or its slogan. Gobierno!\/Orden!\/Unidad! (Government! Order! Unity!), the officers professed disgust with the corruption of the country's conservative government and resolved to push for a greater say in the affairs of the nation. As secretary of the secret lodge, Per\u00f3n travelled the country from garrison to garrison, preaching its message to young army officers to whom the talk of national destiny was like red meat and wine.\n\nBy the winter of 1943, as thousands of brown-shirted fascists marched almost daily through the streets of Buenos Aires, shouting 'death to the Jews', and 'death to the British pigs', Per\u00f3n had signed up all but a few hundred of Argentina's 3,600 army officers. He was ready to make his move. On June 4, the government of President Ramon S. Castillo fell like a putrid fruit to a military coup organised by the GOU. The only resistance the army encountered as it rolled into the city with its tanks and armoured trucks was at the Naval School on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where nearly 100 naval officers and cadets were killed in a futile effort at defence. There was another very brief setback for the GOU when the wrong man, General Arturo Rawson, who had commanded the troops, had, in a moment of exuberance, proclaimed himself president from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, the 'Pink House', the presidential palace in the centre of Buenos Aires. But in a hurried opera-bouffe performance of musical chairs. General Rawson was quickly hustled out the back door of the presidential palace, his place on the balcony taken by the GOU's choice of president. General Pedro P. Ramirez, who had been Minister of War in the Castillo Government.\n\nAs General Ramirez donned the presidential sash of office, he admitted in a moment of honest candour that 'among the troops, I have been designated the first soldier'. It was the colonels, of course, who were doing the designating. They appointed one of their own, Colonel Edelmiro Farrell, as Minister of War, the most powerful post in the Cabinet. Colonel Per\u00f3n, still an unknown figure in the country, took on the post of Under-Secretary at the War Ministry. But, as the Secretary of the GOU, he was the power behind the throne.\n\nPresident Ramirez was a weak 'Little Stick' and he found himself buffeted back and forth between the various factions jockeying for power in the army. He became a bit of a joke to the porte\u00f1os of Buenos Aires who quickly realised that their president was the pawn of others.\n\nOne of the stories going the rounds at the time poked fun at the executive decrees that poured out of the Casa Rosada in an endless stream. Apparently, a man had been sitting in his bathroom idly tearing off yards of toilet paper which he floated out of the window and across the nearby Plaza de Mayo. A detachment of soldiers came banging on his door, their officer demanding to know if the man had been responsible for the paper barrage. He admitted it. 'Then it's the concentration camp for you,' he was told. 'But why,' asked the astonished porte\u00f1o as he was led away. 'Because all that paper floated in the window of the Casa Rosada and the President has been signing it.'\n\nRamirez knew about the jokes. He was no fool, and he tried to resign. But he was roughly told by Per\u00f3n that 'you can't resign until we are ready to let you go.' His political impotence was already being noted by foreign news correspondents based in Buenos Aires. On October 31, just four months after the revolution, John W. White of the _New York Herald Tribune_ cabled from Santiago, Chile (he couldn't file from Buenos Aires because of press censorship), that 'the guiding mind behind the Ramirez regime is an intelligent and ruthless but almost unknown young colonel named Juan Per\u00f3n.'\n\nBy then, President Ramirez was already well aware that he had to break Per\u00f3n or remain his puppet. But he had been powerless to prevent the colonel from setting himself up with an additional power base as head of a brand new ministry, the Secretariat of Labour and Welfare. It was not a Cabinet post because the Argentine Constitution limited the number of ministries to eight and the quota was already filled. But Per\u00f3n made it clear straight away that he had big plans for the Secretariat. The duties of the new department, he announced, would be to 'strengthen national unity by securing greater social justice and an improvement in the standard of living of Argentine.' Many years later, he looked back upon 'the day we created the Secretariat of Labour and Welfare was for me the first day of our movement. From that mement the revolution acquired a new meaning and began to travel down a road from which there was no turning back.'\n\nThe first step along that road took him into the headquarters of the country's unions. Their leaders quickly found out that they went to jail if they failed to show proper enthusiasm for Per\u00f3n. To make sure they all got the message an example was made of Jose Tesorieri, the secretary of the Union of Government Employees. He was gaoled because he signed a petition asking the government to break diplomatic relations with Germany, an attitude that was, of course, anathema to Per\u00f3n. After five months of brutal softening up in the Villa Devoto gaol in Buenos Aires, Tesorieri was released and restored to his job on the condition, which he accepted, that he speak for Per\u00f3n at public meetings. He really had no choice. His wife and children had been forced to live on charity while he was inside. Not surprisingly, union leaders throughout the country were soon organising 'spontaneous' demonstrations on Per\u00f3n's behalf. 'He has thrown himself into his work with such a will,' reported _New York Times_ correspondent Arnold Cortesi, 'that he has aroused not a little jealousy among his colleagues who suspect him of promoting his own popularity.'\n\nPresident Ramirez did not just suspect. He was convinced of it. On January 26, 1944, with the support of senior Navy officers who despised Per\u00f3n, believing him responsible for the slaughter of the young naval cadets at the start of the revolution, the President signed a decree breaking diplomatic relations with Germany, knowing full well that would cause a make-or-break crisis with Per\u00f3n. But nothing happened for a couple of weeks. The reason for that may have been because the colonel had just met the delightful Eva Duarte and, possibly, he was finding it hard to keep his mind on affairs of state. But then he also knew just where the power lay and it was not over in the Casa Rosada where the president sat. Calling a group of friendly reporters into his office at the Labour Secretariat, he told them: 'This is the government of the GOU, and I am the GOU. In my desk I have the signed, undated resignations of 3,300 of the army's 5,600 officers, and the others do not matter.'\n\nStill rumours of coups and counter-coups were sweeping the Argentine capital almost daily. Then, on February 15, the president made his next move. He leaked word that he was about to declare war on Germany. That stirred Per\u00f3n into action. All morning, groups of officers moved in and out of the Labour Secretariat to discuss the crisis with their undisputed leader. A decision reached, a dozen of the younger army officers, lieutenants and captains, walked over to the Foreign Ministry, drew their swords and chased the Foreign Minister and his Under-Secretary out of the building. At that point, President Ramirez promptly abandoned his plan to declare war on Germany, and for the next few days nothing happened while portenos, used to this kind of thing by now, went about their daily business, exchanging rumour for rumour. Finally, on February 24, Ramirez played his last card. He sent a messenger over to Per\u00f3n's office with a demand for his resignation. The burly colonel fixed the messenger with a steely gaze and told him: 'inform the wretches who sent you that they will never get me out of here alive.'\n\nThat night, armed soldiers seized the central telephone exchange in Buenos Aires. All communications with foreign countries were immediately cut. Another contingent occupied the central post office. An entire mechanised infantry regiment descended upon police headquarters and disarmed the police force, which only a few hours earlier had been armed with rifles and ammunition. More truckloads of troops rolled through the suburbs to the presidential residence in Olivos, where sentries with fixed bayonets were posted around the building. In the early hours of the morning, Juan Per\u00f3n and five other colonels arrived at the residence, burst into the president's study and forced him at gunpoint to resign. Then Per\u00f3n returned to the city and the heavily-guarded War Ministry, where he and his friend, Vice-President Farrell, had set up their operations' headquarters. It was three o'clock in the morning. But there were still reporters around, taking in the excitement and confusion and trying to find out what was going on. Per\u00f3n feigned surprise at seeing them. _'No pasa nada,'_ (nothing's happening), he told them jovially. But then a touch of concern crept into his voice. The poor president is tired, very tired.' A few hours later, an official communique announced that President Ramirez, being too fatigued to continue the arduous duties of the presidency, had delegated his duties to Vice-President Farrell.\n\nThe new president was no more his own boss than Ramirez had been. In fact, it was so obvious that he was Per\u00f3n's front man that he became the target of even more irreverent jokes than his predecessor among the porteno population of Buenos Aires. In one story, the hapless president dropped his handkerchief while reviewing a march-past of troops. Picking it up, he whispered to another general. 'You don't know how much that handkerchief means to me, it's the only thing Per\u00f3n will let me get my nose into. Nicknamed 'the Phantom' because Hollywood's _The Phantom of the Opera_ opened in Buenos Aires the day of his inauguration, he slipped quickly into the background as Per\u00f3n moved aggressively to the front of Argentina's political stage.\n\nMost of the unkind stories usually reached the President's ears. 'It's said that Colonel Per\u00f3n and I quarrel every day,' he grumbled to a friend, 'and that I don't dare leave my office because someone might be sitting in my chair when I get back. But it's all lies.' And so it probably was. For Per\u00f3n was quite content to let the president make a public fool of himself while he continued to build his own power base. In a memorable speech that was echoed nearly three decades later in Vietnam by an American army officer who said, straight-faced, 'We had to destroy the village to save it,' President Farrell told the Argentine people: 'We must be tyrants to make the people freer.'\n\nFreedom for the people was certainly the last thing on Per\u00f3n's mind at that time. In July 1944, when seventeen generals signed a memorandum demanding that the government restore civilian constitutional government through elections, lift the state of siege which the country had been under since the revolution, and order all military officers to relinquish government positions and return to their barracks, Per\u00f3n immediately promoted seventeen colonels to the rank of general, thus giving himself absolute control of Argentina's military establishment. Soon afterwards, he had President Farrell promote him to Vice-President, a post he held with that of War Minister and Secretary of Labour. To cheering crowds of workers assembled in the Plaza de Mayo, Per\u00f3n declared from the balcony of the Casa Rosada that, 'I display only three titles: that of being a soldier, that of being considered the first Argentine worker, and that of being a patriot.' Down below in the Plaza, the humblest, poorest of the population, hatless, coatless, tieless, their dark skins and high cheekbones betraying their Indian blood, roared out 'Per\u00f3n, Per\u00f3n,' a battle-cry that was to reverberate across the nation for years to come.\n\nThey had not taken up the cry of 'Evita' yet. Eva Duarte's relationship with the Vice-President had not surfaced publicly. People in government and high society knew about it, of course. But it was not a matter of much concern. 'Having a love affair might ruin an American politician,' remarked a former US ambassador to the Argentine, James Bruce, who was stationed there at the time. 'But not having one might make a Latin politician suspect. The names of favoured mistresses of important Argentines are generally open secrets and no one regards it as at all unusual.' However, there were a few raised eyebrows when a story circulated that Eva had marched round to Per\u00f3n's apartment only a few days after she had met him and had thrown out his teenage mistress, a girl from the northern provinces whom Per\u00f3n had lovingly nicknamed Piranha after the fierce, tiny fish with razor-like teeth that inhabit some of Argentina's inland rivers. The piranha proved to be no match for the older woman.\n\nKnowing her lover's reputation as a man with a roving eye, Eva promptly moved him into an apartment next door to hers in the same building in Calle Posados in order to keep a closer watch on him. Every morning, an army conscript turned up with a can of fresh milk from the nearest army barracks, and it was usually Per\u00f3n, in his dressing gown, who opened the door to take it in. That raised a few more eyebrows, particularly among the wives of senior army officers. For in polite Argentine society, a man did not live with his mistress. They persuaded their husbands to complain to Per\u00f3n about the notoriety, the lack of dignity, of the Vice-President of the nation living openly with an actress. He laughed at them. He was, he told them, a man of normal appetities, adding with sardonic humour, 'How much better than if, as with some officers I know, it was said that I was being seen with actors.'\n\nIf there was a suggestion that the relationship could hurt Per\u00f3n's career, it could do nothing but good for Eva's. Although her influential friends had done nothing to improve her acting \u2014 'She was terrible, cold as an iceberg, incapable of stirring an audience,' recalled one of her old acting colleagues, Pierina Dealessi \u2014 it had done wonders for her earning power. Jaime Yankelevitch at Radio Belgrano had raised her salary again, estimating that Eva's switch from her old lover, Colonel Imbert, to a new one, Colonel Per\u00f3n, was well worth a few thousand extra pesos a month. So between Radios Belgrano, El Mundo, and El Estado, Eva by mid-1944 was earning the equivalent of \u00a31,800 a month, a fortune by Argentine standards.\n\nPierina, who used to work with her at Radio Belgrano, said that Yankelevitch was very demanding of his star performer, trying to squeeze out the very last drop of her not very considerable talent. One day, he went too far, and Eva refused to go back. Terrified that her powerful friends would close him down, Yankelevitch pleaded with Pierina: 'Ask your god for help. I can't get any help from mine.' But peace was finally restored, and Eva returned. Her colleagues were extremely envious of her intimacy with Per\u00f3n. Pierina remembered Malisa Zini, a popular radio actress of the time, saying to her: 'I just saw Per\u00f3n on the street. If only Evita would lend him to me \u2014 just for fifteen minutes.'\n\nBut Eva had other plans for Per\u00f3n. All her experience told her that her position as mistress of the most powerful man in the country was a precarious one because it was rare in Argentina that a man married his mistress. At the same time, she also knew herself well enough to realise that her interest in him would last only as long as he remained the powerful figure that he was, and the chances on that score were not too good, either: there had been three presidents and forty ministers in the past eighteen months. So, very simply, she decided to keep his love by seeing to it that he stayed in power.\n\nShortly after Per\u00f3n moved into Apartment 'B' in Calle Posadas, Apartment 'A' replaced the presidential palace as the centre of power in Argentina. His kitchen cabinet \u2014 army cronies and men he had appointed to key positions in the trade unions \u2014 met there daily, and Eva's involvement in these sessions went a great deal further than brewing the mat\u00e9 and pouring the whisky.\n\nAs a girl from the pueblo, she knew there was a source of power in the land that had not been tapped since the days of 'bloody' Rosas. He had been the first gaucho among gauchos. But now the men of the plains had poured into the cities. Nearly a third of Argentina's population of approximately 14 million lived in and around Buenos Aires by the early 1940s, and well over sixty per cent, of those people were poor, many of them living in the _villa miserias,_ the squalid shanty 'towns of misery' that had sprung up on the outskirts of the capital. For years, electoral fraud had deprived them of any say in the running of the country. What Per\u00f3n had to do, Eva insisted, was to become their leader, to become, in the style of Rosas, the first worker among workers.\n\nThe two of them criss-crossed the country, holding mass meetings in the great granary centres of Rosario and Santa F\u00e9, in the new industrial city of Cordoba, the vinyards of Mendoza, and out into the remote rural regions, provinces like Salta and Corrientes, where dark-skinned mestizo peasants lived a life of poverty that had hardly changed in a hundred years. In Buenos Aires, they spent evenings visiting working class neighbourhood _barrios_ \u2014 the old docklands of La Boca, which Eva knew so well, and the slaughterhouse district of Avellaneda as well as some of the roughest and grimmest of the villa miserias. After back-thumping _abrazos_ with new-found friends in the _boliches,_ the neighbourhood bar\/restaurants, they drank _vino com\u00fan,_ cheap, throat-rasping red wine, and talked and argued politics until the early hours of the morning. Industrial workers, many of them toiling fourteen-hour days in desperation to feed and clothe their families, suddenly found, for the first time in their lives, powerful people who would not only listen to them but would actually do something.\n\nFrom his Ministry of Labour, Per\u00f3n decreed minimum wages and decent living conditions for the country's agricultural workers, raising them, at the stroke of a pen, from their feudal peonage. This, naturally, provoked howls of outrage from the wealthy estancieros, who had to pay the increases from their pockets. But Per\u00f3n was unmoved. He later wrote: 'The unrestricted ambitions of the conservative classes to keep everything for themselves blinded them to the evidence: whoever wishes to keep everything will lose everything.' More decrees streamed from his office. White collar workers, shop assistants, and factory hands obtained wage increases, some of 50 per cent or more. He gave them four-week holidays, sick leave, protection from arbitrary dismissal, all unheard of before In Argentina. And he invented the most popular of all perks, the _aguinaldo,_ the thirteenth month wage handed to every worker just before Christmas.\n\nEmployers grumbled bitterly. But, as Per\u00f3n well knew, they were not about to go bankrupt. Leaving aside the fact that they had exploited their workers for far too long, both they and the nation as a whole were enjoying a wave of unprecedented prosperity. The country's export trade was booming with postwar Europe willing to pay any price for Argentina's beef and wheat. As larger and larger credit balances piled up month after month, the peso became one of the world's strongest currencies, a prosperity reflected in the boom-town atmosphere of Buenos Aires with its crowded stores, restaurants, theatres and nightclubs. In the summer resort town of Mar del Plata, the world's largest casino (with fifty-six roulette tables) kept its wheels spinning day and night to mop up the money of wealthy free-spending Argentines.\n\nBut for the first time this wealth was also beginning to seep down to ordinary working people, thanks to Per\u00f3n. Understandably, bus drivers, lorry drivers, wine workers, sugar workers, metal workers, road workers flocked into the unions Per\u00f3n formed under one giant umbrella organisation, the Confederacion General del Trabajo (CGT \u2014 the General Confederation of Labour). Trade union leaders who failed to fall into line were unceremoniously packed off to concentration camps in Patagonia. At least 130 socialist and communist union bosses were jailed, and union members who demonstrated and struck in protest were threatened in no uncertain terms by Per\u00f3n that they would join their leaders if they did not mend their ways. They soon did. By mid-1945, Per\u00f3n could safely boast that he had an army of four million workers at his back.\n\nEven the obstreperous meat packing house workers fell in love with Per\u00f3n. Their case was one of the grimmest among the oppressed poor of Argentina. They had struggled for decades to improve their pittance wages and abominable working conditions in the stench of the slaughter yards. They had hoped that the nationalistic military regime would help them in the battle with their British and American employers. But not even the military was willing to interfere with an industry so vital to the nation's economy. It was the country's biggest industrial employer by far. Yet its 60,000 workers possessed neither economic or political strength.\n\nThe top union leader of the meat packers Jose Peter, a brilliant and forceful communist, angrily exposed packing house companies that ignored the few labour laws that existed and laid off workers without reason. Union organisers were black-listed and beaten up. But what incensed the workers most was the method by which the companies paid them. Called the 'standard' system, workers had to perform a set amount of labour or be fired. After they had reached that daily standard, they were then paid on a declining scale. When productivity rose, as it did because of the workers' desperate efforts to earn enough to keep their families alive, the companies simply raised the minimum level for payment. It was a classic treadmill \u2014 no matter how fast they went, it did them no good in the end.\n\nPerhaps more than anything else the 'standard' explains why the Per\u00f3ns captured the imagination, support and fervent loyalty of the working people of Argentina. In many ways it typified an essential element of Argentine society \u2014 the casual, brutal lack of sensitivity by employer towards employee. As Jose Peter described the horror of it: 'It converts the workers into much less than a machine; because a machine is given rest, it is oiled, it is cared for and repaired, while only illness and unemployment are left to the worker after the standard... has extracted his last drop of energy and ruined his health. The standard system has managed to make the worker lose even the faculty for thought. Not to be able to read, except with a great deal of effort. To lose interest in life. Not even to want to go to the movies, or take a walk. To await the horrible hour of work in agony. To beg for the hour of payment. To lose the possibility of sleep, because the barbaric rhythm of the standard takes over the nerves . . . The labourer is turned into a shadow of his former self. Tuberculosis, rheumatism, insomnia, mental ruin, a permanent picture of misery and helplessness, a tenement house, hungry children, a consumptive wife. This is what the standard signifies.'\n\nSo the meat packing workers struck, and human blood flowed through the gutters of the slaughter-house district south of the Riachuelo River as police and employers combined to crush the strike. Then something happened that the workers could hardly believe. In the midst of the fighting and sniping, Colonel Juan Per\u00f3n, the country's Vice-President, walked through the streets of Avellaneda arm-in-arm with his pretty girl friend, Eva Duarte, whom they had all heard on the radio, and their own Cipriano Reyes, a burly, young union organiser. Word spread through the district: 'Per\u00f3n is with us.' The next day, he brought the strike to a compulsory end, ordering the packing houses to re-employ every worker they had fired and to increase wages by 30 per cent with a guaranteed 60 hours of work every two weeks, thus putting an end to the hated 'standard' system. The workers showed their gratitude by deserting their old communist leader, Jose Peter, for Per\u00f3n's friend, Cipriano Reyes, and his new union, the Federation of Labour Unions of the Meat Industry, which for the first time brought all the industry's workers together into one pro-Per\u00f3n organisation.\n\n## _4_  \n _EVA TO THE RESCUE_\n\nThe early months of 1945 were not good ones for Per\u00f3n and Eva. They finally realised they had picked a loser in Nazi Germany, and their humiliation was rubbed in by Winston Churchill who commented: 'They have chosen to dally with evil but not only with evil but with the losing side.' Their country stood friendless in the world. And, understandably, relations with the Americans were the worst they had ever been; President Franklin D. Roosevelt pointedly remarked on 'the extraordinary paradox of the growth of Nazi-Fascist influence and the increasing application of Nazi-Fascist methods in a country of this hemisphere at the very time that these forces of aggression and oppression are drawing ever closer to the hour of defeat.' In undiplomatic language, the US Ambassador to Argentina, Spruille Braden, referred to the military regime as one 'which in common honesty no one could call anything but fascist, and typically fascist.' Angrily, Per\u00f3n responded: 'Some say that what I am doing follows the policy of Nazism. All I can say is this: If the Nazis did this, they had the right idea.' When his hero, Benito Mussolini was executed by Italian partisans, he defiantly eulogised him: 'Mussolini was the greatest man of this century, but he committed certain disastrous errors. I, who have the advantage of his precedent before me, shall follow in his footsteps but also avoid his mistakes.' To make sure the Argentines did not get ideas about one precedent, Per\u00f3n banned all newsreel film that showed Mussolini's body hanging by the heels alongside that of his mistress.\n\nThe sympathy of the country's middle-classes, numbering at least five million in Buenos Aires alone \u2014 had been overwhelmingly on the side of the Allies, no doubt because of the country's historic ties with Britain and France, which proved far too strong to be broken by their government's pro-Nazi propaganda. In fact, the end of the war triggered such a powerful tide of sentiment for democracy in the press, in the universities, and on the street that it threatened to swamp Per\u00f3n.\n\nOn the day Japan surrendered, bringing World War II to an end, thousands of Argentines marched cheering through the centre of the city, only to be waylaid by several hundred armed soldiers, shouting their own slogans, 'Long live Per\u00f3n!' 'Death to democracy!' and 'Down with the Jews!' Two students died in the clashes, which Per\u00f3n promptly blamed on the country's tiny Communist Party.\n\nHowever, public resistance seemed to grow. Thousands of young students \u2014 in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, La Plata, and Tucuman \u2014 barricaded themselves in their universities and held off tear gas attacks by riot police for over a week. As each campus fell, youngsters fought from room to room, using desks and chairs as weapons. In Buenos Aires, the boys were dragged off to interrogation centres and the girls to San Miguel Prison, which was normally only used for holding prostitutes. By the beginning of October, the number of political prisoners topped the four thousand mark and was still rising as busloads of detainees swept daily into Buenos Aires' Villa Devoto Prison, the military gaol on Marin Garcia island in the River Plate, and the bleak Neuquen Prison in the Andean foothills. When the gaols bulged so they could take not more, the police requisitioned private houses, packing prisoners into tightly shuttered mansions in the suburbs.\n\nThe threat of civil war still hung in the air. Eva Duarte took to carrying a grenade in her handbag, while her lover defiantly proclaimed: 'Everybody is demanding my head, but thus far no one has come to get it.'\n\nHe spoke too soon. Some of his fellow officers had finally had enough. But, ironically, it was not Per\u00f3n's heavy-handed dictatorship which provoked them into plotting his downfall. They simply could not stand his girl friend. They had watched with mounting embarrassment and anger as Per\u00f3n turned more and more to Eva Duarte for political advice. As soldiers, they were supposed to be running a military dictatorship. Yet a woman pulled the strings. It outraged their sense of dignity and their masculine pride. No Argentine dared laugh at them, of course, at least not to their faces, anyway. But they were uncomfortably aware that ribald cartoons undermining their authority had appeared in the newspapers of neighbouring countries.\n\nThe final indignity, as far as they were concerned, came when Eva arranged for her mother's latest boy friend, a postal clerk named Oscar Nicolini, to become Director of Posts and Telegraph, a position once held by her first military lover, Colonel Imbert. No sooner had Nicolini taken over his new job, than Eva moved right in to the office next to his. There was no doubt in the minds of senior army officers that Colonel Per\u00f3n's mistress had deftly placed herself in control of all of the nation's communications. They were not going to tolerate it. She had to go.\n\nOn October 9th, two senior generals arrived at his War Ministry office shortly before mid-day. One of them was an old friend of Per\u00f3n's, Carlos von der Becke, whom he had appointed Army Chief of Staff, promoting him from Brigadier General to General of Division. But on this morning, Per\u00f3n had no time for the usual courtesies between friends. Bluntly, he asked him what the decision was. Von der Becke stuttered, shuffled his feet and abruptly turned and walked out of the office, leaving it to his colleague, General Juan Pistarini, the Minister of Works, to break the bad news that someone finally had come to get his head, that his friend whom he had placed in the Casa Rosada had betrayed him and gone over to the enemy.\n\n'The President feels that you should resign,' said Pistarini nervously. Per\u00f3n did not blink, though the shock must have been considerable. He summoned his ADC. 'Bring me a sheet of paper to write out my resignation.' Then he wrote: 'His Excellency the President of the Nation: I hereby resign my position as Vice-President, Minister of War and Secretary of Labour and Welfare, with all of which Your Excellency has deigned to honour me.' He signed and handed the note to Pistarini. 'I've written it in my own hand,' he said, 'so all can see that my hand has not trembled.'\n\nThe news flashed around the world. 'Per\u00f3n resigns all powers after Argentine army coup' headlined the _New York Times._ In Washington, the State Department refused comment 'pending confirmation'. But in Buenos Aires, thousands of porte\u00f1os made their comment as they streamed through the central streets of the city, shouting' 'We want his head!' Champagne flowed over at Naval Headquarters, where the hatred of Per\u00f3n went much deeper than anything felt by the army. The senior Navy man, Vice-Admiral Hector Vernengo Lima, Chief of Naval Operations, believed strongly that Per\u00f3n's downfall provided a timely opportunity for the military to get out of politics. But the Army had its doubts about that.\n\nAs the country's top military leaders met in continuous session at the presidential residence in Olivos to sort out their country's future, it quickly became obvious that the generals were terrified of what could happen to them if civilians regained political power. They feared that the army would be exposed to reprisals, or at least to measures aimed at ensuring that military revolutions like that of 1943 would never happen again. General Avalos, the leader of the coup against Per\u00f3n, considered it imperative that the next president should be an Army man. As he had just appointed himself Minister of War in Per\u00f3n's place and was clearly the man with the power, his army colleagues felt he should be the next president. They brushed aside Navy suggestions that the government be turned over to the Supreme Court until the election of a civilian president. But while they quarrelled over the spoils of victory, they forgot to keep a watch on the man they had removed from vower.\n\nPer\u00f3n left the War Ministry right on the heels of Generals Von der Becke and Pistarini and hurried home to Eva's apartment on Calle Posadas, finding to his surprise that she was there waiting for him. She already knew what had happened. For news travels fast in Buenos Aires, sometimes faster than the event. In fact, she had found out in a most unpleasant way. Turning up for work at Radio Belgrano, she had been called into the office of a contented-looking Jaime Yankelevich.\n\n'Your boy friend has been sacked,' he told her, brutally drawing a finger across his throat. 'You're out, too,' he added. Eva did not wait to hear any more. She fled. She was still seething when Per\u00f3n arrived.\n\n'That son of a bitch,' she kept on repeating. 'And after all I've done for him.' But she quickly turned her attention to the real cause of her crisis \u2014 her lover's downfall. 'What are you going to do?' she asked. Peron shrugged. There was not much he could do, he told her. He certainly was not going to start a civil war, even if his friends in the army were prepared to do battle for him, and he was not so certain of that any more as some of those friends, like Becke and Farrell, had already deserted him. Per\u00f3n was ready to give up. But Eva was not prepared to let him.\n\n_Above:_ Juana Ibarguren who gave birth to five illegitimate children, the youngest of whom was Maria Eva.\n\n_Below:_ A pampas rancho, typical of the one-room home in which Evita was born.\n\n_Above:_ First Communion: Evita is on the left. Sister Elisa is next to her; sister Blanca is in the centre at the back, and brother Juancito is on Blanca's left.\n\n_Below:_ Evita, aged 14, a picture taken from her sixth grade class photo.\n\n_Above:_ Her first big picture. Feuding on the set resulted in Libertad Lamarque having to flee into exile when Evita came to power.\n\n_Below:_ A scone from Circus Cavalcade. Everybody who saw Evita act agreed that she was a terrible actress.\n\n_Above:_ The young star posing.\n\n_Below:_ A little light music in the apartment she shared with her next-door neighbour, Col. Per\u00f3n.\n\nFirst, she screamed at him, telling him to pull himself together and act like a man. Then she got to work on the telephone. Within an hour, scores of young captains and colonels, all men promoted by Per\u00f3n, began streaming in to the apartment, past the heavy guard that had been thrown up around the building by a loyal detachment of officer cadets from the Military College. Eva had calculated that with the army divided in its loyalties and with the chain of military command hopelessly confused at the top, it was the junior officers, the men who actually controlled the troops, who counted. They owed their careers to Per\u00f3n, she reminded them, and now it was time for them to show their loyalty, not only to Per\u00f3n but to the ordinary people of Argentina who had finally found someone willing to work to lift them from their poverty and misery. She played on the themes that make a young officer's heart race \u2014 heroism, patriotism. The very destiny of the nation was in their hands, she told them. It was a performance of skill, emotion, and warmth \u2014 all qualities she had so lacked on the stage \u2014 from a beautiful, impassioned woman. Not a single officer left that apartment without first pledging his allegiance in ringing tones.\n\nIt went on all evening and through most of the next day, the tiny apartment filling and emptying, with groups of officers arriving bewildered and angry, leaving half an hour later pumped full of Eva Duarte's adrenalin. Early that evening of the 10th, she sent Per\u00f3n off to the Labour and Welfare Ministry on the pretext of collecting personal papers from his office. While he was there, wandering around the building, bidding emotional farewells to clerks and typists as well as top ministry bureaucrats, Eva was on the phone again \u2014 this time to union officials pleading with them to get as many of their members over to the Labour Ministry as quickly as possible. Their beloved leader was there. Now that he had been thrown out of his job because he had done so much for the workers, he would speak to them one last time before going into retirement.\n\nNext, she phoned her mother's lover, Oscar Nicolini, who was sitting fearfully in his office in the Central Post Office, waiting to be fired. Bluntly, she told him that if he wanted to hang on to his job, he had better listen carefully to her instructions and carry them out immediately. Her Juan was at the Labour Ministry. A large crowd of workers was gathering outside. He would probably talk to them when he left the ministry for the last time. The state radio network must carry that talk, she told Nicolini, and broadcast it live throughout Argentina by hooking in to every radio station in the country.\n\nFinally, she called Federal Police Headquarters. Her friend, Colonel Velazco, the Police Chief, had been fired minutes after Per\u00f3n had resigned. But the whole police department was militantly pro-Per\u00f3n. Eva was listened to respectfully when she suggested that the Buenos Aires newspapers which had enthusiastically reported Per\u00f3n's resignation \u2014 nearly all of them \u2014 should be closed for mentioning troop movements while the nation was under a state of siege.\n\nThroughout that evening, Argentina was given its first demonstration of the nation-wide power of Eva Duarte, though few people realised it at the time. Police squads raided and closed newspapers in every major city in the country. All the evening newspapers in Buenos Aires were shut down. Great crowds began to gather around the Ministry of Labour. When the numbers had reached close to 30,000 packing the side streets as well as the main avenue in front of the building, Per\u00f3n walked out on to the street, where, not by coincidence, radio microphones had already been set up. Dressed in civilian clothes and bareheaded, he told the vast throng packed in around him that he was a simple citizen now, to which there were roars of 'No, no, no. We want you back!'\n\nHowever, he had an announcement to make, he said. Before leaving his office, he had signed a decree granting all Argentine workers salary increases and a share of the profits of the companies for which they worked. There were great cheers at that. But then there was a hush as he warned them to be prepared for war. 'If you the workers are decided to defend your conquests, I am going to defend you against the oligarchy of capitalist interests. Follow my leadership and victory will be ours.' There was more cheering, and the crowd set out through the streets, shouting 'Per\u00f3n for President!' Mounted policemen, who the day before had charged people expressing their joy at Per\u00f3n's resignation, now chased away any one who attempted to interfere with the marching workers. Even more significantly, Per\u00f3n's speech had been carried live, as Eva had planned it, on every radio station in Argentina. It hardly sounded like the last farewell of a deposed dictator.\n\nOut at Campo de Mayo, officers listened to the speech in astonishment and then fury. The gall of the man! He was finished. They had his resignation in their hands. Their military might controlled the country, and yet he was still acting as though he ran things. Three hundred of them marched to the living quarters of General Avalos and demanded to speak to him although he had already retired for the night. They got him out of bed and told him they were marching on Buenos Aires to throw out General Farrell from the Casa Rosada. They were also going to seize Per\u00f3n and toss him in gaol if they did not string him up from the nearest lamp-post first. They were enraged that he had been allowed to make a speech over the state radio and even more incensed that newspapers had been suspended for reporting military details of the coup, details which had been supplied by them.\n\nGeneral Avalos finally calmed them down with a promise that as soon as he was sworn in as the new War Minister the next morning he would order Per\u00f3n's arrest. But that was easier said than done. For after his broadcast on the evening of the 11th, Juan, with Eva, had slipped out of town and headed towards the Tigre, the river resort at the mouth of the delta of the River Plate. From there, the two of them took a launch and cruised through the narrow reed-choked waterways to the tiny island and cottage where they had made love the night they first met. The next day, undisturbed, they enjoyed the warm spring sunshine, listening on their radio to the chaos they had left behind in the city.\n\nFor a while that morning, Argentina had been reduced to a government of three men, President Farrell, General Avalos, and Admiral Vernengo Lima, who had taken the post of Navy Minister. The rest of the Cabinet had resigned, and President Farrell had offered his resignation, too. But the garrison at Campo de Mayo refused to let him go. For his departure would have left the country without a President or Vice-President and that would have meant, according to the Constitution, the handing over of the government's powers to the Supreme Court, a civilian body. That was the last thing the garrison officers wanted. They were determined to keep the government in military hands, and they were sure they had sufficient fire power outside the gates of the city to see that they got what they wanted.\n\nIt was not what President Farrell wanted. Marooned in the presidential residence in Olivos, he was still trying to prevent the arrest of his good friend, Juan Per\u00f3n. So he was not willing to appoint new ministers until Per\u00f3n's safety was guaranteed. However, over at the Circulo Militar, the Military Officers' Club, a massive baroque mansion overlooking Plaza San Martin, the country's top generals and admirals had decided that the only sensible political solution lay in President Farrell's resignation and the delivery of his powers to the Supreme Court.\n\nAs officers scurried in and out of the club, a large crowd gathered across the street under the shade of the Plaza's acacia trees. It is an elegant part of downtown Buenos Aires, perched on a hillock, once the site of a slave market, looking out towards the River Plate. Two of the city's most fashionable streets, Avenida Santa F\u00e9 and C\u00e0lle Florida, meet at Plaza San Martin, which exudes an air of established wealth in the grey, old converted _palacios_ of the oligarchy, which was what the Circulo Militar once was.\n\nThe people in the plaza also fitted in with their surroundings. They were mostly middle-class \u2014 businessmen, lawyers, doctors, housewives, respectable clerks from the city's financial district a few blocks away \u2014 all well dressed, very different from the workers who had cheered Per\u00f3n outside the Labour Ministry the night before. But they were just as noisy, singing the songs and shouting the catchwords that had become fashionable during the recent months of opposition to the military government. There was a moment of near panic, however, when the dreaded mounted police appeared on the scene, warning the crowd to disperse or face the consequences. But, dramatically, a young officer in uniform appeared on the club balcony and warned the commander of the police that if he gave the order to charge the crowd, all the officers in the club would themselves lead the people against them. The mounted police promptly wheeled and trotted out of the square into the narrow, hilly side streets. A few minutes later, Admiral Lima appeared on the balcony to tell the crowd, which by now had grown to close on 50,000, that the military had discarded the idea of turning over the government to the Supreme Court. But he promised them that Argentina would soon have a civilian government. There were loud boos and shouts of 'We have heard such promises from Per\u00f3n.' The Admiral replied with studied dignity: 'I am not Per\u00f3n. I am Admiral Vernengo Lima.'\n\nBut that did not sooth tempers, which were getting more and more frayed in the plaza as it became apparent that the military had no intention of giving up power. Army officers were manhandled and cursed as they struggled through the crowd to the club and they were booed each time they appeared in the window. Someone splashed the words 'Tor Rent' in red paint across the wall of the club. Another added: 'To the gallows with Per\u00f3n.' As dusk fell, a trumpet sounded in one of the side streets. Suddenly, the hated police were back, charging into the crowd, swinging sabres and firing blank cartridges. In the panic, men and women fought for shelter, under the marble benches in the plaza, behind the acacia trees, against doorways, and in the sanctuary of the plush foyer of the Plaza Hotel. Then street battles began as civilians started sniping at the police and the police abandoned their horses and sabres for armoured cars, rifles and sub-machine guns. Miraculously, there were only two deaths despite all the shooting that took place, although close to 100 people were injured, some seriously. Once again, the responsibility for the brutality lay with the pro-Per\u00f3n senior police officers, who took advantage of the absence of their new police chief who had driven to the Tigre on a tip that Per\u00f3n was hiding in the islands.\n\nThe new police chief, accompanied by naval officers, finally found Per\u00f3n at one o'clock in the morning, asleep in the cottage with Eva. The colonel started to shake when he was told that he was going to be taken to a gunboat on the River Plate. He was terrified. The Navy hated him, he knew that. He had never been forgiven for the slaughter of the young naval cadets during the revolution two years before. He was convinced he was going to be killed, and he begged for mercy. Eva, on the other hand, flew into an uncontrollable rage. She screamed obscenities, shouted insults, and spat in the faces of the three shocked Navy officers. Per\u00f3n they could handle. They told him they were not going to kill him. But he was still shaking. So they sat him down and gave him a whisky while Eva continued to scream at them. They had been told to arrest her, too. But they did not know what to do. They were accustomed to the etiquette of gentlemen. They had no idea how to handle the hysterical blonde who was threatening to attack them physically if they did not get out. They got out, pushing a stumbling, bemused Per\u00f3n in front of them, leaving Eva behind. It was an error of judgement that was to change the course of Argentine history.\n\nEva wasted no more time on tears. She rushed back to Buenos Aires and began phoning the trade union friends that she and Per\u00f3n has so assiduously cultivated. But the 13th and 14th of October were a Saturday and Sunday, which almost certainly meant that she accomplished little on those two days. Argentines do not make revolutions on weekends or during the summer holiday period \u2014 from Christmas to the end of February. They are too busy enjoying themselves. To them, revolutions, like work, are the business of ordinary weekdays. So it was not until Monday the 15th that Eva began to rally support for her counter-revolution. In her autobiography, she claimed that 'I flung myself into the streets searching for those friends who might still be of help to him... As I descended from the neighbourhoods of the proud and rich to those of the poor and humble, doors were opened to me more generously and with more warmth. Above I found only cold and calculating hearts, the \"prudent\" hearts of \"ordinary\" men incapable of thinking or doing anything extraordinary, hearts whose contact nauseated, shamed and disgusted one.'\n\nShe had certainly felt that way about the rich all her life. But it is more likely that on that Monday morning she hurried out to Avellaneda across the trickle of the Riachuelo to see Cipriano Reyes, who, at Per\u00f3n's request, had seized control of the meat packing house workers' union. She had a debt to collect, she told Reyes with blunt directness. The next morning, the first group of workers wended their way out of the Avellaneda slums, across the Riachuelo Bridge and into Buenos Aires. The new federal police chief had received orders to turn them back. But his men, whose sympathies were very much with Per\u00f3n, did not work unduly hard at obeying the order. About 400 workers, mostly young men and teenagers, reached the city centre and began shouting for Per\u00f3n. The police treated them leniently, limiting themselves most of the time to following them around with a tear gas squad. When the demonstrations threatened to get out of hand, the police intervened and broke them up with the use of a few tear gas bombs. But the workers quickly rallied and their shouts could be heard throughout the heart of the city all afternoon and late into the night.\n\nThe two generals and an admiral, who at the moment constituted all there was of a government in Argentina, had been meeting all morning in the Casa Rosada in an effort to find a political solution to the crisis which would be acceptable to all the various factions of the armed forces. From the president's window, they saw army officers being attacked on Plaza de Mayo by crowds shouting anti-Per\u00f3n slogans. In the distance, they could hear chants of 'Viva Per\u00f3n', growing louder as the day went by.\n\nTo Generals Farrell and Avalos, it seemed quite apparent that the military overthrow of Peron had somehow turned into a popular uprising against the army. Judging from what they had seen from the window. it had become open season on army officers. They decided there was only one solution if the army was to survive \u2014 Per\u00f3n must be brought back. He should not be allowed to sit safely in a gaol cell while his fellow officers were being abused by the mob. Let him face the music. An official communiqu\u00e9 was issued from the Casa Rosada to the effect that Colonel Juan Per\u00f3n was not, and never had been, under arrest. According to General Avalos, he had been taken to the naval prison on Martin Garcia Island under protective custody because his life had been threatened by undisciplined elements in the turmoil and excitement of the previous week's events.\n\nIt was a surprising statement, considering that the news of Per\u00f3n's arrest had been published, with a wealth of detail by all Argentine newspapers, and that both General Avalos and Admiral Lima had taken credit for having put him under lock and key. Certainly no one was more surprised than Per\u00f3n himself. He had been sitting in his cell, guarded by two sailors, when he heard his successor at the War Ministry on the radio blandly denying that he was under arrest. Per\u00f3n had already written to Avalos demanding to be charged or set free. He had also asked to be moved to a Buenos Aires hospital because he said he was suffering from pleurisy. Both requests had been ignored. So this time he sent Avalos a telegram sarcastically suggesting that as he was not under arrest, his guards should be removed as he was quite capable of protecting himself. He received a reply at 3.30 in the morning of the 17th in the form of a police squad, which escorted him aboard a police launch, took him to the mainland, then drove him in an ambulance to the Central Military Hospital in Buenos Aires.\n\nA strong military guard had cordoned off the hospital for three blocks in every direction. But that did not stop the workers who, in their thousands, streamed across the Riachuelo Bridge that morning. Most of them were coatless \u2014 a shocking sight in staid Buenos Aires where a man could go to jail for taking off his coat in a public park. Some had even discarded their shirts in the spring sunshine as they marched to the hospital, surrounded it, and set up a throbbing, repetitive cry of 'Pay-ron! Pay-ron!'\n\nThroughout the day, workers continued to pour into Buenos Aires by bus and truck from the shanty slums \u2014 the villas miserias \u2014 on the outskirts, and, while the police stood passively by and the army held back, they took control of the city, singing, shouting slogans, and waving portraits of Peron. In the chaos, the middle-class porte\u00f1os, who had gathered in Plaza San Martin only four days before, stayed at home behind shuttered windows; the General Confederation of Labour \u2014 Per\u00f3n's umbrella organisation for all the unions \u2014 declared a general strike; and a delegation of workers was admitted to the military hospital and was received by one of Per\u00f3n's leading henchmen, Colonel Domingo A. Mercante. Then, late in the afternoon, a tired, tight-lipped General Avalos pushed through the crowd outside the hospital entrance and went in to see Per\u00f3n. They were together for over two hours, but what was said at that meeting has never been revealed. Afterwards, however, Avalos drove out to Campo de Mayo and resigned his army commission.\n\nWithin an hour of Avalos leaving the hospital, Per\u00f3n and Eva were on their way to the Casa Rosada. In the car, she showed him a copy of an afternoon Buenos Aires newspaper which had printed pictures of the demonstrators, sneeringly titled: 'The shirtless ones _(descamisados)_ who roam our streets.' Eva thrust the paper into his hands. 'There is your cause and your slogan,' she told him, her dark eyes blazing with excitement. When they arrived at the Presidential Palace, they found most of Per\u00f3n's last cabinet (before his resignation) gathered there consulting with union delegations. President Farrell had already removed General Avalos and Admiral Lima from their ministerial posts. A new government was quickly formed with men totally loyal to Per\u00f3n. He had left himself off the cabinet list as he had other plans. The vast crowd waiting noisily outside in the Plaza de Mayo certainly knew what they wanted for him. For the chant, louder than ever, was now, 'Per\u00f3n for President.'\n\nThe throng beneath the balconies of the Casa Rosada had grown by the hour as thousands poured into the square from the cobbled dockside avenue below. There were perhaps 200,000 of them, most of them young, some of them were boys, but all of them _obreros,_ working men with dark skins, rough hands, and cheap clothes. Perhaps they were the poorest of the poor. But they knew the name of the only man who had ever done anything for them. The chanted roar of 'Pay-ron' boomed on through the evening, hushing for a minute or two at eight o'clock as the windows leading to the main balcony of the palace were thrown open and it was announced that Per\u00f3n would talk to the crowd within a few minutes. But, in fact, it was not until ten minutes past eleven that he appeared on the balcony with President Farrell. There was a great yell that lasted uninterrupted for ten minutes. The two men embraced, clasping each other around the shoulders. 'Here,' cried Farrell, 'is the man we all love \u2014 Juan Per\u00f3n \u2014 the man who has conquered the hearts of all Argentines.'\n\nThen Per\u00f3n spoke. He told them he was ill and ailing, although his powerful, mesmeric voice showed no sign of weakness as it thundered across the packed plaza. He told them that he had resigned from the army. With a dramatic gesture, he unhooked his sword belt and handed it to President Farrell. 'I discard the honourable and sacred uniform of my country to put on the coat of the civil servant, and to mingle with the suffering and powerful masses which build up with their work the greatness of the nation. Herewith, I give my final adieu to the institution which is the fulcrum of the country: the army! I give, too, my first welcome to this huge crowd which represents the synthesis of a sentiment which seemed to have died in the Republic: the true civic status of the Argentine people!'\n\nThen Per\u00f3n remembered Eva's words. Holding out his arms to the crowd below, he roared: 'As a simple citizen, mingling with my descamisados, I wish to press all of you to my heart.' Behind him, in the great room of the Presidency, Eva smiled that smile of hers that curled up at the corner of her mouth. They were not yet shouting Evita \u2014 Little Eve. But that could wait. Her man was back in power. And she had put him there.\n\n## _5_  \n _PERON FOR PRESIDENT_\n\nBuenos Aires, November 9 (AP) \u2014 A friend of Colonel Juan D. Per\u00f3n said today that the former Vice-President of Argentina married Eva Duarte, a tall and attractive blonde, October 18. The informant, whose name may not be disclosed, said the marriage was performed in an apartment in Buenos Aires and that a Vital Statistics Bureau book was taken there to record the marriage.\n\nIt was the morning after Per\u00f3n's triumphant return to power. The city was paralysed by a general strike. 'It would have been difficult to obtain even a glass of water in Buenos Aires,' grumbled the _New York Times_ ' correspondent, Arnaldo Cortesi, who also complained about the 'groups of irresponsible and rowdy young men who never seemed to tire of marching through the main thoroughfares shouting the name of Colonel Juan Per\u00f3n as Buenos Aires lived through another day of mob rule.' Colonel J. Filomino Velazco had been reinstated as police chief. On the losing side, Admiral Hector Vernengo Lima \u2014 who had proudly proclaimed from the balcony of the Circulo Militar that _'I_ am not Per\u00f3n. I am Admiral Vernengo Lima' \u2014 had fled the city with three units of Argentina's river squadron. He was threatened with severe measures, including the bombing of his ships from the air, if he did not return. This he finally decided to do and he was placed under arrest as soon as he reached Buenos Aires.\n\nA triumphant Se\u00f1ora Maria Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n arrived back at the studios of Radio Belgrano to an effusive welcome from Jaime Yankelevich. He doubled her pay and dug even deeper into his pocket when she demanded restitution for the ten days she had been off the pay-roll. She was also making a film at the time, a major feature role in _The Spendthrift,_ a production of one of Argentina's top film-makers, Miguel Marchinien-dorena. He had already given her a leading role earlier in the year in a movie called _Circus Cavalcade._ The part had been promised to a much better known Argentine actress, Alita Roman. But Marchiniendorena was desperately trying to curry favour with Per\u00f3n in an effort to get back the casino he had owned in Mar del Plata, which had been expropriated by the government.\n\n_Cavalcade_ did not help his cause at all. It was a disaster from start to finish. It starred Libertad Lamarque, who was still seething with rage at Eva for having stolen Per\u00f3n right out of her arms at the charity concert at Luna Park a year earlier. Not being the most modest of young ladies, Eva flaunted her position as mistress of the nation's Strongman. She saw to it that Per\u00f3n picked her up after work every day in his chauffeur-driven War Ministry limousine, and she behaved on the set as though she was the star, not Libertad. The inevitable explosion came when Eva sat in the chair which had Libertad's name on it. The star walked over and gave the younger woman a stinging slap across the face. With all that tension on the set, it was not surprising that the film was a box office disaster. Everybody agreed (though no one said so publicly) that Eva was terrible, a total failure as an actress. As for the lovely Libertad Lamarque, her films were banned in Argentina after October 17, 1945. She was forced into exile in Mexico City in order to make a living. She was one of many Argentines who were to discover that Eva Per\u00f3n was totally unforgiving to her enemies.\n\nMarchiniendorena certainly did not want to get on that list. So he gave Eva another chance in _Spendthrift,_ the starring role this time. The male lead was Juan Jose Miguez, who had been responsible for Eva getting her very first job at Radio Belgrano. He had left radio work soon after that and had quickly established himself as a major star in Argentine movies, which in those days were mostly bad tear-jerkers. Miguez at first turned Eva down when she asked him to co-star with her in _Spendthrift._\n\n'Who was she to ask me to be her leading man?' he sniffed years later as he recalled the making of that movie. What was her background? At that time, she was living with Per\u00f3n and could choose any play she wanted, cast, salary, everything. But I was quite frank about it. \"You're mad at me,\" she said. \"Of course,\" I replied. \"If you were in my shoes you would feel that same way. At the moment I'm the biggest draw in Argentine movies. You've no experience at all. It would cheapen my standing to work with you.\" Those who heard me say this trembled for me. I added: \"I don't want to stop you from acting. I just don't want to act with you.\" She got very angry. But we remained friends, and in the end, of course, I made the movie. It took six months to make, mainly because Eva was always having to take days off to go politicking. No one, of course, was going to fire her. And, as a matter of fact, we would have had problems making the movie without her. Film negative was scarce in those days. But I often saw Per\u00f3n arriving on the set with several rolls of film under his arm. So we had to put up with her domineering everybody. She gave the orders, no doubt about that. But I'd argue with her so often that Mario Soficci, the director, would say to me: \"Miguez, for God's sake stop contradicting her. You'll do it once too often.\" Actually, she was very good to me. She gave me ration coupons when petrol and tyres were rationed. On another occasion, she found out that I was short of money. She asked me what had happened and I finally confessed that I had taken some heavy gambling losses. She sent me 10,000 pesos (about \u00a31,250 in those days) of her own money and never accepted repayment.'\n\nSo there was a soft spot in that tough, trim little figure. But those who saw it were mostly friends from the old days who had struggled as she had. Even poor, fat Jaime Yankelevich managed to survive, though he was constantly on the receiving end of the bruising side of her tongue. He kept on making errors of judgement that always cost him money in the form of salary rises for Eva. A couple of months after his expensive October miscalculation, he was approached by Eva with a demand to use the station to promote her husband's candidacy for president. He had formally thrown his hat in the ring on December 15 for the scheduled February 24 election. Jaime made some rapid calculations and got it wrong again. He said no. For a start all the knowledgeable political observers were convinced that Per\u00f3n would get trounced in the election by the country's 'democrats' \u2014 radicals, conservatives, socialists, and even communists. But more important than that, as far as Yankelevich was concerned, Per\u00f3n had shown no visible signs of marrying his mistress.\n\nFor some reason, best known to themselves, the Per\u00f3ns had not bothered to inform their countrymen that they had legalised their relationship. Maybe it was because Per\u00f3n felt that, having humiliated his generals with his October 17 counter-revolution, he did not want to further embarrass them by upsetting their wives with a public announcement so soon afterwards that he had married his mistress. He knew that every wife on aristocratic Avenida Alvear would be aghast. 'That Woman' represented everything they hated and despised \u2014 the mistress who existed in almost every well-born Argentine man's life. If a man was so infatuated with his mistress that he married her, _they_ would never accept her.\n\nEva, of course, did not mind how much she upset those particular ladies. But obviously she felt that her silence on this occasion was a small price to pay for her marriage certificate. But Jaime Yankelevich's refusal to allow Eva to use his radio station for presidential election campaigning \u2014 and the obvious reason for his refusal \u2014 were too much for her trigger-fast temper. 'You dirty Russian son-of-a-bitch,' she screamed. 'You'll see what happens if you refuse.' And as Jaime flinched, she brandished her marriage certificate under his nose. 'I tell you this as the First Lady of Argentina.' She was not. But she was too close for Yankelevich to dare argue about it.\n\nAs a matter of fact, the document was only a few days old. It was actually Eva's church marriage certificate. For although in law the Per\u00f3ns had officially been married since their civil ceremony in October, in Catholic Argentina, it is really the church wedding that counts. Weddings to middle and upper-class Argentines conjure up images of white lace and sweet virgin brides. The thought of Eva Duarte \u2014 illegitimate, actress, mistress \u2014 marrying in church was to many of them sheer blasphemy. But in the early morning of December 9, three cars drew up to the Per\u00f3n apartment building on Calle Posadas. A few minutes later, Colonel Per\u00f3n, in army uniform despite his retirement, appeared at the front door arm-in-arm with Eva, who beamed a radiant smile under a fashionably floppy hat. She was wearing a simple white dress. They climbed into the back of Per\u00f3n's Packard, and the convoy drove off to La Plata, the modern capital of the Province of Buenos Aires. There, in the cathedral, Juan Per\u00f3n, widower, married Maria Eva Duarte, spinster. Her brother Juan gave her away, while Colonel Mercante, Per\u00f3n's best friend who had just taken over the Labour Ministry in the new Farrell Government, served as his best man.\n\nThere was no time for a honeymoon. On the day before the wedding, the opposition Democratic Union, a coalition of parties opposed to Per\u00f3n, held a campaign rally in Plaza del Congresso in downtown Buenos Aires. An estimated 200,000 porte\u00f1os turned up for it. But they quickly learnt how dangerous it was to actively oppose Juan Per\u00f3n. Gunmen opened fire on the crowd, which was then attacked by federal police. Four people were killed and 35 injured. The following Friday, Per\u00f3n appeared in public for the first time since his October 17 come-back, presenting himself as the presidential candidate of his own political party, the Labour party, which he had formed specially to represent the descamisados who had taken the city by storm on that October day. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people once again flooded the centre of the city to see their hero take his place on a floodlit platform at the foot of a towering, needle-shaped obelisk that stands in the middle of Avenida Nueve de Julio, which Argentines justifiably claim as the world's widest avenue.\n\nTo ensure that Per\u00f3n's enemies could not revenge themselves for the previous week's killings in Plaza de Congresso, federal police took elaborate precautions. Mounted, motorised and foot police, reinforced by riot and tear gas squads, patrolled the streets in great numbers. People going to the meeting had to pass through a triple cordon of police. All the buildings in the vicinity were searched, and police with rifles were posted on the rooftops. The owners of the houses facing Avenida Nueve de Julio, all of them certainly middle and upper class, were warned by police that they would be held responsible for the behaviour of people watching from their windows or balconies. But there was no trouble at. It was a happy, noisy crowd that cheered so loudly when Per\u00f3n appeared on the platform with his tiny, slender wife that it was almost fifteen minutes before he could be heard.\n\nHis voice boomed out over the loudspeakers down the wide avenue, rolling over the swaying, banner-waving mass of humanity. 'Consolidating our future, I join the ranks of the descamisados,' he cried, taking off his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt to bare his hairy forearms. That was exactly the sort of thing his descamisados had come out of the slums to hear. They roared their appreciation, a roar that faded to a gentle hum as Per\u00f3n explained his plans for their future. He promised, if elected, to give them shorter working hours, a share in their company's profits, state-built housing, and, under the leadership of his wife, political rights for women, who had never had any in Argentina.\n\nIt was revolutionary stuff by Argentine standards. Politicians had never campaigned for the working class vote before. They did not have to. Elections in the past were always stolen by the Conservatives with stuffed ballot boxes except during the brief period of middle-class Radical Party government in the 1920s. But now here was a man who not only promised to look after the country's working class people but who, during his period at the Labour Ministry, had already done more for them than anyone ever had. He was their man, and the admiration was mutual. As the hour grew late and Per\u00f3n's long oration finally came to an end, he and his wife slowly waved an Argentine flag from whose pole hung a sweaty workman's shirt. From the vast crowd in front of them came the thundered response of 'Pay-ron! Pay-ron!'\n\nThat chanted name became a battle-cry during the next ten weeks of the campaign. For many Argentines it was a sound to be dreaded. With the army and federal police openly showing support for Per\u00f3n, there was no protection for his opponents or their supporters. Violent disorders were almost a daily occurrence as packs of pro-Per\u00f3n thugs roamed the capital. The city's Jews \u2014 400,000 of them, the largest Jewish community in South America \u2014 were one of their favourite targets, news which sent chills around a world still digesting the horrors of Buchenwald. 'Kill a Jew and be a patriot,' was just one of many anti-Semitic slogans splashed in red paint on the walls of the Jewish quarter of the city. After one pro-Per\u00f3n demonstration, crowds of young Per\u00f3nistas invaded the quarter to loot Jewish-owned shops, brutally beating anyone who attempted to stop them. In scenes reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, police stood by while Jews were knocked to the ground and kicked. When the police did act, it was usually to arrest the victims.\n\n'Alarm and even terror are beginning to spread in the Jewish quarter,' reported the _New York Times'_ Cortesi, adding that 'It is hardly possible to doubt any longer that anti-semitism forms part of Colonel Per\u00f3n's political stock in trade.' Certainly the attacks on the country's Jewish population could not have happened without Per\u00f3n's tacit approval. As the country's Strongman, he could put a stop to it at any time. Eventually he did. Perhaps it finally dawned on him that his country stood in danger of being labelled the international pariah of the post-war world. So before the end of December, he publicly condemned those supporters of his who had taken part in attacks on Jews. 'Those doing so,' he said, 'are outside all democratic standards and cannot be regular members of any Argentine political force.'\n\nBut Per\u00f3n's dispensation to Argentina's Jews did not extend to his other political opponents. Throughout January 1946, the streets of Buenos Aires were constantly blotted out by billows of tear gas as police moved in to break up battles between warring factions in which Per\u00f3n's opponents almost always came off second best. The reason why was simply explained by the Assistant Inspector of the federal police, Alejandro Jorge Gallardo, when he resigned in disgust over the behaviour of his colleagues. In his letter of resignation he wrote: 'In the streets of Buenos Aires and several towns of the interior, I have witnessed Per\u00f3nista gangs of hoodlums attacking our women and mistreating our brethren while counting on the passiveness of officials charged with keeping order.' But Gallardo's gesture achieved nothing. The harassment continued.\n\nWhen the Democratic Union's Presidential candidate, Dr Jose P. Tamborini, and Vice-Presidential candidate, Dr Enrique M. Mosca, set off on a whistle-stop campaign tour of the interior late in January, the train was repeatedly stoned as it steamed through the countryside. Wherever it stopped, the candidates' meetings were almost invariably broken up by small bands of Per\u00f3nistas while police stood idly by. In Entre Rios, the province immediately to the north of Buenos Aires, federal officials banned all public meetings and allowed the train to halt only for re-fuelling. Not until after it had been set on fire, a small boy killed, and the candidates' campaign literature destroyed, did the Government order 50 armed soldiers to ride shot-gun on the train to prevent any further violence. In Cordoba, the largest city in the interior, Tamborini told a sympathetic audience that he wanted to 'remove from Argentine public life this impudence which sells the public offices of the state as electoral arsenals, which converts them into recruiting offices for street rioters. We desire order, peace, the ability to live together, and respect for law.'\n\nDr Tamborini was hoping for too much in the emotion-charged atmosphere of Argentina's first real presidential election campaign in sixteen years. When his rock-gashed train arrived back in Buenos Aires, police fired on the crowd that had gathered to greet him in the Plaza Once outside the station. Three young men were killed and many others wounded. Explaining away the gunfire on people whose only crime had been that some of them had started chanting, 'to the gallows with Per\u00f3n', police said they had done so to restore order.\n\nBut the dirty tricks were not totally one-sided. In fact, Per\u00f3n and Eva came close to serious injury, possibly death, during one of their trips to the interior. Their train jumped the tracks just after midnight on February 10, as they were leaving Rosario, the granary city of Argentina, on their journey back to the capital. It was discovered that the axle of the rear coach had been neatly sawn to the point where it was bound to break sooner or later with the swaying of the moving train. All that saved those aboard from disaster was that the train was travelling slowly instead of its normal 40 to 60 miles an hour when the axle finally did go. Per\u00f3n and Eva were eating in the dining car when the brakes were jammed on, the whistle shrieked, and the coach bucked wildly. Fearing an ambush, the Per\u00f3ns' bodyguards, armed with sub-machine guns, jumped off and disappered into the darkness. Everybody on the coach, except for the Per\u00f3ns, flung themselves on the floor. But Juan Per\u00f3n gripped his wife's hand across the table, grinned at her, and then told everybody not to be so foolish and get back to their seats. The damage was minor and the train was soon on its way again.\n\nApart from that incident, the trip had been a dazzling success. A large, enthusiastic crowd had seen the train off from Retiro Station in Buenos Aires after youngsters swarmed all over it, chalking campaign slogans on the coaches and roofs. As it steamed slowly across the pampas towards Rosario, it passed waving, cheering groups of country people at every small station and farm along the route. Most of them were young, farm workers, their wives and children, the women shrieking, the men waving their shirts, some even chasing the train, grabbing the rail of the guard's coach at the back and running with it for a few yards. In Rosario, industrial labourers crushed each other in the mad scramble to touch Juan and Eva's hands through the coach window as the train eased to a halt. Secret police protecting the candidate and his wife hauled a fainting woman through the window at Per\u00f3n's command and Eva helped to give her first aid while the Rosario police battled to clear a path so that the two of them could leave the train.\n\nIt was a stiflingly hot and humid summer's night with the huge, sweating crowd packed tight into the city's main plaza. Women and children fainted by the hundreds. Gauchos in their baggy _bombacha_ trousers, flowing shirts and high-brimmed hats sat astride their horses in the throng, singing Per\u00f3nista songs. Swarms of locusts blanketed the night sky, clinging to clothes and faces, crunching beneath thousands of feet, adding their own peculiar stench to the sweat of the people. Palm trees and banana trees in the square swayed with the weight of young men and children. Every viewing point, from lamp-posts to narrow ledges on the sides of all the buildings facing the square, was occupied. Thousands more unable to fight their way into the plaza stood in the side streets listening to the speeches booming out over the loudspeakers. Encircled by a company of armed sailors, the Per\u00f3ns slowly edged their way to the speakers' platform. Now, for the first time, the chanting had a double-barrelled sound to it, not just 'Pay-ron' but 'Pay-ron, Ay-vita.'\n\nEva did not speak that night. But the women in the crowd in the plaza and along the side of the railway tracks gaped and sighed in pleasure at the sight of the lovely young blonde in her beautiful clothes and jewellery who stood with such commanding assurance at the side of their hero. Per\u00f3n only spoke for half an hour. But that did not matter. It was the event that counted, that people who led such brutally impoverished and barren lives could actually see, and some could even touch, the man who was not only promising but actually bringing them a better life. On the six-hour journey home to Buenos Aires in the dawn light, teen-age girls ran in relays alongside the train together with whooping gauchos whose galloping horses raised clouds of yellow dust that blotted out the flat plains of the pampas. As the train crawled into the capital, the crowds thickened, arms outstretched in supplication.\n\nJose Tamborini could never match that kind of adulation. He was a plump, little man, 60 years old, honest and uninspiring, a Radical politician in Congress since 1918. He was then young and vigorous and bursting with the ideals and dreams of the middle-class Radical revolution. Now he was rather elderly, not very radical, and rather tired, bewildered and not a little frightened by the tumultuous, angry tempo of the election. His support ranged from Communist to Conservative, and, inevitably, with that odd melange, the Democratic Union campaign focused on what it was against rather than what it was for, and what it was against was Juan Per\u00f3n, fiend incarnate to all those Argentines who were not convinced Per\u00f3nistas.\n\nBut even those whose hatred of him never wavered admitted that he had all the charisma. He was good-looking, had a nimble wit, a ready smile, could talk in the slang of the city _barrios_ or the dialect of the provinces, ate his barbecued beef with a razor-sharp knife like the gauchos, and was always ready to while away an evening in a dockside bar, drinking raw wine and swapping jokes. And he could tap the emotions with the skill of an orchestral conductor, rousing crowds to patriotic fervour one minute, then hushing them to silence, the tears streaming down his face as he talked about his dear mother. But to most political observers and to all the foreign correspondents in Buenos Aires for the election, such demagoguery, as they called it, could not survive a secret ballot box election. Tamborini, the democrat, was a firm favourite to beat Per\u00f3n, the fascist dictator. On the eve of the vote, Cortesi wrote in the _New York Times:_ 'All that can be said is that the turnout for the opposition candidate in most of the large cities visited by both indicates that the Democratic Union should _triumph_ if tomorrow's election is even approximately fair and honest.'\n\nPer\u00f3n went down with the flu on election day, February 24, with Eva acting as his nurse in their Calle Posadas apartment. But they both managed to get to the local polling station, and then he went back to bed. The city was as quiet as a cemetery. All the bars were shuttered as were the theatres and cinemas. The Buenos Aires commuter trains, normally packed to bursting, ran virtually empty throughout the day. Long lines waited patiently outside the polling stations from early morning until the polls closed. There were no incidents. With the ugly campaign over \u2014 more than 100 people had been killed \u2014 Argentines voted peaceably and democratically for a President for the first time in many years. Troops with fixed bayonets escorted the ballot boxes to the national Congress building in Buenos Aires and to the provincial capitals in the interior. But the counting did not begin until March 6.\n\nFirst, the ballot boxes were checked to make sure they had not been tampered with, and Argentines also took time off for the annual celebration of Carnival. Then, under the eye of delegates from both parties, the counting began. On March 28, it was announced that Juan Domingo Per\u00f3n had been elected President of Argentina for a _six-year_ term. In voting terms, it had been fairly close \u2014 1,527,231 to 1,207,155. But even so, it was a nation-wide victory of overwhelming proportions. Per\u00f3n won the Governorships of all 15 provinces, all 30 Senate seats and an overwhelming majority in the lower house of Congress with 109 deputies to 49. In Avellaneda, where the revolution of October 17 began, Per\u00f3n won a lop-sided 68 percent of the votes. Even the city of Buenos Aires with its large middle-class gave him 54 percent of the votes.\n\nThe Per\u00f3ns won not simply because he was a demagogue and she controlled the country's major radio stations but because they did the job that their democratic opponents should have been doing \u2014 going to the people with a programme of economic justice. In the rural provinces of the interior, Per\u00f3n chalked up sweeping victories among peasants whose lives were brutish and short, where infant mortality rates were high, and disease \u2014 malaria, tapeworm, tuberculosis, goitre, influenza \u2014-and malnutrition had bred generation after generation of anaemic, impoverished people. Even in the country's capital, a private medical study had shown that 30,000 Buenos Aires children did not attend school because of malnutrition. Per\u00f3n also addressed himself to the fact that half of Buenos Aires' workers' families lived in one room. He also stressed and promised to remedy the inequitable system of Argentine land-holding \u2014 two thousand landlords owning the richest fifth of the land while 70 percent of the farms were run by sharecroppers who paid half their income out in rent.\n\nIn the last few days of the campaign, Per\u00f3n was handed an election issue which had nothing to do at all with economics or social justice. To his delight, the United States took that particular moment to add yet another chapter to its unhappy record of Big Stick diplomacy in Latin America. The State Department, in a move to influence the election, published a handbook reviewing Per\u00f3n's record of fascism and collaboration with Nazi Germany in World War II. Primly titled _Consultation among the American Republics with Respect to the Argentine Situation,_ but better known as the 'Blue Book', it was the work of Assistant Secretary of State Spruille Braden, whose brief ambassadorship in Buenos Aires the previous year had been marked by the blunt, undiplomatic manner with which he had publicly attacked Per\u00f3n and the Argentine Government. Braden was determined to stamp out the vestiges of Nazism in the southern continent, even though Nazism had already been replaced by Communism in the American mind as the enemy of world peace and democracy.\n\nThe other Latin American nations recognised the 'Blue Book' for what it was \u2014 an attempt by the Americans to go on fighting a war that was over \u2014 and they ignored it. Per\u00f3n and many Argentines, not all of them Per\u00f3n supporters, looked upon it as unacceptable meddling in their country's internal affairs. Eva quickly took advantage of such a marvellous propaganda gift for those final days of the campaign. In her radio broadcasts, which went out to every town and village in the country, she called on all Argentines to repudiate the threat of 'Yanqui' imperialism with the cry of 'Per\u00f3n yes! Braden no!' It was an unbeatable slogan and almost certainly won the votes of many indignant patriotic Argentines who would otherwise have voted for Tamborini.\n\nHowever, Per\u00f3n himself felt that the election had been won long before the American intervention. Like others, he recognised that the campaign until then had been entirely, for or against him. As he put it, 'the opposition shouts \"Death to Per\u00f3n\". My supporters shout \"Long Live Per\u00f3n\". We are for a better life, and they are for a moribund one. Those two words \u2014 \"muera\" and \"viva\" \u2014 symbolise the difference.'\n\nOn June 4, 1946, Juan Domingo Per\u00f3n became the twenty-ninth President of Argentina. Restored to his army commission and promoted, he wore the blue dress uniform of a brigadier-general as he stood before the newly reconstituted Congress and took the oath of office, swearing by 'Almighty God' to uphold the constitution. Exactly three years to the day after his band of colonels seized the Government, he pledged 'respect for the country's traditions and institutions.' Then, to the notes of martial music and the cheers of a million Argentines, he drove along Avenida de Mayo to the Casa Rosada.\n\nNever in Argentine history had there been such tumultuous crowds. Police and troops tried desperately to keep the cheering mob from sweeping over the presidential limousine. But it took over an hour to make what would normally be a five minute journey to the palace. There, in the White Salon, grenadiers in uniforms dating from the time of Napoleon \u2014 red pompon-topped shakos with gold chin-straps, red and gold epaulets, and white cross belts on blue tunics with red-striped trousers \u2014 lined the walls of the magnificent state room. Under a huge chandelier, whose light was reflected from gold ornamentation on ceilings, cornices, and doors, the room dazzled with the plumage of diplomats, high-ranking military officers, and their wives. British scarlet blended with the purple of two Cardinals. Rows of medals gleamed from the breasts of multi-coloured uniforms. General Farrell, like President Per\u00f3n, wore a dark blue uniform with the broad blue and white sash of the presidency across his chest. The transfer of power took only three minutes. General Farrell handed President Per\u00f3n a mace resembling a marshal's baton and then placed the colours of office across his friend's shoulders. 'I wish you personal success and success for your new administration,' General Farrell said, with tears streaming down his face. The two men embraced. Beside the President stood Argentina's new First Lady, Se\u00f1ora Maria Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n.\n\n## _6_  \n _EVITA - FIRST LADY_\n\nArgentines, among the most socially conservative of all Latins, had never seen anything like it. For them, a lady's place \u2014 and that went for the First Lady \u2014 was in the home. But from the moment of the inauguration, Eva Per\u00f3n changed all that. She encouraged the public to call her Evita in a land where nicknames are restricted to the closest friends. Larger than life pictures of the country's First Lady blossomed all over the country, carrying her words: 'I prefer to be simply Evita if this Evita is used to better conditions in the homes of my country.' Her own home, once an adobe shack in the poorest of rural pueblos, was now the most luxurious residence in the country \u2014 the old Palacio Unzue on fashionable Avenida Alvear. It looked out across the wide avenue towards the trees of Palermo Park and the river beyond. Furnished in sombre, ornate nineteenth-century style, its manicured lawns and flower beds of blue jacaranda and magnolias provided an oasis of tranquillity in the heart of the noisy, bustling city.\n\nThe Per\u00f3ns lived there rather than in the more traditional presidential residence in suburban Olivos because they both worked a brutally demanding dawn-to-dark routine. Up at 6am, breakfast together at 6.30, then Eva was off to work with an escort of police motorcyclists, sirens wailing to clear the way and wake her wealthy neighbours on the avenue. In her sumptuously furnished office on the fourth floor of the Central Post Office, surrounded by a battery of secretaries, she would spend her mornings receiving delegations of workers and trade unionists, who came from every corner of the land to pay their respects, and, more often than not, seek her support for a wage claim. Nurses and teachers joined the throng, eager to hear the views of the nations's foremost feminist, who promised to liberate Argentina's women from the shackles of their _macho_ society. Senators, congressmen, mayors, even Cabinet Ministers rubbed shoulders in the corridors, waiting their turn to push a cause or seek a favour.\n\nAfter a quick lunch back at the residence with the General, she was off again, visiting factories, schools, slum neighbourhoods, flying off on quick trips to rally the Per\u00f3nista faithful in distant towns. Among her duties, she took over the president's traditional role of acting as a godparent for all seventh sons, in recognition of the family's contribution to the country's much-needed population growth. Evita, of course, always made sure that her godmotherly missions received nation-wide publicity. Before the baptismal ceremony of a seventh son in Avellaneda, trucks equipped with loudspeakers announced her presence and urged the local meat packing house workers, her descamisados, and their families to turn up in force. The lucky family would receive a new home; a gift from Evita. For the neighbours, there were clothes, shoes, toys, schoolbooks, and even peso notes.\n\nNot surprisingly, wherever Evita went the crowrds scrambled and fought to get close to her. When she travelled to Tucuman Province in the north-west of the country, where the sugar workers lived in abject poverty, seven people were crushed to death in the rush for gifts, which were always accompanied by a pep talk that could be guaranteed to be full of rousing melodrama.\n\nIn Tucuman, the death of the seven sugar workers prompted her to cry out that 'I, too, like our companion workers, am capable of dying and of ending the last moment of my life with our war cry, our cry of salvation, \"my life for Per\u00f3n\".' On another occasion, she promised her audience that 'embracing the patria, I will give my all, because there are as yet in this country those who are poor and unhappy, without hope and sick. My soul knows it. My body has felt it. I offer all my energies that my body may be stretched out like a bridge towards the common happiness. Cross over it with a firm tread and head high towards the supreme destiny of our new patria. Not fatigue, nor fasting, nor sacrifice can be of importance when you are trying to put an end to the fatigue and suffering that dwell in the country's organs.'\n\nUnderstandably, sophisticated Argentines shuddered when they heard such emotional rhetoric. But it was not easy to avoid. Not only were her sayings splashed across the nation on billboards, it was impossible to turn on a radio anywhere in Argentina without being bombarded by the thoughts of Evita on just about everything from tips to combat inflation to lessons on the duties and privileges of citizenship, which were always accompanied with constant reminders that all the wonderful things happening in Argentina were being brought about through the devotion and idealism of their beloved leader, President Per\u00f3n. Those nightly fireside chats were carried live by the state radio network, and local radio stations throughout the country were forced to hook in by order of the director of the Department of Posts and Telegraph, Oscar Nicolini, who worked in the next office to Evita under her direct supervision. Just what some Argentines thought of their president's wife and her pearls of wisdom they kept to the privacy of their cocktail parties, although bawdy limericks about her soon began to appear on walls around the city.\n\nEvita was not particularly concerned about what the wealthy, the oligarchs as she contemptuously called them, felt about her. Even without the sniggering, she had a lot of old scores to settle with them, scores that went back to her earliest childhood memories, and she intended to settle them. As a matter of fact, she felt quite confident that the matrons of porte\u00f1a society would be forced to accept her whether they liked it or not \u2014 and she knew perfectly well they did not. She intended to claim all the social honours normally bestowed on the president's wife in Argentina. So, throughout most of her first year in the Casa Rosada, she waited impatiently to be offered the traditional presidency of the Sociedad de Beneficiencia, the country's most exclusive charitable organisation, run by the ladies of Argentine society under the patronage of the Catholic Church. It never came.\n\nBut Evita was not the kind of person to ignore such a snub. She sent an emissary to the society's organising committee to enquire why she had not heard from them. With the smoothness and charm that distinguishes the well-bred South American, the ladies responded that, alas, she was too young, the rules of the charity required a woman of more mature years as its leader. With equal silkiness, Evita then suggested that they should make her mother Dona Juana, president. The thought of that plump, little peasant woman, who could hardly read or write, who had given birth to five illegitimate children, as their president may or may not have amused the good ladies. But the answer was the same \u2014 no. From then on it was total, constant war. In her fury, Evita set about destroying the society women and their organisation.\n\nBut first she still had some organising of her own to do. She began putting her family in positions of power. Her brother, Juancito, she placed in the Casa Rosada as her husband's private secretary, controlling all access to the President, quite a sudden rise in fortunes for a not particularly successful Junin soap salesman. But then Evita was very fond of her big brother. He was a handsome young man in the Argentine mold of the period \u2014 jet black hair greased back and pencil-thin moustache \u2014 and he soon became well known around Buenos Aires as an escort of the prettiest girls in town. Evita was always having to rescue him from financial and emotional scrapes. But now she had a use for him \u2014 to make sure that no one got to the ear of her husband without her knowing about it. As for the rest of the family, she promoted her mother's friend, Oscar Nicolini, to Minister of Communications. Eldest sister Elisa took over political control of Junin while her husband, Major Alfredo Arrieto, was elected through Evita's influence to the Senate. Sister Blanca's husband, Dr Justo Alvarez Rodriguez, a lawyer, became in quick succession the Governor of Buenos Aires Province, a key position as the province contained over half the country's population, and then a member of the Supreme Court. Even Arminda's husband did well. He was the lift operator in the town hall at Junin. But one push of the button from Evita and he was on his way up to Director of Federal Customs.\n\nEvita did not forget herself. She moved her office from the Central Post Office to her husband's old stamping ground, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Taking over the management of the descamisados, the linch-pin of Per\u00f3n's power, she quickly won their love with mammoth pay increases. She was not the Secretary of Labour \u2014 in fact, she never held any post in the Government, elected or appointed \u2014 not that it mattered. Jose Maria Freire, a glassblower by profession, who was Labour Secretary, soon found himself shunted aside. When the railway workers called and asked for a 40 percent rise, Evita offered them 50 percent. Then the telephone workers put in a request for 70 per cent, hoping for half, but collecting the lot. Understandably, there was soon hardly a single union left outside the protective embrace of Per\u00f3n's General Confederation of Labour (the CGT) as workers discovered that pay raises went to those unions which did as Evita suggested. Before long, over five million of the country's seven million-strong labour force had joined the CGT. The crowds that gathered in Plaza de Mayo in front of the presidential palace now cried Evita's name with every bit as much fervour as they did her husband's. And it was her voice which reverberated through the loudspeakers and around the plaza with the message that she was just 'one more descamisada, the most insignificant of General Per\u00f3n's collaborators.'\n\nThe General did not think so. He confided to a friend that 'Evita deserves a medal for what she's done for labour. She's worth more to me than five Ministers.' Of course, he had not been entirely idle himself during those first few months in office. On his first day, he arrived at the Casa Rosada at 7am, surprising employees who were accustomed to the leisurely habits of former presidents. But even before he put on the sash of office he had begun making revolutionary changes.\n\nBy decree, the Government seized control of the six great Argentine universities, putting in its own Rectors and ordering an end to student political activity on the pain of expulsion. The banks were taken over. So was the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange \u2014- all first tugs on the noose that slowly had begun to snuff out individual freedom in Argentina but carried out within the legalistic framework of constitutional government.\n\nThe federal bureaucracy was put under close scrutiny. Everyone 'not imbued with the revolutionary ideals or imbued with the precepts of social justice' soon found themselves without a job. Per\u00f3n also settled an old score with the Rural Society, the organisation and stronghold of the landed aristocracy. His name had been booed the previous year at the society's internationally-famed cattle show. Now, as the nation's president, it was his duty to turn up in top hat and tails to open the show, and he was determined to be cheered, not booed. So, under pressure, the society's executive committee obligingly resigned and a pro-Per\u00f3n committee was appointed.\n\nAt the same time, he moved against a much more important target \u2014 the nation's Supreme Court. Per\u00f3n had scores to settle there, too. During his period as Secretary of Labour, the court had overturned a number of his labour and welfare decrees on the grounds that they were unconstitutional, and it had also released several army officers and federal judges who had been thrown in jail by Per\u00f3n. So, naturally, when the Strongman was briefly toppled from power in the turbulent October days of 1945, many Argentines turned to the Supreme Court with the suggestion that it take over the reigns of government on a temporary basis. But as the generals and admirals argued, Per\u00f3n vaulted back into the saddle before the move could be made. However, he did not forget what might have been. In his inaugural address, he made it clear that the judges would have to pay for their emnity.\n\n'I place the spirit of justice above the judicial power,' he warned, adding that the court did not 'speak the same language as the other branches of the government.' Within days, the Per\u00f3nista-controlled Congress set out to impeach the entire Supreme Court. With fine irony, the judges were charged with having betrayed their office by recognising the regime that had been set up by Per\u00f3n's colonels in June of 1943. The chief justice resigned but all four other justices were duly impeached. They, and other judges throughout the country, were replaced by lawyers willing to allow the judiciary to be as completely controlled by Juan and Evita Per\u00f3n as the other branches of Government. As Chief Justice Roberto Repetto left office he warned his fellow countrymen that 'a new state power has been instituted above the constitution and above the law. This power has risen on the ruins of public liberties.'\n\nBut those Argentines who listened were in no position to do anything about it. The only power that could possibly have done so was the army, and Per\u00f3n saw to it that the army stayed in line with lavish wage increases for officers and men. Indeed, most of Argentina's 16 million population was living better than ever as their country prospered from a war-ravaged world's desperate need for its wheat and beef. Per\u00f3n certainly showed no compunction in holding up hungry nations to ransom. 'Either you pay our prices or you don't eat,' was the blunt, initial negotiation remark of his economic czar, Miguel Miranda, when he first met a British commercial mission that had arrived in Buenos Aires to arrange a new trade agreement. The British, who were Argentina's oldest and best customers, were told they would have to pay a 200 per cent increase in price if they wanted Argentine's meat. The United Nation's Relief Agency, responsible in those early post-war days for feeding much of starving Europe, was also told that it would not get its promised wheat, corn, and linseed oil until it paid an extra 100 per cent on the purchase price.\n\nAs for the Americans, the wily Per\u00f3n had already seen advantages for Argentina in the fast-growing cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. So when the State Department pressed its demand that Argentina hand over the top 100 Nazis who had fled there at the end of the war, Per\u00f3n curtly refused, remarking that he would just as soon as do business with the Russians if the US continued that kind of pressure. To drive the point home, he had the Russian trade delegation seated prominently at his inauguration, while his descamisados vociferously booed the American ambassador and the US delegation. Later, Per\u00f3n gleefully told an Argentine banker, 'You'll see, the Americans will soon be down here with satchels looking for business.'\n\nHe was quite right. American President Harry S. Truman sent a new ambassador to Buenos Aires, James Bruce, with instructions to 'go down there and make friends with those people.' Right behind the flag swarmed the American businessmen just as Per\u00f3n had predicted. In fact, one of the first big business deals, put together by a Cleveland company, was with an Argentine-German industrialist named Ricardo Staudt, who had been the number two Nazi in the State Department's 'Blue Book'. The American company's comment about that was 'the war is over and finished.' But despite American overtures, Per\u00f3n never missed an opportunity to make it clear that Argentina had no intention of becoming an ally of the 'Colossus of the North' in its cold war with the Soviet Union.\n\nDefining his country's Third Position', Per\u00f3n stated: 'There is in the world at the present time a conflict between capitalists and communists and we do not wish to be one thing or the other;' and on another occasion: 'We will not defend capitalism, in fact, we are dismantling it bit by bit.' That was not exactly true. But Per\u00f3n was dismantling foreign capitalist control over Argentina's economy, a revolutionary and immensely popular move in a country where foreigners controlled close to 60 percent of all industrial investment, and where a third of all profits earned from the sweat of Argentine brows disappeared overseas in the form of dividends.\n\nThe British were the main targets for Per\u00f3n's economic revolution. They controlled two-thirds of all foreign investment in Argentina. They owned nearly all the public utilities \u2014 the Americans had the rest \u2014 and they held a virtual stranglehold on the economy through their domination of the meat packing industry, shipping, banking, and insurance. One story, no doubt apocryphal, which could always be guaranteed to drive an Argentine nationalist to fury concerned the Duke of Windsor when he was Prince of Wales. A frequent visitor to the British-owned _estancias and_ polo fields of Argentina, he was _reputed to_ have joked on returning to England after one such trip that 'I don't mind what part of the Empire we give up as long as it isn't Argentina.'\n\nPer\u00f3n was detemined to wipe that colonialist smirk from British faces. To underline his determination, he travelled to Tucuman, a provincial city in the heart of Argentina where in 1816 General Jose de San Martin, the nation's George Washington, fathered the formal proclamation of Argentine independence. On the same spot, Per\u00f3n signed the 'declaration of economic independence', promising the Argentine people that he would 'break the dominating chains which have bound them to foreign captialism.' Evita added her own endorsement to that with a warning to foreign governments who might try and prevent the loss of their investments that 'the days have passed when our destinies can be settled thousands of miles from our shores; today we Argentines are the architects of our own destiny.'\n\nSoon enough, the gasworks, the electricity companies, the telephone system \u2014 all British or American owned \u2014 were in Argentine hands, bought with the fat profits from the sale of the country's meat and grain. But what the Per\u00f3ns wanted most of all were the railways, the most conspicuous example of the country's colonial economic status. All Argentines rode on them to get anywhere in the vast spaces of their land, and nearly all of Argentina's rich agricultural produce moved by rail. Yet this vital sector of the nation's economy had been neglected and allowed to run down for years. There were 27,000 miles of track, owned by nine different British companies, and Per\u00f3n was determined to make every last mile of it Argentine, as Britain's trading mission quickly discovered when they arrived to buy meat. The British were in no position to pay Argentina the \u00a3190 million they still owed for wartime meat purchases. So Per\u00f3n simply wiped \u00a3150 million from the British debt and took over the railways.\n\nFor Argentina, it was a day of celebration with patriotic ceremonies, speeches, and firework displays in plazas large and small across the nation. In Buenos Aires, church bells, factory whistles, and train sirens pealed and hooted noisily throughout the day and evening. The architects of everybody's joy, however, were missing from the celebrations. Per\u00f3n had been operated on the day before for emergency appendicitis. But he was not one to miss any opportunity to take a bow, even from a hospital bed. In a husky voice, carried by radio and loudspeakers to a vast crowd gathered outside Retiro, the main Buenos Aires railway station, he told his countrymen how happy he was that the railways were theirs. A few seconds later another now familiar voice surged over the airwaves. 'Comrade Evita was also unable to be with you today because she had to stay at the bedside of the _lider_ of the workers. But you can be sure that both the General and I were with you from here because our heart is permanently at the side of our beloved descamisados who are really forging the greatness of our country. Descamisados mios: I send you an affectionate embrace.'\n\nEvita with her lover a year before their marriage.\n\nThe young marrieds in 1946 at their country _quinta_ outside Buenos Aires.\n\nEvita distributing gifts to her _descamisados_ on a whistle-stop tour into the interior provinces.\n\nOn the balcony of the Casa Rosada, Evita and Per\u00f3n greet the cheering crowds in the plaza below.\n\nA glance of love and affection on a formal occasion.\n\nThe Rainbow Tour: On a Madrid street with Se\u00f1ora Franco.\n\n_Above:_ Arriving in Rome, brother Juancito by her side.\n\n_Below:_ With President Franco and the matadors.\n\nThey made a good team. While Per\u00f3n handled the diplomats, the politicians and businessmen, Evita looked after the voters who brought them to power \u2014 her descamisados. The country's Indians, so abused in the past, were the first to seek her help. Several hundred of them marched into Buenos Aires after a 1,000 mile trek across the pampas from the sugar fields in the north. They represented some 75,000 Indians living on the fringes of white Argentina. Their ancestors, unlike the fierce araucanian Indians of the pampas, were peaceful farmers who had been quickly absorbed by Spanish colonists for use as labourers in the fields. They no longer even owned the land they lived on. It had been sold by shrewd land dealers to absentee landlords at the turn of the century. Now the owners were trying to move the Indians out.\n\nThe evictions, accompanied by the burning of homes and even bloodshed where the resistance was violent, provided Evita with an opportunity to dramatise the sincerity of one of her vote-catching slogans \u2014 'the land belongs to him who works it.' So she inspired the march, telling the Indians when she spoke to them from the balcony of the Casa Rosada that the government had stopped the evictions and was in the process of passing new laws that would make the land theirs again. For the landowners those Argentines who had for so long treated the country as one vast estancia, their worst fears about _that_ woman were already being realised. But to the Indians and to all Argentine's rural workers, Evita's words were proof enough that her promises made were promises kept.\n\nHowever, she wielded a hatchet with the same dexterity that she waved her angel's wand. Even the most senior of Peronista politicians found out that to cross the 27-year-old wife of the president was tantamount to committing political suicide. The first to learn that painful lesson was the head of the Peronista majority in the Senate, Vicente Eli Saadi. He was the son of Syrian immigrants, a true descamisado who had shot up through the ranks of provincial Peronistas via a combination of intelligence, charm, and good looks. But that jump from local Deputy in rural Catamarca to running the upper house of the national Congress must have gone to young Saadi's head. For he could not possibly have been thinking properly the day he rose during a closed session of the Senate to object to the presence of an 'outsider.' The outsider, of course, was Evita. She just smiled, apologised for her error, and left.\n\nA few days later, Senator Saadi was called in to the Casa Rosada, where the President and his wife congratulated him on having been chosen personally by them as the strongest possible candidate to run for Governor of Catamarca Province. As modesty was not one of the Senator's best-known qualities, he saw no reason to quarrel with that assessment. So he left his Senate seat, returned home and easily won election as Governor. But it was not long before he started hearing rumours from the capital suggesting that he was under investigation for corruption, an investigation ordered by Evita Per\u00f3n. The word was that he could expect to be removed from office any day. With that knowledge, Saadi came up with an astute ploy to save himself. He assembled his legislature, submitted his resignation as Governor, then had the deputies re-elect him to his old seat in the Senate, where he guessed it would be too politically embarrassing for the Per\u00f3ns to remove him. But Evita was too quick for him, as she was for all her enemies. She persuaded her husband to 'intervene' in the Province of Catamarca, which meant putting it under federal control and dismissing both the Governor and his legislature. The intervention was back-dated 24 hours prior to Saadi's resignation. Immediately afterwards, he was thrown out of the Peronista Party and then jailed for showing disrespect to the president.\n\nEvita's enemies had a way of disappearing like that. Her memory was a long one for past insults, real or imagined. As her General too liked to play the the role of the goodhearted, lovable uncle, she took care of his enemies with equal gusto. When she could not jail them, she harassed them, often making life so miserable that many fled across the river to the tranquillity of neighbouring Uruguay.\n\nOne of their most vocal critics in those early days was one of the country's leading academics, Dr Bernardo Houssay. He had been jailed briefly during the purge of opponents the previous September, and after the presidential election he became one of the many hundreds of anti-Per\u00f3n educators ousted from university posts. But then, much to the Government's embarrassment, he won the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Evita was furious, livid with rage, the more so as the Per\u00f3nista press for weeks had been campaigning for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for her husband. So, despite the fact that the award was undoubtedly an historic honour for both Argentine medicine and the nation, the Per\u00f3nist press embarked on a venomous campaign of personal abuse against Dr Houssay, whom _La Epoca,_ one of the most strident of the papers, called 'that gland detective'.\n\nSuch vindictiveness caused no concern to ordinary working class Argentines. They worshipped Evita because for the first time they were winning the praise and the awards. When Delfo Cabrero, a Buenos Aires fireman, won the Olympic marathon in London, he wired home dedicating his victory to the Per\u00f3ns. He returned a hero, and Evita not only gave him a brand new house but got one of the town's best furniture dealers to furnish it in style. Then she persuaded the dealer to tear up the bill as a patriotic gesture.\n\nEven the opposition newspapers could not avoid a good human interest story like that, although they inevitably embroidered it with sarcastic comment. But that did not matter. For within a year of her husband becoming president, Evita owned or controlled the four principal radio stations in Buenos Aires and, through her influence over the Ministry of Information, exercised virtual censorship rights over the news content on all of Argentina's 33 radio stations. She owned two large Buenos Aires daily newspapers \u2014 _Democracia_ and _El Mundo_ \u2014 bought through the generous help of business friends, and there were many other Per\u00f3nista newspapers throughout the country which marched to the beat of her drum. But more important than that, she knew how to use radio and newspapers in a way they had never been used before anywhere in Latin America.\n\nThere was never a day when _Democracia_ did not run at least five pictures of _La Se\u00f1ora Presidenta_ in the paper, all of them taken by her own personal photographer who never left her side from early morning until she returned home at night. She also knew how to extract the last possible drop of propaganda value from situations that normally would be regarded as bureaucrat-ically dry and colourless.\n\nWhen the national census was taken in 1947, she and Per\u00f3n devoted several days to popularising the work of the small army of census gatherers by going out themselves into the slums of the city. In each home they visited, the President would take down the statistical details while his wife distributed gifts among the women and children who swarmed around.\n\nIt was hardly any wonder that working people looked upon her as a beautiful goddess. Wherever she went in Argentina men knelt in the dust to spell out Evita in flowers for her to walk upon. She appeared before them at monster demonstrations, a young woman in her twenties, dressed in the latest Paris fashions, draped in mink and glittering in diamonds. 'You, too, will have clothes like these some day,' she promised them. From the balcony of the Casa Rosada, she harangued them with a torrent of words that made them ready to die for her. 'I speak in the name of the humble, the homeless, to cry out against the old evil days,' her voice would blast out across the packed plaza in front of the palace. Her political philosophy was simple: love for the poor, hatred of the rich. It was no matter that her enemies sneered at the demagoguery of it all. There were millions of Argentines who believed that she was passionately, sincerely determined to give them something they had never known before \u2014 respect, dignity, and a place in the Argentine sun.\n\nIt was a respect she demanded for herself, and those who failed to show it were ruthlessly pursued. The unbending bluebloods of the Sociedad de Beneficencia were soon to pay for their refusal to make her their president. Their charity was forced to close down when the Government cut off its annual subsidy, which was then turned over to Evita who had started her own welfare organisation with \u00a3500 of her own money. To those rich ladies who had little else to do other than devote their lives to 'good works', it was the most disgraceful thing that had ever happened, and worse, their husbands, whose words were once law in the land, had actually allowed that woman to get away with it. Their husbands could only shrug.\n\nPower no longer went hand-in-hand with money in the new Argentina of the Per\u00f3ns. Men accustomed through birth, education and family tradition to govern now humiliatingly watched their tongues in front of their maids and farm workers. Hostesses at dinner tables fixed frozen smiles on guests who criticised the Per\u00f3ns in the presence of servants. The same discretion had to be observed in taxicabs, trolley cars, and offices. Everybody earning a wage in Argentina were Per\u00f3nistas, it seemed. Cooks put up portraits of Evita and the General on the kitchen wall. Chambermaids listened to him on the radio. Gardeners, factory hands, and office workers joined in demonstrations for him and his wife. It was a time for discretion by people who thought otherwise.\n\nFor the first time since the days of the bloody tyrant Rosas, Argentines looked over their shoulders before expressing critical opinions. They had good reason to. The gaols were full of people who had failed to take precaution, even though Per\u00f3n had publicly ordered a general amnesty for 14,000 political prisoners on the day of his inauguration. Only a few were actually released, however, and a month later he quietly rescinded the amnesty. But just in case there were still Argentines around who were blind or foolish enough to think that their friends were unduly paranoiac in their fear of eavesdroppers, one of Per\u00f3n's closest confidants, Rear Admiral Alberto Teisaire, casually admitted one day that 'we know that many people express opinions against us even in caf\u00e9s.' Asked how he knew this, the Admiral replied: 'We have people informing us.' Each week, newspapers in Buenos Aires published lists of the caf\u00e9 arrests \u2014 those people who had talked too much in their cups. The _oyentes,_ as the listeners were called, did not restrict themselves to bar-room chatter. They tuned in to telephone conversations as well, and the Government made no secret of that, either. After months of speculation about telephone-tapping, the Casa Rosada issued a statement admitting it with the justification that telephones 'may not be abandoned to the thoughtless or irresponsible. Employing the telephone to insult or offend is a crime which deserves punishment by justice. The long arm of the law and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs watch over the use of the telephone, that its noble and social purpose should not be misused. Such irresponsible criminals will be punished.'\n\nIn the general atmosphere of fear, Argentines were still able to joke about their situation \u2014 though they usually did so in the privacy of their homes and only among the closest of friends. One favourite story floating around the cocktail circuit poked fun at Per\u00f3n's secret police, the pervasive army of men in gaberdine raincoats who were always conspicuous wherever Argentines gathered. Apparently a tramcar passenger foolishly gave vent to his feelings about a 'government of petty politicians, rogues and fools, incompetent, corrupt, and costly,' As he got off the tram, he was tapped on the shoulder. 'I must arrest you,' said one of his fellow tramcar passenger, producing a federal police badge from his raincoat pocket. 'It's not permitted to speak about our Government that way.' Thinking quickly, the other passenger angrily told him his hearing was defective, that he had been talking about the American Government. For a second policeman was silent. Then he smiled grimly: 'No,' he said, 'you are not getting away with that. There aren't two governments like the one you've described.' There was a similar story about the Chilean dog and the Argentine dog. The Chilean dog, underfed and disease-ridden, decided to go to Argentina where there was always plenty to eat. On the Andean mountain pass frontier between the two countries he met an Argentine dog, well-fed and healthy-looking, who was going the other way into Chile. That surprised the Chilean dog who wanted to know why he was going to Chile when the food was so good in Argentina. 'Simple,' said the Argentine dog. 'I want to bark.'\n\nThese stories were harmless enough. But there was one joker who managed to turn both Per\u00f3ns apoplectic with rage. One morning a sign was found hanging from a lamp-post near their Alvear Avenue residence. Written on it were the words: 'This post is waiting for President Per\u00f3n.' What made the message more chilling was its exquisite timing. It came right after a bloody revolution in Bolivia, which borders Argentina to the north. The President there, Gilberto Villarroel, who had gained power through an Argentine-engineered coup d'etat, was dragged from the presidential palace and hung from a lamp-post in the city's main plaza. It had been a damaging blow to Argentine pride, undercutting its influence in the hemisphere, and particularly annoying to Peron who had played a major role in putting his good friend Villarroel into Bolivia's presidential palace in the first place. But there was nothing he could do about it \u2014- his South American neighbours, not to mention the US \u2014 were watching Argentina too closely for that, though he might well have been tempted to follow the example of Queen Victoria, who, after being severely provoked by a Bolivian dictator who had manhandled her ambassador and finding there was nothing her mightly imperial empire could do about it, took a pen and crossed the mountainous country off her map.\n\nBut Per\u00f3n certainly reacted to the hint that some Argentines wanted him to suffer the same fate as President Villarroel. From his presidential balcony he growled that if anyone in Argentina was thinking of starting a revolt he himself would 'act the week before,' and he warned that he had the 'necessary force' to do so. 'It is all a matter of giving a few feet of rope to my descamisados and then we will see who hangs.' To a roar of agreement from the throng massed in the plaza below, he claimed that he had 500,000 workers behind him and, 'as Napoleon said, with me at the head that amounts to one million.'\n\nSuch indulgent boasting was not Evita's style. With blunt directness she told her descamisados how to deal with enemies: 'Whoever speaks ill of the Government, give him what he deserves. Let's not try and convince him.' So when naval cadets coughed loudly during a newsreel of Evita, twenty of them were immediately expelled from the Naval College, and when an opposition Deputy introduced a bill in Congress to forbid public activity by officials' wives \u2014 an obvious attack on her \u2014 she had him stripped of his Congressional immunity and thrown in jail.\n\nShe embarked on a vendetta against _La Prensa,_ the finest of Argentina's newspapers. With a circulation of 460,000 a day and 570,000 on Sundays, the paper under the editorship of its owner, Alberto Gainza Paz, the head of one of Argentina's leading families and an oligarch of the old school, spearheaded the opposition to the Perons. Defiantly, it editorialised 'we do not need mentors or tutors or prophets or redeemers or protectors or saviours.' As for _La Presidenta,_ it refused to mention her by name, referring to her in news columns when it had to as 'the wife of the President,'\n\nBut as was so often the case in battles involving Evita, it was something much more personal that sparked her relentless, uncompromising war with a paper that over the years had earned an international reputation for excellence. And, as with the ladies of the Sociedad de Beneficienca, it was a social snub that aroused her fury. As the wife of the President she expected the city's major newspapers to automatically cover any social event, cocktail party or diplomatic dinner, she held in the Residence or the Casa Rosada. But even the most glittering of receptions went unmentioned in the society pages of _La Prensa,_ an insult that placed Gainza Paz, as far as she was concerned, in the same category as the rest of the country's oligarchs who so bitterly despised her.\n\n'I will make them pay for all the suffering they caused the poor \u2014 to the last drop of blood left in them,' she cried as she poured out the bitterness of her feelings from the balcony of the Casa Rosada. Sure enough, _La Prensa_ soon began to pay for its opposition. In January of 1947, pro-Per\u00f3n demonstrators attacked _La Prensa's gray_ building on Avenida de Mayo and started fires which were put out by the staff. For a while it looked as though the paper would suffer the same fate as _Critica,_ which during the turbulent October days of 1945 had been attacked with machine guns and bombs and set on fire by Per\u00f3nista mobs. The editor fled to Uruguay and the owner, a widow, had promptly sold out to Per\u00f3n. But Gainza Paz was made of sterner stuff. He held on although the verbal attacks continued. Meanwhile, Evita had not yet finished with the ladies of the Sociedad de Beneficiencia. For suddenly a god-sent opportunity for revenge presented itself. The society's leader, its most aristocratic member, Dona Maria Unzue de Alvear, died at the age of 88. Among her good works she had built and endowed a church, and the family expected to bury her in its crypt. But Evita dug up an ancient sanitation ordinance which prevented the old lady from being buried anywhere except in a cemetery. The family ignored it. But when the cortege set out, it was stopped by the police and turned back. So, with the satisfaction of having pursued her vengeance to the grave, Evita set off on a trip to Europe. Soon she was to be as famous (or notorious) around the world as she was at home.\n\n## _7_  \n _EUROPEAN ADVENTURE_\n\nEvita's enemies \u2014 she called them her super-critics \u2014 said she was a _resentida,_ meaning she had a chip on her shoulder, that everything she did was motivated by jealousy and hatred for the class who had treated her like dirt as a child. She felt sufficiently sensitive about the charge to dispute it in her autobiography. 'I fight against all the privileges of power and wealth. That is to say, against all the oligarchy, not because the oligarchy has ill-treated me at any time. On the contrary. Until I arrived in the position I now occupy in the Per\u00f3nista movement I owed them nothing but attentions, including one group representing the ladies of oligarchy who offered to introduce me to their highest circles. My special resentment does not come from hatred at all.' Understandably, those who remembered her bitter battles with the ladies of the Sociedad de Beneficiencia, could only smile. They believed she not only hated those women but was determined to make them aware every second of the day that she was going to be wealthier, more powerful than they ever had been or could ever hope to be. Evita's European Tour made that point.\n\nThe yearly trips to Europe formed part of the lifestyle of most well-bred Argentine families. Although Spain was the ancestral home of many of them, they usually left out Madrid and headed straight for Paris, where they soaked up the culture and spent lavishly on the latest fashions. Evita's chance to follow in their footsteps came in April 1947 when Spanish dictator Francisco Franco awarded her a high decoration. He announced that 'wishing to give a proof of my esteem to Dona Maria Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n, I hereby grant her the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabel the Catholic.' Some cynics promptly attributed General Franco's sudden show of affection for Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n to his country's urgent need for Argentine wheat. True or not, he soon found out that both the gesture and the wheat were going to prove a little more expensive than he had anticipated. He received word from his ambassador in Argentina that the President's wife intended to pick up the honour herself.\n\nPer\u00f3n's Foreign Minister, Juan Atilio Bramuglia, had advised against the trip on the grounds that Argentina was currently trying to mend fences with the United States and a visit at that time by the wife of Argentina's President to fascist Spain would not be looked upon with favour in Washington. But Evita ignored the advice, and Bramuglia was later to pay dearly for having given it. The only other voice raised openly in protest was a mysterious phantom who somehow managed to cut into President Per\u00f3n's ceremonial farewell broadcast which was being carried live on a nation-wide radio hook-up. Using a clandestine transmitter which zeroed in to the state radio frequency, the broadcaster interrupted Per\u00f3n to denounce 'those who proclaim themselves supporters of a false justice' before signing off with the words, 'Death to Per\u00f3n.'\n\nBut her descamisados made up for that indignity. One hundred and fifty thousand of them turned up at Moron Airport the next moring to bid her a noisy, emotional farewell. 'I go to the Old World with a message of peace and hope,' she told them tearfully. 'I go as a representative of the working people, of my beloved descamisados, with whom, in going, I leave my heart.' Then, with one final embrace for her husband, she climbed aboard a Dakota of Spanish Iberian Airways, luxuriously refitted for the journey with a special bedroom and dining room.\n\nLike the oligarchs she used to watch those summers of her childhood getting off the train at the dusty Los Toldos railway station surrounded by a small army of family retainers, Evita took along maids, her hairdresser, dressmaker, doctor, secretaries, and her Jesuit confessor, Father Benitez. Her brother Juan went, too. She also took along 64 complete outfits, several fur coats, and a magnificent selection of jewellery.\n\nFor a girl who had never been further from Argentina than the occasional weekend trip across the river to the Uruguayan beach resort of Punte del Este with lovers during her early actress days, Evita was certainly travelling in style. An escort of 41 Spanish fighter planes accompanied the Dakota across the coast on the last stage of the journey into Madrid Airport. Guns boomed out a salute as the plane taxied along the runway to the red carpet where General Franco, his wife Carmen, and the entire Spanish Government stood waiting to greet their guest from Argentina.\n\nThere were another 200,000 ordinary Spaniards out there on the airport tarmac who had stood for hours in the blazing sun in the hope of catching a glimpse of the woman whose fame was already legendary. To poor Spaniards, who were among the poorest people in Europe, she was, as she was to poor Argentines, the _Dama de la Esperanza,_ the Lady of Hope from the land of opportunity where so many of them still dreamed of living one day. They caught only a glimpse of her that evening at the airport \u2014 a flash of her blonde hair piled high in pompadour style and the shimmer and sparkle of her silk dress and jewels \u2014- before she was whisked off to General Franco's residence.\n\nThe next day, shops and offices were closed so that Madrilenians could gather in the plaza in front of the Palacio Real to listen to the loudspeakers broadcasting the ceremony in the Throne Room as Franco, in his uniform of Captain General of the Army and wearing the collar of the Order of San Martin that Peron had sent him, presented Evita with the highest decoration Spain can bestow, the diamond-encrusted Cross of Isabel the Catholic. Then, with the Generalissimo and his wife on either side, she moved out on to the balcony to greet the vast throng below. Her hosts were startled by the size and enthusiasm of the crowed. As Evita moved towards the microphones on the edge of the balcony, she turned to Franco with a smile: 'Any time you want to attract a crowd of this size, just give me a call.' Then she blew a kiss to the people below and spoke. 'I come as a rainbow between our two countries,' she told them. The crowd roared its appreciation and thousands of arms stretched out towards her in the falangist fascist salute. Evita, her shoulders draped in a mink coat despite the sweltering heat of a Madrid summer's day, responded by returning the salute. It was probably no more than a spontaneous gesture, done without thinking. But, as it turned out, that salute was to cost her nothing but trouble on the rest of her European tour.\n\nNot in Franco's Spain, of course. There the people loved her. At a folk dance in Madrid's Plaza Mayor which went on until three o'clock in the morning, each of the fifty provinces of Spain presented her with a complete outfit of a traditional costume. She was taken to see the bullfights in the Plaza de Toros where the arena was spread with coloured sand in the red and yellow national colours of Spain and the blue and white of Argentina, the coats of arms of the two countries etched out in the sand in the centre before disappearing under the lashing hooves of muira bulls especially selected for their ferociousness. There were gala banquets at Franco's palace of El Prado, and a tour of the provinces \u2014 Sevilla, Coruna, Galicia, Grenada, Catalonia. Wherever she went vast crowds of peasant women strained to touch the blonde goddess from Argentina. It was as though she was back home, bestowing her love, her dazzling smile, on her people, fondling babies, giving speeches and, most important of all, handing out her inexhaustible bounty \u2014 100 peseta notes from a handbag that never emptied, and even Argentine land grants to would-be immigrants.\n\nThe _New York Times_ special correspondent in Madrid reported that 'Senora Per\u00f3n's wardrobe continues to be a rich source of conversation. In her many public appearance she has not worn the same outfit twice, and often she changes three or four times in a day. . . Some surprise was aroused by her appearance on the hottest day of the year so far in a magnificent mink cape, but there was also much admiration for her appearance. She dresses smartly, though with a certain tendency to overdress, and the women in Spain are taking a keen interest in observing what she wears. Beyond the superficial questions of what she looks like and how she dresses, her speeches have made a good impression. Whether she actually wrote her own speeches or not, they were cleverly written. They laid heavy emphasis on _\"social_ justice\", a line that Franco has also been stressing more than usually of late. She speaks well, if somewhat theatrically \u2014 but that again is a style that goes over well with the Spaniards. There is a certain monotony in the constant stress on her love for the descamisados, but times are hard enough for most people in Spain so that they are interested in listening to anybody who wants to help the poor, and that is her constant theme.'\n\nThere was much talk among Spanish aristocrats about their unwillingness to meet Evita. However, they were never given an opportunity to live up to their talk as none of them were invited. In fact, when the wife of the ex-king of Rumania sent a message to Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n that she would like to meet her, the response was brutal: 'Let her stand out in the street like everybody else.'\n\nEven Franco felt the rough edge of her tongue on one occasion. When she told him that Argentina would be sending him two shiploads of wheat as a thank-you gift, the Generalissimo foolishly demurred. 'We don't need wheat,' he told her. 'We have so much flour we don't know what to do with it.' That was such a palpable lie that Evita looked at him quizzically for a second and then snapped: Why not try putting it in the bread?' If that retort disturbed Franco's dictatorial equilibrium, he quickly recovered. He had, after all, spent nearly a million dollars on his guest's visit. So he smiled that weary, tight-lipped smile of his and tried to ignore the fact that no one had talked like that to him for years.\n\nAs for Evita, her rainbow shimmered undimmed across Spain. At the end of her two weeks and four days, she spoke to the women of Spain in a nation-wide broadcast. 'I feel drunk with love and happiness,' she told them, 'because my simple woman's heart has begun to vibrate with the eternal chords of immortal Spain.' With that, she flew off to Rome.\n\nPerhaps it was the era \u2014 the shabby, depressing period of post-war austerity and poverty \u2014 that made Evita's progress across Europe so fascinating. Popular tabloid newspapers followed her every move in breathless detail while even such heavyweights as _The Times_ pondered over the significance of it all. _Time_ magazine even put Evita on its cover, an honour not particularly appreciated by the Argentine Government which banned the magazine probably because of one or two snide phrases. But the cover story started off in mild enough manner with a carpenter in faded blue denim hammering together a temporary grandstand on Avenida Alvear. He was not sure what it was for. 'Perhaps for the return of the Se\u00f1ora from her voyage. Ah, Se\u00f1or, you have read of this voyage. A miracle, is it not so? Surely, all the world must know about it.'\n\nMeanwhile, there was Italy. The Italians had arranged the most lavish reception their country had accorded anyone since the war. Of course there was a close bond between the two countries. Over the years, Italy had sent many hundreds of thousands of unemployed, impoverished peasants across the sea to start new lives in Argentina, and probably a majority of Argentine families looked upon Italy as their ancestral home. In fact, the Italian Government was hoping that its welcome for its illustrious guest, while not on the opulent scale of General Franco's, would help pave the way for a new wave of emigrants to lighten the burden of post-war recovery. So, as Evita's plane crossed over the Italian island of Sardinia, two bombers of the Italian Air Force joined it to act as escorts for the final 200 miles to the mainland.\n\nAs Evita stepped from the plane, Italy's 75-year-old Foreign Minister, Count Carlo Sforza, bent low over her hand. Two thousand children waved paper Argentine and Italian flags. A band played, drowning out the wolf-whistles of American airmen gazing admiringly at the blonde in the flower-printed skin-tight dress. At the airport gate, eight elaborately uniformed carabinieri on white horses saluted with swords as Evita set off in a 50-car procession down the Appian Way into Rome. Posters on house walls hailed her as the 'gentle ambassadress' of a nation which chose during the 'recent painful war' not to join in the 'bloc of powers which stood against Italy.'\n\nThe cavalcade passed the Trevi and Essedra fountains, dry since the war but splashing again for the duration of the distinguished visitor's stay. The street for the last mile to the Argentine Embassy, where Evita was staying, had been repaved and, as part of a hurried beautification project, a landmark pavement urinal in front of the embassy had been removed.\n\nInside the embassy, almost \u00a375,000 had been spent in a frenzied rush to smarten up. The driveway had been repaved in polished green marble (no car had been allowed on it before she arrived). The courtyard was rebuilt as a sunken garden with fountain, flagged walks and flower-beds. Two new marble staircases were constructed inside. The furniture was re-upholstered and the walls repainted, and pictures of President Per\u00f3n hung in every room, including the bathrooms, of the five-storey building. There were two in Eva's bedroom \u2014 an oil painting over the bed and a small photo in a gaudy gilt frame on her dresser. The room had been refurbished in her favourite Louis XV style. But, sadly for all the money spent, the impression was ruined within seconds of Evita's arrival.\n\nSeveral thousand Italians had gathered outside the embassy, and cries of 'Per\u00f3n, Per\u00f3n' brought Evita out on to her balcony. She waved, and arms in the crowd responded with the straight-armed fascist salute which had not been seen in Italy since the overthrow of the Mussolini dictatorship. Immediately, fierce fighting broke out as the fascists were charged by screaming communists. A horrified Evita fled back into her room, covering her ears to drown out the boos and catcalls of the mob outside. It took Italian riot police an hour to clear the street, by which time the beautiful flower-beds outside the embassy had been trampled out of existence.\n\nThe chief of protocol in the Foreign Ministry hurried around early the next morning to offer his apologies. But it was a pale and strained-looking young woman who drove with a strong police escort to the Vatican to see Pope Pius XII. She was dressed in a long-sleeved dress of heavy black silk, reaching from her throat to the floor. Her elaborate coils of blonde hair were covered with a delicate black lace mantilla. She wore lace gloves and just one piece of jewellery \u2014- the blue and silver star of Isabel which Franco had given her. She was a bewitchingly beautiful sight as she walked past the Swiss Guards on the arm of the one-eyed Prince Allessandro Ruspoli who was dressed in elegant court knee breeches.\n\nFor Evita, this was the big moment of her Italian visit. She had told friends that she expected to receive a papal marquisate for her work with the poor of Argentina. It would certainly have elevated her to the very highest social standing in Argentina. The good ladies of the Sociedad de Beneficiencia would have found it embarrassingly difficult to ignore her after that. But it was not to be.\n\nThe Pope received her in his study with all the pomp that Vatican ceremonial prescribes for the wives of heads of state. He thanked her for her work among the poor and he told her that he was presenting her husband with the Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX, a magnificent eight-pointed star laden with diamonds but not quite the highest decoration in the papal hierarchy. At the end of the audience, the Pope gave Evita a rosary, the usual gift on such occasions.\n\nBut there were compensations \u2014 luncheon with the Foreign Minister, a Grand Hotel reception glittering with papal titles, and a dazzling performance of _Aida_ under the stars in the ancient Baths of Caracalla. Eva, in black flowered silk with a white fox cape, her hair, ear lobes, and shapely neck glittering with diamonds, arrived on the arm of Prime Minister de Gasperi, just in time to delay the second act a full half hour. Some of the paying guests were furious. But the Latin American diplomats who had been given the best seats, gave her a rousing welcome. It must have been quite a moment for Evita Per\u00f3n. She had come a long way from that one room shack in Los Toldos. But no matter how high she stood, the sneers, the put-downs always pursued her.\n\n_Time_ magazine, in a style so uniquely its own in those days, quoted an interview that Evita had apparently given to a reporter (though it neither mentioned the name of the reporter nor the location of the interview, giving rise to suspicions that the story was the product of _Time's_ fertile imagination). '\"I like all music, concerts, and operas \u2014 especially Chopin,\" said Eva... admitting that her Italian reception, despite the communists, had been \"enchanting\". \"I don't understand politics,\" she continued, her alabaster hands fluttering expressively, but \"I am profoundly religious.\" The Pope had been \"marvellous\". \"What saintliness,\" said Eva Per\u00f3n, her brown eyes rolling heavenward. The reporter asked if she enjoyed reading as much as music. \"Oh yes,\" said Eva. And did she have any favourites? \"Why do people ask me questions like that? I like everything I read.\" But surely she must have some favourites. \"Well,\" said Eva, her brow furrowed in agonized thought, \"Plutarch,\" \"He's an ancient writer\", she added hastily.\"' _Time_ got itself banned in Argentina for a while for that little bit of maliciousness.\n\nEvita's first public remarks in Rome, to an audience of 600 women, sounded more like her. 'I have a name that has become a battle-cry throughout the world,' she told them. 'In this first speech I make in this immortal city, I want to say that women have the same duties as men and therefore should have the same rights... In Argentina, social justice is evidently a fact and the purpose of General Per\u00f3n's programme is to bring about a moral and material evolution of the masses, especially women. Viva Italia.' The women loved her, swept up by her fierce, passionate rhetoric.\n\nIt was a different story in the industrial cities of the north, strongholds of the country's communists and socialists. She was booed and hissed in Milan and visibly frightened by screaming mobs that tried to attack her limousine (one of the million spiteful stories about Evita had her angrily turning to her escort, a retired senior naval officer, and complaining: 'Did you hear they called me a whore?' 'Think nothing of it. Se\u00f1ora,' said the officer soothingly. 'I haven't been to sea for 15 years, and they still call me admiral.') Her next stop was supposed to be Venice, where gondoliers were to serenade her in a lantern-lit evening parade through the canals. But when she heard that Premier de Gasperi had been shouted down by a left-wing mob the day before in Venice, Evita abandoned the north and hurried back to Rome.\n\nAn embarrassed Italian government official attributed the change in their guest's plans to the heat (Europe sweltered in a scorching heat-wave that summer) and to a stiff schedule which had finally become too exhausting. But he admitted there could have been 'other considerations'. A spokesman for the Government's ruling Christian Democratic Party indignantly supplied those: 'It was,' he said, the first time in our 2,000-year history that a woman guest had been insulted in our country. Fortunately, he was talking about a woman who had been toughened to a lifetime of insults. After a few days relaxing on the shores of Lake Como, she bounced back, ready for the next stage of her European odyssey \u2014 Paris the home of wealthy Argentines, the Mecca of their oligarch culture.\n\nThe weather was still cruel. At Orly Airfield the temperature stood at 90 degrees when Evita stepped down from her Dakota to be greeted by Foreign Minister Georges Bidault bending low to kiss her hand. She had kept her finest clothes for Paris and looked a dazzling sight, white suit, white shoes, white handbag, and a big white straw hat. A large ruby clip was her only jewel, apart from the three rings she always wore on the fourth finger of her left hand \u2014 a broad gold wedding ring, an enormous solitaire diamond (reputed to be second only in size to that of the wife of the Aga Khan), and a sapphire, ruby, and emerald eternity ring.\n\nThis is a massacre,' she laughed as Bidault led her through a throng of pushing, struggling cameramen and a cheering contingent of Argentine diplomats to the motorcade that whisked her off to the Ritz. Outside the hotel, eighteen French war orphans piped 'Vive l'Argentine'. She hugged and kissed two of them, leaving smears of scarlet lipstick on their cheeks.\n\nIn succeeding days there was a luncheon with President Vincent Auriol at the Chateau de Rambouillet, where she appeared in a glamorous draped dress of white printed with large blue-green flowers, then dinner with Foreign Minister Bidault, a visit to Versailles, and a reception at the Cercle d'Amerique-Latine in the Avenue d'Iena, where the whole Latin American diplomatic corps filed before her \u2014 the women curtseying and walking backward three paces. She wore for this occasion the most sumptuous costume of them all \u2014- an off-the-shoulder, cloth-of-gold evening gown which clung to her body like a mermaid's skin. With it she wore an enormous jewelled necklace, long earings to match, three jewelled bracelets, and a gold lam\u00e9 veil falling from her blonde pompadour hair to the end of the fish-train on her gown. High-heeled golden sandals with stone-studded heels flashed and caught everybody's eye as she took the marble staircase, clasping her train. In the early hours of the following morning she supped in the fashionable Pre-Catelan restaurant in the Bois de Boulogne, where her fellow diners stood on the tables under the trees to catch a glimpse of the visiting Presidenta.\n\nA reporter for _Newsweek_ magazine's Paris bureau, assigned to get a 'woman's eye view,' described Evita thus: 'She is 5 feet 5 but appears taller, with dark brown eyes (which are described as black), honey coloured hair with reddish glints (she can sit on her hair), and a very white skin which she accentuates by a pale foundation lotion, no rouge, and very dark lipstick. She has perfect teeth and her lips are parted in a permanent, if wearying, smile. This is because she speaks neither French nor English and must contrive to appear interested. She neither smokes nor drinks and has a tendency to put on weight alarmingly, so she has a daily massage and a daily checkup by her doctor. She eats sparingly, and a member of her suite disappears into the kitchens, wherever she happens to be eating. She found that summer in Paris was hotter than in Argentina, and made a remark several times in the Cercle d'Amerique-Latine to the effect that it is always cooler if the doors remain closed and the hot air is kept out.'\n\nShe was wilting visibly as the temperatures stayed up in the high nineties day after day. People close to her said she was very tired and had been sleeping badly. Used to a straight-forward diet of _bife_ and _papas fritas_ (steak and chips), she found the rich French food and champagne intolerably indigestible as she did the tasteless cornbread she was served at every meal, which was no doubt a polite way of emphasising French need for Argentine wheat. So rich was Argentina, so poor the _great_ old nations of Europe, that Evita could play the benefactress wherever she went \u2014 Spain, Italy, even France \u2014 with pesetas, pesos, francs from her handbag for the poor and giant loans for their governments. Indeed, one of the high points of her stay in Paris came at the Quai d'Orsay, where she presided in grande dame manner over the signing of a French-Argentine commercial treaty granting France a loan of 600 million pesos (about 120 million dollars). It would buy a lot of Argentine wheat, and beef as well, although that didn't prevent a less than gallant French newspaper from commenting rather churlishly that 'Madame Per\u00f3n will be made palatable to the French workers and peasants by being dressed as a piece of Argentine frozen beef.'\n\nUnderstandably, remarks like that dimmed Evita's enthusiasm for France. Her savoir faire began to slip a little. After asking four leading couturiers to give her an unprecedented private showing of their collections at the Ritz, Evita appeared an hour late, kept the models waiting in tiny dressing rooms with the temperature nearly a hundred degrees, then told them she did not have time to look at the gowns. Then there was another embarrassment at the super-elegant Restaurant des Ambassadeurs, where a pair of clowns dressed as a camel offered her a bouquet of flowers \u2014 through the rear-end of the camel. She was not amused and stalked out with her party to the sniggers of the other diners.\n\nAbout one o'clock that morning, Evita phoned Buenos Aires and spoke to her husband. It had become a nightly routine for her to share the joys and griefs of the day with him. Evita sent off a package every night to Buenos Aires of all the pictures taken of her that day, and, wherever she stayed, her hosts always made sure there were photos of the General prominently displayed. They had never been apart so long, and they both must have felt the loneliness that goes hand-in-hand with power, surrounded by aides prepared to do their instant bidding, yet isolated, rather in the way of that old Irving Berlin melody \u2014 'What'll I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to?' The kind of troubles that neither aides nor photographs could solve, and which they most certainly must have discussed during those long nightly phone calls, included the question of whether she should or should not go to Great Britain.\n\nThe British Prime Minister Clement Attlee had invited her to his country after word had reached the Foreign Office via the British Embassy in Buenos Aires that an invitation would be appreciated. At first the British were delighted to get what they saw as an opportunity to put their rather strained relations with Argentina on a warmer footing. Per\u00f3n had swept them economically from a country that they had long regarded as a sixth dominion. Their investments in Argentina had been reduced practically overnight from 250 million pounds to four million as a result of sales forced on them under the threat of expropriation. So they no longer possessed the kind of economic power over Argentina that fourteen years earlier had forced it to sign a trade pact that had included an agreement eliminating privately-owned Argentine bus lines in Buenos Aires for no other reason than that they threatened the profitability of the British-owned transport system in the city. But now all the British were concerned about was to safeguard their supplies of desperately needed beef. If that meant giving the wife of the Argentine President a few pleasant days in England then the British Government was happy to extend a warm welcome. Unfortunately, it did not work out in quite that way.\n\nBasically the problem was that the British were finding it much more difficult to divest themselves of their colonial mentality than they were their empire, and Attlee's Labour Government handled the arrangements for the visit with all the tact and sensitivity of a nineteenth-century Tory gun-boat diplomatist. Responsibility for putting together a schedule was handed over to the Anglo-Hispanic Council whose secretary, it was announced, was well fitted to handle the matter because 'he has a close knowledge of Latin America. He was a Methodist missionary there, and has explored up the Amazon.' If that was not bad enough, the next word out of the Foreign Office was that arrangements were in hand 'to show Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n things in which she is interested, such as the Royal Agricultural Show and the London Docks.' As an added attraction, Mrs Attlee had kindly offered to have tea with her.\n\nIf the Government thought it had everything under control, it was in for a big shock. That was not what the Se\u00f1ora wanted at all. First and foremost, she wanted to stay at Buckingham Palace with the King and Queen. That was all that mattered as far as she was concerned. It was to be the pinnacle, the supreme moment of her European Tour. Never again would her neighbours, those society ladies on Avenida Alvear, be able to look down on her.\n\nSo, suddenly, British Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin, whose beginnings in life were almost as humble as Evita's found himself with a diplomatic crisis on his hands. For not even a solid working-class socialist like Ernie Bevin could allow a woman with Evita's shady reputation to stay even one night under the roof of his Sovereign's palace. Word was passed to Evita that, unfortunately Their Majesties would not be in town during her visit. When her displeasure at that turn of events was leaked to the British press, a Foreign Office spokesman loftily commented on suggestions that there was some occasion for surprise that Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n would not be staying at Buckingham Palace. 'It is not a State visit,' he said. 'such visits are extremely rare and to draw a comparison between them and a private visit is only proof of ignorance.'\n\nHastily, the Foreign Office made it clear that its spokesman was not referring to Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n's ignorance. It was the newspapers, the ministry suggested, who had got it all wrong. The primary target of the FO's wrath was the tabloid _Sunday Pictorial_ which had carried a front page streamer headline that 'The President's wife is not welcome'. The article said that the planned visit was 'causing increased embarrassment' to the Government. British members of Parliament were concerned because Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n is 'the wife of a fascist dictator', because Argentina has 'consistently demanded pistol-point prices for meat that often proved to be of appalling quality', because she would come to Britain fresh from a 'triumphant reception in Franco's Spain, a country of oppression', and because 'the Se\u00f1ora's favourite party trick is to produce the fascist salute on the slightest pretext'.\n\nThat story was immediately picked up by the Associated Press wire service and transmitted to Argentina where it was gleefully carried by anti-Per\u00f3nist newspapers. General Per\u00f3n read it the next morning, and the AP promptly felt his wrath. The Ministry of Information put out a radio bulletin on the State network accusing the American wire service of being 'an instrument of certain interests engaged in disturbing good relations between Argentina and friendly countries'. Just who those certain interests were the Argentines did not say. But that same day, the British Ambassador was called to the Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires and told that Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n would not now be visiting Britain after all. There was no explanation. In London, British Ministers quietly heaved a sigh of relief, although naturally their Foreign Office spokesman voiced 'the liveliest regrets'.\n\nSo instead of Buckingham Palace, Evita had to make do with Switzerland, and just to add to her tale of woe, the Swiss gave her the most unpleasant reception of her whole trip. When the President drove with her from Berne station to the Town Hall, a young man who had pushed his way to the front of the curious crowd hurled two stones at the car, smashing the windscreen. Evita threw her hands up to protect her face. She was unhurt, and the stone-thrower was arrested after a struggle. The Swiss Government offered profuse apologies. But the next day, a group of young communists hurled tomatoes. They missed their target, striking the Foreign Minister who was sitting next to her and splattering her dress.\n\nAfter two months on the road, Evita had finally had enough of Europe. She cut short her Swiss stay, flew to Dakar in West Africa, and there boarded an Argentine freighter, the SS _Buenos Aires._\n\nAfter voyaging across the Atlantic, she still had one final stop to make, disembarking in Rio de Janeiro just in time to upstage the continent's first post-war Inter-American Defence Conference. The night before she arrived, the Argentine Embassy papered the city with thousands of huge ochre-tinted posters of Evita. But by dawn the Brazilian police had taken them all down, and the Argentines were gently chided by the evening newspaper, _Diario da Noite,_ with the comment that 'Brazilians don't need advice on how to treat beautiful charmers'. The Brazilian Foreign Minister decorated her with the Orden Nacional do Cruziero do Sul and then drove her the 40 miles to the fog-bound mountain valley where the conference was being held in the Quitandinha Hotel.\n\nNow that she was back on Latin American soil that old magnetism of hers was beginning to work again. Special squads of police had to be rushed in from Rio to cope with the thousands of local people who swarmed into the hotel, eager to catch a glimpse of the Argentine goddess they had heard so much about. Escorted by the Foreign Mirfisters of both Brazil and Argentina, Evita made a dramatic entrance into the Quitandinha's salmon-pink conference salon just five minutes before US Secretary of State George Marshall began his keynote speech. Delegates from every country in the hemisphere rose to applaud her as she took her seat in a specially roped-off section in the front of the hall by the speaker's rostrum.\n\nLater she drank champagne with Marshall who told her that her country's representative at the conference, Foreign Minister Juan Bramuglia, had become everybody's hero. From his hotel room, sipping mat\u00e9 from a silver gourd, Bramuglia had set aside years of Argentine animosity and distrust of American intentions in the continent, managing to orchestrate the necessary compromises whenever delegates appeared bogged down in disputes as they worked their way towards a treaty that would bind all the nations in the Americas to mutual defence. Evita smiled a watery smile at this fulsome praise for Juan Bramuglia. Indeed, Secretary Marshall unknowingly could not have done his Argentine colleague a greater disservice. As Evita set off on her last lap home, she gave much thought to her husband's foreign minister and the reputation he was making for himself.\n\n## _8_  \n _'LOVE CONQUERS ALL'_\n\nUndoubtedly the noisiest place in the world on August 23,1947, was the port of Buenos Aires. Evita was coming home. A chill breeze off the Rio de la Plata whipped the muddy water-front as her ship slipped past the old yacht club of the oligarchs and pulled into harbour. Sirens howled. Tugs boomed their welcome. On the dockside, 250,000 Argentines roared a greeting: _'Uno, dos, tres, Evita otra vez!'_ (One, two, three, Evita once again!). Thousands of them had poured into the capital by train and bus the previous day, sleeping out in the city parks, wrapped in their ponchos to protect them from the cold winter night air. Their dark skins, Indian-mestizo features, and ragged clothes \u2014 the badge of the descamisados, Evita's Shirtless Ones \u2014 were their passport to the dockside festivities.\n\nAmid the din, the ship inched up against the quay. Evita was on the bridge, waving and wiping the tears from her eyes. Her husband-president was crying, too. For in Latin America, a man is allowed to show his emotion. He is not considered any less of a man for that. As his wife stepped ashore, dressed in a kohinoor mink coat with luxurious balloon sleeves, he crushed her in an emotional embrace in front of the crowd. Then, with a flourish, Juan Domingo Per\u00f3n wiped the tears from her eyes and led her to a specially-built platform draped with wine-coloured velvet.\n\nObviously, it was a happy and exciting moment for both of them. While the Grand Tour had had its ups and downs \u2014 diamonds in Madrid, boos in Milan \u2014 Eva Per\u00f3n had become a world-famous figure. The Presidents of Spain and France had kissed her hand. She had met the Pope. She had stolen the limelight from US Secretary of State George Marshall. For two months her name had been in the headlines every day throughout Western Europe as newsmen scrambled over each other to cover every word and move of the illegitimate farm girl from the pampas. Every newspaper told and retold the astonishing rags to riches success story of the beautiful enchantress from Argentina.\n\nIt would not have been surprising if the Per\u00f3ns had used those moments in front of the microphones for a little reflective glory and mutual back-slapping. Perhaps it says a lot about their characters, their single-minded devotion to power, that they used their few minutes with their descamisados and their captive nation-wide audience to attack their enemies. For even after nearly two years of close to dictatorial Per\u00f3nista power, there were still opposition newspapers that refused to be silenced and political opponents who refused to be cowed. The President warned them on that August afternoon that his patience was exhausted and that if they did not accept his bid for tranquillity, it would be forced upon them.\n\n'We have been tolerating the intolerable for the past year and a half,' he thundered. 'We are still asking that they do not use infamy as a battle nor calumny as a weapon. It is to their advantage that they listen to us: we want peace, we want tranquillity, because if some day they convince us that in order to obtain that tranquillity it is necessary to fight, we will fight! If tomorrow the moment should come to impose that peace by force I am decided to do so and on their shoulders will rest the responsibility.'\n\nThe crowds loved it. That was the kind of oligarch-bashing they had come to hear. They cheered even louder when their beloved Evita stepped forward to the microphones. First, she said softly, 'It is with profound emotion that I return to this my country where I left my three great loves, my homeland, my descamisados, and my beloved General Per\u00f3n.' Then she, too, turned on her enemies. She had heard disturbing rumours in Europe and Rio, she cried, 'But whatever the future promises, if I fall, I will fall with my beloved descamisados, and at the side of General Per\u00f3n.'\n\nAnd yet whatever it was she had heard, this hardly seemed the right moment for such sabre-rattling. For barring a few boos in middle-class suburban cinemas when pictures of her return were shown on the newsreel programmes that precede every film in Argentina, she had received the most tumultuous welcome ever staged for any woman in the Americas. While church bells rang out throughout the nation, a thanksgiving mass was held in the main cathedral in Buenos Aires. Airplanes dropped olive twigs, tied with the ribbons of flags of all nations, over the city. Coloured pigeons \u2014 dyed pink and blue (a task that occupied the attention of lowly Per\u00f3nista functionaries for days) \u2014 fluttered across the central plazas of the capital. It was an outpouring of love, genuine as well as organised, on a scale that even that admittedly emotional nation had never known before. A writer for the _New Yorker_ magazine caught the mood of the moment with an article called 'Love, Love, Love'. The classic pulp romance of our time,' wrote Philip Hamburger, may well turn out to be 'The fabulous Adventures of Juan and Eva Per\u00f3n, or Love Conquers All.'\n\nHamburger wrote that on his first day in Buenos Aires, he was lunching in a restaurant on one of the main downtown streets, sampling a practically raw sirloin the size of a telephone directory, when he heard a shrill honking of horns. He looked out of the window and saw a long parade of trucks that had halted, snarling traffic. The drivers were just sitting in their cabs, grinning and blowing their horns. On the side of each truck were crude posters bearing pictures of red hearts pierced by arrows, and mingled with the hearts, inscriptions reading: 'Eva, We Love You,' 'Eva and Juan, a Blessed Couple,' 'You Will Go to Heaven, Eva and Juan,' and so on.' Thinking that it was a satiric attack on the administration and perhaps the beginning of a revolution, he paid his bill and went out into the street to get a closer look.\n\n'Hundreds of people, mostly pale, thin little men with tiny black moustaches, were glancing at the posters as they rushed past, presumably on their way to a steak lunch. Hundreds of other people were peering from the windows of the tall, modern buildings along the street. The unceasing sound of the horns, the truck drivers' foolish grins, and the mocking, insolent signs shimmering in the bright sunlight gave the scene a momentous and historic air.'\n\n'This is it,' he thought. The Per\u00f3n police will come. They will destroy these seditious posters. Heads will roll.' He stood there for quite a while. The police did not come. The only policeman he saw was standing on a white wooden platform in the middle of the cross-roads, and he was simply shrieking at the driver of a huge bus, who, delayed by the cavalcade of trucks, had begun to honk his horn.\n\nFinally, he caught sight of a North American friend of his, a long-time resident in Argentina, in the crowd. He grasped his arm. 'Revolution?' he asked, pointing at one of the signs. 'Revolution, hell,' his friend said. 'Just a demonstration of affection. The trucking union is about to strike. They want to make certain in advance that Juan and Eva are on their side.' The friend looked again at the signs. 'Very good,' he said. 'Properly affectionate. They'll probably win the strike.'\n\nIn Argentina, Hamburger wrote, 'love makes the Per\u00f3ns go round. Their whole act is based on it. They are constantly, madly, passionately, nationally in love. They conduct their affair with the people quite openly. They are the perfect lovers \u2014 generous, kind, and forever thoughtful, in matters both large and small. Their love is all-encompassing, ever present. It settles like a soft blanket over the loved ones, providing warmth and protection and the opportunity for a good, long sleep.'\n\nBut there were still plenty of Argentines who did not love the Per\u00f3ns. Not that there was anything they could do about it except exchange gossip and rumours \u2014 there were plenty of these, told at fashionable cocktail parties and dinners. At one dinner party a guest had learned that the Se\u00f1or and Se\u00f1ora were splitting up. Just that morning, he had heard from a man who knew a man who had a friend who worked in the President's office, in the Casa Rosada, that the Se\u00f1ora often screamed at the President and that her voice could be heard down the corridor outside his chambers. This split, the guest continued, was quite in line with the rumour that the Se\u00f1ora coveted the Presidency herself and had secretly ordered the printing of hundreds of thousands of posters bearing her picture and the words 'The First Woman President'. When the time comes,' the guest said, 'she will poison him.' Another guest was also flushed with rumour. The President, he said, was fascinated by the Se\u00f1ora. In her presence, he acted like a lovesick adolescent. At official dinner parties, she would endlessly relate details of her famous trip abroad, and the President would clap his hands at each tiresome incident and cry, 'Wonderful, wonderful!' But the party's hostess said she had been told that the President was tired of the Se\u00f1ora and was considering forcing her into exile. When she insisted on boring dinner guests with reminiscences about her trip, he would ostentatiously drop his chin onto his chest and make rude snoring sounds.\n\nCertain stories were staples. When the Se\u00f1ora autographed pictures, she always misspelled most of the words of her inscription; the Se\u00f1ora had left huge unpaid bills behind her in Rome; every evening after work she repaired to the Central Bank, where she drank 'real French champagne' with the directors and plotted the undermining of the nation's financial structure; she carried about with her several million pesos in cash, in a little black bag; she had recently bought a \u00a3550,000 diamond from Cartier's in Paris; at dinner parties she admired the jewellery of other female guests with such feline emphasis that she was invariably presented with it before the end of the evening.\n\nHowever, the telling and retelling of such gossip did little to lift the heavy air of depression and dejection that pervaded the city. The country's intellectuals \u2014 students, writers, artists \u2014 were depressed by a sense of inevitability, frustration, and gathering darkness. A middle-aged lawyer recalled his student days in the 1940s. 'On this continent,' he said, 'we were accustomed to the dictator type of rulers \u2014 ruthless, arrogant strongmen. It is a woeful tradition. But this man Per\u00f3n, he was a dictator of another type. He was subtle, devious, charming. He did not come out in the open and crack skulls. He did his work silently and cynically. You see, there was so little we could put our hands on \u2014 everything he did was in the name of democracy and social betterment \u2014 and yet we sensed the smell of evil in the air, and the thin ledge on which we walked.'\n\n## _9_  \n _EVA'S RULE_\n\nIn the early hours of September 24, 1948, Buenos Aires radio stations began blaring forth the news of a conspiracy to murder Evita and her husband. Thirteen of the plotters had already been arrested said Federal Police Chief Arturo Bertollo in a dawn press conference. He named their leader, and it was hard to believe. For it was the original descamisado, Cipriano Reyes, leader of the meat packing house workers. Three years earlier, on that fateful October 17, he had led his ragged mob of fellow workers into the heart of Buenos Aires and had restored Juan Per\u00f3n to power. Now, if it was true, Reyes, disillusioned and in opposition, had planned to throw a bomb at the Per\u00f3ns as they entered the Teatro Colon Opera House for a gala performance. Also accused as a plotter was a former American Embassy official, John D. Griffiths, who had been ordered out of the country the previous April for alleged anti-Per\u00f3n activities. No explanation for this desperate adventure was given by the police. But within a few hours posters denouncing the plot were plastered around the city. Loudspeaker trucks toured the streets announcing a one-day general strike so that workers could show their indignation. By noon the city was paralysed.\n\nFactories and shops closed. The trains stopped running. So to make sure of a good turnout, the government mobilised trucks to bring in workers from the outlying shanty-town slums to the centre of the city. In the bright spring sunlight they streamed into Plaza de Mayo, many of them carrying posters condemning the plot against their beloved leaders. Gallows decorated trees and buildings \u2014 a meaningful reminder of the bitter speech two weeks earlier in which Per\u00f3n assured his enemies that his voice would not tremble as he ordered them hanged. To the gallows with Cipriano,' screamed the vast crowd in the plaza. But then, as the afternoon grew later, the chanting changed to the more familiar rhythmic 'Evita! Evita! Per\u00f3n! Per\u00f3n!' There was a roar that lasted for a good ten to fifteen minutes when finally the President and this wife walked out on to the balcony, accompanied by Interior Minister Angel C. Borlenghi.\n\nWhen the crowd had quietened down sufficiently for Peron to begin to speak, he launched into an emotional, almost hysterical attack on 'the traitors to the country' who had plotted his death because 'international capitalists desire it.' His audience knew the Peron shorthand by heart. 'It's the Yankees,' they yelled. The President was not saying anything. But he savagely attacked John Griffiths as 'this international spy who came into our country free and trusted, only to use his diplomatic position to spy against the Republic.' Then Evita weighed in with a promise that she would willingly 'die a thousand times' for her descamisados, and she wondered aloud, with a catch in her voice, why anybody would want to kill a 'humble woman' just because she happened to be the 'humblest collaborator of General Per\u00f3n'. Below in the plaza, the crowd responded with a thunderous 'Hang them, hang them!'\n\nBut before things got out of hand, Per\u00f3n called on everybody to be calm. He had the patience, he said, 'to dominate the agitators or liquidate them if necessary.' He told them to go home, adding an afterthought with a grin that they should not stop and attack _La Prensa_ on their way, which they had a habit of doing whenever they came into town for a Plaza de Mayo rally. Just what this one had been all about no one seemed quite sure. Not many Argentines, other than the most fanatical of Per\u00f3nistas, took the story of the plot seriously.\n\nJohn Griffiths, the American diplomat involved who was living on the other side of the River Plata in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, called it 'a joke in bad taste'. Cipriano Reyes was not heard from. Nor was he for another seven years. He was kept in gaol and intermittently tortured. Among the other alleged plotters were three priests, a half blind doctor, and two women, all of them completely unknown politically. As for relations with the US, Per\u00f3n seemed to have consigned them once more to the low level they had reached during his early days in power. There appeared to be only one reasonable explanation, that the Per\u00f3ns wanted to warn their enemies, whoever they might be, they could still produce a potent mob of the faithful on short notice.\n\nGlittering with diamonds in Paris on the arm of the Argentine Ambassador.\n\nTouching up in Geneva.\n\n_Below:_ With her escorts at the Vatican, en route to see the Pope.\n\nBack home, distributing gifts to children.\n\nPreparing for a busy day with hairdresser and manicurist.\n\n_Above:_ The start of a formal evening.\n\n_Below:_ A gala night at the Teatro Colon opera house.\n\n_Above:_ A dying Evita greets the crowds from the balcony as she is held up by her husband, October 17,1951.\n\n_Below:_ A warm embrace on that same \"Santa Evita Day\".\n\nSo it was attack, and there was no finer, fiercer exponent of that than Eva Per\u00f3n. 'Wait until we get the opposition out of the way,' she told a group of union leaders who visited her in her office shortly after she returned from Europe. Then you'll really see things.' To a newly-elected Per\u00f3nista deputy named Astorgano, a former bouncer in a bar who confessed he was nervous about speaking in Congress, she advised: 'Oh, you won't need to do much talking. But you can do plenty of listening. And if you hear anyone speaking ill of me, break his head open.'\n\nOne Congressional head that Evita particularly wanted bloodying belonged to Radical Deputy Ernesto Enrique Sammartino who had sardonically remarked on the floor of Congress that, 'A President who believes that the nation's history begins and ends with him shows at least a lack of mental and moral equilibrium.'\n\nPer\u00f3n paid no attention, preferring to joke about attacks like that unless they got out of hand. But not Evita. She was not going to allow an insult like that pass without punishment. She told Hector Campora, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, to expel Sammartino from Congress. Campora was a small-town dentist who had risen to the top in Per\u00f3nista politics through a policy of slavish devotion to Evita which had paid off. He had once even boasted that, They say I'm Evita's servant. I'm honoured to be called her servant because I serve her loyally.' So naturally he wasted no time in carrying out her order.\n\nUnder Argentina's constitution, members of Congress could be expelled by a two-thirds vote for 'gross misconduct'. As far as Evita was concerned, there could be no greater misconduct than insulting her husband's dignity. There never was any doubt what the result would be. The Per\u00f3nistas already controlled more than two-thirds of the Chamber of Deputies and they had one hundred per cent of the Senate. All the Radicals could do to protect their man was to stand up for him in debate. When Per\u00f3nista Deputy Conte Grand put the expulsion motion before the chamber, quoting Sammartino's attack on the President as the basis for the charge, a Radical deputy shouted, 'And well spoken, too!'\n\nWhen it became time for Sammartino to defend himself, he spoke with measured insolence. We have not come here to do obeisance to the lash nor to dance to Madame Pompadour's tune,' he said. 'This is not a fashionable nightclub or the ante-room of a palace. It is the parliament of a free people, and it should be made plain to the people here and now that this Chamber will not obey the commands of meddling old colonels, nor heed orders given in perfumed letters from the boudoir of any ruler.' With that, Campora struck the bell on his desk and put an end to any further debate. A prominent Per\u00f3nista hurried to a cloakroom telephone, then returned to whisper in Campora's ear. The roll call began, and the deputies voted \u2014 by turning the electrical indicators on their desk to 'Aye' or 'No'. The lights on the board above the dias flashed the result: 104 to 42 in favour of expulsion. 'Let's see who runs to telephone la Se\u00f1ora!' yelled Radical Deputy Emir Mercador.\n\nWith his parliamentary immunity lifted, Sammartino disappeared underground as federal police scoured the city for him. Finally, like so many other opponents of the Per\u00f3ns, he surfaced across the river in Montevideo, from where he sent a message to his Radical colleagues predicting that 'tomorrow all of you will have to join me'. They had walked out of the Chamber of Deputies after Sammartino's expulsion. But that had simply opened the way for a field day of Congressional rubber-stamping. Without so much as looking at the mimeographed budget report on their desk, the Per\u00f3nista deputies passed a \u00a3425 million budget, then whipped through 28 bills in four hours, one of which gave the President dictatorial rights to govern by decree whenever he felt the nation's welfare demanded it. Another allowed him to gaol anyone who showed 'disrespect' for any official from President to dog-catcher.\n\nBut when the Per\u00f3nistas turned their attention to yet another bill authorising a convention to amend the country's 1853 constitution, the Radicals hurried back to the Chamber for a last ditch battle to salvage some remnants of Argentina's badly tattered democracy. They attacked the Government for railroading the reform bill through the Congress before the country had a chance to study it. We are watching the destruction of Parliament,' cried Radical Deputy Alfredo R. Vitolo. Another Radical shouted: 'We want reform for the people and not for the President.' From 4 o'clock in the afternoon until 2.50 the next morning the opposition fought a futile delaying action. Then the bill was passed. One of its provisions, once a constitutional convention ratified it, enabled Per\u00f3n to succeed himself as President, a step that brought a warning from the Radicals that the country was heading towards a situation where 'all political, economic, and cultural powers' would be concentrated under 'one official party and its chief'. The warning reached few Argentines. The Government-controlled press and radio saw to that.\n\nBut a few old enemies of Evita decided to register their protest against the constitutional changes. On Calle Florida \u2014 probably the most famous shopping street in South America \u2014 a group of the wealthiest and most socially prominent women in Argentina paraded with banners and chanted 'Save the Constitution'. It was an unlikely sight, a huddled group of fur-coated elderly and middle-aged ladies all looking a little scared at their temerity. But outside the opposition newspaper _La Nacion_ they sang the national anthem with its chorus line of _Libertad! Libertad! Libertad!,_ and immediately were surrounded by hundreds of cheering shoppers. It was that kind of street, not the sort of place, with its high prices, that was likely to attract Evita's descamisados. But the cheering and the singing of the society ladies quickly attracted the attention of a police riot squad. Seven women were arrested, two of them Uruguayan tourists, a mother and daughter who had been shopping on Calle Florida and had stopped to watch the demonstration. All of them were thrown in gaol overnight and released the next morning with a scolding from the judge. But that was not the end of the matter. Evita had been out of town. When she returned and found out what had happened she immediately ordered that the women be re-arrested.\n\nThey were herded into cells reserved for prostitutes, a cruelly vindictive touch by Evita. She had done it before to a group of teenage girls who had been arrested for laughing at the rustic accent of a Per\u00f3nista provincial governor while he was making a speech at the annual Rural Show, always one of the main social events of the year in Argentina because of its connection with the country's landed aristocracy. Evita knew exactly what horror and indignation that punishment would arouse in a society which set such a high premium on a girl's virtue. So she repeated it with the older women and then had them appear before a Per\u00f3n-appointed judge who sentenced them to 30 days in jail, although one of them, who was 72 years old, was allowed to serve her sentence at home.\n\nThat evening, the Per\u00f3nista paper _La Epoca_ devoted most of its front page to condemning the women for seeking deliberately to embarrass the Government outside the country. 'The people will scourge their enemies,' the paper thundered. 'Traitors to the nation will not be tolerated.' Indeed, the Per\u00f3ns seemed determined to make an example of the women. Possibly it was part of Evita's revenge against the Sociedad de Beneficiencia, for all five of the Argentine women involved were members. The Uruguayan Government tried but failed to persuade the Argentines to release the two Uruguayan women. As for the others, the Per\u00f3nista majority in Congress made sure there would not be any public debate by the simple expedient of staying away from the Chamber until the women had finished serving their sentences. And to make sure that everybody got the point that opposition was no longer tolerated in Argentina, Per\u00f3n growled that he recognised 'the inalienable right of an outworn oligarchy to a final kicking fit in its death agony. But even within that right, they should learn that if we so wish, we shall bind them securely so that they can kick no more.'\n\nThe next day, an underground edition of the banned Socialist weekly _Vanguardia_ appeared on the streets of Buenos Aires with a particularly apt cartoon by its celebrated cartoonist Tristan. It showed Per\u00f3n in full uniform, armed with club, knives, cannon, spear, bombs, rope, moneybag, and microphone. He was addressing a gagged figure, tied hands and feet to a stake and labelled 'opposition'. 'Stop bragging and come out and fight,' the General said in the cartoon. 'You cannot frighten me, you traitor, oligarch, thief, cheat, faker, and liar.'\n\nWhile porte\u00f1os giggled privately, the Per\u00f3ns sent out the federal police on yet another dragnet hunt for the gadfly weekly. It had infuriated them both so often with its scathing personal attacks that they had closed it down but in the way that they normally dealt with their enemies \u2014 by bending laws to suit their purpose. Three charges had been brought against _Vanguardia_ \u2014 its printing presses violated a municipal anti-noise measure, a weapon chosen by the Per\u00f3ns with cool irony since the anti-noise ordinance had been sponsored some years back by the Socialists; its loading of papers into delivery trucks tied up traffic on the street; and its pressroom lacked proper first-aid equipment.\n\n_La Vanguardia's_ management said it would stop printing at night and avoid loading during hours when the traffic was heavy, though it pointed out that several Per\u00f3nista papers on the same street ran their presses after sundown without official rebuke. The paper also said it would see to it that the pressroom was well supplied with necessary first-aid equipment. But it was no use. The paper was forced to go underground, skipping from one secret printing plant to another, sometimes publishing on wrapping paper. Cartoonist Tristan found a special delight in laughing at Evita's flowery speeches with their constant references to the 'heart of Per\u00f3n' and the 'heart of Evita'. He drew her bejewelled with a blank face and a heart-shaped mouth as her only identification.\n\nNo one who met Evita ever forgot her. Milton Bracker, who covered Argentina for the _New York Times_ during her years of power, remembered a woman of incredible humourlessness, startling energy, and corroding rancour, who had an absolute inability to forget or forgive. In cold print, her speeches failed to convey the constant sense of offended righteousness in her voice; the fusion of tension and outrage which may have had a deeper effect upon her listeners than her words; and the semi-mystic, fear-ridden role which made her probably the most idolised, hated and mistrusted woman in the world in her day. Her temper was notorious. A high-ranking diplomat once heard her in the presence of other high officials scream at Argentina's Minister of the Treasury: 'shut up Cereijo, 'Shut up!' And yet she could speak gently and lovingly over the radio at midnight on Christmas Eve to her 'beloved descamisados'.\n\nBut it was on the balcony that Evita reigned supreme. It has always been the podium of Latin American demagogues. Ecuador's popular populist Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra, who was regularly elected President and deposed just as often, once cried from exile: 'Give me a balcony in each town and I shall take possession of Ecuador.' Juan and Eva Per\u00f3n had that same spellbinding appeal for working-class Argentines. Indeed, the ardour of the vast crowds that packed Plaza de Mayo never seemed to dim with the passing of the years. Whether the Per\u00f3ns were celebrating an anniversary, like October the 17th, or seeking reassurance in a time of crisis, Argentines would turn out by the tens of thousands, waving aloft banners and pictures of their hero and heroine along with shirts tied to poles, the symbol of the descamisado.\n\nAfter hours of noise, the singing of Per\u00f3nista songs and the chanting of slogans, rising to a crescendo of 'Evita! Evita! Per\u00f3n! Per\u00f3n!' the President and his wife like actors on a cue, would fling open the big windows and walk out on to the balcony. The script rarely changed. Per\u00f3n spoke first. He only had time to say: 'shirtless companions' and the crowd instantly interrupted with shouts of 'the coat, the coat'. Per\u00f3n would laugh, take off his coat, and in shirt-sleeves launch into his speech. His powerful voice thundered through the plaza, deafening the ears of those who stood too close to the loudspeakers. His words poured out with a rhythm, the tempo building, slackening, pausing, at which point the uninitiated, the first-timers, applauded like a concert-goer confusing the end of a movement for the end of the symphony. Then, with a flourish and a cry of _'companeros descamisados'_ , he would be off again.\n\nAs he finished, the chant went up: 'Evita, Evita', and the slim, tiny figure with burning eyes and blonde hair, wrapped in mink and glittering with diamonds, stepped forward to the microphones, her arms outstretched to the people below. She spoke faster than Per\u00f3n, whipping her audience with the shrillness of her voice into a frenzy of loyalty and devotion. As always, she humbled herself before the man she publicly worshipped as a wise, benign, semi-divine king. 'He is a god to us,' she cried. 'We cannot conceive of heaven without Per\u00f3n. He is our sun, our air, our water, our life. I want nothing but to be the heart of Per\u00f3n. Because though I do my best to understand him and learn his marvellous ways, whenever he makes a decision, I barely mumble. Whenever he speaks, I hardly utter a single word. Whenever he gives advice, I scarcely dare make a suggestion. What he sees I hardly glimpse. But I see him with the eyes of my soul . . . And I have pledged myself to collect the hopes of the Argentine people and empty them in the marvellous heart of Per\u00f3n so that he may turn them into realities.' Then she turned to her husband. 'The humble people, my General, have come here to prove, as they have always done, that the miracle that happened 2,000 years ago is happening again. The rich, the learned, the men in power never understood Christ. It was the humble and the poor who understood, because their souls, unlike the souls of the rich, are not sealed up with avarice and selfishness.' Down below the crowd roared their agreement: _'Uno-dos-tres-quatro\/tenemos Per\u00f3n para rato'_ \u2014 one, two three, four\/We want Per\u00f3n for evermore.\n\nIf Evita's words sounded close to heresy in a country as catholic as Argentina, then so be it as far as she was concerned. In her autobiography she wrote: 'God who could not conceive heaven without his mother, whom he liked so much, will forgive me because my heart cannot conceive it without Per\u00f3n... I am certain that, by imitating Christ, Per\u00f3n feels a deep love for humanity and that this, more than anything else, makes him great, magnificently great.'\n\nNo one who knew her doubted she meant it with every taut muscle in her tiny body. There was a mysticism, a ferocious fanaticism about her, and she admitted it. 'I have dedicated myself fanatically to Per\u00f3n and Per\u00f3n's ideals,' she often said. 'Without fanaticism one cannot accomplish anything.' And she would chide those around her who didn't display it. 'We don't want shame-faced Per\u00f3nistas; we do not want political neuters,' was her constant refrain. Her husband, more tolerant and relaxed, seemed content to allow her to pursue her ambitions. At the start of his Presidency, he had given her a desk and few chores to do at the Ministry of Labour. Within two years she was virtually running the country.\n\nShe controlled her own political army of five million workers, her descamisados, members of the General Confederation of Labour, the CGT. Its General Secretary, Jose Espejo, a squat, black-moustached little man, had been the hall porter in her old Calle Posadas apartment when she plucked him out to become her trade union push button. As an intimation of what his function would be, he remained silent during the press conference to announce his appointment while Evita answered all the questions. From then on he spent most of his time, not at CGT headquarters, but at the Labour Ministry where he was at the Se\u00f1ora's beck and call. She ruled the unions through him. Those that failed to cooperate did not get pay rises. They were closed down, their leaders jailed, replaced by brand new unions led by hand-picked Evita henchmen, the fate of the office workers union in Cordoba, the municipal workers' union in Buenos Aires, and the farm truckers' union.\n\nThe taxi drivers of Buenos Aires had been members of an anarcho-syndicalist union that had a history of telling Argentine governments to go to hell. They tried it with Evita. She formed an opposition union, put pro-Per\u00f3n drivers at the wheel of opposition cabs. When the anarcho-syndicalists still resisted her embrace, the Government instituted petrol rationing and issued cards only to members of the pro-Per\u00f3n union. Within a few weeks all the cab drivers were members of Evita's union. They were then able to share in the very real benefits \u2014 doubled, often trebled wages, paid holidays, bonuses, rest homes, and holiday camps \u2014 which CGT workers were enjoying for the very first time in Argentine history, thanks to their benefactress.\n\nTo those five million workers who would for ever worship Evita, she added four million women, liberated by her from shackles of their traditional subservient place in Latin society. They had possessed few rights, civil or political, until then. In the words of one angry, bitter feminist of the time, they were 'intellectually deadened by the actions of a society which thinks it dangerous... for them to be able to read and write . . . strongly dominated by religious beliefs, moulded by archaic prejudices, impregnated by a spirit so Spanish that it led man to treat woman with gallantry and at the same time to deny her personality; to value her grace and her beauty but to exploit her weakness and her ignorance, and to have no confidence in her intelligence; to fight a duel when he thought his own woman offended . . . but to shower any woman he passed in the streets with insolent remarks.' Those were exactly the prejudices that Evita had fought all her life.\n\n'Because I have seen that women have never had material or spiritual opportunities \u2014 only poetry took them into account \u2014 and because I have known that women were a moral and spiritual resource in the world,' she said, 'I have placed myself at the side of all women of my country to struggle resolutely with them not only for the vindication of ourselves but also of our homes, our children, and our husbands.'\n\nFirst she had to convince her husband who had lived for half a century without ever having shown any deviation from normal Argentine macho attitudes. In fact, his 1943 revolution had issued a stern call to the nation's womenfolk to concentrate on family life. For it was a period when office jobs, particularly in government ministries, had just begun to open up for women. But the military government summarily put an end to that. Indeed, such were the attitudes that President Farrell could indignantly complain that demonstrations against the government had been led by 'persons of the opposite sex who impeded the work of the police, exploiting the circumstance that the latter were gentlemen.'\n\nWith Per\u00f3n's old-fashioned charm, there's little doubt that he would have echoed Farrell's shocked grumble. But Evita apparently changed all that. When he became President, she saw to it that woman's suffrage stood high on the list of the government's legislative programme. But there were plenty of Argentines, Per\u00f3nistas among them, who showed a marked lack of enthusiasm for the prospect of emancipated women turning their way of life upside-down. The suffrage bill somehow seemed to linger in Congressional committees while other bills speeded through. So, shortly after Evita returned from her European tour, she marched into Congress and told the deputies that she would not leave until the bill had passed. With the Chamber's gallery packed with women and thousands more outside surrounding the building, the shaken legislators quickly did as they were told. Two days later, one hundred thousand Peronistas flocked into Plaza de Mayo to hear Per\u00f3n promulgate the new law and to hear Evita assure the women, as well as the men, that a new era had dawned for Argentina.\n\nThe next step was to mobilise the power she had unleashed. On July 26, 1949, Evita brought into being the Peronista Feminist Party. As always now in Argentina, her presence completely dominated the packed Cervantes Theatre in Buenos Aires where 1,500 women had gathered. They were uninterested in the introductory remarks by the only man present, Governor Domingo Mercante of Buenos Aires Province. But they burst into wild cheering with cries of 'Evita! Evita!' when she arrived, wearing a business-like grey suit with black velvet collar and carrying a red-lined briefcase. She spoke for two hours, her words constantly interrupted by chants of 'Our lives for Evita'. She was named President of the Party, of course, and she took all the other executive offices as well. Within days, party offices were springing up all across the country. Even in the smallest of towns, the clubhouse of the Per\u00f3nista Feminist Party was instantly recognisable by the giant portrait of Evita, bathed at night in neon-light, her face graciously inclined, a gentle smile on her lips.\n\nBut her hold over the Argentine people went much deeper than the women who owed her their vote or the workman his latest wage increase. It had everything to do with what her enemies called the most gigantic protection racket-cum-slush fund the world had ever seen \u2014 her Social Aid Foundation. She had started it with \u00a3500 of her own money to compete against the charity run by the haughty, aristocratic dowagers she hated so bitterly. Within three years their charity had vanished because the government, at Evita's behest, had cut off the subsidy which had been its principal means of support. In the same period, her foundation's income soared to \u00a350 million a year and had become the country's biggest single enterprise.\n\nEvery person in Argentina \u2014 ambassadors, chambermaids, multi-millionaires \u2014 contributed 'voluntarily' to the fund. Members of the CGT, controlled by Evita, gave her two days of their pay each year. There was such a howl of protest from the volunteers in the first year that Treasury Minister Ramon Cereijo announced that the foundation would return the money. But at the same time word was leaked that a hurt and angry Evita would be thinking twice about granting any more union pay rises. By magic, the protests ceased and CGT General Secretary Espejo at a special ceremony in the Ministry of Labour told Evita that the country's workers had unanimously refused to take their money back. Graciously, she told him that she accepted their 'magnificent gesture', adding that 'I had expected no less from my beloved descamisados. I accept their contribution with profound emotion.' From then on she also accepted a percentage of the wage increases she awarded them, making the rise retrospective for one month with half of that month's increase going to her foundation. The unions also fell over themselves to make special fund-raising contributions to keep in her good graces \u2014 \u00a3334,500 from the railway workers, \u00a3195,125 from the municipal workers, \u00a3167,250 from the tramcar workers.\n\nEvita also creamed 20 per cent off the top of the national lottery. She received millions of pesos of public funds in the form of state contributions authorised by the Per\u00f3nist-controlled Congress. Big business gave generously, too, after firms discovered the penalty for not doing so. The Massone Institute, one of South America's leading manufacturers of bio-chemicals, refused to contribute to the foundation because Arnaldo Massone, the company's president, loathed the Per\u00f3ns and was not prepared to give a single peso to Evita Per\u00f3n. Under pressure he still refused. Retribution was swift. He and other directors of the company were indicted on charges of falsifying the chemical inscriptions of a number of biochemical products. They were sentenced to three months' imprisonment and the institute was fined \u00a313,567. As was usual in such cases, the police gave Arnoldo Massone sufficient time to pack his bags and flee across the river to join the growing band of Argentine refugees.\n\nThey were soon followed by the directors of the Mu Mu sweet company. She had asked them for 100,000 packets of sweets. They sent an emissary with a message offering to sell them at cost. Back came the reply that she expected them free. When they refused, a government inspector appeared at the factory. His report, published in all the Per\u00f3nista newspapers, stated that he had found rat hairs in the caramel mixture. The factory was closed and a heavy fine was imposed on the company for operating an unhygienic plant. The judge who handled the case thoughtfully passed the proceeds of the fine on to the foundation. After that, whenever one of Evita's collectors visited a company that was proving difficult, he simply took out a sweet from his pocket and chewed reflectively in front of the directors. He rarely had to make a return visit.\n\nThere never was any accounting for the money. Fleur Cowles, wife of an American publishing tycoon, visited Evita in the Casa Rosada, and asked her how she kept track on the money pouring into the foundation's coffers. 'I put the question to her carefully, saying I presumed she kept a very strict accounting of every dollar spent. \"How else will history give you credit for your charitable efforts?\" was the way I put it. She brushed history and the accountants aside without blinking an eye. \"Keeping books on charity is capitalistic nonsense,\" she said. \"I just use the money for the poor. I can't stop to count it.\"'*\n\nJust how much she siphoned off for herself no one will ever know \u2014 enough anyway to pay for her priceless collection of jewellery and to fill a number of Swiss bank accounts. But Argentina's poor certainly benefited in a way they never had before. She built them one thousand schools, poured millions into medical services that had never been available for the poor before. In fact, there were only 57 hospitals in the whole of Argentina when Per\u00f3n came to power. By the end of 1949 there were 119, most of them bearing the imprint of the Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n Social Aid Foundation. Her nursing schools trained 1,300 nurses every year who .went out into the slums and the countryside to staff the clinics that were being opened at a rate of one a week. She operated her own Red Cross, sending emergency aid and medical teams to the scene of disasters not only in Argentina but throughout Latin America. After the 1949 Ecuador earthquake which killed 800 people, Evita poured in relief \u2014 doctors, nurses, blood plasma, medical supplies, food, clothing. The young state of Israel received shipments of food and clothing for its immigrants. So did a Washington charity, much to the embarrassment of Americans.\n\nShe built homes for unmarried mothers, homes for the aged, parks and recreation centres, whole holiday resorts by the sea for workers. There was a hotel for working girls arriving homeless in the Big City for the first time, just like Evita not so many years before. She built orphanages for the 'thousands of little ones, without schooling, without hygienic care, without any home life, herded together in sordid huts and falling ready prey to illnesses of every kind.' At Christmas time she remembered her own deprived childhood. Through the foundation, every post office in the country gave away a bottle of cider, a loaf of traditional sweet bread, and toys for every family that called in on Christmas Eve. Each package carried a picture of Evita and her husband with a Christmas greeting from them to their 'beloved descamisados'.\n\nOne of her great joys was a model children's village which she built in a Buenos Aires suburb. It contained small-scale houses, shops, a church and a bank, plus luxurious dormitories, dining rooms and playrooms. There were supposed to be at least 200 children between the ages of two and five living in the village. But it always seemed to be as deserted as a ghost town whenever Evita took guests there from abroad, which she loved to do. Sniffed Fleur Cowles after Evita had given her the grand tour: 'It reminded me of a set for a ballet \u2014 not for human occupancy. Quantities of expensive toys, most of them bigger than any occupants, were arranged carefully in corridors, in playrooms, in bedrooms. But they seemed nailed to their positions; certainly they were never to be moved by children at play. Beautifully hand-made little dresses and coats were dusty on their hangers in the bedroom closets which Evita opened so proudly to show me. The beds were almost totally untouched. No children scampered through the toy houses, shops, library and school through which Evita trailed us; our heads stooped to squeeze inside the miniature buildings set on the front lawns. \"All the children are out on a huge picnic today,\" Evita explained.' Another visitor, a diplomat's wife, commented afterwards: 'It's the wish fulfillment of a little girl who had never had a doll's house of her own.'\n\nWish fulfillment it may have been. But the schools, hospitals, clinics, orphanages were not so easy to sneer away. As one of the more intelligent of her enemies remarked: 'If we had done for the workers a tiny fraction of what Evita had done, there never would have been a Per\u00f3n and she would still be a bad actress.' But they had not. Indeed, no one else had the right to say as she did, proudly, that 'I spend every hour of the day looking after the needs of the descamisados to show them that here, in the Argentine Republic . . . the gulf which had separated the people from the government no longer exists.'\n\nThe routine of her life never changed unless she was out of town. Up at 5.30, breakfast with her husband at 6.30, audiences in the residence at 8.00, in her office at the Ministry of Labour by mid-morning. It looked out over Hipolito Irigoyen Street, only a few blocks from the Casa Rosada. Four vases filled with fresh flowers daily stood on a long mahogany table against the wall. There were three telephones on it as well, one of them ivory coloured \u2014 a direct line to her husband in the Palace. It was a small room, 15 feet long by 10 feet wide, with a sofa and three easy chairs, not that anyone ever seemed to sit down in them. For Evita usually spent her morning flitting from reception room to reception room in the Ministry, meeting delegations that poured in throughout the day from around the country. For each there was a battery of photographers, one of them from her own newspaper, _Democracia,_ which published eight pictures of Evita on the average each day, and reaching as many as 25 on her return from Europe.\n\nOn one random morning, she saw the Workers' Association of the National Grain Elevator Commission, Labour and Social Organisation of the Indoor Workers of the Jockey Club, Society of Cinema Cashiers, Workers' Protective Association of the National Schools, Food Workers' Union of Buenos Aires, Lithuanian Catholic Association, and the Argentine Musicians' Federation. By then her personal secretary, Isabel Ernst, was trying to rush her home for lunch with her husband. He looks after her very carefully. She works so hard. But he insists that she eat regularly. He's been waiting for her for luncheon since 12.15, and, look, it is now 12.45. He gets very impatient.'\n\nBoth she and Per\u00f3n usually took a long midday break. But at around 5 o'clock, she would be on her way back to the Ministry to play her greatest role, that of Lady Bountiful. Milton Bracker of the _New York Times_ was there one afternoon and sent his newspaper a fascinating report of her performance:\n\nTwo policemen guard the entrance to the Ministry, which the Se\u00f1ora has in effect taken over from the Minister himself. Colour posters of both Per\u00f3ns deck the crowded lobby. Evita has two offices which adjoin but do not connect. Into one, poor mothers and children are screened on the basis of slips of paper fixing their audience for 4 pm. Into the other filter better dressed callers invited for special audiences at 5 pm. The _Presidenta's_ car rolls up a little after 5.30 and Evita slips into the latter room via a side door.\n\nThe office is scarcely less crowded than the hallway. Yet many of those waiting are important people: the Governor of Buenos Aires Province, the wife of the Minister of Education, a distinguished Italian actor. Evita's technique is like that of a chess master, playing twenty-five simultaneous games at high speed. She walks from one to another, listening briefly, though with apparent intentness, speaking rapidly with quick gestures and frequent smiles which flash her teeth.\n\n'Her voice rises as she rebuts a complaint about a benefit concert. (\"In this matter, Gigli is an authority. He knows what he's doing.\") She tells a banker that whoever gets a certain job must be very suave, very patient. She calls peremptorily for the head of the General Labour Confederation (Jose Espejo). She sends a publicist away glowing with the idea he'd make a fine counsellor of the embassy in Washington. And she pats the Governor of Buenos Aires and guides him back to an impatient circle by the window, where small talk is running thin.\n\n'She parries a question about her personal reaction to her work.\n\n'\"All these people, you see?\" she says. \"I am nothing \u2014 my work is everything.\"\n\n'She is off on another swing. When she returns, there is a little more fencing and she extends a soft, warm, hand, smiling superbly.\n\n\"Time is my greatest enemy,\" she says.\n\n'Meanwhile the other room overflows with children. They squirm and giggle, scramble on the floor and wail. At about 6.15, a premature murmur goes around. _\"Ya viene!\"_ (\"Here she comes!\") Presently the Se\u00f1ora steps in briskly. She sits beneath a huge oil of \"Amalia\", a melancholy lady in black mantilla, by Juan Carlos Alonso. Other pictures in the red-damasked room are of the Per\u00f3ns or of Christ.\n\n'Four secretaries surround the table. The synchronisation is like that of an operating room. One shoves a pencil into her hand, another readies a pad of clothing tickets, a third holds up a 'phone.\n\n'Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n speaks animatedly. \"Yes, yes. We are very grateful to you. If there is anything else you need, let us know. _Hasta luego.\"_ Most of the people in the room listen dumbly. A stringy-haired mother rocks her child.\n\nThe first supplicant is a shapeless woman with a toil-worn face. The First Lady turns her brown eyes; clusters of black crystals tinkle at the brim of her open-crown straw.\n\n'\"I live in one room,\" the woman says. \"I want a house to live in . . .\"\n\n\"How many children do you have?\"\n\n'\"Eight.\"\n\n'The _Presidenta_ murmurs to one of her secretaries.\n\n'\"We can provide a wooden house,\" she begins. The woman asks questions. Evita is dictating. \"Clothing for nine... a large bed, complete . . .\" She turns for a brief aside to a visiting Ambassador. Then she takes the slip from the secretary's pad and signs \"E.P.\" The woman shuffles out with the slip.\n\n'Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n distributes clothing, bedding, furniture, drugs and fifty-peso notes (about ten dollars). The drug is usually streptomycin. There is no indication as to why the patient actually needs it. But Evita says \"four grams,\" and the public health secretary writes it out. The fifty peso notes come from a seemingly endless supply under the blotter. All are new and folded in half. Evita doles them out one or two at a time. No account is kept and Evita told me in a written answer, \"None will be.\" The foundation is not a \"business proposition.\"\n\n'Gradually the clutter of children thins. A priest from a distant province speaks urgently. \"An audience for the padre at the residence on Monday at 8,\" says Evita, rising as the audience ticket is written.\n\n'She poses with the visiting Ambassador, who contributes 100,000 pesos (\u00a32,500). As she leaves for an _acto_ or public ceremony, a young man looks on disappointedly. \"Monday,\" she tells him, sweetly rueful.\n\n'She sweeps across the amphitheatre. A thousand-odd graphic arts workers cheer. The stirring words of the national anthem move lightly over her lips. Another acto follows. When Evita leaves after four hours, everyone else is exhausted. On Wednesdays the scene shifts to the Casa Rosada, where she and her Juancito put on the act together.'\n\nIn the evening, she was usually out again, for another acto. Fleur Cowles accompanied her one night to the Opera House in Buenos Aires. The audience literally hung from the rafters; so many streamers and flags curled from each hand that the great tiered circle looked like a splashed gilt crazyquilt. Women and their children, ignoring the hour, were packed inside each box, crowding the edges. Everyone was yelling, throwing flowers and waving a little blue-and-white flag with Evita emblazoned on it.\n\n'As Evita's car entered the Opera square, the calm of the night turned to pandemonium. The darkened streets through which we had been driven in Evita's bullet-proof car had been quiet and deserted, until we turned a corner into dense crowds. Police strained to form an opening wedge for her car. All that this pressing mass of humanity really wanted was to surge towards Evita. Those nearest Evita, at the entrance, did break police lines to plunge at her, to touch her skirt, to see, at close hand, the Cinderella dressed by Dior, with her three-quarters of a million dollars in jewels. It was an orgy of curiosity and admiration.\n\n'The occasion was the handing out of pensions to workers over seventy . . . On the big empty stage was a handful of gnarled, quivering old men summoned to receive her bounty. They sat in a Breughel-like, half-lit semi-circle against the back wall, silent and frightened. Thousands and thousands had come to see Evita distribute largesse and to hear her speak. They came to admire Evita, and, if luck would have it, to cash in on an extraordinary lottery.\n\n'The game is childlike: everyone throws a little folded sheet of paper with his name and address written on it towards Evita whenever she makes a public appearance. Thousands of tiny folded papers fluttered through the Opera House during the proceedings that night.\n\n'Whenever Evita stoops to pick up such a paper, that gesture means the winning of the \"sweepstakes\" for the lucky person whose name is on the crumpled missile. An audience with Evita in her Social Aid Foundation automatically follows.'\n\nBut to Evita, it was no sweepstakes or charity, as others called it. There was a difference, she always insisted, between the charity of the wealthy dowagers and the social assistance of her foundation. 'Charity humiliates and social aid dignifies and stimulates,' she said. 'Charity is given discreetly; social aid rationally. Charity prolongs the situation; social aid solves it . . . Charity is the generosity of the fortunate; social aid remedies social inequalities. Charity separates the wealthy from the poor; social aid raises the needy to the level of the well-to-do.' Her foundation, she always claimed, had emerged to cope with the conditions in which millions of Argentines lived 'with starvation wages, without security of employment, without rights to self-improvement, without a single guarantee for themselves, their families, and their future.' So while her enemies regarded her as beneath contempt, a charlatan, thief, demagogue, those other Argentines really did believe that was the _Dama de la Esperanza,_ the Lady of Hope.\n\n## _10_  \n _TEETHING TROUBLES_\n\nIn June of 1950, on one of those grey Argentine winter days when the wind whips off the River Plate and blows with a bitter fierceness through the streets of Buenos Aires, a new batch of posters plastered the downtown walls of the city with an unseasonal splash of colour and a message: 'Eva Per\u00f3n, standard bearer of the meek, should be elected in 1952.' Elected for what? The posters did not elaborate, although it was already being taken for granted by most people in Argentina that Evita would choose to run as the Vice-Presidential candidate on her husband's ticket for another six years in office. Had she now decided to aim even higher? In wealthy porte\u00f1o circles, where even the mere mention of that woman's name was considered a social faux pas, the possibility was too intriguing to be ignored. She had the power. Did she now want the office, too?\n\nIt was the kind of speculation that fed the rumour mills of the Buenos Aires cocktail circuit with tales of matrimonial troubles in the Casa Rosada. But they were usually embroidered versions of old stories that had done the rounds before. There was certainly no evidence to indicate there was truth in any of them. On the contrary, the Per\u00f3ns seemed very happy. In many ways theirs was an ideal marriage. They had clawed their way to the top together. They ran the country together. They complemented each other; his sophistication and avuncular charm blunting the raw cutting edge of her political passion; she driving him on to defend commitments he might not have made without her backbone and strength to support him. Like the Emperor Justinian and Theodora, also an actress and the most beautiful woman in Byzantium, whom Justinian married and enthroned as co-ruler, the Per\u00f3ns never wavered in their love for each other as they rode the roller-coaster of political power.\n\nIt often showed in public. On one occasion, when Per\u00f3n was inaugurating Evita's children's village, he praised her so highly that tears welled in her eyes. With a grin, he stopped talking and turned and kissed her. 'These two tears,' he said, 'point to the great merit in this work, namely human emotion.' He was so obviously proud of her that he never missed an opportunity of letting everybody know it. 'You see her extraordinary influence \u2014 why is it? Is it because she dresses well and is pretty? No. She is loved and respected and honoured by all the humble because she cannot eat or sleep or live for doing good.' Whenever she left him on one of her frequent trips out: into the provinces, he would bid her farewell with old-fashioned courtesy, bowing ceremoniously, then kissing her on the forehead. There was a charm and warmth about him, which she lacked. Her hero-worshipping praise of him in public was so extravagant it often verged on the ridiculous. But there is also no doubting the look of devotion shining from her eyes in 30-year-old photographs of the two of them together. And there was a day a year before she died when in a moment of crisis the brittle smile collapsed and she burst into tears, her shoulders heaving as she buried herself in his bear-like hug of protection.\n\nThey led a quiet life together. As they were always up so early in the morning, they rarely went out in the evening, except to official functions. Occasionally they had friends in for dinner and Per\u00f3n would bound down the steps himself to open their guests' car door. Perhaps because they were both country-bred (or maybe because they had no children), they loved to have animals around them. Evita had two or three poodles, and the household also included two deer, two gazelles, and an amiable blackbird which perched on the General's shoulder. There were even more animals out at their 45-acre country home in San Vicente, a distant suburb of Buenos Aires. Per\u00f3n's brother Mario was director of the city's zoological gardens. So naturally they had their pick of animals \u2014 fifteen ostriches, eight storks, two flamingos, five llamas, and eleven _chajas,_ a native bird.\n\nEvita loved her weekend home (called a _quinta_ in Argentina because it is never more than 50 kilometres from town). She wore slacks there, which provoked much tut-tutting and 'I-told-you-so's' among fashion-conscious Argentine ladies, while Per\u00f3n became a weekend gaucho in baggy pants. Whenever they had guests, he appointed himself the _asador,_ the barbecue chef, while she baked _empanadas_ (meat pies) in her own _criollo_ native oven. She put on a little weight in those early days. There were signs of a double chin, indications that the Ibarguren family plumpness was waiting to burst out of that trim figure. But it never happened. Strict adherence to diet and the frantic pace of her life kept her slim from then on.\n\nEvita had changed a great deal over the years. A curly-haired brunette wearing frilly blouses and too much lipstick in her early days in Buenos Aires, she had become a reddish-blonde by the time she moved into the Presidential Residence in 1946. She wore clothes that showed off her fine figure, luxurious gowns cut low. At that time they were a little too loud and elaborate, and she wore too much jewellery. But the trip to Europe transformed her. She started spending over \u00a310,000 a year on exquisite Paris clothes designed by Dior, Fath and Balmain. Then, as she became the most dominating personality in the land, so her appearance changed again. She was now the brisk, efficient career woman, wearing simple conservative suits, her blonde hair tied back in an old-fashioned bun.\n\nFleur Cowles was surprised at her appearance when she met her for the first time in July 1950. 'She was not at all the flashy companion old news accounts prepared you for... a trim, obviously busy woman, with an air that was efficient, aware, composed. Except for her jewels, at first glance she even looked modest. She was elegantly dressed in a navy-blue suit by Jacques Fath; she had an expensive navy-blue velvet beret on her blonde hair. There were sables on her arm; she wore them as if she had always carried them. She was dressed as millions of women would like to be dressed. The only give-away was the orchid in her lapel. No real flower, that, but one of diamonds, larger even than an orchid, about 5 inches across by 7 inches high \u2014 a brooch of big, pure white diamonds that must have been worth $250,000. Barrel earclips of diamond baguettes and her ball-like diamond ring were minor accessories by contrast.'\n\n'She stared back at me at first with a cold, unpleasant look.' But 'after she'd taken in every part of me (including the black pearl and diamond pin I wore),' Evita asked Fleur to stay a while. 'She displayed a willingness (later, eagerness) to talk \"girl talk\" about clothes, jewelry, coiffure. . . She kept eyeing the jewel I wore. Per\u00f3n winked at me and said in his halting English: \"That's one she can't have.\" 'When Fleur remarked that Evita's hair was 'very becoming worn straight and simply, she asked if I would look at pictures of her in the many ways she had worn it during the years, then tell her if she was doing it the best way. Someone was sent off to bring her a range of her best photographs; they were laid out on the floor on the Napoleonic room. Full-length paintings of Evita and Per\u00f3n stared at us from the walls, one with Evita's hair dressed in the bad sausage pompadour she originally wore as First Lady. I agreed heartily she looked her best in the newer, neater way she wore her hair that evening. I'm not sure Per\u00f3n agreed, although that constant smile of his was ready.'\n\nThe cost of Evita's jewels, which she bought from Van Cleef and Arpels in Paris, hardly came out of her husband's pocket. His presidential salary was only \u00a340 a week. Even the profits from the three newspapers she owned could not have supported her collection which had become so vast that she could match all her costumes with sets of diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. She delighted in wearing them in the most poverty-stricken of city slums, knowing full well that part of her appeal to her followers was her Cinderella rags-to-riches success story. 'I am taking the jewels from the oligarchs for you.' she told them. 'One day you'll inherit the whole collection.'\n\nOn that basis, she no doubt rationalised that she could finance her Paris purchases through her foundation, as she never tired of pointing out that it was the duty of social aid to 'raise the needy to the level of the well-to-do.' How she did it certainly never seemed to bother her husband. One day, while showing a visitor over the Residence, he opened closet after closet of Evita's clothes. 'Not exactly a descamisada, eh?' he grinned. No one in the Party apparently minded (if they did, they had the sense to keep quiet about it) and as for political enemies, they did not count. It was simply accepted that like the blonde in _Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,_ Evita believed that 'kissing your hand may make you feel very very good but a diamond and sapphire bracelet last forever.' Accordingly, the taxi drivers' union gave her a diamond watch one year for her birthday. The Per\u00f3nista newspaper editors weighed in with diamond earrings, and the Cabinet split the cost among Ministers for a pearl and diamond necklace.\n\nOne opposition deputy, Colonel Atilio Cattaneo, did have the temerity to grumble about the thief who entered office poor but who would leave it rich and the Se\u00f1ora's relatives 'who were so poor in 1943 and now are multi-millionaires'. Per\u00f3n was furious. Summoning fifty local and foreign reporters and the entire Cabinet to the Casa Rosada at 8.30 for his first press conference in almost four years, he announced that he felt obliged to 'set an example' to the rest of the country on what to do when falsely accused. 'A man holding office must look to his reputation,' he said. 'Now that I have been accused of robbing the public purse, I intend to show by documents that these charges are false. And since _Prensa_ and _Nacion_ have echoed these uncalled for calumnies, I now intend to see that these accusers are brought to justice.'\n\nAt this point, Per\u00f3n who had entered the room wearing his usual broad smile had tears streaming down his cheeks. On the table lay a big white envelope. The envelope, said Per\u00f3n, contained a statement listing his assets before he took office; it had been sealed for three years. He persuaded two American newsmen, Milton Bracker of the _New York Times_ and William Horsey of the United Press news agency to open it. Then he called _Prensa_ and _Nacion_ reporters forward to sign statements attesting to the contents. The statement, dated July 6, 1946 (a month after Per\u00f3n took office), said simply that his assets then consisted of the San Vicente quinta, a Packard and a share in his father's modest estate.\n\nOf course, all this did not prove anything. What people wanted to know was not what Per\u00f3n had in the way of assets when he took office but what he had acquired since then. No one dared ask that question, except Colonel Cattaneo. The Peronistas in Congress lifted his parliamentary immunity and a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of 'desacato' or disrespect to the President, a new law which had just come into effect. Police raided eighteen houses in Buenos Aires searching for him. But by then the Colonel had crossed the river to Uruguay.\n\nThere were a number of other things irritating the normally exuberant Juan Domingo Per\u00f3n at the time. His teeth for one. His dentist had been a good friend, which is perhaps why Per\u00f3n had overlooked the fact that he had once been arrested for practising without a licence. Returning from a trip to the USA, where he had been buying cars for top government officials, Oliva Paz found the President's teeth in worse shape than ever. He lanced the gums. But that did nothing for his patient's terrible case of pyorrhoea. So Per\u00f3n demanded to see a specialist. His Secretary of Education, Oscar Ivanissevich, a skilled surgeon who had taken out the President's appendix, recommended Professor Stanley D. Tylman of the University of Illinois, who had just arrived in Buenos Aires. Dr Tylman was willing to look at Per\u00f3n's mouth. The examination went something like this:\n\nTylman (peering into Per\u00f3n's mouth): 'You have one of the worst pyorrhoea cases I have ever seen. The treatment you have been receiving is incredibly bad.'\n\nOliva Paz (translating): 'Although you have one of the worst attacks of pyorrhoea I have ever seen, your gums have been very well treated.'\n\nTylman: 'Since your mouth has been so neglected and maltreated, there is no way to avoid extracting at least six teeth.'\n\nOliva Paz (still translating): 'With the fine treatment you have been getting, your mouth and gums will be alright within a few weeks.'\n\nAlthough Per\u00f3n spoke a little English, he had been listening attentively to the translation and on hearing the good news he gave one of his broad grins, pumped the professor's hand and said 'Thank you, thank you.' Dr Tylman realised immediately that something was wrong. He called in Ivanissevich to give a correct translation, then yanked out the six offending teeth. Per\u00f3n was so delighted with the treatment that he and Evita invited the professor over to the Residence for dinner every night and then drove him out to the airport when he returned to the United States. As for Oliva Paz, he took the well travelled route across the river to Uruguay.\n\nBut embarrassing and painful as Per\u00f3n's teething troubles were, they were nothing compared to the ego-shattering debacle of Argentina's entry into the world of atomic power. One day he matter-of-factly announced that his country had produced atomic energy. Naturally, the news made headlines around the world, placing Argentina in one verbal leap in the super-power league alongside the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain. Per\u00f3n's claim was that a team of Argentine physicists headed by an Austrian, Ronald Richter, had produced thermonuclear atomic reactions using energy from the sun instead of uranium.\n\nSuch incredulity was voiced by foreign scientists that Per\u00f3n vented his anger in an interview with Evita's newspaper _Democracia._ 'I'm not interested in what the United States or any other country in the world thinks.' he thundered. 'I am only speaking to the Argentine people to whom I am responsible because I have always avoided the course followed by politicians and newspapers in other countries in the world who lie consciously, directing their lies to their own people and spreading them abroad. They have not yet told the first truth, while I have not yet told the first lie.' No one in Argentina, of course, was accusing the President of lying. To do so was to invite a year or two in jail for desacato, disrespect. Nevertheless, a few months later hoaxer Richter disappeared across the river to Uruguay, having squandered a few million dollars of Argentina's fast vanishing foreign exchange reserves.\n\nStill, even the atomic caper was a minor misadventure compared with Per\u00f3n's bungling of the nation's economy. At the end of World War II, Argentina's foreign exchange stood at over 500,000 million dollars, making it one of the richest countries in the world. The peso stood at four to the dollar and for every one of those pesos there was a backing of one and a half pesos in gold. Per\u00f3n knew what he wanted to do with all that money, and his intentions were good. He was going to lift the nation's workers out of their feudal, impoverished bondage, rescue the country from its long servitude as an economic colony of the British, pay off the country's foreign debt, and build an industrial base so that Argentina would no longer be a nation of peasants at the mercy of the industrial world and its own land-wealthy oligarchs. He paved those intentions with the nation's gold, and by the late 1940s the gold was running out.\n\nThe problem was that Argentina simply did not have the foundations for an industrial economy. It had no coal or iron worth mentioning, produced less than half of the oil it needed, and did not have a large enough population (16 millions in 1947) to run both a great industrial plant and a great farm economy. The government paid farmers and stockmen low prices for their products and sold them abroad for high prices, using the profits to build up industry. For a while Argentina led the world in increased production. But this very success hurt the country's agriculture. Drawn by high wages and the attractions of urban life, hundreds of thousands of rural workers abandoned the farms for the squalid, overcrowded slums of the big cities. The population of Buenos Aires increased by a million in one year. Worse yet, nature added to the farmers' woes. For two years in a row, Argentina suffered from devastating droughts. The parched pampas, once rich in corn, wheat, and cattle, cracked and blew away in a cloud of dust. The editor of the economic journal, _The Review of the River Plate,_ wrote: 'Last week I visited one of the western ranches in the south of Santa F\u00e9 province, and while there I saw part of the province of Cordoba blowing over in the form of a huge yellow cloud.'\n\nWith less grain and meat to sell abroad, Argentina received less foreign exchange with which to buy coal, oil, raw materials, and machinery. Industrial production fell, unemployment rose. Foreign exchange reserves melted away to nothing and the balance of trade turned against Argentina. For the first time in history, Argentina had to import wheat. There was even a scarcity of beef in Buenos Aires, the legendary beef capital of the world. For Juan Per\u00f3n, for all Argentines, there could be no worse crisis than that. American writer Bernard Collier once claimed that the most distinctive quality about Buenos Aires is its _olor porte\u00f1o_ \u2014 the odour of fresh beef roasting.\n\n'An Argentine must have fresh beef,' he wrote. 'Without fresh beef he feels weak, angry, anxious and hungry, all the time without satisfaction. Give him lamb and he can't stand the taste; chicken, fish and pork he rejects as baby food. You walk along a downtown street at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and watch the pipefitters, the cable splicers, the sewer workers, the diggers and the pavers pop out of holes in the street to check on the doneness of a 2-pound _bife,_ which is sizzling over a wood or charcoal fire on a grill fashioned out of a tar bucket and iron reinforcing rods. By 2 o'clock on a hot summer afternoon there will be workmen in blue shirts and leather sandals lolling in the shade of buildings or construction fences all over town. In the winter they will be hunched over the little fires. They will be sleepy with their big steak and most of a bottle of good red wine and half a loaf of crusty Italian bread inside. At 3 o'clock they will return to their jobs refreshed and strong again. When they get home at night they want another steak for supper.'\n\nBusinessmen in the skyscrapers, the shopkeepers and the gaucho on the pampas feel the same way. They want their beef every day, and when it is scarce, there is great unrest among Argentines across the land. So when porte\u00f1os found themselves having to pay black-market prices for beef imported from Uruguay, even the Per\u00f3ns' beloved descamisados began to grumble, although Evita continued to push wages up to keep them happy. But prices now were rising just as fast. The four peso dollar of 1945 had become the 16 peso dollar of 1949, a fact that the General tried to brush away with the comment that he did not care if the peso was worthless outside Argentina because 'I don't have to buy anything abroad.'\n\nIf his most loyal supporters believed that, even they must have found it hard to swallow his claim that he had been examining dustbins on his way to the Casa Rosada each morning. The result of his investigation, he said, was that the amount of bread and meat thrown away each day would feed another city as large as Buenos Aires. There was plenty for everybody, he said firmly, if wasteful Argentines would eat what was on their plate instead of throwing it away.\n\nBut there were plenty of Argentines who were not amused by the rhetoric. The army, for one, saw a chance of settling old scores with the traitor who had trumped his military colleagues' machine guns in 1945 with his descamisados. In the summer of 1949, rumours flooded Buenos Aires that the army had demanded the retirement of Evita from public life. No one knew whether the rumours were true because all the newspapers in Buenos Aires were on strike. That in itself was odd, too. For by all Per\u00f3nista rules, the strike of newspaper typographers should have been easy to settle. Their demand for a 25 percent pay rise to meet the soaring cost of living seemed mild enough by the standards that Evita had set for settlements in the past. The union's officers had taken their demands to her. But to their surprise, she only met them halfway and then lectured them on the need for economic responsibility. They backed down, as union bosses usually did when in confrontation with the Se\u00f1ora. But to everybody's surprise, the rank-and-file revolted. Evita promptly called in convicts from the federal prison in Buenos Aires as strikebreakers. But they refused to work, too. Within days, every newspaper in Buenos Aires, including her own _Democracia,_ had shut down. And the rumours were in full spate.\n\n## _11_  \n _REPRESSION_\n\nNormally, mid-summer is not a time for revolution in Argentina. The capital takes on a sleepy air. Small shops close for the holidays. Government offices work only half days, and most of the city moves to Mar del Plata, which is the Blackpool of South America. There were probably a few generals, headed by War Minister Humberto Sosa Molina, who were ready to pull a _golpe,_ a revolution, right there and then in the summer of 1949. But they were handicapped by a lack of officers and men. Most of them were in Mar del Plata, too, lying out on their own two feet of beach, listening to Hector y Su Jazz Band at the world's largest casino, dining nightly on two inch-thick steaks, and tangoing to a new tune called 'El Cafetin de Buenos Aires' before losing a portion of their latest big pay increase at the roulette tables. Enfuriatingly for General Sosa Molina, a golpe at that particular moment, if he had been able to round up a few soldiers, would have met with little resistance. For thousands of the most fervent of descamisados were also at Mar del Plata in the big Government sea-front hotels that Evita's social aid foundation had built for them.\n\nSo the Minister had to settle for daily crisis meetings with the Per\u00f3ns who were themselves on holiday at their San Vicente quinta. Sosa Molina told them bluntly that the army not only wanted Evita out of politics, it wanted her foundation closed and an end to bribery and corruption in the government. To show that the army meant business, the guard at Campo de Mayo, the big army encampment on the outskirts of the capital, refused to allow Evita on to the base when she called without an invitation. For a few days it appeared to be touch-and go as the Per\u00f3ns fought for their political lives. He failed to turn up to open an international travel conference in Buenos Aires. She abruptly cancelled plans to speak at the Constitutional Convention which was meeting to replace the 1853 Constitution with one more to the liking of Per\u00f3nistas.\n\nWhen they did appear in public together, she spread her arms out in front of her and shook her head when the inevitable chant went up of 'Evita, Evita'. Right there and then, before a large outdoor crowd in Palermo Park in the city, Per\u00f3n lashed out at the rumour-mongers. He said he had merely been resting in his San Vicente quinta and he'd had a good laugh with the messenger who told him that everybody believed he was a 'prisoner of his own government'. He assured his audience that he and Evita were 'perfectly calm and safe'. But in the newspaperless city, rumours continued to spread \u2014 Per\u00f3n had offered to resign. Evita had chartered a plane to take her to Brazil.\n\nBut when the dust finally settled, it was the army that had lost once again. Infuriated by the treatment that his wife had received at Campo de Mayo, Per\u00f3n angrily pointed out to his War Minister that his government had raised the pay of the rank and file soldier by a considerable amount, and his wife, through her foundation, had also bettered the lot of their families. So if the generals wanted to find out to whom the troops owed their loyalty, they should go ahead and try a golpe. That was the end of that.\n\nBut Evita wanted to make sure the generals were properly humiliated. She ordered them to invite her and her husband to lunch at Campo de Mayo at which the officers' wives had to be present. For many of them, it was the first time they had ever spoken to Eva Per\u00f3n. They had to choke silently over their bifes as the War Minister humbled himself before her with a nation-wide radio audience gleefully listening in. 'The most worthy Se\u00f1ora of the most excellent President,' General Sosa Molina said, 'for her multiple activities to mitigate the troubles of her fellow beings and because she is enshrined in the hearts of the people, deserves all our sympathy and respectful consideration. The significance of her being among us as a special guest is none other than a stout denial of rumours that present the army as opposing her actions and thereby opposing the feelings of the people who support her.'\n\nIt was a moment of triumph for Evita, and she savoured it. A few days later, she was at the President's side when he took the oath to uphold the new constitution drawn up by the Per\u00f3nista-dominated Constitutional Convention. The vast chamber of the Hall of Congress was filled with senior members of the armed forces, members of the diplomatic corps, and Per\u00f3nista Congressmen who overflowed into the opposition benches of the Radical deputies who had refused to attend. As the President took the oath on a bible provided by Evita's foundation, outside a crowd of over 100,000 packed into the three-block Plaza de Congreso echoed his promise to defend the new constitution. At that point, the ceremony turned into a Per\u00f3nista rally, much to the embarrassment of the diplomats and generals, who were crushed so tight in the hall there was no way they could get out. 'Evita' was chanted over and over again. As she responded with smiles and blown kisses, the crowd whooped into the party marching song, 'The Per\u00f3nista Boys' \u2014\n\nWe Per\u00f3nista boys  \nFighting together  \nWill ever cry  \nWith heartfelt joy  \nViva Per\u00f3n! Viva Per\u00f3n!\n\nEvita was now more powerful than ever. Through her foundation, her control of radio stations and newspapers, her presence permeated every town and home in Argentina. There was no escape. Her picture dominated the hoardings. Her thoughts were broadcast every few hours throughout the day on nation-wide radio. Her name graced the country's largest gas works and its biggest passenger liner. A newly discovered star was named after her. So was a new downtown Buenos Aires underground station, where the words 'Eva Per\u00f3n' were bordered with light and her portrait in coloured tile gazed on all passersby.\n\nThere was a Maria Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n Street in Rosario, an Eva Per\u00f3n Avenue in Tucuman, an Eva Per\u00f3n surgical pavilion in San Juan, an Evita City housing project near the federal airport in Buenos Aires, an Evita mainline railway station, and two Evita songs \u2014 the 'Eva Per\u00f3n March' and 'Captain Evita'. Both were sung at the opening ceremony of the Western hemisphere's own Olympics, the first Pan-American Games, which were held in Argentina in February 1951. Athletes and officials from seventeen nations in the hemisphere were given a full dose of Peronism at its most spectacular. Entering the floodlit, flag-decked arena in a limousine, Evita and her husband were wildly cheered by the huge crowd packed into the new vast soccer bowl built by Evita's foundation in the Avellaneda meat packing district of Buenos Aires. Two of her sayings, in letters six foot high, rimmed the facade of the upper tier. A section of the stadium bearing her name was filled with thousands of children waving Argentine flags with 'Per\u00f3n' and 'Evita' printed on either side of the flag's white stripe. Throughout the programme a guard of honour of the nurses of the Eva Per\u00f3n Foundation formed a spectacular aisle of dark blue and white across the grass.\n\nDuring the ritual of the opening ceremonies \u2014 the lighting of the Olympic flame and President Per\u00f3n's greeting to the hundreds of athletes \u2014 Evita dominated the scene in the official tribunal. An Argentine girl athlete presented her with an enormous bunch of flowers on behalf of all the participating women. Her influence was also apparent during the taking of the Olympic oath. Contrary to the Olympic practice until then, both a man and a woman took the collective oath together. Afterwards, Avery Brundage, the president of the Pan-American Games Committee, offered a tribute to Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n, 'without whose enthusiastic support' the games would not have been possible. What he meant was that Evita had paid the bills, or rather her foundation had, which was the same thing. Adulation also came from beyond the borders of Argentina. Bolivia adorned her with the Order of the Condor of the Andes. The Colombians gave her the Cross of Boyaca. She held the Peruvian Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun, Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle, and Ecuador's Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for 'the spontaneous and generous manner in which she contributed to the relief of the grief of the victims' of Ecuador's 1949 earthquake.\n\nShe was only thirty-one years old, and already countrymen and women of hers were venerating her as a saint. So perhaps it was no wonder there were signs that she was beginning to lose touch with reality. She told the country's provincial governors with a straight face and the utmost sincerity that Argentina's children were now learning to say Per\u00f3n before they said papa. She told a reporter that 'at times, in my travels, I have seen in the eyes of children, women and even men an expression of adoration, as though I was a supernatural being. I believe this happens precisely because the difference between living conditions in Argentina in the days of the oligarchy and now is almost as great to simple and humble minds as the difference between the natural and the supernatural. An example that confirms what I am saying is that in Jujuy a child approached me and said, \"Mama Eva, give me your benediction.\"'\n\nBut there was no benediction for her enemies, nor a spark of forgiveness for the conspirators she saw behind every lamp-post. General Sosa Molina's obsequiousness during his luncheon for Evita did not save his job. He was kicked upstairs as Minister of Defence. Theoretically, he was still in control of the armed forces but in actual fact he no longer had personal contact with any of them.\n\nForeign Minister Juan Bramuglia lost his job, too, though no one ever knew just why Evita hated her husband's oldest friend so violently. Perhaps the international praise for his statesmanship \u2014 he played a major role in settling the Berlin crisis of 1948 \u2014 provoked the Se\u00f1ora's jealousy. But most knowledgeable Argentines felt that it was an old score Evita was settling \u2014 that she believed Bramuglia had not moved quickly enough to help Per\u00f3n when he was temporarily ousted from power in October 1945. There were some who believed it was the other way around \u2014 that after Per\u00f3n's arrest, Evita had pleaded with Bramuglia to help get her out of the country, that he had told her to pull herself together, and he had then roused the meat packers to march into the city and restore Per\u00f3n to his Casa Rosada balcony.\n\nSuch heretical re-writing of one of the classic stories of Peron mythology possessed some credence. Evita's old actress friend, Pierina Dealessi, claimed that Evita had hidden in her house during those tempestuous days. 'She thought they had killed Per\u00f3n and would probably kill her, too,' recalled Pierina. 'I'll never forget her look of terror when she came to my house.' Whatever the truth, Evita saw to it that Bramuglia's name was never mentioned in the Per\u00f3nista press, not even when he met US President Harry S. Truman or signed a new Argentine accord with Italy. He had to go, and in the end he did.\n\nEven Miguel Miranda, Per\u00f3n's economic czar and the man in charge of the country's industrialisation programme, found himself hurriedly packing a bag to catch a boat across the river because he had provoked the wrath of the Se\u00f1ora. They had been business partners. In fact, Miranda was the money man behind Evita's newspaper and radio purchases. But that did not save him. He had made the mistake of confiding to a group of wool exporters that it was not his fault that they were getting such poor prices from the government for their wool. It was Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n who set the price of wool, he told them, as she did everything else in Argentina. As Argentina's farmers hated Miranda, anyway, for bleeding them dry to keep his industrialisation programme going, they had little compunction in passing on the contents of that conversation to the Se\u00f1ora. Twenty-four hours later, Miranda was resting in a hotel room in Montevideo.\n\nOthers were not so lucky. Eighteen reporters were sacked and blacklisted by their newspapers after the eagle-eyed Presidenta had spotted their failure to applaud her husband's speech at the State opening of Congress. A young porte\u00f1o was jailed because he publicly refused to hand over his jack-pot radio quiz show winnings to Evita's foundation. Even suave, handsome Jose Maria de Areilza, Count of Motrico, the Spanish Ambassador to Argentina, found out what it was like to get on the wrong side of the Se\u00f1ora. When negotiations with Spain for a new trade agreement turned out badly for Argentina, he was peremptorily summoned to the Residence, where he was kept twiddling his thumbs in the hall for two hours. Finally, he heard Per\u00f3n yell to Evita, wanting to know who it was downstairs. 'That _mierda de gallego,'_ yelled back Argentina's First Lady. As mierda means shit and gallego is the crude Argentine name for Spaniards based on the assumption that they all come from the province of Galicia, Ambassador de Areilza called a servant over and smilingly asked him to inform the Se\u00f1ora that the gallego had to leave but the mierda would be staying. He caught the next boat back to Spain, and that was the end of the three quarters of a million pounds which Franco had invested in Evita's visit to Madrid.\n\nEvita did not have a sense of humour, as the Count of Motrico obviously knew when he made his parting remark. But then humour is not a national characteristic of the Argentines, perhaps because of their almost painful obsession with _dignidad,_ a quality which _New York Times_ reporter Milton Bracker once described as a two-way variable, approaching all pride at one extreme and no sense of humour at the other.\n\n_Time_ magazine, after constant blacklisting, found itself on Evita's permanent banned list with a story about the ceremonial return to Argentina of the remains of the parents of General Jose de San Martin, the national hero. The story described the solemnity of the rites and ended by quoting a remark by a youthful onlooker: 'Next year they're going to bring back his horse.' To the Argentines it was a national insult. The Ambassador in Washington protested. Demands were made for the expulsion of the _Time_ correspondent in Buenos Aires. Finally, to wipe out the stain, the National San Martin Institute publicly laid a wreath on a monument, not of San Martin, but of George Washington in order to close the incident in a manner best befitting the _dignidad_ of Argentina. But _Time,_ along with _Newsweek, Life,_ and other American publications, were seized at the airport whenever they were found in passengers' baggage.\n\nThere is no room for a free press in a dictatorship. As Argentina is rarely without the latter, there have been few periods in the country's modern history when it has enjoyed a truly free press.\n\nThrough her hand-picked minions in the Ministry of Information, Evita had closed nearly 100 newspapers and magazines by 1951. Most of them had died a 'legal' death. Some were closed because they failed to observe a government decree that obliged all newspapers to carry at the top of each page \u2014 'the year of the Liberator General San Martin'. Others criticising the Per\u00f3ns \u2014 like the small daily _El Intransigente_ in the northwestern town of Salta which always called the President 'the nazi colonel' \u2014 were strangled by a newsprint squeeze, which the government operated because it controlled all supplies of newsprint. But there were other 'legal' ways. _Los Principios,_ an influential catholic daily in Cordoba, was closed because the paint on its walls was not fresh enough and some of its windows had broken panes, Sometimes the reasons were more personal. _Que,_ a weekly news magazine, published a cover story on Libertad Lamarque, the actress who once slapped Evita's face. She had fled to Mexico after the Per\u00f3ns came to power, and her movies were banned in Argentina. So it was somewhat provocative of _Que_ to put Libertad's face on its cover. The printers refused to permit the distributors to remove the issue from their plant. It was _Que's_ last magazine. No printer would handle it after that.\n\nBut _Que_ was a minor matter compared to the Per\u00f3ns' onslaught on the country's largest and most famous newspaper, _La Prensa_ of Buenos Aires. From its grey granite building on Avenida de Mayo, _La Prensa_ had been a thorn in the side of dictatorial governments in Argentina since its first issue in 1869, although Per\u00f3n had a different view of that, too. 'For a hundred years,' he thundered, _'La Prensa_ has pontificated with endless lies and imbecilities.' The first shots in the battle were fired in 1944 when Per\u00f3n, then Minister of War, closed the paper for five days for 'distorting the truth and misleading public opinion'. A year later, he briefly jailed _La Prensas_ owner-editor, Dr Alberto Gainza Paz, along with Dr Luis Mitre, the elderly owner of _La Nacion,_ another leading opposition paper.\n\n_La Nacion_ tried to steer a cautious, non-aggressive line after that. Not so _La Prensa._ Consequently, nine months after Per\u00f3n's inauguration as president, he publicly turned the Per\u00f3nista mob against the paper. He had four enemies, he shouted from his balcony, the oligarchy, opposition politicians, communists, and _La Prensa._ As far as Evita was concerned, two of those \u2014 the oligarchy and the newspaper \u2014 were one and the same. In saying this, she was not far wrong. The editorial policy of the wealthy Paz family and the interests of the land-owning aristocracy usually coincided when it came to deciding the national interest. And _La Prensa_ had never campaigned against the feudal peonage of the country's peasants or against the appalling low wages and working conditions of city workers! That in itself was enough to doom the paper in Evita's eyes. But there was a personal grudge to settle as well. The Paz family, like other well-to-do Argentines, simply could not stomach the thought of that woman as the nation's First Lady. Her name was banned in the news columns (she was referred to as the president's wife) and no matter how distinguished her guests, her dinners and parties never made the paper's society columns. Her pride was outraged and this was a strong reason for harassing _La Prensa._\n\nShe appealed for a 'patriotic' boycott of the paper. Her Ministry of Information plastered the city with posters reading _'La Prensa_ against the country', and the State radio attacked it three times a day for 28 days. But to Evita's dismay, she found out that as much as she attacked it so its circulation increased. She embarked on tougher measures. The paper was told that long lines of would-be advertisers blocked traffic. Two boilers in its rotogravure plant were condemned and the paper was forced to close down while they were replaced. A new customs duty, back-dated twelve years, was levied on its imported newsprint. Citing a national shortage, the government removed thousands of tons of newsprint already in the paper's warehouse. For the same reason it ordered a cut in the number of pages each day, first to 16 pages, then to 12. Armed federal police raided the newspaper's editorial offices after it published a story on the torture of political prisoners. Per\u00f3n sued it for libel. Evita decreed restrictions on classified advertising, the paper's lifeblood. Houses could only be advertised on certain days. On others, only job seekers could buy space. Government employment advertisements had to be run free. And to further intimidate _La Prensa_ readers, people who wanted to place advertisements in the paper had to get government permission, which meant that their names would go down on police files as being anti-Per\u00f3nista. But Gainza Paz still refused to stop his attacks on the government, and the paper's circulation continued to soar from a pre-war 250,000 to over half a million. When Evita cut its newsprint supply yet again, porte\u00f1os passed each day's copy from hand to hand. In the end, thanks to Evita's war on it, _La Prensa,_ for all its faults, had become a symbol of embattled freedom, a rallying point for the government's enemies. It had to die.\n\nThe fatal blow fell during the course of a railway strike early in 1951, the government's second major conflict with the unions in two years. Evita had settled that earlier newspaper strike by importing printers from the provinces, and many of those strikers permanently lost their jobs. But the railway workers were a tougher breed. Defying CGT orders, 180,000 of them launched a series of strikes that threatened to cripple the economy of the country. Evita talked and pleaded with them. Orlando Martinez, a retired railway worker, remembers Evita climbing aboard a handcart with him to pump their way along the tracks five miles outside Buenos Aires to convince railway workers to abandon the strike.\n\n'When we got there,' he recalled, 'she stood up perspiring heavily and said that Per\u00f3n had sent her to ask them to return to their jobs. They cheered her wildly and the strike was broken. The two or three bolsheviks were left there standing alone.' That's how Per\u00f3nistas fondly remember those days. But it was not quite like that.\n\nThe strike did not end right there and then. But the trains did stop running, and on the walls in poorer parts of Buenos Aires, normally solid Per\u00f3nista territory, scrawled signs said ominously _'Viva Per\u00f3n Viudo!_ (Long Live the Widower Per\u00f3n).' Evita's newspapers angrily blamed the strike on communists. But strikers on the picket lines shouted: 'We're not communists. We're hungry Per\u00f3nists.'\n\nNot only was that true, but _La Prensa_ discovered that the strike had been triggered by a serious conflict between followers of Evita, on the one hand, and her husband on the other. That was dangerous news. But the paper decided to go ahead and print it. However, that issue of January 26, 1951, never reached the streets of Buenos Aires. Acting on Evita's instructions, the news vendors' union, a CGT affiliate, struck the newspaper that night. The vendors, who were not employees of the paper but independent businessmen, presented Gainza Paz with impossible demands \u2014 20 per cent of the paper's classified advertising income, the abolition of home subscriptions, and the turning over to the vendors of the entire press run of each issue. That, of course, would have placed _La Prensa_ firmly under Evita's control. But the publisher refused to knuckle under. Nor would his workers, though most of them were union members themselves. Thirteen hundred of them \u2014 editors, reporters, printers, machine-room men, drivers, and clerks \u2014 issued a statement saying that they had no quarrel with their boss and they wanted to go back to work. 'This adhesion to the paper is determined fundamentally by the ideals of liberty and democracy which inspire the orientation of _La Prensa_ . . . We have no conflict with the paper.'\n\nBy the end of February it was obvious to _La Prensa's_ workers that Evita was not going to allow the strike to end. So they tried to march back to work through the picket line set up by the CGT. The pickets opened fire, killing a printer and wounding 14 other _La Prensa_ employees. Two months later, Congress expropriated the paper and handed it over to the CGT. A neon-lighted placard went up over the main entrance, proclaiming _'Ahora es Argentina!_ (Now it is Argentine!)' On top of the building, _La Prensa's_ famous torch of freedom was covered by giant tinted portraits of Per\u00f3n and Evita. From his balcony at the Casa Rosada, Per\u00f3n told crowds still as large as ever in the plaza below that: 'This newspaper, which for so many years exploited the workers and the poor, which was a refined instrument serving national and international exploiters in the crudest treason to our country \u2014 this newspaper shall make up for its crimes by serving the workers and defending their gains and rights.' The 'arch-criminal', Alberto Gainza Paz, fled across the river to Uruguay just one step ahead of the federal police. All newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Latin America (except in Argentina) flew flags at half-mast in mourning for _La Prensa._ Evita, with the opposition securely muzzled now, moved ahead with her plans to become Vice-President of Argentina.\n\n## _12_  \n' _MY LIFE FOR PERON'_\n\nTwo one-legged men, one minus his right leg, the other his left, rode bicycles from Sunday to Friday. Another man drove his car around his neighbourhood for 123 hours and 10 minutes without stopping. A chauffeur from the Ministry of Education topped that by driving continuously for 129 hours and five minutes. A third motorist made a shorter run \u2014 backwards. Mario Aldo Tordo and his wife, Delia, carried their baby daughter, Maria, on foot over one-fourth the length of Argentina. He wore a sweat shirt inscribed 'Per\u00f3n Keeps His Promises'; the front of her shirt read, 'Evita Dignifies'. One man walked across the pampas with a bag of wheat on his shoulder. And Juan Martin, a municipal employee from the town of Santa F\u00e9 walked atop a rolling barrel from the city of Rosario to Buenos Aires \u2014 a distance of 222 miles. All of them had one thing in mind \u2014 they wanted to publicise their wish that Evita should become Vice-President of Argentina.\n\nThe date of the election had been brought forward from February, 1952, to November 11, 1951. The months were rolling by and still the Se\u00f1ora had not publicly announced her willingness to accept the honor her descamisados wanted to confer on her. Troubles with the raiiwaymen \u2014 several hundred were goaled and a number tortured before that strike came to end \u2014 did not seem to have diminished her popularity. And her schedule was as killing as ever. During one three-day period, she drove to Rosasio, 190 miles from the capital, made three speeches, opened a railway workers' housing project, and drove home; the next morning she flew to San Juan, 750 miles away, to attend the funeral of the Governor. On the third day she was up at 5.30 as usual, held an audience at the residence at 8 o'clock, was in her office by 11 o'clock, attended a meeting of brewery workers in the afternoon and a meeting of railway workers in the evening. Then at 11 o'clock that same night she set off on a five-day trip deep into the interior \u2014 attending the inauguration of the Governor of Tucuman, opening a new school and a children's clinic in Jujuy, another school in Catamarca, and distributing gifts to children in a park in Cordoba.\n\nShe was on the move so much that she said her husband had begun to scold her for keeping such impossible hours. One of the reasons for this was that she preferred to drive home from long trips with her bodyguards rather than fly, often getting back to the residence in the small hours of the morning. Then she usually invited the lads in for a drink (she drank little herself and did not smoke although she had her own carmine-tipped cigarettes) and they would talk politics until an angry President yelled down the stairs at them: Get rid of those damned _atorrantes_ (bums)!' At that point Evita would shoo them out of the front door with a _'Raja muchachos_ (hurry up boys), the old man's getting mad'.\n\nSuch was the pace of her life that her blonde beauty had taken on a glacial withdrawn quality, giving her face more and more the appearance of a mask. Fleur Cowles, when she saw her, thought she had a strained, tired look \u2014 'the greenness of her skin could only be some sort of warning. I thought she must have had a touch of jaundice... the gossip in Paris by Argentine friends was that she was dangerously ill with leukaemia.' If so, she gave no hint of it in the fierce pace of her life. When a US Assistant Secretary of State visited Argentina, Evita almost caused him to have a heart attack as she raced him up and down seven flights of stairs to show him every last room in a new 600 bed hospital built by her foundation.\n\nShe also found time to march into the Casa Rosada at the head of a small army of her Per\u00f3nista Woman's Party to present her husband with a gold watch and a demand that he run for President again. He thanked her, but did not say anything about the Vice-Presidency. After all, the country already had a Vice-President, 74-year-old Hortensio Jazmin Quijano, although he was a sick man and in hospital. He did not want to run again, and there was some talk among a few top Peronista officials that Per\u00f3n's old friend and army colleague, Colonel Domingo Mercante, the Governor of Buenos Aires Province, should get the nod. But Evita's loyal allies in the CGT had different ideas. They announced plans for a monster rally to be held on August 22 in the 450-foot wide Avenida Nueve de Julio and they promised that two million Argentines would be there to proclaim Juan Per\u00f3n and Evita Per\u00f3n as their candidates for the nation's two top jobs.\n\nSince Per\u00f3n assumed the Presidency in 1946, the weather had always been fine for his national fiestas. He had his usual good luck again this time, even though August is very much a winter month in Buenos Aires. The skies were clear as the descamisados began to pour into the city by train, river steamer, lorry, bicycle, and three Model-T Fords which chugged 2,500 kilometres from Patagonia. The country people could easily be spotted on the streets with their black hats, tanned skins and ponchos. Everything was free for them \u2014 transport, food, and lodging. Thousands slept overnight in the city garages, requisitioned by the government. Free films and sporting events were laid on to entertain them. The CGT declared a general strike so that everybody could attend. As a result, the normal life of the city was virtually paralysed. But the crowds were orderly and good natured, and the government had wisely removed a possible source of disorder by cancelling three football games (football in Argentina is a sport that has been known to turn into near war on occasions).\n\nAs the throngs streamed into the vast avenida they chanted their battle-cry: 'Viva Per\u00f3n!' 'Viva Evita!' and 'Per\u00f3n fulfills his promises!' Loudspeaker vans edged through the crowds playing 'We are the Per\u00f3nist Boys', and 'Evita our Captain'. Huge portraits of the Per\u00f3ns and election slogans hung from government buildings. The noise of the chanting and the songs boomed out from the loudspeakers attached to every lamp-post on the avenida. It sounded as if every Argentine in the country was there that afternoon. But in fact only 250,000 of them greeted President Per\u00f3n as he stepped up on to the flood-lit platform, decorated with blue and white Argentine flags.\n\nEvita was not with him, and that brought immediate cries of 'Where is she?' It was the cue for Jose Espejo to speak up: 'My General,' he said: 'we note one absence, the absence of your wife, of Eva Per\u00f3n, she who is without peer in the world, in history, in the love and veneration of the Argentine people. Companions, possibly her modesty, which is perhaps the greatest of her merits, has kept her from this gathering, but we cannot continue without Comrade Eva Per\u00f3n.' So an escort of CGT officials was dispatched to the Residence to fetch her. Fifteen minutes later she was there on the platform, hatless, in an elegant suit, raising her arms in acknowledgement of the roar of the crowd.\n\nAfter the national anthem had been played, Espejo asked the President to stand for re-election. His acceptance was unqualified. But when the CGT leader turned to his boss and called on her to accept the nomination for the Vice-Presidency, she hesitated. First she attacked her old enemies, the oligarchs. They could not attack General Per\u00f3n directly because of the people's support for him, she said. But they felt they could attack him through her. She was willing, she cried, for her breast to shield her General from all attack. But as for the Vice-Presidency, she asked for four days to make up her mind. From the vast crowd, which seemed to stretch endlessly down the avenida, came the cry that no one would leave until she said yes. She pleaded for twenty-four hours, then two hours. The crowd roared 'now, now.' In a half whisper, she promised: 'I will do what the people say.'\n\nBut something was wrong. Everybody knew that. Official acceptance of the nominations had been set for August 24. But the notification was postponed indefinitely. Rumours of an impending military coupe swept the country. Then on August 30, a Brazilian newspaper, O _Mundo,_ owned by a close friend and admirer of the Per\u00f3ns, Dr Gerald Rocha, carried a story that President Per\u00f3n had told a group of visiting Brazilian newsmen that his wife could not run for Vice-President because she was too young. If she was 29 years old as she said she was, then she was barred from the Vice-Presidency because one of the qualifications for that office was an age of at least 30. But of course she was not 29. She was born on May 7, 1919, which would have made her 32. Presumably some old-fashioned feminine whim had prompted her to send someone to Los Toldos after her marriage to tear out the entry of her birth from the registrar's book in the town hall. But no one accepted Per\u00f3n's excuse about his wife's age, anyway. There continued to be no official word. Per\u00f3nista Party officials flocked into Buenos Aires. The Superior Council of the Party huddled in secret meetings throughout most of August 31. That evening, Evita put an end to the suspense. She broadcast to the nation.\n\nIn a voice that trembled with emotion and sounded hoarse and strained, she said: 'It is my irrevocable decision to refuse the honour which the workers and the people of my country wished to confer on me at the open forum of the 22nd. I declare that this decision was born in my innermost consciousness and is therefore perfectly free and has all the force of my final will.' Her voice broke and there were moments of silence as she seemed to be gathering her strength to continue. 'I have passed the best years of my life at the side of General Per\u00f3n, my master,' she went on, 'I have no higher goal in life than to continue to serve him and the people of Argentina.' She was not going to retire from public life, she made that quite clear. 'I am not resigning my work, just the honours,' she said, adding that she would continue as a 'humble collaborator of Per\u00f3n'. Then in a final emotion-charged passage she said: I only want history to say of me: There was a woman alongside General Per\u00f3n; a woman who took to him the hopes and needs of the people, and her name was Evita.'\n\nIt was the army which had forced Evita into retreat. Its sense of _dignidad_ had been severely dented during the Per\u00f3n years of power, humiliations that were angrily blamed on 'petticoat dictatorship' over drinks in the Officers' Club at Campo de Mayo. So the generals told Per\u00f3n, their old- comrade in arms, that they would not accept his wife as Vice-President. The thought of her as their Commander-in-Chief, which she would be if anything happened to him, was too intolerable to contemplate. This time, the generals warned Per\u00f3n, they would try their hand at revolution if Evita accepted the Per\u00f3nista nomination, which they knew was tantamount to election. Perhaps the fact that only 250,000 supporters had turned out on August 22, instead of the promised two million, encouraged them to test their strength. Yet by democratic standards it was a remarkable feat to get that number of people together from all over the country \u2014 if one forgot that every agency of the government had been geared to the task. Per\u00f3n complained bitterly that his descamisados had let him down. He might have called the generals' bluff with two million chips, but not with only a quarter-of-a million. It meant that Evita had to step down. But that still did not stop the army from trying to bring about a revolution in any case.\n\nFirst suspicions were aroused before dawn on September 28, when there was unusual activity around the air base at El Palomar, about twelve miles west of Buenos Aires. Officers at the military school, which shares El Palomar with the airmen, reported promptly to the President, who, as usual, was at his desk in the Casa Rosada by 6.30 am. He called in his military leaders, but planes were already flying over the capital, dropping leaflets that urged the people to support the revolt against Per\u00f3n. They carried the name of a retired general, Benjamin Menendez. But other than sweeping so low over the Casa Rosada that they nearly knocked over the chimney pots, the planes did no damage.\n\nImmediately Per\u00f3n ordered the summary shooting of any uniformed man taking part in the revolt. A state of siege was declared and censorship imposed. Federal police set up guards over radio stations, newspapers, and state banks. Business establishments dropped their heavy steel shutters. The CGT called a general strike and ordered its members into the streets to help defeat the rebels. But there was little to do, except for occasional fist fights in the streets. Police rescued one man from a mob which was chasing him, and loyal troops went into action at El Palomar and Campo de Mayo. The rebels had apparently controlled both bases for a few hours, but by the afternoon the government had won them back. Artillery shells were fired at El Palomar, but they landed on the runway and did no damage. Only one soldier died, a Sergeant Farina who, according to Per\u00f3nista newspapers, had fallen with the cry of 'Viva Per\u00f3n' on his lips.\n\nIn the afternoon, Per\u00f3n appeared on his balcony and looked down on a plaza packed with loyal descamisados. 'A group of bad Argentines dishonoured the uniform of the fatherland,' he told them. Contemptuously, he added that the rebels 'at the first shots, raised the white flag and surrendered. They are cowards because they did not dare to die the one time they should have sacrificed life for the sake of their honour,' he said. 'That is why they will suffer the opprobrious penalty of a coward. As cowards, they will be executed,' he promised the cheering supporters. 'Hang them!' Hang them!' shouted the crowd. 'That I will do,' General Per\u00f3n yelled, banging his fist on the velvet rail of the balcony. 'As an example. Everyone must know that those who in future go out to fight against us either will kill us or we will kill them.' But he did not. Most of the rebels flew off to Uruguay, while General Menendez was thrown in gaol. Juan Per\u00f3n had more on his mind just then than incompetent revolutionaries. His wife was dying.\n\nShe had been taken ill immediately after her renunciation of the Vice-Presidency, suffering from influenza and anaemia, it was said. She had been under treatment for over a year by a Polish blood specialist, Dr Helen Zawarski. Her blood count had fallen to three-fifths of normal. But she had continued her exhausting schedule right up to the moment of her collapse, refusing to pander to the tiredness that must have been tearing at every muscle and bone in her body. When she finally took to her bed, her husband, in tears, told friends that she had pernicious anaemia, which was probably gentle shorthand for leukaemia. However, the news of the attempted coup had her struggling to get out of bed, though in the end she was persuaded to broadcast from there. In a voice that was hardly audible, she expressed her thanks to her descamisados for their support of her husband. 'To all of you I give a great embrace from my heart,' she whispered. 'For me there is nothing in the world but the love of Per\u00f3n and my people.'\n\nThere was still a little strength left. On October 17, a slight figure in a crimson coat appeared on the balcony of the Casa Rosada. She looked frail and haggard. But she managed a smile and a wave for the cheering crowd below. The plaza was packed with her descamisados, just as it had been on October 17 six years earlier. Few of them had known she even existed then. Now they were there to pay her homage. In the new era of television the cameras zoomed in on the tired face as the President pinned on her breast the Grand Peronista Medal, Extraordinary Class, in recognition of her selflessness in renouncing her candidacy. He embraced her and she wept in his arms.\n\n'This marvellous people,' said Per\u00f3n, turning to the microphones, 'whom we have already qualified as being the best in the world, has decided that this October 17 should be dedicated to Eva Per\u00f3n. There could be no homage more just, more deep, more honourable than this dedication. She is not only the guide and the standard bearer of our movement but in Argentine history the figure of Eva Per\u00f3n will be seen as one of the greatest women of humanity.' Then he pleaded for silence so that his wife could speak without strain. As she did so, his hands cradled her waist to prevent her from falling. In the stillness, she began:\n\n'My beloved descamisados, this is a day of great emotion for me. With all my soul I have desired to be with you and with Per\u00f3n on this glorious day of the descamisados. I could never miss this appointment that I have with the people on each October 17th. I assure you that nothing and no one could have prevented me from coming because I have a sacred debt to Per\u00f3n and to you, to the workers and the boys of the CGT, and it does not matter to me if in paying it I must leave shreds of my life by the wayside. I had to come and I came to thank Per\u00f3n and the CGT and the descamisados and my people. To Per\u00f3n, who has just honoured me with the highest distinction that can be given a Per\u00f3nista, I shall never finish paying my debt, not until I give my life in gratitude for the kindness he has always shown me. Nothing that I have, nothing that I am, nothing that I think is mine; it is Per\u00f3n's. I will not tell the usual lie and say that I have not deserved this; yes I deserve it, my General. I deserve it for one thing only that is worth all the gold in the world. I deserve it because all I have done is for love of this country. What I have done is of no value; my renunciation is of no value; what I am and what I have is of no value. I have only one thing of value and that is my heart. It burns in my soul, aches in my flesh, stings in my nerves; it is love for the people and Per\u00f3n. And I give thanks to you, my General, who have taught me to know you and love you. If the people ask for my life I would give it singing because the happiness of one descamisado is worth more than my life.\n\n'I had to come to give thanks to the CGT for the laurels with which they have decorated me which are for me the dearest memento of the Argentine workers. I had to come to thank the workers and the CGT who dedicated this day to a humble woman. I had to come to tell you, as I told the General, that it is necessary to keep an alert watch on all sides in our struggle. The danger is not past. The enemies of the people, of Per\u00f3n and of the patria do not sleep. It is necessary that each Argentine worker keeps on the lookout and that he should not sleep, for the enemies work in the shadow of treason and sometimes they hide behind a smile or an outstretched hand. I had to come to thank all my beloved descamisados from every corner of the patria because on September 28 you knew how to risk your lives for Per\u00f3n. I was sure you would know, as you have known before, how to act as a trench for Per\u00f3n. The enemies of Per\u00f3n and of the patria have known for a long time that Per\u00f3n and Eva Per\u00f3n are ready to die for the people. Now they know that the people are ready to die for Per\u00f3n. I just ask one thing of you today, comrades, that we all swear publicly to defend Per\u00f3n and to fight for him and we will shout our oath aloud for the space of one minute so that the sound of it may reach the furthest corners of the world.'\n\nThe roar of 'My life for Per\u00f3n' echoed and re-echoed round the plaza. Then she continued.\n\n'I thank you, comrades, for your prayers for my health. I thank you from my heart. I hope that God hears the humble people of my patria so that I may soon return to the battle and continue fighting with Per\u00f3n for you and with you for Per\u00f3n until death. I have wanted and I want nothing for myself. My glory is and always will be the shield of Per\u00f3n and the banner of my people, and even if I leave shreds of my life on the wayside I know that you will gather them up in my name and carry them like a flag to victory. I know that God is with us because he is with the humble and despises the pride of the oligarchs, and so the victory will be ours. Sooner or later we will reach it, cost what it may and fall who must.\n\n'My descamisados, I would like to say many things to you but the doctors have told me I must not talk. I leave you my heart and I tell you I am sure, as it is my wish, that I shall soon be in the fight again, with more strength and more love, to fight for this country that I love so much, as I love Per\u00f3n. I ask only one thing of you: I am sure that I will soon be with you, but if because of my health I cannot, help Per\u00f3n, be loyal to Per\u00f3n as you have been until now, because this is to be loyal to the patria and to yourselves. And all those descamisados of the interior, I embrace them very close to my heart and I hope that they realise how much I love them.'\n\nThe passion, the love, the hatred, it was all there as before. But there was a difference. The crowd knew it. There were many men as well as women weeping openly in the plaza. On November 6, she was operated on for cancer of the uterus. Her newspaper, _Democracia,_ said that before she went under the anaesthetic she cried, 'Viva Per\u00f3n!' which must have shaken Dr George T. Pack, the New York Memorial Hospital cancer specialist who performed the operation.\n\nFive days later a special ballot box was carried to her bedside so that she could vote in the presidential election. She had broadcast to the nation the night before and, weak though she was, there was nothing soft in her words. 'Not to vote for Per\u00f3n,' she said, 'is for an Argentine \u2014 I say it because I feel it \u2014 to betray the country.' She warned the voters that she would be with them in spirit. 'I will follow you like a shadow, repeating in your ears and your conscience the name of Per\u00f3n until you have deposited your vote in the urn as a message of love and of faith and of loyalty towards the leader of the people. May every Per\u00f3nista vote on November 11 be a silent cry from an Argentine heart, \"My life for Per\u00f3n!\"'\n\nFor her vote to be legal there had to be a poll watcher of an opposition party present. David Vinas, an Argentine novelist, never forgot that moment. He was a member of the Radical Party. 'It was a rainy day and we three went in \u2014 a member of the election board carrying the ballot box, a Per\u00f3nista party representative, and me. For a moment we were in the hospital room alone with her. Awed. Her face was made up but quite drawn. Her legs were bent and spread out. On her hospital bed were the different ballots of all the parties. We had to leave her alone to vote and when we came back they were all there but the Per\u00f3nist ballot. But the most impressive moment of all came when we left and walked through the women kneeling in the entrance and outside the hospital. They were kneeling in the rain and reaching up to try and touch the ballot box because Evita had touched it and her vote was inside. A ballot box had acquired mystical properties!'\n\nThere was nothing mystical about the result of the election. There would have been if the opposition Radical Party had won. Its candidates were allowed no newspaper space or radio time and had to depend on rallies to get their message across. But even the rallies were restricted in number and harried by the police. The polling itself was scrupulously honest, as it had been in 1946. The army made sure of that. Even so, Per\u00f3n piled up an impressive sixty-six per cent of the vote. His party won all 30 Senate seats and all but 14 of 149 places in the Chamber of Deputies. Per\u00f3nista Governors were elected in all 14 provinces. In some areas of the interior Per\u00f3n amassed a five to one margin over his opponents. But it was Evita's Per\u00f3nista Woman's Party that performed the best of all. Most of the four million Argentine women voting for the first time cast their ballot for Per\u00f3n. Not only that, they elected six women Senators and 23 women Deputies. Women were also elected to provincial legislatures, and to municipal, town, and village offices. The old Hispanic attitude of male superiority was never going to have the same force again in Argentina, although the woman who had made that possible had been stopped from holding office herself.\n\nIronically, she sat in the Vice-President's traditional place when Juan Per\u00f3n took the oath of office on June 4, 1952, to succeed himself as President of Argentina for another six-year term. She sat there because the place was vacant; Vice-President Hortensio Quijano had died since the November election. She looked desperately ill herself, clad in an ankle length mink coat that covered her shrunken body like a shroud. At the Congress building, Per\u00f3n guided her faltering steps to the Vice-President's chair, then quickly, with one hand on the bible, swore to defend the constitution. Outside, thousands of members of the Per\u00f3nista Woman's Party chanted: 'Viva Evita, the Vice-President'. But Evita slipped away to return to the presidential estate in suburban Olivos. Per\u00f3n swore in his new Cabinet, reviewed a parade of cavalry and foot soldiers, waved briefly to 100,000 descamisados in the plaza, and hurried to Olivos to be at his wife's side.\n\n## _13_  \n _DEATH OF THE LEGEND_\n\nThat was the last time the descamisados saw their beloved Evita. She was dying. The cancer she had fought off for so long was spreading swiftly with agonising pain through her body. But the Argentine people did not know, although they began to suspect she was more than merely ill when neither she nor her husband put in an appearance at the traditional Flag Day ceremonies on June 19. When she failed to appear at the Independence Day parade on July 9, her doctors tried to still the rumours with a bulletin stating that she needed rest. But, by then, word had leaked out from the Olivos mansion that she was being fed intravenously.\n\nAt the Avenida de Mayo headquarters of the Sub-Secretary of Information, lights burned all night as a special watch of five reporters waited for news of Evita's health. Per\u00f3nist leaders, hearing through the political grapevine that death was only a matter of days away, scrambled to outdo each other in their tributes. The Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Carlos Aloe, ordered Evita's autobiography to be used as a reader in the first grade of Argentine schools, as a textbook for civics courses in the fifth and sixth grades, and in translation as the supplementary text in language courses. Health Minister Ramon Carillo directed that in 508 hospitals and clinics under his department masses should be said for her 'quick and complete recovery'.\n\nIn the Congress, the Per\u00f3nist majority voted to build a huge marble and bronze monument to her, with 24 replicas for each of Argentina's provinces and territories. During one of the 59 impassioned speeches that were made in praise of Evita, Per\u00f3nista Deputy Mafalda Pi\u00f3 vano dropped on her knees in the aisle and prayed: 'Oh God, we beseech you to return to Eva Per\u00f3n the health she has sacrificed to save us.' Then the Congresswoman fainted dead away. As soon as she was revived, President of the Chamber Hector J. Campora led the 124 Per\u00f3nista deputies in swearing loyalty to Per\u00f3n as President and to Evita as 'Spiritual Chief of the Nation' \u2014 the title by which she had been formally listed in Argentina's Congressional Record since her final public appearance at her husband's inaugural.\n\nThe entire Argentine nation was also given its part to play in the homage. Given a half-day holiday, vast crowds stood silently for ten minutes in dusty plazas in cities, towns and villages across the country to demonstrate their love for their dying First Lady. But, as always where Eva Per\u00f3n was concerned, anger and hatred were as visible as love on that blustery winter's afternoon.\n\nIn Luna Park Stadium, Evita's old friend, Jose Espejo, the CGT General-Secretary, whipped a crowd of 50,000 Peronistas into a frenzy with a virulent attack on the American Government, which, he claimed, had prevented the words of their saint from reaching the workers of America. The State Department, he said, had conspired with US publishers to stop an English language version of Evita's autobiography from being printed in the United States. A backdrop of posters showed a pink octopus sitting on a heap of skulls and gold coins holding Wall Street in one hand and a hatchet in the other directed at Eva Per\u00f3n's book. Another showed a voracious-looking black eagle wearing stars and stripes on its neckband swooping down on the same volume. Screamed Espejo: Those clippers of coupons in Wall Street, the Vatican of the dollar, are silencing the voice of love and justice. The hungry wolves of Yankee Imperialism are terrified that our fellow American workers will learn about Argentina's happiness and abundance.' But the labour leader promised his delighted audience that the CGT would be sending a copy of Evita's book to every worker in the United States.\n\nThat never happened of course. If it had, the reaction of American workers would certainly have been the same as that of a growing number of Argentines. For in the few cities captured by the Radical Party in the November Presidential elections. Radical Mayors removed portraits of Eva Per\u00f3n, as well as copies of her book, from their city halls and burnt them. The Mayors claimed that as she held no official government post, her picture and autobiography had no right to be cluttering up their offices. It was a brave thing to do in a nation where the cult of Evita had reached a pitch of hysteria. But it was not very wise.\n\nIn the two largest cities where it happened, Juarez, 230 miles south of Buenos Aires with a population of 54,000, and Salta, with 25,000 inhabitants, 110 miles northwest of the capital, Per\u00f3nista workers paralysed both municipalities with general strikes in protest against the mayors' actions. That gave the fanatical governor of Buenos Aires Province, Carlos Aloe, the opportunity, which he quickly took, to throw out the Radical Mayors and replace them with Peronista Mayors on the grounds that city government had broken down, endangering the welfare of the citizens. There was not even a pretence at making a legalistic examination of the rights and wrongs of the situation. For by mid-winter of 1952, Peronismo had become the law in Argentina, and there was no more fervent upholder of the new judicial order than Carlos Aloe, who had changed the oath of office when he became Governor to include the statement that he was ruling the province on behalf of Juan and Eva Per\u00f3n.\n\nSuch obsequiousness would have earned warm public praise from the Per\u00f3ns in earlier days. But at Olivos there was no thought for anything but the approach of death. The weekly Cabinet meetings were cancelled. The President was spending most of his waking hours by his wife's bedside, holding her hand as she slept, lulled by powerful pain-killing drugs. During one of her periods of consciousness, he presented her with the Collar of the Order of San Martin, named after the nineteenth-century general who led Argentina's war of liberation against the Spanish. Of all the millions of pounds worth of jewellery that Eva Per\u00f3n acquired with such squirrel-like zeal during her brief years of power, this gleaming decoration topped them all. The collar contained 758 diamonds, emeralds and rubies, bridged by 3,800 gold and platinum elements. The main pendant consisted of a diamond and emerald rosette, containing an image of Argentina's liberator against a background of 16 rays of gold and platinum. No matter that the Collar of San Martin is specifically reserved in Argentine law as an honour for chiefs of state. As Eva's tired, glazed eyes stared at the sparkling Collar lying on her lap on top of her blankets and her bone-thin fingers rubbed over the jewels, she knew only too well the terrible, ironic reason for the award. It meant that when she died she would be eligible for presidential burial.\n\nOutside the walled grounds of the residence, Peronista women kneeled sobbing on the pavement at all hours of the day and night. Apparently, the sound of the crying must have penetrated the silent, shuttered house. For on July 16, Federal police moved the growing crowds back across the street and posted notices around the neighbourhood calling for 'no noise'. Two days later, all traffic was diverted from the area and even Cabinet Ministers had to walk the final few hundred yards to the gate of the residence. On the Sunday, July 21, thousands of porte\u00f1os assembled in heavy rain for an open air mass in the centre of Buenos Aires, where Evita's priest, Father Benitez, who had accompanied her famous trip around Europe, petitioned for 'the miracle of her restoration'. In a last despairing bid for human help, President Per\u00f3n called in two German cancer experts, Professor Paul Uhlenbruck of Cologne, a heart and blood circulation specialist, and Professor Heinrich Kalk of Kassel, a liver specialist. They arrived on July 24 and were rushed straight from their plane to Olivos, police outriders clearing the way for their car. But it was too late.\n\nOn the afternoon of July 26, Evita's doctors reported that their 'illustrious patient' had declined markedly. Sometime during that afternoon, according to her own newspaper, _Democracia,_ the pain-racked woman whispered to her husband: 'If I have committed any sins in life I am paying sufficiently for them by this pain. I kissed many tubercular workers thinking God would not send me pain because I did it for the poor. Now God sends me this. It is too much but if it is His work it is well.'\n\nShe was sinking fast. A second bulletin at 6.10 pm reported her condition as serious. At 7 o'clock it was announced that she had lapsed into unconsciousness fifteen minutes earlier. At 8.25, the crowds keeping a hushed but tearful vigil across the street from the residence saw a dim light snapped out in a second floor room. Inside the darkened chamber, President Per\u00f3n walked away from the bedside of his wife. To waiting family and Cabinet Ministers he said, simply: 'Evita is dead.' At her death, the once beautiful woman weighed a gaunt 80 pounds. On that cold July night, for the second time in his life, Juan Per\u00f3n was looking down at a wife dead of cancer.\n\nAll through the night Argentine radio stations interrupted their programmes of religious music with the news that 'the Sub-Secretariat of Information fulfills the very sad duty of announcing that at 8.25 o'clock Se\u00f1ora Eva Per\u00f3n, the spiritual leader of the nation, passed away.' Churches throughout the country tolled a slow, mournful death-knell. The Cabinet met to declare all official activities suspended for two days, with 30 days of official mourning. Outside the Olivos residence, a man with a crepe-draped Argentine flag perched himself in the fork of a tree and announced dramatically that he would stay there for ever. (Rain soon forced him down.)\n\nInside the house, Dr Pedro Ara, a distinguished Spanish pathologist who was cultural attach\u00e9 at the Spanish Embassy in Buenos Aires, was taken by President Per\u00f3n to Evita's bedroom to prepare the body for the next day's lying in state at the Ministry of Labour. 'Her face,' recalled Ara, 'had a tranquil, beautiful look, liberated at last from her cruel suffering.* One of her doctors, Dr Ricardo Finochietto, had closed her eyes and placed her face in repose. Her mother and her priest. Father Benitez, knelt praying by the bed. 'I'm going to give you all the keys to my poor wife's room,' Peron told him. 'No one will be able to enter \u2014 not the family nor myself \u2014 while you are working.'\n\nThrough the windows of Eva Per\u00f3n's room, looking out over the grounds to the River Plate, Dr Ara could see the first light of dawn piercing through the storm clouds as he finished his initial work on the body. There were still many more months of work to be done to complete the embalming process. But as he had told Per\u00f3n the previous night, the success or failure of the embalming process depended critically on those first few hours. But Ara was satisfied now that the body was incorruptible. There was a knock on the door. It was Evita's dressmaker and hairdresser. Like Ara, the dressmaker had worked through the night cutting and sewing her mistress's final robe. 'She looks as though she is sleeping,' she said as she dressed her. Evita's hairdresser, Julio, who had known since she was a little girl in Junin, told Ara that during her years in government he had always had the honour of being her first visitor in the morning. 'No one else cut her hair. I even went to Spain with her,' he said proudly. 'If I could just . . .' Ara cut him short. 'Go ahead, maestro,' he told Julio. 'Perform your art for the last time. But be quick. They are waiting.' It took the hairdresser an hour to comb and arrange Evita's hair, during which time her brother, Juan Duarte, came in and cut off a long silver lock to take to their mother.\n\nJust as Ara was placing her hands around the rosary of silver and mother of pearl that had been given to her by the Pope, one of her maids walked in with her manicurist kit. 'Doctor,' she said, 'before her final moments of suffering, the Se\u00f1ora told me: 'When I die, take off the red varnish and replace it with a plain varnish.'\" The astonished doctor was speechless. He could not believe that the dying woman could have been thinking about such things, consumed as she was with such pain. But just at the moment Per\u00f3n entered the room. 'It's true,' he said, 'I heard her. Go ahead and do it, Se\u00f1orita.' Then Per\u00f3n turned to Ara. 'Tell me doctor. How long will the body remain like this before it decomposes?' The doctor, who often carried in his luggage the head of an old peasant that he had embalmed, much to the consternation of customs officers in various parts of the world, said quite firmly: 'General, it will never decompose.'\n\nPer\u00f3n then told him that after the Argentine people had been given a few days to see the body, he would have as long as he wanted to finish the embalming process at CGT headquarters, where it was to be kept until the giant monument and crypt that Per\u00f3n had planned for her in the centre of Buenos Aires was ready. Ara demurred. He pointed out as diplomatically as he could that the CGT was not the quietest place or the most peaceful for doing the kind of delicate work that he had in front of him. There had even been occasions when the place had become the target of disturbances and fights. But Per\u00f3n just shook his head as Ara suggested that he would much rather do his work in a hospital or even in the grounds of the Olivos residence. 'No, professor,' he said. 'My wife asked that her mortal remains be placed in the CGT until they could be moved to the crypt in the monument, and I'm going to do exactly what she wanted. But I can assure you that you will have all the peace and security that you need. Part of the building is being turned into a laboratory for you. And the men who looked after my wife while she was alive are from today under your orders. Everybody will help you. All the workers adored my wife. To them she was more than a mother.'\n\nThere was nothing more to be said. An hour later, a black van slipped out through the main gates of the residence past the unsuspecting mourning throngs. It carried Evita's silver-trimmed, white mahogany coffin to the Ministry of Labour building, where her body was laid in state in the gold-domed room where for six years she had wielded the power that formed the backbone of her husband's regime. The coffin, topped with a full-length glass cover, was placed on a huge horseshoe bier of mauve and white orchids. Flowers covered the second floor auditorium and overflowed into the street. Inevitably, despite the secrecy of the move to enable Per\u00f3n to pray in peace besides the body and attend a mass conducted by Father Benitez, the word spread swiftly through the city that Evita was at the Ministry. All night vast crowds had kept vigil in the streets, kneeling in prayer on rain-swept pavements. Women wept openly, some in a state of near collapse. Now they swarmed around the Ministry, shouting 'we want to see her'. The police managed to hold them off for a few hours in the morning. But finally the crowds broke through the police line and were only held in check by a second emergency squad at the doors. Then the order was given to admit the people.\n\nThe whole nation seemed crazed with grief. All flags were at half-mast and draped in black as were lamp-posts and buildings in every city, town and village. For three days no business of any kind was carried out in Argentina. Buenos Aires, one of the world's great cities, closed down completely. No shops or restaurants were open. There were no buses or taxis. Guests in the elegant Plaza Hotel made their own beds and had to make do on one meal a day. Only the florists remained open and they did a thriving business. Flowers covered the streets around the Ministry of Labour and piled 20 feet high up the walls of the building. When the country's florists were emptied, flowers were flown in from as far away as Chile.\n\nOutside the Ministry, the crowds grew longer and longer. Within a fortnight over two million Argentines had made the pilgrimage to Evita's bier, lining up for more than 15 hours in freezing rain to get a 20-second glimpse of her thin and wasted face. Hysterical women flung themselves forward to kiss the glass of her coffin. Sixteen people were crushed to death by the throngs; over 4,000 were taken to city hospitals to be treated for injuries, and thousands more were give first aid on the spot. To feed the 20-block long, four-a-breast queues, the army set up field kitchens, dispensing free sandwiches and coffee.\n\nAway from the bier, Peronista groups around the country unremittingly tried to outdo each other in paying homage to their First Lady. The eloquence of the oratory was typified by a senator in the Congress who claimed that Evita had not only combined the best virtues of Catherine the Great of Russia, Queen Elizabeth I of England, Joan of Arc and Isabelle of Spain but had also multiplied these virtues in herself to an infinite degree. The Minister of Public Health, Ramon Carillo, ordered a 220-lb candle, the height of Evita (5ft 5in) to be installed in the Ministry and lighted for an hour on the 26th day of every month (the day Evita died). Carillo thought the candle would last 100 years or more. The Argentine Post Office ordered the printing of new stamps of all denominations bearing the picture of Eva Per\u00f3n and prohibited the sale of any other stamps for a year. Argentines throughout the world, including the athletes who were at the Olympic Games in Finland, were told to wear black bands of mourning, and all members of the Peronista Party were ordered to wear black ties at party functions for the rest of their lives. Even the children were caught up in the frenzy. The Feminist Peronista Party asked the government to build an 'Eva Per\u00f3n shrine' in all schools so that 'children may slake their thirst for knowledge of the works of this great woman.' Schools were given prizes to be distributed to children who wrote the best poems and essays praising Evita.\n\nBut there were indications that the country was not unanimous in its mourning. At the University of La Plata, not far from Buenos Aires, students burned a crepe hanging in front of their dining room door. When the dean directed that as an act of penance all students wishing to use the restaurant, which had special low prices, would have to wear black ties and armbands, the students simply stayed away from school for a week \u2014 a pretty mild and harmless expression of protest. But anything more outspoken would certainly have drawn down the wrath of outraged Peronistas on their heads. As it was there were numerous examples of petty nastiness against those who did not show sufficient respect or fervour in their mourning. Carlos Aloe, the fanatical Governor of Buenos Aires Province, fired an employee who refused to wear a black tie. A Buenos Aires youth was arrested for laughing on a street car. The director of one of the city's major hospitals was dismissed for lack of respect because he had continued to work during the mourning period. 'Attitudes like these are anti-social,' said Aloe.\n\nBut the frenzied scenes around the Ministry of Labour had apparently scared even many devoted Peronistas. When the body was moved August 9th to the National Congress Building, a great segment of the city's populace stayed away from the mile-long processional route. At regular intervals, the State Radio pleaded with its listeners to get out on to the deserted streets and watch the mournful parade. Evita, in fact, was being given all the full military honours that normally in Argentina are accorded to a president who dies in office. As an army band began to play Chopin's Funeral March, troops lined two deep along the 14-block route from the Ministry of Labour to the Congress presented arms. Behind a detachment of mounted grenadiers, three files of men and women workers in white shirts and black trousers drew an ancient gun carriage on which was mounted the tiny, silver-encrusted, mahogany coffin. Following right behind, President, Per\u00f3n led the cortege of mourners \u2014 Cabinet Ministers, members of Congress, labour leaders, and senior officers of the armed forces. On each side marched files of cadet nurses from the Eva Per\u00f3n Foundation, students, workers, and leaders of the Peronista Feminist Party.\n\nEvita remained at the Congress Building for only one day, a Snow White-like figure, dressed in a flowing white tunic, her blonde hair resting neatly on a small white pillow, looking as though all she needed was a kiss from one of her faithful descamisados to bring her to life. The next day the workers came for her. But first the nation's top political leaders delivered themselves of a final outpouring of oratorical grief. Interior Minister Angel G. Borlenghi described Evita as the 'martyr of labour, protecting saint, haven for the humble, sun of the aged, and good fairy to the children.' Always considering herself as the equal of the most humble, Se\u00f1ora Per\u00f3n fought to improve their lot and gave not charity but justice to the poor, he continued. 'In the orchestra of government, Eva Per\u00f3n was the diapason of justicialist purity \u2014 the pure gold. She was the tuning fork to sound any government measure. If she was happy with it the people would be happy with it, too. If she was mild so also the people. If she rejected it the people would reject it. She was the quintessence of the people's feeling.' With her passing the task that had devolved upon the people was to serve General Per\u00f3n unconditionally, Se\u00f1or Borlenghi declared. Placing a hand on the coffin and gazing down at the still figure, he concluded: 'We swear for our fatherland and you, Eva Per\u00f3n, to continue struggling to be loyal to Per\u00f3n and to give our lives to Per\u00f3n.'\n\nOther speakers were equally flowery. Dr Rudolfo Valenzuela, speaking for the Argentine Supreme Court, described Evita as having possessed 'the unbreakable faith of the missionary, the unbending courage of the fanatical soldier, the overwhelming passion of the politician and the suave tenderness of the woman in love.' Argentine justice would be guided by the tenets she held and demonstrated, he promised. Then Juana Larrauri, Evita's right-hand woman in the Feminist Party, sobbed out: 'For us you have not died. You are the eternal burning torch, guiding us on our way.' Finally, the small coffin was once again carried out into the street, mounted on a gun carriage and drawn by fifty workers through two miles of the city's main streets to the headquarters of the National Confederation of Labour near the waterfront. Unlike the day before, this time the route was lined by hundreds of thousands of sorrowing, weeping Argentines. Two CGT floats bearing flaming torches and the slogan, 'The flame of your memory will forever live in our hearts', preceded the coffin with the workers on them strewing flowers and petals in front of the wheels of the gun carriage. Yet more flowers rained down from the packed windows of the buildings lining the path of the cortege. As it drew up to the wreath-covered entrance to the labour headquarters, a 21-gun salute thundered out and Lincoln bombers and Meteor jets streaked low overhead.\n\nAs Juan Per\u00f3n, his face etched with the lines of grief, handed over the body of his wife to CGT Secretary-General Jose Espejo, he must have known as he looked down at her that he was parting with her share of his power. If he did not, then Espejo made it clear right then and there. On the steps of the magnificent union headquarters that Evita had built, Espejo promised: 'Upon receiving the remains of Eva Per\u00f3n, I swear to be their custodian today, tomorrow and forever.' Anyone knowing Espejo knew that this was more a threat than rhetoric. His words carried the plain implication that from now on, anyone, including President Per\u00f3n himself, who sought to curb the CGT leadership and the spoils of the Eva Per\u00f3n Foundation would have to take on the guardians of Evita \u2014 the theory being that in a crisis her corpse could generate far more political magic with the Argentine people than a living Juan Per\u00f3n. He had inherited a myth which in the years to come he was going to find impossible to live with.\n\n## _14_  \n _SAINT EVITA?_\n\nOn August 1, 1952, the union of food workers cabled Pope Pius XII asking 'in the name of 160,000 members that Your Holiness initiate the process of canonisation of Eva Per\u00f3n.' To support this request, the union told of a little girl paying her last respects, who said: 'Eva was a saint. I know because she cured my mother.' It added: 'Many sick are now well, many sorrowful are happy because of her.' The Vatican response was quick, smooth, and predictable. 'While in the case of Se\u00f1ora de Per\u00f3n the civic virtues were practised in an evident way,' said a Vatican spokesman, choosing his words carefully, 'nothing is known about her religious virtues, and, at first sight, there seems not to have been any of the heroism required by the church in such matters.'\n\nThe church, it appeared, did not seem to believe that a woman who had known as many lovers as Evita before marriage was quite suitable material for sainthood. But it did not really matter. She already was a saint to hundreds of thousands of elderly Argentine women around the country who had set up shrines to her in their homes. The government, too, was planning a shrine \u2014 the world's biggest. Her embalmed remains were to be kept permanently on view in a crypt patterned after Napoleon's tomb which was to be topped by a 450-foot statue of a descamisado in Carrara marble. But while Italian sculptors chipped away on that four-year project, in Buenos Aires the Evita legend seemed to be quietly but rapidly receding into the mists of history. More than two months after her death, the Association of Friends of Eva Per\u00f3n', founded in the first hour of grief by high-placed Peronistas, had yet to hold its first meeting. The film _Evita Immortal,_ released shortly after her death, had been withdrawn from circulation after only a short run. Press and radio had drastically reduced the amount of time and space devoted to her. The President himself never mentioned her name in public speeches anymore. It looked as though the widower in the Casa Rosada was trying to exorcise the ghost around him.\n\nNine months after Evita Peron died, her brother, Juan Duarte, her adored Juancito, was dead, too, found in his bedroom with a bullet in the brain, a gun beside him. Officially it was a suicide. But when his mother, Juana Ibarguren, heard the news she screamed, 'He has murdered my two children.' Word of her outburst spread like lightning through the city. There was no doubting at whom she was pointing the finger. Only three days before, Peron had forced his brother-in-law to resign as his private secretary after publicly stating that he would imprison any dishonest official even if it happened to be his own father (who had died when he was a child).\n\nThere was no Evita to protect Juan Duarte this time, or to save the other men she had so carefully placed in positions of power. Jose Espejo was already gone from the CGT, fired within weeks of his emotional outburst over her coffin when he swore to be the custodian of her bones for ever. Hector Campora, her loyal servant in Congress, had been forced to resign as President of the Chamber of Deputies. Jose Maria Freyre, her hand-picked Minister of Labour, had also been ousted. And Evita's enemies were returning to positions of power even as Dr Ara put the finishing touches to her immortality in his laboratory at CGT headquarters.\n\nIn fact, Duarte was doomed from the moment that the new CGT General Secretary, Eduardo Vuletich, arrived at a Cabinet meeting arm-in-arm with Minister of Defence, General Sosa Molina, who had never forgotten or forgiven his humiliation at Evita's hands. Vuletich complained about the corruption spreading through the country and accused the President's private secretary of using the power of his position to enrich himself. When another Cabinet minister offered a timid defence of Duarte, General Sosa Molina ordered him to shut up. Then, for the next couple of hours, Per\u00f3n was given a detailed account of how his brother-in-law had put together a fortune worth twelve million pounds according to some estimates \u2014 quite an accomplishment for a man who only nine years earlier had been earning \u00a312 a month as a soap salesman.\n\n_Above:_ Voting for her husband from her sick bed in the Presidential election, November 11, 1951.\n\n_Below:_ Evita's last public appearance as Juan Per\u00f3n takes the Presidential oath of office, June 4, 1952.\n\nQueueing in the pouring rain to see Evita's body lying in state in the Ministry of Labour after her death, July 26, 1952.\n\nThe whole nation seemed crazed with grief.\n\nFlowers piled 20 feet high up the side of the Ministry's walls.\n\nFor 16 years Evita's body lay in this Milan grave.\n\nReunited: Juan and Evita side by side in the Presidential chapel in Olives, December 10, 1974.\n\nFinally laid to rest, October 22, 1976, in the Duarte tomb in Recolete cemetry, Buenos Aires.\n\nEvita: in life and death.\n\nPer\u00f3n expressed shock and fury, though he had only himself to blame if he really was ignorant of what had been going on. With the press muzzled and criticism a passport to gaol, a dictator only hears what the men around him want him to hear. But Per\u00f3n must have known what Duarte was up to. Dr Ivan Ivanessevich, an old friend who had taken out his appendix and had also written his party's marching song, the 'Per\u00f3nista Boys', recalled twenty years later how he had resigned as Minister of Education and had taken the boat to Uruguay when he discovered that businessmen had to bribe Juan Duarte in order to see the President. But Per\u00f3n had not been at all shocked when he told him at the time. 'Look Ivan,' the surgeon remembered his President telling him, 'the British Empire was built by good men and pirates and I'm going to build the Argentine empire with good men and pirates.'\n\nBut Juan Duarte was a pirate whose time had come to walk the plank. For Per\u00f3n had a score to settle with him. Soon after Evita's death, the President discovered that his wife had for three years before her death systematically dispatched suitcases full of jewellery and cash worth possibly six million pounds to a bank vault in Switzerland. He sent Duarte off to Europe, either to find the key of the bank vault or to persuade the Swiss to transfer the fortune to his name. Under Argentine law, he was supposed to divide that wealth with Evita's mother. Duarte, however, carried with him a power of attorney from Per\u00f3n \u2014 a document signed by the President of the Supreme Court certifying that Evita's mother had waived all rights to her estate. Accompanied by Hector Campora, he was gone a month, but returned without any apparent success. Then, in April of 1953, just 24 hours before the Cabinet confrontation, Duarte was betrayed by a jilted girl friend, Maliza Zini, one of the many actresses whose company he kept in Buenos Aires. She got word to Per\u00f3n that his brother-in-law had 'liquidated' a great deal of Evita's jewellery while in Europe. She added bitterly that he had given a temporary girl friend a gem worth \u00a32,500 while staying at the Excelsior Hotel in Rome.\n\nPer\u00f3n demanded and received Duarte's resignation during the Cabinet meeting. Reading the signs, Evita's brother decided it was time to clear out. He drove to the airport to catch a plane to Spain. But the police were waiting for him and took his passport away. Then he tried in vain to rent a motor launch to escape across the river to Montevideo. The next evening he had friends in for dinner at his apartment: Dr Raul Margueirate, chief of protocol at the Foreign Ministry, Raul Apold, sub-secretary of Press and Information, and his personal doctor. They stayed with him until 12.30. The next day, at 7 o'clock, the Minister of Industry, Rafael Amundarain, arrived at Duarte's apartment and found him lying across his bed in a dressing gown, a bullet through his skull.\n\nThe medical examination by the police established that death was caused by a .45 automatic, a weapon used by the army and police. He had died sometime between 12.30 and 2 am. Per\u00f3n was told at 10 o'clock and paid a short visit six hours later to the bier of the man who had been his private secretary for seven years. But Juan Duarte's mother was not at the wake. Nor was her name mentioned in the official condolences. The official announcement that the death was a suicide was made later that day, and the next morning Duarte was buried. It was only then that a police surgeon quietly let it be known that the bullet had been fired from such a distance as to rule out suicide. Another bit of information slipped out: the dead man's office had been ransacked on the morning of his death by federal agents. No reasons were given. Presumably the agents were looking for the keys of Evita's vault in Switzerland.\n\nThe President did not attend Juan Duarte's funeral. He had other crises to cope with \u2014 high prices, meat shortages, corruption. The country was sinking deeply into an economic quagmire. And without Evita he was lost. He could still produce the words in that deep, rich voice, vibrating and echoing around the plaza. In earlier days that would have been enough to send the crowds away laughing and contented. 'Corruption,' he snorted, 'the administration has always had these small abnormalities of disposing of more revenue than has been estimated.' High prices! 'Look,' he lectured, 'I can't have enough police to take care of eighteen million dunces who let themselves be robbed.' But the rhetoric was not enough. He could not talk away the discontent, although he tried wilder, more hysterical demagoguery, and his police filled the gaols with those who complained.\n\nBut now his enemies were doing more than just complaining. The weekend before Juan Duarte's death, two bombs exploded in the Plaza de Mayo as the President spoke to thousands of his faithful descamisados massed below. Six people were killed by the blasts or were crushed to death in the stampeding, terrified crowd. Per\u00f3n pleaded with them to stay calm. But then he seemed to be carried away by the frenzy of the moment. 'Go out and club them, hang them,' he shrieked. Obediently, his supporters poured through the city streets. No one died. But the Jockey Club, the palatial five-storey building on Calle Florida, the symbol of the country's aristocracy, was burnt to the ground, wiping out one of the finest art collections and libraries in the nation and a wine cellar considered South America's best. The headquarters of the opposition Radical and Socialist Parties were also set to the torch, the petrol supplied by teams of brown-shirted youths wearing the arm-bands of the fascist National Alliance while federal police looked the other way.\n\nThat was not Evita's style. She preferred to humiliate the aristocracy, getting her beloved descamisados to hoot with laughter with her as she stank the members of the Jockey Club out of their fortress by placing a fish stall in front of the club in the height of summer the year before she died.\n\nBut it was more than her street-wise guile that was gone. She had ruled the Casa Rosada and the country with a fierce passion. Even in her last illness, she had still been able to summon up short bursts of the temper that had made Cabinet Ministers tremble. She even raged at Per\u00f3n at times. Whenever he feels down in spirits, I kick him up,' she once said. She fought his natural indolence and her driving spirit forced him on. Without her, he became in no time at all an old fashioned run-of-the-mill Latin American military dictator, relying on the violence of his followers to curb his enemies while he indulged in the pastimes he had been forced to abandon from the day he met Evita.\n\nHe had cut his Presidential office duties to the morning hours and was usually on his way home to the Olivos residence by noon. He had turned the eucalyptus-shaded estate into a recreation centre for high school girls. 'Just call me _Pocho,'_ he told the girls. Crews of workers added tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, open-air theatre and riding stables. So that the girls could go to the nearby river beach without crossing a busy street, Per\u00f3n had a costly tunnel dug.\n\nHe spent hours watching the girls play basketball, and he would ride around the grounds with them on scooters, which for ever after in Buenos Aires were known as _pochonetas._ He also let them use the mansion as a clubhouse. 'It's too big for a lone man like me,' he said. He was not lonely for long. A pretty thirteen-year-old brunette named Nelly Rivas caught his eye and she soon became his mistress in a love nest he had built in the basement of the Olivos mansion. He showered her with jewels and built a small concrete house in the suburbs for her parents (years later when friends asked him how he could have defiled the memory of Evita with a thirteen-year-old, he joked, 'So she was thirteen. I'm not superstitious').\n\nRumours of sex orgies behind the high walls of the presidential mansion spread like wildfire through the country. Perhaps more than anything else the stories shocked middle and upper class Argentines into a determination to rid themselves of Per\u00f3n. However, there was little they could do as long as the army supported the President. But then Per\u00f3n made an error that eventually proved to be fatal. He attacked the Roman Catholic Church, whose faithful numbered ninety per cent of Argentina's population. It was a move that Evita never would have allowed. Although she had never had any love for the church, she respected its power. She had always seen to it that a priest was on hand to deliver the invocation at rallies of her descamisados. She had pushed legislation to make catholic religious instruction compulsory in the schools, and she never went anywhere without her priest, Father Benitez. But after her death, many young Argentine priests had joined anti-Per\u00f3nist organisations in protest against increasing repression. What particularly incensed Per\u00f3n, however, was that catholics had begun to play bigger roles in the trade unions. He bluntly warned the church to lay off. And he followed this with more specific reprisals. He put through legislation legalising divorce and prostitution in a manner calculated to cause maximum affront to the church. His police arrested dozens of priests for desacato, disrespect, and he suspended religious teaching in the schools.\n\nEvents moved rapidly towards a confrontation. In defiance of a government ban, 100,000 catholics marched into his own Plaza de Mayo, which the Casa Rosada shares with the city's main cathedral. As mounted police charged the crowd, groups of priests in ranks of four and five deep on the cathedral steps chanted, 'Long Live Christ the King.' On the following day, Per\u00f3n, in a countrywide radio address, called the ecclesiastic hierarchy a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'. He added:... 'I do not know if this patient Argentine people may not one day . . . take justice into its own hand.' Two bishops, accused of organising the catholic march, were hustled aboard a plane for Rome. On Thursday, June 16, 1955, the Vatican answered by imposing on Per\u00f3n the most dreadful spiritual penalty within its power: excommunication for him and all others in his regime who had 'trampled' on church rights and 'used violence' against a bishop.\n\nNews of the Vatican action reached Buenos Aires at about 11 am. Within two hours, Argentina's bloodiest revolution in over half a century had started. It began dramatically as noonday crowds strolled in Plaza de Mayo. A wave of aircraft dived out of an overcast sky and dropped their bombs on the Casa Rosada, which Per\u00f3n had left a few minutes earlier for the Army Ministry building a few blocks away. Then rebel sailors who had gathered in the nearby Naval Ministry attacked the Casa Rosada with machine gun fire. As army trucks filled with khaki-clad troops loyal to Per\u00f3n rolled into the plaza, the planes swooped over again, dropping another load of bombs that landed in the plaza. But the revolt was all but over.\n\nOnly an hour later a white flag fluttered up over the Navy building. Most of the dead were civilians caught in the crossfire and the bombing. Their bodies, 400 of them, lay scattered across the plaza. That night, in revenge, Per\u00f3nista mobs swept through Buenos Aires, setting fire to catholic churches.\n\nThree months later, on Friday September 16, rebellion broke out again at several points in Argentina, beginning in Cordoba where students and revolutionary army units battled loyal Per\u00f3nista regiments. Simultaneously, the Navy steamed out of its bases and sailed on Buenos Aires, threatening to bombard the city if Per\u00f3n did not surrender. Four days later, he fled to sanctuary aboard a Paraguayan gunboat undergoing repairs in Buenos Aires harbour, pencilling a goodbye note to Nelly Rivas: 'My dear baby girl... I miss you every day, as I do my little dogs . . . Many kisses and many desires. Until I see you soon, Papi.' 'He loved me,' Nelly insisted. 'He could have been my grandfather, but he loved me. He always told me I was very pretty, but I'm not really, am I?'\n\nAnti-Per\u00f3nistas, silent, pent-up for ten years, burst out into the streets waving flags, embracing one another, laughing, cheering, chanting 'Long live liberty,' repeating the phrase again and again as though they hardly believed it was true. Per\u00f3nista party centres were attacked and pictures of the hated dictator and his dead wife were ripped off walls and buildings and burnt. Statues of Santa Evita were toppled and dragged through the streets to be kicked and spat upon. Two thirty-ton marble statues of Juan and Evita on top of the new Grecian-style Eva Per\u00f3n Foundation (handed over to the university of Buenos Aires) were covered in black cloth and then cut up for use by students. The site of Evita's crypt and monument was dynamited and turned into a children's paddling pool. The provinces of Presidente Per\u00f3n and Eva Per\u00f3n reverted to their original names of El Chaco and La Pampa. Eva Per\u00f3n City once again became La Plata. In the seaside resort of Mar del Plata, crowds destroyed a flower bed dedicated to Evita and arranged as a clock set at 8.25, the time she died. They attacked and wrecked the Seventeenth of October Hotel, which she had built for workers' holidays, and tore down a giant portrait of her in the foyer. Political prisoners were released from gaol, and the new military government dispatched a cruiser to Montevideo to bring home the exiles.\n\nThere was no resistance from the workers, although they had promised Evita to give their lives for Per\u00f3n and two weeks before the revolution an order had gone out from CGT headquarters that 'in the event of a revolt and the defeat of General Per\u00f3n, a general strike will be implemented, effective until restoration.' Evita's newspaper, _Democracia,_ in its final issue warned the military that 'the people will wait with passionate confidence for the banner of that October.' But it was meaningless rhetoric. The workers did not march into Buenos Aires as they had on that October 17th ten years before. They were unarmed and they faced soldiers prepared to kill. So, instead, the workers obeyed the military government which ordered all of them to be at their place of work as usual or be declared saboteurs, subject to the penalties of martial law, which included death. In the working-class barrios and slums, women contented themselves with the thought that 'Evita's tears' \u2014 the worst thunderstorm in living memory \u2014 helped Per\u00f3n to escape capture and almost certain death as he slipped through the military cordon around the city docks to board the Paraguayan gunboat that took him into exile.\n\nHe found a haven in a succession of Latin American dictatorships \u2014 Alfred Stroessner's Paraguay, Anastasio Somoza's Nicaragua, Marcos Perez Jimenez's Venezuela, and Rafael Trujillo's Dominican Republic \u2014 before settling in Francisco Franco's Spain. The military leaders who replaced him in Argentina swore he would never come back. To discredit him in the eyes of his followers, they opened up his homes for public viewing so that Argentines could see for themselves how the leader of the descamisados had lived. The treasure trove included Evita's breathtaking and priceless collection of jewellery, his 16 custom-built sports cars of every famous foreign make, his 240 scooters, and cupboards crammed with hundreds of suits and uniforms. Police said they had found \u00a35 million in cash in various safes in the two Presidential mansions, the San Vicente quinta, and two apartments, one of them a love-nest with bedrooms lined with mirrors and carpeted with white bearskin rugs. Over a well-stocked bar was written the mocking slogan: 'Someone always gets assaulted when a poor man has some fun.' To further disgrace Per\u00f3n, a military court tried him in absentia for his love affair with Nelly Rivas, stripping him of his rank of general for 'conduct unworthy of an officer and a gentleman'. Delivering their verdict, the judges wrote 'It is superfluous to stress the stupor of the court at the proof of such a crime committed by one who has always claimed that the only privileged in the land were children.'\n\nDiscrediting Evita was much harder. The new regime displayed her jewels, and her dresses and furs. But that made little impression on Argentine workers because she had never hidden them. In fact, she had flaunted them, knowing that she was the glittering Cinderella princess of the descamisados, the embodiment of their hopes and dreams. The generals worried that her body, lying in CGT headquarters, would become the centre of a Per\u00f3n cult in the way that bodies had become national symbols before in Argentine history. Some senior officers suggested it should be burnt and the ashes thrown into the Riachuelo River. Others wanted to drop the body from a naval aircraft out over the Atlantic. However, Dr Ara, Evita's embalmer, who had made himself the guardian of the body during the turmoil of Per\u00f3n's overthrow, told the army that it was imperishable. It could not be burnt or drowned. But three months after the revolution the body disappeared. It was not seen again for sixteen years.\n\nEven without the body \u2014 or perhaps because of its very absence \u2014 the mass of Argentine people did not forget. The cult of Saint Evita flourished, dooming every attempt by the nation's generals to return the government to stable civilian rule. Posters of an ethereal Evita plastered the walls of every town and village in the country. Working-class families kept her picture in their homes, although doing so was grounds for arrest. The wall signs demanded 'Return Evita to us', and the generals responded with repression. They purged \u2014 even executed \u2014 leading Per\u00f3nistas. They outlawed Per\u00f3nism as a political movement and demolished the Per\u00f3nista trade unions. They never hesitated to cancel a ballot or stage a coup whenever Per\u00f3n's supporters won elections, which they always did when given the chance to vote for their own candidates.\n\nNo matter what course the generals followed \u2014 repression or persuasion \u2014 they could not root out the memory among millions of Argentines that it was Per\u00f3n and Evita who had given them a place of respect in their country. As a building worker remembered it: 'In this country under Per\u00f3n a worker spoke as loudly as the factory manager. Now,' he added, 'we have nobody to defend us.' Reminded that Per\u00f3n was a corrupt demagogue who ran a police state totally lacking in basic democratic freedoms, Per\u00f3nistas responded that they had enjoyed the highest standard of living working people had ever known in their country's history. When I got married in 1948, my wife and I were so poor that a sip of milk was a luxury,' recalled Saturnino Astorga, a stockyard worker, who spoke to _Newsweek_ magazine reporter Milan J. Kubic in 1964, nine years after Per\u00f3n's overthrow. 'We couldn't spare a few pence each month for a bus ride to visit her parents. Then came Per\u00f3n. Evita gave me this house. My salary jumped fivefold. We lived like people. Thanks to the Per\u00f3ns', Astorga said, 'he was able to buy furniture and a refrigerator, his sons went to government-built schools and ate cheap lunches at government-subsidised cafeterias, his whole family enjoyed a fifteen-day paid holiday, and their medical bills were paid by the state. None of the politicians who followed Per\u00f3n have done anything for me,' he said. 'I am 100 per cent Per\u00f3nista and always will be.'\n\nA succession of military governments could not reduce that stubborn faith. The years passed. The signs scrawled on the walls got larger \u2014 'Where is Eva Per\u00f3n's Body?' 'Give Back the Body of the Beloved Se\u00f1ora.' The paint stayed fresh. Terrorists killed in her name. Bombs exploded like firecrackers on the anniversary of her death. A former President, General Pedro Aramburu, who had taken power soon after Per\u00f3n was overthrown, was kidnapped and murdered in a vain attempt to make him tell where Evita's body had been hidden. The nation hovered on the brink of civil war. The economy crumbled. Shops went bankrupt. Unemployment skyrocketed, and coup followed coup as one military moustache (as Argentines sardonically call their generals) followed another through the revolving door of the presidential palace. Finally, in 1972, the generals capitulated and decided it was time for Per\u00f3n to come home. But first they gave him back the body of his wife. In Lot 86, Garden 41 in Musocco Cemetery in Milan, Italy, the body of Maria Maggi, an Italian woman who had died in Argentina, was exhumed. The coffin's black wooden casing was rotting. But the corpse was in excellent condition. It was the embalmed body of Evita Per\u00f3n.\n\nIt had wandered far and lain in strange places over the years. On that December evening in 1955 when it disappeared, the head of the Argentine army's intelligence service, Colonel Carlos Mori-Koenig led a detail of troops into CGT headquarters on a mission for which they were all sworn to secrecy. They found what they were looking for in room 63. The body lay in total darkness on a bier covered with a blue and white Argentine flag. Colonel Mori-Koenig told the marine guards on duty that he had been ordered by President Aramburu to give it a Christian burial. It was put into a cheap wooden coffin and carried out to an army truck. There it remained, parked overnight, while the colonel waited for further instructions. But President Aramburu had still not made up his mind what to do with the body. He told the army intelligence chief to keep it hidden. For a while it was kept in the apartment of Mori-Koenig's deputy, Major Antonio Arandia.\n\nPer\u00f3nistas, aroused to fury by the disappearance of their saint, sent out their own agents on a clandestine hunt for the body. Fearful that the secret of his silent guest might leak out, the major took to sleeping with his service revolver under his pillow. One morning, before dawn, he was awakened by strange noises in the corridor outside his bedroom. He shot twice at a form that appeared in the doorway, killing his pregnant wife who had gone to the bathroom. After that, Evita's body was moved to the fourth floor of military intelligence headquarters and dumped in a packing case labelled 'radio sets'.\n\nAt that point, Colonel Hector Cabanillas, the head of the Casa Rosada secret service, took over responsibility for the body, the President having finally decided to send it abroad until passions in Argentina cooled. In September of 1956, the body, still in its packing case marked 'radio sets', was shipped to the Argentine Embassy in Bonn, where it was kept in the storeroom, unknown to the Ambassador. It was then put in a coffin and shipped to Rome, where it was met by a lay sister of the Society of St Paul named Giuseppina Airoldi, who had been told that the body was that of an Italian widow who died in Argentina having left instructions for her burial in her home town of Milan. There, under the name of Maggi, Evita was laid to rest.\n\nOn September 2, 1971, a man describing himself as Carlos Maggi, brother of the fictitious Maria, appeared at the cemetery with written permission to exhume his sister's remains. He was, in fact, none other than former intelligence chief Hector Cabanillas, who had long since retired from military service. He looked worried and in a desperate hurry as the body was placed in a hearse hired from a Milan undertaker. There was good reason for his concern. Word had been received from Buenos Aires that a Per\u00f3nista terrorist group had sent agents to Italy to search for the body. If they got their hands on it they would certainly use it as a symbol in their guerrilla war against the Argentine army, a war that had already cost hundreds of lives. Failure by Cabanillas to return the body to Per\u00f3n would doom the military regime's attempt to bring about a national reconciliation.\n\nThe Argentine Government sought the cooperation of the Italian, French and Spanish Governments. As the hearse raced across Europe with its precious cargo, it was waved across national borders without the usual customs check. After spending the night in a Perpignan garage, Cabanillas drove into Spain and was escorted by two car loads of Spanish police on the final 450 mile lap to Madrid. At nine o'clock that evening, he passed through the gates of 6 Calle de Navalmanzano in the fashionable Puerto de Heirro suburb of Madrid. Waiting at the front door for him were Juan Per\u00f3n, his new young wife, Isabel, whom he had met in a nightclub in Panama during his early days of exile, and Dr Pedro Ara, who had embalmed Evita nineteen years before.\n\nThey carried the coffin into the house. Cabanillas prised open the lid. For the first time in sixteen years, Per\u00f3n gazed down on the face of his beloved Evita. Dr Ara recalled the moment in his posthumously published memoirs. 'Without the least disorder in her coiffure, her hair appeared wet and dirty,' he wrote. 'The stainless steel hairpins, now rusted, crumbled in our fingers. The General's wife began unbinding Eva's braids to air and dry her hair and to clean it of dirt and rust.' While Per\u00f3n looked on, Isabel and Dr Ara cut away her stained white tunic. A fingertip had been broken off. One ear was slightly bent. But other than that and a few minor cracks in the plastic coating, the body was in the same condition as the professor had seen it last in 1955. As he had promised Per\u00f3n on the morning after Evita's death, she had remained incorruptible.\n\nShe was left behind in Madrid when Per\u00f3n returned to Argentina the following year, invited home by the people she had hated with such passion \u2014 the military leaders, large landowners, big businessmen who thought he could heal the wounds that had bled their country for so many years. At the age of 77, he was still a commanding presence, the jet black hair dyed but as thick as ever, his six-foot, 200-pound frame ramrod straight, and a smile as dazzling as the summer pampas sun. His booming, spellbinding voice still filled the plaza, and the Argentine people flocked back to his banner in greater numbers than ever before. He was re-elected President with seven million votes, a 62 per cent majority. And this time his wife was elected Vice-President without any argument from the army. But he was too old. Perhaps he had always lacked Evita's passion, and without it and her he was lost. 'I'm a vegetarian lion,' he once said sadly. He was unable to provide the vigorous leadership his country so desperately needed, and he could not put a stop to violent feuding between the right and left wings of his party.\n\nHe soon aligned himself with the right-wingers, the old trade union leaders of his earlier years. The young Per\u00f3nistas who shouted 'If Evita lived, she'd be a Montonera' (guerrilla), he dismissed as 'jerks'. But to the party's youngsters, who were born after Evita's death, it was the dead Per\u00f3n, not the ageing _caudillo_ in the Palace, who symbolised the radical revolution they sought for Argentina. It seemed an unlikely union. Evita was a materialist who believed in homes for the workers and jewels for herself, and it was hard to believe that she would have shown any sympathy for the youthful middle-class university-educated revolutionaries (the Montoneros in Argentina, the Tupermaros in Uruguay, and the MIR in Chile) whose mindless violence provoked the overthrow of democracies and the vicious repression of workers by military regimes in all three countries.\n\nOn July 1, 1974, the Buenos Aires morning newspaper _Critica_ carried a headline that filled half the front page. 'MURIO', he is dead. Once again hundreds of thousands of Argentines lined up eight abreast in the winter rain to bid farewell to a Per\u00f3n. They waited for up to 24 hours for a glimpse of his body which lay in state in the Blue Chamber of Congress, clad in army uniform, medals and sash of office. Men and women burst into tears. There were cries of _'Adios, mi General'_ and _'Chau, viejo,_ goodbye old man. And there was repeated chanting of _'Per\u00f3n esta presente,'_ Per\u00f3n is here, a rephrasing of the cry that was heard twenty-two years before at Evita's death.\n\nIt was time for her to come home. Per\u00f3n's widow, Isabel, now President of Argentina in his place, sent a chartered jetliner for her. But it was a return journey that was almost as strange as the rest of Evita's odyssey in death. The body was escorted by Isabel's Social Welfare Minister, Jose Lopez Rega, an astrologer and mystic who claimed daily communication with the Angel Gabriel. When the plane arrived in Buenos Aires, the ever-faithful descamisados were kept at bay outside the airport while Lopez Rega and a dozen bodyguards carrying submachine guns loaded the coffin on a carriage and rushed it off to the presidential residence in Olivos. There it lay alongside Per\u00f3n's coffin in the crypt of the presidential chapel while Isabel and Lopez Rega worked on plans to build a giant 160-foot high Altar of the Fatherland that was to be the final resting place for Evita and her General and all the other divisive ghosts in Argentina's history. A law was signed authorising the return of the bones of the country's first dictator, Juan Manal Rosas from the catholic cemetery in Southampton. 'Linked in glory', read the planned motto, 'we watch over the destinies of the fatherland. Let no man use our memory to divide the Argentines.'\n\nBut it was not to be. Isabel Per\u00f3n was no Evita. She clung to power for two years with the help of the death squads of the Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance (the Triple A) which her friend Lopez Rega organised to purge her opponents through multiple assassinations. On March 24, 1976, with the country nearing 1,000 per cent inflation and a civil war, the generals seized power again in Argentina. Isabel Per\u00f3n they goaled. Evita they buried.\n\n## _BIBLIOGRAPHY_\n\nAlexander, Robert J. _An Introduction to Argentina._ New York: Praeger, 1969.\n\nBarager, Joseph R., ed. _Why Peron Came to Power: The Background to Peronism in Argentina._ New York: Knopf, 1968.\n\nBruce, James. _Those Perplexing Argentines._ New York: Longmans, Green, 1953.\n\nBunge, Alejandro. _Una Nueva Argentina._ Buenos Aires: Kraft, 1940.\n\nBunkley, Allison Williams. _The Life of Sarmiento._ New York: Greenwood, 1952.\n\nCanal Frau, Salvador. _Las Poblaciones Indigenas de la Argentina._ Buenos Aires: Sudamericana, 1973.\n\nCooke, John William. _La Lucha por la Liberacion Nacional._ Buenos Aires: Granica Editor, 1971.\n\nCowles, Fleur. _Bloody Precedent._ New York: Random House, 1952.\n\nDuarte, Erminda. _Mi hermana Evita._ Buenos Aires: Centro de estudios Eva Peron, 1972.\n\nFerns, H. S. _The Argentine Republic 1516-1971._ New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1973.\n\nFotheringham, Ignacio H. _La Vida de un Soldado O Reminiscencias de la Fronteras._ Buenos Aires: Circulo Militar, 1970.\n\nFranco, Juan Pablo, and Alvarez, Fernando. _Peronismo: Antecedentes y Gobierno._ Buenos Aires: Artex, 1972.\n\nGoldwert, Marvin, _Democracy, Militarism and National-ism in Argentina, 1930-1966: An Interpretation._ Latin American Monographs. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1972.\n\nGreenup, Leonard and Ruth Robinson. _Revolution Before Breakfast: Argentina, 1941-1946._ Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1947.\n\nHerring, Hubert. _A History of Latin America._ New York: Knopf, 1965.\n\nHirst, W. A. _Argentina._ New York: Scribner's, 1910.\n\nHudson, W. H. _Far Away and Long Ago._ Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft, 1973.\n\nJosephs, Ray. _Argentina Diary: The Inside Story of the Coming of Fascism._ New York: Random House, 1944.\n\nLanuza, Jose Luis. _The Gaucho._ New York: Crown.\n\nMain, Mary Foster (Maria Flores). _The Woman with the Whip: Eva Peron._ Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1952.\n\nOwen, Frank. _Peron, His Rise and Fall._ London, Cresset Press, 1957.\n\nPendle, George. _Argentina._ London: Oxford University Press, 1963.\n\nPeron, Juan Domingo. _La Hora de los Pueblos._ Buenos Aires: Norte, 1968.\n\nRennie, Ysabel F. _The Argentine Republic._ New York: Macmillan, 1945.\n\nSantander, Silvano. _Nazismo en Argentina._ Montevideo: Pueblos Unidos, 1945.\n\nScobie, James R. _Argentina: A City and a Nation._ New York, Oxford University Press, 1964.\n\nWhitaker, Arthur P. _Argentina._ Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1964.\n\nWhite, John W. _Argentina: The Life Story of a Nation._ New York: Viking, 1942.\n\n## _Index_\n\n_aguinaldo_\n\nAiroldi, Giuseppina\n\nAloe, Carlos , ,\n\nAlonso, Juan Carlos\n\nAlvear, Do\u00f1a Maria Unzue de\n\nAmundarain, Rafael\n\n_Antena_ newspaper\n\nanti-semitism ,\n\nApold, Raul\n\nAra, Dr Pedro embalms body of Eva, , , ,\n\nexamines body in Madrid\n\nAramburu, General Pedro ,\n\nArandia, Major Antonio\n\nAreilza, Jose Maria de\n\nArgentina, history , , , ,\n\nArgentine Prophylactic League\n\nArmy, Argentine , , , , , ,\n\n_Arriba Estudiantes,_ play\n\nArrieto, Major Alfredo\n\nAstorga, Saturnino\n\nAttlee, Clement ,\n\nAuriol, President Vincent\n\nAvalos, General , , ,\n\nAvellaneda , , , , ,\n\nAvenida Nueve de Julio\n\n_Beagle, H.M.S._\n\nBecke, General Carlos von der \u201341\n\nbeef , ,\n\nBenitez, Father , , , ,\n\nBerne\n\nBertollo, Arturo\n\nBevin, Ernest\n\nBidault, Georges\n\n'Blue Book' ,\n\nbolas ,\n\nBolivia ,\n\nBorges, Jorge Luis\n\nBorlenghi, Angel C. ,\n\nBracker, Milton , , ,\n\nBraden, Spruille ,\n\nBramuglia, Juan Atilio , ,\n\nBrazil\n\nBruce, James ,\n\nBrundage, Avery\n\nBuchenwald\n\nBuckingham Palace ,\n\nBuenos Aires, _passim_\n\nCabanillas, Colonel Hector ,\n\nCabrero, Delfo\n\nCampo de Mayo , , , , ,\n\nCampora, Hector , , ,\n\n168,\n\ncapitalism, in Argentina ,\n\nCarillo, Ramon ,\n\nCasa Rosada \u201331, , , \u201348, , \u201369, \u201380, , , , , , , , , , , , , \u2013173\n\nCastillo, President Ramon S.\n\nCatamarca ,\n\nCattaneo, Atilio\n\ncensus, national, 1947\n\nCereijo, Ramon ,\n\n_Charge of the Brave, The,_ film\n\n_chirripos_\n\nChivilcoy ,\n\nChurchill, Winston\n\nCirculo Militar ,\n\n_Circus Cavalcade,_ film\n\nCollar of the Order of San Martin\n\nCollier, Bernard\n\nCommunists , , ,\n\nConfederacion General del Trabajo (CGT) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,\n\nCongress , , , ,\n\nConstitutional Convention\n\n_Consultationamong the American Republics with Respect to the Argentine Situation_\n\nCordoba , , , , , , ,\n\nCorrientes province\n\nCortesi, Arnaldo , , ,\n\nCowles, Fleur , , , , ,\n\n_Critica_ newspaper ,\n\nDarwin, Charles ,\n\nDealessi, Pierina , ,\n\n_Democracia_ newspaper , , , , , ,\n\nDemocratic Union , , ,\n\nDempsey, Jack ,\n\n_descamisados_ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , \u2013111, , , , , , , , \u2013152, , , ,\n\n_Diario da Noite_ newspaper\n\nDuarte, Arminda, (Eva's sister) , ,\n\nDuarte, Blanca, (Eva's sister) , ,\n\nDuarte, Elisa (Eva's sister) , ,\n\nDuarte, Eva (later Eva Peron) ,\n\nDuarte, Juan, (father of Eva) ,\n\ndeath of, .\n\nDuarte, Juan (Jnr) (brother of Eva) , ,\n\nsteals money\n\npromoted by Eva,\n\ngoes to Europe with Eva,\n\ndeath of, \u2013171\n\nDuke of Windsor\n\neconomy, Argentine , , , , , , ,\n\nEcuador ,\n\nEl Palomar\n\nembalming of Eva's body \u2013163\n\nEntre Rios province\n\n_Epoca, La,_ newspaper ,\n\nErnest, Isabel\n\nEspejo, Jose , , , , , , ,\n\n_estancieros_\n\nEurope, Eva in \u201394\n\n_Evita Immortal,_ film\n\n_fa\u00e7on_\n\nFangio, Juan\n\n_Far Away ana Long Ago,_ book\n\nFarrell, President Edelmiro , , , , , \u201349, ,\n\nFascism ,\n\nFederation of Labour Unions of the Meat Industry\n\nfeminism ,\n\nFierro, Martin\n\nFinochietto, Dr Ricardo\n\nFirpo, Luis Angel ,\n\nfootball\n\nforeign investment in Argentina\n\nForeign Office, British\n\nFranco, Eva\n\nFranco, General Francisco , , , , , ,\n\nFreyre, Jose Maria ,\n\nGallardo, Alejandro Jorge\n\nGasperi, Alcide de ,\n\n_Gaucho Martin Fierro, El,_ poem\n\n_gauchos_ , , ,\n\nGeneral Confederation of Labour, _(see_ Confederacion General del Trabajo)\n\n_Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,_ film\n\nGermany , , ,\n\nGill, Roberto\n\nGrand, Conte\n\nGrand Cross of the Order of Isabel the Catholic ,\n\nGriffiths, John D. ,\n\nGrisolia, Estela\n\nGrupo de Oficiales Unidos (GOU) ,\n\nGuaycurus Indians\n\nHamburger, Philip ,\n\nHickens, Ricardo\n\n_Horn of Plenty, The,_ play\n\nHorsey, William\n\nHoussay, Dr Barnardo\n\nHudson, W. H.\n\nIbarguren, Juana (mother of Eva) \u201316, ,\n\nIbarguren, Maria Eva (later Eva Peron) ,\n\nIbarra, Jose Maria Velasco\n\nImbert, Colonel Anibal , ,\n\nIndians \u20138,\n\n_Intransigente, El,_ newspaper\n\nIsrael\n\nItaly, Eva in ,\n\nIvanissevich, Dr. Oscar ,\n\nJapan\n\nJews, in Argentina ,\n\nJuarez\n\nJulio, (Eva's hairdresser)\n\nJunin , ,\n\nKalk, Professor Heinrich\n\nKartulovic, Emilio\n\nKuboc, Milan J.\n\nLa Boca\n\nLamarque, Libertad , ,\n\nland-holding, in Argentina, ,\n\nLa Plata , ,\n\nLarrauri, Juana\n\n_Life_ magazine\n\n_Life Story of a Nation,_ book\n\nLima, Admiral Hector Vernengo 40, , , , ,\n\nLobos\n\nLos Toldos , \u201315, , , . ,\n\n_Love promises,_ radio play\n\n_Love was born when I met you,_ radio play\n\n_machismo_\n\nMacLeish, Archibald\n\n_Madame Sans G\u00eane,_ play\n\nMadrid \u201384, ,\n\nMagaldi, Agustin ,\n\nMaggi, Maria ,\n\nMarchiniendorena, Miguel\n\nMar del Plata , ,\n\nMargueirate, Dr Raul\n\nMarino, Cesar\n\nMarshall, George ,\n\nMartin Garcia Island ,\n\nMassone, Arnaldo\n\nMassone Institute\n\nmeat packing workers , ,\n\nMendoza\n\nMenendez, General Benjamin\n\nMercador, Emir\n\nMercante, Colonel Domingo A. , , ,\n\nMexico City\n\nmiddle classes, in Argentina, ,\n\nMiguez, Juan Jose\n\nMilan , , , ,\n\nMinistry of Labour and Social Welfare\n\nMiranda, Miguel , ,\n\nMitre, Dr. Luis\n\nMontevideo ,\n\n_Montoneros_ ,\n\nMori-Koenig, Colonel Carlos\n\n_Mortal Kiss, The,_ play\n\nMosca, Dr Enrique M.\n\nMotrico, Count of\n\nMu Mu sweet company\n\n_Mundo, El,_ newspaper\n\n_Mundo, O,_ newspaper\n\nMunoz, Pepita\n\nMusocco Cemetery, Milan ,\n\nMussolini, Benito , ,\n\n_My Kingdom of Love,_ radio series,\n\n_Nacion, La,_ newspaper , ,\n\nNavy, Argentine, ,\n\nNazism , ,\n\nnecrophily, in Argentina\n\nNeuquen prison\n\nnewspapers, Argentine , , ,\n\n_Newsweek,_ magazine , ,\n\n_New Yorker,_ magazine\n\n_New York Herald Tribune,_ newspaper\n\n_New York Times,_ newspaper , , , , , , , , ,\n\nNicolini, Oscar , , , ,\n\nNobel Peace Prize\n\nNobel Prize for Medicine\n\nOlivos , , , , , , \u2013162, , ,\n\nOwen, Walters\n\nPack, Dr George T.\n\nPalacio Unzue\n\npampas , , , , ,\n\nPan-American Games, 1951,\n\nParis , , ,\n\nPatagonia , , ,\n\nPaz, Alberto Gainza , , \u2013142\n\nPaz, Oliva\n\nPelliciota, Pascual\n\nPer\u00f3n, Isabel ,\n\nPeronista Feminist Party , , , , ,\n\nPer\u00f3n, Maria Eva Duarte de, birth,\n\nchildhood, \u201316\n\ndecides to become actress,\n\nleaves for Buenos Aires,\n\nseeks work in Buenos Aires,\n\nlife as actress,\n\nearly lovers,\n\nfirst film parts,\n\nbefriends President Ramirez,\n\nmeets Colonel Juan Per\u00f3n, ,\n\nrelationship with Per\u00f3n,\n\nacting career,\n\nvisits workers,\n\noutrages officers,\n\ncontrols communications,\n\nsecures support of Army and Trade Unions for Per\u00f3n,\n\ncloses down Buenos Aires newspapers,\n\nthreatens Police and Navy officers, and gets support of Trade Unions,\n\nmarries Per\u00f3n,\n\nfailure as actress, ,\n\nquarrels with Miguez and Yankelevich,\n\nsurvives train sabotage,\n\nenthusiastic reception in Rosario,\n\nworks for feminist cause,\n\npromotes family and friends,\n\ntakes over Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare,\n\nassists Indians and inspires march,\n\nremoves Senator Saadi,\n\nleads abuse of Dr. Houssay,\n\ncontrols radio stations and newspapers,\n\nforces closure of Sociedad de Beneficiencia,\n\nvendetta against _La Prensa,_ ,\n\nher revenge against Sociedad de Beneficiencia,\n\nleaves for Europe,\n\nflies to Spain,\n\ndecorated by Franco,\n\nreception in Spain, \u201385\n\narrives in Italy,\n\ncauses riot in Rome,\n\nreceived by Pope Pius XII,\n\nbad reception in Northern Italy,\n\nin Paris \u201391\n\nher proposed visit to London mis-handled by British Government,\n\nbad reception in Switzerland;\n\nleaves for West Africa,\n\nattends Inter-American Defence Conference in Rio de Janeiro,\n\nreturns to Buenos Aires, greeted by Per\u00f3n, ,\n\nencounters opposition, ,\n\nsurvives conspiracy to murder,\n\nsecures expulsion of Sammartino from Congress, ,\n\norders arrest of protesting women,\n\ncontrols Trade Unions, ,\n\npromotes women's rights and suffrage, ,\n\nforms Per\u00f3nista Feminist Party,\n\nstarts Social Aid Foundation,\n\nindicts Massone Institute and Mu Mu Sweet company,\n\nlavishes money on poor, , \u2013120\n\nrumours of retirement from public life,\n\nopposed by Army,\n\nconsolidates power,\n\nremoves Bramuglia,\n\nangered by Miranda,\n\nhumiliates Spanish ambassador,\n\nsuppresses newspapers, ,\n\nends strike of railway workers,\n\nforces closure of _La Prensa_ \u2013142\n\nplans to become Vice-President,\n\nnominated for Vice-Presidency, 1951,\n\nbroadcasts to nation and renounces Vice-Presidency\n\nforced to step down by Army,\n\nis taken ill,\n\naddresses crowds, \u2013153\n\nundergoes operation for cancer of uterus,\n\nvotes in presidential election while in hospital,\n\ndying of cancer, \u2013160\n\npresented with Collar of Order of San Martin,\n\ndeteriorates and dies,\n\nJuly 1952,\n\nbody is embalmed, ,\n\nbody lies in state, mourned by nation, ,\n\nbody moved to National Congress Building,\n\nbody removed to CGT headquarters,\n\nworkers seek canonisation,\n\nremains to be kept on view,\n\nmemory reviled by anti-Per\u00f3nistas,\n\ndiscredited by new r\u00e9gime,\n\nbody disappears, ,\n\nsearch for body, , ,\n\nbody recovered, sent to Bonn, Rome, Milan, ,\n\nbody taken to Per\u00f3n in Madrid,\n\nbody returned to Argentina and buried, ,\n\naffection for Per\u00f3n,\n\nanecdotes concerning, , ,\n\nappearance and dress, , , \u2013125,\n\nautobiography, , , , ,\n\ndaily routine, \u2013120, ,\n\ndetermination, ,\n\ndiet,\n\nenergy,\n\nhealth,\n\nlacks sense of humour,\n\nlove of animals,\n\nlove of jewellery, , ,\n\nas propagandist,\n\ntemper, , , ,\n\nunforgiving nature, , , , .\n\nPer\u00f3n, President Juan Domingo, meets Eva, ,\n\nbirth and ancestry, ,\n\nchildhood,\n\nat military college,\n\nsporting activities,\n\nposted to Andes, 1940,\n\nforms GOU,\n\ndeposes President Castillo in coup, 1943,\n\ncreates Secretariat of Labour and Welfare,\n\ndealings with Trade Unions, ,\n\nforces resignation of President Ramirez, 1944,\n\nconsolidates power,\n\nrelationship with Eva, \u201332\n\nvisits workers,\n\nimproves wages and conditions of workers,\n\nends meatpacking workers' strike,\n\nofficers plot his downfall,\n\nresigns as Vice-President, 1945,\n\nsupport of Army and Trade Unions secured by Eva\n\naddresses workers,\n\nincurs anger of Army officers,\n\npleads for life,\n\nsupported by meat-packing workers,\n\ndemands to be set free,\n\nreturned to power by support of workers, ,\n\nresigns from Army,\n\nmarries Eva, ,\n\nmakes promises to workers,\n\nstops attacks on Jews,\n\nsurvives train sabotage,\n\nenthusiastic reception in Rosario,\n\nelected President, 1946,\n\nrestored to Army commission,\n\ntakes oath of office,\n\ncontrols universities, banks, Stock Exchange,\n\nmoves against Supreme Court, ,\n\ncontrols judiciary,\n\nrewards Army for support,\n\ndismantles foreign capitalist control over economy, ,\n\ntakes over railways,\n\nundergoes operation for appendicitis,\n\nuses informers and telephone-tapping,\n\nengineers coup in Bolivia,\n\nencounters opposition,\n\nsurvives conspiracy to murder,\n\ninsulted by Sammartino, ,\n\ncloses down _Vanguardia_ weekly,\n\naccused of robbery by Cattaneo,\n\nundergoes dental treatment, ,\n\nclaims Argentina has produced atomic energy, ,\n\nmanagement of economy, \u2013130\n\nopposed by Army, ,\n\nstands for re-election as President, 1951,\n\ncrushes attempted revolution,\n\nelected President,\n\nchanges after death of Eva,\n\nattacks Church,\n\nis excommunicated,\n\nis forced to flee by rebellion, ,\n\nreviled by anti-Per\u00f3nistas,\n\nexiled in Latin-American dictatorships,\n\ntried in absence by military court,\n\ndiscredited by new r\u00e9gime,\n\nreturns to Argentina, 1972,\n\nreelected President,\n\ndies, July  1974 and lies in state,\n\nadmiration for Mussolini,\n\naffection for Eva,\n\nanecdotes concerning, ,\n\nappearance and personality, ,\n\nboastfulness,\n\nlove of animals,\n\noratory and demagoguery,  , , , , , ,\n\npeso , ,\n\nPeter, Jose\n\n_Phantom of the Opera, The,_ film\n\nPiovano, Mafaldo\n\nPistarini, General Juan ,\n\nPius XII, Pope ,\n\nPlate, River , , , \u201345,\n\nPlaza del Congresso\n\nPlaza de Mayo , , , , , , \u2013173\n\nPlaza San Martin\n\n_Prensa, La,_ newspaper , , , , \u2013143\n\n_Principios, Los,_ newspaper\n\nQuartucci, Pedro\n\nQuijano, Vice-President Hortensio Jazmin ,\n\nRadical Party , \u2013107, ,\n\nRadio Argentina\n\nRadio Belgrano \u201325, , ,\n\nRadio El Estado\n\nRadio El Mundo ,\n\nradio stations\n\nrailways, in Argentina ,\n\nrailway strike, 1951\n\nRamirez, President Pedro , \u201330\n\nRawson, General Arturo\n\n_Razon de mi Vida, La,_ ,\n\nRecoleta Cemetery, ,\n\nRed Cross,\n\nRega, Jose Lopez,\n\nRepetto, Roberto\n\n_Review of the River Plate, The_\n\nReyes, Cipriano , , ,\n\nRiachuelo Bridge\n\nRiachuelo, River , ,\n\nRichter, Ronald ,\n\nRio de Janeiro\n\nRivas, Nelly , ,\n\nRocha, Dr Gerald\n\nRodriguez, Dr Justo Alvarez\n\nRoman Catholic Church\n\nRome , ,\n\nRoosevelt, President Franklin D.\n\nRosario, , , ,\n\nRosas, Juan Manuel de , , , , ,\n\nRural Society\n\nRuspoli, Prince Allessandro\n\nSaadi, Vicente Eli\n\nSaint Evita, cult of , , ,\n\nSalta province ,\n\nSalto\n\nSammartino, Ernesto Enrique ,\n\nSan Juan , ,\n\nSan Martin, General Jose de ,\n\nSan Miguel prison\n\nSanta F\u00e9\n\nSardinia\n\n_Seconds out of the Ring,_ film\n\nSecretariat of Labour and Welfare\n\nsecret police\n\n_Se\u00f1ora de Perez, La_ play\n\nsexual mores, in Argentina\n\nSforzo, Count Carlo\n\n_Sintonia_ magazine\n\nSocial Aid Foundation \u2013115,\n\nSociedad de Beneficiencia , , , , , ,\n\nSoficci, Mario\n\nSosa Molina, General Humberto , , , ,\n\nSpain , , \u201385, ,\n\n_Spendthrift, The,_ film\n\nStaudt, Ricardo\n\nsugar workers\n\n_Sunday Pictorial_ newspaper\n\nSupreme Court , , ,\n\n_Sweetheart in Trouble, A,_ film\n\nSwitzerland ,\n\nTamborini, Dr Jose P. , , ,\n\nTeisaire, Rear-Admiral Alberto\n\ntelephone-tapping\n\nTesorieri, Jose\n\n_There's a World in Every Home,_ play\n\nthroat-cutting ,\n\nTigre ,\n\n_Time_ magazine , ,\n\n_Times, The,_ newspaper\n\nTrade Unions, in Argentina , , ,\n\n_see_ Confederacion General del Trabajo\n\nTristan (cartoonist) ,\n\nTruman, President Harry S. ,\n\nTucuman , , , ,\n\nTunney, Gene\n\nTupermaros\n\nTylman, Professor Stanley D.\n\nUhlenbruck, Professor Paul\n\n_Unhappiest Man in Town, The,_ film\n\nUnion of Government Employees\n\nUnited Nations Relief Agency\n\nUnited States of America , , , ,\n\nUruguay , ,\n\nValenzuela, Dr Rudolfo\n\nValle, General Juan la\n\n_Vanguardia_ newspaper\n\nVatican ,\n\nVelazco, Colonel J. Filomino ,\n\nVenice\n\nVersailles\n\nVictoria, Queen\n\nVilla Devoto gaol , ,\n\nVillarroel, Gilberto ,\n\nVinas, David\n\nvirginity, in Argentina\n\nVitolo, Alfredo R.\n\nVuletich, Eduardo\n\nWhite, John ,\n\nwomen, in Argentina\n\nWorld War II , , ,\n\nYankelevich, Jaime , , , \u201354\n\nZawarski, Dr Helen\n\nZini, Malisa , \nJOHN BARNES first arrived in Argentina in 1955 as a teenager. He spent three years there as an editor of the _Buenos Aires Herald_ and returned years later as Latin American bureau chief for _Newsweek._ During his thirty years as a foreign correspondent, Barnes has worked in Africa, the Far East, Europe, and the Middle East. He is the president of SunCoast Press, the publisher of the _Merritt Island Press_ and _Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral Press._\n* _From_ Bloody Precedent _by Fleur Cowles._\n* From his book, _El Caso de Eva Peron._\n","meta":{"redpajama_set_name":"RedPajamaBook"}}
+{"text":"\n\nDedication\n\nThe Dharma belongs to no one. Teachings about the Dharma come now through one person and now through another. What is contained in this book certainly did not originate with me. It is part of a river that flows through me from my Guru, teachers, parents, past incarnations, and life experiences.\n\nAs I read this manuscript, I can feel in the turn of a phrase or an image the intimate presence of my Guru and one or another of my teachers. Their very real contributions to this book are warmly and gratefully acknowledged. May this book serve as an expression of appreciation for their teachings.\n\nMy thanks also to Stephen Levine, co-author, whose sensitive, poetic collaboration made the words come to light as I heard them but could not quite speak them.\n\nShanti,\n\nRam Dass\n\nNew York City, 1976\nContents\n\n_Dedication_\n\n_Introduction_\n\n_Collaborator's Note_\n\n_Preface to the Previous Edition_\n\n_Epigraph_\n\n1 The Journey\n\n2 Receiving the Transmission\n\n3 Rules of the Game\n\n4 The Evolutionary Cycle\n\n5 Levels of Reality\n\n6 The Mellow Drama\n\n7 Lineage\n\n8 Guided Meditation\n\n9 Dying: An Opportunity for Awakening\n\n10 Freeing the Mind\n\n11 Nobody's Special\n\n12 Karmuppance\n\n13 Methods and More\n\n14 God and Beyond\n\n15 Questions and Answers\n\n_About the Authors_\n\nBooks by Ram Dass\n\n_Credits_\n\n_Copyright_\n\n_About the Publisher_\nIntroduction\n\n_Grist for the Mill_ came from talks I gave to different groups in the 1970s. It captures those interchanges, but it's also about living in the moment, which transcends time. Stephen Levine and I thought these talks would have broad appeal.\n\nThe spiritual path is an inner exploration. It exists for anyone at any time who looks within to examine the premise of their own identity or to seek the transcendent reality of the universe. Consciousness is a shared quality of human existence. Except for those rare saintly beings who take birth solely for the benefit of humanity, to teach and inspire, most of us turning on this wheel of birth and death suffer similar afflictions of mind and seductions of the senses.\n\nThe astonishing diversity of human nature and individual karma means everyone has their own particular spiritual path and methods that work best for them. _Grist for the Mill_ goes from a general map of the terrain of the spiritual path to answering people's specific questions.\n\nThe primary method we explore uses whatever comes to you in life as food for your spiritual path. At the time I wrote _Grist for the Mill_ , my practice was to see everything that came my way as a manifestation of the Divine Mother who is the energy, or Shakti, of all creation. Around this time I studied with a female teacher named Joya, who for a while represented Shakti for me. I give a chronicle of the ups and downs of that trip here as well.\n\nWe Westerners are enthralled with our minds, and I am no exception. I am often the best object lesson for my own teaching. Strategies in the book involve ways to use the mind to go beyond the mind, ways to understand states of consciousness that are beyond thought, and ways to identify ourselves other than through our mind, through our intuition, and so forth. Included are Buddhist ideas about non-self, and how to witness the mind and our attachment to it. Another approach we explore is devotion, or bhakti, in which everything is seen through the lens of love for the Divine.\n\nTo understand the sometimes gradual nature of the path, I find it helpful to conceive of a spiritual journey that goes beyond this lifetime. In that view the time factor for souls is an infinity of multiple incarnations, though paradoxically reality lies in being fully present in each moment.\n\nParadoxes like the infinity of time vs. the timeless present, self vs. non-self, and the need for individual effort vs. surrender to a higher power are all grist for the mill of treading on this pathless path. My Guru, Maharaj-ji, once told me, \"Enjoy everything!\" These days I try to simply love everything that comes my way, whether animate or inanimate, pleasant or painful. I hope you too can learn to absorb life's ecstasies and distresses into your spiritual practice so they are just more grist for the mill.\n\nNamaste,\n\nRam Dass\n\nMaui, 11 June 2012\nCollaborator's Note\n\nThe space from which these understandings come has no body, no mouth, it cannot speak. To be communicated, these insights had to cross the wild river of accumulated personality, acculturation, interpretation, opinion, and preference to enter into the limitations of language. They are offered as a near translation of the experience of things as they really are. These teachings were originally offered in the direct, charismatic, air medium of the oral tradition before once again being translated and further grounded into the powerful earth medium of the written word, print on paper, book form.\n\nThe transmission from form to form continued without the self-conscious \"presence\" of an editor, but instead flowed from the experience out of which these teachings had originated. The continuity was grace elicited from the fullness of each moment as it manifested before us as this book. The collaboration occurred on a plane where the beings collaborating were no one in particular, so there was little to impede or diffuse the natural intensity of the light.\n\nAs this oral tradition translated itself into the written word, we decided not to italicize, specialize, the Sanskrit-derived terms such as: sadhana, spiritual practice; karma, the actions of life which breed further reaction; samadhi, deeply concentrated states; Guru, the teacher, the teaching\u2014because these concepts should not be something different, or \"other,\" but should be allowed to enter into the marrow of the language. So too dharma, as natural karmic duty, appropriate action for this incarnation, is not capitalized for it is \"nothing special,\" while Dharma, as the truth, Natural Law, the Tao, God's will, is capitalized to demonstrate its profound universality.\n\nInterwoven from lectures, retreats, articles, and interviews given during 1974\u20131976 in Philadelphia, Washington, Lincoln, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Kansas City, and Aspen, and updated for current readers, these words are offered as the gift of the Dharma, which is ever and always present to each of us, in each of us.\n\nLet it shine,\n\nStephen Levine\n\nSanta Cruz, 1976\nPreface to the Previous Edition\n\nIn the first half of the seventies, spiritual growth rooted in Eastern mysticism was definitely \"in.\" There was a proliferation of spiritual teachers (often self-proclaimed gurus) with sizeable followings. This movement coincided with the psychological growth movement, another significant flowering of that period. Cynics among us referred to these turnings inward as a reflection of narcissism and dubbed the participants the \"me generation.\" But it was not just narcissism. In part, these movements represented a healthy balancing after the blood-letting polarization in political action that occurred in our society at the time of the Vietnam conflict.\n\nThough the spiritual groups were often quite flamboyant and smacked of what Trungpa Rinpoche\u2014a Tibetan Lama\u2014referred to as \"spiritual materialism,\" at their root was a genuine yearning to connect with a deeper context from which to lead a life of greater consciousness and equanimity. It was in response to this yearning that this book originally appeared in the mid-seventies.\n\nFor the most part, this book is an edited transcript of words spoken at various gatherings during that period. In lecturing, I do not usually follow formally prepared material. Rather, through meditation I empty my mind before speaking, in order that my words might speak from and to those places in the audience and in myself which require that we say again what must still be heard at that moment on our journey.\n\nNow, years later, as I reread this material on the occasion of its republication, I am surprised at how timely the message seems . . . or perhaps I should say, how outside of time. Perhaps what we need to hear now, just as we needed to hear then, are those eternal verities that Aldous Huxley refers to as the \"Perennial Philosophy,\" the message which, through form after form, comes down relatively unchanged through the ages. In these days of planned obsolescence, when the shelf-life of new books is measured in days, I find the unchanging nature of these ideas reassuring.\n\nAt the same time, I found expressions and metaphors, as well as political or social references, that dated the material. In cases where I felt that the expressions or referents would not be understandable to today's reader, I have changed and updated them. And in the cases where I feel that my attitudes and understanding toward some issues have matured over these years, I have also adapted the material.\n\nIn the sixties, when we first encountered Eastern ideas of enlightenment, we expected to be personally enlightened in a matter of a year, or a decade at the most. This attitude was slightly tempered in the seventies, but still we expected enlightenment during this lifetime. But now, we have come to appreciate the fine print in the Eastern texts, and that, along with our own experiences, has helped us become free of applying temporal achievement criteria to our spiritual work. We have learned patience and humility and an understanding that we practice dharma without attachment to the goal . . . simply because it is the obvious thing to do. So in places where my presentation seemed immaturely and unnecessarily arrogant, I have softened the material.\n\nSince this book first appeared, there have been periods when material acquisition and personal pleasure have taken priority over spiritual aspirations. For example, the great interest in Eastern philosophy on college campuses for a time gave way to a marked increase in pragmatic career choices with the promise of high financial reward. Many of the deeper personal and social values reflected in the sixties and the seventies seemed to have disappeared into the background. Now, once again, the pendulum swings. In high schools and colleges, there is evidence of a new social concern for the suffering of others, and there is once again an upswing in interest in inner growth. As my friend Wavy Gravy has said, \"The eighties are the sixties twenty years later.\" Now with the sixties a half-century in our rear-view mirror, the Perennial Philosophy is once again coming into flower in our culture. I hope that books such as this one, in its new incarnation, can help to cultivate that process.\n\nRam Dass\n\nCohasset, Massachusetts, 1987\nEpigraph\n\nIn India when we meet and part we often say, \"Namast\u00e9,\" which means: I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides; I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where, if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.\n\nNamast\u00e9\nChapter 1\n\nThe Journey\n\nWelcome! It's so graceful to share the journey. We've been on this journey a long time together. We've gone through a lot of stages. And just as in any journey, some people have dropped along the way, have had enough for this round. Others have been waiting for us to catch up. The journey passes through the seven valleys, the seven kingdoms, the chakras, the planes of consciousness, the degrees of faith. Often we only know we've been in a certain place when we pass beyond it, because when we're in it, we don't have the perspective to know, because we're only being. But as the journey progresses, less and less do you need to know. When the faith is strong enough, it is sufficient just to be. It's a journey toward simplicity, toward quietness, toward a kind of joy that is not in time. It's a journey out of time, leaving behind every model we have had of who we think we are. It involves a transformation of our being so that our thinking mind becomes our servant rather than our master. It's a journey that takes us from primary identification with our body, through identification with our psyche, on to an identification with our soul, then to an identification with God, and ultimately beyond identification.\n\nBecause many of us have traversed this path without maps, thinking that it was unique to us because of the peculiar way in which we were traveling, often there has been a lot of confusion. We have imagined that the end was reached when it was merely the first mountain peak\u2014which yet hid all of the higher mountains in the distance. Many of us got enamored because these experiences along the way were so intense that we couldn't imagine anything beyond them. Isn't it a wonderful journey that at every stage we can't imagine anything beyond it? Every point we reach is so much beyond anything up until then that our perception is full and we can't see anything else but the experience itself.\n\nFor the first few stages, we really think that we planned the trip, packed the provisions, set out ourselves, and are the master of our domain. Only after traversing a few valleys and mountains along the way do we begin to realize that there are silent guides, that what has seemed random and chaotic might actually have a pattern. It's very hard for a being who is totally attached and identified with his intellect to imagine that the universe could be so perfectly designed that every act, every experience is perfectly within the lawful harmony of the universe\u2014including all of the paradoxes. The statement, \"Not a leaf turns but that God is behind it,\" is just too far out to think about. But eventually we begin to recognize that the journey may be stretching out for a longer span than we thought it was going to.\n\nWe come out of a philosophical materialistic framework in which we are totally identified with our bodies and the material plane of existence\u2014when you're dead, you're dead\u2014so get it while it's hot. And more is better and now is best, because we don't know when the curtain will come down and it will all be over. And better not to think about that curtain because it's too frightening. Where along the journey do we begin to suspect that that model of how it is, is just another model? And that this lifetime is but another part of a long, long journey? In the Buddhist teachings, there is an analogy of how long we've been doing this. The image is that of a solid granite mountain six miles long, six miles wide, six miles high. Every hundred years a bird flies by the mountain with a silk scarf in its beak and runs the scarf over the mountain. In the length of time it takes for the silk scarf to wear away the mountain, that's how long we've been doing it. Round after round after round. It puts a different time perspective on this one life, doesn't it? Not all of those rounds are on this plane; not all of those rounds are in human form. But all of those rounds are a part of a journey that has direction.\n\nSooner or later the realization comes that nothing we can think of is going to do it. Nothing we experience is it\u2014because our minds think of things, and we and the things are separate, and there is a little veil, like a trillionth of a second that exists between us and the thing we're thinking of. And when we sense something or collect an experience, there's the distinction between the experience and the experiencer, and that's a very thin veil. It doesn't matter how thin it is\u2014it's like steel. It always separates us from where it's happening.\n\nWhen at last the despair is deep enough, we cry out. We cry inwardly or outwardly, \"Get me out of this! I want to get out! I give up. I don't know. I surrender.\" At that moment, when the despair is genuine enough, the veil separates a bit. I'm not talking about wanting to want to give up. I'm not even talking about wanting to give up. I'm talking about actually giving up. The problem is, most of us say, \"I don't think my thoughts are going to do it, so I'm now open to new possibilities. I'll read Ram Dass's book, but I'm going to sit and judge it.\" Forget it\u2014because the judge has designed the game so that the judge won't have to change, and says, \"Anything that doesn't fit in with the way I thought it was, I reject.\" We have categories for that\u2014it's \"weird\" or it's \"occult\" or it's \"far out\" or whatever we want to call it. It's a way of putting it somewhere else so it doesn't blow our scene up. That's what the judge's function is, so the scene doesn't get blown up.\n\nWhen, as the Third Chinese Patriarch of zen suggests, we set aside opinion and judgment because we see they're just digging us deeper into our hole, we surrender our own knowing. Now, that's really hard, because the whole culture is based on the worship of the golden calf of the rational mind while other levels of knowing, like what we call intuition, have practically become dirty words in our culture. It's sort of sloppy, it's not tight, logical, analytic, clean. You don't sit in scientific meetings and say, \"I intuit that . . .\" You say, \"Out of inductive reasoning, I hypothesize that we will be able to disprove the null hypothesis.\" That's saying the same thing, but we've made believe that we're doing it analytically and logically. Some of us, I am sure, recognize that game. When Einstein said, \"I did not arrive at my understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe through my rational mind,\" many of his colleagues thought him quite eccentric\u2014because the rational mind has been the high priest of the society. Realize that it's merely a tiny system and that there are meta-systems and meta-meta-systems, in which only when we transcend our logical analytic mind can we even enter the gate.\n\nI remember as a social scientist, I studied what was studiable. What was studiable had nothing to do with what was happening to me, but it was studiable. The analogy is the drunk looking for the watch under the streetlight. Someone comes to help him look, but there's no watch under the streetlight, and finally the passerby asks, \"Well, exactly where did you lose it?\" And the drunk says, \"I lost it up in the dark alley, but there is more light out here.\" It is the light of the analytic mind we were using to try to find what had been lost in the distant alley.\n\nWell, a long time ago we were enamored of our prehensile capabilities, the fact that our thumb and index finger could do intricate stuff that no other species could. That was pretty far out; we got a lot of power. But that was nothing like all the anticipatory stuff and the remembering and all this stuff we could do with our cerebral cortex. And to think that wasn't to be the end-all. It even sent people to the moon. Isn't that the ultimate? It doesn't seem to be, does it? It's interesting that people were burned at the stake for suggesting that the anthropomorphic view of the universe wasn't the final one. We all have been caught again and again in embracing the view that the physical universe is the center of it all, when in fact it turns out that the physical universe is just another universe. Not even necessarily the most interesting one. Isn't that damaging to our ego?\n\nAnd the moment when there is that little bit of giving up, whether we're blown out of our rational mind by whatever techniques we have available, or some traumatic experience happens that shakes us out of it, or we have just lived long enough that we've despaired of ever getting it the way we thought we were going to\u2014whatever the genesis of it, at that moment we experience the presence of another set of possibilities of who we are and what it's all about. It is like that moment depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel when the hands of God and man are just about to touch. It's just at the moment when the despair is greatest, when we reach up, that the grace descends, and we experience the knowledge or the insight or the remembrance that it all isn't in fact the way we thought it was. If it happens too violently, we decide we've gone insane.\n\nAnd there are people who are all too willing to reassure us that we have, and there are places for that. In hunting tribes, mystics are treated as insane\u2014they're an inconvenience because the tribe has to be kept mobile, and old people and crazy people have to be put away somewhere. But if we're in a certain position at the moment of seeing through, if the view has been gentle or if we're with somebody else who knows, or if we had intellectually known but didn't believe, all of which is a karmic matter, if we had some kind of structure or support system, we say, \"Even though everybody else thinks I'm mad, I'm not.\"\n\nIt's like when I was being thrown out of Harvard. There was a press conference, and all the reporters and photographers were interviewing me because I was the first professor to be fired from Harvard in a very long time. They all were looking at me as the fighter who had just lost the big fight. Here I was, a good boy who had built his career and finally reached Harvard and now was obviously going to disappear into ignominy. The major teaching institution had dismissed me in disgrace. They had that look on their faces you have when you're around a loser. And here I was every few days taking acid with my partner, Timothy, and my friends were going into these realms beyond realms beyond realms, and I was looking at the reporters and photographers as \"those poor fellows.\" And I looked around and saw that everybody believed in only one reality to this situation except me; and I remembered, since I'm a clinical psychologist, that that was a definition of insanity. One of me was saying, \"Boy, are you crazy.\" And the other was saying, \"Go, go, go, you're right on!\"\n\nThe moment at which we look up, the moment at which we look in, starts the journey back. The journey has gone from the One into the incredible paranoid multiplicity of this high technological materialistic structure. Then, when the despair is great enough, there is the turnaround, and we start to go back to the One. And at that moment, who we are starts to change\u2014because up until then, we have been worshipping our individual differences\u2014\"I'm more beautiful, I'm younger, I'm smarter, or I wish I were\"\u2014or totally preoccupied with getting an individual difference that we could accentuate, because that's where the payoff was.\n\nSo we dress in silver sequins with golden blups, and that makes us special, and everybody says, \"You're special.\" But then when we look around, and we get a sense of another reality, an awareness of presence\u2014a place within us starts to draw us as inevitably and irrevocably as a flame draws a moth. For a long time, maybe many, many lifetimes, we'll keep soaring in close and getting our wings singed.\n\nNow, whether our wings are being singed, whether the fire purifies us or destroys us, depends on who we think we are, because the fire can only burn our stash of clinging. The fire doesn't burn itself. And in truth, we are the fire.\nChapter 2\n\nReceiving the Transmission\n\nTo receive a spiritual transmission, it is not sufficient just to talk about it. Now we have to become it, for the transmission that we come to share is, in truth, not a conceptual one. What I know, I will share with you, but there is more, and for us to receive more than the words, we have to acknowledge who we truly are. Because if we come with the certainty that we already know and that what we have is enough, then though we will hear the words, we will not receive the transmission. If we transported this moment to a cave in the Himalayas that we had all spent months getting to, and we entered the cave after much purification and sat before a teacher, we would be ready to receive the transmission. Now it is a question of whether in this form\u2014in the place we are right now\u2014with such easy access to these words, whether the same space can be created, for by the time we got to the Himalayan cave, we would recognize that what we're seeking in the transmission has very little to do with time and space. It has very little to do with our body, with our personality. It was only when Don Juan had destroyed Castaneda's personal history that the transmission could occur.\n\nWhen you sit in an auditorium and there is a speaker, or you read a book, you tune in a set of receiving devices\u2014your ears, your eyes, and your conceptual analytic mind. But to receive this transmission requires much more than the mind. It requires a desire in us\u2014to use this birth in order to become who, in truth, we are. It requires a desire to become free of the kinds of clinging and attachment that keep distorting and narrowing our vision. It requires that we truly desire to know what we are doing here, what our function is here on Earth. To say, \"I want more than the reality of my senses and my thinking mind,\" requires that we take those moments every one of us has had in our life when we have been in tune with the Tao, with the harmony of the universe, with the flow\u2014when for a moment we set aside our separateness, our self-consciousness, and became part of the process, in the same way as a tree or a brook or wheat is part of the process, and bring them into the foreground at this moment and make them figure so that they stand out and put the rest of the forms of our life into the background.\n\nWe had in those few moments the answer to every question our minds could create and all the food our souls needed. It's only that we didn't know it. So we gather to remind one another who we are. What we're looking for is who is looking; it's happening all around us, and we are what's happening. So that next time we sit waiting for something to begin, we realize that there is nothing that needs to begin, for the beginning, the middle, and the end are already who we are.\n\nActually what it is that I can share with you has no time and no space. It is not really East as opposed to West; it is not now as opposed to then. It isn't the sole domain of any organized religion. It is that which is universal to all that lives in the true spirit. Each time I go out on a speaking tour, there are a number of us for whom the introductory lecture is appropriate. Others of us here are ready for the intermediate course, the 101 series. Perhaps a few of us would like the advanced graduate seminar because we are ready to specialize; we're prepared to make a commitment in our life.\n\nFor those of us who want the advanced course, if while we are together we cultivate the quietness in ourselves, we may receive the transmission we seek. If we don't get lost in the words\u2014for the words are like birds\u2014they fly in from one horizon and fly out toward the other. For those of us with very active minds who'd like to know what's happening, I will provide words. And the active minds can chew on them, collect them, write them down, and save them until they turn yellow, until there is a readiness to sit quietly and open our hearts and quiet our minds. Because the predicament is that the transmission that we in truth yearn to receive is not one that the rational mind can fully grok, can fully grasp, can fully appreciate. All the rational mind can do is get to the point where it is pointing and it says, \"It went thatta way!\" But to have what we seek, we have to go beyond knowing and become it. It is a peculiar predicament, that this knowledge can only be known by transforming ourselves into the knowledge itself.\nChapter 3\n\nRules of the Game\n\nThe simple rules of this game are being honest with ourselves about where we're at, and learning to listen, to be able to hear how it all is. Meditation is a way of listening more and more deeply, so we hear from a more profound space, exactly how it is. To hear how it is, we must be open to it, thus the open heart.\n\nWe can take our lives exactly as they are in this moment; it is a fallacy to think that we're necessarily going to get closer to God by changing the form of our lives, by leaving so-and-so, or changing our jobs, or moving, or whatever . . . by giving up our stereos, or cutting off our hair, or growing our hair, or shaving our beards, or. . . . It isn't the form of the game; it's the nature of the being that fulfills the form. If I'm a lawyer, I can continue being a lawyer. I merely use being a lawyer as a way of coming to God.\n\nIt is a fallacy to think that any form of life is necessarily more spiritual than any other. Ashrams are often the heaviest, most neurotic, political settings I've ever been in. They can also be very beautiful spiritual spaces, but by definition, just because we're living in some place called an ashram or a monastery, doesn't mean we're getting closer to God.\n\nFor someone who has grown in evolution to the point that she or he understands that this precious birth is an opportunity to awaken, is an opportunity to know and perhaps to be God, all of life becomes an instrument for getting there: marriage, family, job, play, travel\u2014all of it. We spiritualize our lives. When Krishna says in the _Bhagavad Gita_ that you should do what you do, but offer the fruits of your actions to Me, he means that we should do it all in relationship to becoming enlightened. So when someone says to us, \"Who are you?\" the answer is not \"I am a lawyer\" or \"I am a housewife.\" It's \"I am a being going to God. I do law in order to provide right livelihood, to protect this temple and fulfill my responsibilities, in order to go to God. I am living with so-and-so, in such and such a situation, because that situation is the optimum for me to fulfill my karma and allow me to go to God.\" It's as simple as that.\n\nWe find our way through this incarnation; each of us has a different path through. No path is any better than any other path; they are just different. We must honor our own path. For some of us, we will feel like half a being until we form a connection with another half, and then we will be able to go to God. Others of us will go alone on our journey to God. It's not better or worse; it's just different. If we can get over the value judgments, we can listen to what it is we need to do without getting caught in all of the social pressures about marriage or non-marriage.\n\nThe true marriage is with God. The reason we form a conscious marriage on the physical plane with a partner is to do the work of coming to God together. That is the only reason for marrying when we are conscious. The only reason. If we marry for economics, if we marry for passion, if we marry for romantic love, if we marry for convenience, if we marry for sexual gratification, it will pass and there is suffering. The only marriage contract that works is what the original contract was\u2014we enter into this contract in order to come to God, together. That's what a conscious marriage is about.\n\nIn fact, that is what everything we're doing is about. When we're ready, we flip the figure and background\u2014what was figure becomes background, and what was background becomes figure. Our personal story becomes a spiritual journey, our ego-centric universe becomes a particle in an infinite field of light.\n\nWe look around, and we find we have a whole set of existing relationships. Some of them are not based on sharing the journey to God; they have other reasons, and the reasons fall away, and the relationships fall away, because they were what we call friends, and we outgrow our friends. They go on different paths than we do. That's reasonable. Other beings we are connected with, we can't outgrow: parents, children, relatives of one sort or another. We don't walk away. That is our given karma of the incarnation. We may grow at a different rate than they do, and they become the fire of our purification\u2014because they will pull on us as we used to be, and our job is to deal with that until we get so even and clear that somebody can come up and say, \"Hello, Dick,\" or \"Hello, Richard,\" or whatever. And I'm right there. \"Yes.\" Not, \"I'm Ram Dass now.\" We work with the karma that exists in our life space.\n\nNow, marriage is very peculiar in this situation because originally the marriage contract put our partners in the same relationship as a parent or child. It was not something we could walk away from, like a friendship. It was \"until death do us part,\" and it became that kind of karma that we worked on. And even if our husband or our wife turned out to be the worst bastard or bitch in the world, that was our work! And if we really wanted to be with God, it didn't really matter. On the other hand, some of us may have gotten into the present cultural position of seeing marriages as special friendships, or even not so special anymore; people move in and out of them the same way they have friends\u2014outgrow them and drop them. Now, in terms of the karmic situation, if we have married unconsciously, we are faced with an unconscious predicament, and whether we stay with our partner or not is not as gross a karmic matter, as if we had entered into the relationship consciously and then broken it off. That's a different matter.\n\nIt would be the same thing with abortion. Unconscious people who don't understand get abortions. And the karma is reasonably light because it comes out of the mechanicalness of mind in them. They're not aware of what they're doing. They're functioning totally in terms of lust and greed and fear and personal agendas of the mind and so on. They're just lost. But once a being has awakened and is aware of his or her predicament, then one style of life isn't that different from another. It's all grist for the mill. They don't sit around killing this and keeping that alive in order to make their lives nice. They take it as it comes down the pike and work with it.\n\nThere is no form that in and of itself is closer to God. All forms are just forms . . . not better to stay single than to marry, not better to marry than stay single. Each individual has his or her unique karmic predicament; each individual must therefore listen very carefully to hear her or his dharma or way or path. For one person it will be as a mother, or for another it will be to be Brahmacharya, or celibate. For one it will be to be a householder, for another to be a sadhu, a wandering monk. Not better or worse.\n\nTo live another's dharma, to try to be Buddha or to be Christ because Christ did it, doesn't get us there; it just makes us mimics. This game is much more subtle; we have to listen to hear what our trip through is, moment by moment, choice by choice. Is this one getting me closer or isn't it? And then we'll learn how truth gets us closer, how straightness gets us closer. We'll learn how simplicity of mind gets us closer. We'll learn how an open heart gets us closer. Certain acts\u2014for example, like smoking pot\u2014may show us the place, but over time they don't necessarily keep getting us closer. When we're finally really honest with ourselves about it, we recognize that it showed us a possibility, but it doesn't allow us to become the possibility. In fact we get to recognize that happiness doesn't necessarily awaken us faster than sadness or unhappiness or pain or suffering\u2014quite the reverse, it turns out. Pain and suffering awaken us more, because the only reason we experience pain or suffering is because we are clinging to something or other.\n\nWhen we have the compassion that comes from understanding how it is, we don't lay a trip on anybody else as to how they ought to be. We don't say to our parents, \"Why don't you understand about the spirit and why I'm a vegetarian?\" We don't say to our husband or wife, \"Why do you still want sex when all I want to do is read the _Gospel of Ramakrishna_?\" A conscious being does all that he or she can to create a space for being with God but does no violence to the existing karma to do it. So we work with our fire, but not patronizingly, because we're not superior; we're just different. We understand about incarnation and that surrounding us are beings at every level of incarnation\u2014some of them very new beings who just started to take human forms and are very busy materially getting it together, and other beings who are very old, who have been born again and again and again, and they've worked out an incredible amount of karma and are all ready to float into the akasha, to float back into God.\n\nSome of the beings around us every day are very ancient beings, and some are very new. But is it better or worse? It's just different. Is it better to be twenty years old than fifty? It's just different. Do we judge someone because he or she's not as conscious as we are? Do we judge a prepubescent because they're not sexually aware? We understand. We have compassion. Compassion, sometimes, is simply leaving other people alone. We don't lay trips. We exist as a statement of our own level of evolution. We are available to any human being, to provide what they need, to the extent that they ask. But we see that it is a fallacy to think that we can impose a trip on another person.\n\nI used to meet people, and I'd visualize how they could be, and my desire to have them change made me look into their eyes and touch them in a certain way, and they'd start to be who I wanted them to be. Then I'd say, \"Look at that,\" and they'd say, \"Oh thank you, thank you.\" And they'd love me and want to follow me around. But the next day or week or month, they'd come down because they were living out my desire, not theirs. They were living out my concept of how they ought to be, not being how, in fact, they needed to be in their own journey of evolution. The best we can do is become an environment that allows every person we meet to open in the optimum way they can open. The way you \"raise\" a child is to create a space with your own love and consciousness to allow that child to become whatever he or she can become in this lifetime.\n\nIt's the same if we're therapists or marriage partners or spiritual teachers; whatever our roles in human relationships, the game is always the same. If you're a police officer on traffic duty, your job may be to give people traffic tickets. How you give those traffic tickets is a function of your evolution. You can give people traffic tickets in such a way that they'd end up enlightened\u2014because there is no form to this game at all. It's who's in the form that counts. It isn't how holy we look; it's how much we _are_ the spirit of the living Christ, the compassion of the Buddha, the love of Krishna, the fierce discriminating wisdom of Tara or Kali. There's no one action or emotion that's holier than any other. People get into thinking one form of emotional action is more holy. For example, Maharaj-ji said to me, \"Ram Dass, give up anger.\" And I said, \"Well, Maharaj-ji, can't I even use anger as a teaching device?\" And he said _angrily_ , \"No!\" There are many levels to this game; they sneak up on us.\n\nOf course there are certain acts that conscious beings do not perform\u2014not that they couldn't be performed consciously, but that it doesn't come into the flow. We are not able to hide behind form for long. Many people say to me, \"Should I be a vegetarian or shouldn't I?\" \"Should I have sex or shouldn't I?\" \"Should I meditate forty minutes or shouldn't I?\" People who meditate exactly the right number of minutes, eat exactly the right food, do all the things perfectly, can also be caught in the chain of gold, in the chain of righteousness and ritual. That is not liberation. But eventually one does perform the spiritual practices, not out of obligation, not out of guilt, but because we've got to do it. We demand it of ourselves. We end up going through hell in meditation to quiet our mind, not because somebody says, \"You ought to quiet your mind,\" but because our agitated mind is driving us up the wall, and it's keeping us from getting on with it. We'll learn how to pray, and read holy books, and practice devotional acts and chants, opening our hearts and asking Christ to fill us with love, not because we're good, but because with a closed heart we know we cannot come into the flow of the universe.\n\nNow, there are very delicate issues about passivity and activity and will and choice and so on. And we must listen very deeply within ourselves, for we are continually making choices, and the choices boil down to going either in the direction of the harmony and the flow and the will of God, the flow of the universe\u2014or going against it. And we listen and feel that, with the deepest kind of honesty we've got. This journey is based on just two very simple concepts. Total honesty with ourselves, total honesty. If we make a mistake, admit it and get on with it. Don't cover errors. The whole spiritual journey is a continuous act of falling on our faces. And we get up and brush ourselves off and get on with it. If we were perfect, we wouldn't even go on a journey. We can't be afraid of making errors. We may choose the wrong teacher; we may get into a method that's no good. Many things can happen. We make errors; we correct them if we can, without hurting another being's spiritual opportunities. There is another rule for this game: we may never use one soul for another. If our journey to God is keeping another being from going to God, forget it. We're never going to get there. It's as simple as that. We have to listen to ourselves and be honest with ourselves. Those are the rules of the game. Listen inward and be honest. Now, when we listen inward, we may not even know what to listen to. There are dozens of voices saying, \"Listen to me. I'm the one.\" \"I'm the one, get all you can.\" See. \"I'm the one. Give it all up.\" See. It's the superego and the id, and all these voices are vying to be center stage. And we keep listening for what the Quakers call the \"still, small voice within.\" We listen deeper and quieter, deeper and quieter\u2014the more we enter a meditative space, the clearer we hear our dharma, our flow, our way home, our route back to the source.\nChapter 4\n\nThe Evolutionary Cycle\n\nBack in the sixties when we gathered, we were confused as to whether we were psychotic or spiritual. We needed to gather in order to reassure ourselves that if we were psychotic, at least there were a lot of us. We were freeing ourselves from a cultural model of a reality that had been considered absolute.\n\nAnd as we started to break free, there was much melodrama: violence, anger, confusion, as well as bliss and delight. Some of the confusion came because we kept trying to make the outside different as a reflection of the fact that the inside was changing. Part of that was pure in the sense that the new inner being was manifesting a new outer being, and part of it was impure because our faith was still flickering and we needed new symbols in order to reassure ourselves that we were in fact different. Some may recall the period when men started to grow their hair long and the power of that symbol, along with communal statements and alternative economics. During the sixties we were confused between internal freedom and external freedom, between revolution and evolution, because we didn't have models in our heads that would allow us to appreciate the grandeur of the change that we were undergoing. So we kept reducing its implications and seeing it as a social, psychological, or political change.\n\nDuring the late sixties and early seventies, there was a period of fanaticism in our spiritual involvement. We were importing models from the East at a great rate and trying very hard to convert ourselves but, consistent with our tradition of doing things from the outside in, although we were taking on a lot of the symbols and accoutrements and might have looked like Buddha from outside, on the inside we were just people who were trying to look like Buddha. We were very confused about vows and commitments, the relationship to teachers, the whole concept of Guru, and what the journey was about. In the sixties the word _God_ was still taboo, so we talked about \"altered states of consciousness.\"\n\nImplicit in all that we were doing was still an attachment to the fact that _we_ could do it, that who we were or who we thought we were could change ourselves and become whatever it was that Buddha was or Christ was. That is, we were living in a culture in which humans ruled nature, within obvious boundaries, and we were so addicted to the rational mind and its power that we assumed we could think our way out of any predicament, we could figure out a new way to be through our thoughts and through our doing. But the predicament is that enlightenment is not an achievement; enlightenment is a transformation of being. And the achiever goes as well as the achievement.\n\nMost of us didn't bargain for the implications of the journey we found ourselves on. We started to understand that it might have something to do with what had been talked about as \"God\" or a \"coming to God\" or, if you would rather deal with the unmanifest, the state of Nirvana. And we didn't really want them\u2014we wanted to want them. That's a different level of the game. For most of us, it has been quite enough to want to want God or to want to want enlightenment. That keeps us cool, safe, secure, with a feeling that we're moving in the right direction. It gets a little scary when you start to disappear into the Void. In _Be Here Now_ we referred to it as \"the crisp trip.\"\n\nOur true strength lies in our honesty with ourselves about our predicament. We have tasted of something; we are drawn to it as a moth toward a flame. We recognize our own fear. There is less melodrama and dramatic histrionics, and we are patiently and consistently doing the purification of being that is necessary for this transformation to occur. We realize that we can't grab it\u2014we tried that\u2014nor can we ignore it\u2014we all tried that. When we try to grab it, up we go and down we come, with nothing but another high to add to our collection of moldering butterflies. We try to push it away and go back to not remembering that there is something else, and we can't do that either. In the middle of our most intense sensual enjoyment\u2014which we would like to get lost back into, there is always the voice that says, \"You are now in the middle of your intense sensual enjoyment.\" We can't get in; we can't get out. And here we are.\n\nThe melodrama is passing away. We recognize now that we are bringing our external world genuinely and honestly into harmony with our inner perceptions, and we don't need to try so hard to create an external space to prove anything. We're learning not to overkill with our intellect, not to try to think our way into holiness, because it just ends up being another prison, and we get caught pretending we're something we're not.\n\nWe are developing a deeper philosophical understanding of the predicament we are in as mutants, as evolving beings. We're listening inside to see what it is that is keeping us from that place or space or realization or connection that we have touched, tasted, felt, or somehow known about, and we are starting to find the methods to get on with the work. We have begun to understand that, though we gather as a group and listen to one another, each of us is in a unique predicament, and that we must listen to our own hearts to hear what we need; we can't imitate anybody else's journey.\n\nTo characterize these individual differences in terms of evolution, let me share with you a model that is just a model. Imagine an evolutionary clock. At twelve o'clock there is perfect harmony, \"the Tao\" as the Chinese say, \"the Way\" Christ talks about. The perfect balance, the interrelationship of all things with nothing separate, each in its proper place. The tree is the perfect tree; the river is the perfect river; the human being is the perfect human being. All is in its perfection.\n\nAt one minute after twelve, something is separate. At twelve it was the Garden of Eden: perfect harmony and balance. Then came a bite of the apple, and suddenly they're wearing fig leaves, and God is asking, \"Who told you that you were naked?\" Where did shame come from? It came from self-consciousness. And where did self-consciousness come from? It came from identifying with our thinking mind and thus experiencing ourselves as separate from that which we think about. At 12:01 duality has been created: subject and object, thinker and that which is thought. Separateness.\n\nFrom 12:01 to six, there is a continuous attempt to solidify, protect, and increase the power of our position as separate entities, to create security, gratification, power over the world around us, to re-create the feeling of well-being that existed when we weren't, but now we are. Who I am talking about is us; you understand what I'm saying?\n\nLet's just imagine that twelve o'clock is a sort of total perfection; although it's obviously unlabelable, we'll call it \"God,\" but since it really is unlabelable, maybe we better just call it \"G-d\" so we won't get confused. Now G-d has, within its perfection, the freedom for any entity, such as a human entity, to pit its will against the total will, or G-d's will. So at first there were beings pitting themselves against the system, against the harmony, then everybody was \"us,\" and \"them\" was the forces of nature, the storms, and so on.\n\nBut between 12:01 and six o'clock, a bizarre thing happened. Slowly \"them\" started to become others of us. Our tribe was \"us,\" and other tribes were \"them.\" Then within the tribe there was the family, and pretty soon it was \"our family\" and everybody else was \"them.\" And then, within the family, Uncle Dave screwed us on that business deal, so he was sort of \"them.\" We couldn't really even trust the greater family that much; \"us\" had to be our immediate family. That's around four thirty or five o'clock. Then there was a generation gap\u2014we can't trust elders or youth\u2014so maybe \"us\" is just me and my wife or me and my husband. And then there's a sex difference, so I can't fully consider my spouse as \"us,\" so then I'm \"us\" and everything else in the universe is \"them.\" \"I'm very strong. I've got my protection. I know where I am, see?\" You think it would end there. But that's about 5:45. In the final fifteen minutes is what now is called the total alienation of an individual. From whom? From himself. So finally we're looking at ourselves from outside and we don't even trust ourselves, so we're \"them\" too.\n\nAnd what was the greatest power we had to work with in this journey from twelve to six? What was the greatest siddhi, or power, that was available to us as long as we were attached to our senses and our thinking mind? It was our intellect. Look at what our intellect has done. Look at this illusion. Look at the awesome impact of technology. They are all extensions of the human mind. Suppose I'm living in Manhattan, where, except for Central Park, there isn't anything you see that hasn't been run through a human mind. It's living inside human intellect actually. And the power of the human intellect is based on discrimination, individual differences; if we can tell the difference between this and that, and we can do it better than anybody else, we get paid more. And this intellect, which now decided that it could do anything, started to create models of what it had to do in order to get into that space it remembered somewhere inside of itself as that perfect feeling of at-hOMe-ness, of perfect well-being. The intellect developed a number of strategies. The most obvious one in our culture is \"more is better.\"\n\nMost of us have been on that journey, haven't we? On the supersensual astral planes. \"Have you heard that new record by the blups? Yeah, but have you heard it when you're in the bathtub\u2014with somebody else? Have you heard it when you're in the bathtub with somebody else by candlelight? On a good stereo set? There's an incredible wine; put it at the side of the tub: musk oil in the bath, the incense, the candlelight, the wine, the other being, and the bath water is just right and on the stereo. . . . Oh. . . . Oh. . . .\" More is better. The obvious predicament that the intellect has a difficult time with is the sneaking realization that more is never enough. Or, more is maybe enough for a moment, but it doesn't last.\n\nIf we watch the patterns of our desire system and mind, the end of our day goes something like: \"I think I'll take a nap. Gee, I'd like a cup of tea. How about a cigarette with that? I'm gonna listen to that music. What are we gonna have for dinner? What do you want for dessert, ice cream? I'm gonna have some coffee. What's on television? No, let's go bowling. Bicycle? Great. Ice cream soda? Let's go home. Okay. Want to go to bed? Okay. Ah, that's great. Got a cigarette?\" On and on and in the middle of the main course, we're already thinking about what we'll have for dessert. The way we deal with this game is by constantly keeping the things going by fast, like a sleight-of-hand trick. Knowing that none of them will last, we figure that enough of them with small enough spaces in between will keep the rush going. Rush after rush after rush. But it's like building a house on sand\u2014and we can't stop, because it gets a little frightening if we stop. If those spaces in between get too big, there is depression, confusion, disorientation, anger, loneliness, self-pity, unworthiness. Such stuff! Yech! So keep it coming, Ma. More and more and more.\n\nBut it turns out that Christ was right when he said, \"Lay not up your treasures where moth and rust doth corrupt and thieves break in.\" Buddha was right when he said, \"The cause of suffering is craving,\" craving after things that are not permanent, and nothing is permanent. If we cling to anything in form, we're going to suffer. That was Buddha's point. What blue chip can we invest in, that we can stop feeling frightened about? Our bodies? Our bodies are decaying this very minute. Even the youngest person here is decaying. Fifty or sixty years from now, you know where your body will be, what it will look like? And your intellect? All the knowledge you've collected? Did you ever see a skull and consider what's been eaten away and who ate it? And do you know what that emptiness is? That's everything you think you know. No wonder we're frightened. If we're thinking that we're our thinking mind, or that we're our body, it's panic.\n\nFrom twelve to six is the increasing hope that we can get it all together, get it to feel just right. But there's a scariness, because we're trying to do it in a dimension that exists in time, where everything changes, where we're going to lose everything. At the very least, we're going to die. As philosophical materialists\u2014not materialists in gold Cadillacs but those who are attached to the senses and intellect, and what we can think about\u2014we are afraid because when we're dead, we're dead. As we get close to dying, we start to get very frightened, and we start to push pretty hard. We say, \"Doctor, you've got new pills; use them. Do anything. Save me. Freeze-dry me. Do anything. I don't want to die,\" and grab and hold the bedsheets and pay more and more and get more and more hysterical and get into intensive care units and keep alive even if they have to transplant everything. But no matter how hard we try, suddenly we're dead.\n\nAnd then a voice says to us, \"Hello.\" If we're philosophical materialists, this leads us to say, \"I guess I didn't die.\" To which the voice replies, \"Oh yes, you did.\" Just as an example, at one point Buddha with his clear vision looked back and saw his last ninety-nine thousand incarnations. And that was only some of them. Birth-death-rebirth-redeath, on and on. It's called the Wheel of Life [and Death].\n\nNow, in the early period, say between twelve and three, every time we die, we're so caught in our own attachments to our senses and our mind, we're so deep in the illusion, that when somebody says we're dead, we deny it and stay in total confusion until we get sent into the next round. Which is all, as we will see, perfectly designed. Later, as we get on with this round of births and deaths, we realize our predicament. We are under the veil of illusion of the birth\u2014we don't want to die; then we're dead, and we say, \"Far out, there goes another one.\" At this point we look around, and we see all our old mothers and fathers and friends. \"Oh, my, you were my wife this time. Last time you were my brother.\"\n\nWhen we're more conscious, we share in the understanding of where we are situated on the clock, in the round of births and deaths. We begin to see exactly what the next birth has to do from a karmic point of view, what it has to work out. And when we design the next birth, we say, \"Well, I think I should be born into the lower-middle class in New York City, and then around ten, I think I should get raped. That would be useful for that particular samskara, that deeply imbedded mental impression, that I've been working out from four thousand births back. Let's see. I'll have my first child when I'm eighteen,\" and on and on. We design it all the way through\u2014up until how we'll die. When we've run it all through the computer, the right parents come together, the right combinations come up, and then comes the moment of birth. And there we go. We dive back down in.\n\nSome beings enter into this trip at the moment of conception, others at the moment of birth. You can tell those babies who entered at the moment of birth\u2014the baby comes into the world and has that kind of stoned-out look, like what the hell am I doing here? Like an old Lama who has been born, say, in the Bronx, and he would like to bless everybody, but he can't get it to work. The ones who entered in at the moment of conception are busy being babies already. \"Waaaaaa, give me.\" Those who come in bliss, because the veil hasn't shut down yet, are most of the time around parents who are busy inside the veil saying, \"You're a baby; you're a baby. Goo-goo, look at the little baby.\" Pretty soon you buy it, and there you are again. On and on and on and on. Until something interesting happens at six o'clock, or one minute past six. Up until then, in every birth we've gone back into the illusion that we are this body, we are this thinking mind, and we are these senses. Everything we think we could get is what we can sense and think about; we're grabbing, looking out and down, grabbing and grabbing and grabbing. And then suddenly at one birth there is a moment when the veil parts\u2014albeit for just a second\u2014and we stick our noses through, and we say, \"Wow, it isn't how I thought it was at all.\" Maybe the veil parted for a millisecond, but that was all it took if we were ready.\n\nThe veil is parting all the time for everybody, but most of the time our karma is so heavy, and we're so used to the veil, that we're not ready, so the minute we do see through, we immediately deny it or push it away as hard as we can. Some years back, I read in the _New York Times_ magazine an article on \"Mysticism in America,\" which said that two-fifths of the population of the United States has had a genuine mystic transcendent experience, which means they saw through the veil. As I recall, though I can no longer find the article, in sampling that two-fifths of the population, 85 percent said, \"It was the greatest experience of my life, but I never want to have it again.\" Of course not, because look at how it upsets the apple cart. If we've built a whole universe around being somebody, and suddenly we see that that isn't who we are at all, what then?\n\nBut what is the condition necessary so that the moment comes when we see through the veil in a way that changes everything from then on, so that from a minute past six to twelve o'clock our whole journey changes its meaning? What's necessary for that to happen is despair. We realize that everything we think we can do to create perfection isn't going to be enough, that who we are and who we think we are is where the problem lies. It leads to a deep despair that seems to be a necessary condition for us to awaken at that moment. Once we have seen and know we have seen, we can never totally go back to sleep again. Even though we may forget for moments\u2014and we will go through many, many more births between six and twelve o'clock\u2014we can never fully forget. We are starting to be drawn back to twelve o'clock.\n\nI'm talking about a clock of births and deaths that is all in time, which is all an illusion or relatively real, but we're just working with this metaphor for a moment. The beings in tune with these words, by nature, are by definition after six o'clock. Otherwise there'd be no reason for you to have read this far. Maybe you're at 4:13, but why would you put up with this long rap when you could be out getting more, which is better? But you know something? You're trapped in what you know, and look at what it's led you to.\n\nAnd it gets worse; that's what's so extraordinary about it: once we start at one minute past six, the return journey to twelve, we're trying to grab at experiences that are going to get us back. We're going to collect new experiences that are called \"getting high.\" We come down from something, and we treat that down as the time between the last time we got high and the next time when once again we'll get on with our journey to God or back to twelve or whatever we want to call it. As the experiential clock ticks on, we keep developing in our understanding of how it's all working, and we begin to recognize a peculiar phenomenon that, as C. S. Lewis points out, \"You don't see the center of the universe because it's all center.\" We, in fact, are the center of a universe that has been designed perfectly in order to awaken us out of the illusion and that every experience we have is equally valid as grist for the mill of awakening. Our whole incarnation is the teaching.\n\nNext we begin to realize that although they are all equal in teaching quality, some of our experiences seem to shake us more than others, that the model that we are stuck in, sometimes so subtly we don't even know it, is shaken by pain and suffering and all the negative qualities. At that point we recognize the bizarre phenomenon that suffering is grace. Now, that's heavy, because up until that time, we've been trying to optimize pleasure and minimize pain. When we realize that in its fullest dimension, we may still live to optimize pleasure and minimize pain, but whatever comes down the pike is all right. \"Boy, am I depressed.\" Now, there's depression. Until finally \"There's pleasure.\" \"There's pain.\" \"I just made a thousand dollars. Wow.\" Or, \"Oh, I just got robbed.\" And the \"Wow\" and the \"Oh\" and the \"Ah\" and the \"Uh,\" all of these alternatives are just more stuff\u2014beautiful, delightful stuff. This incarnation is the absolutely optimal one that we must be in now in order to do what needs to be done, or have done through us what needs to be done, in order to bring us home, bring us hOMe, or out or in. It's happening whether we know it or not. But as we know it, it changes it. That's part of it. That's all karma too.\n\nAlong around ten or eleven, we're going into other planes of reality in our meditation, and they are equally as real as the plane that we started this incarnation in. We don't quite understand where we are. Sometimes we get confused. It's very uneven and complicated work. But if we're really aiming at perfected truth, we move at a rate at which we can keep it all perfectly together. We work for the perfect balance of the different planes. At one minute past six we started to awaken and got so fascinated with what we started to see, we couldn't take our eyes off it, and we forgot to look down and we fell on our faces. We started to study the \"absolute truths of God\" and got so fascinated with the impersonal perfection of the universe beyond all polarities, we were so involved in the icy-cold impersonality of it all that we kept stepping on things and said, \"Well, so what? It's all perfect.\"\n\nBut we learn the simple rule of the game is that as long as we push away one plane to grab another, we're still off balance. Ultimately, we understand that the truth must be balanced with the caring, with honoring of this incarnation. That's when we start to develop the capacity to look up and to look down at the same moment. To look in and to look out.\n\nWhen we look at pure truth, we can see the grace that suffering is. From our point of view, when we're suffering, \"Fine, I'm suffering. That's interesting.\" At the same moment, if we are looking down and honoring our incarnation, we're working to alleviate suffering. Let me give you an example. Somebody says, \"I want to study yoga with you. I want to fast.\" And you say, \"All right, fast for nine days.\" At the end of the seventh day, she says, \"I've fasted for seven days.\" And you say, \"Wonderful, wonderful. You've got two more days to go.\" Then you walk outside the building, and somebody comes up to you and says, \"Hey, man, you got a quarter? I haven't eaten in seven days.\" You don't say, \"Wonderful, wonderful, you have two more days to go.\" It's not an appropriate response, because for that being, suffering isn't grace; suffering is a drag.\n\nWhen that discipline is developed to allow us to look up and look down simultaneously, we have the absolute clarity of the pure white snow on the Himalayan peaks, the exquisite clarity, the raw truth, the impersonal perfection which includes everything\u2014privation, starvation, persecution in our cities, inequality, violence, as well as all the bliss and love and compassion and kindness\u2014the entire mosaic. In the icy peaks of the Himalayas, we see the perfection of it all in the evolutionary journey of beings. And at the same moment, the caring part of us is like the bleeding heart of Jesus, and we look down and see the blood on the snow. We keep both of those in mind at every moment so we can help beings who are suffering in the way they need to be helped.\n\nIf we are really going to help them get out of the illusion, we ourselves must not get lost in the illusion. We must continue to keep our eyes fixed on absolutely clear truth. We love without clinging; we help without identifying ourselves as helpers; we protest without getting lost in our protests; we care for our children remembering that, behind it all, here we are: the truth, the caring. We honor our bodies; we honor our society; we honor our whole game; we change it in the way it needs to be changed. We listen to hear what our particular karmic predicaments are in this round, and we find our dharma, the way to live this life in perfect harmony with the forces inside and outside of us in order to bring us home.\n\nIf we get greedy and try to push or pull, we're going to fall on our faces. If we go up to sit in a cave, we'll become so holy that light will be pouring out of our heads, everybody will be falling at our feet, and we'll have great powers. But when we try coming into New York City, we will see that there are little seeds inside of us, as Ramakrishna talks about, that never quite got cooked. It's an interesting point of view when we say, \"Hey, I can't stand to live in the city. I've got to live out in the country.\" What we're really saying is, \"I can't stand those things in myself that the city fans.\" Believe me, if there's nothing that we want, the city is the same as the Himalayan peak. All the city is showing us is stuff in ourselves that we wish we didn't have.\n\nAs we get farther along in this journey, the pull of twelve o'clock gets so fierce and we want to get done so badly that we can taste it and, at that point, we say, \"Give me the fire. I want a hot fire. Make it hotter, hotter. Come on, give it to me.\" Then, when somebody gets us furious, we know that the only reason we got angry was because we had a secret hidden model of how we think it ought to be that we were holding on to. We realize that the person who got us angry is a teaching, and in our minds we thank him. We get so eager to root out the stuff in us that's keeping us from getting on, from awakening, that we start to look for situations to force us to do it.\n\nOnce, I spent nine days in a sesshin, a Zen Buddhist retreat. At the time I thought it was without doubt a miserable, horrible, cruel, sadistic experience. . . . I got sick. I was paranoid. They sucked me in, seduced my ego by making me feel like I could do it. Then, I got there and they didn't even give me a reward of saying, \"Ram Dass, welcome.\" A guy met me with a clipboard and said, \"Dass, Ram; you'll be in the upper bunk in Cabin Three. Here is your robe. Report to the zendo in five minutes.\" There was a fellow with a stick, and unless you sat in perfect form\u2014which was really uncomfortable\u2014you got beaten. And I was paying money for this! If you tilted, this really fierce character would come up and he'd bow to you, then you'd bow to him, and then you'd lean over to the side and he'd beat you on one shoulder, and then you'd lean over the other way and he'd beat you on the other shoulder, and you'd thank him and he'd thank you.\n\nFive times a day, you'd go in to see the Roshi, a tough Japanese fellow, bald headed. He had a bell and a stick, and he'd ask you ridiculous questions like, \"How do you know your Buddha-nature from the sound of clapping hands?\" And you'd answer something or other that you'd been thinking about the whole time you were sitting there, knowing you had four more times to go yet today. And he'd say, \"Oh, Doctor, you're not doing it right at all. Maybe we should give you your money back, you leave. I had great hopes for you. You're very important, people know you, and you're very famous, but you don't seem to understand this. I think you'd better forget it.\"\n\nThen he rings his bell, and you leave and you're crushed. Not only are you crushed, but you also have to run back to the place and sit up straight so as not to get beaten. This goes on from two in the morning until ten at night. There's no edge. I spent four days plotting how to be called away on an emergency, some face-saving device. I even tried to hide in the bathroom, but they checked the bathroom. There was simply no place to hide.\n\nFinally, by the fifth day, I didn't give a damn about the Roshi or the whole scene. I went in kind of slouching, thinking, _The hell with it. Let them throw me out_ , and he said, \"Doctor, how do you know your Buddha-nature through clapping hands?\" And I said, \"Good morning, Roshi.\" He said, \"AH!!\" He was delighted and smiled and then, lest it go to my head, he said, \"Now you are becoming a beginning student of Zen!\"\n\nWell, it was interesting because just before that, just as I was walking up the path and saying, \"Screw it,\" fire started to pour out of all the bushes and the whole sky became radiant, and I went into this other state. It was like I had been released from this incredible sickness and tension, and I went in and I was having a satori experience. And he kept asking me koan after koan, and the answers kept coming right out. I was right in the moment, and there were no models in my mind. And we just went higher and higher together, and we were both just spinning out.\n\nFrom then on, the rest of the nine days was ecstasy. The sittings were beautiful, and I was just floating. Suddenly, the perfection of the emptiness of the forms and the impersonality, became my freedom. If I had come to the sesshin and they had said, \"Oh, Ram Dass, we're so happy to see you,\" and I had known who everybody was, it would have occupied my mind in a whole other way. I was freed by the total impersonality of the whole scene.\n\nIt's just like any meditation when it's not all bliss and light and we're uncomfortable and it's hot and we're bored and our butts hurt and all that. It's all the same as that sesshin. But we do it because there's something we want bad enough to go through it, to struggle against the forces in us that just want \"more.\" That's what the _Bhagavad Gita_ is about, the battle inside between those two forces. Right until the very end, it's hell. It doesn't get any better; it gets worse because the fire gets hotter and hotter.\n\nYou see, once we decide that we really want to go for broke, for perfected truth, once we're being pulled that way in our gut and we finally say, \"I don't want anything else. I just want to go\" (which is usually a lie, but we're still saying it), that pull, that reaching, draws down upon us all kinds of forces that help that thing happen. That's called grace. There are many beings, both on this plane and on other planes, that are available to guide us and help us, but they don't come unless we want them. Our reaching elicits their help.\n\nThe teaching gets fiercer; the fire gets hotter; we start to do it to ourselves because the pull of God is deeper and deeper. At that point just before twelve on our evolutionary clock, the entire universe is within us, and we experience all of the suffering that is connected with form on any plane of existence. We are one with it. By that time, we have worked out all our personal karma or clinging. Now we're aware of the collective nature of the karma. Right at that moment, the pull to twelve o'clock is incredible. To go into twelve o'clock means that we merge back in, that we as consciously separate entities cease. Everything that went on from one minute past twelve until 11:59 was designed for this moment of choice. If we want to be God at this moment, we can merge back in.\n\nBut it doesn't matter what choice we make. That may be scary because we wanted it to matter. Most of us are so caught in righteousness, we're afraid of truth. Righteousness would say it matters at 11:59, but truth says it doesn't matter. At 11:59 we have the choice of going back into God, in which case, if we had bodies, they would just sort of disintegrate because there would be nobody in them, or we can stay back in form on this or another plane. Why would we do it?\n\nThis is free will in the true sense of free will, not the illusion of free will that we have, for there is no individual karma in this. The only reason a totally free being would choose to stay within the illusion is to relieve the suffering of all beings. This is the time when what's known as \"the Bodhisattva Vow\" is taken. This is the only moment it's real. Up until then it's phony\u2014it's our karma working out. The moment we choose to come back, we have to push against that force that is drawing us in to merge. We are pushing against God. That is the sacrifice. The sacrifice that Christ made is not the crucifixion. The chance for a conscious being to leave his body is bliss. The sacrifice was leaving the Father in the first place and becoming the Son.\n\nFree beings, realized perfected beings, have that free choice. They are here only because of us, and I mean us, because otherwise we wouldn't meet them. Anybody they meet is by design part of what they're doing to relieve suffering. They are here only as instruments to bring through that nonclinging, nonattached truth, to create a mirror against which we can see where we're holding our secret stash of stuff that is keeping us from being perfected also. These are the beings that bestow the grace. They are the Gods and Goddesses and Gurus on all planes. We all have one of these helpers specifically designed for our karma, but most of us never meet them in this lifetime because we never reach out.\n\nEvery night Buddha would look over all the realms, the Buddha-fields, to see who was ready, who looked up, who was reaching, who is saying, \"I want to get out,\" who says, \"Know me. Let me out. I'm ready; let's go.\" Not wanting to want, not phony wanting, but wanting. If we don't reach out, nothing happens. For whom is the despair deep enough?\n\nThis game is designed so that within the illusion, where we think there is free will, we've got to reach for it. And we only reach for it when our karma allows us to reach for it. See the predicament? The only real free will there was in the whole clock was at twelve o'clock to one minute past twelve\u2014the free will to go against the system\u2014and at 11:59 to go back into the system. Otherwise all of it was determined by law.\n\nKeep in mind the entire clock is in the realm of metaphor, or relative reality. At twelve o'clock we never were, nothing has happened, nobody is. To answer the question of why did it all begin, one of the answers is it never did. It's just a play of mind, just a play of mind. People who have come this far in this transmission are everywhere between one minute past six and 11:59 and because of the nature of our attachments, we can see only what we can see. We might be sitting next to an 11:59er, and we wouldn't know it, because he doesn't have a sign on him, and the ones that do have signs on them usually aren't real, because they wrote them themselves.\n\nIt might turn out that your Aunt Thelma was Buddha. She was cooking chicken soup, and you went to India and Tibet for forty years looking for somebody who looked like Buddha. You totally despaired, and in the despair, you gave up all your hope and all your models. You come home, and you walk in and there she is. You look, and you fall on your face before this brilliant light, and she says, \"Have some soup.\" The pure Buddha, the mind that is clear of attachment, exists anywhere in perfect harmony with all the forces around it.\n\nAnd to complete this clock image, I might add that for some of us, it has become time to awaken, and for others, it's later than we think.\nChapter 5\n\nLevels of Reality\n\nIt's useful to understand the various levels of reality, to examine the perceptual fields that different beings have, to see what different realities look like. Imagine that we have a little dial right next to our eyes and that we can change the channels of our realities. These channels are not to be confused with the chakras. Set the dial on the first channel, and we look around the room and we see men and women. We see that some are tall and some are short and some are light and some are dark, some are beautiful and some are not beautiful, some are blond and some are brunette, some are fat and some are thin, some turn us on and some don't. That's the physical reality.\n\nSomebody says, \"Who was in the room?\" We say, \"Well, there were about an even number of men and women. And they were mainly young between the ages of . . .\" If we were social scientists, we might say, \"There were so many endomorphs, so many ectomorphs, and so many mesomorphs.\" If we're in social action, we might say, \"There was a minority of blacks, there were so many Hispanics, and there were so many . . .\" If we were primarily sexually oriented within that domain, we would see everybody in one of three categories: either potentially makeable, a competitor with us for someone who is potentially makeable, or irrelevant. And that's a very dominant theme in the _Playboy, Penthouse, Oui_ clientele, which involves a large percentage of this society. That's what's real for them; the rest is all trips. When the dial is set on the first channel, when we look at the world, we see the physical material environment.\n\nIf we're in the clothing business, we walk down the street and see what everybody's wearing. That's the reality for us. And if someone asked, \"Who was it that just passed?\" we'd say, \"I passed a gown from Bergdorfs,\" or \"Shoes from Saks and a hat from Filene's that was on sale last week.\" Or if we're preoccupied with our bodies when we walk down the street, you know what we see? Everybody else's bodies. People who are busy being short are preoccupied with how tall everyone is. People who don't like their noses notice everybody else's noses.\n\nFlip to the second channel, and we're in the psychological domain. If we were very technical people, we would now look at everybody in terms of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory or the Rorschach inkblot test. We are now looking at happy, sad, achievers, anxious neurotics, manic-depressives, enthusiasts, spiritual seekers. Eager, depressed, hearty, happy, sad, lucky\u2014a whole lot of psychological attributes. For many of us, that is the reality in which we live. And who we are is our personality. We spend time analyzing and therapizing them, patting them, damning them, feeding their guilt, their shame, their unworthiness. It happens that the psychologies come in bodies, but we don't even notice the bodies\u2014we're too busy with the psychologies and personalities. When we meet people we say, \"Our personalities do well together.\" It's the only reality. We don't notice bodies. We don't look up; we don't look down. We're all psychology. That's the personality level.\n\nThen there's another channel. Flick. Now the world is twelve categories and their various permutations. There's a Leo; there's an Aries. \"I know you're a Sagittarius. I can tell by the way you walk.\" We've now done an astral fix, a new game of individual differences. We now know people's subtle bodies, which are inside their physical bodies, and we know about something that lies behind their personalities\u2014a planetary reality, the archetypal and mythic reality. It's another game of individual differences. But the third channel allows us to re-perceive the first and second channels. We're now using one set of individual differences to free us from another.\n\nWhat do you say, once more? Flick, fourth channel. Now when we look into another person's eyes, what we see is another person looking back at us. \"Are you in there? I'm in here. Far out. How did you get into that one?\" Now we see another being who is just like us, another entity trapped inside the illusion of all these packages of individual differences\u2014body, personality, astrology. And the eyes, the windows of the soul, meet, and we say, \"What's it like being in there?\"\n\nYou'll notice that when we meet other people, we're meeting them at all these different levels. If, for instance, you're a girl, and you're on the personality level of reality, but you happen to have a very beautiful body from a cultural point of view, and everybody you meet sees only your body, you might say, \"Why doesn't anybody want me for my personality?\" That's because you're such a strong stimulus on the first channel that nobody can get to channel two. Or you're sitting on the fourth channel, which is just a soul inside all this stuff\u2014but most people are busy responding to you as a personality, a body, an astrology, though every now and then you'll walk down the street and look into somebody's eyes, and there's somebody else who's looking back at you. They're not coming on, they're not trying to seduce you, change you, buy you, collect you, proselytize you, reject you, judge you, or anything. They're just there. \"You're here, I'm here. Far out place to meet, isn't it?\" It's just beings meeting inside these packages of individual differences. And no longer are these individual differences the reality that is so solid. They're just like shirts and jackets and sweaters. \"That's a pretty personality you're wearing. Where did you get that one?\" \"I bought it in Gestalt therapy. It's primal scream.\" But it's still separate. We're still separate from each other.\n\nOnce more. One more channel. Now what do we see when we look at another person? It's as if we have two mirrors facing each other with nothing in between. It's itself, looking at itself looking at itself. In that reality there is only one of us here in drag. One is appearing to be the many in order to play out this game. We are all the Ancient One. We are the One. And the One becomes the many\u2014for the play, for the sport, for the dance\u2014and we can get lost in the many in realities one, two, three, or four. But on channel five, there is only one of us, not intellectual or metaphorical. In that reality, we _are_ one. Every reality up to this point is an equally valid, relative, symbolic reality. They're all real, but they're all just relatively real. One of them is no more real than any other one. The way in which we're the One is no more real than the way in which we're the many.\n\nFlick to the next channel and what happens is that everything out there disappears, and we disappear, and there's nobody looking at anything. The whole television disappears. It all goes back into the Void from whence it came. It returns to the formless\u2014to that which lies behind the One. It is what God is\u2014not the concept of God, but God Itself. In Buddhism, it is Nirvana; in Hinduism, it is Brahma; in Taoism, it is the eternal Tao. It is the Aum, the unmanifest universe. It is why the Hebrews write _God_ as _G-d_ , because it isn't speakable; it is the unspeakable source of it all.\n\nOn this sixth channel, the whole subject-object universe dissolves. And it all just is, but without form. Because in order to know form, we have to be separate from it. To enter into the formless that lies beyond the form, out of which the form comes, and back into which it returns, is to touch upon the reality out of which all relative realities arise. As we enter into the realm of channel six, the last moment of recognition of any kind of self-consciousness is the realization that all of channels one through five were creations of mind. A liberated being is a being who is free to be in, but not attached to, any of the realities. It is a being who can enter into the ocean of channel six and yet return into form. This is a being who has all of the channels available at once, though he or she may attend to them somewhat sequentially.\n\nEach one of those channels is a reality. But when we're totally in one of those, it is our absolute reality. You're somebody sitting here reading this book; that's a reality. But is that any more or less real than the reality that there is only one of us reading? It's just a different level of reality, a different flick of the dial.\n\nPart of the process of awakening that we're going through is the recognition that the realities that we thought were absolute are only relative. Since, as we flip the dial, we go toward more and more energy, and more and more fineness of vibration, when we meet a new reality, we experience an intensity that makes us think that the new reality is more real than the old reality. We are living simultaneously on a number of levels, living out the karma of our separateness on plane after plane after plane. But we, as self-conscious entities, are identified at any one moment most likely with only one of those planes. Thus, to define ourselves as being within any one plane of this baklava is to impose a limiting condition, and we are then less than free. Even to consider channels one through five as real is just an imposition of the intellect\u2014describing structures. The intellect goes up only a few levels, and then it becomes a limiting system. When we go back about three or four planes, there are no time or space dimensions. Past, present, future, here and there, are all here. The Buddha looked back over his last ninety-nine thousand incarnations, just like that, and saw them all clearly and simultaneously, because he did not have to be limited by his linear mind. Part of the key to acknowledging our other identities, then, is the process of allowing other kinds of knowing to be real for us, other than the ways we know through our five senses and our thinking minds. Sometimes we call it using the intuitive mind. Heinlein, in _Stranger in a Strange Land_ , called it grokking.\n\nNow, the fact that we were born into this plane, which exists in this place at this moment, means that we were born into channels one and two, though we also exist on channels three, four, five, and six. Most of the people around us who we have grown up with take channels one and two as absolute reality. Thus when we go into channels three, four, five, and six, they say, \"Get real. Get your feet back on the ground. Come back to reality.\"\n\nPeople who acknowledge channels three, four, five, and six are often treated as psychotic. \"You have flipped out of conventional reality.\" For someone who sees through the game of relative realities, the clinging to any reality at all as \"the reality\" is really the definition of insanity. I once visited my brother in a mental hospital. I sat in a room with him and his psychiatrist. He thought he was Christ, and the psychiatrist thought he was a psychiatrist, and each of them was convinced that the other one was insane.\n\nMost of the experiences that we have sought in our lives have been attempts to enter the universal oneness of channel five\u2014total orgasm\u2014the moment in which there is no longer somebody having sex with somebody, when it's merely the universe happening. That moment of perfect flow, in which all separateness has disappeared, is the moment when we are home again, when we know where we belong, when we have returned into the One, when all of the tension that is created by the separateness has, for a moment, dissipated. Most of us know that at the moment of orgasm, all of our neuroses are irrelevant\u2014not the moment before or the moment after, but for that exact moment. For somebody who is capable of living in channel five, that moment of orgasm, of total merging with the One, is a reality all the time.\n\nIn order to be open to this merging, many of us who have smoked pot or taken acid, or had other vehicles for overriding our programs, know that we can set aside our programs for a moment and enter into the higher channels; but after a while, we come down, and, as a result, we get very frustrated. What brings us down is our attachment to the models or programs about who we think we are and how we think the world is\u2014these habits of mind.\n\nMany of us are getting to the point in our spiritual journey where we are no longer trying to get high, for we know how to do that. We are trying to _be_. And being includes everything. We now recognize that if there is anything at all that can bring us down\u2014anything\u2014our house is built upon sand, and there is fear. And where there is fear, we aren't free. Thus we become motivated to confront the places in ourselves that bring us down\u2014not only to confront them, but to create situations in which to bring them forth. That's quite a turnaround from a mentality that says, \"I just want to get high.\" This new mentality says, \"I want to get done; I want to be liberated in this very birth. I've seen how it could be; I'm tired of just seeing previews of coming attractions; I want the main feature.\"\n\nThis mentality is quite different. Now, when there is depression, instead of running and hiding from the depression and trying to grab the next high, we turn around and we look at the depression as though we were looking the devil in the eye, and we say to the depression, \"Come on, depression. Do your trip, because you're just a depression, and here I am.\" We can do this because we are just a little bit connected to channel four, which lies beyond channel two, and the psychological channel is where depressions are.\n\nTo a being living on the fourth channel, what do you suppose sexual anxieties are all about? \"Was I good? Was it enough? Did I satisfy her or him? Will it happen too soon? Can I get it up? Should I fake it? Am I frigid? Will it be real?\" Those worries are on the first and second channels. They're not \"not-real,\" but how different it would feel if our identities were rooted in channel four, if we were able to say, \"I am a soul that has taken incarnation in a body that has this particular sexual habit.\" We even arrive at the space where we are able to look back at our entire lives of neuroses and suffering and say, \"Look at how perfect that has been in bringing me to this moment.\"\n\nSo we have the paradox that, on channels one and two and three, there is an incredible melodrama going on, and we are actors within it. There is a great deal of suffering, and when we're locked into channel one, and we're hungry, and there's no food\u2014that's real suffering. It's not fake suffering. But from channels four and five, we can look at one, two, and three, and look at all the individual differences and at all of the melodrama and say, \"Look at the perfection of the dance. Look at the perfection of the flow of the Divine Law\u2014including the will of man that can go against the Will of God. Look at the perfection of it all.\"\n\nBut it's not freedom for the being _attached_ to channels four or five who, when you're hurting, says, \"It's not real, don't worry. You're the Buddha. It's all an illusion.\" That's no more liberated than the person who's caught in one, two, and three and says, \"There's only pain and suffering everywhere, and it's hell. Life is terrible and ugly.\" The free being lives within all those realities simultaneously. He understands paradoxically that when there is suffering, we do everything we can to alleviate it, while at the same time, the suffering is perfection itself, and our doing everything we can to alleviate it is also part of the perfection. Ultimately we understand when we are free to move without attachment from level to level of reality, that the only reason we stay in form is to alleviate suffering or to bring others to the light, to consciousness, to liberation, to God. What a paradox! Is it perfect? Sure. Is it hell? Sure. It's both at the same moment. And all of this, too, is at only one level of exploration.\nChapter 6\n\nThe Mellow Drama\n\nPerhaps there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when we will be able to gather and sit in silence, not in expectation, but in fulfillment. We will recognize who we are, that we are beings of the spirit, and we will seek that food which feeds our soul. Our intellects will be available, but at rest, and our hearts will be filled with the love of Christ, that flowing, conscious love. We will be done with romanticizing our own journey, examining ourselves self-consciously to see how we're doing. We won't have to compare or assess whether we're getting enough, for we will trust our hearts.\n\nFor many of us, that time is now. For others, the faith is still too flickery. In lectures I've spoken about phony holy\u2014that is, appearing holier than we are. Here I would speak more about phony unholy. Many of us are higher than we are admitting to. We create molds or models of our reality that keep us from recognizing ourselves. For many of us, our spiritual model was \"the good life.\" _Good_ meant a life consciously lived\u2014simple, righteous, not ripping off people or the environment, socially conscious, keeping our scene straight, and being a person of peace\u2014not lost in our frustrations, in violence, in anger, in lust. That's pretty good. To have found that level in this society puts us already in the tiny part of 1 percent. But even when we get all of that together, there's something in us that's yearning, because no matter how subtly beautiful our models are, they still define us within worldly concepts. But in truth, though we live in this world, we are not solely of this world. We have learned to live in this world, but we have not yet fully recognized where we come from or who we are, for to explore beyond the world is a bit like stepping off into the Void; it's like diving off a diving board when we're afraid of diving.\n\nBut if we're asking for freedom, if terms like _liberation_ , or _realization_ , or _enlightenment_ , or _living in God_ have any meaning to us, then leading the good life is just part way home. Many of us, in this very lifetime, have come from tremendous preoccupation with our neuroses, with our achievements, with our careers, with our melodramas, and we've arrived at a place where we can laugh. We can say, \"Isn't it a mellow drama!\"\u2014not just someone else's, but our own. Some of us are not as busy being neurotic as the general population, because we've begun to take our personalities a little less seriously. They're there, just like our bodies are\u2014we comb them, wash them, clean them up, dress them, move them here and there, love them, caress them, stimulate them, get rushes off of them. They're our traveling temples. Our personalities, too, are just another shawl, cloaks. But there are a good number of us who realize that we are not just either body or personality.\n\nWe have been together for so many years now, going through so many trips together. And I've hung in, as many of you have. But personal history has become a kind of limiting condition. Now I'd rather just talk about how it is when you are free to play with God for the rest of your life.\n\nBut still some things need to be said. I'd like to just play out the \"his-story\" a little bit. In 1970, I had been back from India about three years, _Be Here Now_ was just about to come out, and I was pretty freaked by how much I was lost in the world. I went running back to my Guru in India.\n\nWhen I arrived there, he asked me, \"What are you doing here?\"\n\nAnd I said, \"Well, I'm not pure enough to do whatever it is I am supposed to be doing\u2014I don't even know what it is, but I'm not pure enough to do it.\"\n\nHe hit me on the head, pulled my beard, and said, \"You will be.\"\n\nFor a year and a month, I followed him around India, and every time I'd go to see him, he'd throw me out. He'd let others stay with him for months, but I'd come, and he'd say, \" _Jao!_ (Go away!) Go to Delhi.\" Go here, go there. I had many adventures, and each time I'd come back, and I'd say, \"Maharaj-ji, you promised you'd make me pure enough.\" And he'd just laugh or say, \"You will be.\"\n\nFinally, I was being thrown out of India by the Indian government because of visa problems. Let me explain that when I got to India that time, Maharaj-ji said, \"How long do you want to stay?\"\n\nI said, \"I don't know. I want to stay forever.\" Which wasn't true\u2014you can only take so much dysentery\u2014but I thought I should say it.\n\nAnd he said, \"How about March?\" This was February.\n\nI said, \"You mean a month?\"\n\nMaharaj-ji said, \"All right, a year from March.\"\n\nSo it just turned out that it was exactly a year from March when the Indian government threw me out. Now, you can see no obvious cause and effect between Maharaj-ji's prediction and the action of the Indian government, but once you've begun to see how the game works, you wouldn't trust anybody as far as you could throw them. You don't know who works for whom anymore. It isn't even done on this plane; that's what's so bizarre about it.\n\nAs the Indian government was about to throw me out, I said, \"Maharaj-ji, you promised.\" I assumed that when I was pure enough, I would feel pure. I didn't know what it was going to feel like, but I knew it would feel different than the way I was feeling. So he said, \"Here, eat this mango.\" Well, I've read a lot of holy books, so I figured, _This is_ the _mango_. I took it into the bathroom so I wouldn't have to share it with anybody. I didn't know whether to plant the seed so that I could have more, or whether this would be enough. I ate the mango, and nothing happened. It was just a good mango.\n\nThen I was leaving for America, and he said, \"I would never let Ram Dass do anything wrong in America.\" I figured, _Okay, I'll hold him to it_. So I came back to America and started to do my thing some more. And slowly the pulls of the world started to get at me. It had been easy to be very focused on God sitting in a temple in India. Particularly that year. There had been a fire ceremony. At the end of the nine-day ceremony, you take whatever you want to get rid of, put it in a coconut, and throw it into the fire. I wanted to get rid of my lust. After all, I was forty years old at that point: enough, already! It had been my total preoccupation for thirty years. If I hadn't had enough by then, there obviously wasn't enough, so I decided to give it up. So I gave it to the fire.\n\nThe next day was the Ram Lila. They were going to burn a huge straw effigy of Ravana. Ravana's the bad guy in the _Ramayana;_ he was a huge ego and had ten heads, all filled with desire. You could throw into the effigy whatever within you was Ravana-like. I figured, \"Well, I'll be doubly safe and throw my lust into Ravana.\" They took the torch, and they lit Ravana\u2014he was sitting on a huge chair\u2014and they lit him right between the legs. Very symbolic. It turned out it was Yom Kippur that night, so to be triply certain, I covered that base too.\n\nFor three months, it seemed to have worked. But then I was sitting on a double-decker bus in London, and I noticed my eyes looking down at the sidewalk, following an attractive being down the street. And I thought, _Uh-oh, here we go again_. So it was that I returned to the West, ready again to be a spiritual teacher.\n\nI was planning to return to India again in two years. That would have been in 1974, but Maharaj-ji died before that. Now, when Maharaj-ji dropped his body, my intellect said to me, \"Where could he go?\" because sometimes in the past I would sit with him, and I would see that physical body, and then I would quiet down in meditation, and I would feel his presence on another plane. And then I would shatter that one and meet him on yet another plane. My body would start to shake with shakti, from the amount of energy coming from these different planes. I would move through plane after plane of meeting him in different ways.\n\nI remembered the story you've perhaps heard about Ramana Maharshi, who was dying, and his devotees said, \"Babaji, please don't leave us. Heal yourself.\"\n\nAnd he said, \"No, this body is used up.\"\n\nAnd they said, \"Don't leave us, don't leave us.\"\n\nAnd Ramana Maharshi said, \"Don't be silly; where could I go?\" Which seemed to me to be the most concise statement of the whole illusion of body. But somewhere inside me was a whole different story. I knew that I wasn't cooked; Maharaj-ji was the cook, and he had just left.\n\nWhen they burned Maharaj-ji's body, different people saw different things at the burning. Most people were crying and wailing and feeling, like I was, that we had lost our Guru. There was one man who stood by the fire, just laughing and singing, singing, \"Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,\" all through the night.\n\nThe next day they asked him, \"Why were you laughing and singing?\"\n\nAnd he said, \"Maharaj-ji was sitting up laughing, and Ram was pouring ghee, clarified butter, on his head so he'd burn faster; and Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, and all the gods and goddesses were raining down flowers, and everybody was happy.\"\n\nNow, was that man deluded, or was that reality? One woman saw Maharaj-ji get up on his elbow and wave at her as if to say, \"Don't get upset, Ma,\" and then lie back down and get burned.\n\nFor two years, then, I had been incorporating what I'd learned from my Guru, living and teaching as best I could, hoping that his \"I would never let Ram Dass do anything wrong in America\" meant that my impurities would not create karma for other beings. I was doing certain things to keep myself as straight as I knew how. I had a Volkswagen camper, and I would go off, say, to the desert in Arizona for six weeks of seclusion. I was cleaning up a lot of my game that way. During those years I was taking acid once each year to find out what I was forgetting, to uncover any subtle ways in which I was conning myself. One year I took it in the Mid-America Motel in Salina, Kansas; that was my mid-America trip. Although I continually felt Maharaj-ji's presence, I still wanted to experience it even more strongly, because he is my way, and I wanted to get on with it.\n\nIn the summer of 1974, I was at Naropa Institute teaching a course on the _Bhagavad Gita_ , a course for which I felt Maharaj-ji was giving his blessings. At Naropa, I was part of a whole other scene, because Trungpa Rinpoche represented a different lineage. I found myself floundering a little bit because my own path was so amorphous compared to the tightness of the Tibetan tradition. Trungpa and I did a few television shows together. We did one about lineages, and I felt bankrupt. I had Maharaj-ji's transmission of love and service, but I knew nothing about his history. I didn't know how to talk about what came through me in terms of a formal lineage. I was also getting caught in more worldly play, and I felt more and more depressed and hypocritical. So by the end of the summer, I decided to return to India. I didn't know what I'd find, but I'd go anyway. I knew I was different than I had been ten years before, but I was still not cooked, and what we owe each other is to get cooked.\n\nDriving east, I stopped overnight in Pennsylvania at a motel where I was planning to watch the House Judiciary Committee hearings on television, but a storm put out the electricity. It was too early to go to sleep, so there was nothing left to do but meditate. After about fifteen or twenty minutes, Maharaj-ji came to me in a vision. He looked just as he had always looked. He laughed and spoke to me. It's interesting\u2014he spoke only Hindi, and my Hindi was very bad. In India there was always somebody translating. But on these other levels, the transmission is in thought forms, and then it comes out in whatever language you think in. So he said to me, in very good English, \"You don't have to go to India. Your teachings will be right here.\" It was so vivid, and so real that at that precise moment, I decided not to go to India. I decided to go to New Hampshire, meditate a month or so in a cabin, clean out my head, and see what would happen next.\n\nOn the following day, passing through New York City, I called Hilda Charlton to say hello. She told me there was a woman in Brooklyn I should meet. When I resisted because I wanted to be alone, she told me that this woman said that my Guru was sitting in her basement.\n\nOf course I decided to stay one more night, and the next day I went with Hilda to see this lady named Joya. We went down into the basement of her home, and there she was, sitting in what Hilda said was samadhi. And I checked: I could find no breath or pulse. She was like a rock. She was a very unusual looking woman. She had long false eyelashes, heavy mascara, and a low-cut dress. Maharaj-ji was an old man in a blanket, but after all, I'd given up having models about what packages the next message is supposed to come in.\n\nFinally she came down, looked at me, and said, \"What the fuck do you want?\"\n\nHilda said, \"Oh, dear, this is Ram Dass,\" which didn't seem to make any impression on this lady at all. She said, \"I don't care who the hell he is. Does that old man over there belong to you?\"\n\nI looked, and there was a blanket with nothing on it. So I said, \"I don't know.\"\n\nShe said, \"He's buggin' me. Get him the hell out of here.\"\n\nThen her consciousness shifted just a bit, and she went into a very light trance, and suddenly Maharaj-ji seemed to be speaking to me through her. He was talking about things that he and I had been discussing in India when I had seen him last, little matters about maintenance of the temples in India and all kinds of very picayune stuff that she probably could not know and I hadn't even remembered. She came back from that plane, but, as she explained, she was not conversant across planes, so she didn't know what had just happened. And I was pleased, because this experience\u2014following so closely the vision in the Pennsylvania motel\u2014seemed the answer to my prayers.\n\nA few months later, I moved to New York City, where, for fifteen months, I studied intensively with Joya. The teachings had a bizarre intensity that it is difficult to convey. From five a.m. until one or two a.m. each day, it was like being caught in a tornado or tossed in a giant clothes dryer. One had to either get out or give up. Surrender was ordained an absolute necessity to experience the higher teachings of this quite unusual teacher. Surrender and devotion were methods I had opened my heart to through the teachings of my Guru, so this process was just a deeper letting go\u2014a letting go of even my resistance to much of what seemed to go against common sense.\n\nAt this time I also received ghastly reports from various of Joya's closest followers that my resistance was causing Joya bleeding and intense psychic pain. There was no alternative but to suspend all judgment and surrender into these teachings, to simply allow the teaching to come through and burn away all my preconceptions of what a teacher should be or how a teaching should be conveyed. And I let go into what I deeply believed to be a pure transmission. And as I surrendered ever more deeply to those teachings, I stated publicly that, as Joya had professed, she was an enlightened being\u2014a statement that I came to regret. The intensity of the confrontation (often twenty hours a day) forced my subtle ego defenses to the surface. And Joya, in a Kali-esque way, pounced on these impurities and magnified them until I had to let go or get out. I let go of these impurities as fast as I could, and I hung in as best I was able. This was just the fire of purification that my chronic case of unworthiness was seeking.\n\nThe intensity of the dramatics and the brilliance of the staging and props created a reality that made me ready to believe the bizarre assertion that a Jewish housewife and mother of three who was married to an Italian Catholic businessman in Brooklyn was in fact Ms. Big, the creative force of the universe. Joya represented herself as an actual form of Kali and a number of other cosmic identities as well, including Athena; Sri Mata Brahma, the Mother of the Universe; and Tara, the Tibetan Goddess of Tantra. It was a hard act to follow.\n\nSeveral hundred of us were seduced into this reality by a combination of her powerful charisma, her chutzpah, and the fact that she seemed often to go into deep trance states with a cessation of bodily functions; also, she reported that she had manifested the stigmata, and she certainly knew things that a tenth-grade-educated person would not be expected to know. The stage was well set, and we went for it because our greed and our spiritual materialism led us very much to want to believe it.\n\nIn the beginning, Joya spent much time in trance states, in which she apparently functioned as a medium. Through her came many seductively rich teachings from biblical figures, Hasidic, Hindu, and Buddhist wise men and women of the past, or from beings on other planes. Her voice and language often shifted from unschooled Brooklynese to exquisite poetry that poured forth for hours at a time. I was breathless with the richness of these moments.\n\nI was led more and more to surrender to the reality of the entire scene, because we were told that it was only through such total loving surrender by those around her that these higher teachings could come forth. She told me that some of my teachers at that time were such august spiritual figures as Jethro (Moses's father-in-law), Padmasambhava, and Lao Tzu, as well as Ramakrishna, Christ, Mary, Nityananda, an early Kabbalah teacher, Kali, and Durga. Having never been around people in trance states, this whole scene really astounded me. I was fully seduced by the whole melodrama, like a tourist, open-mouthed, watching a fakir do the Indian rope trick.\n\nJoya kept reiterating that she had come to earth only to be an instrument for my preparation as a world spiritual leader and that ultimately she would sit at my feet. It sounded a little grandiose because, oddly enough, each day I felt myself more and more becoming just nobody special. There were moments when I felt a bit like Krishnamurti being herded toward leadership of the Order of the Star just before he resigned, leaving fifty thousand members who thought he was the new world leader with a message that they should look within and not seek the Dharma anywhere outside of themselves.\n\nA deep concern in the period just before I met Joya was that I was not yet free of my attachments to sexuality. After a long and intense bisexual history, I still found that my perceptions were being colored by my sexual desires. I could afford to be patient about my own purification from sexual clinging, but in view of my public role, I was uneasy that any sexual preoccupations on my part would subtly contaminate those I worked with, either in lectures or individually, and thus reinforce their own attachments and suffering. Despite the fact that Maharaj-ji said, \"I would never let Ram Dass do anything wrong in America,\" the persistence of these sexual preoccupations led me to question Maharaj-ji's meaning and deeply yearn to clean up my sexual act. In view of how many years I had been trying to get free of these sexual clingings, including offering my lust into the sacrificial fires of India, I had given up hope of ever knowing freedom in this lifetime. The sexual karma just seemed too heavy.\n\nI had read of the Tantric initiations in certain Tibetan sects for just this purpose. The monk would go through a series of ritual openings working with a dakini, a heaven-realm woman. Mostly these were young women who had been prepared from childhood to serve in these rituals without any personal involvement or clinging to the sensual aspect of the ritual. In my fantasies I was hoping that at some point, I too would be introduced to such teachings and through such conscious rituals with a disciplined guide become unattached once and for all to these desires.\n\nAnd now I was presented with a woman teacher, who within a few months after the commencement of the training, began to focus on my sexuality. As I opened more and more, assured by her of her perfect nonattachment to any desire system, I felt a new hope that my dream of purification was finally manifesting through this teaching. I plunged headlong into the tornado, casting caution and doubt to the winds.\n\nPerhaps the most important of all the considerations affecting my deep involvement with this teaching was that Maharaj-ji had again and again said to me, \"See the world as the Mother, and you will know God.\" He often was heard to be repeating the word _Ma_ over and over again. He had a shrine built to Durga, an aspect of the Mother. All of this Mother devotion made me feel a bit like an outsider. My own feelings about mothers were colored by the relationship with my own mother and my training as a Freudian therapist and theorist. To be in love with a universal mother just wasn't happening yet for me. I yearned to understand this aspect of devotion, for I knew that devotion to the Mother, just as devotion to Hanuman, the servant of God for whom I had overwhelming love, was a part of the lineage of my Guru. Sooner or later I felt I would find a way into a devotional relationship with the Mother. When I came to New York City and started to study with Joya and enter her matriarchal reality, I felt that at last I had come into the teaching I had sought for so long\u2014particularly when Joya further professed to be the Divine Mother herself.\n\nThe fact that Joya continually spoke about Maharaj-ji and implied his presence by seeming to carry on conversations with an astral Maharaj-ji whom I could not see, fed into my longing and my somewhat shaky faith that, though Maharaj-ji had left his body, he was still around to guide my spiritual journey.\n\nJoya seemed to have great difficulty staying in her body and would, at the slightest provocation, go stiff as a board. Efforts to keep her in her body, to keep her from just leaving her body behind and going on to other realms, consumed much of our time together. There was a jewel that Joya wore around her neck that Hilda had invested with a mantra to bring her down. When Hilda touched the stone, Joya usually came down, but with the pain, so she said, of a thousand razor blades cutting through her. This was in turn very painful to all of us. We therefore went to great lengths to surrender to Joya's every whim so as not to be responsible for this painful drama.\n\nWith her increasing feeling of power, she also cast aside Hilda. Hilda, while not being a very strong source of teaching, had, as Joya's compatriot, generated with her astral carryings-on the necessary climate of semi-hysteria to sustain Joya's melodrama.\n\nBut it was becoming increasingly apparent that what seemed to have begun as a spontaneous mediumistic opening was just too much energy and power for an unprepared individual with power needs and love needs of her own. It seems that the temptation to misuse the trust and power for personal aggrandizement and emotional reinforcement was just too much for her to overcome. Instead of remaining an empty vessel, which on occasion contained the wisdom of the ages, Joya claimed the contents as her own; indeed, she claimed no longer to be just the vessel but the source of the messages that came through\u2014it was a bit like a cup which, filled with seawater, claims to be the ocean itself.\n\nThere were just too many \"signals,\" like the moment Joya and I were hanging out, and the telephone rang. She picked up the receiver and in a pained whisper said, \"I can't talk now. I'm too stiff,\" and let the receiver drop. Then, without hesitation, she continued our conversation as if nothing had happened. I realized how many times I had been at the other end of the phone.\n\nAnd I became bored.\n\nFor several months I interpreted my boredom and heretical thoughts as my ego desperately defending against the ultimate surrender.\n\nBut no matter how I rationalized, my doubts and boredom grew. The tantric exercises no longer seemed productive. I began to experience Joya as another person with attachments. So I began to entertain the possibility that these feelings were cues that I was finished with this teaching and should leave.\n\nIncreasingly there came the recognition that though all these planes and beings are simply fascinating, it just isn't the same as liberation. There was more power, more light, more energy; shakti just pouring through us; beings appearing to us, great teachings, wisdom, knowledge. But I noticed that my power trips were still there . . . still active. I watched myself think, _Boy, I waited a long time for this_. And then there's another plane and another. But it's just another space, and attachment to that space is just more suffering. As the Sixth Zen Patriarch reiterates, \"Develop a mind which clings to naught.\" All these planes are listed in the yoga sutras. But they're all just stuff. They are interesting and useful to loosen our hold on this plane and to transmute and to burn out stuff, but ultimately it's just more stuff\u2014because experiences in meditation and shakti experiences, just like experiences on acid, ultimately must be let go of. If we can give it all up, then we just finish with the karma. Then we can go beyond polarity, beyond pleasure and pain, and awaken out of the illusion of our separateness.\n\nAnd we begin to understand that we have taken birth in order to go through a series of experiences until we transcend the dualism of experiencer and experience. We reside in being, not becoming\u2014until we can _be_ , rather than just know, the teachings, so that we _are_ the teachings.\n\nBy the end of this period, I felt I had finished my work with Joya and many of the beings who taught through her. It just wasn't what I needed anymore. It was like trying to find out how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Finally, the only thing you can do is become an angel and see how many of your friends can hang out on the pin with you.\n\nMy doubts grew faster than I could consume them. Joya had changed a great deal in the year. She came to resent having beings speak through her and refused to serve as a medium. Thus while she still had great shakti and charisma, her lectures became merely the reflections of the culture in which she had grown up, sprinkled with spiritual homilies.\n\nAs the reality crumbled, I began to see the painful backstage life of the actors, and I attempted to bow out as gracefully and as lovingly as possible. Maharaj-ji had warned us that no matter what we did, we should never put another person out of our heart. I waited until my love was strong, but when I tried to leave, it was very difficult, and it became apparent that I was involved in a system that had no escape clause. I had to push against the system, though there was very little support for such action. And I began to see the similarity between what I was experiencing and the stories I had heard about other movements, such as the Rev. Moon's group, the so-called Jesus Freaks, and the Krishna Consciousness scene. Each seemed a total reality that turned involvement into a commitment that disallowed change.\n\nMy leaving Joya was part of a large exodus of disillusioned followers, including some who had served in her home. As the refugees who left the front lines exchanged stories, a tapestry of falsehood and misuse of the truth started to unravel. It seemed that her incredible energies came not solely from spiritual sources but were also enhanced by energizing pills. Her closest confidants now confessed many times they were ordered to call me to report terrible crises they knew to be untrue. They complied because Joya had convinced them that it was for my own good. Such stories of deception came thick and fast. I had been had.\n\nSome of what I had said in lectures or articles about Joya's teachings were just not true. I came away with egg on my beard. But of more significance than my embarrassment was the issue of truth. In a sense I found myself in a position not unlike that of Mahatma Gandhi when, having initiated a large protest march in which many thousands were involved, called his lieutenants after the first day's march and cancelled the protest. They objected strongly, saying that after all this work and effort, he couldn't do this. He answered, \"My commitment is to truth, not consistency.\"\n\nI was confronted with the dilemma of how to communicate to the many who had put their deepest trust in me, in much the same manner I had put my deep trust in Joya, and how not to let them down in the same manner that I had been so disappointed.\n\nThese teachings had their positive side. Many people underwent incredibly deep experiences regarding who they really were during an intense sadhana, which they may not have undertaken without that illusion to draw out the energy and commitment needed to do the work that each must do for himself. Through these teachings, and the leaving of them, many of us gained more strength and compassion, greater openness and a deeper ability to allow the moment to be as it is. For all of this, I am deeply grateful. However, while I and others profited from these teachings, not everybody did. Some seemed to have been hurt and came away from her teaching with despair, cynicism, and paranoia.\n\nThe question arises whether there is reason to fear taking teachings because a teacher might not be coming from the purest place. I think we need not fear this, for often students can progress very far; indeed, their purification may be greater than their teacher's, because their intention is purer. I got my karmuppance because of my own spiritual materialism. If our longing for God is pure, that will be our strength. Then, though we may get lost for a time, eventually our inner heart will hear what to do, and all the impurities in our world will just become grist for the mill.\nChapter 7\n\nLineage\n\nI struggled for a number of years to be a pure eclectic\u2014that is, to be true to each tradition as I was studying it and yet to be strong enough to be able to hold them all within myself, to contain them all. But what I had to do, which most of you have had to do, was to compartmentalize myself into a series of conceptual groupings, so that when you are with the Buddhists, you are Buddha-like; when you are with the Sufis, you are Sufi-like; when you're with the Hindus, you're Hindu-like; when you're with the Christians, you're Christian-like; when you're with the Hasids, you're Hasid-like.\n\nYears ago, we had a retreat at a Benedictine monastery, and there was a gathering of the \"big boys.\" There was Swami Satchidananda, Alan Watts, Sasaki Roshi, Brother David, Pir Vilayat Khan, and on and on and on. We each got a chance to do our specialty, and everybody participated. At four a.m. I was sitting next to Swami Satchidananda, and we were doing zazen. We were working on a koan, \"How do you know your Buddha-nature through the sound of a cricket?\" Then we were to go in properly with the three bows and the kneeling and the whole ritual to see the Roshi. He sat there with a bell and a stick.\n\nIt was the first time I had done this. So all the time we were sitting there \"being empty\" I was, of course, planning my answer, because I didn't want to make a fool of myself. This was a heavy league to be playing in, you know. So . . . \"How do you know your Buddha-nature through the sound of a cricket?\" I thought and thought and thought and finally hit on one that I thought would be perfectly appropriate. I came in and Sasaki Roshi said, \"Ah, Doctor, how do you know your Buddha-nature through the sound of a cricket?\" I cupped my hand to my ear like Milarepa listening to the sounds of the universe. I figured I'm a Jewish Hindu in a Catholic monastery, so I'll give him a Tibetan answer to a Japanese koan. I was really just delighted with my own cuteness. And he looked at me and rang his bell and said, \"Sixty percent!\" And at that moment, he absolutely had me. He caught me perfectly in my middle-class achievement-oriented identity. We both laughed.\n\nThose moments of connectedness, such as with Sasaki Roshi, on more than one plane simultaneously are very precious\u2014when we meet another human being both in form and out of form, when we are dancing with them and yet we are free of attachment to the roles in the dance.\n\nI had a moment like that with Swami Muktananda when he gave me a mantra, and in an inner room of his temple, the mantra took me up to an astral plane, where I met him again. I looked into his eyes. And when I did, I started to go up and to fly. As I was flying, I started to lose my balance and went to straighten myself out and was immediately brought back to the cave in his temple in which I was meditating. I came staggering out of the cave, just having returned to earth, and met him out in the hallway, and he said to me through his interpreter, \"How did you like flying?\" He looked at me with a twinkle, which was the twinkle of \"You and I just met there. And yet we're here, and we're together at all of these places simultaneously.\" There was that delight, delight, the delight of that moment. Alan Watts was a person very much into that space of sharing two planes simultaneously, of that kind of delight, as was Carl Jung, it seemed, who would go up and out into these other realms, these other planes of reality. But when he returned, he said something like, \"I was always so happy to get back to my family and to earth, to my home from these other states.\" But that's not total freedom, for to be enlightened means you don't cling anywhere\u2014not to this or to that.\n\nWith most of the beings with whom I've had this moment, we could have only a moment. I never knew whether we could only have a moment because there is only the possibility of having a moment or because neither I nor any of us were pure enough to be able to maintain that space continuously. The only person who was always there (though I have never been consistently able to locate him in a time-space \"fix\") was Maharaj-ji\u2014because no matter where I looked, he was and he wasn't. No matter how high I went, he was always sitting there. No matter where I go, I feel him always present. Now, that could be an opening of my heart specifically to him. Or it could be something else\u2014something about him and his own freedom.\n\nAt the beginning of the journey, we are very eclectic. That's what _Be Here Now_ is. It's very eclectic . . . a little of this and a little of that\u2014a Buddhist meditation to quiet the mind, some Sufi dancing to open the body and heart, some Tai Chi when the body's not balanced, some massage to loosen it all up, a mantra as a centering device, many methods to choose from the spiritual smorgasbord.\n\nBut there comes a point where the inner pull starts to draw us in the direction of one lineage or another. These could also be called ways or aspects of God; they all go to God, but they all come through slightly different routes. They are our dharmic paths. So for one, the route that would be optimal in this life is to marry and have children and be a householder, coming to God through service in that domain. For another person, that is an adharmic path\u2014it would take them away from God. We cannot conclude that there is any route that is in and of itself the perfect route for each of us. There _is_ a route, however, and part of the process of tuning is listening to hear how it all is for us. And what we tune to, ultimately, is the vehicle through which we can sufficiently surrender.\n\nAn example of a particular lineage is worship of the Mother. You can see the entire universe of forms, all form, as the Mother. We are all part of the Mother. The Mother has many faces\u2014the Virgin Mary, Durga, Lakshmi, Kali. Some are wrathful; some are tender. Some of us are involved in seeing nature as the Mother\u2014that is Mother Nature. But if we expand it outward, all forms become the Mother, and we end up with the interesting choice of either seeing the world as the Mother or covering the Mother with the world; that is we get caught in her illusion, or Maya, and we don't see the divinity that underlies the stuff of life.\n\nIf we cover the Mother with the world, we get lost in the world, and a car is just a car, a television set is a television set, anger is anger, doubt is doubt, and a mother and a father are a mother and a father. If we see behind the world to the Mother, every experience that we have in this lifetime is another aspect or face or quality or tone or movement of the Mother, and, in this reality, we as seekers are relating to the universe as the Mother, constantly learning to love, feed from, interact with, and finally merge with the Mother.\n\nKali is an aspect of the Divine Mother\u2014but what a mother to have! She's really gruesome. She scares the hell out of most of us. You know why she scares us? Because we want to hold on to who we think we are. She's the fire of purification. She's going to take every single solitary bit of our stash, and what will be left are just pure souls floating up into the One. The minute we're no longer attached to our separateness, to our individual differences, to having the universe the way we think it ought to be, suddenly we don't see the form of Kali. We look right through that one, and we see Durga, the Golden Goddess.\n\nNow, Kali will come after you if you ask her to. If you don't ask her, she won't bother you at all. But if you ask her, she'll confront you with all the \"uglies\" and then consume your reactions. But if you try to hold on to your reactions, then you're in for it. That's phony holy. If you, in truth, want to give them up, then say, \"Here, Kali Ma, you take it.\"\n\nAnd how do we make an offering to Kali? The things that don't liberate us, we give up. What do we give up? Unworthiness. We don't need to analyze it; we just give it up. We give up guilt. Guilt isn't going to get us to God. We give up anger. It's not going to free us. Preoccupation with our own melodrama\u2014we give up. Do we want to hold on to it, or do we want to get on with it? God waits patiently. We're the ones in a rush. We want to get on with it, so we give up what we cling to. It's very simple. That's when Maharaj-ji said to me: \"Ram Dass, you're angry?\" And I answered simply, \"Yes.\" I was very righteously angry. And he said, \"Give it up.\" I hesitated, saying, \"But . . .\" And he said again, \"Just give it up.\" He looked at me, and I saw who I would be when I had given it up. And it was beautiful.\n\nAt first, when we have just started the spiritual journey, every time we are confronted with all the things we're afraid of\u2014disasters or accidents or we get mugged or we get raped or we lose our job or something \"awe-ful\" happens\u2014we say, \"Oh, get away from me. I want happiness. I want pleasure. I didn't know this was part of the bargain.\" But later on, as we become more conscious of where the journey is going, we say, \"If this is what is coming down the pike, I'll work with it.\" That's the moment when we recognize that suffering can be seen as grace. And at that moment we become invulnerable, because what's anybody to do to us, the Real Us, anyway?\n\nWe discover the way in which suffering is the fire of purification: that only when we are lost in our ego do we damn our suffering. When we are souls yearning to be free, we use our suffering, and we use our pleasure. We use it all to get to God, to get liberated. And we begin to notice that our suffering awakens us more than our pleasure. If we seek out pain, we are called masochists. So we don't seek it out because that wouldn't be honest on the psychological level of reality. But when it comes along, we work with it.\n\n\"Ah, cancer.\" As a being in a body, the temple of my soul for this incarnation, I will do my best to heal it, but I will work with the cancer whether I am healed or not, as a vehicle for awakening. A conscious being uses everything. Nothing goes down the disposal\u2014including the moment of death, which can be the most profound moment of the incarnation for growth and awakening when we are ready to use it that way.\n\nWhen we don't get so lost in our melodramas, we stop creating more karma for ourselves. Letting go is the act of purification. So all the stuff Buddhists call the Five Hindrances, or the Ten Fetters\u2014anger, sloth and torpor, agitation, ill will, greed, lust\u2014all those obvious ones, and all those subtle ones like attachment to fine material-plane things like astral entities\u2014we finally get so greedy to get done that we just want to get rid of the stuff. Instead of spending years analyzing it or therapizing it, like playing with our feces, we just want to get done\u2014we just want to give it all up.\n\nMy own lineage is reflected in the name Ram Dass, which means \"servant of God.\" It's a path of devotion to God\/Guru, and the expression of that devotion is through service to all beings. Mother Teresa reflected this lineage when she spoke of serving the lepers in the streets of Calcutta as serving \"Christ in all his distressing disguises.\"\n\nThe figure in Hinduism most closely associated with this lineage is Hanuman, the monkey God, who is totally one-pointed in his devotional service to Ram (God). Hanuman has great powers through his love of Ram, and in the _Ramayana_ , we learn how he uses these powers to help others regain their health, their faith, their rightful place in the harmony of things, and their connection to God. This spiritual path that Hanuman represents is also called Karma Yoga and has much subtlety to it. For example, when Ram asks Hanuman, \"Who are you, Hanuman?\" Hanuman answers, \"When I don't know who I am, I serve you. When I know who I am, I am you.\"\n\nFor me, my Guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji), is Hanuman and is Ram. Ramana Maharshi said that God, Guru, and the true Self are one and the same. I experience that, through my ever-deepening intimacy and love for Maharaj-ji. Despite the fact that he left his physical body in 1973, I increasingly experience his grace, which seems to be freeing me from fear. I have described him and my relationship to him in over one thousand stories in the book _Miracle of Love_. It continues to amaze and delight me how hundreds of readers who never met him when he was in his body have experienced, after reading that book, dreams and visions of him, and they feel such a strong sense of his presence that their spiritual journey is being guided by him.\n\nSince 1967, when I first asked Maharaj-ji how to become enlightened, he has said at various times, \"Love everyone,\" \"Feed everyone,\" and \"Serve everyone.\" These words have served as a guiding prescription for action in my life. Because all of my service in the world is offered at his feet, the action brings me ever closer to Guru and thus to God.\n\nUltimately each person finds his or her own lineage or route through. And when you reach the stage of asking, \"God, know me,\" or \"Let me be enlightened,\" or \"I want Nirvana,\" or however you've said it, at that moment you call forth your spiritual guide or Guru, whom you may not know and may never know until the moment of your enlightenment. That being may be Christ, it may be any one of a number of beings, not necessarily on the physical plane. In fact, for most of us, our real Guru, our Sat Guru, is not on the physical plane. Our Guru will guide us, to the extent that we are asking purely, through one teaching after another. Some of those teachings will be in the form of teachers or situations or experiences. And when we trust that we are in relationship to our Guru, we will constantly learn how to ask our Guru inside, and listen, and tune to the awareness of the presence of our guide, and allow our Guru to guide us, and we will begin to see how each situation is being presented by our Guru to bring us home.\n\nOur Guru or guide represents a unique and specific lineage. Christ represents a lineage. Padmasambhava represents a lineage. Mohammed represents a lineage. Abraham represents a lineage. Maharaj-ji represents a lineage. Not all lineages are necessarily identified with any specific religion. Many of the highest beings have incarnated across time and across religions. Others have come down as a lineage within a religious tradition like a line of tulkus in Tibetan Buddhism, or a line of gurus within Hinduism, rabbis within Judaism, monastic lines within Christianity. Just as Luke is different from John, is different from Paul, is different from Peter, so Milarepa is different from Tilopa. Yellow Cloud is different from Cochise in the Native American tradition. The different Tzaddiks in the mystic tradition of Judaism each represent different lineages. We may ultimately make it through on a specific lineage. We may not have a guide in form, we might be advait, meaning nondualistic, the formless, which would attract us to perhaps Zen Buddhism or Jnana Yoga. Ultimately, we start to fall into a lineage, not because it's the hip thing to do, not because our intellect tells us it's interesting, not because it's a nice community and we like the way they dress, but because that way pulls us and it's our way through.\n\nAs we tune to that lineage, our perception shifts, and we begin to notice changes in the figure\/ground relationship. We notice teachers we never noticed before; we notice people to be with we never noticed before. The whole process starts to narrow in perceptually, and we start to go directly on what the theosophists call a \"ray\" coming from God. Even working devotionally with the concept of God is a ray, because merging into God takes you beyond the concept of God. But to know that all ways lead to the end does not nullify the requirement that, sooner or later, we will have to make some sort of commitment or other. A process of surrender is required.\n\nAnd we go through the lineage. A lineage that is pure is one that catapults us ultimately out the other end; it isn't designed to make us followers of the lineage. It is designed to take us through itself and free us at the other end. A less pure teaching of a lineage traps us in the lineage, makes us a Buddhist or a Christian or a Hindu, not a free being, because when the people who lead do not have the full connection, they cling to the vehicle rather than to the truth toward which the vehicle is directed, and vehicles (institutions) corrode unless they are constantly fed by the living spirit. And the living spirit comes only through beings who _are_ it. We can become organizational groupies as part of our path, but if we know it's not enough, we must have the honesty to let it go. Ultimately we will come out of a lineage at the other end and acknowledge that through the Sufi, through the Hebrew, through the Christian, through the Buddhist, through the Hindu, through the Zoroastrian, through lineage after lineage, have come beings who are the living spirit.\n\nThen, like Ramakrishna, we may put on each of the hats, not out of need, but out of acknowledgment, to appreciate the universality of ways. A perfected being is someone who is a statement of the culmination of all ways, even though the form in which he or she manifests may be a vehicle for the transmission of a certain lineage. Ramakrishna followed the path of devotion to the Mother. But when he had completed his work, though he remained in the path of devotion to the Mother, he was totally in the advait, nondual state. So at the beginning is eclecticism, at the end is universality, and in the middle is the lineage.\nChapter 8\n\nGuided Meditation\n\n_To be read aloud to a spiritual friend as a guided meditation_.\n\nSit straight, so your head, neck, and chest are in a straight line. Start by focusing in your heart area, in the middle of your chest where the Hridayam, the spiritual heart, is located. With your mouth closed, breathe in and out of your chest, focusing on your heart as if you were breathing in and out through your heart. Breathe deeply.\n\nImagine a substance, a golden mist that fills the air. With every breath, imagine you are pulling into yourself this golden substance. Fill with it; let it pour through your entire body.\n\nBreathe in the energy of the universe. Breathe in the breath of God. Let it fill your whole body. Each time you breathe out, breathe out all of the things in you that keep you from knowing your true self, breathe out all of the separateness, all of the feelings of unworthiness, all the self-pity, all the attachment to your pain, whether it's physical or psychological. Breathe out anger and doubt and greed and lust and confusion. Breathe in God's breath, and breathe out all of the impediments that keep you from knowing God. Let the breath be the transformation.\n\nNow let the golden mist that has poured into your being focus in the middle of your chest; let it take form as a tiny being, the size of a thumb, sitting on a lotus flower right in the middle of your heart. Notice its equanimity, the radiance that makes it bright with a light that comes from within. Use your imagination. And as you look upon this being, become aware that it is radiating light. See the light pouring out of its every pore. As you meditate upon it, experience the deep peace that is emanating from this being. Feel, as you look upon this being, that it is a being of great wisdom. It's sitting quietly, silently, perfectly poised. Feel its compassion and its love. Let yourself be filled with its love.\n\nNow slowly let that tiny being grow in size until it has filled your body so its head just fills the space of your head; its torso, your torso; its arms, your arms; its legs, your legs. So that now in the skin of your body sits this being, a being of infinite wisdom, a being of the deepest compassion, a being who is bathed in bliss, self-effulgent bliss, a being of light, of perfect tranquility. Let this being in your skin begin to grow in size. Experience yourself growing until your head reaches the top of the ceiling and you are sitting beneath the floor and all of the beings gathered within this room are within your body. All of the sounds, even the sound of my voice, are coming from inside you. Feel your vastness, your peace, your equanimity.\n\nContinue to grow. Your head goes up into the sky, blueness all about, until all of your town, your environment, is within you. Look inside and experience the human condition, see the loneliness, the joy, the caring, the violence, the paranoia, the love of a mother for her child, sickness, fear of death, see it all. Realize that it is all within you. Look upon it with compassion, with caring. At the same moment with equanimity, feel the light pouring through your being, inward and outward.\n\nNow grow still larger, feel your vastness increasing until your head is among the planets and you are sitting in the middle of this galaxy, the earth lying deep within your belly. All of humankind lies within you. Feel the turmoil and the longing. Feel the beauty. Sit in this universe, silent, huge, peaceful, compassionate, loving. Let all of the creations of human beings' minds be within you; look upon them with compassion.\n\nContinue to grow until not only this galaxy but every galaxy is within you, until everything you can conceive of is within you. All of it inside you. You are the only one. Feel your aloneness, your silence, your peace. No other beings here, all of the planes of consciousness are within you.\n\nYou are the Ancient One. Everything that ever was, is, or will be is part of the dance of your being. You are all of the universe, and so you have Infinite Wisdom; you appreciate all of the feelings of the universe, so you have Infinite Compassion. Let the boundaries of your being disintegrate now and merge yourself into that which is beyond form, and sit for a moment in the formless, beyond time and space, beyond compassion, beyond love, beyond God. . . . Let it all be, perfectly.\n\nNow very gently, very slowly, let the form of the boundaries of your vast being, the One, be reestablished. You are vast, you are silent, and all is within you. Come back from beyond the One and slowly come down in size, come down through the universes into this universe, until your head is once again among the planets and the earth is within you, until your head is once again in the heavens and the cities are within you.\n\nCome down in size until your head is at the top of this room. Stop here for a moment. From this place, look down into the room and find the being who you thought you were when you began this meditation. Look at that being, bringing to bear all of your love and compassion. See the journey of that being as it is living out this incarnation; see its plight, its fears, its doubts, its connection. See all the things it clings to that keep it from being free. See how close it is to knowing who it is. Look within that being and see the purity of its soul.\n\nAt this moment reach down from your vast height and very gently, very delicately, with your mind, place your hand very gently on the head of this being, and bestow upon it your blessing, a blessing that in this very life, it may fully know itself. At this moment you are that which blesses and that which is being blessed. Experience both simultaneously.\n\nCome down in size now until you are back into the body which you thought you were when you began. You are still flesh surrounding a being of radiance, of wisdom that comes from being that vast One, of the compassion that comes from being in tune with the truth, and of a love for all things. Feel the love and peace pouring out of you. Use the light that is coming through you now for transmitting that energy, that blessing, to all beings everywhere. Become a lighthouse and send peace and love to all those who suffer.\n\nThink of all the people for whom you have felt less than love. Look to their souls and surround them with light, with love and peace at this moment. Let go of the anger and the judgment. And then send the light of love and peace out to people who are ill, who are lonely, who are afraid, who have lost their way. Share your blessings, because only when you give can you continue to receive. And you will find that no matter how much you give, you will receive tenfold. As you go on this spiritual journey, you must accept the responsibility to share what you receive, for that is part of the harmony of God, that you become an instrument for the manifestation of the will of God.\n\nNow let the radiant perfect being once again assume its diminutive form, the size of a thumb, sitting upon a lotus flower in your heart, in your spiritual heart in the middle of your chest, radiant with light, peaceful, immensely compassionate. This being is love; this being is wisdom. This is the inner Guru; this is the being within you who always knows. This is the being whom you meet through your deeper and deeper intuition when you've gone beyond your mind. This is the being who is the flow of the universe, the tiny form of the entire universe that exists within you. At any time, you need only sit and quiet your mind and you will hear this being guiding you home. When you have finished the journey, you will have disappeared into this being, surrendered, merged; and then you will recognize that God, the Guru, and the Self are one.\nChapter 9\n\nDying: An Opportunity for Awakening\n\nSome years ago, as my mother who was dying of cancer got closer to death, I spent quite a bit of time with her. Because I was starting to be into meditation and using psychedelics, I found that I was not particularly anxious about this death, even though my love was very strong. As I would sit in the hospital, often high on one chemical or another, I would watch the parade of people coming into my mother's room\u2014the doctors, the nurses, my relatives, my father\u2014all with a total bravado: \"You're looking better today.\" \"Did you eat your soup?\" \"You'll be up and around in a few days.\" \"The doctor says there is a new medicine.\" Then they would go out in the hall and say, \"She won't last a week.\"\n\nI saw that she was surrounded by a ring of complete, well-meaning hypocrisy, but all I would do was sit next to her very quietly and sometimes just hold her hand for long periods. One day in the darkening room about a week before she died, she said to me, \"You know, I know I'm going to die. I wish I had jumped out a window when I had the strength to do it.\" Then she said, \"There's nobody else I can talk to about it but you.\" Until then, she and I had never had a conversation about any of this. She said, \"What do you think death is?\"\n\nI said, \"Well, I don't know, but when I look at you, it's like I see somebody I love, a very dear friend, inside a building that's burning. I see the building being destroyed, but somehow, as you and I talk, you and I are still here, and I have the suspicion that even though the body is being consumed by this illness, not much is going to happen.\" We stayed there in the silence together, just holding hands, for many hours.\n\nIt may be relevant to relate two things about the funeral. For forty-four years, my mother and father on their anniversary had exchanged, along with gifts, one red rose that was a token of their love for one another. At the temple the casket was covered with a blanket of roses. As the casket was wheeled out of the temple, it came by the first pew. In the first pew were seated my father, who at the time was a mid-sixties, Boston Republican lawyer, ex-president of a railroad, and very conservative; my oldest brother, a stockbroker-lawyer; my middle brother, also a lawyer, but one who was having spiritual experiences; me; and my sisters-in-law. As the coffin went by the first pew, one rose from the blanket of roses fell at the feet of my father. All of us in the pew looked at the rose. We all knew the story about the exchange of one rose, but of course nobody said anything. As we left the pew, my father picked up the rose and was holding it as we sat in the limousine. Finally, my brother said, \"She sent you a last message,\" and everybody in the car at that moment agreed. Everybody said, \"Yes!\" The emotions of the moment sanctioned an acceptance of a reality totally alien to at least three members of the group.\n\nOf course, then the question was, how would we preserve the rose? It turned out that my uncle knew someone who had a process where you could put a flower in a liquid and encase it in glass and it would last forever. So the rose was put in this container and placed on the mantelpiece as the final material hold on my mother. A few years later, after a proper period of mourning, my father took a new wife, a very lovely woman. The process of preservation of the rose, however, hadn't been quite perfected, and the color had gone out of the rose into the water, so now it was a ball full of brackish water in which there was a dead flower. There was my mother's message sitting there. It was put in the back of the garage in a cabinet for memorabilia that we can't bear to part with. I'm sure you all have a place like that.\n\nThe other part was that I took LSD to go to the funeral, and it was quite interesting because I experienced Mother and me hanging out watching the whole scene. She didn't seem particularly upset, nor was I. The family was seated on one side, and the rest of the people on the other, so that they could watch the family mourn. I was at the end of the row. It was a sunny day, and there was golden light coming out of the casket. Mother and I were hanging out watching all the people who were thinking beautiful thoughts about her. I wanted to smile, but I realized that would be the final straw: \"Of course, he takes drugs\u2014he smiles at his own mother's funeral!\" A smile is not currently an acceptable social response at the time of somebody's death.\n\nA few years later, prior to meeting Maharaj-ji, I visited the city of Benares, also called Varanasi or Kashi. It is a very sacred city in India. At the time, I knew nothing about Hindu religion or mythology. On the streets in Benares were beings who were just at the point of death. Many were lepers. They would sit in long lines with their begging bowls around the burning ghat. The burning ghat is a platform that goes out into the Ganges River, where all day and all night, one entire caste of people just keeps the fires going in which bodies are cremated. When a person dies in the vicinity, the body is brought through the streets on a stretcher wrapped in cloth, either carried by chanting men or put in a bicycle rickshaw. When the body is taken from the home, it is taken with the head toward the home and the feet toward the Ganges. The recitation on the way is, \"Ram Nam Satya Hai, Satya Bol, Satya Hai . . . God's name is Truth.\" Halfway to the ghat, a ceremony is performed, and the body is turned around so that the head is toward the Ganges, because its home is now beyond form.\n\nEach of the nearly dead beggars on the streets had attached to his loincloth a little bag, which I learned contained enough money for the wood needed for his funeral pyre. At that time the poverty in India deeply frightened me. Their predicament seemed so horrendous to me that I could hardly bear it.\n\nFive months following, when I returned to Benares after having lived in a temple and having begun to understand what Benares was about, I walked through the streets and saw an entirely different scene. Because, as it turns out, Benares is one of the most sacred cities in India, and to die in Benares is the highest desire of the truly spiritual Hindu. It assures liberation; it's a way in which you consciously go toward your death. When you are on your funeral pyre being burned, Shiva, one of the forms of God, whispers the name of Ram, another form of God, in your ear, and you are liberated. So these beings who before had looked so pathetic to me were the ones who had made it; out of all the millions of people in India, these were the ones who had gotten to Benares, who were going to die in Benares and be liberated.\n\nWhen I looked at them with this knowledge, what I saw on their faces as they looked at me was pity. They were looking at me with pity because I was this foreigner who would probably never die in Benares. I was just caught on the wheel of illusion and suffering, going on and on, while they had made it. I did a complete about-face and began to see that Benares was a city of incredible joy, _even though_ it held incredible physical suffering.\n\nSo here I am in this old decaying body. It's the package in which I am functioning. I honor it. I take pretty good care of it. Yet, whatever the catalyst, whether it was Maharaj-ji, or psychedelics, or my studies, or meditative experiences, the importance of my body and personality, of the Ram Dass melodrama, have been appreciably lessening. Simultaneously, my anxiety about death has concomitantly been dissipating, and this new perspective has allowed me to reflect upon death and to write about it. Of course, I was deeply influenced by studies of _The Tibetan Book of the Dead_ , by Aldous Huxley's description of dying in the book _Island_ and by his death, and by my mother's death as well, but it was apparent that we needed new ways of looking at death.\n\nA number of other experiences contributed further to my appreciation of the matter of death, including two Maharaj-ji stories that affected me strongly: One day Maharaj-ji was walking with a devotee of many years, and Maharaj-ji suddenly looked up and said, \"Ma just died.\" She lived in a distant city, and it was obvious he had seen this on another plane. Then he laughed and laughed. His devotee was shocked and called Maharaj-ji a \"butcher\" for laughing at the death of such a beautiful and pure woman. Maharaj-ji turned and said, \"What would you have me do, act like one of the puppets?\"\n\nAnother time, as Maharaj-ji was sitting with a group of devotees, he suddenly looked around and said, \"Somebody's coming,\" but nobody heard anyone. A few minutes later, an employee of one of Maharaj-ji's devotees arrived. Before he could say anything, Maharaj-ji yelled, \"Yes, I know he's dying, but I won't come.\" The man was shaken by these words because his employer had, just a few minutes before, suffered a severe heart attack and had sent this man running to fetch Maharaj-ji to his side. But no matter how the employee or others pressed Maharaj-ji, he refused to go. Finally Maharaj-ji took a banana and gave it to the employee and said, \"Here, take this to him. He'll be all right.\" Of course the man rushed back with the banana, and the anxious family mashed it up and fed it to the sick man. Just as he finished the banana, he died.\n\nHere in America, Wavy Gravy called me one day and said, \"There is a fellow dying who would be interested in visiting with you.\" I met the boy, who was in his twenties, extremely thin, dressed in Levi pants and jacket, and boots.\n\nI sat down with him and said, \"I hear you're going to die soon.\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" he replied.\n\nI asked him if he wanted to talk about it, and he said okay. We began to talk, and after about twenty minutes, when he went to light a cigarette, I noticed that his hand was shaking; it hadn't been before. Because of my own paranoia, I thought, _Oh, look what I'm doing. What right do I have to be coming on to him? He's the one who's dying_. So I said to him, \"Hey, I'm really sorry. I don't mean to upset you, I'll leave you alone. I didn't mean to bug you.\"\n\nHe said, \"Oh, no, you're not! I'm nervous because I'm so excited about being with you. I've been looking for the strength to die, and you are the first person I have been around who isn't making it worse by being freaked about it.\" He was giving me the legitimacy that I didn't have myself; he was saying, \"It's okay to do what you're doing.\"\n\nSo we started to hang out together, and at one point I rented a car, and we went for a ride on Highway 1 in Marin County, a very perilous highway along the coast. We stopped for gas, and he said, \"Would you mind if I drive? It will probably be the last time.\" Now that's a pretty romantic image if you know how twenty-three year olds are about driving, so I said, \"Sure.\" He started to drive, but it very quickly became apparent that he was too weak to turn the steering wheel. We were only going about twenty miles an hour, but he would come around one of the curves where there was a three-hundred-foot drop to the ocean, and I would hold the wheel and turn it, trying to do it unobtrusively so that there would be no social blunder; I didn't want to upset him.\n\nAs if the situation weren't bad enough at that point, he tried to light a cigarette. I thought, _He's not only going to go, but he's also going to take me with him!_ Then I saw that I had entered into a conspiracy\u2014I was joining with him to make-believe he was other than he was, in order to protect his image of himself as this young, virile, twenty-three-year-old. I said to him, \"You know, you've got me caught in a conspiracy, because obviously you can't turn the wheel, let alone smoke at the same time. I should be driving. We should be into where it _is_ , not where we wish it were. This is the way it is now; let's get here.\" That remark began a new dialogue between us that got much more exciting, and we just lived in the present moment more and more.\n\nThe only preparation for death, it turns out, is the moment-to-moment life process. When you live in the present now, and then this present, and then _this_ present, when the moment of death comes, you are not living in the future or in the past. The freaky thing about death is the anticipatory fear of it. But you can't tell someone else to live in the present moment unless you yourself are.\n\nLater I was invited to work with a lawyer who had cancer, and I said, \"I only work with people if they want to work with me.\" I was assured, \"Oh, yes, he wants to work with you.\" So I went out to his place, which was a very posh house by the ocean. He was sitting there surrounded by his family and friends, and they were all drinking. He was ruling the whole scene with an iron hand because he was the one who was dying. They offered me a drink, and I sat looking at the ocean for a bit. I heard hysteria in the conversation, the kind in which everyone is laughing too loudly. Finally, I turned to him and said, \"I understand you are going to die soon.\"\n\nIf he had not invited me to come to deal with death, I would have had no license to say such a thing. You can't go up to somebody and say, \"I hear you're going to die.\" You have no license to lay your trip on somebody else, but he had invited me to do what I was doing\u2014it was the compassionate thing to do. The whole place freaked. I had said the thing that nobody ever says, and it entirely changed the space. Then the family and friends, and he and I all got into a discussion of death, sitting by the ocean that beautiful day. We meditated on the ocean, and the whole thing started to take on the power of the immediacy and exquisiteness of the oceanic dying process.\n\nSomewhat later a very dear friend was dying in Los Angeles, and I went to visit her. She was a very subtle, intellectual, liberal, sensitive person. The first time I saw her, she was at the stage where she was interested in death and wanted to talk about it. As I talked, I could hear that intellectual place in her that had not had any experience with reincarnation saying, \"I'll listen to it, but it's hogwash.\" I saw my words were just not doing it.\n\nThe next time I went to visit her, she was so weak that all I could do was sit by her bedside. She was dying of cancer of the nervous system, and the pain was very severe in her lower abdomen and groin. While I was sitting there, she was literally writhing in pain, turning her head and rubbing her hands over her body. Her expression was one of intense pain. I was sitting next to her doing the Buddhist meditation on the decaying body. This is a formal meditation that one does on the stages of decay of the human body. I was just sitting there, wide-open, not closing my eyes and going off to some other place, just staying with it, noticing the pain, noticing the whole thing, letting my emotions flow but not clinging, not holding or getting into a judgment about it\u2014just noticing the laws of the universe unfold, which is not easy to do with death, because of our emotional attachment, especially with someone we personally love.\n\nAs I sat there watching the pain and suffering, I started to experience a great, deep calm. The room became luminous. And at that moment, right in the midst of her writhing, she turned to me and whispered, \"I feel so peaceful.\" Though her body was writhing with pain, in this meditative environment, she had been able to move beyond the pain and experience deep peace. I, or we, had created this vibrational space that we could be in together. She and I wouldn't have preferred to be in any other place in the universe at that moment. It was bliss.\n\nAt a seminar on death and dying guided by Elisabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross, a twenty-eight-year-old nurse and mother of four was dying of cancer. She had been through eleven operations, and she asked those of us in attendance, \"How would you feel if you came into a hospital room to visit a twenty-eight-year-old mother dying of cancer?\" The answers called out from the audience included: anger, frustration, pity, sadness, horror, and confusion. Then she asked us, \"How would you feel if you were that twenty-eight-year-old mother and everyone who came to visit felt those feelings?\" Suddenly it was apparent to all of us how we surround such a being with our reactions to death and forget that there is a being just like us in that body who needs to make straight contact with someone. It is not unlike the previous point made about the beautiful girl who nobody can relate to other than as a body.\n\nEric Kast, who did work with LSD in terminal cancer patients, reported on a nurse who was dying of cancer. She took LSD, and it was reported in the _World Medical News_ that she said, \"I know that I'm dying of this disease, but look at the beauty of the universe.\" Even though she was busy dying, she also\u2014for a moment\u2014transcended the dying to come into this other place.\n\nSome years ago, Deborah Matthiessen died in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Debbie was affiliated with the Zen Center in New York, and when she was dying, the brother monks and students decided that instead of meditating at the zendo, they would come to her hospital room to meditate every night.\n\nThe first night, the doctors arrived on their rounds and pushed open the door with their jovial, \"How you doin' tonight?\" There were all these beings in black sitting deep in meditation, and the doctors were taken aback. As the nights passed, the doctors would come into the room as if coming into a temple, which indeed it was, right in the middle of Mount Sinai Hospital. In the midst of the hospital, the Temple of Life, there it was\u2014a temple to that which is beyond life and death.\n\nIn Japan when a person is dying, a screen is placed at the foot of the bed showing the Pure Land of the Buddha. He can focus on that screen, so that as death occurs, the last thoughts are about reaching out. It's like a railway ticket\u2014it's the ticket that is going to take you through, and you can go out on it if you wish.\n\nThese various experiences led me more and more to the idea of a center for dying. This was not original to me, but came from Aldous Huxley. It would be a place where people could come to die consciously, surrounded by other beings who were not freaked by death. I thought it should be near the mountains or the ocean, which obviously have eternality connected with them. Perhaps it would have bungalows, and a person could die there in whatever metaphor he or she wanted: as a Christian or a Jew or a Hindu or an atheist. Those coming to die consciously could die with as much or as little medical aid as they wanted. That would be up to them. While they couldn't ask the doctor to kill them, they needn't have their lives prolonged. What would be added, in addition to the priest and medical staff, would be a guide to help the individual remain conscious and in the present.\n\nAs I reflected on the term _guide_ , it struck me that there are no professional die-ers. Every dying person with whom I shared time helped me probably more than I helped them. Nowadays many people contact me and say, \"Do you think I could work with somebody who is dying?\" And I see that from each individual's point of view, in terms of his or her own growth, one of the most profound experiences any of us can have is to work with the dying process, whether our own or someone else's. It confronts us with a number of issues in ourselves that are important in our own spiritual growth and awakening. Thus I conceive of the \"guide\" role as a training role. For, in truth, the guide and the dying person come together to use one another for their own work on themselves. It is a truly collaborative dance between two people.\n\nThe abstract point of this is that we don't do anything to anybody else, anyway. Actually, people do things to themselves, and we are merely the environment in which they do it when they are ready. Thus the \"guides\" must be at a certain stage of their own evolution in order to be environments for awakening through death. They must have a connection with planes of consciousness beyond time and space that lead them to have a philosophical foundation that allows them to be balanced and without panic in the face of death. They must view death not as an end point, but as a process of transformation.\n\nAt the level where there is only one of us, it can get scary, because that's where we are confronted with the cessation of ourselves as separate entities. Spiritual practices such as meditation slowly help us to extricate ourselves from attachment to the levels of illusion of our separateness. Until we are free of that illusion and can merge into the ocean of existence without fear, everything we do subtly perpetuates the illusion of separateness. As long as we're attached to our separateness, we can't help but perpetuate fear, because there is a subtle fear in us of losing our separate identity. Because most of us have not fully realized our unity with the cosmos, we must continue to work on ourselves and also continue to serve our fellow sentient beings to relieve suffering. Yet how can we remove suffering when we ourselves still fear? It is a matter of degree. We do what we can for others and yet never stop working on ourselves, for we keep in mind that it is our consciousness that may help to liberate another.\n\nAt one point, as I was about to seek funding for a center for dying, Stewart Brand of the _Whole Earth Software Catalog_ and _CoEvolution Quarterly_ , who is also interested in this field, asked, \"Why do you need a center? Why don't you just start with a telephone?\" Sort of \"Dial-a-Death!\" This would allow people to call and ask for help in dealing with their own death. Guides and other assistance would be provided them in their own homes or at hospitals or wherever. We want to bring death out of the hospital environment, as has happened with birth. Or at least, help to create hospital environments that enable you to die consciously.\n\nIt was at this point that Stephen Levine, whom I had known as editor of the _Oracle_ and a poet in the Haight-Ashbury during the mid-sixties, reappeared in my life. We shared a commitment to meditation and an interest in working with dying. So Stephen and I began to teach together, and soon the Dying Project came into existence with Stephen at the helm. With his wife, Ondrea, he tended a dying hotline in their home and started to lead retreats focused on working consciously and meditatively with death. Out of this work came a remarkable book, _Who Dies?_ , followed soon after by _Meetings at the Edge_.\n\nIn the early eighties, Dale Borglum joined the project and created the Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here, in a modest way, it was finally possible to explore the concrete manifestation of this dream of a group attempting to live consciously together around the process of dying. This particular experiment lasted about five years. Dale continues to run a much expanded program, the Living\/Dying Project, in Marin County.\n\nAs we bring death out from under wraps\u2014as we are doing with birth\u2014we become stronger people for our ability to live with the truth of nature. But _compassionate_ use of truth requires discretion. In dealing with death, we must be prepared to speak the truth when someone asks us for truth. By the same token, we must remain silent when somebody is trying to deny his or her impending death.\n\nBefore my father died he spent a great deal of time worrying about death, because he had gone beyond the actuarial chart point, although he was still quite healthy. In the early 1970s, when I gave seminars about dying out on the lawn of his home with a couple hundred people in attendance, he'd come out and listen for a few minutes and then go back in and watch the ball game. When I went in later, he'd say, \"Had a big crowd today.\" He was just not going to hear it. I would have liked to be able to say to him, \"Let me share with you something that will relieve your anxiety, because you're my father and I love you.\" But, in another sense, we were just two beings who happened to be in an incarnation this time around where he was my father and I was his son, and our approaches to life were very different. I used to bother him about it, but then I stopped. My compassion had ripened a bit, and I could just love him as he was\u2014in his perfection.\n\nLater he asked several times about death and meditation. And once at dinner he said, \"Because of our conversations, I don't seem to be as concerned about death as I used to be. I find at times, I'm almost looking forward to it.\" I took care of him as he approached death and it was the softest and most loving time we had together.\n\nThere is a book titled _Life After Life_ by Raymond Moody. The book concerns one hundred fifty cases of individuals who were pronounced clinically dead and then were revived\u2014some at accident scenes, some in hospital operating rooms. Many of them reported that during the time they were supposedly dead, they had experiences of floating, reviewing their lives, meeting friends or relatives who had previously died, and meeting a being of light. The power of these data is in the similarities of their reported experiences. Studies of this type are a significant step in bringing life after death into the purview of the Western mind and thus dissipating anxiety about death.\n\nPart of becoming conscious is not trying to impose a limited rational model on how the world is but rather realizing that the rational model is a finite subsystem and that the law of the universe is infinite. To work with someone who is dying is to see the perfection of the dying and at the same moment to work full-time to relieve the suffering involved and to prepare the person for the moment of death.\n\nIn the Eastern tradition, the state of your consciousness at the last moment of life is so crucial that you spend your whole life preparing for that moment. We've had many assassinations in our culture, and we wonder what it was like for Bobby Kennedy or Jack Kennedy\u2014if they had any thought, and what those thoughts might have been. _Oh, I've been shot!_ or _He did it_ , or _Goodbye_ , or _Get him_ , or _Forgive him_. Mahatma Gandhi walked out into a garden to give a press conference when a gunman shot him three or four times, but as he was falling, the only thing that came out of his mouth was, \"R\u0101m. . . .\" The name of God. He was ready!\n\nAt the moment of death, if we let go lightly, we go out into the light, toward the One, toward God. The only thing that died, after all, was another set of thoughts of who we were this time around.\nChapter 10\n\nFreeing the Mind\n\nNow we're beginning to get a sense of the totality of the sadhana, the practice. We are working with the heart to open a flow with forms in the universe, including thoughts and emotions. That flow ultimately takes everything in form and converts it back into energy. We offer up stuff into the flow to get rid of it.\n\nThe offering up or the cleaning is called purification. It exists in every religion. In Raja Yoga these are the yamas, or it's the various vows we take in Buddhism, or the abstinences and commandments in Christianity and Judaism. These are done out of what is called \"discriminative awareness.\" That is, we understand that we are entities passing through a life in which the entire life drama is a curriculum for our awakening. We see that the life experience is a vehicle for coming to God, for becoming conscious, for becoming liberated. And we understand that ultimately that's what we're doing here.\n\nWhen we're really wanting God, not just wanting to want God, we understand that is all we are doing here. When we are only wanting to want God, we say, \"Well, I have this and that to do, but I'd like to live my life in order to return to God.\" If we have studied the Four Noble Truths of Buddha, we've come to understand that the liberation from clinging and attachment is the liberation from suffering, and that liberates all beings from suffering. Or if we are thinking, _Well, I can't just want to go to God; I must help other human beings as well_ , we begin to see that these are not polarized, that these are very intimately integrated. Because every act we perform for other human beings can liberate them to the extent that we are liberated. If we feed someone with attachment, we fill his belly, but we also reinforce his attachments. And that reinforcement perpetuates his long-term suffering. Thus, ultimately, we understand that every act we do in life becomes an act of work on ourselves\u2014because that is the highest thing we can do for all sentient beings, whether we're feeding somebody, or sitting in a cave meditating, or making people laugh, or providing a service or goods, or making a sandal. Whatever we're doing, we're a transmission of our being.\n\nFor instance, the image we have of musicians is of entertainers: someone playing music for other people to hear. As we begin more clearly to hear what the dance is about, we understand we are souls on the journey toward our own liberation, and everything is grist for the mill, including our flutes and our flute-playing. Then we are doing what the _Bhagavad Gita_ talks about; we are playing the flute as an offering to God. So we're playing it back into the circle. And as we use the flute-playing as an act of purification, it's no longer \"my\" flute, and it's not played for ego gratification. It's part of sadhana; it's an offering\u2014the whole process is an offering. Then the flute-playing starts to get pure and come from a higher and higher space.\n\nIf we listen to, for example, Bismillah Khan play the shenai, we hear a being who is playing to God, and that circle is so closed that it's God playing to Itself. Other human beings simply listen in. And because it's played that way, the subtle consciousness of the artist doesn't suck another person into \"being entertained.\" Because the separation between entertainer and entertained is a distinction between subject and object; it's a distance between human beings. When we are part of the instrument of the music of God just playing to Itself, then anyone can tune in and become part of that same circle. And there's only one of it. There's no separation.\n\nThe minute we think we're entertaining somebody, the minute we think we're feeding somebody, the minute we think there's a \"them\" out there, we just lost it. We just stopped the flow. Our concepts stop the flow, because the mind, the thinking mind, works in relation to subject and object. And the minute we think about who somebody else is, the minute we define that person as somebody who needs food, and that's the reality, the only reality, we have made them into an object. No matter how much we feed them, we've still got them separate from us. Most people who give, in America, give out of paranoia and fear\u2014it's like giving to keep people away.\n\nI remember lecturing\u2014I believe in Portland in the civic community center, though usually I lecture in more funky spaces\u2014and there was a big orchestra pit between me and the audience, which was \"out there.\" We couldn't even get the lights up high enough to see the audience. The whole game was designed to make everybody object and subject. There was a great barrier like a moat to protect you from the masses. It was incredible! And the insurance laws didn't allow me to have anybody on stage. I was alone on the stage with Krishna Das\u2014a stage large enough to hold a whole opera company. And there's a sea of \"them\" out there who have come to be entertained, which is the traditional way of show business. But cutting through that doesn't necessarily demand a change in the physical game. It would have been nice if everybody was sitting around me, close and friendly. But it isn't critical. It's where my head is at. And it's where our heads are at in every act we perform that determines whether that act liberates or entraps us and everybody around us.\n\nNow we're approaching the issue of no-mind. How do we use our thoughts, and how do we transcend them? How do we go beyond mind? When we acknowledge that our lives are vehicles for our liberation, it becomes clear that all of our life experiences are the optimum experience we need in order to awaken. The minute we perceive them that way, they are useful within that domain. The minute we ignore that perception, they won't work that way.\n\nIn psychology there's a term _functional fixedness_. You look at a hammer, and you think of a hammer as an instrument to hammer nails. You might need something to serve as a pendulum, but every time you look at the hammer, you only see something to hammer nails. The idea that the hammer could be attached to a string and used as a pendulum doesn't come through, because you can't break the functional fixedness; you've got a set about how it's supposed to be, and you can't break that set.\n\nWell, it's the same thing with life experiences. A culture has a set about what the meaning of experiences is all about\u2014like what death is about or what deviant behavior is about. Is it insanity, or is it mystical wisdom? There are all these models in a culture, all its functional fixedness that we absorb as to what our life experiences are about. Is it gratifying? Is it pleasant or painful? The model this culture works within is a model of gratification through external agents, getting more from the environment, man over nature, control and mastery for gratification, for creating our own personal heaven in which our egos stay paramount, our egos are \"God.\" That's different from a culture such as the Hopi Indians, where we hear about a balance of man and nature, harmony, the Tao, the flow\u2014man _in_ nature, rather than man _over_ nature. It's not mastery and control; it's listening to hear the way in which we play a part in flow. Then it's not just our personal gratification; it's us being part of a process that transcends our own separateness. That's a way of talking about God. That's God in form.\n\nThe models we have in our minds of our experiences determine whether those experiences can liberate us or will continue to entrap us. This is the beginning of the use of the mind. This is discriminative awareness\u2014that is, making the discrimination between those things, or those ways of looking at things, that will bring us close to God, to our own freedom, and those things that will take us away from it.\n\nNow, at the stage that many people I meet are at, they do their practice, their method, as \"good\" and as well as they can. And then they take a little time off. They say, \"Well that's been great; now what do you say we have a pizza and a beer and listen to some good music?\" Now that\u2014pizza, beer, and music\u2014could do it for them too, except in their mind there's a model that the \"time off\" has nothing to do with it. We've got these models in our heads about what's going to get us there. Meditation, we suppose, will get us there\u2014pizza, we presume, will not. But the pizza, beer, and rock music could do it for us if we were open to the flow of it, and the meditation might not if we're busy being righteous about it\u2014because there's no act in and of itself that is either dharmic or adharmic. It's who's doing it and why they're doing it that determines whether it's wholesome or not. To stick a knife in somebody can be adharmic, taking that person away from God, but if you're a surgeon, it could be bringing him to God. Obviously the act of the knife into the person isn't the issue. It's who's doing what, how. Even two surgeons could use that knife differently, one dharmically, the other adharmically; yet both think they're trying to save somebody. One is tuned to God's will, and one is not. One is on an ego trip of \"I'll save you,\" and one is healing in the way of things, and says, \"If it be Thy will, O Lord.\"\n\nThe statement, \"If it be Thy will, O Lord,\" is \"If it be in the nature of things, if it be in the Natural Law, if it be in the flow of perfection of form.\" God, or the Natural Law, or the Divine Law, does not have to be judged by us. It has to be understood by us and heard by us and felt by us, and heeded by us.\n\nSo we ask ourselves, \"How do I use my every moment to get there?\" Not heavy, tight, \"I've got to be careful; I might make a mistake.\" Light, dancing, trusting, quieting, flowing. It's got to be done with the flow of love and the quietness of mind. It's like the women in India who go to the well and come back with jugs full of water on their heads. They're talking and gossiping as they walk, but they never forget the jugs of water on their heads. The jug of water is what our journey is all about. In the course of it, we do what we do in life, but we don't forget the jug of water. We don't forget what it's all about. We keep our eye on the mark. At first we have to prime the pump a little bit to do it; and we keep forgetting and remembering and forgetting and remembering. That's what the illusion is. The illusion keeps pulling us back into forgetting. Lost in our melodrama: my love life, my child, my livelihood, my gratification. \"Somebody ripped off my stereo,\" \"I don't have a thing to wear,\" \"Am I getting enough sex?\" . . . just more and more stuff. And we keep forgetting into it.\n\nAnd every now and then, we remember. We sit down and meditate, or we read Ramakrishna or Ramana Maharshi and suddenly, \"Oh yeah, right; whew! That's what it was about.\" And we remember again. And then a moment later, we forget. But what happens is the balance shifts. If we can imagine a wheel whose rim is the cycle of births and deaths, all of the \"stuff\" of life, conditioned reality, and whose center is perfect flow, formless no-mind, the source, we've got one foot with most of our weight on the circumference of the wheel, and one foot tentatively on the center. That's the beginning of awakening. And we come in, and we sit down and meditate, and suddenly there's a moment when we feel the perfection of our being and our connection. And even beyond that, we just are. We're just like a tree or a stream. There's only a second or two of it there at the hub. Then our weight goes back on the outside of the wheel. Over and over and over, this happens. Slowly, slowly the weight shifts. Then the weight shifts just enough so that there is a slight predominance on the center of the wheel, and we find that we naturally just want to sit down and be quiet, that we don't have to say, \"I've got to meditate now,\" or \"I've got to read a holy book,\" or \"I've got to turn off the television set,\" or \"I've got to do . . .\" anything. It doesn't become that kind of a discipline anymore. The balance has shifted. And we keep allowing our lives to become more and more simple, more and more harmonious. And less and less are we grabbing at this and pushing that away.\n\nWe are listening to hear how it is rather than imposing a structure, because we see that if we keep imposing structures, it doesn't get us freer. And we begin to forget our own romantic storyline. \"Who am I becoming?\" \"What will I be when I grow up?\" All of these models just fall away. We just start to sit simply, live simply, be where we are, be with whom we're with when we're with them. We hear our dharma. If it's making shoes, we make shoes. And we're making the shoe with our consciousness in the present, simple and easy, not having a fantasy of surfing in Hawaii. We're just making a shoe. And because of the consciousness that we're bringing into that making of a shoe, the no-mind quality of it, it becomes the perfect statement of _shoeness_ that can come through us with our skills at that moment.\n\nWhen we can just make a shoe, _while_ we make a shoe, we _are_ the meditation. There's nothing to do. Our whole life is a meditative act. There's no time we leave meditation. It's not just sitting on our meditation pillows, our zafus. All of life is a big zafu\u2014no matter whether we're driving or making love. Whatever we're doing, it's all meditation. It becomes interesting to reflect on our life as to which acts can be done from the zafu and which can't. Which acts would fall away were they done from this space of just clear, quiet presence? It's just a natural shedding that occurs as part of the process that we're all in.\n\nWhich brings us to an interesting space, dealing with free will and determinism. In truth, I cannot yet fathom this issue fully and clearly. But I will share with you what I thus far can understand. Within the perfection of this divine plan is included the freedom of an individual to choose to be harmonious with, or to go against, the law. The way that was depicted in the Bible was Adam and Eve's choice to eat the apple. _God_ , we can say, is the word that describes, that symbolically represents, that Divine Law that says, \"Live here in the perfection of the flow, but refrain from eating the apple.\" But the choice whether we want to eat the apple or not exists within the Garden of Eden as well as everywhere else. The apple represents the separation of the individual from the flow in his own mind\u2014the subject-object, self-conscious reality. That is knowing it rather than being it. Chomp! The eating of the apple. Separation.\n\nAs was said before, after the separation, God looks at Adam and Eve, and they're wearing fig leaves over their genitals, and he says, \"Who told you that you were naked?\" Because if we were one with the flow, why would we have shame or separateness or any of those things? We've all experienced the innocence in which nakedness is just pure flow and beauty. We have all experienced shame. We've been with babies, and we've seen the freedom in that flow. And we all have yearned to have that flow back again. Being the flow is that innocence.\n\nThough the choice is available all along, until the lifetime in which we begin to awaken, we don't identify with anything other than that which is totally determined. Until then, we identify with our thoughts, but our thoughts are all lawfully determined. They are all within the laws of cause and effect. But who we really are is not our thoughts. The \"we\" that we thought we were turns out to be a conditioned, mechanical process of body and thought, and the \"we\" who we really are goes back into the Void, the flow, the Dharma itself. The optimum strategy is to act as if we have free choice and to choose always that which we feel is most in harmony with the way of things.\n\nOne way of saying it is that before we awaken, we are determined. It is totally God's will. Once we awaken, we are free to choose between man's will and God's will\u2014free to choose to look up or not to look up. That is one way of saying it. For example, we think that we picked up a book out of some kind of free choice. But our interests and economics and intellectual capabilities are all products of certain previous conditions. In fact, there are beings with the ability to get outside of time who can see that this is the choice we would have made, because they can see the way in which the laws work and out of what \"stuff\" that choice came. In that sense, that was not totally free choice. And yet it's not fatalistic.\n\nThe issues of determinism and free will\u2014fatalism, karma, dependent origination\u2014all weave an incredibly complex pattern that I think would be somewhat beyond the scope of this work to explore. So I'm saying that we act as if we are free agents and choose to awaken. In other words, we have real discriminative awareness to use. A skillful use of the intellect is contemplation. For example, every morning, work with a thought. Take a holy book. Don't read pages, don't collect it. Take one thought and just sit with it for about ten or fifteen minutes.\n\nYou could contemplate on the qualities of Christ. Charity. Suffering. Every day you contemplate on the stuff you're becoming. Sri Ramakrishna said, \"If you meditate on your ideal, you will acquire its nature. If you think of God day and night, you will acquire the nature of God.\"\n\nSo we fill our minds with things that are going to get us there. Our minds don't have to be filled only with the daily news to prove that we're good citizens. We don't have to be at the mercy of all this, the constant onslaught of media. We could fill our minds instead with the stuff that liberates us\u2014ultimately becoming aware of that which gets us to God and that which doesn't, to help us let go of that which doesn't.\n\nWe begin to develop the power of our minds through concentration, through one-pointedness. Following the breath, following the mantra, whatever is our dharmic choice, we develop the capacity to put the mind on one thought and keep it there and let everything else flow by. We don't stop our minds. We let them flow. But we bring one thought constantly to the surface. We keep coming back to one thought all the time. Breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out. Rising, falling. We note breathing in, breathing out; or we use our mantra, \"Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram.\" Eating, sleeping, making love . . . \"Ram, Ram.\" We \"Ram-ize\" it. We convert it all by maintaining a frame of reference. That has the dual capacity of centering us and increasing the power of one-pointedness. A one-pointed mind is free of the intellect. It is a supple, useful mind.\n\nYou see, we can use our intellects to judge the universe or to clean up our own games. If we judge the universe, we are using our intellect to take us away from God; if we use it to clean up our own game, it can take us toward God, toward the Tao, the way of things, the Divine Plan as discussed in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism. We could call it the Mind of God; we could call it the Natural Law; we could call it the way in which everything in form is related to everything else\u2014that is the flow, and that flow is harmonious in its parts. Even the cacophonous parts are harmonious in the larger scope of things. They are not lawful in a linear, analytic, logical sense. Natural Law includes paradox, which logical law cannot. \"A\" can be \"A\" and \"not-A\" at the same moment. It's not a law that we can grok with our intellect. It's a law that we can become, but we can't know. The closest we come to a sensing of the law is what we in the West call intuitive wisdom. Gurdjieff called it \"the higher faculty.\" It's a higher way of knowing, a subjective involvement in the universe, not an objective one. We don't know the law; we are the law. And we sense, when we have a quiet mind, the way of things.\n\nJust as some Native American tribes would send a pubescent boy out into the wilderness for a few days or weeks to fast and listen, to become quiet, and to attune to the way of things, so it is necessary to get quiet enough to hear not only the singing mating calls of the birds but also the way of our own sexual desires, the way of our own patterns of anger, the way of our own hearts, the way of the decay of our bodies\u2014without getting lost in grabbing hold, in judgment or analysis or clinging or fear, but just hearing it as it is. It's not the objective \"witness\" in the sense of standing back and looking. It's a subjective being part of it without attachment anywhere. It's a very subtle place I'm talking about now. It's the use of the mind beyond the intellect. The intellect is the first step of it, discriminative awareness\u2014looking around and saying, \"This anger isn't going to get me to God. I'm going to drop it.\" We drop it because we see where we're going this lifetime. It's like we're going to New York City, and we come to a road that leads to Mexico, but we don't take it this time. Mexico is beautiful, but it's not where we're going this time around.\n\nDiscriminative awareness is based on goal-oriented behavior. But as we get near the end of the journey, we must give up even the concept of the goal, and of the trying, and of being someone seeking, because even those concepts ultimately keep us back. All concepts, all models, all molds, all programs in our heads, are limiting conditions. No-mind, the sufficient faith to exist in no-mind, to just be empty and trust that as a situation arises, out of us will come what is necessary to deal with that situation\u2014including the use of our intellect where appropriate. Our intellect need not be constantly held on to in order to keep reassuring us that we know where we are, out of fear of loss of control. Ultimately, when we stop identifying so much with our physical bodies and with our psychological entities, that anxiety starts to dissolve. We start to define ourselves as in flow with the universe, and whatever comes along\u2014death, life, joy, sadness\u2014is grist for the mill of awakening. Not \"this\" versus \"that,\" but \"whatever.\"\n\nUnder those conditions we don't have to do so much labeling. We can just be quiet and let the universe happen. But that trust is based on giving up our own unworthiness. Because if we think we need our minds to keep us under control\u2014that if we lost control we would become wild, destructive, chaotic, uncaring, insensitive beings\u2014then we are defining ourselves as Freud did, as totally selfish behavior. But the predicament is, that's defining our existence from just the first two chakras. Even when Adler comes along and says the real guts of the human being is about power, that too is only the third chakra. Beyond that is the fourth heart chakra that harmonizes seeming opposites, and brings it all into flowing understanding and acceptance. And beyond that, we also exist in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chakras as well.\n\nOnce we begin to awaken and sense who we are, we begin to understand how we are becoming the Dharma, how as we attune, we literally cannot hurt another human being. We cannot go out and do them in, because not only does our intellect understand the karmic implications of it, but also our perception is such that we see ourselves hurting ourselves. The concept of brotherhood is no longer an intellectual, liberal concept; it's a perceptual reality. Living within that reality, it's impossible to perform certain acts we might have done before. And that's what the Ten Commandments are about. They are a statement of how it is when we see things as they are. But because most exoteric religions are written for people who are not awakened, they've become moral prescriptions, using guilt to control behavior, to move people slowly in that direction.\n\nWe must become in our own lives the living statement of the Vedas, of the Commandments, of the Law. A conscious human being _is_ the Law, _is_ the Dharma. We don't know the Dharma, or recite the Dharma. We are the Dharma. Our every act. The way a roshi washes a dish is the Dharma. That washing of the dish is in perfect harmony with all the forces in the universe at that moment. No mind involved, no analytic thought, _Am I doing the right thing?_ In discriminative awareness, the intellect is used only in the early stages. Later, there is no-mind. The intellect is useful as a servant, but not as a master. It is available to do analytic work when we need it. It's as beautiful and powerful an instrument as our prehensile skill, as our ability to oppose thumb and index finger, an ability we're delighted we have. If we didn't have that prehensile ability, it would change our lives considerably. But we don't have to go around all day picking up things just to keep showing we can do it. I mean the awe for it diminishes after a while. It's a power, a siddhi, that we have because of our simian nature. Apes have it too. So too our cerebral cortex is a power, because of our _Homo sapien_ nature. We can sit around and flex it, in the _New York Times_ or wherever we wish, to the delight of everybody. Fascinated with our own power. Going to the moon is a projection of our human intellect. Man over nature. Though we worship the human intellect, as an exquisite power, it is very trivial in the greater design of the natural law of things.\n\nThe question is: are we going to play big league, or do we want to play sandlot ball? That's really what it boils down to. In big league, the intellect is available. I'm no more stupid than I ever was. My mind is perfectly good, as good as it was when I worshipped it as a professor at Harvard. But it's sure not a very big part of my life. And even at this moment, as all this stuff is coming out, I'm enjoying it as much as you are; it's coming out of a place of emptiness in me. I couldn't care less. It's coming out because this situation is eliciting it, because our collective mind is eliciting this kind of clarification of our predicament at this moment. It's dharmically appropriate for this moment. I have no ego investment in this stuff, because it isn't mine. If we don't deviate the flow or color it with our own trips, it comes through purely in whatever form it is our dharma to express, and the mind is freed.\nChapter 11\n\nNobody's Special\n\nWe are in training to be nobody special. And it is in that nobody-specialness that we can be anybody. The fatigue, the neurosis, the anxiety, the fear\u2014all come from identifying with somebodyness. But we have to start somewhere. It does seem that we have to be somebody before we can become nobody. If we started out being nobody at the beginning of this incarnation, we probably wouldn't have made it this far. Blue babies are examples of nobody special; they just don't have the will to breathe or eat or live. For it's that force of somebodyness that develops the social and physical survival mechanisms. It's only now, having evolved to this point, that we learn to put that somebodyness, that whole survival kit, which is called the ego, into perspective.\n\nWhen I was a Harvard professor, I would spend all my time thinking. I was paid for that. I would have clipboards and tape recorders to collect all my thoughts. Now I'm becoming more and more simple as I quiet. Sometimes there seems to be no one in there at all, and I just sit. Then, when something needs to happen, it happens, even thinking or speaking, and I just witness it.\n\nIt's very far out when we begin not to think, or the thinking is going by, and we're not identified with being the thinker. At first we really \"think\" we've lost something. It's awhile before we can appreciate the peace that comes from the simplicity of no-mind, of just emptiness, of not having to be somebody all the time. We've been somebody long enough. We spent the first half of our lives becoming somebody. Now we can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody.\n\nFor when we become nobody, there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything, and the natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed. The natural state of the mind is pure love, which is not other than pure awareness. Can you imagine when we become that place we've only touched through our meditations? When we _are_ love? We've finally acknowledged who we really are. We've cleared away all of the mind trips that kept us being who we thought we were. Now, everybody we look at we're in love with. We experience the exquisiteness of being in love with everybody and not having to do anything about it\u2014because we've developed compassion. The compassion is to let people be as they need to be without changing them. The only time we might need to intervene with people is when their actions are limiting the opportunities for other human beings to be free. And then the way in which we intervene is very mindfully and open-heartedly. For if we are busy being somebody trying to change someone, we're just creating more anger. If we are nobody special, but it is our dharma to oppose injustice, then it is merely an act of the Dharma. And not for a moment do we lose that total love for the other person who is not other than us. For being nobody, there is nobody we're not.\n\nHad we sufficient discipline, we could pursue the steepest of paths to get rid of all the ways we cling to models of ourselves. We could just sit\u2014Zen Buddhism\u2014and every thought that comes by that creates another reality, we would let it go. And clinging to none, we would know enlightenment. Or we might pursue the path of Ramana Maharshi\u2014Atma Vicharya, \"Who am I?\" We simply ask, \"Who am I? Who am I?\" And slowly we watch ourselves be other than all the ways in which we identify ourselves\u2014as a body, organs, emotions, social roles\u2014we see it all. We keep dissociating from it until we are left with the thought of _I_. \"I am the thought _I_.\" This path takes incredible discipline, for as we have freed ourselves from our bodies and our emotions, and we're just about to drop this last thought of _I_ , our bodies grab us again. And we're back in our habitual thoughts about our bodies, our identities.\n\nMost of the time when we watch our mind, we find it keeps grabbing at things and making them the foreground. And everything else becomes the background. When we're reading, we're not listening. When we're listening, we're not seeing. When we're remembering, we forget where we are. But can we function when the world is all background and awareness itself is foreground?\n\nWhen awareness is identified with thoughts, we only exist in a certain time\/space dimension. But when awareness goes behind thought, we are able to be free of time and see thoughts appearing and disappearing, just watching thought forms come into existence, exist, and pass away in a millisecond. And when the intensity of concentration allows us to see the space between two thoughts, we see eternity. There is no thought there. We realize that thoughts exist against the backdrop of no thought. Against the backdrop of emptiness, of nothing, we exist. And there we are at the edge of perceiving who we are. Then we face one of the greatest fears we will ever confront: the fear of our own extinction. The fear of ceasing to exist\u2014not just as a body, but even as a soul. It is similar to the statement made by Huang Po about people approaching this point: that they become fearful to enter into what they consider \"the void,\" distressed that once they let go into it, they will drop unendingly, that there will be nothing to stay their fall, not realizing the Void is the Dharma itself.\n\nBut as we're ready for the ultimate mystic doorway, the inner door of the seventh temple, we say, \"I am not this thought.\" We let go of even the great fear of nonexistence. The senses are just working by themselves. There is hearing occurring, but there is no listener. There is seeing, but there is no seer. The senses are just all doing their thing, but there's nobody home. If the mind thinks, _I am aware_ , that is recognized as just another thought, a part of the show passing by. It's not awareness itself. Thoughts are going by like a river, and awareness simply is. When we become just awareness, there is no more \"me\" being aware.\n\nBy letting go of even the thought _I_ , what is left? There is nowhere to stand and no one to stand there. No separation anywhere. Pure awareness. Neither this, nor that. Just clarity and being.\nChapter 12\n\nKarmuppance\n\nIn the mid-sixties there seemed to be an expectation that if we got high, we'd be free. We were not quite realistic about the profundity of man's attachments and deep clingings. We thought that if only we knew how to get high the right way, we wouldn't come down. And that was our attempt. Then in the late sixties, there was the idea that if we joined the movement and became part of a model of how to stay high, we'd be able to do it. So in the late sixties and early seventies, there was a tremendous interest in mass movements.\n\nNow people are realizing that it's somewhat of a long haul. They're feeling transformations in themselves, but they're working with their lows as well as their highs, they're cleaning up their games. And the reason we clean stuff away and don't just get high, why we focus on our depression and our negativity and all of our heavies, is because we're getting hip to the fact that if we push stuff under the rug, sooner or later there is karmuppance.\n\nI was invited to visit \"death row\" in San Quentin. To be honest, I sat outside the prison before I went in, in my rented car, looking at San Quentin, thinking, _I'll be happy to go in; and I'll be happy to come out_ \u2014because there is a certain kind of paranoia in the searching procedures and the authority structure that I have to keep dealing with in myself. I went in and was met by all the yogis who teach there and the acting warden, who was a very nice guy. And we were immediately whisked up to death row. There are actually two rows, because there are so many of these fellows; they are in separate cells, segregated in two long rows separated by a wall.\n\nAs I went up to each cell, out of the thirty-four men, there were not more than five who did not receive me openly, clearly, quietly, consciously. The feeling I had was that I was visiting a monastery, and that these were monks in their cells, for these men, who are facing death, have been pushed into a situation that has cut through their melodramas, and they are right here. We sat together in groups of ten, and as part of the meditation, we were sending out thought forms of love and peace to all sentient beings in the universe. I became so affected by the vibration of the space that it was very hard for me to move on to the next group. There was light pouring out of these beings' eyes.\n\nAnd we got so open that I was able to say, without any of us freaking, \"I can't tell whether what's happened to you is a blessing or a curse, for there is very little chance that we would be sharing this high a space, or even would have met, were you not in this situation.\" To prove my point, I'll tell you that I spent half an hour on one of the other segregated mainline cell blocks. And of these beings, the percentage of those open was just what you'd expect in our society. Maybe one out of a hundred was right there with me. From the rest, you could feel the cynicism, the doubt, the putdown, the sarcasm.\n\nNow, the bizarre humor of all this is that if Supreme Court rulings were to stop the death penalty, these men would all become lifers and almost all of them would lose this consciousness. Yet if they die, they will have this consciousness right up to the moment of execution, which does not mean that all the karma accrued to them\u2014because in most cases, they have been involved in killing another human being\u2014is over, because one can go into death with \"Ram\" on his lips, with Christ in his heart, high and clear. But whatever stuff is covered over by his situational high at the time of dying, as his ego structure starts to lose its control, the stuff that's left will bubble up again, and he is going to have his karmuppance, he will once again renew his karmic run-through.\n\nThere is a story about an old Zen monk who was dying, who had finished everything and was about to get off the wheel. He was just floating away, free and in his pure Buddha-mind, when a thought passed by of a beautiful deer he had once seen in a field. And he held on to that thought for just a second because of its beauty, and immediately he took birth again as a deer. It's as subtle as that.\n\nWe can't cheat the game by getting high\u2014that's the point. The situation these fellows are in is forcing their openness and awareness, but it's not totally burning out their karma. It will help. One moment in which they feel compassion for the person they may have murdered will do much for their karma, but it's not going to purify all of it.\n\nIt's like when we begin to see the work that is to be done, and we go to an ashram or a monastery, or we hang out with satsang. We surround ourselves with a community of beings who think the way we think. And then none of the stuff, the really hairy stuff inside ourselves, comes up. It all gets pushed underground. We can sit in a temple or a cave in India and get so holy, so clear and radiant, the light is pouring out of us. But when we come out of that cave, when we leave that supportive structure that worked with our strengths but seldom confronted us with our weaknesses, our old habit patterns tend to reappear, and we come back into the same old games, the games we were sure we had finished with. Because there were uncooked seeds, seeds of desires that sprout again the minute they are stimulated. We can stay in very holy places, and the seeds sit there dormant and uncooked. But there is fear in such individuals, because they know they're still vulnerable.\n\nNothing goes under the rug. We can't hide in our highness any more than we've hidden in our unworthiness. If we have finally decided we want God, we've got to give it all up. The process is one of keeping the ground as we go up, so we always have ground, so that we're high and low at the same moment\u2014that's a tough game to learn, but it's a very important one. So at the same moment that if I could, I would like to take us all up higher and higher, we see that the game isn't to get high\u2014the game is to get balanced and liberated.\n\nMost of us find that the veils of the illusion, of the clinging, are very thick, and we want to do things to burn up these veils, to purify ourselves and get on with it. And even though the whole model of getting on with it and going from here to there is itself a trap, we still can skillfully use that trap to clear away other obstacles that are hindering us. Then, ultimately, we can give up the trap of attachment to the method itself.\n\nWe are coming out of a cultural tradition in which, once you saw where you wanted to go, you took the most direct and aggressive path to get there. And impatience is part of the quality of our tradition. It's what made our country great. But the predicament we face is that the beginning of this awakening often comes long before we are really ready to let go of all the ways in which we cling. Some of these methods just become very powerful means of up-leveling old games, of reinforcing heavy ego trips. I know people who've meditated for years who wear their methods like merit badges. \"I've done six Vipassana courses, three sesshins, and a double dervish. I get up at four every morning. I can sit without moving for hours. My mind goes absolutely blank.\" They're professional meditators. They have, to some degree, mastered their method, but they have not loosened the hold of grasping and greed. Their method has just become another form of worldliness. Nothing much is happening, because it's such an ego trip. There are, for instance, people who can go into samadhi and stay there for long periods, but when they come back, they're no wiser than when they entered that state.\n\nIt's like the story of the king who promised a yogi the best horse in the kingdom if he could go into deep samadhi and be buried alive for a year. So they buried the yogi, but in the course of the year, the kingdom was overthrown, and nobody remembered to dig up the yogi. About ten years later, someone came across the yogi still in his deep trance and whispered, \"Om,\" in his ear, and he was roused. And the first thing he said was, \"Where's my horse?\"\n\nSpiritual work can be like gambling on a game of roulette. You put your money down, and the ball goes around and drops into the slot your money was on. And they say, \"Do you want to take your money or let it ride?\" Anywhere on this journey, we can take our money and pull out and go spend it. Or we can let it ride. Do we want to just double our money, or do we want to go for broke? Do we just want a little social leverage, or do we want to get done? It's no different than Mara confronting Buddha as he sits under the bodhi tree, for as we get closer to the inner gates of freedom, of enlightenment, of liberation, the subtle clingings will be fanned all the more, and the opportunities for gratification keep increasing. Because of the one-pointedness developed through meditation, we become able to cut through our own limits of consciousness and see some of what it's all about. But if we have power needs, we are then all too ready to use what we see to have power over other beings. If our spiritual work has come out of wisdom, not out of a need for power but out of a yearning for God, then when the powers come, we just notice them, realizing they are going to take us on tangents, consume them, and keep going. We just have to trust the light and let our money ride. For as long as we think we are \"somebody,\" we aren't yet quiet enough to be in tune with all of it, and thus any action taken is done from our own particular separate perspective.\n\nAs long as we are in an incarnation, there will be action. As long as there is form, there will be change. But it depends on who is doing the acting or who thinks acting is being done that will determine whether that act is part of the flow of things or antagonistic to it. It's like the story about the prince's butcher. The prince asked the butcher how, although he had been cutting with the same knife for nineteen years, it never needed to be sharpened. And the butcher explained that he is in tune with what he is cutting, that the knife finds its own way into the joint, above the bone, through the muscle, that it doesn't hit against the joint, that it just finds its way around the bone. Because he is tuned, he is what he is doing. He isn't busy being a butcher cutting a piece of meat\u2014he is awareness, and that awareness includes the meat and the butcher and the knife. There is an act happening, but there is no doer of the act because there's nobody who thinks he's a butcher.\n\nWhen we are in harmony with the way everything proceeds from everything else, we cannot act wrongly. For not only are we in tune with the particular act we are doing in terms of time, but with all of the ways in which that act is interrelated with everything in the universe. It is a level of awareness from which actions are manifested that have no clinging\u2014not even clinging to the effects of the act. We are not holding on anywhere. We're right here, always in the new existential moment. Moment to moment, it's a new mind. No personal history. We just keep giving up our storylines.\n\nEach person gets his karmuppance. If we focus on God, we get God. If we want power, we get power. If we want more of something, we get it. The horror is that we get everything we want\u2014sooner or later, if not in this incarnation, then another. And often when we finally get it, we don't want it. The process of karmic fruition speeds up, because, as we get closer, we see ourselves living out old karma, old desires. As our life gets freer and freer of attachments, we create less and less karma, for karma is created by an act done with attachment. When we're not clinging to senses or to thoughts, we are not creating more karma. There is no one intending anything to happen in any way; there is no one separate to act in a separate way. When there is no attachment or identification with thoughts and feelings, there is no reactive push into action creating more doing, more karma. Not identifying, not being separate, cooks these seeds and consumes the grasping for more.\n\nWe get to the point where our acts are not done out of attachment but instead are just done as they're done, and no new stuff is being created. There is just old stuff running off, but nobody being affected by it because there is nothing in us that clings to a model of who we are or aren't. It all becomes just passing show. There is no investment in its representing us as \"individuals.\" It is just the outcome of previous input, just old conditioning clicking along, just more grist for the mill.\nChapter 13\n\nMethods and More\n\nWe come together, representatives of many forms, many methods. All the way from Krishnamurti, who says there is no method, to Krishna Consciousness or Fundamental Christianity, which say, \"Our way is the only way,\" with defined forms. Where we meet is in what is common to all these forms. And what is common to all of our forms is not another form. What is common to all of our forms is choiceless awareness, is pure love, is flow and harmony in the universe, the absence of clinging, spaciousness. We can call this \"Buddha Mind.\" We can call it \"the Heart of Allah.\" We could call it \"Christ consciousness.\" We could call it \"Yahweh,\" or \"G-d.\" I have involved myself with many forms. Methods of Vipassana meditation, to make me more mindful, to quiet my mind and to bring it to one-pointedness. Devotional practices, worshipping the feet of my Guru, and singing Hare Krishna and Sri Ram Jai Ram. Zen meditation, confronting a koan, or just sitting. Study, of the _Bhagavad Gita_ , of _The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation_ , of Chuang Tzu and Lao Tzu. Of the _I Ching_ and the _Tao Te Ching_ , of the New Testament and the Old Testament, and on and on. How does it all come together? There is no form that represents the amalgam of all those things.\n\nIf we follow all these methods to the apex, we are pushed beyond form. We are pushed into the moment. The merging with God is right here.\n\nBe right here, aware of sitting here, aware of the self-definition that you're creating in your own mind. Aware of your ears listening. Aware of me speaking. Aware of the traffic outside. Aware of the feelings in your body. Aware of your mind grabbing at this and that. Just sit with me in this awareness. There is nothing we have to do; just come into this moment. Don't collect it; don't judge it. Just bring in more awareness. Watch your mind. Listen to yourself. Feel your heart. Is it flowing? Breathe in and out of the middle of your chest, as if there were a flow moving in and out of your heart with every breath. Flowing. Present. Here. More here. More. Let go of your expectations a little more. Of your definitions of who you are, of what God is. Of where you're going, of where you've come from. Of your emotions: sadness, happiness. Don't push them away. Notice them. Acknowledge them. Give them space. They are all part of the flow. Your senses, your memories, your plans, your models; all of it. Passing show. Forms being created, existing, and disappearing back into formlessness. Here in the moment. Right here. For the end result of everything that you and I have been sharing for years and years is not there or then or \"maybe\" or \"perhaps\" or \"if only\" or \"as soon as I. . . .\" This is it.\n\nLook at the stuff in you that's keeping you from being here at this moment. Judging. Waiting. Trying to experience. _I can't get it. I still feel separate_. That thought\u2014there's the problem right there. Let it go. The quiet mind. Choiceless awareness. Perfect flow and harmony. No you. No self-consciousness. Not, \"I am trying to become enlightened.\" In meditation, there is no meditator. Meditation just _is_. Meditation is the act of openness. Of spaciousness. Of presence. Of is-ness.\n\nSo why are we joining all these clubs? Why are we paying all these heavy dues? What is it all about? Are all methods to be avoided? It doesn't seem so. But it does seem useful to see them in perspective. Methods are the ship crossing the ocean of existence. If we're halfway across the ocean, it's a little silly to decide methods are unnecessary if we don't know how to swim. But once we get to the far shore, it would be useless to keep carrying the boat. The game seems very simple: methods are not the thing itself; methods are traps. We entrap ourselves in order to burn out things in us that keep us from being free. And ultimately the methods spew us out at the other end, and the method disintegrates into nothingness. Every method: the Guru, chanting, study, meditation, practices, all of it. For the end result is \"nothing special.\"\n\nIf we take knowing God as being always in meditation as we act all day long; as choiceless awareness; as being clear with no attachments, judgments, or opinions, no clinging, no pushing and pulling, no this or that\u2014we will experience what it means to know and be in God.\n\nBut if there are any experiences that we crave other than being free of the separation between experiencer and experience, that's what we need to concern ourselves with\u2014not with fear about our cravings, but bringing to them consciousness and truth and quietness. For every teacher, every life experience, everything we notice in the universe is a reflection of our attachments. That's just the way it works. If there is nothing we want, there is nothing that clings. We go through life free, collecting nothing. When we collect a sight, or collect a picture, or a record, or a relationship, or a teacher, or methods, it's just more clinging. Use them all, be with them, enjoy them, live fully in life; but don't cling. Flow through it, be with it, let it go. As we quiet and listen to hear how it all is, then we will relate to all of it in a harmonious way, in a way in which there is no exploitation, harmonious in the way we relate to the floor we're sitting on, to the person next to us, to the night air, to the world we have to live in.\n\nIf I can hear it, right where I am, whatever space I might be in at that moment, when there is no clinging, when I am neither attached to emptiness nor form, I am free. If I push away the physical existence in order to get into \"a space,\" if I'm only comfortable when I'm hanging out with Krishna and I can't stand my mother-in-law, I'm trapped. No clinging anywhere. And then the moment gets so rich, it's all right here. Every astral plane, physical plane, every level of consciousness, every mental state, all the emptiness: all of it, right here. Only a quiet mind hears it all.\n\nIt's our purity that calls forth the teachings; it's our acknowledgment of who we are. It's our quietness; it's just opening ourselves to the space we exist in. Instead of judging and pushing and pulling, opening to it, just consuming the stuff, letting it all flow through us and in and out of us\u2014just allowing it to pass.\n\nIf our method is Vipassana meditation, we're just noticing everything in the universe around us with bare attention. Maybe starting with the simple thing of noticing the breath go in and out of our nostrils, or go up and down in the solar plexus. The things we'll have to let go of are self-pity, feelings of unworthiness, feelings of inadequacy, clinging to a judging mind, attachments to desires that see things as objects, which push the universe away. There is simply awareness noticing each element of the mind-body process as it comes and goes, but \"nobody\" watching.\n\nIf our method is the Guru, then we look at the Guru, and the Guru keeps changing before our eyes. First we've got this form, and then this form falls away, and then that form falls away. It's like Chinese puzzle boxes. We keep opening them, and there's more inside. And we keep going until we realize we're just looking at a mirror. And all we're doing is cleaning; we're peeling ourselves like an onion. And as we get purer, we see more of our Guru until, finally, it's just one mirror looking at another, and no dust anywhere. Then there's no mirror. There's nothing. Our Guru disappeared into our own enlightenment. We and the Guru became one in God. That's the way the game works. That's the method of the Guru.\n\nWe should be open to all teachers and all teachings, and listen with our hearts. With some we will feel we have no business. Others will pull us. We must trust ourselves. We have everything in us that Buddha has, that Christ has\u2014we've got it all. But only when we start to acknowledge it will it get interesting. Our problem is we're afraid to acknowledge our own beauty. We're too busy holding on to our unworthiness. We'd rather be a schnook sitting before some great man. That fits in more with who we think we are. Well, enough already. We are beautiful.\n\nDo you realize, historically, how rare it is that this kind of a dialogue has existed, with this much consciousness in it?\n\nOnce we find our lineage\u2014and we can't go looking for it, we will be drawn to it, and it may not be in the form of a single teacher\u2014it may simply be a way in which we view the universe. And through surrender into this lineage, every act we do will be done from a space of greater clarity, will be an act determined not by our personal desires but by the dharmic moment. It will be pulled forth from us, just as these words are pulled forth from me by you. I have no identification with them. This book is just the transcript of words spoken to us listening, demanding that they be spoken. So whose book is it? When beautiful music is played on a violin, would you go up and thank the violin? I'm just the mouthpiece for a process. What we're doing through this book is touching ourselves. Forget me; I am passing show. We're touching ourselves. Sooner or later we're going to have to acknowledge our beauty. But that acknowledgment isn't the end point. That's merely to override the acknowledgment of our ugliness, to which we've been clinging. Then both of them are going to have to go, for the end point isn't self-consciousness, sitting around like Narcissus saying, \"Look how beautiful I am.\" The end point is just being in the present moment.\n\nWhen we finish with our lineage and we get spewed out the other end, then we'll look around, and we'll see that all methods get to the top of the mountain. And that we can find God in everyone. Then we no longer are Buddhists or Hindus or Christians or Jews or Muslims. We are love. We are truth. And love and truth have no form. They flow into forms. But the word is never the same as that which the word connotes. The word _God_ is not God, the word _Mother_ is not Mother, the word _Self_ is not Self, the word _moment_ is not the moment. All of these words are empty. We're playing at the level of intellect, feeding that thing in us that keeps wanting to understand. And here we are\u2014all the words we've said are gone. Where did they go? Do you remember them all? Empty, empty. If we heard them, we are at this moment empty. We're ready for the next word. And the word will go through us. We don't have to know anything; that's what's so funny about it. We get so simple. We're empty. We know nothing. We simply are wisdom. Not becoming anything, just being everything.\nChapter 14\n\nGod and Beyond\n\nAll the time I was with Maharaj-ji, he never had me meditate. He'd feed me, love me, pat me, yell at me, cajole me, bore me, fascinate me, perplex me, send me away, draw me to him. Yet, when I told him I was going to do a Buddhist meditation retreat, he said to me, \"Bring your mind to one-pointedness, and you will know God.\" When somebody showed him a book in which there was a picture of Kalu Rinpoche on one side and him on the other, he pointed to one picture and said, \"Buddha,\" and then pointed to the other and said, \"Buddha.\"\n\nOne morning when I was in Allahabad at a house where Maharaj-ji was staying, maybe fifteen or twenty Indian devotees came to see him. About thirty Westerners sat around the outside of the circle. One of the Indians who came in was obviously a very important man. I never could get clear whether he was a Supreme Court judge or an administrative director of the court. When he came in, I was very content being in the back with all of the Westerners and watching the whole process.\n\nSuddenly Maharaj-ji started to build up my image to this man, saying, \"This is Dr. Alpert from America. He is a professor at Harvard . . . a great saint.\"\n\nAnd the Supreme Court judge turned and said, \"Well, perhaps you'd like to visit the court.\"\n\nNow, I come from a family of lawyers, and I've spent more than enough time in courts. I was in India to be with Maharaj-ji and didn't want to visit the court, but I was caught in my social propriety, so I said, \"Well, that would be lovely.\"\n\nAnd then he said, \"Well, tomorrow at ten?\"\n\nAnd I felt I was being trapped from the abstract to the concrete, so I said, \"Well, you'll have to ask my Guru,\" figuring that he would get me off the hook.\n\nBut Maharaj-ji said, \"If Ram Dass said it'd be lovely, it'll be lovely. He'll go at ten.\" And then he pointed at me like, _Watch it, baby; you lie, you'll pay. Captain Karma will get you_. So I went to the court and watched a murder trial and then went to the law library, and the librarian was a great student of the _Ramayana;_ we talked about Ram and Hanuman, then we went into the bar review room where all the lawyers hang out. And all the lawyers saw me, a Westerner, being escorted by this very important man whom they were all being very obsequious to. So they came over and tried to discuss Nixon's China policy with me. At that moment it was of great concern to India, and I had just read _Time Magazine_ , so I was in a perfect position to be an expert. So I discussed power blocks, Russia, and alignments; I did a perfect snow job.\n\nWhen I came back, Maharaj-ji kept asking me, \"Well, what happened at the court?\" And every time I'd go to tell him, he'd tell me because he obviously had watched the whole process from some other level, so I thought it was over and I had learned my lesson. Well, that evening the head of the law association came to have darshan with Maharaj-ji. And he said to me, \"We were thinking that you might perhaps address the Rotary Club and the Honorary Legal Society.\"\n\nI thought, _Oh no, I'm going to end up on the creamed vegetable circuit_. So I said, \"I really don't want to. You'll have to ask Maharaj-ji.\" I didn't even get into being nice. I thought I'd be really truthful. _But_ , I thought, _if Maharaj-ji tells me I've got to do it, I'll do it_.\n\nSo he goes up and says, \"Maharaj-ji, we would love to have Dr. Alpert address the Honorary Legal Society and the Rotary Club.\"\n\nMaharaj-ji looked delighted. When you knew Maharaj-ji, who sat with a blanket and a watering pot and couldn't care less, you knew it was all nonsense from where he was sitting. But, oh, he was fascinated. And he was saying to everybody, \"Ram Dass is going to speak at the Rotary Club,\" as if to say, \"This is it! We've finally broken through. We're going big time now.\"\n\nAnd my heart was sinking. For half a moment, I thought, _He just was hustling me. He wants to exploit me to become big time in India. Oh damn it, I've been had again_.\n\nAnd then he said to me, \"Well what are you going to talk about?\" He was terribly interested.\n\nAnd I said, \"Well, I don't know, Maharaj-ji. I guess I'll talk about Law as Dharma.\" I was grasping at something quick to be cute about.\n\nAnd he says, \"Uh-huh, are you going to talk about Hanuman?\"\n\nAnd I said, \"Oh, of course, Maharaj-ji.\"\n\nHe said, \"That's good.\"\n\nAnd I saw the lawyer's face take on a peculiar change.\n\nAnd then Maharaj-ji said, \"Are you going to talk about me?\"\n\n\"Of course, Maharaj-ji,\" I said. \"You're my Guru.\"\n\n\"Well, that's good. Are you going to talk about Christ?\"\n\n\"Absolutely.\"\n\nSo the lawyer said, \"Well, we kind of thought he'd talk about Nixon's China policy.\"\n\nAnd Maharaj-ji turned to him and said, \"Oh no, Ram Dass is not to be trusted about worldly things. He can only talk about God; that's all he's capable of talking about. Ram Dass only talks about God.\"\n\nI said, \"That's right. I only talk about God.\"\n\nAnd the lawyer said, \"Well, in that case, perhaps he shouldn't speak to the group. Maybe I'll have a few lawyers who are interested come by my house.\" Suddenly the whole thing lost its interest to a very worldly group of people.\n\nAnd I thought, _Perfect! I've just been given my instructions. All I've got to do is talk about God for the rest of my life, and I'm protected. I don't have to get lost in all the worldly stuff_. But I came back to the West, and it's funny to talk about God in the West. It's not easy to talk about. It's not that God is dead; it's just that God is not a viable concept.\n\nI still talk about God a lot, but it's tricky, because I am more than superficially trained in Buddhism. And Buddhist philosophy does not really involve itself with the concept of God. I am very attracted to the simplicity and cleanness of Theravada and Zen Buddhism. So on the one hand, I'm faced with the Zen part of myself, which finds the concept of God an unnecessary addition to a simple universe. And on the other, I have my Guru, who says, \"Speak only about God.\"\n\nNow the world, the universe, looks different as our consciousness shifts. Most of us start as psychological beings identified with our psychological accumulations. We are emotional, thinking, feeling entities. In Buddhism we learn about anicca, dukkha, anatta\u2014the changeability, unsatisfactoriness, and emptiness of all phenomena. We learn about the impermanence of things, of thoughts, the passing nature of all states of being, feelings, concepts. We learn about the suffering that is caused by clinging to these concepts. And finally, with anatta, we find that even the concept of self must go\u2014whether that self is physical self, or psychological self, or astral self, or soul self, or the Eternal Self. Concepts are concepts; and concepts must go. And even the concept of enlightenment or Nirvana or that which is beyond self is just another concept. So why would we as psychological beings who are here with all of our problems and melodramas and attempts and strivings and awakenings and all that\u2014why would we want to buy into more concepts when the game is to get rid of them and go beyond concepts? God is a concept. Soul is a concept. And when I say I am a spiritual entity who has taken birth in order to work out my karma, there is no \"me\" in truth whose karma must be worked out. There is only an apparent grouping of events, one of which is the concept we have of ourselves. And it all dissolves through deeper and deeper meditation, and more and more emptying. We disappear along with the universe into the Void.\n\nWell, what I have come to understand is that my path involves my heart, involves flow. It can't come after the fact. It has to be the leading edge of my method. And in a devotional path, we work with forms in order to transform our own identities. And, in the process, we break the habits we've held as our realities and our own self-definitions. And the new realities, the new concepts we take on, because they were taken on intentionally, don't have the same hold over us that the old ones had. It's using a skillful means to get rid of one thing when later we will get rid of that aid as well. Ramana Maharshi refers to these concepts, specifically the concept of \"I\" or \"Self,\" as the stick that you use to stir the funeral pyre. If you go to Benares, you'll find the bodies being burned at the burning ghat while men with big sticks stir the embers to make sure the whole thing gets burned. And after they finish stirring a particular fire, as it's getting near the end, they throw the stick on the fire and it too burns up.\n\nAnd so it is with Gurus, teachers, methods, and God\u2014for what God is, is beyond the concept of God. It's exactly the same thing as the Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha mantra. It's beyond the concept of beyond. Now in Judaism, except in the Hasid tradition a bit, the closest you get to God is coming into His presence, but dualism remains right to the end. It's ultimately still dualistic, I and Thou. It is blasphemy within traditional Judaism to conceive of merging with God; for God is unknowable\u2014it's G-d, it's unspeakable. It's the word that can't be spoken.\n\nFrom my point of view as a heart being, as a devotional being, I have a Guru, and there is Hanuman, there is Durga, there is Krishna, there is Ram, there is Jesus, there is Buddha, there is Ramakrishna, there is Ramana Maharshi. My universe is peopled with these beings. They are no less real than we are. The only difference between them and us is that they know they are not real and are free. We are still thinking, attached to what we think we think. And they aren't. They are what's called the sangha in Buddhism, or satsang in Hinduism, the community of beings that I hang out with. There is nothing that comes out of them that is going to entrap me because they know it's all lila, all just the cosmic dance of being.\n\nI sat before Maharaj-ji\u2014before this man in a blanket\u2014just loving him. All I wanted to do was caress his foot. It's extraordinary to love somebody that much. I was in ecstasy just looking at him. I'd been doing that for months and months, and finally I thought, _Maybe this is just the veil; I've got to go beyond the veil_. One day I was sitting across the courtyard from him, and everybody was up around him, and I thought, _I don't have to be around him. This is just form. Look\u2014they're all worshipping the form. The form isn't it. I don't have to be here_. Just then Maharaj-ji turned and looked at me, and then sent an old man over to touch my feet. I asked him why he did it, and he replied, \"Maharaj-ji said, 'Go over and touch Ram Dass's feet because he and I understand each other perfectly.' \" Because at that moment I was seeing through the method that I was using. I wasn't stopping my love for him, but I wasn't trapped by it anymore.\n\nNow, I could talk about the Dharmic Law, but it's very hard for many people to fall in love with a Dharmic Law. But it's very easy for me to fall in love with God. But the concept of God is very much the same as the concept of the Dharmic Law. It's the law of the relationship of things. It's the original consciousness; it's the one mind; it's the Ancient One. It's that which at its heart is empty. I'd sit before Maharaj-ji and think, _I'm not going to be taken by the form_. So while he'd be handing out stuff, I'd be meditating with my eyes closed, focusing on my third eye, and I would start to feel this change coming over my body, and I'd feel more and more energy. And suddenly, with my eyes closed, I would meet him on a different astral plane. Now, you can get fascinated with that. That's the whole world of the occult; all those forces and beings to play with. \"But Maharaj-ji, that isn't who you are either.\" And I'd go right through that one too. It's like going through infinite doorways. You come to another one, and you think that door is the final temple, and then you see it's just another doorway, and you go through it. And you go through another, and another. And if you go through far enough, you come right back to yourself, which isn't either. The whole thing, method and all, just disintegrates before your eyes.\n\nWhen I sit with Maharaj-ji, my heart flows. I flow into the universe of forms, and the universe of forms flows into me. As that flow gets greater and greater, the boundaries between Maharaj-ji and me disappear. For me, Maharaj-ji is the universe, so that the differentiation between me and the universe disappears into a flow of energy. As I open more and more through my heart, and thus become more and more of the flow of the universe in its energy form, I start to rise. It's as if it's a fuel. And I rise into states of consciousness that are known as jhanic states or samadhi states. Each experience is another form of Maharaj-ji, or the Mother\u2014and must be consumed, for Maharaj-ji must be consumed by me, taken into myself; I must surrender into him until there is no boundary. He is not only all the forms that are available to my physical eye but also those I perceive with my spiritual eye. And as I go into higher and higher states, there are fewer and fewer forms. And many of the forms are only half-formed, for they are on the edge of where the form and formless meet.\n\nOn the way through these planes are experiences of emptiness and coldness and impersonality. They are not empty because they are \"experiences\" of emptiness. That's different. There are planes or states of incredible bliss and rapture, where your whole body is writhing in delight. It's as though every cell were having an orgasm. There are states or planes of consciousness of diamond clarity, in which you see and know and understand everything's relationship to everything else. It's as if you are privy to the secrets of God. There are planes or states of consciousness where everything is aesthetically so perfect, even the words come out as poetry, and all is luminous and colorful. Aldous Huxley writes about that. Aldous once said, \"The reason we like precious jewels so much is they remind us of planes of consciousness we've lived on where those are the pebbles.\" Form after form, plane after plane, state after state, experience after experience\u2014all within Maharaj-ji, all within my love and my flow toward other. And there comes a point where the flow is so open and the boundaries are so far erased that you and Maharaj-ji, or you and the Mother, or you and the form, become one, at every level of form, all the way up to pure, undifferentiated energy.\n\nWere that the end, it would be so easy for our minds to grasp, so easy for science to control. But all of that is just a doorway. All of that merely brings us to the edge of the lake. It is at the edge of the lake that we experience the presence of what lies beyond form. Yet there is no \"what\" that lies beyond form, for there is no beyond, for what _it_ is contains all that is. We, at that moment, sit at the edge where we _are_ the paradox. All of the forms disappear into the lake of emptiness, and yet they are not lost. It's at the edge of the lake that someone whose path is the path of the heart will say, \"I am experiencing the presence of God,\" for one more step into the lake and the experiencer and the experience have merged, and we have become God, and the concept of God is long gone. As we merge into God, we have entered into what the Buddhists call Nirvana. The game is not to know God; the game is to be God. To be God is to be nobody, and yet there is nothing that we are not.\n\nIf we come back into form from having merged with God, we are in the world, though not of it. We play the cosmic sport. We fill the forms, though there is no one home; it is just more lila, the dance of God.\n\nThere are beings who have roamed, and do roam, this earth and other planes of consciousness, who have entered into that ocean and returned. Their existence liberates all who recognize them. We may have in our midst such a being, but we would never know it, because we are attached to the form. We might be like someone catching an apple from Maharaj-ji and failing to recognize that there is nobody throwing the apple. So while he is God beckoning from beyond, we get lost along the path. And because God does not exist in time, he doesn't push us\u2014for, sooner or later, one lifetime or another, we get home. And when we get home, we will realize that we have always been God\u2014that we created our own separateness for the sport. The difference between us and a Guru or a perfected being is that they aren't, and we still think we are.\n\nChrist said, \"I have come to bring you to the Father. I am in the Father; the Father is in me. You know not who I am. Let those that have ears, hear.\" Quiet the mind; be free of clinging to molds and models and thought forms. Open the heart. Consume the emotions into the flow, the flow of all forms of life, until you are just flowing in and out.\n\nAs we get more disciplined, we keep the energy moving toward that point where form and formless meet. Were we to stay in the formless, our bodies\u2014which we left behind\u2014would disintegrate, for there would be no consciousness to keep them going. There are all gradations, and some beings are 99 percent in that ocean of formlessness and leave behind just a thread in form. There was a being walled up in a cave for twenty years; every year devotees would go to see him and have darshan with what was a skeleton, except the hair and the nails kept growing. He just left a thread behind to give darshan to the devotees.\n\nKrishna, Christ, Hanuman\u2014all of them the same. The ocean made manifest in different forms. Different strokes for different folks. Each a form we need, if we need form.\nChapter 15\n\nQuestions and Answers\n\nI really want to be a good yogi, and I am trying very hard to purify myself, but it's so hard. What's wrong?\n\nPurification is an act of letting go. In one of the Gospels it says that men need not disfigure their faces in order to know God. There is a type of righteousness and seriousness that creeps in the minute we decide we're going to do spiritual practices. Suddenly it's serious work, and we have to be a certain kind of way\u2014sort of tight-assed. We may find that, though it looks good from the outside, it begins to feel kind of lousy from the inside. And there is a way in which denying too much stops the flow of spiritual energy. There are a lot of people who are really good meditators, who sit perfectly and their minds get very quiet. But they aren't liberated\u2014because they have pushed away form, they've pushed away the earth, they've pushed away the heart, they've pushed away flow.\n\nIf I understand this game at all, it's a game of exquisite balancing. And the balancing can be understood within different systems. For example, in southern Buddhist meditation, Theravada Buddhist meditation, three components are emphasized. One is called sila, one is called samadhi, and one is called panna. Sila is the purification: nonkilling, nonstealing, nonlying, right speech, right livelihood, and so on. Samadhi is concentration and mindfulness. And panna is right understanding and right thought, or the wisdom connected with it.\n\nNow, if we watch the way the game works with those three components\u2014purification, concentration, and wisdom\u2014we'll see that we wouldn't even start this dance without a little bit of wisdom. We have to understand a little bit of what the game is about even to want to sit and meditate. So we have a little bit of panna, and then we try to do samadhi, concentration. But every time we try to concentrate, all of our other desires, all of our other connections and clingings to the world keep pulling on us all the time. So we have to clean up our game a little bit; that's called sila, purification. We clean up our game a little bit, and then our meditation gets a little deeper. As our meditation gets a little deeper, we are quieter and we are able to see more of the universe so that wisdom gets deeper and we understand more. The deeper panna makes it easier to let go of some of the attachments, so it makes it easier to increase the sila. And the increased sila allows the samadhi to get deeper. So we begin to see the way these three things all keep interweaving with one another. They're a beautiful balancing act.\n\nNow, in the same way, in other lineages, there are balancings that can be understood in other ways. One way is to talk about the heart and the mind\u2014that is, flow and quietness. Another balance is to talk about form and formless. Another way of saying that is to talk about the Mother and the Father. Still another way of talking about a balance is talking about shakti and love or power and flow. Some people get symptoms of shakti\u2014pressure in the head, shaking, movements, twitching, nausea, pains in the back, all kinds of symptoms\u2014because of the lack of the balance, because they're too much into the shakti realm without the flow. But we begin to be able to diagnose our own predicament in our own bodies, in our own beings, to ascertain what is out of balance and to come back into the flow. Because getting the powers, the yogic powers, the siddhis, without the love, without the flow, without the compassion, makes you just another power tripper. Our society is full of people who have siddhis, who have powers. They have power of the intellect, and they have power of the mind to control others. But the compassion isn't there. The heart isn't open.\n\nOn the other hand, people who have heart, lots of love but no control, no discipline, no one-pointedness tend to get very mushy. They're like soft earth\u2014there's nothing firm in them, and that lack of firmness keeps allowing them to go only so far, and they keep falling down again. There's no backbone in the process.\n\nThe way to approach the whole sadhana is with firmness and with lightness. Not hysterical _ha, ha, ha_ but with a lightness, a delight, enjoying the light of it all, making it light. Somewhere I remember a line that goes, \"The angels can fly 'cause they take themselves lightly.\" People tend to get very lost in their own melodramas, romanticizing their own spiritual journey. \"I'm getting enlightened.\" And they tend to take themselves very seriously. They've got themselves a storyline. And they begin to look like yogis, and they begin to smell like yogis, and they come on as they imagine yogis should; they have a whole image of themselves becoming yogis. That's all going to have to go. We come back into the present moment. We are what we are. We let go of the romantic storyline of our own predicament, because that one's just keeping us from being wherever we really are at the moment.\n\nI'd just like to point out that righteousness, being very \"good,\" does not necessarily bring us to truth. Once we are wedded to and immersed in truth, in the sense of formlessness, then we will be righteous. It's like the Ten Commandments. We can do them out of a \"goody-goody\" place, with anger in our hearts, and righteousness and fear of punishment; or we can come into the space of our own being in relation to God, where we look and see why things are the way they are; and it just flows out of us and we just can't act in ways that create more karma or lay trips on other human beings. Then we begin to understand the Ten Commandments from a different angle\u2014righteousness coming out of truth, rather than truth coming out of righteousness.\n\nMy son has developed a neurotic habit that worries me and my wife quite a bit. What should we do?\n\nTo the extent that you are free of the attachment to how it ought to be with your son and with your identity as a father, with being able to be a father perfectly\u2014I'm not talking about abrogating responsibility for safety and survival, just about not getting lost in fatherness\u2014you can see him as a being who is living out a certain incarnation in which this neurotic pattern is showing. By contacting that being behind the neurotic pattern, you can help him drop it when he's ready to drop it.\n\nMy understanding of the way a child grows is that you create the garden, you don't grow the flower. You can merely fertilize the earth and keep it soft and moist, and then the flower grows as best it can. You create a space with your consciousness that determines whether the neurotic pattern gets deeper into that child or whether it's seen as something that can be cast off when the time comes. If you define this being as \"my child who has this habit,\" and that's the major reality of the relationship between you and the child, that's catching him in the habit. The minute you see him as a soul who's incarnated in this situation in which he's working through this stuff, he's free to drop it whenever he needs to, because you're not attached to his having it or not having it.\n\nIt's an interesting one, because people get guilty that they're not doing enough about their children, and they tend to get caught in this sort of predicament. You don't change your wife or your child. You just keep working on yourself until you are such a clear mirror reflection, such a supportive rock of love for all those beings that everybody is free to give up their stuff when they want to give it up\u2014your wife, her anxiety; your child, that habit. You keep creating a space in which people can grow when they're ready to grow.\n\nThe predicament is that a child and a parent may be at very different levels of evolution in terms of their ages of being. A child could be much older than the parent, or much younger than the parent, in an evolutionary sense. There are many old beings being born into this culture at this moment. They have been looking to take birth in a conscious environment, so that some of you have babies that don't particularly want to be incarnated because they're almost beyond it. They're just doing some little clean-up operation.\n\nThe minute we do a \"take\" of beings as souls rather than personalities and bodies, we don't cling to the incarnation that hard. We understand its function, and we don't demand that the incarnation be other than it is. We understand that births are consciously chosen to work out specific karmic necessities, and we don't get as lost in the melodrama on this plane.\n\nIt's very tricky which level of reality you climb into. The power of conscious beings is that they don't use one against the other. They keep all those levels of consciousness going simultaneously. So if somebody is brought in on a stretcher to see me, and she's in terrible pain, and she has been for years, and at one level I can see that she's doing a tremendous amount of work in this life, and at another, _God, this person is suffering so badly. Can I do anything to relieve the suffering?_ Both of those thoughts occur at the same moment consciously. And if that person who is brought to me is somebody who says, \"I wish to awaken during this lifetime; Ram Dass, help me,\" then I say to her, \"Well, you're really feeling sorry for yourself. You've really got a good birth; you're cleaning up a lot of stuff. Let's work on how to convert pain.\" And if she is somebody who didn't say that, but we just happen to meet, like somebody's aunt or something like that, I say, \"God, it's really rough how much you're suffering. Here, let me fix the pillow for you,\" or \"Are you having proper medical treatment?\" or \"What can I do for you?\"\n\nIt's very interesting how you deal with problems and suffering depending upon which plane of consciousness is the dominant theme, although you never forget the other one. A strong consciousness keeps it all going at the same time. You do everything you can to help your son feel more loved, calm, supported, and ready to get rid of the neurotic habits\u2014and at the same moment, you are not attached and you understand that it is the karma of this being that is being lived out, and you work on yourself until you are a perfect environment for that being to do what it needs to do.\n\nHow do you interpret dreams?\n\nIn general, I'm inclined to suggest we shouldn't do too much analytic work in this dance, because our minds play too many tricks. If the dream has an immediate significance that affects you emotionally, work with it. It may help click into place something you needed to understand about yourself. Fine. But if you say, \"I wonder what that meant,\" forget it! It fits under the category of things that when you're ready to know, you'll know. Don't sit and analyze or wonder or get preoccupied with it. It all has meaning. It's all work you're doing on other planes. It is significant spiritually, but you don't always have to understand it.\n\nYou exist on many planes simultaneously at this moment. The only reason you don't know of your other identities is because you're so attached to this one. But this one or that one\u2014don't get lost; don't stick anywhere; it's all just more stuff. Go for broke, awake totally.\n\nYou say every life situation is a perfect lesson. How is that so?\n\nThe universe is made up of experiences that are designed to burn out our reactivity, which is our attachment, our clinging, to pain, to pleasure, to fear, to all of it. And as long as there are places where we're vulnerable, the universe will find ways to confront us with them. That's the way the dance is designed. In truth, there are millions and millions of stimuli that we are not even noticing, that go by, in every plane of existence, all the time. The reason we don't notice or react to them is because we have no attachment to them. They don't stir our desire system. Our desires affect our perception.\n\nEach of us is living in our own universe, created out of our projected attachments. That's what we mean when we say, \"You create your own universe.\" We are creating that universe because of our attachments, which can also be avoidances and fears. As we develop spiritually and see how it all is, more and more we keep consuming and neutralizing our own reactivity. Each time we see ourselves reacting we're saying, \"Right, and this situation too, and this one too, Tat Tvam Asi, and that also, and that also, and that also.\" Gradually the attachments start to lose their pull and to fall away.\n\nWe get so that we're perfectly willing to do whatever we do\u2014and to do it perfectly and without attachment. It's like Mahatma Gandhi gets put in jail and they give him a lice-infested uniform and tell him to clean the latrines, and it's a whole mess. And he walks up to the head of the guards and he says, in total truth, \"Thank you.\" He's not putting them on or up-leveling them. He's saying, \"There's a teaching here, and I'm getting it; thank you.\" What's bizarre is that we get to the point where somebody lays a heavy trip on us and we get caught, and then we see through our _caughtness_ and we say, \"Thank you.\" We may not say it aloud because it's too cute. But we feel, _Thank you_. People come up and are violent or angry or write nasty letters or whatever they do to express their frustration or anger or competition, and all I can say is thanks.\n\nWhen an oppressor, or an oppressive economic system, is causing people suffering, it seems to me not enough to love the individual who is oppressing along with those who are being oppressed. It seems that if one were to really love them, one would speak out. I fear that many of us who seek, feel that it is no longer necessary to criticize in such a manner.\n\nYou are raising the question about our social responsibility for political inequities, social inequities. Where is our responsibility? Is it enough to meditate? Is it enough to become a loving person?\n\nWell, our predicament is this: We are in an incarnation. We can't make believe we're not. We must honor the attendant responsibilities that go along with that incarnation\u2014parents, political identities, social identities, and work\u2014in form, in order to alleviate the suffering at whatever level we find it. Now, the peculiar predicament is that when we see any kind of injustice in the world, if we are attached to anger about it, or are attached to it being any other way, we are at one level perpetuating the polarization even as we are working to end it.\n\nIn Patanjali's _Ashtanga Yoga_ , it says there is no giving and no receiving. Does that mean that nobody gives and nobody receives? No. It means that when we give, we are not attached to being the giver. Thus, we do not force the other person to be the receiver. Their political inequities are our political inequities. There is no \"them\" in the universe. There is only \"us,\" more or less pure. And we, as a collectivity, must purify ourselves. Each individual must hear her or his dharma\u2014that is, the way in which the manifestation must come forth in order to relieve suffering. Until we are enlightened, all action is an exercise in working on our own consciousness. The forms, however, will differ. For example, if somebody comes up to me as my friend Wavy Gravy did once and tells me that it only costs ten cents a day to keep a starving person alive in a third-world country, his coming along and telling me that creates a new situation in which I now exist. That situation elicits from me a set of behaviors to do what I can do\u2014so I do a benefit to raise money to help and have that money go to help feed starving children. If Wavy had not said that to me, I probably would not have done that.\n\nWe can't walk away from life on this plane. For instance, I feel it is dharmic for me to be involved in politics to the extent that I vote, make my opinions known to my congressional representatives, and sometimes join political actions.\n\nThere are a thousand and one ways in which humans are unjust to fellow humans. Which ones will we work to change? Which are our particular dharmic paths? As we work to alleviate suffering, will we be careful that the way in which we do it doesn't create more suffering in the long run? Be conscious. Since we're not fully enlightened, everything we do must be done as work on ourselves. At the same moment, we must listen to hear what form our efforts must take to relieve suffering.\n\nYou may run a nursery, you may just help an elderly lady across the street, you may go into the Peace Corps, you may join a community service, you may go to Washington and work actively in politics, you may work in a free health clinic, you may become a concert guitarist, or you may raise your children with great love and consciousness. We are not in the position of judging each other. Each person must hear his own dharmic way. What you feel is most important may not be seen as most important to someone else. This is a very complex society we are a part of. Stay in the world, do your part, raise your children, earn your living, and assume your responsibility at every level. Do it all as an exercise to bring you to God, because until you are one with God, every act you perform will both liberate and entrap. And if you are really interested in ending suffering, you recognize that the end of suffering is full awareness. And only an aware person can help another person become aware.\n\nIt's only because we forgot the First Commandment in the first place that we're dealing with all this right now. So now we're in the process of remembering. It's very simple.\n\nWhat's the best way to deal with the judging mind?\n\nWatch it. Watch it do its thing. There it is judging again. Very simple. If we're working with Christ, we can offer it up to Christ. If we're working with Vipassana meditation, we would merely take the primary object of meditation, which might be following the breath, and then every time a judgmental thought came up, we'd note, \"Judgmental thought,\" or something like that, and then we'd go right back to the breath. It's just another thought.\n\nThoughts keep clothing themselves in all kinds of silk and glitter, and they say, \"I'm not just another thought . . . I'm _you_.\" You know. \"I'm real. This judgment is the _real_ thought.\" But it's just another thought. This whole game is just thought.\n\nAfter a really good meditation, I feel like I'm not in my body.\n\nYou very well may not be; it's true. I must admit that I am of the school of hard knocks. I'm not going to protect us from confronting all of our attachments. The reason we may not be in our bodies after meditation is because we don't _want_ to come back into our bodies. We're attached to the high. Okay. Confront it. If we're aware of it enough to complain about it, we're seeing our own predicament. I think that we are not brought through by a spoon-fed operation. Maharaj-ji would allow me to enter absorption states in which my body would be shaking and the breath would become all but nonexistent; then he'd say to the interpreter, \"Ask Ram Dass how much money Steven makes.\" I'd struggle to ignore him, but he'd demand I come back immediately. We learn after a while that we have control, that we can do all this stuff. There's no real need to protect us from ourselves. We're just seeing our own attachments.\n\nWhy did it all begin? Why did we leave God in the first place?\n\nThat is the question which is the ultimate question, and Buddha's answer to that question was, \"It's none of our business.\" Which is not a facetious answer. He's saying our subject-object mind can't know the answer to that question. It's an answer that we can be, but we can't know; because in order to know that, we would have to be that from which it started, but we aren't it as long as we're asking the question.\n\nIt's one of those kinds of absurdities that we get caught in. There are a dozen different answers, all of which are equally real and unreal. We might say God took form in order to know himself, that he had to become separate in order to see himself. Or it could be said that since there is no time at another level of reality, nothing happened anyway. That's a real answer too. These are all valid answers within one level of reality or another. Every level has its own answer to that question, but the answer is not truly knowable until we have transcended those levels, because any answer we give is just feeding our minds from one level or another, and they're all only relatively true.\n\nNow, that all sounds like words, which means it's not an appropriate question. We keep asking it, but we won't get an answer. I mean, not only from me; the answer is not in words.\n\nWhat is shakti, or prana?\n\nShakti, or prana, is the universal stuff from which it all comes. Everything here is shakti; it's all just shakti, patterns of shakti. It's the stuff of the universe, finer than quanta of energy in the physical, scientific realm. We can ignore it if our method does not involve focusing on energy, or we can work with it, draw it in, mobilize it, direct it, and use it as a force. We can use it in the same way we might use electricity\u2014we can collect it in the same way. It feels the same, except it is much finer. We can draw it in and draw it in and draw it in, and we will experience new realms of perception and new powers.\n\nBefore we are done, we will be subject to, or must surrender to, intensities of energy that grow and grow and grow, until they are nothing short of all of the energy of the universe, and to the extent that there are impurities within us, or paranoia, or a body that is not kept in a good shape, when we start to tune in on these higher energies, we can really blow our circuits, or shake ourselves very badly. When we see people shaking, all that bouncing energy stuff, that doesn't have to be. That is because the person is trying to put 220 volts into a 110-volt system. The process of purification is preparing ourselves as containers to handle more and more energy, more and more love\u2014and for that we need quieter and quieter minds, and stronger bodies, and more open hearts.\n\nThere are a lot of different traditions, some of which are very much oriented around shakti\u2014Kundalini Yoga, for instance. Others recognize and use these energies in another manner. When we just work with shakti, we get great power. But unless that shakti is perfectly balanced with wisdom, and the empty mind, and love, it can be extremely destructive. Similarly, if we only work with our intellect and with the emptying of our mind, as in some yogas, and we fail to open our heart, our journey becomes very dry and brittle. Ultimately, no matter what our methods, we have to get a very even balance between our energy, heart, and mind.\n\nHow does LSD affect the spiritual journey?\n\nMy first struggle with that was in a correspondence with Meher Baba back in 1965, in which he said that very few people can use it positively; for many people it will make them insane. And I wrote, _It's strange, Meher Baba, but the only reason I read your books is because I took acid, and that's true of many devotees that follow you in America_. And he wrote back and said, _I know you're a good person, and for a few people it can be helpful; but for most it's not helpful; and you can take it three more times_.\n\nWell, I didn't listen to Meher Baba; I took it a number of times more than that. Then in 1967 or '68, Maharaj-ji asked me about that \"medicine\" that I used in the West, and he took 900 micrograms, as you may know from _Be Here Now_. Nothing happened at all to him, which was impressive. I must admit, though, that because nothing happened, I went through a little doubt. I thought maybe he threw them over his shoulder, maybe they never got in his mouth. It all happened so fast, and when you're around somebody like that, you're so stoned, who knows? So I had this little doubt, but I came back and told everybody he took 900 micrograms.\n\nIn 1970, when I was in India the next time, he said, \"Ram Dass, did you give me some medicine the last time you were in India?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" I said.\n\n\"Did I take it?\" he asked, with a little twinkle in his eye.\n\nI said, \"Well, I think so.\"\n\nHe said, \"What happened?\"\n\nAnd I said, \"Nothing, Maharaj-ji.\"\n\nAnd he said, \"Jao! Jao! Go away.\"\n\nThe next morning he said, \"Do you have any more medicine?\"\n\nSo I brought out what I had left, and he took 1,200 micrograms this time. He took each tablet and stuck it in his mouth and made sure that I saw, and he munched them up. Then he said, \"Can I have water?\"\n\nI said, \"Yes.\"\n\nAnd he asked, \"Will the medicine make me insane?\"\n\nSo I said, \"Probably.\"\n\nSo he said, \"How long will it take?\"\n\nI said, \"An hour at the most.\"\n\nSo he got an old man up there with a watch, and he was holding it and looking at it. And he drank a lot of water. And about halfway through, he started to look really weird; he even went under his blanket, and he came up looking totally insane. _Oh my God_ , I thought. _What have I done to this sweet old man? He probably threw it over his shoulder last time, and he wanted to show me what a big man he is_.\n\nAt the end of an hour, he looked at me and said, \"You got anything stronger?\" Because nothing had happened, obviously. Then he said, \"This was known in the Kulu Valley long ago, but most yogis have forgotten it.\"\n\nOn later questioning, he said, \"Well it could be useful, in a cool place, where you are feeling much peace, and your mind is turned toward God, and when you're alone.\" He said that it would allow you to come in and pranam, or bow to Christ, but you could only stay for two hours, and then you would have to leave again. He said, \"You know, it would be much better to become Christ than to just visit with him. But your medicine won't do that, because it's a false samadhi\"\u2014which was exactly what Meher Baba had said to me. \"Though,\" he said, \"it's useful to visit a saint; it strengthens your faith.\" Then he added, \"But love is a stronger medicine.\"\n\nAfter that, once each year or two I would take LSD when I was peaceful and was alone and my mind was turned toward God, to sort of find out what was happening, and each time was profound in some way. With time, however, the relevance of psychedelics has diminished in my life to the point where I have no great desire to experiment further, though at times I still do it to see if I forgot anything.\n\nFor those who don't know about other levels of reality, LSD could, under proper conditions\u2014where they feel safe and are truly turned toward spiritual life\u2014show them that possibility. It did so for me. Once they know of the possibility and really want to get on with it, the game is not just to get high again but to \"be,\" and _be_ includes high _and_ low. It is also true that now the culture has shifted and different kinds of realities are more accepted in everyday life. Many young people who never took acid and never smoked grass float in and out of planes; perhaps that's partly because of music, partly a result of the cultural shift that emerged from their parents' use of acid in the sixties. Don't underestimate the social changes that occurred as a result of psychedelics.\n\nI don't deem that, for a being on the spiritual path, the LSD experience is necessary any longer. It is very clearly not a full sadhana; it won't liberate us. Because there is a subtle way in which there is attachment, in the sense of feeding our unworthiness because we aren't it without it, and we have to look outside ourselves to get hold of it. As a method, it also has the limitation that it temporarily overrides stuff that we would best deal with. Grabbing at experiences and pushing aside old habit patterns in order to get high is just delaying the process, because ultimately we have to confront those habit patterns and purify them.\n\nAfter we know of the possibility, we get on with it, and any time we're just after another experience, we're just getting more hooked on experiences, and all experiences are traps. The game is to use a method, and then, when we're finished with it, to let it go. This isn't a good and evil matter; it's just a question of honesty with ourselves as to whether in fact we are using our opportunities as effectively as we can in order to awaken.\n\nBecause of the rampant use of opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, and prescription pain-killers, our society is running scared about all chemicals that alter consciousness. It's too bad that psychedelic (mind-manifesting) chemicals are being grouped together with the opium derivatives and other drugs that are primarily used for pleasure or escape. Psychedelic chemicals such as psilocybin, peyote, mescaline, LSD\u201325, DMT, MDA, and other tryptamines could play a profoundly beneficial role therapeutically and spiritually in our society if we approached their use with educated discrimination instead of categorizing them as illegal, ergo \"bad.\" Because of their illegal status, there is a certain amount of paranoia associated with their use. If people are going to experiment, they must keep this in mind as something which affects their mind-set.\n\nThere is probably an appropriate stage in life to consider the use of psychedelics as a spiritual practice. It seems to be most disruptive for younger people who are still in the process of ego development\u2014of becoming \"somebody.\" On the other hand, there is potential spiritual value from this method for those who have developed good ground\u2014i.e., they have their psychological, economic, and social act together on the physical plane\u2014and who are able to create a supportive setting for this work in the kind of context Maharaj-ji suggested.\n\nHow do you open your heart?\n\nA good exercise is to do deep breathing in and out of the heart as though it had nostrils, right in and out of the heart. You can use that breath to ferret out those places in you where there is a deep sadness or some deep attachments that are slowing your progress. Let them come forth and let them go; give them up to Kali or Christ or Guru or God. Keep bringing them out\u2014the sadnesses deep within your heart that have closed you off\u2014keep bringing them forward, keep going in and in until you're all the way back to your spine. Keep allowing the breath to more deeply fill this area, and then breathe it all out again.\n\nAnother way is to go out into the woods or to the ocean and with concentration make the gestures of opening the heart space, like Hanuman does when he tears open his chest to show R\u0101m and Sita residing in his heart. We open the heart with breath or thoughts, and we call upon whomever we're in close contact with as a spiritual guide, perhaps Christ. We might say, \"Christ, let me feel your love.\" We're not asking him to love us; we're asking to be allowed to feel the love he has for us. If we really open ourselves and ask that in truth, we can possibly feel a warmth starting to touch us, which will permeate us and start a process of our opening. Or we can sit with a picture of a being like Christ and just experience that love flowing back and forth between us and the picture.\n\nIt is just so incredibly gentle and beautiful starting a dialogue of love with a being who _is_ love. Some of us have known Meher Baba, who is such great love, or Christ, who is a statement of love, who is love itself. We just open ourselves. We sit in a little meditation area with a picture of a being whose love is pure, whose love is in the light of God. It's not the love of personality, it's not the love of romance, it's not the needful love, \"I need you.\" Romantic love is jealous and possessive because the object of that relationship becomes our connection to that place in us that is love. The kind of love that Christ gives is conscious, unconditional love; he just is love. And ultimately we become that kind of love. Then we're living in that space, and we don't need anybody to turn us on to love because we are it, and everybody who comes near us drinks of it.\n\nAnd as we become more and more the statement of love, we fall in love with everyone. When we feel love when we are with each other, that opens us to the place in ourselves that is love. Sometimes when we feel that, we want to cling to each other because it's a love connection. But what we find is that we don't stay open to that place by collecting our connections; the only way to do it is to become love ourselves. Otherwise we're always going to be looking for connections. Most people want a Guru because they want a lover or a father. In fact, the Guru can be the guide to the beyond. Don't listen to what other people say about the Guru, or even what the Guru says about the Guru; we must listen to what our hearts say about the Guru.\n\nIf we follow our heart, there is nothing to fear. As long as our actions are based on our pure seeking for God, we are safe. And any time we are unsure or frightened about our situation, there's a beautiful and very powerful mantra\u2014\"The power of God is within me. The grace of God surrounds me\"\u2014which we can repeat to ourselves. It will protect us. Grace will surround us like a gentle force field. Through an open heart, one hears the universe.\n\nHow do you interpret statements like, \"No man comes to the Father except through me\"?\n\nIn almost all holy books, and especially in the words of holy beings, we are dealing with transmissions to different levels of disciples and devotees who can hear different things. Who was Jesus talking to? Are these the words of Jesus or of the Christ? We have really at least two beings in that one being. One of them is Jesus, who is the Son, a form of the Father made manifest on earth: \"I am in the Father; the Father is in me.\"\n\nThen there is the Christ, which is the consciousness out of which that form is manifested, the consciousness that acknowledges the Living Spirit. That's not necessarily Jesus, the man. The predicament is that, depending upon our degree of readiness, we become involved with the devotional relationship either to Jesus, the man, or to Christ, the consciousness, unconditional love. My experience of that particular biblical quote is that it is Christ speaking, not Jesus; that Jesus is a historical statement of the perfection made manifest, and at that historical moment, Christ said to somebody, \"You can only come to the Father through me,\" though it may have been interpreted as coming from that body, which was Jesus. For someone else, at another moment, it means the greater body out of which that body comes, which is the Christ body. And that Christ consciousness is what would be called the Living Spirit. It's like the statement, \"Eat of my flesh; drink of my blood.\" He didn't expect people to come up and tear off his arms or drink out of his veins; that is the universal form speaking, saying, \"Consume the universe into yourself; drink of the universe so that you may know the Father.\" That's not Jesus speaking; that's the Christ.\n\nThe problem is that so much violence has been done by interpreting that initial statement as a statement of Jesus rather than as a statement of the Christ. Its misinterpretation has led to proselytizing, and a lack of acknowledgment of other people's ways of meeting the Christ other than through the form of Jesus.\n\nA standard criticism not only of spiritual practice but of all forms of religion is that it's an opiate of the masses, it's a way of escape, it's a tool of the ruling class to take people's minds off of the social struggle and put it on some pie in the sky that they think will solve their problems, but won't really. What about it?\n\nThat's a very complex issue. In one sense they're absolutely right, in that when we enter into these other realities, the social\/psychological\/economic preoccupations and hardships look entirely different. I have met beings who live in conditions that I would consider subhuman, who are totally radiant, luminous, fulfilled, happy beings. Nobody's exploiting them; this is the way they _are_. They have choices, but it just doesn't matter to them. I look at them, and I don't see somebody who is drugged in the sense of \"the opiate of the masses.\" I don't see somebody who has lost their freedom. That being has found something that makes worldly concerns less relevant to them. That doesn't make them bad or good, or weaker or stronger.\n\nHowever, if spiritual seeking is used by one group of people to control another, that's another matter. Nobody has the right to control the consciousness of another human being. That applies to revolutionaries as well as to the establishment, and if I choose to sit quietly and be totally fulfilled in a room with no furniture, living on bread and water, I don't think I have to define myself as underprivileged or as suffering because I live below the standard of living. If somebody laid it on me against my will, that's oppression; but if I chose it as a means to extricate myself from deep conditioning, that's my business. Don't let paranoia rule the game about who's doing what to whom.\n\nI believe in external _and_ internal freedom, and I won't surrender my internal freedom for external freedom. Most Western activists want freedoms they can see and measure, the external freedoms. But somebody who is seeing clearly, I think, can recognize that even when we get all the external freedoms, which many people in the society actually have, we are still not free. That's what spirituality addresses itself to, the matter of inner, or internal freedom. Once we have internal freedom, we may or may not be political activists; we may or may not be artists; we may or may not be anything. Most likely, we won't sit around apathetically. But there isn't any rule that says we can't. That's external freedom. To say that everybody who is more conscious must be politically active is na\u00efve, as far as I'm concerned, because a society is an extremely complex and exquisite organism, and it takes all kinds of parts to make it beautiful.\n\nI see the evolutionary political change as very exciting, like a Martian takeover, rather than everyone picking up a gun and starting to shoot each other. It doesn't have to be \"us\" against \"them.\" It's we become them, and then \"them\" becomes us. But it's scary, because there are no symbols to hide behind. Some who come and hang out with me are lawyers, doctors, and college professors. I don't say to them, \"Give up being a doctor.\" I don't tell an activist to stop being an activist, or a politician to stop being a politician, or a singer to stop singing. We just do whatever we're doing in a way that increases the connection of humanity, the awareness of the interrelatedness of all things. That includes ecological sophistication, and economic and political awareness. Stay doing what you're doing, because there's no one role that defines the game. Just because you march on City Hall doesn't make you an effective political activist. Christ and Buddha were both effective political activists, each in his own way. I think we have to acknowledge that there are a variety of strategies in this game of life. And it isn't good guys and bad guys\u2014it's just individual difference.\n\nFor those people who find themselves in a particular time and place in which it is appropriate for them to struggle politically against oppression and injustice, could spiritual practices help them?\n\nYes, because in terms of the effectiveness of any action, we are more effective when we are capable of being totally involved in what we're doing and totally non-attached\u2014though I understand how the term _non-attached_ might seem antagonistic to the original concerns that have motivated the involvement. Let me elucidate. Part of the total coolness that is needed when under stress comes from compassion for the entire predicament. That is, from having an overview of the whole game board. It's like fighting a ground battle, but you have the additional perspective of a helicopter overhead, studying the entire strategy. It allows us not to get so lost in our emotions that we make the other guy have to stay polarized. In other words, we give space for him to grow by seeing how he got caught in his predicament.\n\nFor instance, I can understand the position of, say, the Secretary of Defense, though I don't agree with it. I can protest his actions and say he shouldn't have done certain things, which I do. But at the same moment, I can hear his predicament. And that ability to hear his predicament gives him an opportunity to grow, because every human being has the right to get unstuck from his models. But the minute we take away people's opportunity to grow, even if they're bad guys, we've imposed on them exactly the wrongs we'd like to right. We can't create polarization in our zeal to override the bad guys, or we might create more.\n\nAs was said in _Be Here Now_ , the hippies were creating the police, and the police were creating the hippies; it was so obvious in the Haight-Ashbury. The citizens got frightened by the scene, so they demanded their police get more oppressive. The police got more oppressive, and that became a symbol against which the hippies mobilized to fight. The more the hippies mobilized to fight, the more the police got oppressive. Each force was creating the other. And nobody in that space was conscious enough to cut through that polarization, which could have turned it into a whole collaborative dance together. I think that spiritual awareness, compassion, and consciousness can clearly contribute to political effectiveness.\n\nYou know Allen Ginsberg was incredible at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He just went and chanted OM right in the middle of the scene. Now that's a very interesting mixed game. At the time, I was sitting in a temple in India. I read some clippings about Allen in Chicago. And I went through a few changes, like, \"Am I copping out? I mean, here's my buddy right there being maced and beaten. What am I doing? I'm sitting in a temple in the Himalayas in this room huddled in a blanket and making tea for myself. Is this a cop-out, or am I confronting other subtle demons for all of us, which in a way is as difficult as the demons, the bad guys, of the external physical plane? What can I bring to my fellow man?\"\n\nAnd it turns out that I do have something to offer political activists, or perhaps anyone who might share these words. It seems that a lot of revolutionary tactics in this country have won the battle but lost the war. If we alleviate human suffering on one level but our act doesn't allow it to be alleviated at another level, then we haven't accomplished the goal of ending suffering. Like in getting economic benefits for people, if we deepen their attachment to thinking that economic benefits are going to give them total peace or happiness, then we are perpetuating the illusion that causes the suffering. That's why the nature of the consciousness of the revolutionary determines whether the revolution ultimately liberates or entraps those it was meant to aid. It's a really beautiful issue. Really it's like the Europeans who originally came to America and thought that if they got political and religious freedom, they would have it made. Well, they came here and they got it, and they didn't have it made.\n\nHow does one decide to get rid of sexual desires? I'd like to give them up, but I don't know how.\n\nWe have finally found out in America that there really is nothing wrong with sex. We don't have to be Victorian about it. We've gone from neurotic sex to reasonably healthy sex, and that's really good. And if we're living in the world, sex is a very beautiful part of existence. However, if we in truth want to realize God in this lifetime, then we start to direct our energies toward getting there. The predicament with sexuality is that no matter how nice our intentions are, the act itself is so powerful that it catches us in the gratification that comes from our separateness, the extreme of sensual gratification. And in that sense, it's reinforcing our separateness. We don't give up sex because it's bad or wrong\u2014no guilt, nothing like that. What we don't do is _give up_ sex. What we do is acknowledge how much we want God, and we turn our hearts and minds in that direction without sounding like we're coming on for Barnum & Bailey. We can't get into a struggle against it, because every time we're busy struggling against something, we're reinforcing its reality. The game is just to go into the reality where sex is, like rubbing sticks together to make a fire. We get to the point where we're already existing in that place we were having sex to get to.\n\nAt times couples have said to me, \"What's happening? As we get more into spirituality, our sex life means less and less to us. Something's wrong. Isn't sex divine?\" Yes, sex is divine, but the reasons for having sex were falling away. Later they could have sex without any opposition or drain on their inner work. High beings can have the most incredibly beautiful sex imaginable because their hearts are open, which most people having sex in this culture don't experience. The problem is that most high beings don't have any desire for orgasm because they are already sharing such intimacy.\n\nTantra yoga is often played with by people who desire sexual gratification. They try to have their cake and eat it too. But in truth, when we desire to have a sexual relationship with another person, the arousal process and the gratification are reinforcing that desire. The only kind of truly Tantric sexuality that is possible is between two human beings who are so rooted in God that there is no preoccupying desire for the other person as \"other.\" Then we may use the physiological process of body interaction in order to awaken energy to move it up through the chakras. But that is only when there is no preoccupying desire whatsoever in either partner. And that is a condition that hardly anybody I've ever known could fulfill. Short of that, let's just be honest with ourselves: sexuality is sexuality, not Tantra. The true Tantra is basically the relationship between Radha and Krishna, between the seeker and the Mother, where you open your soul and become both the lingam and the yoni, both the phallus and the vagina. You are both entering into the universe and drawing spirit into yourself\u2014because the soul is neither male nor female. And when you have identified yourself as an awakening soul, the sexual dance starts to lose its pull.\n\nBut now I must caution you on what I'm saying. Each of us is at a different stage in our evolutionary cycle. Many of us have much work to do in interpersonal relations, sexual gratification and so on. That is the stage where we want to want God, but we have other business to attend to first. To make believe we are done with something we are not done with will slow us down in our spiritual journey. To try to hold on to something we are done with will equally slow our journey. There is no simple rule of the game of who becomes Brahmacharya and who doesn't. Some people do it, and some don't. Married couples may be Brahmacharya, or they may not. Brahmacharya couples have sex in order to produce a child, and that's it\u2014not once a month on the new moon or by any formula.\n\nWe don't discard our sexuality. It's all part of the dance. And just like ultimately we can eat whatever we want, ultimately we can do whatever we want. This isn't a moral issue at all. If we can hear and be honest with ourselves, we'll know when we are done and when we are not done, and when one desire system is stronger than another. We just have to be straight with ourselves. Don't make believe. Phoniness is the worst part of spiritual life\u2014people trying to be something they're not.\n\nWhile some folks I encourage to be Brahmacharya, others I encourage to have sex. There are many horny celibates in this world who are not going anywhere except to psychiatrists. And there are a lot of people having sex who wish they weren't anymore but can't stop because they think they ought to be. They've already entered into planes of consciousness where it's irrelevant. Trust yourself; allow your desires to fall away when it's appropriate.\n\nWhat part does diet play in spiritual work?\n\nAs I hear it about diet, at different stages of our sadhana, different diets are indicated. We start to be pulled toward them. These are not based on morality. They are based on what vibratory rates we can ingest and transmute. And there are stages where we can't handle meat because of the vibratory rate, the rajasic, active quality of it, the hot intense passion of the stuff. We can't get calm enough through it. So our diet starts to lighten up, to fish and eggs, and vegetables and grains, dairy products and fruit. When we can't handle that, pretty soon we might get down to grains and dairy products, vegetables and fruit. Then there are times when we can't handle anything but fruit. And then we may go through a stage where we are so connected and clear and beyond it that we can eat anything again.\n\nCertain diets will help purify the system when it's full of toxins from the kind of stuff we usually eat. They're really generally useful. Simple vegetarian diets often help. But don't get into a good-and-evil trip about it. It doesn't work. It's just getting caught in a lot of righteous morality. A lot of people are more preoccupied with what goes in their mouth than what comes out of it. I must honestly tell you that people have been liberated eating anything, so the game is clearly not going to be that simple. The Native Americans consumed buffalo, and there have been some very high mystics and saints among them. The Tibetans eat meat and honor the animals, and it is all part of the karmic working-through for all of them. And the way they do it is not spoiling or wasteful or angry or anything. It is in the way of things.\n\nI remember meditating in Big Sur in a house that was loaned to me by Esalen Institute, and it came with a cat. Every morning the cat would go out and get its prey to eat. And it would come in, and because it loved me, it would come over to me and sit between my legs as I meditated. There, it would chew on the skull of a mouse or a lizard, which would sometimes still be alive and flapping. And I wouldn't know who to hate or who to love, or what to do. I learned a great deal. I was taken through a tremendous understanding of one level of our existence.\n\nMy diet has recently been modified vegetarian; that is, I eat fish and eggs, and now and then chicken. And I do that because it feels like my body needs a certain kind of protein, which I have to feed it because of my lifestyle. Just as I do, you too must listen to your own needs.\n\nAs a woman psychotherapist, I'm having a difficult time integrating what you teach with my daily work with my patients. Could you reflect a bit on this condition?\n\nI think that the polarization of inner work and outer social action is a polarity that merely comes out of an attachment to a model in one's head. From my point of view, both of those come together very much in Karma Yoga, the yoga of daily life: Perform the daily actions of your life so as to come to a clearer state of consciousness or deeper peace or greater enlightenment or whatever metaphor you wish to use. The work you're doing becomes your practice rather than your practice taking you away from your daily life. That is, if you just start from where you are, not where you wish you were, and your givens are certain trainings and skills and responsibilities, then the game is to find within all that the path to enlightenment and the way to use it all as a method of working on yourself.\n\nI find myself spending almost all of my time serving, being available to people who are suffering in one way or another. It's hard to define who's suffering how, or who's suffering more than another. When people come to me, my interaction with them is from their point of view allowing them to re-perceive their life strategies and their emotions and so on, but really they are my work on myself, just as arduous psychiatric patients are a psychiatrist's work on herself or himself. If you get lost in pity or anger or rejection or desire\u2014sexual desire or desire for power over your patients\u2014then you become less effective as an agent of change. Part of your work is to deal with countertransference and your own emotional reactions to people.\n\nFrom my point of view, my work is to stay in a place of total involvement in the psychological plane with total nonattachment. I do what I do, and I do it as perfectly as my consciousness allows it to be done, though I'm not attached to how it comes out. I'm just doing it as best I can. It comes out as God wants it to come out, not as I think it ought to come out. That is, when I meet people, I don't immediately know if they ought to change just because they are in a mental hospital. I have no reason to say that how I think they ought to be is better than how they are. I just share my being with other beings, and they change to the extent they are capable and ready and can change, using my consciousness as an instrument.\n\nYour struggle happens because a model of being a psychiatrist or being a woman or being any label is entrapping, because labels are limiting. They are finite; they have suffering connected with them. And part of the work of consciousness is to redefine your own being, your own nature, to the point where you _are_. Then there's psychiatristness and there's womanness and there's personalityness and there's opportunityness and so on. These are like phenomenal rings around your essence rather than who, at center, you really are. As long as you think you're somebody who's doing something, you're lost in the illusion and can't really offer anyone else the space to extricate themselves from their negative realities.\n\nNow, the optimal strategy in behavior change, with yourself and every other human being, is compassion. That means, as far as I understand it, the ability to see how it all is. As long as you have certain desires about how you think it ought to be, you can't hear how it is. As long as I want something, I can't really understand it, because much of what I can see is just my own projective system. You come to see every human being, including yourself, as an incarnation in a body or a personality, going through a certain life experience, which is functional. You allow the incarnation to be just the way it is at this moment, seeing even your own confusion and conflict and suffering as functional rather than as dysfunctional.\n\nThe greatest thing you can do for any other being is to provide the unconditional love that comes from making contact with that place in them that is beyond conditions, which is just pure consciousness, pure essence. That is, once we acknowledge each other as existing, just being here, just being, then each of us is free to change optimally. If I can just love you because here we are, then you are free to grow as you need to grow, because none of it's going to change my feeling of love.\n\nWe're used to having these special-role relationships, thinking certain roles apply to one yet not to another, because we're very attached to externals\u2014do you touch somebody, do you sleep with them, do you beat them, do you control them, do you collaborate with them, do you support them, do you pay them, do they pay you? That's all stuff of the interaction between two beings; it isn't the essence of the matter. As you work on yourself through your daily life, more and more you see your own reactions to things around you as sort of mechanical rip-offs. You get much calmer in the space behind it all, and you're able to hear more how it all is, including your own personality as a part of nature. The deeper you are in that space, the more there is available for everybody you meet who is capable of coming into that space. You are the environment that allows them to do that. And from within this space, all change is possible. The minute you identify yourself or anyone else with models, roles, or any characteristic, any individual difference, change is really fierce. When you live in a universe where you experience even your living and dying as relative rather than in absolute terms, it's all free to change. There's nowhere you have to go to work on yourself other than where you are at this moment, and everything that's happening to you is part of your work on yourself.\n\nDifferent ones of us are different parts of the corpus of civilization, and no one act is any better than any other. If you didn't have the shoemaker, we would go unshod; you need the shoemaker. Is the shoemaker better than the psychiatrist or worse? And what about the garbage collector? Without garbage collection, you know where New York would be? Or Boston? So is the garbage man more important than the psychiatrist or less important? The whole thing becomes absurd. You begin to see that everybody, even the President, is just another instrument in the dance, another part of the total body, and each of us must hear what our particular route through is and not try to define, \"That's a good one and the others are bad,\" or \"That's the best one,\" or \"I'm doing the most important work.\" The most important work you can do is the perfect job for _you_ to do. Discover how to serve people not out of the fact that you're supposed to or _ought_ to. Just do psychotherapy because that's where you're at. Do therapy as long as you realize that here we are behind doctorness and patientness; here we are behind neurosis and relative neurosis.\n\nA very lovely psychiatrist I know is also interested in meditation and the spirit. It's remarkable, because his teacher is a black seventy-ish automobile mechanic who, from eight in the morning until six at night, works on cars and then comes home to his apartment, sits and drinks wine, and all these kids come and hang out around him because he's a wise man. And he heals them. He works on their bodies, but all the time he's transmitting this incredible unconditional love because he's loving the place in them behind all their crap and all the stuff and all the divine dance. And here's a psychiatrist who's willing to sit at the feet of this automobile mechanic because he's knowledgeable enough to respect wisdom.\n\nI have three major instructions for my life from my Guru: love, serve, and remember. Love everyone, serve or feed everyone, and remember God. My own yoga seems to be doing every day whatever it is that I do\u2014being with people, sharing time with them in whatever way. I don't demand they call themselves patients. We may meet under any circumstances, in a restaurant or somewhere, maybe a bus, and be with one another in whatever way we need to be with one another. In all cases it's my work on myself, because I am loving, serving, and remembering, but what I love and serve is a function of what I remember. What I remember is who we all are. I remember the Self\u2014and that remembering means that my love and service toward another being are directed toward the place in them in which they are already free.\n\nA few years ago, I used to meditate and I felt wonderful. Then my life changed, and now I look back and wonder what happened to that beautiful state of mind I had.\n\nOne difficulty most of us have is interpreting our suffering, and our doubt, and our confusion, and our loss of faith as part of the process of awakening. We keep feeling we fell out of grace\u2014we blew it. \"Why aren't I high? What happened? Life stinks. Before, it used to be all sweetness and light, and now it's so heavy for me.\" Not for all of us at all moments, but every one of us has those moments. I sure do.\n\nIt's like when Christ comes forth and performs all these miracles and says, \"Look, it isn't the way you think it is at all. You aren't who you think you are; I'm not who you think I am. We are all in the Father. Come on, wake up. Let go of all your worldly nonsense. Let's get on with it.\" And everybody around him gets hooked on him because he's got all this power. Then he leaves them, and everybody gets depressed. They got hooked on their method, their method of getting high, and their method left. If you're a druggie, you ran out of drugs. Or, for me, my Guru left his body. Or a method that's been getting you high for years\u2014singing to Krishna or following your breath\u2014suddenly turns to straw in your mouth. It doesn't work anymore. What about all those lows? When you're angry. When you're getting fired. When you've run out of welfare. When your car breaks down. When there's an unexpected pregnancy. When there is a fight. When there is violence in the neighborhood. When there is racial tension in the community. When there is ecological disaster imminent at every turn. When there is a positive AIDS test. When politics all sound like lies.\n\nAll of this does an interesting thing: it throws us back in upon ourselves for us to see where we're at. When all the pins get pulled away, we have a chance for a moment to see what resources we have. There are many stages on this path, many lessons, but don't stop anywhere. It's all part of the process of awakening. You have all the time in the world, but don't waste a moment.\n\nWhat is the Seva Foundation, which you helped form and are part of?\n\nThe word _seva_ in Sanskrit means \"selfless service.\" The Seva Foundation came into being in 1978 out of the inspiration of folks who served together in Southeast Asia as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) campaign that successfully eradicated smallpox from the face of the earth. SEVA was originally an acronym for \"Society for Epidemiology and Voluntary Assistance.\"\n\nSeva's first project was to help reduce the burden of preventable and curable blindness in the world. Eighty percent of third-world blindness can be prevented or cured. Nepal, the small, rugged country nestled in the Himalayas between China and India, was the place Seva began work. Here was a situation in which Western know-how could really help. Seva undertook to help rid Nepal of its backlog of curable blindness and to develop an infrastructure that would enable Nepalis to become self-sufficient in eye care.\n\nSeva collaborated in a Nepal Blindness Program by providing planning, expertise, administrators, assistance from ophthalmologists, medical supplies, vehicles, and support for training of the medical personnel. The program was directed at preventing potentially blinding diseases like trachoma, xerophthalmia, and keratomalacia through treatment and health education, and at reducing cataracts through surgeries via a network of hospitals, clinics, eye camps, and outreach programs.\n\nSeva also collaborated with Aravind Eye Hospital, an extraordinary institution in Madurai, South India, that became a major source of inspiration for the work in Nepal. Its founder and a Seva board member, the late Dr. G. Venkataswamy, grew it from a twenty-bed clinic to a group of cutting-edge eye hospitals in South India that are a worldwide model for eye care. They do more cataract operations than any other institution in the world, and many Western ophthalmologists go there for internships. Seva also supports Aravind's initiatives in child health and nutrition, which reach the poorest of the poor in Indian villages.\n\nOnce the Nepal project was in place and work with Aravind was progressing, Seva broadened its mandate to relieve other kinds of suffering. They have worked with native peoples in Guatemala and Tibet and on Native American reservations in the Dakotas. Besides medical projects Seva works to enable indigenous cultures to carry on ancient crafts like weaving and traditional agriculture to support themselves. They also initiated a series of small reforestation projects in Africa, South America, Nepal, and South Dakota. A sister organization, Seva Service Society, was incorporated in Canada in 1982.\n\nBehind the projects lies a vision that impels Seva to responsible actions that help to relieve suffering wherever possible; to create opportunities to grow spiritually and consciously through collaboratively cultivating the compassion of our own hearts; to acknowledge the earth as our home and our family; and to recognize that many of the problems facing humanity\u2014hunger, poverty, physical suffering, fear and violence\u2014can be reduced through dedicated human effort and helping people to help themselves. From the beginning Seva has valued a rapprochement on conscious action between social activists and spiritual seekers, the \"do-ers\" and the \"be-ers.\" Largely a grassroots organization, Seva appreciates the wisdom of Gandhi's statement, \"Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it\". As an institution they are helping to ring the bell of compassion and joy in a sometimes bleak world, believing it's possible to do good and to have fun doing it, to open our love to God's love through an understanding that each of us works for all of us.\n\nYou can get more information at http:\/\/www.seva.org.\n\nWho do you think you are? How do you view your role in the contemporary scene? How do you relate to it?\n\nThe most honest answer is, I have absolutely no idea who I am. I am not even fascinated anymore with who I am. I used to be fascinated with Ram Dass . . . \"Wow, look at that. Isn't that interesting?\" I try to get a rush off it now and then, but it's just not happening. Once John Lennon and Yoko Ono came to visit me. And a few days later so did Governor Jerry Brown. The old mind thought, _My God, a governor has come to my motel room. I must be somebody_. And I tried to get a little leverage off it, but it was empty\u2014it was just nothing. I'm an old power tripper, so why wasn't I getting rushes off power?\n\nI can speak to your question, and we can play this thing out. But most of the time, I'm just sitting pretty empty. It's quite incredible. It's the consciousness of other beings that draws all this stuff out of me. When I'm with you and you ask me who I am, I can give you a nice erudite answer. I might say I'm trained to be a wise man in this society. And I think that's a role that the society sure as hell can use.\n\nMy Guru said to me, \"Lincoln was a good president because he knew that Christ was president and that he was only acting president.\" I don't really have any personal identity, except when I'm busy getting in the way. I don't think it's me doing this work. Sometimes I'm like a perfect instrument in a way, an instrument for the flow of the universe. I can't think of anything nicer than to be an instrument for the flow of the universe. I'm perfectly happy to be a pebble on the bottom of the lake. That's what's fun about having fame when you don't particularly want it. There's a freedom, not an entrapment, in it. There isn't much anxiety in my game anymore, because I'm just as interested in it whichever way it goes.\n\nIn the sixties I was really a bad guy in this society, an acid head thrown out of Harvard and all that. Now I'm a good guy in the society. Maybe I'll be a bad guy in the society again someday. It's just the flow, just the dance. I just notice it.\n\nAll I really want to do is become free. And more and more, no matter what I'm doing, that's all I'm doing anyway. I'm sitting here, and it's just going through me. It's just nothing. It's totally beautiful, and the more nothing it is, the more beautiful it gets.\n_All of the things I would share with you are unspeakable. It is only now that we have this book out of the way that we can start to dance into the realms where we look into one another's eyes and know what is not knowable. We are that, for ultimately we will transcend knowing. And we will be wise\u2014a simplicity out of which comes the wisdom of our being. A human birth is a very precious matter. We have all the ingredients necessary to know God fully in this lifetime. That we all reached forth to meet here is itself incredible grace_.\n\n\"Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice.\n\nRejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice.\"\nAbout the Authors\n\n**RAM DASS** is the author of the landmark classic _Be Here Now_ and the acclaimed _Still_ Here and _Be Love Now_. After meeting his guru in India in 1967, Ram Dass became a pivotal spiritual influence on American culture. Visit the author at www.ramdass.org.\n\n**STEPHEN LEVINE** is one of the world's foremost authorities on death and dying and the author of _Who Dies?_\n\nVisit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.\nBooks by Ram Dass\n\n_Be Here Now_\n\n_Be Here Now (Enhanced Edition)_\n\n_Be Love Now_\n\n_Grist for the Mill_\nCredits\n\nFront cover design: Mende Design\n\nFront cover photograph: Rameshwar Das\nCopyright\n\nGRIST FOR THE MILL. _Awakening to Oneness_. Copyright \u00a9 2013 by Ram Dass with Stephen Levine. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. 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+{"text":" \n# Frommer's Costa Rica\u00ae\n\n**Table of Contents**\n\n The Best of Costa Rica\n\n> The best of Natural Costa Rica\n> \n> The best Beaches\n> \n> The best Adventures\n> \n> The best Day Hikes & Nature Walks\n> \n> The best Bird-Watching\n> \n> The best Destinations for Families\n> \n> The best Luxury Hotels & Resorts\n> \n> The best Moderately Priced Hotels\n> \n> The best Ecolodges & Wilderness Resorts\n> \n> The best Bed & Breakfasts & Small Inns\n> \n> The best Restaurants\n> \n> The best Views\n> \n> The best After-Dark Fun\n> \n> The best Websites About Costa Rica\n\n Costa Rica in Depth\n\n> Costa Rica Today\n> \n> Looking Back at Costa Rica\n> \n> Art & Architecture\n> \n> Costa Rica in Popular Culture\n> \n> Tico etiquette & Customs\n> \n> Eating & Drinking\n> \n> Tips on Shopping in Costa Rica\n> \n> When to Go\n> \n> The Lay of the Land\n> \n> Responsible Tourism\n\n Suggested Costa Rica Itineraries\n\n> Costa Rica Regions in Brief\n> \n> Costa Rica In 1 Week\n> \n> Costa Rica In 2 Weeks\n> \n> Costa Rica For Families\n> \n> A Week of Adventures in Costa Rica\n> \n> San Jos\u00e9 & Environs in 3 Days\n> \n>  The Active Vacation Planner\n\nOrganized Adventure Trips\n\n> Planning a Costa Rican wedding\n> \n> Activities A to Z\n> \n> Where to See the resplendent quetzal\n> \n> In Search of turtles\n> \n> Costa Rica's Top National Parks & Bioreserves\n> \n> monkey Business\n> \n> Tips on Health, Safety & Etiquette in the Wilderness\n> \n> Study & Volunteer Programs\n\n San Jos\u00e9\n\n> Orientation\n> \n> \"I Know There's Got to Be a number Here Somewhere . . .\"\n> \n> Getting Around\n> \n> Where to Stay\n> \n> Where to Eat\n> \n> What to See & Do\n> \n> Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports\n> \n> joe to Go\n> \n> Shopping\n> \n> San Jos\u00e9 After Dark\n> \n> Side Trips from San Jos\u00e9\n\n The Central Valley\n\n> Escaz\u00fa & Santa Ana\n> \n> Dining Under the stars\n> \n> Alajuela, Po\u00e1s & the Airport Area\n> \n> Heredia\n> \n> Grecia, Sarch\u00ed & Zarcero\n> \n> Cartago \n> \n> The Orosi Valley \n> \n> Turrialba & the Guayabo National Monument\n\n Guanacaste: The Gold Coast\n\n> Liberia\n> \n> Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park\n> \n> La Cruz & Bah\u00eda Salinas\n> \n> Playa Hermosa, Playa Panam\u00e1 & Papagayo \n> \n> Playa del Coco & Playa Ocotal\n> \n> Playas Conchal & Brasilito\n> \n> Playas Flamingo & Potrero\n> \n> Playa Grande \n> \n> Playa Tamarindo \n> \n> Playa Junquillal\n\n Puntarenas & the Nicoya Peninsula\n\n> Puntarenas\n> \n> Diving Trips to isla del coco (Cocos Island)\n> \n> Playa Tambor\n> \n> Playa Montezuma \n> \n> Malpa\u00eds & Santa Teresa \n> \n> Playa S\u00e1mara \n> \n> Playa Nosara\n\n The Northern Zone: Mountain Lakes, Cloud Forests & a Volcano\n\n> Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna \n> \n> boats, Horses & Taxis\n> \n> Taking a Soothing Soak in hot springs\n> \n> Along the Shores of Lake Arenal \n> \n> Monteverde \n> \n> A Self-Guided hike through the Reserve\n> \n> Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed\n\n The Central Pacific Coast:Where the Mountains Meet the Sea\n\n> Playa Herradura\n> \n> Playa de Jac\u00f3\n> \n> Manuel Antonio National Park \n> \n> Dominical \n> \n> San Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park\n\n The Southern Zone\n\n> Drake Bay \n> \n> Those Mysterious stone spheres\n> \n> Puerto Jim\u00e9nez: Gateway to Corcovado National Park\n> \n> Golfito: Gateway to the Golfo Dulce\n> \n> Playa Zancudo \n> \n> Playa Pavones: A Surfer's Mecca \n> \n> A Wild ride\n\n The Caribbean Coast\n\n> Barra del Colorado \n> \n> Tortuguero National Park \n> \n> Lim\u00f3n: Gateway to Tortuguero National Park & Southern Coastal Beaches\n> \n> Cahuita \n> \n> Puerto Viejo \n> \n> Playas Cocles, Chiquita, Manzanillo & South of Puerto Viejo\n\n Planning Your Trip to Costa Rica\n\n> Getting There\n> \n> Getting Around\n> \n> Staying Healthy\n> \n> Tips on Accommodations\n> \n> Airline Websites\n\n Costa Rican Wildlife\n\n> Fauna\n> \n> Flora\n\n Spanish Terms & Phrases\n\n> Basic Words & Phrases\n> \n> Some Typical Tico Words & Phrases\n> \n> Menu Terms\n> \n> Other Useful Terms\n\nCosta Rica 2012\n\nby Eliot Greenspan\n\nPublished by:\n\nJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.\n\n111 River St.\n\nHoboken, NJ 07030-5774\n\nCopyright \u00a9 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978\/750-8400, fax 978\/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201\/748-6011, fax 201\/748-6008, or online at <http:\/\/www.wiley.com\/go\/permissions>.\n\nFrommer's is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.\n\nISBN 978-1-118-02752-3 (paper); 978-1-118-07691-0 (paper); 978-1-118-11437-7 (ebk); 978-1-118-11440-7 (ebk); 978-1-118-11444-5 (ebk)\n\nEditor: Melinda Quintero with Jennifer Reilly\n\nProduction Editor: Jana M. Stefanciosa\n\nCartographer: Roberta Stockwell\n\nPhoto Editors: Richard Fox, Alden Gewirtz\n\nDesign and Layout by Vertigo Design\n\nGraphics and Prepress by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services\n\nFront cover photo: Rincon de la Vieja \u00a9Patrick Di Fruscia \/ SuperStock, Inc.\n\nBack cover photos: Left: A Bananaquit in the Central Valley \u00a9Rolf Nussbaumer Photography \/ Alamy Images. Middle: Guanacaste beach \u00a9Jaime Kowal \/ Workbook Stock \/ Getty Images. Right: Man biking in Puerto Viejo \u00a9Alberto Coto \/ Getty Images\n\nFor information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877\/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317\/572-3993 or fax 317\/572-4002.\n\nWiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats.\n\nManufactured in the United States of America\n\n5 4 3 2 1\nAbout the Author\n\nEliot Greenspan is a poet, journalist, musician, and travel writer who took his backpack and typewriter the length of Mesoamerica before settling in Costa Rica in 1992. Since then, he has worked steadily as a travel writer, food critic, freelance journalist, and translator, and continued his travels in the region. He is the author of Frommer's Belize, Frommer's Ecuador, Frommer's Guatemala, Costa Rica for Dummies, and Costa Rica Day By Day, as well as the chapter on Venezuela in Frommer's South America.\n\nDedication\n\nI'd like to dedicate this edition, with love, appreciation and gratitude, to Warren Greenspan, November 26, 1932\u2014January 11, 2011.\n\n\u2014Eliot Greenspan\n\nAcknowledgments\n\nI say this every year, but I continue to be eternally grateful to Anne Becher and Joe Richey, who were instrumental in getting me this gig\u2014muchas gracias. I'd also like to thank my parents, Marilyn and Warren Greenspan, who showed unwavering love, support, and encouragement (well, one out of three ain't bad) when I chose words and world-wandering over becoming a lawyer or a doctor. Jody and Ted Ejnes (my sister and brother-in-law) deserve a mention; they risked life and limb\u2014literally\u2014leading to two important tips that may help you save yours. (I now believe Ted, and he may have actually almost stepped on a crocodile.) Chrissie Long and Derek Marin did some excellent phone, fax, and fact-checking work on this edition. And a big tip of my hat to Jennifer Reilly for her editorial diligence and patience.\n\n\u2014Eliot Greenspan\n\nHow to Contact Us\n\nIn researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places\u2014hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We're sure you'll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we'd love to know that, too. Please write to:\n\nFrommer's Costa Rica 2012\n\nJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc. \u2022 111 River St. \u2022 Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774\n\nAdvisory & Disclaimer\n\nTravel information can change quickly and unexpectedly, and we strongly advise you to confirm important details locally before traveling, including information on visas, health and safety, traffic and transport, accommodations, shopping, and eating out. We also encourage you to stay alert while traveling and to remain aware of your surroundings. Avoid civil disturbances, and keep a close eye on cameras, purses, wallets, and other valuables.\n\nWhile we have endeavored to ensure that the information contained within this guide is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication, we make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. We accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for any inconvenience, loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by anyone as a result of any advice or information contained in this guide.\n\nThe inclusion of a company, organization, or website in this guide as a service provider and\/or potential source of further information does not mean that we endorse them or the information they provide. Be aware that information provided through some websites may be unreliable and can change without notice. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom.\n\nFrommer's Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations\n\nEvery hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).\n\nIn addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:\n\n  special finds\u2014those places only insiders know about\n\n  fun facts\u2014details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun\n\n  kids\u2014best bets for kids and advice for the whole family\n\n  special moments\u2014those experiences that memories are made of\n\n  overrated\u2014places or experiences not worth your time or money\n\n  insider tips\u2014great ways to save time and money\n\n  great values\u2014where to get the best deals\n\nThe following abbreviations are used for credit cards:\n\nAE\n\nAmerican Express\n\nDISC\n\nDiscover\n\nV\n\nVisa\n\nDC\n\nMC\n\nMasterCard\n\nTravel Resources at Frommers.com\n\nFrommer's travel resources don't end with this guide. Frommer's website, www.frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much more.\n1\n\nThe Best of Costa Rica\n\nA red-eyed tree frog in Tortuguero.\n\nWith more than two million visitors each year, Costa Rica is currently\u2014and consistently\u2014one of the hottest vacation and adventure-travel destinations in Latin America. Despite its popularity and mass appeal, Costa Rica remains a place rich in natural wonders and biodiversity, where you can still find yourself far from the maddening crowds. The country boasts a wealth of unsullied beaches that stretch for miles, small lodgings that haven't attracted hordes of tourists, jungle rivers for rafting and kayaking, and spectacular cloud forests and rainforests with ample opportunities for bird-watching and hiking. In addition to the country's trademark eco- and adventure-tourism offerings, you will also find luxury resorts and golf courses, plush spas, and some truly spectacular boutique hotels and lodges.\n\nHaving lived in Costa Rica for more than 20 years, I continue to explore and discover new spots, adventures, restaurants, and lodgings\u2014and my \"best of\" experiences keep on coming. In this chapter, I've selected the very best of what this unique country has to offer. This chapter is meant to give you an overview of the highlights so that you can start planning your own adventure.\n\nThe best of Natural Costa Rica\n\n\u2022 Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park (northeast of Liberia, in Guanacaste): This is an area of rugged beauty and high volcanic activity. The Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja Volcano rises to 1,848m (6,061 ft.), but the thermal activity is spread out along its flanks, where numerous geysers, vents, and fumaroles let off its heat and steam. This is a great place to hire a guide and a horse for a day, with waterfalls and mud baths, hot springs, and cool jungle swimming holes to explore. You'll pass through pastureland, scrub savanna, and moist secondary forest; the bird-watching is excellent.\n\n\u2022 The R\u00edo Sarapiqu\u00ed Region (north of San Jos\u00e9 btw. Guanacaste in the west and the Caribbean coast in the east): This region is a prime place for an ecolodge experience. Protected tropical forests climb from the Caribbean coastal lowlands up into the central mountains, affording you a glimpse of a plethora of life zones and ecosystems. Braulio Carrillo National Park borders several other private reserves here, and a variety of ecolodges will suit any budget. See \"Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Arenal Volcano\/Tabac\u00f3n Hot Springs (near La Fortuna, northwest of San Jos\u00e9): When the skies are clear and the lava is flowing, Arenal Volcano offers a thrilling light show accompanied by an earthshaking rumble that defies description. You can even see the show while soaking in a natural hot spring and having a drink at the swim-up bar at Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort (www.tabacon.com;   877\/277-8291 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2519-1999 in Costa Rica). If the rushing torrent of volcano-heated spring water isn't therapeutic enough, you can get an incredibly inexpensive massage here. See \"Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna,\" in chapter .\n\nTabac\u00f3n Hot Springs.\n\n\u2022 Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve (in the mountains northwest of San Jos\u00e9): There's something both eerie and majestic about walking around in the early morning mist surrounded by bird calls and towering trees hung heavy in broad bromeliads, flowering orchids, and hanging moss and vines. The reserve has a well-maintained network of trails, and the community is truly involved in conservation. Not only that, but in and around Monteverde and Santa Elena, you'll find a whole slew of related activities and attractions, including canopy tours that allow you to swing from treetop to treetop while hanging from a skinny cable.\n\nMonteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.\n\n\u2022 Manuel Antonio (near Quepos on the central Pacific coast): The reason this place is so popular and renowned? Monkeys! The national park here is full of them, even the endangered squirrel monkeys. But you'll also find plenty to see and do outside the park. The road into Manuel Antonio has many lookouts that consistently offer postcard-perfect snapshots of steep jungle hills meeting the sea. Uninhabited islands lie just off the coast, and the beaches here are perfect crescents of soft, white sand. See \"Manuel Antonio National Park,\" in chapter .\n\nManuel Antonio National Park.\n\n\u2022 Osa Peninsula (in southern Costa Rica): This is Costa Rica's most remote and biologically rich region. Corcovado National Park, the largest remaining patch of virgin lowland tropical rainforest in Central America, takes up much of the Osa Peninsula. Jaguars, crocodiles, and scarlet macaws all call this place home. Whether you stay in a luxury nature lodge in Drake Bay or outside of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, or camp in the park itself, you will be surrounded by some of the most lush and most intense jungle this country has to offer. See chapter .\n\n\u2022 Tortuguero Village & Jungle Canals (on the Caribbean coast, north of Lim\u00f3n): Tortuguero Village is a small collection of rustic wooden shacks on a narrow spit of land between the Caribbean Sea and a dense maze of jungle canals. It's been called Costa Rica's Venice, but it actually has more in common with the South American Amazon. As you explore the narrow canals here, you'll see a wide variety of herons and other water birds, three types of monkeys, three-toed sloths, and caimans. If you come between June and October, you might be treated to the awe-inspiring spectacle of a green turtle nesting\u2014the small stretch of Tortuguero beach is the last remaining major nesting site of this endangered animal. See \"Tortuguero National Park,\" in chapter .\n\nThe best Beaches\n\nWith more than 1,200km (750 miles) of shoreline on its Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Costa Rica offers beachgoers an embarrassment of riches.\n\n\u2022 Santa Rosa National Park: If you really want to get away from it all, the beaches here in the northwest corner of Costa Rica are a good bet. You'll have to four-wheel-drive or hike 13km (8 miles) from the central ranger station to reach them. And once there, you'll find only the most basic of camping facilities: outhouse latrines and cold-water showers. But you'll probably have the place almost to yourself. In fact, the only time it gets crowded is in October, when thousands of olive ridley sea turtles nest in one of their yearly arribadas (arrivals).\n\n\u2022 Playa Nacascolo: With silky soft white sand, this is the best stretch of beach on the Papagayo Peninsula. The waters here are protected from ocean swells and great for swimming. See \"Playa Hermosa, Playa Panam\u00e1 & Papagayo,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Playa Avellanas: Just south of Tamarindo, this long, white-sand beach has long been a favorite haunt for surfers, locals, and those in-the-know. Playa Avellanas stretches on for miles, backed largely by protected mangrove forests. On the verge of \"being discovered,\" there's still very little going on here\u2014aside from the nearby JW Marriott resort and Lola's, perhaps my favorite beachfront restaurant in the country.\n\n\u2022 The Beaches around Playa S\u00e1mara: Playa S\u00e1mara itself is nice enough, but if you venture just slightly farther afield, you'll find some of the nicest and least developed beaches along the entire Guanacaste coast. Playa Carrillo is a long, almost always deserted crescent of palm-backed white sand located just south of S\u00e1mara, while Playa Barrigona and Playa Buena Vista are two hidden gems tucked down a couple of dirt roads to the north. See \"Playa S\u00e1mara,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Playa Montezuma: This tiny beach town at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula has weathered fame and infamy, but retains a funky sense of individuality. European backpackers, vegetarian yoga enthusiasts, and UFO seekers choose Montezuma's beach over any other in Costa Rica. The waterfalls are what set it apart from the competition, but the beach stretches for miles, with plenty of isolated spots to plop down your towel or mat. Nearby are the Cabo Blanco and Cur\u00fa wildlife preserves. See \"Playa Montezuma,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Malpa\u00eds & Santa Teresa: While the secret is certainly out, there's still some time to visit Costa Rica's fastest growing hot spot before the throngs and large resorts arrive. With just a smattering of luxury lodges, surf camps, and assorted hotels and cabinas, Malpa\u00eds is the place to come if you're looking for miles of deserted beaches and great surf. If you find Malpa\u00eds is too crowded, head farther on down the road to Santa Teresa and beyond, to Playa Hermosa and Manzanillo. See \"Malpa\u00eds & Santa Teresa,\" in chapter .\n\nA Santa Teresa surfer.\n\n\u2022 Manuel Antonio: The first beach destination to become popular in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio retains its charms despite burgeoning crowds and mushrooming hotels. The beaches inside the national park are idyllic, and the views from the hills approaching the park are enchanting. This is one of the few remaining habitats for the endangered squirrel monkey. Rooms with views tend to be a bit expensive, but many a satisfied guest will tell you they're worth it. See \"Manuel Antonio National Park,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Punta Uva & Manzanillo: Below Puerto Viejo, the beaches of Costa Rica's eastern coast take on true Caribbean splendor, with turquoise waters, coral reefs, and palm-lined stretches of nearly deserted white-sand beach. Punta Uva and Manzanillo are the two most sparkling gems of this coastline. Tall coconut palms line the shore, providing shady respite for those who like to spend a full day on the sand, and the water is usually quite calm and good for swimming. See \"Puerto Viejo,\" in chapter .\n\nPunta Uva.\n\nThe best Adventures\n\n\u2022 Mountain-Biking the Back Roads of Costa Rica: The lack of infrastructure and paved roads here that most folks bemoan is a huge boon for mountain bikers. The country has endless back roads and cattle paths to explore. Tours of differing lengths and all difficulty levels are available. Contact Coast to Coast Adventures (  2280-8054; www.ctocadventures.com).\n\n\u2022 Swinging through the Treetops on a Canopy Tour: This unique adventure has become ubiquitous in Costa Rica. You'll find zip-line canopy tours all over the country. In most cases, after a strenuous climb using ascenders, you strap on a harness and zip from treetop to treetop while dangling from a cable. Check chapter , \"The Active Vacation Planner,\" and the various destination chapters to find a canopy tour operation near you.\n\nA tourist riding a canopy tour.\n\n\u2022 Rafting the Upper Reventaz\u00f3n River (near Turrialba): The Class V Guayabo section of this popular river is serious white water. Only experienced and gutsy river runners need apply. If you're not quite up to that, try a 2-day Pacuare River trip, which passes through primary and secondary forests and a beautiful steep gorge. Plans to build a dam here have thankfully been rejected, or at least stalled, for the time being. Costa Rica Nature Adventures (  800\/321-8410 in the U.S., or 2225-3939; www.toenjoynature.com) can arrange these tours.\n\n\u2022 Surfing & Four-Wheeling Guanacaste Province: This northwestern province has dozens of respectable beach and reef breaks, from Witch's Rock at Playa Naranjo near the Nicaraguan border to Playa Nosara more than 100km (62 miles) away. In addition to these two prime spots, try a turn at Playa Grande, Punta Langosta, and playas Negra, Avellanas, and Junquillal. Or find your own secret spot. Rent a four-by-four with a roof rack, pile on the boards, and explore. See chapter .\n\n\u2022 Trying the Adventure Sport of Canyoning: While far from standardized, canyoning usually involves hiking along and through the rivers and creeks of steep mountain canyons, with periodic breaks to rappel down the face of a waterfall, jump off a rock into a jungle pool, or float down a small rapid. Pure Trek Canyoning (  866\/569-5723 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-1313; www.puretrekcostarica.com), Desaf\u00edo Adventure Company (  866\/210-0052 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) in La Fortuna, and Psycho Tours (  8353-8619; www.psychotours.com), near Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, are the prime operators. See chapters  and .\n\nA canyoning tour.\n\n\u2022 Windsurfing or Kitesurfing on Lake Arenal: With steady gale-force winds (at certain times of the year) and stunning scenery, the northern end of Lake Arenal has become a major international windsurfing and kitesurfing hot spot. See chapter .\n\nWindsurfing on Lake Arenal.\n\n\u2022 Diving off the Shores of Isla del Coco (off the Pacific coast): Legendary among treasure seekers, pirate buffs, and scuba divers, this small island is consistently rated one of the 10 best dive sites in the world. A protected national park, Isla del Coco is surrounded by clear Pacific waters, and its reefs are teeming with life (divers regularly encounter large schools of hammerhead sharks, curious manta rays, and docile whale sharks). Because the island is so remote and has no overnight facilities for visitors, the most popular way to visit is on 10-day excursions on a live-aboard boat, where guests live, eat, and sleep onboard\u2014with nights anchored in the harbor.\n\n\u2022 Hiking Mount Chirrip\u00f3 (near San Isidro de El General on the central Pacific coast): The highest mountain in Costa Rica, Mount Chirrip\u00f3 is one of the few places in the world where (on a clear day) you can see both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean at the same time. Hiking to Chirrip\u00f3's 3,724m (12,215-ft.) summit takes you through a number of distinct bioregions, ranging from lowland pastures and a cloud forest to a high-altitude p\u00e1ramo, a tundralike landscape with stunted trees and morning frosts. See \"San Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park,\" in chapter .\n\nThe best Day Hikes & Nature Walks\n\n\u2022 Lankester Gardens: If you want a really pleasant but not overly challenging day hike, consider a walk among the hundreds of distinct species of flora on display here. Lankester Gardens (  2511-7939; www.jbl.ucr.ac.cr) is just 27km (17 miles) from San Jos\u00e9 and makes a wonderful day's expedition. The trails meander from areas of well-tended open garden to shady natural forest.\n\n\u2022 Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park: This park has a number of beautiful trails through a variety of ecosystems and natural wonders. My favorite hike is down to the Blue Lake and Cangrejo Falls. It's 5.1km (31\u20444 miles) each way, and you'll want to spend some time at the base of this amazing lake; plan on at least 5 hours for the outing, and bring along lunch and plenty of water. You can also hike up to two craters and a crater lake here, and the Las Pailas loop is ideal for those seeking a less strenuous hike. This remote volcanic national park is about an hour north of Liberia (it's only 25km\/16 miles, but the road is quite rough), or about 5 hours from San Jos\u00e9.\n\nRinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park.\n\n\u2022 La Selva Biological Station: This combination research facility and rustic nature lodge has an extensive and well-marked network of trails. You'll have to reserve in advance (www.threepaths.co.cr;   2524-0607) and take the guided tour if you aren't a guest at the lodge. But the hikes are led by very informed naturalists, so you might not mind the company. The Biological Station is located north-northeast on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica's central mountain range. It'll take you about 11\u20442 hours to drive from San Jos\u00e9 via the Gu\u00e1piles Highway.\n\nLa Selva Biological Station.\n\n\u2022 Arenal National Park & Environs: This area has great hiking. The national park itself has several excellent trails that visit a variety of ecosystems, including rainforest, secondary forest, savanna, and, my favorite, old lava flows. Most of them are on the relatively flat flanks of the volcano, so there's not too much climbing involved. The Arenal Observatory Lodge also has great trails, and the trek down to the base of the La Fortuna Waterfall is a fun scramble. It's about a 31\u20442-hour drive from San Jos\u00e9 to La Fortuna and Arenal National Park. See \"Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve: In the morning rush of high season, when groups and tours line up to enter the reserve, you'd think the park was named \"Crowd Forest.\" Still, the guides here are some of the most professional and knowledgeable in the country. Take a tour in the morning to familiarize yourself with the forest, and then spend the late morning or afternoon (your entrance ticket is good for the entire day) exploring the reserve. Off the main thoroughfares, Monteverde reveals its rich mysteries with stunning regularity. Walk through the gray mist and look up at the dense tangle of epiphytes and vines. The only noises are the rustlings of birds or monkeys and the occasional distant rumble of Arenal Volcano. The trails are well marked and regularly tended. It's about 31\u20442 hours by bus or car to Monteverde from San Jos\u00e9.\n\n\u2022 Corcovado National Park: This large swath of dense lowland rainforest is home to Costa Rica's second-largest population of scarlet macaws. The park has a well-designed network of trails, ranger stations, and camping facilities. Most of the lodges in Drake Bay and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez offer day hikes through the park, but if you really want to experience it, you should hike in and stay at one or more of the campgrounds. This is strenuous hiking, and you will have to pack in some gear and food, but the reward is some of Costa Rica's most spectacular and unspoiled scenery. Because strict limits are placed on the number of visitors allowed into the park, you'll always be far from the crowds. See \"Puerto Jim\u00e9nez: Gateway to Corcovado National Park,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Cahuita National Park: Fronted by the Caribbean and a picture-perfect white-sand beach, the trails here are flat, well-maintained paths through thick lowland forest. Most of the way they parallel the beach, which is usually no more than 90m (295 ft.) away, so you can hike out on the trail and back along the beach, or vice versa. White-faced and howler monkeys are common, as are brightly colored land crabs.\n\nThe best Bird-Watching\n\n\u2022 Observing Oropendola & Blue-Crowned Motmot at Parque del Este: A boon for city bird-watchers, this San Jos\u00e9 park rambles through a collection of lawns, planted gardens, and harvested forest, but it also includes second-growth scrub and dense woodland. Oropendola and blue-crowned motmot are common species here.\n\nBlue-crowned motmots.\n\n\u2022 Spotting Hundreds of Marsh & Stream Birds along the R\u00edo Tempisque Basin: Hike around the Palo Verde Biological Station, or take a boat trip down the Bebedero River with R\u00edos Tropicales (  2233-6455; www.riostropicales.com). This area is an important breeding ground for gallinules, jacanas, and limpkins, and is a common habitat for numerous heron and kingfisher species. Palo Verde is about a 31\u20442-hour drive from San Jos\u00e9.\n\n\u2022 Looking for 300-plus Species of Birds in La Selva Biological Station: With an excellent trail system through a variety of habitats, from dense primary rainforest to open pasturelands and cacao plantations, this is one of the finest places for bird-watching in Costa Rica. With such a variety of habitats, the number of species spotted runs to well over 300. La Selva is located just a few miles south of Puerto Viejo.\n\n\u2022 Sizing up a Jabiru Stork at Ca\u00f1o Negro National Wildlife Refuge: Ca\u00f1o Negro Lake and the R\u00edo Fr\u00edo that feeds it are incredibly rich in wildlife and a major nesting and gathering site for aquatic bird species. These massive birds are getting less common in Costa Rica, but this is still one of the best places to spot one. Ca\u00f1o Negro Natural Lodge(www.canonegrolodge.com;   2265-3302) sits right on the edge of the refuge and makes a great base for exploring this region to the north of La Fortuna.\n\n\u2022 Catching a Scarlet Macaw in Flight over Carara National Park: Home to Costa Rica's largest population of scarlet macaws, Carara Biological Reserve is a special place for devoted bird-watchers and recent converts. Macaws are noisy and colorful birds that spend their days in the park but choose to roost in the evenings near the coast. They arrive like clockwork every morning and then head for the coastal mangroves around dusk. These daily migrations give birders a great chance to see these magnificent birds in flight. The reserve is located about 2 hours from San Jos\u00e9 along the central Pacific coast.\n\nA Red-lored parrot.\n\n\u2022 Looking for a Resplendent Quetzal in the Cerro de la Muerte: Don't let the name (Mountain of Death) scare you away from the opportunity to see this spectacular bird, revered by the ancient Aztecs and Mayas. Serious bird-watchers won't want to leave Costa Rica without crossing this bird off their lists, and neophytes might be hooked for life after seeing one of these iridescent green wonders fly overhead, flashing its brilliant red breast and trailing 2-foot-long tail feathers. Trogon Lodge (www.grupomawamba.com;   2293-8181) can almost guarantee a sighting. The Cerro de la Muerte is a high mountain pass along the way to San Isidro de El General about 11\u20442 hours from San Jos\u00e9. See \"Cerro de la Muerte & San Gerardo de Dota: Where to See Quetzals in the Wild,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Spotting Hundreds of Species at Wilson Botanical Gardens: With more than 7,000 species of tropical plants and flowers, the well-tended trails and grounds of this beautiful research facility are fabulous for bird-watching. Hummingbirds and tanagers are particularly plentiful, but the bounty doesn't end there\u2014more than 360 different species of birds have been recorded here. Wilson Gardens (  2773-4004; www.threepaths.co.cr) is located about an hour outside the town of Golfito. See \"Golfito: Gateway to the Golfo Dulce,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Taking Advantage of the Caribbean's Best Birding at Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica: Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica (  2750-0775; www.slothrescue.org) has established itself as a prime bird-watching resort on the Caribbean. If it flies along this coast, chances are good that you'll spot it here; more than 330 species of birds have been spotted so far. In the afternoon, large flocks of several heron species nest here, including white, cattle, and boat-billed herons. Located on the Caribbean coast, Aviarios is about a 31\u20442-hour drive from San Jos\u00e9.\n\nThe best Destinations for Families\n\n\u2022 San Jos\u00e9: If you're spending any time in San Jos\u00e9, you'll probably want to be outside the rough-and-tumble downtown area. The best place to experience Costa Rica's capital city (and still get a decent night's sleep) is the Doubletree Cariari By Hilton (www.cariarisanjose.doubletree.com;   800\/222-8733 in the U.S. and Canada). With facilities that include several large pools, a gym, a casino, and a game room (not to mention a babysitting service), there's something here for everyone. If you're traveling with teens, they'll feel right at home at the nearby Mall Cariari, which has a multiplex theater, an indoor skating rink, and, of course, a food court. Just 15 minutes from downtown, it's well situated for exploring all of the city's sights and attractions.\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 Children's Museum.\n\n\u2022 La Paz Waterfall Gardens (  2482-2100; www.waterfallgardens.com): This multifaceted attraction features paths and suspended walkways alongside a series of impressive jungle waterfalls. Kids love the variety and vibrancy of the various attractions, from the buzzing hummingbirds to the impressive power of the waterfalls. The rooms at the Peace Lodge here are some of the best in the country.\n\nLa Paz Waterfall Gardens.\n\n\u2022 Playa Hermosa: The protected waters of this Pacific beach make it a family favorite. However, just because the waters are calm doesn't mean it's boring. I recommend staying at the beachfront Hotel Playa Hermosa Bosque del Mar (www.hotelplayahermosa.com;   2672-0046) and checking in at Aqua Sport (  2672-0050), where you can rent sea kayaks, sailboards, paddleboats, beach umbrellas, and bicycles. See \"Playa Hermosa, Playa Panam\u00e1 & Papagayo,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Playa Tamarindo: This lively surf town has a bit of something for everyone. This is a great spot for teens to learn how to surf or boogie-board, and there are a host of tours and activities to please the entire family. Hotel Capit\u00e1n Suizo (www.hotelcapitansuizo.com;   2653-0075;) has an excellent location on a calm section of beach, spacious rooms, and a great pool for kids and adults alike. See \"Playa Tamarindo & Playa Langosta,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Monteverde: Located about 160km (99 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9, this area not only boasts the country's most famous cloud forest, but also sports a wide variety of related attractions and activities. After hiking through the reserve, you should be able to keep most kids happy and occupied riding horses; squirming at the local serpentarium; or visiting the butterfly farm, frog pond, bat jungle, and hummingbird gallery. More adventurous families can take a horseback ride or one of the local zip-line canopy tours. See \"Monteverde,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Playa de Jac\u00f3: On the central Pacific coast, this is Costa Rica's liveliest and most developed beach town. The streets are lined with souvenir shops, ice-cream stands, and inexpensive eateries. Older kids can rent a surf- or boogie board, although everyone should be careful with the rough surf. The Club del Mar Condominiums & Resort (www.clubdelmarcostarica.com;   866\/978-5669 in the U.S. and Canada) is situated at the calm southern end of the beach and is accommodating to families with small children. See \"Playa de Jac\u00f3,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Manuel Antonio: Manuel Antonio has a little bit of everything: miles of gorgeous beaches, tons of wildlife (with almost guaranteed monkey sightings), and plenty of active-tour options. Of the load of lodging options, Hotel S\u00ed Como No (www.sicomono.com;   2777-0777), with its large suites, two pools, water slide, and nightly movies, is probably your best bet. See \"Manuel Antonio National Park,\" in chapter .\n\nThe best Luxury Hotels & Resorts\n\n\u2022 Hotel Grano de Oro (San Jos\u00e9; www.hotelgranodeoro.com;   2255-3322): San Jos\u00e9 has dozens of old homes that have been converted into hotels, but few offer the luxurious accommodations or professional service found at the Grano de Oro. All the guest rooms have attractive hardwood furniture, including old-fashioned wardrobes in some rooms. When it's time to relax, you can soak in a hot tub or have a drink in the rooftop lounge while taking in San Jos\u00e9's commanding view.\n\n\u2022 Marriott Costa Rica Hotel (San Antonio de Bel\u00e9n, San Jos\u00e9 area; www.marriott.com;   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada): Of all the contenders in the upscale urban market, the Marriott seems to be doing the best job. Everything is in great shape, the service is bend-over-backward, the restaurants are excellent, and the hotel offers all the facilities and amenities you could want.\n\n\u2022 Peace Lodge (north of Varablanca; www.waterfallgardens.com;   954\/727-3997 in the U.S., or 2482-2720 in Costa Rica): While the bathrooms of the deluxe units are the most luxurious and unique in the country, everything else is done in grand style as well. Each room comes with at least one custom-tiled Jacuzzi on a private balcony. The hotel adjoins the popular La Paz Waterfall Gardens.\n\n\u2022 Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica (Papagayo Peninsula; www.fourseasons.com\/costarica;   800\/332-3442 in the U.S. and Canada): This was the first large resort to cater to the high-end luxury market in Costa Rica, and it's still the best. A beautiful setting, wonderful installations, a world-class golf course, and stellar service continue to make this the current king of the hill in the upscale market.\n\n\u2022 JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa (Hacienda Pinilla; www.marriott.com;   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2681-2000 in Costa Rica): This large, beachfront resort features fabulous rooms, a massive pool, stellar service, excellent restaurants, and a stunning setting on a beautiful and mostly underdeveloped stretch of coastline.\n\n\u2022 Florblanca Resort (Playa Santa Teresa; www.florblanca.com;   2640-0232): The individual villas at this intimate resort are some of the largest and most luxurious in the country. The service and food are outstanding, and the location is breathtaking, spread over a lushly planted hillside steps away from Playa Santa Teresa.\n\n\u2022 Hotel Punta Islita (on the Pacific coast, north end of Nicoya Peninsula; www.hotelpuntaislita.com;   866\/446-4053 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2656-3036 in Costa Rica): This great getaway is perched on a high, flat bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The rooms are large and comfortable, the food is excellent, and the setting is stunning. If you venture beyond your room and the hotel's inviting hillside pool, there's a long, almost always deserted beach for you to explore, as well as a wealth of activities for the more adventurous.\n\n\u2022 The Springs Resort & Spa (near Arenal Volcano; www.thespringscostarica.com;   954\/727-8333 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2401-3313 in Costa Rica): Opulent rooms with extravagant bathrooms, a series of sculpted hot- spring pools, excellent restaurants, extensive facilities, and fabulous views make this the top luxury hotel near Arenal Volcano.\n\n\u2022 Villa Caletas (north of Jac\u00f3; www.hotelvillacaletas.com;   2630-0505): Spread out over a steep hillside high above the Pacific, these individual villas have a Mediterranean feel. The Greek Doric amphitheater follows the same motif. Carved into the hillside, the theater frequently features evening concerts of jazz or classical music. The \"infinity pool\" here was one of the first in Costa Rica and is still my favorite. Sitting in a lounge chair at the pool's infinity edge, you'll swear that it joins the sea beyond.\n\nVilla Caletas.\n\n\u2022 Arenas del Mar (Manuel Antonio; www.arenasdelmar.com;  \/fax 2777-2777): With large and ample rooms, excellent service and amenities, a beautiful little spa, and the best beach access and location in Manuel Antonio, this hotel has a lot to offer.\n\nThe best Moderately Priced Hotels\n\n\u2022 H\u00f4tel Le Bergerac (San Jos\u00e9; www.bergerachotel.com;   2234-7850): This classy little hotel has been pleasing diplomats, dignitaries, and other discerning travelers for years. Ask for one of the garden rooms or get the old master bedroom with its small private balcony.\n\n\u2022 Villa del Sue\u00f1o Hotel (Playa Hermosa; www.villadelsueno.com;   800\/378-8599 in the U.S. and Canada): It's not right on the beach (you'll have to walk about 90m\/295 ft.), but everything else here is right on the money: clean, comfortable rooms; a nice pool; and an excellent restaurant. You can't do better in Playa Hermosa.\n\n\u2022 Samara Tree House Inn (Playa Samara; www.samaratreehouse.com;   2656-0733): The beachfront studio apartments, set on raised stilts, are just steps from the sand. The whole complex is centrally located and well-run, making this the best hotel option in Playa S\u00e1mara at any price.\n\n\u2022 Arco Iris Lodge (Monteverde; www.arcoirislodge.com;   2645-5067): This small lodge is right in Santa Elena, and it's the best deal in the Monteverde area. The owners are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.\n\n\u2022 Hotel Verde Mar (Manuel Antonio; www.verdemar.com;   2777-1805): Manuel Antonio has very few \"beachfront\" hotels and just one is in this price range. This intimate place enjoys a lush setting, just a short walk through thick trees to the beach.\n\n\u2022 Cabinas Jim\u00e9nez (Puerto Jim\u00e9nez; www.cabinasjimenez.com;   2735-5090): This is the best hotel you'll find right in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. Set right on the edge of the Golfo Dulce, several of the rooms here feature private balconies overlooking the water.\n\n\u2022 Cabinas Sol y Mar (Playa Zancudo; www.zancudo.com;   2776-0014): These beachfront rooms are a real bargain. In fact, they fall into this book's \"inexpensive\" category. No matter, they feel out of that price range with a prime location just steps from the surf, surrounded by lush gardens and shady palm trees. The bar and restaurant here are excellent, lively, and justifiably popular.\n\n\u2022 Playa Negra Guesthouse (Cahuita; www.playanegra.cr;   2755-0127): Located just across a dirt road from a long desolate section of Playa Negra, the individual Caribbean-style bungalows here are cozy and beautifully done. The grounds are lushly planted, and the whole operation has a refined ambiance.\n\n\u2022 Cariblue Bungalows (Playa Cocles; www.cariblue.com;   2750-0035): Try to get one of the private wooden bungalows here. If you do, you might be so happy and comfortable that you won't want to leave. Just 90m (295 ft.) or so away, however, are the warm waves of the Caribbean Sea.\n\nThe best Ecolodges & Wilderness Resorts\n\nEcolodge options in Costa Rica range from tent camps with no electricity, cold-water showers, and communal buffet-style meals to some of the most luxurious accommodations in the country. Generally, outstanding ecolodges and wilderness resorts are set apart by an ongoing commitment (financial or otherwise) to minimizing their effect on surrounding ecosystems and to supporting both conservation efforts and the residents of local communities. They should also be able to provide naturalist guides and plentiful information. All of the following do.\n\nSee \"Responsible Tourism\" for more info on sustainable travel to Costa Rica.\n\n\u2022 Arenal Observatory Lodge (near La Fortuna; www.arenalobservatorylodge.com;   2290-7011): Originally a research facility, this lodge has upgraded over the years and features comfortable rooms with impressive views of Arenal Volcano. Excellent trails lead to nearby lava flows and a nice waterfall. Toucans frequent the trees near the lodge, and howler monkeys provide the wake-up calls.\n\n\u2022 Monteverde Lodge & Gardens (Monteverde; www.monteverdelodge.com;   2257-0766): One of the original ecolodges in Monteverde, this place has only improved over the years, with great guides, updated rooms, and lush gardens. The operation is run by the very dependable and experienced Costa Rica Expeditions.\n\n\u2022 La Paloma Lodge (Drake Bay; www.lapalomalodge.com;   2293-7502): If your idea of the perfect nature lodge is one where your front porch provides some prime-time viewing of flora and fauna, this place is for you. If you decide to leave the comfort of your porch, the Osa Peninsula's lowland rainforests are just outside your door.\n\n\u2022 Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge (Osa Peninsula; www.bosquedelcabo.com;   2735-5206): Large, comfortable private cabins perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by lush rainforest make this one of my favorite spots in the country. There's plenty to do and great guides here.\n\n\u2022 Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge (Golfo Dulce; www.nicuesalodge.com;   866\/504-8116 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2258-8250 in Costa Rica): This lodge is by far the best option on the Golfo Dulce. Set in deep forest, the individual bungalows here are a perfect blend of rusticity and luxury.\n\n\u2022 Tortuga Lodge (Tortuguero; www.costaricaexpeditions.com;   800\/886-2609 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2257-0766 in Costa Rica): The canals of Tortuguero snake through a maze of lowland primary rainforest. The beaches here are major sea-turtle nesting sites. This is not only the most comfortable option in the area, but also another of the excellent ecolodges run by Costa Rica Expeditions.\n\nTortuga Lodge.\n\n\u2022 Selva Bananito Lodge (in the Talamanca Mountains south of Lim\u00f3n; www.selvabananito.com;   2253-8118): This is one of the few lodges providing direct access to the southern Caribbean lowland rainforests. There's no electricity here, but that doesn't mean it's not plush. Hike along a riverbed, ride horses through the rainforest, climb 30m (100 ft.) up a ceiba tree, or rappel down a jungle waterfall. The area has fabulous bird-watching and nearby Caribbean beaches.\n\nThe best Bed & Breakfasts & Small Inns\n\n\u2022 Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn (Heredia; www.fincarosablanca.com;   2269-9392): If the cookie-cutter rooms of international resorts leave you cold, then perhaps the unique rooms of this unusual inn will be more your style. Square corners seem to have been prohibited here in favor of turrets and curving walls of glass, arched windows, and a semicircular built-in couch. It's set into the lush hillsides just 20 minutes from San Jos\u00e9.\n\n\u2022 Vista del Valle Plantation Inn (near Grecia; www.vistadelvalle.com;   2450-0800): This is a great choice if you want something close to the airport but have no need for San Jos\u00e9. The separate cabins are influenced by traditional Japanese architecture, with lots of polished woodwork and plenty of light. The gardens are meticulously tended, and the restaurant is excellent. A nice tile pool and Jacuzzi overlook a deep river canyon.\n\n\u2022 Hidden Canopy Tree Houses (Monteverde; www.hiddencanopy.com;   2645-5447): The individual cabins here are set on high stilts and nestled into the surrounding cloud forest canopy. All abound in brightly, varnished local hardwoods. A refined, yet convivial, vibe presides over afternoon tea or cocktails, when guests enjoy the main lodge's sunset view.\n\n\u2022 Monte Azul (Rivas; www.monteazulcr.com;   2742-5222): Intimate, artsy, remote and lush, this place offers personalized attention and oozes charm. If the birds, gardens, river and Mount Chirrip\u00f3 ever start to bore you, this working artists' retreat always has paintings and sculptures on display.\n\n\u2022 Cabinas Los Cocos (Playa Zancudo; www.loscocos.com;  \/fax 2776-0012): If you've ever dreamed about chucking it all and setting up shop in a simple house right on the beach, give it a trial run here first.\n\n\u2022 Casa Verde Lodge (Puerto Viejo; www.cabinascasaverde.com;   2750-0015): This is my favorite budget lodging along the Caribbean coast. The rooms are clean and airy and have comfortable beds with mosquito nets. The owners are friendly and always doing some work in the gardens or around the grounds.\n\n\u2022 Tree House Lodge (Punta Uva; www.costaricatreehouse.com;   2750-0706): The collection of private houses at this small beachfront property are the most creative and luxurious accommodations to be found on the Caribbean coast. I like the namesake Tree House, although the Beach House Suite is quite spectacular as well.\n\nThe best Restaurants\n\n\u2022 Grano de Oro Restaurant (San Jos\u00e9;   2255-3322): This elegant little hotel has an elegant restaurant serving delicious Continental dishes and decadent desserts. The open-air seating in the lushly planted central courtyard is delightful, especially for lunch.\n\n\u2022 Park Caf\u00e9 (San Jos\u00e9;   2290-6324): A former Michelin two-star chef has set up shop in the interior patio garden of an old downtown mansion. The results are predictably fabulous. The regularly changing menu here is always varied, creative, and fairly priced.\n\n\u2022 Product-C (Santa Ana;   2282-7767): This is just about my favorite seafood restaurant in Costa Rica, and it's not even on the coast. Fresh fish is bought at the Puntareanas docks around dawn every morning, and these folks even raise and harvest their own oysters.\n\n\u2022 Ginger (Playa Hermosa;   2672-0041; www.gingercostarica.com): Serving an eclectic mix of traditional and Pan Asian\u2013influenced tapas, this sophisticated little joint is taking this part of Guanacaste by storm. They've got a list of creative cocktails to match the inventive dishes.\n\n\u2022 Mar y Sol (Playa Flamingo;   2654-4151; www.marysolflamingo.com): In a beautiful open-air dining room on a high hilltop with great views, the Catalan chef here serves top-notch international fare.\n\nMar y Sol.\n\n\u2022 Dragonfly Bar & Grill (Tamarindo;   2653-1506; www.dragonflybarandgrill.com): Southwestern American and Pacific Rim fusion cuisines are the primary culinary influences at this popular restaurant. Portions are large, serv-ice excellent, and prices fair.\n\n\u2022 Lola's (Playa Avellanas;   2652-9097): With a perfect setting on the sand and excellent hearty fare, this is one of the best beachfront restaurants in the country.\n\n\u2022 Nectar (at Florblanca Resort, Santa Teresa;   2640-0232): Guanacaste's best boutique resort also has one of its best restaurants. The menu changes nightly but always has a heavy Pan-Asian fusion flavor to it. The setting is romantic and subdued, in an open-air space just steps from the sand.\n\n\u2022 Playa de los Artistas (Montezuma;   2642-0920): This place has the perfect blend of refined cuisine and beachside funkiness. There are only a few tables, so make sure you get here early. Fresh, grilled seafood is served in oversize ceramic bowls and on large wooden slabs lined with banana leaves.\n\n\u2022 El Lagarto (Playa S\u00e1mara;   2656-0750; www.ellagartobbq.com): Witnessing the giant grill stations being fed with fresh coals from a raging fire overhead is worth the price of admission here, but the food and ambience are also fabulous. The menu is large, and the fresh seafood and massive steaks are all expertly prepared.\n\n\u2022 Sofia (Monteverde;   2645-7017): Sofia serves excellent New Latin\u2013fusion fare at a small space about halfway along the rough dirt road between Santa Elena and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Their sister restaurants, Chimera (  2645-6081), which specializes in creative tapas, and Trio (  2645-7254), which is a hip, bistro style joint right in town, are also excellent.\n\n\u2022 Lemon Zest (Playa de Jac\u00f3;   2643-2591): Set unpromisingly on the second-floor of a small shopping complex, this place serves up the best and most creative meals in Jac\u00f3. A wide range of world cuisines influence the adventurous menu here, which is complemented by a good wine list, and topped off with stellar desserts.\n\n\u2022 El Patio Bistro Latino (Manuel Antonio;   2777-0794; www.elpatiobistrolatino.com): A casually elegant little place, El Patio Bistro Latino has made a name for itself in the Manuel Antonio area. The chef's creative concoctions take full advantage of fresh local ingredients.\n\n\u2022 La Pecora Nera (Puerto Viejo;   2750-0490): I'm not sure that a tiny surfer town on the remote Caribbean coast deserves such fine Italian food, but it's got it. Your best bet here is to allow yourself to be taken on a culinary roller-coaster ride with a mixed feast of the chef's nightly specials and suggestions.\n\nThe best Views\n\n\u2022 The Summit of Iraz\u00fa Volcano (near San Jos\u00e9): On a very clear day, you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from this vantage point. Even if visibility is low and this experience eludes you, you can view the volcano's spectacular landscape, the Meseta Central, and the Orosi Valley.\n\n\u2022 Iguanazul Hotel (Playa Junquillal; www.iguanazul.com;   2658-8123): On a high bluff above Playa Junquillal, this hotel has a wonderful view of the Pacific and the windswept coastline in either direction. It gets best around sunset and is better yet if you can commandeer one of the hammocks set in a little palapa on the hillside itself.\n\n\u2022 Brisas del Mar (Malpa\u00eds;   2640-0941): It's a steep hike or drive up from the beach to this hilltop restaurant, but both the food and view are worth it. Enjoy a sunset drink while taking in the panoramic views of Malpa\u00eds, Playa Carmen, and the Pacific Ocean.\n\n\u2022 Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort (near Arenal Volcano; www.tabacon.com; 877\/277-8291 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2519-1999 in Costa Rica): Arenal Volcano seems so close, you'll swear you can reach out and touch it. Unlike Iraz\u00fa Volcano, when this volcano rumbles and spews, you may feel the urge to seek cover. Most rooms have spectacular views from sheltered private patios or balconies.\n\n\u2022 Villa Caletas (Playa Hermosa de Jac\u00f3; www.hotelvillacaletas.com;   2630-0505): You'll have a view over the Golfo de Nicoya and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Sunsets at the hotel's outdoor amphitheater are legendary, but it's beautiful here during the day as well.\n\n\u2022 Agua Azul (Manuel Antonio;   2777-5280): With a high perch and perfect views, not to mention good food and drinks, this is a popular spot in Manuel Antonio. Front-row tables and bar seating here offer up spectacular views over the rainforest and out to the Pacific Ocean and offshore islands beyond.\n\n\u2022 The Summit of Mount Chirrip\u00f3 (near San Isidro): What more can one say? At 3,724m (12,215 ft.), this is the highest spot in Costa Rica. On a clear day, you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from here. Even if it isn't clear, you can catch some pretty amazing views and scenery. See \"San Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park,\" in chapter .\n\nThe summit of Mount Chirrip\u00f3.\n\nThe best After-Dark Fun\n\n\u2022 Night Tours (countrywide): Most Neotropical forest dwellers are nocturnal. Animal and insect calls fill the air, and the rustling on the ground all around takes on new meaning. Night tours are offered at most rainforest and cloud forest destinations throughout the country. Many use high-powered flashlights to catch glimpses of various animals. Some of the better spots for night tours are Monteverde, Tortuguero, and the Osa Peninsula. Volcano viewing in Arenal is another not-to-miss nighttime activity.\n\n\u2022 El Cuartel de la Boca del Monte (San Jos\u00e9;   2221-0327; www.elcuartel.net): From Wednesday to Saturday, San Jos\u00e9's young, restless, and beautiful pack it in here. Originally a gay and bohemian hangout, it is now decidedly mixed and leaning toward yuppie. There's frequently live music.\n\n\u2022 San Pedro (San Jos\u00e9): This is San Jos\u00e9's university district, and at night its streets are filled with students strolling among a variety of bars and cafes. If you'd like to join them, keep in mind that Terra U caters to the college crowd, Omar Khayyam is a great place to grab an outdoor table and watch the crowds walk by, and the Jazz Caf\u00e9, as its name indicates, is a hip live-music venue that often features local jazz and rock outfits. See \"San Jos\u00e9 After Dark,\" in chapter .\n\nSan Pedro at night.\n\n\u2022 Tamarindo (Guanacaste): The most developed and popular destination on Guanacaste's Gold Coast, Tamarindo also has the area's best nightlife scene. Bar 1 and El Garito are my top choices. But I also like the open-mic nights at Dragonfly Bar & Grill, and the clubby dance vibe at Aqua. See \"Playa Tamarindo & Playa Langosta\" and \"Playa Grande,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 Mata 'e Ca\u00f1a (Santa Elena;   2645-5883): After the night tours are done, and the monkeys are all asleep in the treetops, this is the place to be in the Monteverde area. The crowd is a friendly mix of locals, tourists, guides and more.\n\n\u2022 Jac\u00f3 (Central Pacific coast): While some of the late-night scene here can be seedy\u2014you'll find a few strip clubs and brothels\u2014plenty of respectable places are around for those looking for after-hours fun. My top spot is the laid-back beach front Ganesha Lounge. I also like to shoot pool and toss down a few at Tabac\u00f3n. See \"Playa de Jac\u00f3 After Dark,\" in chapter .\n\n\u2022 San Clemente Bar & Grill (Dominical;   2787-0055): This is a quintessential surfers' joint, but whether you hang ten or not, this is where you'll want to hang out in Dominical at night. The fresh seafood and Tex-Mex specialties are hearty, tasty, and inexpensive. And there are pool, Ping-Pong, and foosball tables, as well as televised sporting events and surf videos. See \"Dominical,\" in chapter .\n\nSan Clemente Bar & Grill.\n\n\u2022 Puerto Viejo: This small beach town on the southern end of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is one of the most active after-dark scenes in the country. Johnny's Place and the Lazy Mon @ Stanford's take turns as the major dance-and-party spot, but there are several other happening places, as well as a few after-hours beach bonfires and jam sessions, to be found. See \"Puerto Viejo,\" in chapter .\n\nThe best Websites About Costa Rica\n\n\u2022 The Tico Times (www.ticotimes.net): The English-language Tico Times makes it easy for norteamericanos (and other English speakers) to see what's happening in Costa Rica. It features the top story from its weekly print edition, as well as a daily update of news briefs, a business article, regional news, a fishing column, and travel reviews. There's also a link to current currency-exchange rates.\n\n\u2022 Latin American Network Information Center (<http:\/\/lanic.utexas.edu\/la\/ca\/cr>): This site houses a vast collection of information about Costa Rica, and is hands-down the best one-stop shop for browsing, with helpful links to a diverse range of tourism and general information sites.\n\n\u2022 Costa Rica Maps (www.mapcr.com): In addition to selling a wonderful waterproof map to the country, this site features several excellent down\u00adloadable nationwide, regional, and city maps, and a host of other useful information.\n\n\u2022 The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica (www.usembassy.or.cr): The official site of the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica has a good base of information and regular updates of concern to U.S. citizens abroad, as well as about Costa Rica in general.\n\n\u2022 CostaRicaLiving E-Board (www.crl-eboard.info): This is an information clearinghouse site put together by the folks at Costa Rica Living newsgroup. The site is chock-full of useful information, suggestions, reviews, and tips. If you want more information, feel free to join the newsgroup. The active newsgroup deals with a wide range of issues, and its membership includes many longtime residents and bona fide experts.\n\n\u2022 La Naci\u00f3n Digital (www.nacion.com): If you can read Spanish, this is an excellent site to read regularly or simply browse. The entire content of the country's paper of record is placed online daily, and there's also an extensive searchable archive. It does maintain a small summary of major news items in English, although this section tends to run about a week behind current events.\n2\n\nCosta Rica in Depth\n\nA Carnaval celebrant in Lim\u00f3n.\n\nPura Vida! (Pure Life!) is Costa Rica's unofficial national slogan, and in many ways it defines the country. You'll hear it exclaimed, proclaimed, and simply stated by Ticos from all walks of life, from children to octogenarians. It can be used as a cheer after your favorite soccer team scores a goal, or as a descriptive response when someone asks you, \"How are you?\" (\"\u00bfComo estas?\"). It is symbolic of the easygoing nature of this country's people, politics, and personality.\n\nCosta Rica itself is a mostly rural country with vast areas of protected tropical forests. It is one of the biologically richest places on earth, with a wealth of flora and fauna that attracts and captivates biologists, photographers, ecotourists, and casual visitors alike.\n\nOften called the \"Switzerland of Central America,\" Costa Rica is, and historically has been, a sea of tranquillity in a region that has been troubled by turmoil for centuries. For over 100 years, it has enjoyed a stable democracy and a relatively high standard of living for Latin America. The literacy rate is high, as are medical standards and facilities. Perhaps most significant, at least for proud and peace-loving Costa Ricans, is that this country does not have an army.\n\nCosta Rica Today\n\nCosta Rica has a population of around five million, more than half of whom live in the Central Valley and are considered as urban. Some 94% of the population is of Spanish or otherwise European descent, and it is not at all unusual to see fair-skinned and blond Costa Ricans. This is largely because the indigenous popu\u00adlation in place when the first Spaniards arrived was small and thereafter was quickly reduced to even more of a minority by wars and disease. Some indigenous populations still remain, primarily on reservations around the country; the principal tribes include the Bribri, Cab\u00e9car, Boruca, and Guayam\u00ed. In addition, on the Caribbean coast and in the big cities is a substantial population of English-speaking black Creoles who came over from the Antilles to work on building the railroad and on the banana plantations. Racial tension isn't palpable, but it exists, perhaps more out of standard ignorance and fear rather than an organized or articulated prejudice.\n\nIn general, Costa Ricans are a friendly and outgoing people. While interacting with visitors, Ticos are very open and helpful. Time has relative meaning to Ticos. Although most tour companies and other establishments operate efficiently, don't expect punctuality, in general.\n\nIn a region historically plagued by internal strife and civil wars, Costa Ricans are proud of their peaceful history, political stability, and relatively high level of development. However, this can also translate into arrogance and prejudice toward immigrants from neighboring countries, particularly Nicaraguans, who make up a large percentage of the workforce on the banana and coffee plantations.\n\nBananas at one of Costa Rica's many banana plantations.\n\nRoman Catholicism is the official religion of Costa Rica, although freedom to practice any religion is guaranteed by the country's constitution. More than 75% of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic, while another 14% are part of a number of evangelical Christian congregations. There is a small but visible Jewish community as well. By and large, a large section of Ticos are religiously observant, if not fervent, though it seems that just as many lead quite secular lives.\n\nCosta Rica is the most politically stable nation in Central America, and it has the largest middle class. Even the smallest towns have electricity, the water is mostly safe to drink, and the phone system is relatively good and very widespread. Still, the gap between rich and poor is wide, and there are glaring infrastructure needs. The roads, hospitals, and school systems have been in a slow but steady state of decay for decades, with no immediate signs that these matters will improve anytime soon. Several \"Free Zones\" and some high-tech investments and production facilities have dramatically changed the face of Costa Rica's economy. Intel, which opened two side-by-side assembly plants in Costa Rica, currently accounts for more than 20% of the country's exports, compared with traditional exports such as bananas (8%) and coffee (3%). Although Intel and other international companies often trumpet a growing gross domestic product, very little of the profits actually make their way into the Costa Rican economy.\n\n  Where There Is a Tico, There Is Freedom\n\nIn 1989, on a visit to Costa Rica, Uruguayan President Julio Mar\u00eda Sanguinetti famously declared: \"Donde hay un costarricense, est\u00e9 donde est\u00e9, hay libertad,\" which is roughly translated in the title above.\n\nPersonally, I get a kick out of the version co-opted by a local condiment company in their advertising campaign, which states, \"Where there is a Tico, there is Salsa Lizano.\" I find it to be equally true.\n\nTourism is the nation's true principal source of income, surpassing cattle ranching, textiles, and exports of coffee, pineapples, bananas, and Intel microchips. Over two million tourists visit Costa Rica each year, and over half the working population is employed in the tourism and service industries. Ticos whose fathers and grandfathers were farmers and ranchers find themselves hotel owners, tour guides, and waiters. Although most have adapted gracefully and regard the industry as a source of new jobs and opportunities for economic advancement, restaurant and hotel staff can seem gruff and uninterested at times, especially in rural areas. And, unfortunately, an increase in the number of visitors has led to an increase in crime, prostitution, and drug trafficking. Common sense and street savvy are required in San Jos\u00e9 and in many of the more popular tourist destinations.\n\nThe global economic crisis has definitely hit Costa Rica. Tourism was noticeably down, but is bouncing back. Moreover, because credit has historically been so tight, there was no major mortgage or banking crisis in the country. And it seems that Costa Rica dodged a bullet and will recover nicely.\n\n  The Little Drummer Boy\n\nCosta Rica's national hero is Juan Santamar\u00eda. The legend goes that young Juan enlisted as a drummer boy in the campaign against William Walker. On April 11, 1865, when Costa Rican troops had a band of Walker's men cornered in a downtown hostel in Rivas, Nicaragua, Santamar\u00eda volunteered for a nearly certain suicide mission to set the building on fire. Although he was mortally wounded, Santamar\u00eda was successful in torching the building and driving Walker's men out, where they were swiftly routed. Today, April 11 is a national holiday.\n\nLooking Back at Costa Rica\n\nEarly History\n\nLittle is known of Costa Rica's history before its colonization by Spanish settlers. The pre-Columbian Indians who made their home in this region of Central America never developed the large cities or advanced culture that flowered farther north in what would become Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. However, ancient artifacts indicating a strong sense of aesthetics have been unearthed from scattered excavations around the country. Beautiful gold and jade jewelry, intricately carved grinding stones, and artistically painted terra-cotta objects point to a small but highly skilled population.\n\nSpain Settles Costa Rica\n\nIn 1502, on his fourth and last voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus anchored just offshore from present-day Lim\u00f3n. Whether he actually gave the country its name\u2014\"the rich coast\"\u2014is open to debate, but the Spaniards never did find much gold or minerals to exploit here.\n\nThe earliest Spanish settlers found that, unlike settlements to the north, the native population of Costa Rica was unwilling to submit to slavery. Despite their small numbers, scattered villages, and tribal differences, they fought back against the Spanish until they were overcome by superior firepower and European diseases. When the fighting ended, the European settlers in Costa Rica found that very few Indians were left to force into servitude. The settlers were thus forced to till their own lands, a situation unheard of in other parts of Central America. Few pioneers headed this way because they could settle in Guatemala, with its large native workforce. Costa Rica was nearly forgotten, as the Spanish crown looked elsewhere for riches to plunder and souls to convert.\n\nIt didn't take long for Costa Rica's few Spanish settlers to head for the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a climate that was less oppressive than in the lowlands. Cartago, the colony's first capital, was founded in 1563, but it was not until the 1700s that additional cities were established in this agriculturally rich region. In the late 18th century, the first coffee plants were introduced, and because these plants thrived in the highlands, Costa Rica began to develop its first cash crop. Unfortunately, it was a long and difficult journey transporting the coffee to the Caribbean coast and then onward to Europe, where the demand for coffee was growing.\n\nCartago's Basilica.\n\nFrom Independence to the Present\n\nIn 1821, Spain granted independence to its colonies in Central America. Costa Rica joined with its neighbors to form the Central American Federation; but in 1838, it withdrew to form a new nation and pursue its own interests. By the mid-1800s, coffee was the country's main export. Free land was given to anyone willing to plant coffee on it, and plantation owners soon grew wealthy and powerful, creating Costa Rica's first elite class. Coffee plantation owners were powerful enough to elect their own representatives to the presidency.\n\n  The Last Costa Rican Warrior\n\n\"Military victories, by themselves, are not worth much. It's what are built from them that matters.\"\n\n\u2014Jose \"Pepe\" Figueres\n\nThis was a stormy period in Costa Rican history. In 1856, the country was invaded by William Walker, a soldier of fortune from Tennessee who, with the backing of U.S. President James Buchanan, was attempting to fulfill his grandiose dreams of presiding over a slave state in Central America (before his invasion of Costa Rica, he had invaded Nicaragua and Baja, California). The people of Costa Rica, led by their own president, Juan Rafael Mora, marched against Walker and chased him back to Nicaragua. Walker eventually surrendered to a U.S. warship in 1857, but, in 1860, he attacked Honduras, claiming to be the president of that country. The Hondurans, who had had enough of Walker's shenanigans, promptly executed him.\n\nUntil 1890, coffee growers had to transport their coffee either by oxcart to the Pacific port of Puntarenas or by boat down the R\u00edo Sarapiqu\u00ed to the Caribbean. In the 1870s, a progressive president proposed a railway from San Jos\u00e9 to the Caribbean coast to facilitate the transport of coffee to European markets. It took nearly 20 years for this plan to reach fruition, and more than 4,000 workers lost their lives constructing the railway, which passed through dense jungles and rugged mountains on its journey from the Central Valley to the coast. Partway through the project, as funds were dwindling, the second chief engineer, Minor Keith, proposed an idea that not only enhanced his fortunes but also changed the course of Central American history. Banana plantations would be developed along the railway right of way (land on either side of the tracks). The export of this crop would help to finance the railway, and, in exchange, Keith would get a 99-year lease on 1,976,000 hectares (800,000 acres) of land with a 20-year tax deferment. The Costa Rican government gave its consent, and in 1878 the first bananas were shipped from the country. In 1899, Keith and a partner formed the United Fruit Company, a business that eventually became the largest landholder in Central America and caused political disputes and wars throughout the region.\n\nIn 1889, Costa Rica held what is considered the first free election in Central American history. The opposition candidate won the election, and the control of the government passed from the hands of one political party to those of another without bloodshed or hostilities. Thus, Costa Rica established itself as the region's only true democracy. In 1948, this democratic process was challenged by Rafael Angel Calder\u00f3n, who had served as the country's president from 1940 to 1944. After losing by a narrow margin, Calder\u00f3n, who had the backing of the communist labor unions and the Catholic Church, refused to concede the country's leadership to the rightfully elected president, Otillio Ulate, and a civil war ensued. Calder\u00f3n was eventually defeated by Jos\u00e9 \"Pepe\" Figueres. In the wake of this crisis, a new constitution was drafted; among other changes, it abolished Costa Rica's army so that such a revolution could never happen again.\n\n  Presidential Welcome\n\nPresident John F. Kennedy visited Costa Rica in March 1963. Upon his arrival, the Iraz\u00fa Volcano woke up and erupted, after more than 2 decades of dormancy. Soot and ash reached as far as San Jos\u00e9, where the soon-to-be-assassinated leader addressed students and political figures.\n\nIn 1994, history seemed to repeat itself\u2014peacefully this time\u2014when Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Figueres took the reins of government from the son of his father's adversary, Rafael Angel Calder\u00f3n. In 2001, Otton Sol\u00eds and his new Citizen's Action Party (PAC) forced the presidential elections into a second round, opening a crack in a two-party system that had become seemingly entrenched for good. Although Sol\u00eds himself finished third and didn't make it to the runoff, his upstart Citizen's Action Party won quite a few deputy slots.\n\n  The Peace President\n\n\"Peace is the most honorable form of exhaustion, and the most exhausting form of honor.\"\n\n\u2014Oscar Arias\n\nThe battered traditional two-party system was further threatened in 2004, when major corruption scandals became public. Two former presidents were arrested (Miguel Angel Rodr\u00edguez and Rafael Angel Calder\u00f3n), and another (Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Figueres) is in Switzerland refusing a legislative call to return and testify, as well as avoiding an Interpol warrant for his capture and arrest. All were implicated, as well as a long list of high-level government employees and deputies, in various financial scandals or bribery cases. As of press time, both Calder\u00f3n and Rodr\u00edguez were convicted and sentenced to jail time, but are out pending an appeals process.\n\nIn 2010, Costa Rica elected its first female president, Laura Chinchilla, who was a vice-president in the outgoing Arias administration. So far, Chinchilla's presidency has been largely uneventful, aside from a minor, currently ongoing border dispute with Nicaragua, in which Nicaraguan military forces, using a flawed Google Earth map as part of their justification, have taken possession of a remote, previously uninhabited jungle island along their common border. The case is making its slow way through international courts.\n\nArt & Architecture\n\nSince it's a small and provincial country, you'll find Costa Rica's culture somewhat similarly limited in size and scope. That said, the culture does have vibrant current scenes in all the major arts\u2014music, literature, architecture, dance, and even film.\n\nArchitecture\n\nCosta Rica lacks the large-scale pre-Columbian ceremonial ruins found throughout much of the rest of Mesoamerica. The only notable early archaeological site is Guayabo. However, only the foundations of a few dwellings, a handful of carved petroglyphs, and some road and water infrastructure are still visible here.\n\nGuayabo National Park.\n\nSimilarly, Costa Rica lacks the large and well-preserved colonial-era cities found throughout much of the rest of Latin America. The original capital of Cartago has some old ruins and a few colonial-era buildings, as well as the country's grandest church, La Bas\u00edlica de Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de los Angeles (Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels) \u2605, which was built in honor of the country's patron saint, La Negrita, or the Virgin of Guadalupe.\n\nIn downtown San Jos\u00e9, Barrio Am\u00f3n and Barrio Otoya are two side-by-side upscale neighborhoods replete with a stately mix of architectural stylings, with everything from colonial-era residential mansions, to Art Deco apartment buildings, and modern high-rise skyscrapers. One of the standout buildings here is the Metal School (Escuela Metalica), which dates to the 1880s, and was shipped over piece-by-piece from France, and erected in place.\n\nOn much of the Caribbean coast, you will find mostly wooden houses, built on raised stilts to rise above the wet ground and occasional flooding. Some of these houses feature ornate gingerbread trim. Much of the rest of the country's architecture is pretty plain. Most residential houses are simple concrete-block affairs, with zinc roofs.\n\nA few modern architects are creating names for themselves. Ronald Zurcher, who designed the Four Seasons Resort and several other large hotel projects, is one of the shining lights of contemporary Costa Rican architecture.\n\nArt\n\nUnlike Guatemala, Mexico, or even Nicaragua, Costa Rica does not have a strong tradition of local or indigenous arts and crafts. The strong suit of Costa Rican art is European and Western influenced, ranging from neoclassical to modern in style.\n\n  Colonial-Era Remnant or Crime Deterrent?\n\nMost Costa Rican homes feature steel or iron grating over the doors and windows. I've heard more than one tour guide say this can be traced back to colonial-era architecture and design. However, I'm fairly convinced it is a relatively modern adaptation to the local crime scene.\n\nEarly painters to look out for include Max Jimenez, Francisco Amighetti, Manuel de la Cruz, and Teodorico Quiros. Deceased and living legends of the art world include Rafa Fern\u00e1ndez, Lola Fern\u00e1ndez, and Cesar Valverde. Contemporary artists making waves and names for themselves include Fernando Carballo, Rodolfo Stanley, Lionel Gonzalez, Manuel Zumbado, and Karla Solano.\n\nSculpture is perhaps one of the strongest aspects of the Costa Rican art scene, with the large bronze works of Francisco \"Paco\" Zu\u00f1iga among the best of the genre. Meanwhile, the artists Jos\u00e9 Sancho, Edgar Zu\u00f1iga, and Jim\u00e9nez Deredia are all producing internationally acclaimed pieces, many of monumental proportions. You can see examples by all of these sculptors around the country, as well as at San Jos\u00e9's downtown Museo de Arte Costarricense \u2605\u2605. I also enjoy the whimsical works of Leda Astorga, who sculpts and then paints a pantheon of plump and voluptuous figures in interesting, and at times, compromising, poses.\n\nYou'll find several excellent museums and galleries in San Jos\u00e9, as well as in some of the country's larger and more popular tourist destinations.\n\nWood artwork at Original Grand Gallery in La Fortuna.\n\nCosta Rica in Popular Culture\n\nBooks\n\nThough Costa Rica's literary output is sparsely translated and little known outside of Costa Rica, there are some notable authors to look out for, especially if you can read in Spanish.\n\nSome of the books mentioned below might be difficult to track down in U.S. bookstores, but you'll find them all in abundance in Costa Rica. A good place to check for most of these titles is Seventh Street Books, on Calle 7 between avenidas 1 and Central in San Jos\u00e9 (  2256-8251).\n\nGeneral Interest For a straightforward, albeit somewhat dry, historical overview, there's The History of Costa Rica, by Ivan Molina and Steven Palmer. For a more readable look into Costa Rican society, pick up The Ticos: Culture and Social Change by Richard, Karen, and Mavis Biesanz, an examination of the country's politics and culture, by the authors of the out-of-print The Costa Ricans. Another work worth checking out is The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics \u2605, a broad selection of stories, essays, and excerpts edited by Steven Palmer and Ivan Molina, the authors of the history book mentioned above.\n\nTo learn more about the life and culture of Costa Rica's Talamanca coast, an area populated by Afro-Caribbean people whose forebears emigrated from Caribbean islands in the early 19th century, look for What Happen: A Folk-History of Costa Rica's Talamanca Coast \u2605 by Paula Palmer. This book is a collection of oral histories taken from a wide range of local characters.\n\nFiction & Poetry Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion \u2605\u2605, edited by Barbara Ras and with a foreword by Oscar Arias S\u00e1nchez, is a collection of short stories by Costa Rican writers, organized by region of the country. If you're lucky, you might find a copy of Stories of Tatamundo, by Fabian Dobles, or Lo Peor\/The Worst, by Fernando Contreras.\n\nYoung adults will enjoy Kristin Joy Pratt's A Walk in the Rainforest, while younger children will like the beautifully illustrated The Forest in the Clouds, by Sneed Collard and Michael Rothman, and The Umbrella. Pachanga Kids \u2605 (www.pachangakids.com) has published several illustrated bilingual children's books with delightful illustrations by Ruth Angulo, including Mar Azucarada\/Sugar Sea by Roberto Boccanera and El Coyote y la Luciernaga\/The Coyote and the Firefly by Yazmin Ross, which (full disclosure) I translated, and which includes a musical CD that features your humble author's singing. Another bilingual children's book worth checking out is Zari & Marinita: Adventures in a Costa Rican Rainforest.\n\nOne of the most important pieces in the Costa Rican canon, Carlos Luis Fallas's 1941 tome Mamita Yunai is a stark look at the impact of the large banana giant United Fruit on the country. More recently, Fernando Contreras takes up where his predecessor left off in Unico Mirando al Mar, which describes the conditions of the poor, predominantly children, who scavenge Costa Rica's garbage dumps.\n\nIn the field of poetry, Eunice Odio, Juaqu\u00edn Guti\u00e9rrez, and Jorge Debravo are early poets who set the gold standard. Their more modern successors include Alfonso Chase, Virginia Grutter, Laureano Alban, Ana Istaru, Osvaldo Sauma, and Luis Chavez.\n\nNatural History I think that everyone coming to Costa Rica should read Tropical Nature \u2605\u2605\u2605 by Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata. My all-time favorite book on tropical biology, this is a wonderfully written and lively collection of tales and adventures by two Neotropical biologists who spent quite some time in the forests of Costa Rica.\n\nMario A. Boza's beautiful Costa Rica National Parks has been reissued in an elegant coffee-table edition. Other worthwhile coffee-table books include Rainforests: Costa Rica and Beyond \u2605 by Adrian Forsyth, with photographs by Michael and Patricia Fogden, Costa Rica: A Journey Through Nature \u2605 by Adrian Hepworth, and Osa: Where the Rainforest Meets the Sea \u2605\u2605 by Roy Toft (photographer) and Trond Larsen (author).\n\nFor an introduction to a wide range of Costa Rican fauna, there's The Wildlife of Costa Rica: A Field Guide \u2605, by Les Beletsky. Both pack a lot of useful information into a concise package and make great field guides for amateur naturalists and inquisitive tourists.\n\nA Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica \u2605, by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch, is an invaluable guide to identifying the many birds you'll see during your stay. Most guides and nature lodges have a copy of this book on hand. This classic faces competition from the more recent Birds of Costa Rica \u2605, by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean. Bird-watchers might want a copy of A Bird-Finding Guide to Costa Rica \u2605 by Barrett Lawson, which details each country's bird-watching bounty by site and region.\n\nOther interesting natural-history books that will give you a look at the plants and animals of Costa Rica include Costa Rica Natural History, by Daniel Janzen; A Guide to Tropical Plants of Costa Rica, by Willow Zuchowsky; The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals, by Mark Wainwright; A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica, by Twan Leenders; and the classic A Neotropical Companion, by John C. Kricher, reissued in an expanded edition with color photos.\n\nFor a rather complete list of field guides, check out www.zonatropical.net.\n\nFilm\n\nCosta Rica has a budding and promising young film industry. Local feature films like Tropix, Caribe, and Passport are all out on subtitled DVD. El Camino (The Path) by Costa Rican filmmaker Ishtar Yasin Guti\u00e9rrez was screened at the Berlin Film Festival, while Gestaci\u00f3n (Gestation), by Esteban Ram\u00edrez, was widely played around the country and is awaiting a DVD release. Both released in 2010, Hilda Hidalgo's Del Amor y Otros Demonios (Of Love and Other Demons) is a compelling treatment of Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez's novel of the same name, while Paz Fabrega's Agua Fr\u00eda de Mar (Cold Sea) is a touching story set on a remote Costa Rican beach that has picked up a few prizes at international festivals.\n\nIf you want to see Costa Rica used simply as a backdrop, the major motion picture productions of 1492, by Ridley Scott and starring Gerard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver; Congo, featuring Laura Linney and Ernie Hudson; and The Blue Butterfly, with William Hurt, all feature sets and scenery from around the country.\n\nThe small Costa Rican Film and Video festival (www.centrodecine.go.cr) is each November in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nMusic\n\nSeveral musical traditions and styles meet and mingle in Costa Rica. The northern Guanacaste region is a hotbed of folk music that is strongly influenced by the marimba (wooden xylophone) traditions of Guatemala and Nicaragua, while also featuring guitars, maracas, and the occasional harp. On the Caribbean coast you can hear traditional calypso sung by descendants of the original black workers brought over to build the railroads and tend the banana plantations. Roving bands play a mix of guitar, banjo, washtub bass, and percussion in the bars and restaurants of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo.\n\nCosta Rica also has a healthy contemporary music scene. The jazz-fusion trio Editus has won two Grammy awards for its work with Panamanian salsa giant (and movie star and Tourism Minister) Rub\u00e9n Blades. Meanwhile, Malpa\u00eds, the closest thing Costa Rica has to a super-group, is a pop-rock outfit that is tearing it up in Costa Rica and around Central America.\n\nYou should also seek out discs by Cantoam\u00e9rica, which plays upbeat dance music ranging from salsa to calypso to merengue. Jazz pianist Manuel Obreg\u00f3n (a member of Malpa\u00eds) has several excellent solo albums out, including Simbiosis, on which he improvises along with the sounds of Costa Rica's wildlife, waterfalls, and weather; as well as his work with the Papaya Orchestra, a collaboration and gathering of musicians from around Central America.\n\nLocal label Papaya Music \u2605 (www.papayamusic.com) has done an excellent job promoting and producing albums by Costa Rican musicians in a range of styles and genres. Their offerings range from the Guanacasteca folk songs of Max Goldemberg, to the boleros of Ray Tico, to the original calypso of Walter \"Gavitt\" Ferguson. You can find their discs at gift shops and record stores around the country, as well as at airport souvenir stores.\n\nClassical music lovers will want to head to San Jos\u00e9, which has a symphony orchestra, youth symphony, opera company, and choir. The local symphony sometimes features the works of local composers like Benjamin Guiti\u00e9rrez and Eddie Mora. On occasion, small-scale music festivals will bring classical offerings to some of the beach and inland tourist destinations around the country.\n\nBars and discos around the country spin salsa, merengue, and cumbia, as well as more modern grooves that include house, electronic, trip-hop, and reggaeton.\n\nTamarindo musicians playing folk music.\n\nTico etiquette & Customs\n\nIn general, Costa Ricans are easygoing, friendly, and informal. That said, Ticos tend to be conservative and try to treat everyone very respectfully. Moreover, in conversation, Ticos are relatively formal. When addressing someone, they use the formal usted in most instances, reserving the familiar vos for close friends, family, and children or teenagers.\n\nUpon greeting or saying goodbye, both sexes shake hands, although across genders, a light kiss on one cheek is common.\n\nProud of their neutrality and lack of armed forces, everyday Costa Ricans are uncomfortable with confrontation. What may seem like playful banter or justified outrage to a foreign tourist may be taken very badly by a Tico.\n\nIn some cases, especially in the service industry, a Tico may tell you what he or she thinks you want to hear, just to avoid a confrontation\u2014even if he or she knows there's little chance of follow-through or ultimate customer satisfaction. I've also had, on more than one occasion, a Tico give me wrong directions, instead of telling me they didn't know the way.\n\nThe two words mentioned at the start of this chapter\u2014pura vida\u2014will go a long way to endearing you to most Ticos. In conversation, pura vida is used as a greeting, exclamation, adjective, and general space filler. Feel free to sprinkle a pura vida or two into your conversations with locals. I'm sure it will be well received. For more tips on talking like a Tico.\n\nTico men dress conservatively. It is very rare to see Costa Rican men wear short pants except at the beach. In most towns and cities, while accepted, tourists will stand out when wearing short pants, sandals, and other typical beach, golf, or vacation wear. Costa Rican women, on the other hand, especially young women, do tend to show some skin in everyday, and even business, situations. Still, be respectful in your dress, especially if you plan on visiting churches, small towns, or local families.\n\nWomen, no matter how they dress, may find themselves on the receiving end of whistles, honks, hoots, hisses, and catcalls. For more information on this manifestation of Costa Rican machismo.\n\nPunctuality is not a Costa Rican strong suit. Ticos often show up anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more late to meetings and appointments\u2014this is known as la hora tica, or \"Tico time.\" That said, buses and local airlines, tour operators, movie theaters, and most businesses do tend to run on a relatively timely schedule.\n\nEating & Drinking\n\nCosta Rican food is not especially memorable. Although some of the exotic fruits and vegetables served up, certainly are. Moreover, creative chefs using fresh local ingredients have livened up the dining scene in San Jos\u00e9 and at most of the major tourist destinations. A few are even serving up creative takes on traditional Costa Rican classics.\n\nOutside of the capital and the major tourist destinations, your options get very limited very fast. In fact, many destinations are so remote that you have no choice but to eat in the hotel's restaurant. At remote jungle lodges, the food is usually served buffet- or family-style and can range from bland to inspired, depending on who's doing the cooking, and turnover is high.\n\nIf you see a restaurant billing itself as a mirador, it means it has a view. If you are driving around the country, don't miss an opportunity to dine with a view at some little roadside restaurant. The food might not be all that great, but the view and scenery will be.\n\nAt even the more expensive restaurants, it's hard to spend more than $50 per person unless you really splurge on drinks. It gets even cheaper outside the city and high-end hotels. However, if you really want to save money, Costa Rican, or t\u00edpico, food is always the cheapest nourishment available. It's primarily served in sodas, Costa Rica's equivalent of diners. At a soda, you'll have lots of choices: rice and beans with steak, rice and beans with fish, rice and beans with chicken, or, for vegetarians, rice and beans. You get the picture.\n\nI have separated restaurant listings throughout this book into three price categories, based on the average cost of a meal per person, including tax and service charge. The categories are Expensive, more than $25; Moderate, $10 to $25; and Inexpensive, less than $10. (Note, however, that individual items in the listings\u2014entrees, for instance\u2014do not include the sales or service taxes.) Keep in mind that an additional 13% sales tax applies, as well as a 10% service charge. Ticos rarely tip, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't. If the service was particularly good and attentive, you should probably leave a little extra.\n\nMeals & Dining Customs\n\nRice and beans are the bases of Costa Rican meals\u2014all three of them. At breakfast, they're called gallo pinto and come with everything from eggs to steak to seafood. At lunch or dinner, rice and beans are an integral part of a casado (which translates as \"married\" and is the name for the local version of a blue-plate special). A casado usually consists of cabbage-and-tomato salad, fried plantains (a starchy, banana-like fruit), and a chicken, fish, or meat dish of some sort. On the Caribbean coast, rice and beans are called \"rice 'n' beans,\" and are cooked in coconut milk.\n\nDining hours in Costa Rica are flexible but generally follow North American customs. Some downtown restaurants in San Jos\u00e9 are open 24 hours; however, expensive restaurants tend to be open for lunch between 11am and 3pm and for dinner between 6 and 11pm.\n\nA typical casado.\n\nAppetizers Known as bocas in Costa Rica, appetizers are served with drinks in most bars. Often the bocas are free, but even if they aren't, they're very inexpensive. Popular bocas include gallos (tortillas piled with meat, chicken, cheese, or beans), ceviche (a marinated seafood salad), tamales (stuffed cornmeal patties wrapped and steamed inside banana leaves), patacones (fried green plantain chips), and fried yuca.\n\nSandwiches & Snacks Ticos love to snack, and a large variety of tasty little sandwiches and snacks are available on the street, at snack bars, and in sodas. Arreglados are little meat-filled sandwiches, as are tortas, which are served on little rolls with a bit of salad tucked into them. Tacos, tamales, gallos, and empanadas (turnovers) also are quite common.\n\nA waiter at a soda in Puerto Viejo.\n\nMeat Costa Rica is beef country, having converted much of its rainforest land to pastures for raising beef cattle. Consequently, beef is cheap and plentiful, although it might be a bit tougher\u2014and cut and served thinner\u2014than it is back home. One typical local dish is called olla de carne, a bowl of beef broth with large chunks of meat, local tubers, and corn. Spit-roasted chicken is also very popular here and is surprisingly tender.\n\nSeafood Costa Rica has two coasts, and, as you'd expect, plenty of seafood is available everywhere in the country. Corvina (sea bass) is the most commonly served fish and is prepared innumerable ways, including as ceviche. (Be careful: In many cheaper restaurants, particularly in San Jos\u00e9, shark meat is often sold as corvina.) You should also come across pargo (red snapper), dorado (mahimahi), and tuna on some menus, especially along the coasts. Although Costa Rica is a major exporter of shrimp and lobster, both are relatively expensive and in short supply here.\n\nVegetables On the whole, you'll find vegetables surprisingly lacking in the meals you're served in Costa Rica\u2014usually nothing more than a little pile of shredded cabbage topped with a slice or two of tomato. For a much more satisfying and filling salad, order palmito (hearts of palm salad). The heart (actually the stalk or trunk of these small palms) is first boiled and then chopped into circular pieces and served with other fresh vegetables, with salad dressing on top. If you want something more than this, you'll have to order a side dish such as picadillo, a stew or pur\u00e9e of vegetables with a bit of meat in it.\n\nThough they are giant relatives of bananas and are technically considered a fruit, pl\u00e1tanos (plantains) are really more like vegetables and require cooking before they can be eaten. Green plantains have a very starchy flavor and consistency, but they become as sweet as candy as they ripen. Fried pl\u00e1tanos are one of my favorite dishes. Yuca (manioc root or cassava in English) is another starchy staple root vegetable in Costa Rica.\n\nOne more vegetable worth mentioning is the pejibaye, a form of palm fruit that looks like a miniature orange coconut. Boiled pejibayes are frequently sold from carts on the streets of San Jos\u00e9. When cut in half, a pejibaye reveals a large seed surrounded by soft, fibrous flesh. You can eat it plain, but it's usually topped with a dollop of mayonnaise.\n\nFruits Costa Rica has a wealth of delicious tropical fruits. The most common are mangoes (the season begins in May), papayas, pineapples, melons, and bananas. Other fruits include mara\u00f1\u00f3n, which is the fruit of the cashew tree and has orange or yellow glossy skin; granadilla or maracuy\u00e1 (passion fruit); mam\u00f3n chino, which Asian travelers will immediately recognize as rambutan; and carambola (star fruit).\n\nPapaya, star fruit, and passion fruit.\n\nDesserts Queque seco, literally \"dry cake,\" is the same as pound cake. Tres leches cake, on the other hand, is so moist that you almost need to eat it with a spoon. Flan is a typical custard dessert. It often comes as either flan de caramelo (caramel) or flan de coco (coconut). Numerous other sweets are available, many of which are made with condensed milk and raw sugar. Cajetas are popular handmade candies, made from sugar and various mixes of evaporated, condensed, and powdered milk. They are sold in differing-size bits and chunks at most pulper\u00edas (general stores) and streetside food stands.\n\n  Coconut, Straight Up\n\nThroughout Costa Rica (particularly on the coastal road btw. Lim\u00f3n and Cahuita), keep your eye out for roadside stands selling fresh, green coconuts, or pipas in Spanish. Green coconuts have very little meat, but are filled with copious amounts of a slightly sweet, clear liquid that is amazingly refreshing. According to local legend, this liquid is pure enough to be used as plasma in an emergency situation. Armed with a machete, the pipa seller will cut out the top and stick in a straw. In the best of cases, the pipa will have been cooled over ice. The entire thing should cost $1 or less.\n\nBeverages\n\nFrescos, refrescos, and jugos naturales are my favorite drinks in Costa Rica. They are usually made with fresh fruit and milk or water. Among the more common fruits used are mangoes, papayas, blackberries, and pineapples. You'll also come across maracuy\u00e1 (passion fruit) and carambola (star fruit). Some of the more unusual frescos are horchata (made with rice flour and a lot of cinnamon) and chan (made with the seed of a plant found mostly in Guanacaste\u2014definitely an acquired taste). The former is wonderful; the latter requires an open mind (it's reputed to be good for the digestive system). Order un fresco con leche sin hielo (a fresco with milk but without ice) if you're avoiding untreated water.\n\nIf you're a coffee drinker, you might be disappointed here. Most of the best coffee has traditionally been targeted for export, and Ticos tend to prefer theirs weak and sugary. Better hotels and restaurants are starting to cater to gringo and European tastes and are serving up superior blends. If you want black coffee, ask for caf\u00e9 negro; if you want it with milk, order caf\u00e9 con leche.\n\nFor something different for your morning beverage, ask for agua dulce, a warm drink made from melted sugar cane and served either with milk or lemon, or straight.\n\nWater Although water in most of Costa Rica is safe to drink, bottled water is readily available and is a good option if you're worried about an upset stomach. Agua mineral, or simply soda, is sparkling water in Costa Rica. If you like your water without bubbles, request aqua mineral sin gas, or agua en botella.\n\nBeer, Wine & Liquor The German presence in Costa Rica over the years has produced several fine beers, which are fairly inexpensive. Most Costa Rican beers are light pilsners. The most popular brands are Bavaria, Imperial, and Pilsen. I personally can't tell much of a difference between any of them. Licensed local versions of Heineken and Rock Ice are also available.\n\nYou can find imported wines at reasonable prices in the better restaurants throughout the country. You can usually save money by ordering a Chilean wine over a Californian or European one.\n\nCosta Rica distills a wide variety of liquors, and you'll save money by ordering these over imported brands. The national liquor is guaro, a crude cane liquor that's often combined with a soft drink or tonic. When drinking it straight, it's customary to follow a shot with a bite into a fresh lime covered in salt. If you want to try guaro, stick to the Cacique brand.\n\nSeveral brands and styles of coffee-based liqueurs are also produced in Costa Rica. Caf\u00e9 Rica is similar to Kahl\u00faa, and you can find several types of coffee cream liqueurs. The folks at Caf\u00e9 Britt produce their own line of coffee liqueurs which are quite good and available in most supermarkets, liquor stores, and tourist shops.\n\nCosta Ricans also drink a lot of rum. The premier Costa Rican rum is Centenario, but I recommend that you opt for the Nicaraguan Flor de Ca\u00f1a \u2605 or Cuban Havana Club \u2605, both of which are far superior rums. Note: Because of the trade embargo, it is illegal to bring Havana Club into the United States.\n\nTips on Shopping in Costa Rica\n\nCosta Rica is not known for shopping. Most of what you'll find for sale is pretty run-of-the-mill. The country is not known for its handicrafts. So scant are its offerings that most tourist shops sell Guatemalan clothing, Panamanian appliqu\u00e9d textiles, El Salvadoran painted wood souvenirs, and Nicaraguan rocking chairs. Still, Costa Rica does have a few locally produced arts and handicrafts to look out for, and a couple of towns and villages with well-deserved reputations for their unique works.\n\nPerhaps the most famous of all towns is Sarch\u00ed \u2605, a Central Valley town filled with handicraft shops. Sarch\u00ed is best known as the citadel of the colorfully painted Costa Rican oxcart, reproductions of which are manufactured in various scaled-down sizes. These make excellent gifts. (Larger oxcarts can be easily disassembled and shipped to your home.) A lot of furniture is also made in Sarch\u00ed.\n\nA detail of an oxcart.\n\nUp in Guanacaste, the small town of Guait\u00edl is famous for its pottery. A host of small workshops, studios, and storefronts ring the town's central park (which is actually a soccer field). Many of the low-fired ceramic wares here carry ancient local indigenous motifs, while others get quirky modern treatments. You can find examples of this low-fired simple ceramic work in many gift shops around the country, and even at roadside stands all across Guanacaste.\n\nYou might also run across carved masks \u2605\u2605\u2605 made by the indigenous Boruca people of southern Costa Rica. The small Boruca villages where these masks are carved are off the beaten path, but you will find them for sale at some of the better gift shops around the country. These full-size wood masks come in a variety of styles, both painted and unpainted, and run anywhere from $20 to $150, depending on the quality of workmanship. Tip: Don't be fooled. You'll see scores of mass-produced wooden masks at souvenir and gift shops around Costa Rica. Many are imported from Mexico, Guatemala, and Indonesia. Real Boruca masks are unique indigenous art works, and the better ones are signed by their carver.\n\n  Stop! Be Careful of What You Buy!\n\nInternational laws prohibit trade in endangered wildlife, so don't buy any plants or animals, even if they're readily for sale. Do not buy any kind of sea-turtle products (including jewelry); wild birds; lizards, snakes, or cat skins; corals; or orchids (except those grown commercially). No matter how unique, beautiful, insignificant, or inexpensive it might seem, your purchase will directly contribute to the further hunting of these species.\n\nIn addition, be careful when buying wood products. Costa Rica's rainforest hardwoods are a finite and rapidly disappearing resource. Try to buy sustainably harvested woods, if at all possible.\n\nIn addition to the masks, quite a bit of Costa Rican woodwork is for sale, but it is, for the most part mass-produced wooden bowls, napkin holders, placemats, and the like. A couple of notable exceptions include the work of Barry Biensanz \u2605\u2605, whose excellent hardwood creations are sold at better gift shops around the country, and the unique, large-scale sculptures created and sold at the Original Grand Gallery, in La Fortuna.\n\nCoffee remains my favorite gift item. It's a great deal, it's readily available, and Costa Rican coffee is some of the best in the world. See the \"Joe to Go\" box for tips on buying coffee in Costa Rica.\n\nA few other items worth keeping an eye out for include reproductions of pre-Columbian gold jewelry and carved-stone figurines. The former are available as either solid gold, silver, or gold-plated. The latter, although interesting, can be extremely heavy.\n\nAcross the country you'll find hammocks for sale. I personally find the Costa Rican hammocks a little crude and unstable. The same vendors usually have single-person hanging chairs, which are strung similarly to the full-size hammocks and are a better bet.\n\nIt's especially hard to capture the subtle shades and colors of the rainforests and cloud forests, and many a traveler has gone home thinking that his or her digital camera contained the full beauty of the jungle, only to see dozens of bright-green and random blurs when viewing the photos on a larger screen. To avoid this heartache, you might want to pick up a good coffee-table book or at least some postcards of the sights you want to remember forever and send them to yourself. For recommendations of coffee-table books, see \"Costa Rica in Popular Culture,\" above.\n\nWoven baskets on sale at Galer\u00eda Namu.\n\nContemporary and classic Costa Rican art is another great option, both for discerning collectors and those looking for a unique reminder of their time in the country. San Jos\u00e9 has the greatest number of galleries and shops, but you will find good, well-stocked galleries in some of the more booming tourist destinations, including Liberia, Manuel Antonio, Jac\u00f3, and Monteverde. Throughout the book, I list my favorite galleries, and you can check out \"Art & Architecture,\" above, for a list of some of the country's more prominent artists.\n\nFinally, one item that you'll see at gift shops around the country is Cuban cigars. Although these are illegal to bring into the United States, they are perfectly legal and readily available in Costa Rica.\n\nWhen to Go\n\nCosta Rica's high season for tourism runs from late November to late April, which coincides almost perfectly with the chill of winter in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, and includes Christmas, New Year's, Easter, and most school spring breaks. The high season is also the dry season. If you want some unadulterated time on a tropical beach and a little less rain during your rainforest experience, this is the time to come. During this period (and especially around the Christmas holiday), the tourism industry operates at full tilt\u2014prices are higher, attractions are more crowded, and reservations need to be made in advance.\n\nLocal tourism operators often call the tropical rainy season (May through mid-Nov) the \"green season.\" The adjective is appropriate. At this time of year, even brown and barren Guanacaste province becomes lush and verdant. I personally love traveling around Costa Rica during the rainy season (but then again, I'm not trying to flee cold snaps in Canada). It's easy to find or at least negotiate reduced rates, there are far fewer fellow travelers, and the rain is often limited to a few hours each afternoon (although you can occasionally get socked in for a week at a time). A drawback: Some of the country's rugged roads become downright impassable without four-wheel-drive during the rainy season.\n\nWeather\n\nCosta Rica is a tropical country and has distinct wet and dry seasons. However, some regions are rainy all year, and others are very dry and sunny for most of the year. Temperatures vary primarily with elevations, not with seasons: On the coasts it's hot all year; in the mountains it can be cool at night any time of year. Frost is common at the highest elevations (3,000\u20133,600m\/9,840\u201311,808 ft.).\n\nGenerally, the rainy season (or \"green season\") is from May to mid-November. Costa Ricans call this wet time of year their winter. The dry season, considered summer by Costa Ricans, is from mid-November to April. In Guanacaste, the dry northwestern province, the dry season lasts several weeks longer than in other places. Even in the rainy season, days often start sunny, with rain falling in the afternoon and evening. On the Caribbean coast, especially south of Lim\u00f3n, you can count on rain year-round, although this area gets less rain in September and October than the rest of the country.\n\nIn general, the best time of year to visit weatherwise is in December and January, when everything is still green from the rains but the sky is clear.\n\nHolidays\n\nBecause Costa Rica is a Roman Catholic country, most of its holidays are church-related. The biggies are Christmas, New Year's, and Easter, which are all celebrated for several days. Keep in mind that Holy Week (Easter week) is the biggest holiday time in Costa Rica, and many families head for the beach. (This is the last holiday before school starts.) Also, there is no public transportation on Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Government offices and banks are closed on official holidays, transportation services are reduced, and stores and markets might also close.\n\nOfficial holidays in Costa Rica include January 1 (New Year's Day), March 19 (St. Joseph's Day), Thursday and Friday of Holy Week, April 11 (Juan Santamar\u00eda's Day), May 1 (Labor Day), June 29 (St. Peter and St. Paul Day), July 25 (annexation of the province of Guanacaste), August 2 (Virgin of Los Angeles's Day), August 15 (Mother's Day), September 15 (Independence Day), October 12 (Discovery of America\/D\u00eda de la Raza), December 8 (Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary), December 24 and 25 (Christmas), and December 31 (New Year's Eve).\n\nCalendar of Events\n\nSome of the events listed here might be considered more of a happening than an event\u2014there's not, for instance, a Virgin of Los Angeles PR Committee that readily dispenses information. If I haven't listed a contact number, your best bet is to call the Costa Rican Tourist Board (ICT) at   866\/COSTA RICA in the U.S. and Canada, or 2223-1733 in Costa Rica, or visit www.visitcostarica.com.\n\nFor an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http:\/\/events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.\n\nJanuary\n\nCopa del Caf\u00e9 (Coffee Cup), San Jos\u00e9. Matches for this international event on the junior tennis tour are held at the Costa Rica Country Club (  2228-9333; www.copacafe.com). First week in January.\n\nFiestas of Palmares, Palmares. Perhaps the largest and best organized of the traditional fiestas, it includes bullfights, a horseback parade (tope), and many concerts, carnival rides, and food booths (www.fiestaspalmares.com). First 2 weeks in January.\n\nFiestas of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. This religious celebration honors the Black Christ of Esquipulas (a famous Guatemalan statue), featuring folk dancing, marimba music, and bullfights. Mid-January.\n\nFiesta of the Diablitos, Rey Curr\u00e9 village near San Isidro de El General. Boruca Indians wearing wooden devil and bull masks perform dances representative of the Spanish conquest of Central America; there are fireworks displays and an Indian handicrafts market. Late January.\n\nMarch\n\nD\u00eda del Boyero (Oxcart Drivers' Day), San Antonio de Escaz\u00fa. Colorfully painted oxcarts parade through this suburb of San Jos\u00e9, and local priests bless the oxen. Second Sunday in March.\n\nNational Orchid Show, San Jos\u00e9. Orchid growers throughout the world gather to show their wares, trade tales and secrets, and admire the hundreds of species on display. Contact the Costa Rican Tourist Board for the location and dates in 2012. Mid-March.\n\nApril\n\nHoly Week. Religious processions are held in cities and towns throughout the country. Week before Easter.\n\nJuan Santamar\u00eda Day, Alajuela. Costa Rica's national hero is honored with parades, concerts, and dances. April 11.\n\nMay\n\nCarrera de San Juan. The country's biggest marathon runs through the mountains, from the outskirts of Cartago to the outskirts of San Jos\u00e9. May 17.\n\nJuly\n\nFiesta of the Virgin of the Sea, Puntarenas. A regatta of colorfully decorated boats carrying a statue of Puntarenas's patron saint marks this festival. A similar event is held at Playa de Coco. Saturday closest to July 16.\n\nAnnexation of Guanacaste Day, Liberia. Tico-style bullfights, folk dancing, horseback parades, rodeos, concerts, and other events celebrate the day when this region became part of Costa Rica. July 25.\n\nAugust\n\nFiesta of the Virgin of Los Angeles, Cartago. This is the annual pilgrimage day of the patron saint of Costa Rica. Many people walk from San Jos\u00e9 24km (15 miles) to the basilica in Cartago. August 2.\n\nD\u00eda de San Ram\u00f3n, San Ram\u00f3n. More than two dozen statues of saints from various towns are brought to San Ram\u00f3n, where they are paraded through the streets. August 31.\n\nSeptember\n\nCosta Rica's Independence Day, celebrated all over the country. One of the most distinctive aspects of this festival is the nighttime marching band parades of children in their school uniforms, who play the national anthem on steel xylophones. September 15.\n\nInternational Beach Clean-Up Day. This is a good excuse to chip in and help clean up the beleaguered shoreline of your favorite beach. Third Saturday in September.\n\nOctober\n\nFiesta del Ma\u00edz, Upala. At this celebration of corn, local beauty queens wear outfits made from corn plants. October 12.\n\nLim\u00f3n Carnival\/D\u00eda de la Raza, Lim\u00f3n. A smaller version of Mardi Gras, complete with floats and dancing in the streets, commemorates Columbus's discovery of Costa Rica. Week of October 12.\n\nNovember\n\nAll Souls' Day\/D\u00eda de los Muertos, celebrated countrywide. Although it is not as elaborate or ritualized as in Mexico, most Costa Ricans take some time this day to remember the dead with flowers and trips to cemeteries. November 2.\n\nDecember\n\nFiesta de los Negritos, Boruca. Boruca Indians celebrate the feast day of their patron saint, the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, with costumed dances and traditional music. December 8.\n\nD\u00eda de la P\u00f3lvora, San Antonio de Bel\u00e9n and Jes\u00fas Mar\u00eda de San Mateo. Fireworks honor Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. December 8.\n\nLas Posadas. Countrywide, children and carolers go door-to-door seeking lodging in a reenactment of Joseph and Mary's search for a place to stay. Begins December 15.\n\nEl Tope and Carnival, San Jos\u00e9. The streets of downtown belong to horses and their riders in a proud recognition of the country's important agricultural heritage. The next day, those same streets are taken over by carnival floats, marching bands, and street dancers. December 26 and 27.\n\nFestejos Populares, San Jos\u00e9. Bullfights and a pretty respectable bunch of carnival rides, games of chance, and fast-food stands are set up at the fairgrounds in Zapote. (www.festejospopulares.com). Last week of December.\n\nThe Lay of the Land\n\nCosta Rica occupies a central spot in the isthmus that joins North and South America. For millennia, this land bridge served as a migratory thoroughfare and mating ground for species native to the once-separate continents. It was also where the Mesoamerican and Andean pre-Columbian indigenous cultures met.\n\nThe country comprises only .01% of the earth's landmass, yet it is home to 5% of the planet's biodiversity. More than 10,000 identified species of plants, 880 species of birds, 9,000 species of butterflies and moths, and 500 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are found here.\n\nThe key to this biological richness lies in the many distinct life zones and ecosystems found in Costa Rica. It might all seem like one big mass of green to the untrained eye, but the differences are profound.\n\nIn any one spot in Costa Rica, temperatures remain relatively constant year-round. However, as seen above, they vary dramatically according to altitude, from tropically hot and steamy along the coasts to below freezing at the highest elevations.\n\nFor more information on Costa Rican flora and fauna, see chapter . For information on sustainable issues in the country, see \"Responsible Tourism,\" below.\n\nCosta Rica's Ecosystems\n\nRainforests\n\nCosta Rica's rainforests are classic tropical jungles. Some receive more than 508cm (200 in.) of rainfall per year, and their climate is typically hot and humid, especially in the lowland rainforests. Trees grow tall and fast, fighting for sunlight in the upper reaches. In fact, life and foliage on the forest floor are surprisingly sparse. The action is typically 30m (98 ft.) up, in the canopy, where long vines stream down, lianas climb up, and bromeliads grow on the branches and trunks of towering hardwood trees.\n\nSome of the more indicative rainforest tree species include the parasitic strangler fig and the towering ceiba, which can reach some 60m (196 ft.). Mammal species that call the Costa Rican rainforests home include the jaguar, three-toed sloth, all four native monkey species, and Baird's Tapir, while some of the more prominent birds you might spot are the Harpy eagle, Scarlet Macaw and the Chesnut-mandibled toucan.\n\nYou can find these lowland rainforests along the southern Pacific coast and Osa Peninsula, as well as along the Caribbean coast. Corcovado, Cahuita, and Manuel Antonio national parks, as well as the Manzanillo-Gandoca Wildlife Refuge, are fine examples of lowland rainforests. Examples of mid-elevation rainforests include the Braulio Carillo National Park and the forests around La Selva and the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed region, and those around the Arenal volcano and Lake Arenal area.\n\nA Guaria Morada, the national flower.\n\nTropical Dry Forests\n\nIn a few protected areas of Guanacaste (chapter ), you will still find examples of the otherwise vanishing tropical dry forest. During the long and pronounced dry season (late Nov to late Apr), no rain relieves the unabated heat. In an effort to conserve much-needed water, the trees drop their leaves but bloom in a riot of color: Purple jacaranda, scarlet por\u00f3, and brilliant orange flame-of-the-forest are just a few examples. Then during the rainy season, this deciduous forest is transformed into a lush and verdant landscape.\n\nOther common dry forest trees include the Guanacaste, with its broad, shade canopy, and distinctive pochote, whose trunk is covered with thick, broad thorns.\n\nBecause the foliage is less dense than that found in cloud forests and rainforests, dry forests are excellent places to view a variety of wildlife. Howler monkeys are commonly seen in the trees, and coatimundi, puma, and coyote roam the ground. Costa Rica's remaining dry forests are most prominently found in Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja, and Palo Verde national parks.\n\nCloud Forests\n\nAt higher altitudes you'll find Costa Rica's famed cloud forests. Here the steady flow of moist air meets the mountains and creates a nearly constant mist. Epiphytes\u2014resourceful plants that live cooperatively on the branches and trunks of other trees\u2014grow abundantly in the cloud forests, where they must extract moisture and nutrients from the air. Because cloud forests are found in generally steep, mountainous terrain, the canopy here is lower and less uniform than in lowland rainforests, providing better chances for viewing elusive fauna.\n\nThe remarkable Respendent Quetzal is perhaps the most famous and sought-after denizen of Costa Rica's cloud forests, but you'll also find a broad and immense variety of flora and fauna, including a dozen or more hummingbird species, wild cats, monkeys, reptiles, and amphibians. Orchids, many of them epiphytic, thrive in cloud forests, as do mosses, ferns, and a host of other plants, many of which are cultivated and sold as common household plants throughout the rest of the world.\n\nCosta Rica's most spectacular cloud forest is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve , but you can also explore Monteverde's neighbor, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve , or, much closer to San Jos\u00e9, the Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve .\n\nA Hot Lips flower.\n\nMangroves & Wetlands\n\nAlong the coasts, primarily where river mouths meet the ocean, you will find extensive mangrove forests, wetlands and swamps. Mangroves, in particular, are an immensely important ecological phenomenon. Around the intricate tangle of mangrove roots exists one of the most diverse and rich ecosystems on the planet. All sorts of fish and crustaceans live in the brackish tidal waters. Many larger salt water and open-ocean fish species begin life in the nutrient rich, and relatively safe and protected environment of a mangrove swamp.\n\nMangrove swamps and wetlands are havens for and home to scores of water birds: cormorants, magnificent frigate birds, pelicans, kingfishers, egrets, ibises, and herons. The larger birds tend to nest up high in the canopy, while the smaller ones nestle in the underbrush. And in the waters, caimans and crocodiles cruise the maze of rivers and unmarked canals.\n\nMangrove forests, swamps, and wetlands exist all along both of Costa Rica's coasts. Some of the prime areas that can be explored by tourists include the areas around the Sierpe river mouth and Diquis delta near Drake Bay , the Golfo Dulce in the southern zone, Palo Verde National Park and the Tempisque river basin in Guanacaste (chapter ), and the Manzanillo-Gandoca Wildlife Refuge on the Caribbean coast (chapter ).\n\nP\u00e1ramo\n\nAt the highest reaches, the cloud forests give way to elfin forests and p\u00e1ramos. More commonly associated with the South American Andes, a p\u00e1ramo is characterized by a variety of tundralike shrubs and grasses, with a scattering of twisted, windblown trees. Reptiles, rodents, and raptors are the most common residents here, and since the vegetation is so sparse, they're often easier to spot. Mount Chirrip\u00f3, Chirrip\u00f3 National Park , and the Cerro de la Muerte (Mountain of Death;  are the principal areas of p\u00e1ramo in Costa Rica.\n\nVolcanoes\n\nCosta Rica is a land of high volcanic and seismic activity. The country has three major volcanic mountain ranges, and many of the volcanoes are still active, allowing visitors to experience the awe-inspiring sight of steaming fumaroles, sky-lighting eruptions, and intense lava flows during their stay. In ecological terms, cooled-off lava flows are fascinating laboratories, where you can watch pioneering lichen and mosses eventually give way to plants and shrubs, and eventually trees and forests.\n\nThe top spot to see volcanic activity is, hands-down, the Arenal volcano (chapter ). Another reliable place to see steady volcanic activity, in the form of mud pots, fumaroles, and hot springs is in the Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park . Closer to San Jos\u00e9, the Po\u00e1s and Iraz\u00fa volcanoes are both currently active, although relatively quiet.\n\nSearching for Wildlife\n\nAnimals in the forests are predominantly nocturnal. When they are active in the daytime, they are usually elusive and on the watch for predators. Birds are easier to spot in clearings or secondary forests than they are in primary forests. Unless you have lots of experience in the Tropics, your best hope for enjoying a walk through the jungle lies in employing a trained and knowledgeable guide. (By the way, if it's been raining a lot and the trails are muddy, a good pair of rubber boots comes in handy. These are usually provided by the lodges or at the sites, where necessary.)\n\nHere are a few helpful hints:\n\n\u2022 Listen. Pay attention to rustling in the leaves; whether it's monkeys up above or pizotes on the ground, you're most likely to hear an animal before seeing one.\n\n\u2022 Keep quiet. Noise will scare off animals and prevent you from hearing their movements and calls.\n\n\u2022 Don't try too hard. Soften your focus and allow your peripheral vision to take over. This way you can catch glimpses of motion and then focus in on the prey.\n\n\u2022 Bring binoculars. It's also a good idea to practice a little first to get the hang of them. It would be a shame to be fiddling around and staring into space while everyone else in your group oohs and aahs over a quetzal.\n\n\u2022 Dress appropriately. You'll have a hard time focusing your binoculars if you're busy swatting mosquitoes. Light, long pants and long-sleeved shirts are your best bet. Comfortable hiking boots are a real boon, except where heavy rubber boots are necessary. Avoid loud colors; the better you blend in with your surroundings, the better your chances are of spotting wildlife.\n\n\u2022 Be patient. The jungle isn't on a schedule. However, your best shots at seeing forest fauna are in the very early morning and late afternoon hours.\n\n\u2022 Read up. Familiarize yourself with what you're most likely to see. Most lodges and hotels have a copy of A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica and other wildlife field guides, although it's always best to have your own. A good all-around book to use is Carrol Henderson's The Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica.\n\nA jaguar.\n\nResponsible Tourism\n\nCosta Rica is one of the planet's prime ecotourism destinations. Many of the hotels, isolated nature lodges, and tour operators around the country are pioneers and dedicated professionals in the sustainable tourism field. Many other hotels, lodges, and tour operators are honestly and earnestly jumping on the bandwagon and improving their practices, while still others are simply \"green-washing,\" using the terms \"eco,\" \"green,\" and \"sustainable\" in their promo materials, but doing little real good in their daily operations.\n\nIn 2010, Costa Rica was ranked third globally in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI; http:\/\/epi.yale.edu). Despite its reputation, the substantial amounts of good work being done, and ongoing advances being made in the field, Costa Rica is by no means an ecological paradise free from environmental and social threats. Untreated sewage is dumped into rivers, bays, oceans, and watersheds at an alarming rate. Child labor and sexual exploitation are rampant, and certain sectors of the tourism trade only make these matters worse.\n\nOver the last decade or so, Costa Rica has taken great strides toward protecting its rich biodiversity, however. Thirty years ago it was difficult to find a protected area anywhere, but now more than 11% of the country is protected within the national park system. Another 10% to 15% of the land enjoys moderately effective preservation as part of private and public reserves, Indian reserves, and wildlife refuges and corridors. Still, Costa Rica's precious tropical hardwoods continue to be harvested at an alarming rate, often illegally, while other primary forests are clear-cut for short-term agricultural gain. Many experts predict that Costa Rica's unprotected forests could be gone within the early part of this century.\n\nRecycling is beginning to gather momentum in Costa Rica. More and more you will see separate bins for plastics, glass, and paper on town and city streets, at national parks, and at the country's more sustainable hotels and restaurants. Your hotel will be your best bet for finding a place to deposit recyclable waste, especially if you choose a hotel that has instituted sustainable practices.\n\nWhile you can find hotels and tour operators using comprehensive sustainable practices all across Costa Rica\u2014even in the San Jos\u00e9 metropolitan area\u2014a few prime destinations are particular hot spots for sustainable tourism practices. Of note are the remote and wild Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce area of southern Costa Rica, the rural northern zone that includes both Monteverde and the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal attractions, and the underdeveloped Caribbean coast, with the rainforest canals of Tortuguero, Cahuita National Park, and the Manzanillo-Gandoca Wildlife Refuge.\n\nIn addition to focusing on wildlife viewing and adventure activities in the wild, ecolodges in these areas tend to be smaller, often lacking televisions, air-conditioning, and other typical luxury amenities. The more remote lodges usually depend largely or entirely on small solar and hydro plants for their power consumption. That said, some of these hotels and lodges provide levels of comfort and service that are quite luxurious.\n\nIn Costa Rica, the government-run tourism institute (ICT) provides a sustainability rating of a host of hotels and tour agencies under its Certificate of Sustainable Tourism Program (CST). You can look up the ratings at the website www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr.\n\nBear in mind that this program is still relatively new and the list is far from comprehensive. Many hotels and tour operators in the country haven't completed the extensive review and rating process. Moreover, die-hard ecologists find some of these listings somewhat suspect. Still, this list and rating system is a good start, and is improving and evolving constantly.\n\nA parallel program, \"The Blue Flag,\" is used to rate specific beaches and communities in terms of their environmental condition and practices. The Blue Flags are reviewed and handed out annually. Current listings of Blue Flag approved beaches and communities can be found at www.visitcostarica.com.\n\nSee individual chapters for recommendations on the hotels and lodges that I consider leaders in sustainable tourism practices in Costa Rica. As I've said earlier, more and more hotels are continuing to adopt sustainable and ethical tourism practices. Please supplement my recommendations with your own research via the web, and sites such as the CST site mentioned above.\n\nWhile sustainable tourism options are widespread in Costa Rica, organic and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables (as well as coffee) are just beginning to become available. Very few restaurants feature organic produce, although that is starting to change.\n\nIf you're not booking your hotel, tours, and transportation by yourself, you might want to consider using a tour agency that has earned high marks in this area. In Costa Rica, Horizontes \u2605 (  2296-7757; www.crsuntours.com), and Swiss Travel Service (  2282-4898; www.swisstravelcr.com).\n\nIn addition to the agencies listed above, those looking for a taste of what many consider \"the real\" Costa Rica should consider booking through ACTUAR \u2605\u2605 (  866\/393-5889 in the U.S., or 2248-9470 in Costa Rica; www.actuarcostarica.com). This organization groups together a network of small, rural lodges and tour operators. In many cases, accommodations are quite rustic. Bunk beds and thin foam mattresses are common. However, all of the hotels, lodges, and tour operators are small-scale and local. In many cases, they are family operations. If you want a true taste of typical, rural Costa Rica, traveling with ACTUAR is a great way to go.\n\nFinally, another great way to make your tourism experience more sustainable is to volunteer. For specific information on volunteer options in Costa Rica, see \"Volunteer & Study Programs,\" in chapter , \"The Active Vacation Planner.\"\n\nBeyond the country's hotels, tour operators, and volunteer options, it's worth noting here that the local commuter airline Nature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has been a pioneer in the field. In 2004, Nature Air became the first certified carbon-neutral airline on the planet, and they continue to supplement their own sustainable practices with contributions to reforestation and conservation programs.\n3\n\nSuggested Costa Rica Itineraries\n\nA green turtle in Tortuguero.\n\nCosta Rica is a compact, yet varied, destination with numerous natural attractions and a broad selection of exciting sights, scenery, adventure activities, and ecosystems. On a trip to Costa Rica you can visit rainforests, cloud forests, and active volcanoes, and walk along miles of beautiful beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Adventure hounds will have their fill choosing from an exciting array of activities, and those looking for some rest and relaxation can grab a chaise longue and a good book. Costa Rica is also a relatively compact country, which makes visiting several destinations during a single vacation both easy and enjoyable.\n\nThe fastest and easiest way to get around the country is by small commuter aircraft. Most major destinations are serviced by regular commuter or charter airline companies. However, this does imply using San Jos\u00e9 or Liberia as periodic transfer hubs. If your connections don't line up, you may end up having to tack on nights in either of these cities in the middle of your trip. Luckily, sufficient flights and internal connections make this an infrequent inconvenience.\n\nGetting around Costa Rica by car is another excellent option. Most major destinations are between 2 and 5 hours from San Jos\u00e9 by car, and many can be linked together in a well-planned and convenient loop. For example, one popular loop links Arenal Volcano, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. However, be forewarned that the roads here are often in terrible shape, many major roads and intersections are unmarked, and Tico drivers can be reckless and rude. See \"By Car\" under \"Getting Around Costa Rica,\" in chapter  for more information on driving in Costa Rica.\n\nThe following itineraries are specific blueprints for fabulous vacations, and you can follow them to the letter. You might also decide to use one or more of them as an outline and then fill in some blanks with other destinations, activities, and attractions that strike your fancy from the rest of this book.\n\nCosta Rica Regions in Brief\n\nCosta Rica rightfully should be called \"Costas Ricas\" because it has two coasts: one on the Pacific Ocean and one on the Caribbean Sea. These two coasts are as different from each other as are the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.\n\nCosta Rica's Pacific coast is the most extensive, and is characterized by a rugged (although mostly accessible) coastline where forested mountains often meet the sea. It can be divided into four distinct regions\u2014Guanacaste, the Nicoya Peninsula, the Central Coast, and the Southern Coast. There are some spectacular stretches of coastline, and most of the country's top beaches are here. This coast varies from the dry, sunny climate of the northwest to the hot, humid rainforests of the south.\n\nThe Caribbean coast can be divided into two roughly equal stretches. The remote northeast coastline is a vast flat plain laced with rivers and covered with rainforest; it is accessible only by boat or small plane. Farther south, along the stretch of coast accessible by car, are uncrowded beaches and even a bit of coral reef.\n\nBordered by Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the southeast, Costa Rica is only slightly larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Much of the country is mountainous, with three major ranges running northwest to southeast. Among these mountains are several volcanic peaks, some of which are still active. Between the mountain ranges are fertile valleys, the largest and most populated of which is the Central Valley. With the exception of the dry Guanacaste region, much of Costa Rica's coastal area is hot and humid and covered with dense rainforests.\n\nSee the map above for a visual of the regions detailed below.\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 San Jos\u00e9 is Costa Rica's capital and its primary business, cultural and social center\u2014it sits fairly close the country's geographical center, in the heart of its Central Valley. It's a sprawling, urban area, with a population of around 1 million. Its streets are narrow, in poor repair, poorly marked and often chocked full with traffic. However, a few notable parks, like the Parque La Sabana and Parque del Este, do serve to lessen the urban blight. San Jos\u00e9 is home to the country's greatest collection of museums, fine restaurants and stores, galleries, and shopping centers.\n\nThe Central Valley The Central Valley is characterized by rolling green hills that rise to heights between 900 and 1,200m (2,952\u20133,936 ft.) above sea level. The climate here is mild and springlike year-round. It's Costa Rica's primary agricultural region, with coffee farms making up the majority of landholdings. The rich volcanic soil of this region makes it ideal for farming. The country's earliest settlements were in this area, and today the Central Valley (which includes San Jos\u00e9) is densely populated, crisscrossed by decent roads, and dotted with small towns. Surrounding the Central Valley are high mountains, among which are four volcanic peaks. Two of these, Po\u00e1s and Iraz\u00fa, are still active and have caused extensive damage during cycles of activity in the past 2 centuries. Many of the mountainous regions to the north and to the south of the capital of San Jos\u00e9 have been declared national parks (Tapant\u00ed, Juan Castro, and Braulio Carrillo) to protect their virgin rainforests against logging.\n\nGuanacaste The northwestern corner of the country near the Nicaraguan border is the site of many of Costa Rica's sunniest and most popular beaches, including Playa del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Flamingo, Playa Conchal, Tamarindo, and the Papagayo Peninsula. Scores of beach destinations, towns, and resorts are along this long string of coastline. Because many foreigners have chosen to build beach houses and retirement homes here, Guanacaste has experienced considerable development over the years. You won't find a glut of Canc\u00fan\u2013style high-rise hotels, but condos, luxury resorts, and golf courses have sprung up all up and down the coastline here. Still, you won't be towel-to-towel with thousands of strangers. On the contrary, you can still find long stretches of deserted sands. However, more and more travelers are using Liberia as their gateway to Costa Rica, bypassing San Jos\u00e9 and the central and southern parts of the country entirely.\n\nWith about 165cm (65 in.) of rain a year, this region is by far the driest in the country and has been likened to west Texas. Guanacaste province is named after the shady trees that still shelter the herds of cattle roaming the dusty savanna here. In addition to cattle ranches, Guanacaste has semiactive volcanoes, several lakes, and one of the last remnants of tropical dry forest left in Central America. (Dry forest once stretched all the way from Costa Rica up to the Mexican state of Chiapas.)\n\nTamarindo.\n\nPuntarenas & the Nicoya Peninsula Just south of Guanacaste lies the Nicoya peninsula. Similar to Guanacaste in many ways, the Nicoya peninsula is nonetheless somewhat more inaccessible, and thus much less developed and crowded. However, this is already starting to change. The neighboring beaches of Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa are perhaps the fastest growing hot spots anywhere along the Costa Rican coast.\n\nWhile similar in terms of geography, climate, and ecosystems, as you head south from Guanacaste, the region begins to get more humid and moist. The forests are taller and lusher than those found in Guanacaste. The Nicoya peninsula itself juts out to form the Golfo de Nicoya (Nicoya Gulf), a large, protected body of water. Puntarenas, a small fishing city, is the main port found inside this gulf, and one of the main commercial ports in all of Costa Rica. Puntarenas is also the departure point for the regular ferries that connect the Nicoya peninsula to San Jos\u00e9 and most of mainland Costa Rica.\n\nThe Northern Zone This inland region lies to the north of San Jos\u00e9 and includes rainforests, cloud forests, hot springs, the country's two most active volcanoes (Arenal and Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja), Braulio Carrillo National Park, and numerous remote lodges. Because this is one of the few regions of Costa Rica without any beaches, it primarily attracts people interested in nature and active sports. Lake Arenal boasts some of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing in the world, as well as several good mountain-biking trails along its shores. The Monteverde Cloud Forest, perhaps Costa Rica's most internationally recognized attraction, is another top draw in this region.\n\nThe Central Pacific Coast Because it's the most easily accessible coastline in Costa Rica, the central Pacific coast has a vast variety of beach resorts and hotels. Playa de Jac\u00f3, a beach just an hour or so drive from San Jos\u00e9, attracts many sunbirds, charter groups, and a mad rush of Tico tourists every weekend. It is also very popular with young surfers, and has a distinct party vibe to it. Manuel Antonio, one of the most emblematic destinations in Costa Rica, is built up around a popular coastal national park, and caters to people looking to blend beach time and fabulous panoramic views with some wildlife viewing and active adventures. This region is also home to the highest peak in Costa Rica\u2014Mount Chirrip\u00f3\u2014a beautiful summit, where frost is common.\n\nThe Southern Zone This hot, humid region is one of Costa Rica's most remote and undeveloped. It is characterized by dense rainforests, large national parks and protected areas, and rugged coastlines. Much of the area is uninhabited and protected in Corcovado, Piedras Blancas, and La Amistad national parks. A number of wonderful nature lodges are spread around the shores of the Golfo Dulce and along the Osa Peninsula. There's a lot of solitude to be found here, due in no small part to the fact that it's hard to get here and hard to get around. But if you like your ecotourism authentic and challenging, you'll find the southern zone to your liking.\n\nCorcovado National Park.\n\nThe Caribbean Coast Most of the Caribbean coast is a wide, steamy lowland laced with rivers and blanketed with rainforests and banana plantations. The culture here is predominantly Afro-Caribbean, with many residents speaking an English or Caribbean patois. The northern section of this coast is accessible only by boat or small plane and is the site of Tortuguero National Park, which is known for its nesting sea turtles and riverboat trips. The towns of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, and Manzanillo, on the southern half of the Caribbean coast, are increasingly popular destinations. The beautiful beaches and coastline here, as yet, have few large hotels. This area can be rainy, especially between December and April.\n\nCosta Rica in 1 Week\n\nThe timing is tight, but this itinerary packs a lot into a weeklong vacation. This route takes you to a trifecta of Costa Rica's primary tourist attractions: Arenal Volcano, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. You can explore and enjoy tropical nature, take in some beach time, and experience a few high-adrenaline adventures to boot.\n\nDay 1: Arrive & Settle into San Jos\u00e9\n\nArrive and get settled in San Jos\u00e9. If your flight gets in early enough and you have time, head downtown and tour the Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica (Gold Museum) \u2605\u2605.\n\n  FRESH FRUIT\n\nAs you walk around town, stop at one of the roadside stands or kiosks selling small bags of precut and prepared fruit. Depending on the season, you might find mango, pineapple, or papaya on offer. If you're lucky they'll have mamon chino, an odd-looking golf ball\u2013size fruit you might also know as rambutan or litchi nut.\n\nHead over to the Teatro Nacional (National Theater). If anything is playing that night, buy tickets for the show. For an elegant and delicious dinner, I recommend Grano de Oro Restaurant \u2605\u2605\u2605, a refined restaurant with seating in and around an open-air central courtyard in a beautiful downtown hotel.\n\nDay 2: Hot Rocks \u2605\u2605\n\nRent a car and head to the Arenal National Park to see Arenal Volcano \u2605\u2605. Settle into your hotel and spend the afternoon at the Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605, working out the kinks from the road. In the evening either sign up for a volcano-watching tour or take one on your own by driving the road to Arenal National Park and finding a quiet spot to pull over and wait for the sparks to fly.\n\nDay 3: Adventures around Arenal, Ending Up in Monteverde \u2605\u2605\n\nSpend the morning doing something adventurous around Arenal National Park. Your options range from white-water rafting to mountain biking to horseback riding and then hiking to the R\u00edo Fortuna Waterfall. My favorite is the canyoning adventure offered by Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605\u2605. Allow at least 4 hours of daylight to drive around Lake Arenal to Monteverde. Stop for a break at the Lucky Bug Gallery \u2605\u2605, along the road between Tabac\u00f3n and Nuevo Arenal, and an excellent place to shop for gifts, artwork, and souvenirs. Once you get to Monteverde, settle into your hotel and head for a drink and dinner at Sof\u00eda \u2605\u2605\u2605.\n\nDay 4: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nWake up early and take a guided tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605 next door to the entrance after your tour. The scores of brilliant hummingbirds buzzing around your head at this attraction are always fascinating. Spend the afternoon visiting several of the area's attractions, which might include any combination of the following: the Butterfly Garden \u2605, Orchid Garden \u2605, Frog Pond of Monteverde \u2605, the Bat Jungle, and the World of Insects.\n\nDay 5: From the Treetops to the Coast \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nUse the morning to take one of the zip-line canopy tours here. I recommend Selvatura Park \u2605, which offers up spectacular views over the rainforest to the sea. You can drop your car off at any point now and just rely on taxis and tours.\n\nA canopy tour at Selvatura.\n\nDay 6: Manuel Antonio \u2605\u2605\n\nIn the morning take a boat tour of the Damas Island estuary with Jorge Cruz, and then reward yourself for all the hard touring so far with an afternoon lazing on one of the beautiful beaches inside Manuel Antonio National Park \u2605\u2605. If you just can't lie still, be sure to hike the loop trail through the rainforest here and around Cathedral Point \u2605\u2605. Make reservations at the El Patio Bistro Latino \u2605\u2605\u2605 for an intimate and relaxed final dinner in Costa Rica.\n\nDay 7: Saying Adi\u00f3s\n\nFly back to San Jos\u00e9 in time to connect with your departing flight home. If you have extra time, feel free to head back into Manuel Antonio National Park, do some souvenir shopping, or simply laze around your hotel pool. You've earned it.\n\nCosta Rica in 2 Weeks\n\nIf you have 2 weeks, you'll be able to hit all the highlights mentioned above, as well as some others, and at a slightly more relaxed pace to boot. The first part of this itinerary is very similar to the 1-week itinerary laid out above. It's a real judgment call, but you might want to substitute a 2- to 3-day trip to Tortuguero for either the Guanacaste or the southern zone section listed below, or whittle down a day here or there along the way in order to squeeze in Tortuguero.\n\nRelaxing in a hammock in Guanacaste.\n\nDays 1 & 2: San Jos\u00e9\n\nFollow the options listed under Days 1 and 2 in \"Costa Rica in 1 Week,\" above. Another excellent option for dinner on your second night is Caf\u00e9 Mundo \u2605, a lively restaurant and nightspot set in a wonderfully restored old colonial home in the heart of downtown.\n\nDay 3: Active in Arenal\n\nSpend the morning doing something adventurous in Arenal National Park \u2605\u2605, as recommended in Day 3 in \"Costa Rica in 1 Week,\" above. If you're really active, you can schedule a second adventure for the afternoon or take time to visit the town of La Fortuna. In the evening, return to the Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605. If you were smart, you'll have already booked yourself a spa treatment.\n\nTabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort.\n\nDay 4: Driving (& Shopping) Your Way around the Lake to Monteverde\n\nGive yourself at least 4 hours of daylight to drive around Lake Arenal to Monteverde. But you can take even longer. During your drive, be sure to stop at the Lucky Bug Gallery \u2605\u2605, where you can shop for gifts, artwork, and souvenirs. Once you're in Monteverde, settle into your hotel and head for a drink and dinner at Chimera \u2605\u2605.\n\nA butterfly at the Monteverde Butterfly Garden.\n\nDay 5: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve\n\nSpend Day 5 as described for Day 4 of \"Costa Rica in 1 Week,\" above; however, head to Sof\u00eda \u2605\u2605\u2605 for dinner and grab a window table fronting its well-lighted and lush gardens.\n\nDay 6: More Monteverde\n\nThere's just no way you can hit all the local Monteverde attractions in a day. Use today to visit a few that you missed. Also be sure to stop in at several of the local art galleries and crafts shops. Monteverde has one of the country's most vibrant arts scenes and several worthwhile galleries, including Casa de Arte \u2605. In the evening, be sure to try Caf\u00e9 Cabur\u00e9 \u2605\u2605, a low-key restaurant serving eclectic international fare and a wide range of homemade organic chocolate creations.\n\nDay 7: Monteverde to Manuel Antonio\n\nSpend this day as in Day 5 of \"Costa Rica in 1 Week,\" above. However, after your sunset drink, head down into the town of Quepos for dinner at El Patio Bistro Latino \u2605\u2605\u2605, a cozy little spot serving some of the best food in the area.\n\nDay 8: Manuel Antonio \u2605\u2605\n\nSpend this day as in Day 6 of \"Costa Rica in 1 Week,\" above.\n\nDays 9, 10 & 11: Southern Costa Rica\n\nFly from Quepos and Manuel Antonio to Drake Bay and settle into a remote ecolodge, such as La Paloma Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605. You'll need 3 days to experience the many natural wonders of this southern zone. Aside from hiking in the rainforest, you'll be able to take scuba or snorkel outings, sportfishing trips, kayak adventures, and surfing lessons.\n\nDays 12, 13 & 14: Guanacaste's Gold Coast\n\nYou've had enough nature and adventure; it's time to enjoy some pure R & R. From the southern zone, fly up to Guanacaste and spend your final days enjoying the pleasures of one of Costa Rica's Gold Coast beaches. If you can afford it and rooms are available, I recommend the Four Seasons Resort \u2605\u2605.\n\nIf just lying on the beach or poolside is too mellow, you have scores of tour and activity options. If you're not feeling that active or adventurous, simply break out that novel you've been too busy to open and enjoy. On your last day, fly home from Liberia or San Jos\u00e9.\n\nCosta Rica for Families\n\nCosta Rica is a terrific destination for families. If you're traveling with very small children, you might want to stick close to the beaches, or consider a large resort with a children's program and babysitting services. But for slightly older kids and teens, particularly those with an adventurous streak, Costa Rica is a lot of fun. Youngsters and teens, especially those with strong adventurous and inquisitive traits, will do great here. The biggest challenges to families traveling with children are travel distances and the logistical trials of moving around within the country, which is why I recommend flying in and out of Liberia and basing yourself in Guanacaste.\n\nDay 1: Arrive in Guanacaste\n\nFly directly into Liberia. From here it's a drive of 30 to 45 minutes to any of the area's many beach resorts, especially around the Papagayo Peninsula. I recommend either the Four Seasons Resort \u2605. Both have excellent children's programs and tons of activity and tour options.\n\nDay 2: Get Your Bearings & Enjoy Your Resort\n\nGet to know and enjoy the facilities and activities offered up at your hotel or resort. Spend some time on the beach or at the pool. Enjoy the resort's on-hand watersports equipment and activities. Check out the children's program and any scheduled activities or tours that particularly appeal to anyone in the family. Feel free to adapt the following days' suggestions accordingly.\n\nDay 3: Rafting on the Corobic\u00ed River\n\nThe whole family will enjoy a rafting tour on the gentle Corobic\u00ed River. Rios Tropicales \u2605\u2605 offers leisurely trips that are appropriate for all ages, except infants. In addition to the slow float and occasional mellow rapids, there'll be plenty of opportunities to watch birds and other wildlife along the way. If you're here between late September and late February, book a turtle tour at nearby Playa Grande for the evening. The whole family will be awe-struck by the amazing spectacle of a giant leatherback turtle digging a nest and laying its eggs.\n\nDay 4: Parent's Day Off\n\nDrop the kids off with the children's program for at least 1 full day and treat yourselves to a sailboat cruise. You'll spend some time cruising the coast, take a break or two to snorkel, and probably stop for lunch at a deserted beach. If you really want to pamper yourself, also schedule some spa services.\n\nA sailboat cruise.\n\nDay 5: Hacienda Guachipelin \u2605\n\nIt's time to head for the hills, which are mostly volcanoes in this neck of the woods. Book a full-day outing to Hacienda Guachipelin \u2605, near the Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park. Older and more adventurous children can sign up for a horseback ride or canopy tour. Younger children should get a kick out of visiting this working farm and cattle ranch.\n\nDay 6: Learn to Surf\n\nHead to Tamarindo \u2605 and arrange for the whole family to take surf or boogie-board lessons. Hopefully you will have already booked a class with Tamarindo Surf School or Witch's Rock Surf Camp. Be sure to rent your boards for a full day, so that you can practice after the lesson is over.\n\nLearning to surf.\n\nDay 7: Leaving Liberia\n\nUse any spare time you have before your flight out of Liberia to buy last-minute souvenirs and gifts, or just laze on the beach or by the pool. Your best bet for shopping is probably the Kaltak Arts & Craft Market (  2667-0696), which is conveniently located on the way to the airport.\n\nA Week of Adventures in Costa Rica\n\nCosta Rica is a major adventure-tourism destination. The following basic itinerary packs a lot of adventure into a single week; if you want to do some mountain biking or kayaking, just schedule that time in. If you're into windsurfing or kiteboarding, you'll definitely want to visit Lake Arenal between December and March.\n\nBiking in Costa Rica.\n\nDay 1: Arrive & Settle into San Jos\u00e9\n\nArrive and get settled in San Jos\u00e9. If your flight gets in early enough and you have time, head downtown and tour the Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica \u2605, which is in the hills above Escaz\u00fa.\n\nDays 2 & 3: Get Wet & Wild\n\nTake a 2-day white-water rafting expedition on the Pacuare River with Exploradores Outdoors \u2605. Camp out at their rustic tent camp on the river's edge. When you finish running the Pacuare, have them arrange for a transfer to La Fortuna at the end of your rafting trip. Settle into your hotel and head to the Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 to have a soothing soak and to watch the volcano.\n\nPacuare River rafting.\n\nDay 4: Waterfalls Two Ways\n\nGo canyoning with Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605. Take the short hike down to the base of the falls and take a dip in one of the pools there. In the evening, check out the hot springs at Eco Termales \u2605\u2605.\n\nDay 5: Getting There Is Part of the Fun & Adventure\n\nArrange a taxi-to-boat-to-horse transfer over to Monteverde with Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605 in Monteverde. Finally, if you've got the energy, take a night tour through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.\n\nDay 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nWake up early and head back to take a daytime guided tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605. Be sure to bring a packed lunch. After the guided tour, spend the next few hours continuing to explore the trails through the cloud forest here. See if you can spot a quetzal on your own. Then transfer back to San Jos\u00e9.\n\nDay 7: Squeeze in a Soccer Game before Splitting\n\nUnfortunately, you'll most likely be on an early flight home from San Jos\u00e9. If you have a few hours to kill, head for a hike or jog around Parque La Sabana or, better yet, try to join a pickup soccer game here.\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 & Environs in 3 Days\n\nWhile most tourists seek to almost immediately get out of San Jos\u00e9 for greener pastures, Costa Rica's vibrant capital still has plenty to see and do. If you have even more days, take a white-water rafting trip on the Pacuare River, or head out to the Iraz\u00fa Volcano, Orosi Valley, and Cartago area.\n\nDay 1: Getting to Know the City\n\nStart your day on the Plaza de la Cultura. Visit the Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica \u2605\u2605, and see if you can get tickets for a performance that night at the Teatro Nacional. From the Plaza de la Cultura, stroll up Avenida Central to the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica (National Museum) \u2605\u2605.\n\nMuseo Nacional de Costa Rica.\n\n  Kal\u00fa Caf\u00e9 \u2605\u2605\n\nOnce you've toured the museum, have lunch at Kal\u00fa, at Calle 7 and Avenida 11, a lovely cafe and artsy boutique.\n\nAfter lunch, head over to the nearby Centro Nacional de Arte y Cultura (National Center of Art and Culture) \u2605. As soon as you're finished taking in all this culture, some shopping at the open-air stalls at the Plaza de la Democracia is in order.\n\n  Caf\u00e9 Mundo \u2605\n\nTry dinner at the trendy local hangout Caf\u00e9 Mundo, at Calle 15 and Avenida 9, 3 blocks east and 1 block north of the INS building.\n\nAfter dinner, head to the Teatro Nacional for the night's performance.\n\nDay 2: Enjoying Some Nearby Attractions\n\nGet an early start for the Po\u00e1s Volcano \u2605\u2605, before the clouds sock the main crater in. After visiting the volcano, head to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens \u2605\u2605. Take a walk on the waterfall trail, and also enjoy the immense butterfly garden and lively hummingbird garden. This is a good place to have lunch. On your way back to San Jos\u00e9, you'll be making a loop through the hills of Heredia, with a stop at INBio Park \u2605\u2605. In addition to being a fascinating natural-history museum, INBio Park also has a wonderful collection of intriguing animal sculptures by Costa Rican artist Jos\u00e9 Sancho.\n\nA San Jos\u00e9 street scene.\n\nDay 3: More City Sights & Shopping\n\nSpend your third day further exploring the capital. Start by heading out on Paseo Col\u00f3n to the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Costa Rican Art Museum) \u2605, or take a late-night turn on the dance floor at Castro's \u2605 or Salsa 54.\n\n  Restaurante Nuestra Tierra\n\nFor a final taste of local culture, head for dinner at Restaurante Nuestra Tierra, located right downtown, across from the Plaza de la Democracia.\n4\n\nThe Active Vacation Planner\n\nBungee jumping in Costa Rica.\n\nActive and adventure travelers will have their hands full and hearts pumping in Costa Rica. While it's possible to stay clean and dry, most visitors want to spend at least some time getting their hair wet, their feet muddy, and their adrenaline flowing. Opportunities range from bird-watching to scuba diving to kiteboarding, and beyond.\n\nThis chapter lays out your options, from tour operators who run multiactivity package tours that often include stays at ecolodges, to the best places in Costa Rica to pursue active endeavors (with listings of tour operators, guides, and outfitters that specialize in each), to an overview of the country's national parks and bioreserves. I also list some educational and volunteer travel options for those of you who desire to actively contribute to the country's social welfare, or assist Costa Rica in the maintenance and preservation of its natural wonders.\n\nOrganized Adventure Trips\n\nBecause many travelers have limited time and resources, organized ecotourism or adventure-travel packages, arranged by tour operators in either Costa Rica or the United States, are a popular way of combining several activities. Bird-watching, horseback riding, rafting, and hiking can be teamed with, say, visits to Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and Manuel Antonio National Park.\n\nTraveling with a group has several advantages over traveling independently: Your accommodations and transportation are arranged, and most (if not all) meals are included in the package cost. If your tour operator has a reasonable amount of experience and a decent track record, you should proceed to each of your destinations quickly without snags and long delays. You'll also have the opportunity to meet like-minded souls who are interested in nature and active sports. Of course, you'll pay more for the convenience of having all your arrangements handled in advance.\n\nIn the best cases, group size is kept small (10\u201320 people), and tours are escorted by knowledgeable guides who are either naturalists or biologists. Be sure to ask about difficulty levels when you're choosing a tour. Most companies offer \"soft adventure\" packages that those in moderately good, but not phenomenal, shape can handle; others focus on more hard-core activities geared toward only seasoned athletes or adventure travelers.\n\nCosta Rican Tour Agencies\n\nBecause many U.S.-based companies subcontract portions of their tours to established Costa Rican companies, some travelers like to cut out the middleman and set up their tours directly with these companies. That means that these packages are often less expensive than those offered by U.S. companies, but it doesn't mean they are cheap. You're still paying for the convenience of having your arrangements handled for you.\n\nScores of agencies in San Jos\u00e9 offer a plethora of options. These agencies can arrange everything from white-water rafting to sightseeing at one of the nearby volcanoes or a visit to a butterfly farm. Although it's generally quite easy to arrange a day trip at the last minute, other tours are offered only on set dates or when enough people are interested. Contact a few of the companies before you leave home and find out what they might be doing when you arrive. These local operators tend to be a fair share less expensive than their international counterparts, with 10-day tours generally costing in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $3,500 per person, not including airfare to Costa Rica.\n\nCoast to Coast Adventures \u2605 (  2280-8054; www.ctocadventures.com) has a unique excursion involving no motor vehicles. The company's namesake 12-day trip spans the country, with participants traveling on rafts, by mountain bike, and on foot. Custom-designed trips (with a minimum of motorized transport) of shorter duration are also available.\n\nCosta Rica Expeditions \u2605\u2605 (  2257-0766; www.costaricaexpeditions.com) offers everything from 10-day tours covering the entire country to 3-day\/2-night and 2-day\/1-night tours of Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and Tortuguero National Park, where they run their own lodges. It also offers 1- to 2-day white-water rafting trips and other excursions. All tours and excursions include transportation, meals, and lodging. Its tours are some of the most expensive in the country, but it is the most consistently reliable outfitter as well (and its customer service is excellent). If you want to go out on your own, Costa Rica Expeditions can supply you with just transportation from place to place.\n\nCosta Rica Sun Tours \u2605 (  866\/271-6263 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2296-7757 in Costa Rica; www.crsuntours.com) offers a wide range of tours and adventures and specializes in multiday tours that include stays at small country lodges for travelers interested in experiencing nature.\n\nHorizontes \u2605\u2605 (  2222-2022; www.horizontes.com) is not a specifically adventure-oriented operator, but it offers a wide range of individual, group, and package tours, including those geared toward active and adventure travelers, as well families and even honeymooners. The company hires responsible and knowledgeable guides, and is a local leader in sustainable tourism practices.\n\nSerendipity Adventures \u2605 (  888\/226-5050 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2558-1000; www.serendipityadventures.com), an adventure-travel operator, offers everything from ballooning to mountain biking, and sea kayaking to canyoning, as well as most of the popular white-water rafting trips.\n\nPlanning a Costa Rican wedding\n\nGetting married in Costa Rica is simple and straightforward. In most cases, all you need are current passports. You'll have to provide some basic information, including a copy of each passport, your dates of birth, your occupations, your current address, and the names and addresses of your parents. Two witnesses are required to be present at the ceremony. If you're traveling alone, your hotel or wedding consultant will provide the required witnesses.\n\nThings are slightly more complicated if one or more of the partners was previously married. In such a case, the previously married partner must provide an official copy of the divorce decree.\n\nMost travelers who get married in Costa Rica do so in a civil ceremony officiated by a local lawyer. After the ceremony, the lawyer records the marriage with Costa Rica's National Registry, which issues an official marriage certificate. This process generally takes between 4 and 6 weeks. Most lawyers or wedding coordinators then have the document translated and certified by the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry and at the embassy or consulate of your home country within Costa Rica before mailing it to you. From here, it's a matter of bringing this document to your local civil or religious authorities, if necessary.\n\nBecause Costa Rica is more than 90% Roman Catholic, arranging for a church wedding is usually easy in all but the most isolated and remote locations. To a lesser extent, a variety of denominational Christian churches and priests are often available to perform or host the ceremony. If you're Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or a follower of some other religion, bringing your own officiant is a good idea.\n\nTip: Officially, the lawyer must read all or parts of the Costa Rican civil code on marriage during your ceremony. This is a rather uninspired and somewhat dated legal code that, at some weddings, can take as much as 20 minutes to slog through. Most lawyers and wedding coordinators are quite flexible and can work with you to design a ceremony and text that fits your needs and desires. Insist on this.\n\nMost of the higher-end and romantic hotels in Costa Rica have ample experience in hosting weddings. Many have an in-house wedding planner. Narrowing the list is tough, but I'd say the top choices include Hotel Punta Islita, Villa Caletas, Makanda by the Sea, Florblanca Resort, and the Four Seasons Resort. If you want a remote, yet luxurious, rainforest lodge to serve as host and backdrop, try La Paloma Lodge, Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge, or Lapa R\u00edos.\n\nIf you're looking for service beyond what your hotel can offer, or if you want to do it yourself, check out www.weddings.co.cr, www.weddingscostarica.net, www.liquidweddings.com, or www.tropicaloccasions.com.\n\nInternational Adventure Tour Operators\n\nThese agencies and operators specialize in well-organized and coordinated tours. Many travelers prefer to have everything arranged and confirmed before arriving in Costa Rica, and this is a good idea for first-timers and during the high season. Be warned: Most of these operators are not cheap, with 10-day tours generally costing in the neighborhood of $2,500 to $5,000 per person, not including airfare to Costa Rica.\n\nAbercrombie & Kent \u2605\u2605 (  800\/554-7016; www.abercrombiekent.com) is a luxury-tour company that offers upscale trips around the globe, and it has several tours of Costa Rica on its menu. It specializes in 8-day highlight tours hitting Monteverde, Arenal, and Tortuguero, and also has an excellent family tour. Service is personalized and the guides are top-notch.\n\nAventouras \u2605 (  800\/930-2846; www.aventouras.com) this small-scale adventure tour operator specializes in off-the-beaten track destinations, using local guides, and staying in small environmentally conscious and sustainable hotels and lodges.\n\nCosta Rica Experts \u2605 (  800\/827-9046 or 773\/935-1009; www.costaricaexperts.com) offers a large menu of a la carte and scheduled departures, as well as day trips and adventure packages, and has decades of experience organizing tours to the country.\n\nNature Expeditions International \u2605 (  800\/869-0639; www.naturexp.com) specializes in educational and \"low intensity adventure\" trips tailored to independent travelers and small groups. These folks have a steady stream of programmed departures or can customize a trip to your needs.\n\nOverseas Adventure Travel \u2605\u2605 (  800\/493-6824; www.oattravel.com) offers good-value natural-history and \"soft adventure\" itineraries with optional add-on excursions. Tours are limited to 16 people and are guided by naturalists. All accommodations are in small hotels, lodges, or tent camps, and they offer up very good bang for your buck.\n\nSouthern Explorations \u2605 (  877\/784-5400; www.southernexplorations.com) has a range of nature and adventure oriented guided excursions, as well as set itinerary self-guided tours, for individuals, groups, and families.\n\nIn addition to these companies, many environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club (  415\/977-5522; www.sierraclub.org) and the Smithsonian Institute (  877\/338-8687; www.smithsonianjourneys.org), regularly offer organized trips to Costa Rica.\n\nActivities A to Z\n\nEach listing in this section describes the best places to practice a particular sport or activity and lists tour operators and outfitters. If you want to focus on only one active sport during your Costa Rican stay, these companies are your best bets for quality equipment and knowledgeable service.\n\nAdventure activities and tourism, by their very nature, carry certain risks and dangers. Over the years, there have been several deaths and dozens of minor injuries in activities ranging from mountain biking to white-water rafting to canopy tours. I've tried to list only the most reputable and safest of companies. However, if you ever have any doubt as to the safety of the guide, equipment, or activity, it's better to be safe than sorry. Moreover, know your limits and abilities, and don't try to exceed them.\n\nSee \"A Week of Adventures in Costa Rica,\" in chapter , for additional tour ideas.\n\nBiking\n\nCosta Rica has several significant regional and international touring races each year, but as a general rule the major roads are dangerous and inhospitable for cyclists. Roads are narrow and without a shoulder, and most drivers show little care or consideration for those on two wheels. The options are much more appealing for mountain bikers and off-track riders. If you plan to do a lot of biking and are very attached to your rig, bring your own. However, several companies in San Jos\u00e9 and elsewhere rent bikes, and the quality of the equipment is improving all the time. I list rental shops in each of the regional chapters that follow.\n\nThe area around Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano wins my vote as the best place for mountain biking in Costa Rica. The scenery's great, with primary forests, waterfalls, and plenty of trails. And the hot springs at nearby Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort are a perfect place for those with aching muscles to unwind at the end of the day. See chapter  for full details.\n\nTour Operators & Outfitters\n\nBike Arenal \u2605 (  866\/465-4114 in U.S. and Canada, or 2479-7150 in Costa Rica; www.bikearenal.com) is based in La Fortuna and specializes in 1-day and multiday trips around the Arenal area.\n\nCoast to Coast Adventures \u2605 (  2280-8054; www.ctocadventures.com) offers mountain-biking itineraries among its many tour options.\n\nExperiencePlus! Specialty Tours \u2605\u2605 (  800\/685-4565; www.experienceplus.com) offers guided group bike tours around the country. This is the only company I know of that uses touring bikes. It also offers guided group hiking tours, and multisport adventure itineraries.\n\nLava Tours (  888\/862-2424 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2281-2458 in Costa Rica; www.lava-tours.com) conducts a variety of fixed-date-departure and custom mountain-bike tours all over Costa Rica.\n\nSerendipity Adventures \u2605 (  888\/226-5050 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2558-1000; www.serendipityadventures.com) offers several mountain-biking trips among its many other expeditions.\n\n  Ruta de los Conquistadores\n\nEach year, Costa Rica hosts what many consider to be the most challenging and grueling mountain-bike race on the planet. La Ruta de los Conquistadores (the Route of the Conquerors; www.adventurerace.com) retraces the path of the 16th-century Spanish conquistadores from the Pacific Coast to the Caribbean Sea\u2014all in 4 days. The race usually takes place in mid-November, and draws hundreds of competitors from around the world.\n\nBird-Watching\n\nWith more than 850 species of resident and migrant birds identified throughout the country, Costa Rica abounds with great bird-watching sites. Lodges with the best bird-watching include Savegre Lodge, in Cerro de la Muerte, off the road to San Isidro de El General (quetzal sightings are almost guaranteed); La Paloma Lodge in Drake Bay, where you can sit on the porch of your cabin as the avian parade goes by; Arenal Observatory Lodge, on the flanks of Arenal Volcano; La Selva Biological Station, in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed; Aviarios del Caribe and Selva Bananito Lodge, both just north of Cahuita; Lapa R\u00edos and Bosque del Cabo, on the Osa Peninsula; Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, along the Golfo Dulce; La Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, up by the Nicaraguan border; and Tiskita Lodge, down by the Panamanian border.\n\nSome of the best parks and preserves for serious birders are Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve (for Resplendent Quetzals and hummingbirds); Corcovado National Park (for scarlet macaws); Ca\u00f1o Negro Wildlife Refuge (for wading birds, including jabiru storks); Wilson Botanical Gardens and the Las Cruces Biological Station, near San Vito (the thousands of flowering plants here are bird magnets); Guayabo, Negritos, and P\u00e1jaros Islands biological reserves in the Gulf of Nicoya (for magnificent frigate birds and brown boobies); Palo Verde National Park (for ibises, jacanas, storks, and roseate spoonbills); Tortuguero National Park (for great green macaws); and Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park (for parakeets and curassows). Rafting trips down the Corobic\u00ed and Bebedero rivers near Liberia, boat trips to or at Tortuguero National Park, and hikes in any cloud forest also provide good bird-watching opportunities.\n\nIn San Jos\u00e9, your best bets are to head toward the lush grounds and gardens of the University of Costa Rica, or to Parque del Este, a little farther east in the foothills just outside of town.\n\nCosta Rican Tour Agencies\n\nCosta Rica Expeditions \u2605 (  866\/271-6263 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2296-7757 in Costa Rica; www.crsuntours.com) are well-established companies with very competent and experienced guides who offer a variety of tours to some of the better birding spots in Costa Rica.\n\nInternational Tour Operators\n\nCosta Rican Bird Route \u2605\u2605 (  608\/698-3448 in the U.S.; www.costaricanbirdroute.com) is a bird-watching and conservation effort that has created several bird-watching specific itineraries, which they offer up as guided tours, or self-guided adventures.\n\nField Guides (  800\/728-4953 in the U.S. and Canada; www.fieldguides.com) is a specialty bird-watching travel operator. Its 16-day tour of Costa Rica covers a lot of ground, and group size is limited to 14 participants.\n\nTropical Birding \u2605 (  800\/348-5941 in the U.S. and Canada; www.tropicalbirding.com) specializes in birding tours around the world, which happens to be based in Ecuador. These folks excel at small group tours, with highly skilled guides, and run periodic trips to Costa Rica.\n\nVictor Emanuel Nature Tours \u2605\u2605 (  800\/328-8368 in the U.S. and Canada; www.ventbird.com) is a well-respected, longstanding small-group tour operator specializing in bird-watching trips in Latin America.\n\nWINGS \u2605 (  888\/293-6443 in the U.S. and Canada; www.wingsbirds.com) is a specialty bird-watching travel operator with more than 30 years of field experience. Group size is usually between 6 and 14 people.\n\nBungee Jumping\n\nPacific Bungee and Tropical Bungee \u2605 offer bungee jumps. I prefer Tropical Bungee, as its operations are set up on an old steel bridge, high over a river, surrounded by forests, whereas Pacific Bungee conducts their jumps from large steel towers.\n\nCamping\n\nHeavy rains, difficult access, and limited facilities make camping a challenge in Costa Rica. Nevertheless, a backpack and tent will get you far from the crowds and into some of the most pristine and undeveloped nooks and crannies of the country. Camping is forbidden in some national parks, so read the descriptions for each park carefully before you pack a tent.\n\nIf you'd like to participate in an organized camping trip, contact Coast to Coast Adventures (  2280-8054; www.ctocadventures.com) or Serendipity Adventures (  888\/226-5050 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2558-1000; www.serendipityadventures.com).\n\nIn my opinion, the best place to pop up a tent on the beach is in Santa Rosa National Park. The best camping trek is, without a doubt, a hike through Corcovado National Park or a climb up Mount Chirrip\u00f3.\n\nWhere to See the resplendent quetzal\n\nRevered by pre-Columbian cultures throughout Central America, the Resplendent Quetzal has been called the most beautiful bird on earth. Ancient Aztec and Maya Indians believed that the robin-size quetzal protected them in battle. The males of this species have brilliant red breasts; iridescent emerald green heads, backs, and wings; and white tail feathers complemented by a pair of iridescent green tail feathers that are more than .5m (13\u20444 ft.) long.\n\nThe belief that these endangered birds live only in the dense cloud forests cloaking the higher slopes of Central America's mountains was instrumental in bringing many areas of cloud forest under protection as quetzal habitats. (Since then, researchers have discovered that the birds do not, in fact, spend their entire lives here.) After nesting between March and July, Resplendent Quetzals migrate down to lower slopes in search of food. These lower slopes have not been preserved in most cases, and now conservationists are trying to salvage enough lower-elevation forests to help the quetzals survive.\n\nAlthough for many years Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve was the place to see quetzals, throngs of people crowding the reserve's trails now make the pursuit more difficult. Other places where you can see quetzals are in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve near San Ram\u00f3n, in Tapant\u00ed National Wildlife Refuge, and in Chirrip\u00f3 National Park. Perhaps the best place to spot a quetzal is at one of the specialized lodges located along the Cerro de la Muerte between San Jos\u00e9 and San Isidro de El General.\n\nCanopy Tours\n\nCanopy tours are all the rage in Costa Rica, largely because they are such an exciting and unique way to experience tropical rainforests. It's estimated that some two-thirds of a typical rainforest's species live in the canopy (the uppermost, branching layer of the forest). From the relative luxury of Rain Forest Aerial Tram's high-tech funicular to the rope-and-climbing-gear rigs of zip-line operations, a trip into the canopy will give you a bird's-eye view of a Neotropical forest. There are now canopy-tour operations in or close to nearly every major tourist destination in the country, including Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Tabac\u00f3n, Montezuma, Punta Islita, Villablanca, and Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja, as well as on Tortuga Island and around Guanacaste and the Osa Peninsula. See the individual destination chapters for specific recommendations on canopy tours around the country.\n\nMost canopy tours involve strapping yourself into a climbing harness and being winched up to a platform some 30m (100 ft.) above the forest floor, or doing the work yourself. Many of these operations have a series of treetop platforms connected by taut cables. Once up on the first platform, you click your harness into a pulley and glide across the cable to the next (slightly lower) platform, using your hand (protected by a thick leather glove) as a brake. When you reach the last platform, you usually rappel down to the ground. (Don't worry\u2014they'll teach even the most nervous neophyte.)\n\nAlthough this can be a lot of fun, do be careful because these tours are popping up all over the place and there is precious little regulation of the activity. Some of the tours are set up by fly-by-night operators (obviously, I don't list any of those). Be especially sure that you feel comfortable and confident with the safety standards, guides, and equipment before embarking. Before you sign on to any tour, ask whether you have to hoist yourself to the top under your own steam, and then make your decision accordingly. Most canopy tours run between $45 and $65 per person.\n\n  Top Canopy Tours\n\nArenal Hanging Bridges, Arenal volcano area\n\nCanopy Safari, Manuel Antonio\n\nCartagena Canopy Tour, Northern beach area, Guanacaste\n\nChiclets Tree Tour, Playa Hermosa\n\nHacienda Guachipelin, Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja, Guanacaste\n\nHacienda Pozo Azul, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed\n\nRainforest Aerial Tram Atlantic, en route to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed\n\nSelvatura Park, Monteverde area\n\nSky Tram, Arenal volcano area\n\nVista Los Sue\u00f1os Canopy Tour, Playa Herradura\n\nWaterfall Canopy Tour, Montezuma\n\nWitch's Rock Canopy Tour, Papagayo Peninsula, Guanacaste\n\nCanyoning Tours\n\nCanyoning tours are even more adventurous than canopy tours. Hardly standardized, most involve hiking down along a mountain stream, river, and\/or canyon, with periodic breaks to rappel down the face of a waterfall, or swim in a jungle pool. The best canyoning operations in Costa Rica are offered by Pure Trek Canyoning \u2605\u2605 and Desaf\u00edo Adventure Company \u2605\u2605, both in La Fortuna; and Psycho Tours \u2605\u2605\u2605, which operates outside of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The latter is arguably my favorite adventure tour in the country.\n\nDiving & Snorkeling\n\nMany islands, reefs, caves, and rocks lie off the coast of Costa Rica, providing excellent spots for underwater exploration. Visibility varies with season and location. Generally, heavy rainfall tends to swell the rivers and muddy the waters, even well offshore. Rates run from $70 to $150 per person for a two-tank dive, including equipment, and $35 to $75 per person for snorkelers. Most of the dedicated dive operators listed throughout this book also offer certification classes.\n\nBanana plantations and their runoff have destroyed most of the Caribbean reefs, although Isla Uvita, just off the coast of Lim\u00f3n, and Manzanillo, down near the Panamanian border, still have good diving. Most divers choose Pacific dive spots such as Isla del Ca\u00f1o, Bat Island, and the Catalina Islands, where you're likely to spot manta rays, moray eels, white-tipped sharks, and plenty of smaller fish and coral species. But the ultimate in Costa Rican dive experiences is 7 to 10 days on a chartered boat, diving off the coast of Isla del Coco.\n\nSnorkeling is not incredibly common or rewarding in Costa Rica. The rain, runoff, and wave conditions that drive scuba divers well offshore tend to make coastal and shallow-water conditions less than optimal. If the weather is calm and the water is clear, you might just get lucky. Ask at your hotel or check the different beach listings in this book to find snorkeling options and operators up and down Costa Rica's coasts. The best snorkeling experience to be had in Costa Rica is on the reefs off Manzanillo Beach in the southern Caribbean coast, particularly in the calm months of September and October.\n\nDiving Outfitters & Operators\n\nIn addition to the companies listed below, check the listings at specific beach and port destinations in the regional chapters.\n\nAggressor Fleet Limited \u2605\u2605 (  800\/348-2628 in the U.S. and Canada; www.aggressor.com) runs the 36m (118-ft.) Okeanos Aggressor on regular trips out to Isla del Coco.\n\nDiving Safaris de Costa Rica \u2605\u2605 (  2672-1260; www.costaricadiving.net) is perhaps the largest, most professional, and best-established dive operation in the country. Based out of Playa Hermosa, this outfitter is also a local pioneer in Nitrox diving.\n\nUndersea Hunter \u2605\u2605 (  800\/203-2120 in the U.S., or 2228-6613; www.underseahunter.com) offers the Undersea Hunter and its sister ship, the Sea Hunter, two pioneers of the live-aboard diving excursions to Isla del Coco.\n\nFishing\n\nAnglers in Costa Rican waters have landed over 100 world-record catches, including blue marlin, Pacific sailfish, dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, guapote, and snook. Whether you want to head offshore looking for a big sail, wrestle a tarpon near a Caribbean river mouth, or choose a quiet spot on Arenal Lake to cast for guapote, you'll find it here. You can raise a marlin anywhere along the Pacific coast, while feisty snook can be found in mangrove estuaries along both coasts.\n\n  Top Fishing Lodges\n\nAguila de Osa Inn, Drake Bay\n\nR\u00edo Colorado Lodge, at the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge\n\nSilver King Lodge, at Barra del Colorado\n\nZancudo Lodge, in Playa Zancudo\n\nMany of the Pacific port and beach towns\u2014Quepos, Puntarenas, Playa del Coco, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Golfito, Drake Bay, Zancudo\u2014support large charter fleets and have hotels that cater to anglers; see chapters  and  to  for recommended boats, captains, and lodges. Fishing trips usually range between $400 and $2,500 per day (depending on boat size) for boat, captain, tackle, drinks, and lunch, so the cost per person depends on the size of the group.\n\nCosta Rican law requires all fishermen to purchase a license. The cost is $24, and the license is good for 1 year from the date of purchase. All boats, captains, and fishing lodges listed here and throughout the book will help you with the technicalities of buying your license.\n\nCosta Rica Outdoors \u2605 (  800\/308-3394 in the U.S. and Canada or 2231-0306 in Costa Rica; www.costaricaoutdoors.com) is a well-established operation founded by local fishing legend and outdoor writer Jerry Ruhlow, specializing in booking fishing trips around the country.\n\nGolfing\n\nCosta Rica is not one of the world's great golfing destinations. Currently, seven regulation 18-hole courses are open to the public and visitors. Still, these courses offer some stunning scenery, and almost no crowds. However, be prepared\u2014strong seasonal winds make playing most of the Guanacaste courses very challenging from December through March.\n\nThe most spectacular course in Costa Rica is at Four Seasons Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605, but it is open only to hotel guests. Greens fees run around $250.\n\nAnother very lovely option is the Reserva Conchal course \u2605\u2605 at the Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa up in Guanacaste. Greens fees here are $150, including a cart. With advance notice and depending on available tee times, this course is currently open to guests at other hotels in the region.\n\nHacienda Pinilla \u2605\u2605 is an 18-hole links-style course located south of Tamarindo. This might just be the most challenging course in the country, and the facilities, though limited, are top-notch. Currently, the course is open to golfers staying at hotels around the area, with advance reservations. Greens fees run around $185 for 18 holes, including a cart.\n\nThe Papagayo Golf & Country Club \u2605, on the outskirts of Playa del Coco, offers up a full 18-hole course, with a pro shop, driving range, and rental equipment. It costs $95 in greens fees, including a cart.\n\nAnother major resort course is at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort \u2605\u2605 in Playa Herradura. Greens fees, including a cart, run around $160 for the general public, and guests pay slightly less.\n\nCurrently, the best option for golfers staying in and around San Jos\u00e9 is Parque Valle del Sol \u2605 (  2282-9222; www.vallesol.com), an 18-hole course in the western suburb of Santa Ana. Greens fees are $94, including a cart.\n\nGolfers who want the most up-to-date information, or those who are interested in a package deal that includes play on a variety of courses, should contact Costa Rica Golf Adventures \u2605 (  888\/672-2057 in the U.S. and Canada; www.golfcr.com) or Tee Times Costa Rica (  866\/448-3182 in the U.S. and Canada; www.teetimescostarica.com).\n\nHang Gliding, Paragliding & Ballooning\n\nBased out of Jac\u00f3, Hang Glide Costa Rica (  8353-5514; www.hangglidecr.com) offers a half-hour of gentle hang gliding in a tandem rig, which begins with a tow by an ultralight, for $99 to $149 per person.\n\nParagliding is taking off (pardon the pun) in the cliff areas around Caldera, just south of Puntarenas, as well as other spots around the Central Pacific coast. If you're looking to paraglide, check in with the folks at Grandpa Ninja's B&B (www.paraglidecostarica.com;   2664-6833). These folks cater to paragliders, and offer lessons or tandem flights. Lessons run around $110 per day, including equipment, while a 30 to 45 minute tandem flight with an experienced pilot will run you around $75.\n\nSerendipity Adventures (  888\/226-5050 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2558-1000; www.serendipityadventures.com) will take you up, up, and away in a hot-air balloon near Arenal Volcano. A basic flight costs around $345 per passenger, with a two-person minimum, and a five-person or 800-pound maximum.\n\nHorseback Riding\n\nCosta Rica's rural roots are evident in the continued use of horses for real work and transportation throughout the country. Visitors will find that horses are easily available for riding, whether you want to take a sunset trot along the beach, ride through the cloud forest, or take a multiday trek through the northern zone.\n\nMost travelers simply saddle up for a couple of hours, but those looking for a more specifically equestrian-based visit should check in with the following folks. Rates run between $15 to $30 per hour, depending upon group size and the length of the ride.\n\nNature Lodge Finca Los Caballos \u2605 (  2642-0124; www.naturelodge.net) specializes in horse tours and has the healthiest and best kept horses in the Montezuma area.\n\nSerendipity Adventures (  888\/226-5050 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2558-1000; www.serendipityadventures.com) offers horseback treks and tours around the country, but their main stable is just outside La Fortuna.\n\nMotorcycling\n\nVisiting bikers can either cruise the highways or try some off-road biking around Costa Rica. All the caveats about driving conditions and driving customs in Costa Rica apply equally for bikers. If you want to rent a Harley-Davidson for cruising around the country, Mar\u00eda Alexandra Tours (  2289-5552; www.mariaalexandra.com) conducts guided bike tours and rents well-equipped late-model Harleys by the day or the week. If your tastes run to off-road riding, MotoAdventures (  440\/256-8508 in the U.S., or 2228-8494 in Costa Rica; www.motoadventuring.com) runs guided multiday tours on Honda dirt bikes. Bike rental rates run between $70 and $150 per day. To rent a street bike, you will need a Costa Rican motorcycle license or foreign equivalent; no special motorcycle license is required for the off-road bikes. In both instances, the rental company will want you to show sufficient experience and proficiency before letting you take off on their bike.\n\nRock Climbing\n\nAlthough this is a nascent sport in Costa Rica, the possibilities are promising, with several challenging rock formations close to San Jos\u00e9 and along the Cerro de la Muerte, as well as great climbing opportunities on Mount Chirrip\u00f3. The folks at Tropical Bungee (  2248-2212; www.bungee.co.cr) are the most dependable operators in this field, and they regularly organize climbing outings. Alternatively, you could visit Mundo Aventura (  2221-6934; www.maventura.com), an adventure- and climbing-gear store with an indoor climbing wall and in-house tour company. A full-day guided climbing trip should cost you around $70 to $90, including equipment and lunch.\n\nSpas & Yoga Retreats\n\nOverall, prices for spa treatments in Costa Rica are generally less expensive than those in the United States or Europe, although some of the fancier options, like the Four Seasons or Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort, rival the services, facilities, and prices found anywhere on the planet.\n\nThe Four Seasons Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 on the Papagayo Peninsula has ample and luxurious facilities and treatment options, as well as scheduled classes in yoga, aerobics, and other disciplines.\n\nFlorblanca Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 in Santa Teresa, has some of the most beautiful boutique spa facilities that I have ever seen. Two large treatment rooms are set over a flowing water feature.\n\nLuna Lodge \u2605\u2605 is a gorgeous lodge located on a hillside overlooking Playa Carate, on the border with Corcovado National Park. These folks run a fairly full schedule of dedicated yoga and wellness programs and have a good little spa on-site.\n\nPranamar Villas & Yoga Retreat \u2605\u2605\u2605, Santa Teresa, is a new, upscale, beachfront resort, with a beautiful, open air-yoga space. A range of daily classes are offered, and a steady stream of visiting teachers and groups use the spot for longer retreats and seminars.\n\nSamasati \u2605, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, is a lovely yoga retreat in some dense forest on a hillside above the Caribbean. Accommodations here range from budget to rustically luxurious.\n\nSerenity Spa \u2605 started out with a little storefront spa in Jac\u00f3 but now contracts out the spa services at several large resorts up and down the Pacific coast. At last count, it was running the spas at Villa Caletas, Hotel S\u00ed Como No, and Villa Blanca.\n\nTabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605, Tabac\u00f3n, is a top-notch spa with spectacular hot springs, lush gardens, and a volcano view. A complete range of spa services and treatments is available at reasonable prices.\n\nXandari Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605, Alajuela, is a unique and distinctive little luxury hotel that has some top-notch spa facilities and services. This is a good choice if you're looking for a day or two of pampering, or for day treatments while staying in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nSurfing\n\nEndless Summer II, the sequel to the all-time surf classic, was filmed in Costa Rica. Point and beach breaks that work year-round are located all along Costa Rica's immense coastline. Playas Hermosa, Jac\u00f3, and Dominical, on the central Pacific coast, and Tamarindo and Playa Guiones, in Guanacaste, are mini surf meccas. Salsa Brava in Puerto Viejo is a steep and fast wave that peels off both right and left over shallow coral. It has a habit of breaking boards, but the daredevils keep coming back for more. Beginners and folks looking to learn should stick to the mellower sections of Jac\u00f3 and Tamarindo\u2014surf lessons are offered at both beaches. Crowds are starting to gather at the more popular breaks, but you can still stumble onto secret spots on the Osa and Nicoya peninsulas and along the northern Guanacaste coast. Costa Rica's signature wave is still found at Playa Pavones, which is reputed to have one of the longest lefts in the world. The cognoscenti, however, also swear by places such as Playa Grande, Playa Negra, Matapalo, Malpa\u00eds, and Witch's Rock. An avid surfer's best bet is to rent a dependable four-wheel-drive vehicle with a rack and take a surfin' safari around Guanacaste.\n\nIf you're looking for an organized surf vacation, contact Tico Travel (  800\/493-8426 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2257-7118 in Costa Rica; www.ticotravel.com), or check out www.crsurf.com. For swell reports, general surf information, live wave-cams, and great links pages, point your browser to www.surfline.com. Although killer sets are possible at any particular spot at any time of the year, depending upon swell direction, local winds, and distant storms, in broad terms, the northern coast of Guanacaste works best from December to April; the central and southern Pacific coasts work best from April to November; and the Caribbean coast's short big-wave season is December through March. Surf lessons, usually private or in a small group, will run you anywhere from $20 to $40 per hour, including the board.\n\nWhite-Water Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing\n\nWhether you're a first-time rafter or a world-class kayaker, Costa Rica's got some white water suited to your abilities. Rivers rise and fall with the rainfall, but you can get wet and wild here even in the dry season. Full-day rafting trips run between $75 and $90 per person.\n\nThe best white-water rafting ride is still the scenic Pacuare River; although there has been talk about damming it to build a hydroelectric plant, the project has thankfully failed to materialize. If you're just experimenting with river rafting, stick to Class II and III rivers, such as Reventaz\u00f3n, Sarapiqu\u00ed, Pe\u00f1as Blancas, and Savegre. If you already know which end of the paddle goes in the water, you'll have plenty of Class IV and V sections to run.\n\nDie-hard river rats should get Chasing Jaguars: The Complete Guide to Costa Rican Whitewater, by Lee Eudy, a book loaded with photos, technical data, and route tips on almost every rideable river in the country.\n\nCanoe Costa Rica ( \/fax 732\/736-6586 in the U.S., or 2282-3579; www.canoecostarica.com) is the only outfit I know of that specializes in canoe trips; it works primarily with custom-designed tours and itineraries, although it does have several set departure trips each year.\n\nCosta Rica Nature Adventures \u2605\u2605 (  800\/321-8410 in the U.S., or 2225-3939; www.toenjoynature.com) is a major rafting operator that runs daily trips on the most popular rivers in Costa Rica. Its Pacuare Jungle Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605 (www.junglelodgecostarica.com;   800\/963-1195 is very plush, and a great place to spend the night on one of its 2-day rafting trips.\n\nExploradores Outdoors \u2605 (  2222-6262; www.exploradoresoutdoors.com) is another good company run by a longtime and well-respected river guide. They run the Pacuare, Reventaz\u00f3n, and Sarapiqu\u00ed rivers, and even combine a 1-day river trip with onward transportation to or from the Caribbean coast, or the Arenal volcano area, for no extra cost.\n\nRio Locos (  2556-6035; www.whiteh2o.com) is a small company based in Turrialba. These folks are a good option for hard-core kayakers, small custom group tours, and folks who find themselves in Turrialba.\n\nR\u00edos Tropicales \u2605\u2605 (  866\/722-8273 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2233-6455 in Costa Rica; www.riostropicales.com) is one of the major operators in Costa Rica, with tours on most of the country's popular rivers. Accommodations options include a very comfortable lodge on the banks of the R\u00edo Pacuare for the 2-day trips.\n\nIn Search of turtles\n\nFew places in the world have as many sea-turtle nesting sites as Costa Rica. Along both coasts, five species of these huge marine reptiles come ashore at specific times of the year to dig nests in the sand and lay their eggs. Sea turtles are endangered throughout the world due to over-hunting, accidental deaths in fishing nets, development on beaches that once served as nesting areas, and the collection and sale (often illegally) of their eggs. International trade in sea-turtle products is already prohibited by most countries (including the U.S.), but sea-turtle numbers continue to dwindle.\n\nAmong the species of sea turtles that nest on Costa Rica's beaches are the olive ridley (known for their mass egg-laying migrations, or arribadas), leatherback, hawksbill, green, and Pacific green turtle. Excursions to see nesting turtles have become common, and they are fascinating, but please make sure that you and\/or your guide do not disturb the turtles. Any light source (other than red-tinted flashlights) can confuse female turtles and cause them to return to the sea without laying their eggs. In fact, as more development takes place on the Costa Rican coast, hotel lighting may cause the number of nesting turtles to drop. Luckily, many of the nesting beaches have been protected as national parks.\n\nHere are the main places to see nesting sea turtles: Santa Rosa National Park (near Liberia, olive ridleys nest here from July\u2013Dec, and to a lesser extent from Jan\u2013June), Las Baulas National Marine Park (near Tamarindo, leatherbacks nest here from early Oct through mid-Feb), Ostional National Wildlife Refuge (near Playa Nosara, olive ridleys nest from July\u2013Dec, and to a lesser extent from Jan\u2013June), and Tortuguero National Park (on the northern Caribbean coast, green turtles nest here from July through mid-Oct, with Aug\u2013Sept their peak period. In lesser numbers, leatherback turtles nest here from Feb\u2013June, peaking during the months of Mar and Apr).\n\nSee the regional chapters for descriptions of the resident turtles and their respective nesting seasons, as well as listings of local tour operators and companies that arrange trips to see sea turtles nesting.\n\nWindsurfing & Kiteboarding\n\nWindsurfing is not very popular on the high seas here, where winds are fickle and rental options are limited, even at beach hotels. However, Lake Arenal is considered one of the top spots in the world for high-wind boardsailing. During the winter months, many of the regulars from Washington's Columbia River Gorge take up residence around the nearby town of Tilar\u00e1n. Small boards, water starts, and fancy gibes are the norm. The best time for windsurfing on Lake Arenal is between December and March. The same winds that buffet Lake Arenal make their way down to Bah\u00eda Salinas (also known as Bola\u00f1os Bay), near La Cruz, Guanacaste, where you can get in some good windsurfing. Both spots also have operations offering lessons and equipment rentals in the high-action sport of kiteboarding. Board rentals run around $55 to $85 per day, while lessons can cost between $50 to $100 for a half-day private lesson. See \"La Cruz & Bah\u00eda Salinas,\" in chapter , and \"Along the Shores of Lake Arenal,\" in chapter , for details.\n\nCosta Rica's Top National Parks & Bioreserves\n\nCosta Rica has 28 national parks, protecting more than 12% of the country. They range in size from the 212-hectare (524-acre) Guayabo National Monument to the 189,696-hectare (468,549-acre) La Amistad National Park. Many of these national parks are undeveloped tropical forests, with few services or facilities available for visitors. Others, however, offer easier access to their wealth of natural wonders.\n\nMost of the national parks charge a $10 per-person per-day fee for any foreigner, although Chirrip\u00f3 National Park costs $15 per day. Costa Ricans and foreign residents continue to pay just $1. At parks where camping is allowed, an additional charge of around $2 per person per day usually applies.\n\nThis section is not a complete listing of all of Costa Rica's national parks and protected areas, but rather a selective list of those parks that are of greatest interest and accessibility. They're popular, but they're also among the best. You'll find detailed information about food and lodging options near some of the individual parks in the regional chapters that follow. As you'll see from the descriptions, Costa Rica's national parks vary greatly in terms of attractions, facilities, and accessibility.\n\nIf you're looking for a camping adventure or an extended stay in one of the national parks, I recommend Santa Rosa, Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja, Chirrip\u00f3, or Corcovado. Any of the others are better suited for day trips or guided hikes, or in combination with your travels around the country.\n\nFor more information, call the national parks information line at   1192, or the main office at   2283-8004. You can also stop by the National Parks Foundation office (  2257-2239) in San Jos\u00e9, located between Calle 23 and Avenida 15. Both offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.\n\nThe Central Valley\n\nGuayabo National Monument This is the country's only significant pre-Columbian archaeological site. It's believed that Guayabo supported a popu\u00adlation of about 10,000 people some 3,000 years ago. The park is set in a forested area rich in flora and fauna, although the ruins are quite small and limited when compared to sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and South America. Location: 19km (12 miles) northeast of Turrialba, which is 53km (33 miles) east of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nIraz\u00fa Volcano National Park \u2605 Iraz\u00fa Volcano is the highest (3,378m\/11,080 ft.) of Costa Rica's four active volcanoes and a popular day trip from San Jos\u00e9. A paved road leads right up to the crater, and the lookout also has a view of both the Pacific and the Caribbean on a clear day. The volcano last erupted in 1963 on the same day U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the country. There are picnic tables, restrooms, an information center, and a parking area here. Location: 55km (34 miles) east of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nPo\u00e1s Volcano National Park \u2605\u2605 Po\u00e1s is the other active volcano close to San Jos\u00e9. The main crater is more than 1.6km (1 mile) wide, and it is constantly active with fumaroles and hot geysers. I slightly prefer Po\u00e1s to Iraz\u00fa because it is surrounded by dense cloud forests and has some nice gentle trails to hike. Although the area around the volcano is lush, much of the growth is stunted due to the gases and acid rain. On January 8, 2009, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Costa Rica, with its epicenter very close to Po\u00e1s. The park was closed for several days, and an uptick in volcanic activity was noted. The park still sometimes closes when the gases get too feisty. There are picnic tables, restrooms, and an information center. Location: 37km (23 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nGuanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula\n\nPalo Verde National Park A must for bird-watchers, Palo Verde National Park is one of Costa Rica's best-kept secrets. This part of the Tempisque River lowlands supports a population of more than 50,000 waterfowl and forest bird species. Various ecosystems here include mangroves, savanna brush lands, and evergreen forests. There are camping facilities, an information center, and some nice accommodations at the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) research station here. Location: 200km (124 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9. Be warned that the park entrance is 28km (17 miles) off the highway down a very rugged dirt road; it's another 9km (51\u20442 miles) to the OTS station and campsites. For more information, call the OTS (  2524-0607; www.threepaths.co.cr). See \"Liberia,\" in chapter .\n\nRincon de la Vieja National Park \u2605\u2605 This large tract of parkland experiences high volcanic activity, with numerous fumaroles and geysers, as well as hot springs, cold pools, and mud pots. You'll find excellent hikes to the upper craters and to several waterfalls. You should hire a guide for any hot-spring or mud-bath expeditions; inexperienced visitors have been burned. Camping is permitted at two sites, each with an information center, a picnic area, and restrooms. Location: 266km (165 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nSanta Rosa National Park \u2605 Occupying a large section of Costa Rica's northwestern Guanacaste province, Santa Rosa has the country's largest area of tropical dry forest, important turtle-nesting sites, and the historically significant La Casona monument. The beaches are pristine and have basic camping facilities, and the waves make them quite popular with surfers. An information center, a picnic area, and restrooms are at the main campsite and entrance. Additional campsites are located on pristine and undeveloped beaches here. Location: 258km (160 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9. For more information, you can call the park office at   2666-5051.\n\nThe Nicoya Peninsula\n\nBarra Honda National Park Costa Rica's only underground national park, Barra Honda features a series of limestone caves that were once part of a coral reef some 60 million years ago. Today the caves are home to millions of bats and impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations. Only Terciopelo Cave is open to the public. A camping area, restrooms, and an information center are here, as well as trails through the surrounding tropical dry forest. Location: 335km (208 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nThe Northern Zone\n\nArenal National Park \u2605\u2605 This park, created to protect the ecosystem that surrounds Arenal Volcano, has a couple of good trails, and a prominent lookout point that is extremely close to the volcano. The main trail here will take you through a mix of transitional forest, rainforest, and open savannah, before an invigorating scramble over a massive rock field formed by a cooled-off lava flow. Location: 129km (80 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nCa\u00f1o Negro National Wildlife Refuge \u2605 A lowland swamp and drainage basin for several northern rivers, Ca\u00f1o Negro is excellent for bird-watching. A few basic cabinas and lodges are in this area, but the most popular way to visit is on a combined van and boat trip from the La Fortuna\/Arenal area. Location: 20km (12 miles) south of Los Chiles, near the Nicaraguan border. See \"Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna,\" in chapter .\n\nMonteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605 This private reserve might be the most famous patch of forest in Costa Rica. It covers some 10,520 hectares (26,000 acres) of primary forest, mostly mid-elevation cloud forest, with a rich variety of flora and fauna. Epiphytes thrive in the cool, misty climate. The most famous resident is the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal. There is a well-maintained trail system, as well as some of the best-trained and experienced guides in the country. Nearby you can visit both the Santa Elena and Sendero Tranquilo reserves. Location: 167km (104 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nCentral Pacific Coast\n\nCarara National Park \u2605\u2605 Located just off the highway near the Pacific coast, on the road to Jac\u00f3, this is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see scarlet macaws. Several trails run through the park, including one that is wheelchair accessible. The park is comprised of various ecosystems, ranging from rainforests to transitional forests to mangroves. Location: 102km (63 miles) west of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nChirrip\u00f3 National Park \u2605\u2605 Home to Costa Rica's tallest peak, 3,761m (12,336-ft.) Mount Chirrip\u00f3, Chirrip\u00f3 National Park is a hike, but on a clear day you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from its summit. A number of interesting climbing trails are here, and camping is allowed. Location: 151km (94 miles) southeast of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nManuel Antonio National Park \u2605\u2605 Though relatively small, Manuel Antonio is the most popular national park and supports the largest number of hotels and resorts. This lowland rainforest is home to a healthy monkey population, including the endangered squirrel monkey. The park is best known for its splendid beaches. Location: 129km (80 miles) south of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nThe Southern Zone\n\nCorcovado National Park \u2605\u2605\u2605 The largest single block of virgin lowland rainforest in Central America, Corcovado National Park receives more than 508cm (200 in.) of rain per year. It's increasingly popular but still very remote. (It has no roads; only dirt tracks lead into it.) Scarlet macaws live here, as do countless other Neotropical species, including two of the country's largest cats, the puma and the endangered jaguar. Camping facilities and trails are throughout the park. Location: 335km (208 miles) south of San Jos\u00e9, on the Osa Peninsula.\n\nThe Caribbean Coast\n\nCahuita National Park \u2605\u2605 A combination land and marine park, Cahuita National Park protects one of the few remaining living coral reefs in the country. The topography here is lush lowland tropical rainforest. Monkeys and numerous bird species are common. Location: On the Caribbean coast, 42km (26 miles) south of Lim\u00f3n.\n\nTortuguero National Park \u2605\u2605 Tortuguero National Park has been called the Venice of Costa Rica due to its maze of jungle canals that meander through a dense lowland rainforest. Small boats, launches, and canoes carry visitors through these waterways, where caimans, manatees, and numerous bird and mammal species are common. The extremely endangered great green macaw lives here. On the beaches green sea turtles nest here every year between June and October. The park has a small but helpful information office and some well-marked trails. Location: 258km (160 miles) northeast of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nmonkey Business\n\nNo trip to Costa Rica would be complete without at least one monkey sighting. Home to four distinct species of primates, Costa Rica offers the opportunity for one of the world's most gratifying wildlife-viewing experiences. Just listen for the deep guttural call of a howler or the rustling of leaves overhead\u2014telltale signs that monkeys are in your vicinity.\n\nCosta Rica's most commonly spotted monkey is the white-faced or capuchin monkey (mono cara blanca in Spanish), which you might recognize as the infamous culprit from the film Outbreak. Contrary to that film's plot, however, capuchins are native to the New World tropics and do not exist in Africa. Capuchins are agile, medium-size monkeys that make good use of their long, prehensile tails. They inhabit a diverse collection of habitats, ranging from the high-altitude cloud forests of the central region to the lowland mangroves of the Osa Peninsula. It's almost impossible not to spot capuchins at Manuel Antonio (see chapter ), where they have become a little too dependent on fruit and junk-food feedings by tourists. Please do not feed wild monkeys (and try to keep your food away from them\u2014they're notorious thieves), and boycott establishments that try to attract both monkeys and tourists with daily feedings.\n\nHowler monkeys (mono congo in Spanish) are named for their distinct and eerie call. Large and mostly black, these monkeys can seem ferocious because of their physical appearance and deep, resonant howls that can carry for more than a mile, even in dense rainforest. Biologists believe that male howlers mark the bounds of their territories with these deep, guttural sounds. In the presence of humans, however, howlers are actually a little timid and tend to stay higher up in the canopy than their white-faced cousins. Howlers are fairly common and easy to spot in the dry tropical forests of coastal Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula (see chapter ).\n\nEven more elusive are spider monkeys (mono ara\u00f1a in Spanish). These long, slender monkeys are dark brown to black and prefer the high canopies of primary rainforests. Spiders are very adept with their prehensile tails but actually travel through the canopy with a hand-over-hand motion frequently imitated by their less graceful human cousins on playground monkey bars around the world. I've had my best luck spotting spider monkeys along the edges of Tortuguero's jungle canals (see chapter ), where howlers are also quite common.\n\nThe rarest and most endangered of Costa Rica's monkeys is the tiny squirrel monkey (mono titi in Spanish). These small, brown monkeys have dark eyes surrounded by large white rings, white ears, white chests, and very long tails. In Costa Rica, squirrel monkeys can be found only at Manuel Antonio (see chapter ) and the Osa Peninsula (see chapter ). These seemingly hyperactive monkeys are predominantly fruit eaters and often feed on bananas and other fruit trees near hotels in both of the above-mentioned regions. Squirrel monkeys usually travel in large bands, so if you do see them, you'll likely see quite a few.\n\nTips on Health, Safety & Etiquette in the Wilderness\n\nMuch of what is discussed here is common sense. For more detailed information, see \"Health,\" in chapter . Although most tours and activities are safe, risks are involved in any adventure activity. Know and respect your own physical limits before undertaking any strenuous activity. Be prepared for extremes in temperature and rainfall and for wide fluctuations in weather. A sunny morning hike can quickly become a cold and wet ordeal, so it's usually a good idea to carry along some form of rain gear when hiking in the rainforest, or to have a dry change of clothing waiting at the end of the trail. Be sure to bring along plenty of sunscreen when you're not going to be covered by the forest canopy.\n\nIf you do any backcountry packing or camping, remember that it really is a jungle out there. Don't go poking under rocks or fallen branches. Snakebites are very rare, but don't do anything to increase the odds. If you encounter a snake, stay calm, don't make any sudden movements, and do not try to handle it. Also avoid swimming in major rivers unless a guide or local operator can vouch for their safety. Although white-water sections and stretches in mountainous areas are generally safe, most mangrove canals and river mouths in Costa Rica support healthy crocodile and caiman populations.\n\nBugs and bug bites will probably be your greatest health concern in the Costa Rican wilderness, and even they aren't as big of a problem as you might expect. Mostly, bugs are an inconvenience, although mosquitoes can carry malaria or dengue (see \"Health,\" in chapter , for more information). A strong repellent and proper clothing minimize both the danger and the inconvenience; you might also want to bring along some cortisone or Benadryl cream to soothe itching. And remember: Whenever you enter and enjoy nature, you should tread lightly and try not to disturb the natural environment. The popular slogan well known to most campers certainly applies here: \"Leave nothing but footprints; take nothing but memories.\" If you must take home a souvenir, take photos. Do not cut or uproot plants or flowers. Pack out everything you pack in, and please do not litter.\n\nStudy & Volunteer Programs\n\nLanguage Immersion\n\nAs more people travel to Costa Rica with the intention of learning Spanish, the number of options for Spanish immersion vacations increases. You can find courses of varying lengths and degrees of intensiveness, and many that include cultural activities and day excursions. Many of these schools have reciprocal relationships with U.S. universities, so, in some cases, you can even arrange for college credit. Most Spanish schools can arrange for homestays with a middle-class Tico family for a total-immersion experience. Classes are often small, or even one-on-one, and can last anywhere from 2 to 8 hours a day. Listed below are some of the larger and more established Spanish-language schools, with approximate costs. Most are in San Jos\u00e9, but schools are also in Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Playa Flamingo, Malpa\u00eds, Playa Nosara, and Tamarindo. A 1-week class with 4 hours of class per day, including a homestay, tends to cost between $350 to $500. (I'd certainly rather spend 2 weeks or a month in one of these spots than in San Jos\u00e9.) Contact the schools for the most current price information.\n\nAdventure Education Center (AEC) Spanish Institute \u2605 (  800\/237-2730 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2258-5111 in Costa Rica; www.adventurespanishschool.com) has branches in Dominical, and Turrialba, and specializes in combining language learning with adventure activities.\n\nCentro Lingu\u00edstico Conversa \u2605 (  888\/669-1664 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2203-2071; www.conversa.net) has classes in both San Jos\u00e9 and Santa Ana (a suburb of the capital city).\n\nCentro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI) \u2605 (  877\/373-3116 in the U.S., or 2265-6306; www.cpi-edu.com) has three campuses: one in the quiet suburban town of Heredia, another in Monteverde, and one at the beach in Playa Flamingo.\n\nCosta Rican Language Academy \u2605 in San Jos\u00e9 (  866\/230-6361 in the U.S., or 2280-1685; www.spanishandmore.com) has intensive programs with classes held Monday to Thursday to give students a chance for longer weekend excursions. The academy also integrates Latin dance and Costa Rican cooking classes into the program.\n\nEscuela D'Amore \u2605 (  800\/261-3203 in the U.S. and Canada, or  \/fax 2777-1143; www.escueladamore.com) is situated in the lush surroundings of Manuel Antonio.\n\nWayra Instituto de Espa\u00f1ol (  2653-0359; www.spanish-wayra.co.cr) is a long-standing operation located in the beach town of Tamarindo.\n\nAlternative Educational Travel\n\nCosta Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School (  800\/676-2018 in the U.S., or 2278-6062; www.crrobs.org) is the local branch of this well-respected international adventure-based outdoor-education organization. Courses range from 2 weeks to a full semester, and offerings include surfing, kayaking, tree climbing, and learning Spanish.\n\nEco Teach (  800\/626-8992 in the U.S. and Canada; www.ecoteach.com) works primarily in facilitating educational trips for high school and college student groups. Trips focus on Costa Rican ecology and culture. Costs run around $1,500 to $2,000 per person for a 10-day trip, including lodging, meals, classes, and travel within the country. Airfare to Costa Rica is extra.\n\nThe Institute for Central American Development Studies \u2605 (  2225-0508; www.icads.org) offers internship and research opportunities in the areas of environment, agriculture, human rights, and women's studies. An intensive Spanish-language program can be combined with work-study or volunteer opportunities.\n\nThe Monteverde Institute (  2645-5053; www.mvinstitute.org) offers study programs in Monteverde and also has a volunteer center that helps in placement and training of volunteers.\n\nThe Organization for Tropical Studies \u2605 (  919\/684-5774 in the U.S., or 2524-0607 in Costa Rica; www.threepaths.co.cr) represents several Costa Rican and U.S. universities. This organization's mission is to promote research, education, and the wise use of natural resources in the Tropics. Research facilities include La Selva Biological Station near Braulio Carrillo National Park and Palo Verde, and the Wilson Botanical Gardens near San Vito. Housing is provided at one of the research facilities. The wide variety of programs range from full-semester undergraduate programs to specific graduate courses (of varying duration) to its tourist programs. (These are generally sponsored\/run by established operators such as Costa Rica Expeditions or Elderhostel.) Programs range in duration from 3 to 10 days, and costs vary greatly. Entrance requirements and competition for some of these courses can be demanding.\n\nSustainable Volunteer Projects\n\nBelow are some institutions and organizations that are working on ecology and sustainable development projects in Costa Rica.\n\nAPREFLOFAS (Association for the Preservation of the Wild Flora and Fauna;   2240-6087; www.apreflofas.or.cr) is a pioneering local conservation organization that accepts volunteers and runs environmentally sound educational tours around the country.\n\nAsociaci\u00f3n de Voluntarios para el Servicio en las Areas Protegidas (ASVO) \u2605 (  2258-4430; www.asvocr.org) organizes volunteers to work in Costa Rican national parks. A 2-week minimum commitment is required, as is a basic ability to converse in Spanish. Housing is provided at a basic ranger station; a $20 daily fee covers food, which is basic Tico fare.\n\nCaribbean Conservation Corporation (  800\/678-7853 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2278-6058 in Costa Rica; www.cccturtle.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sea turtle research, protection, and advocacy. Their main operation in Costa Rica is headquartered in Tortuguero, where volunteers can aid in various scientific studies, as well as nightly patrols of the beach during nesting seasons to prevent poaching.\n\nGlobal Volunteers (  800\/487-1074 in the U.S. and Canada; www.globalvolunteers.org) is a U.S.-based organization that offers a unique opportunity to travelers who've always wanted a Peace Corps\u2013like experience but can't make a 2-year commitment. For 2 to 3 weeks, you can join one of its working vacations in Costa Rica. A certain set of skills, such as engineering or agricultural knowledge, is helpful but by no means necessary. Each trip is undertaken at a particular community's request, to complete a specific project. However, be warned: These \"volunteer\" experiences do not come cheap. You must pay for your transportation as well as a hefty program fee, around $2,500 for a 2-week program.\n\nHabitat for Humanity International (  2296-3436; www.habitatcostarica.org) has several chapters in Costa Rica and sometimes runs organized Global Village programs here.\n\nVida (  2221-8367; www.vida.org) is a local nongovernmental organization working on sustainable development and conservation issues; it can often place volunteers.\n5\n\nSan Jos\u00e9\n\nThe Teatro Nacional.\n\nFounded in 1737, San Jos\u00e9 was a forgotten backwater of the Spanish empire until the late 19th century, when it boomed with the coffee business. Sure, the city has its issues: gridlock traffic, poorly maintained sidewalks, and street crime. But, at 1,125m (3,690 ft.) above sea level, San Jos\u00e9 enjoys springlike temperatures year-round and its location in the Central Valley\u2014the lush Talamanca Mountains rise to the south, the Po\u00e1s, Barva, and Iraz\u00fa volcanoes to the north\u2014makes it both stunning and convenient as a base of exploration.\n\nThings to Do San Jos\u00e9 boasts some of the finest museums in Central Ameri-ca, including the shining Gold Museum with its extensive collection of pre-Columbian gold and the Jade Museum with its unique focus on functional and decorative relics made of this translucent stone. Art lovers will enjoy the Costa Rican Art Museum, featuring a lovely open-air sculpture garden.\n\n  San Jos\u00e9's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nCrowne Plaza Corobic\u00ed\n\nHotel Grano de Oro\n\nHotel Parque del Lago\n\nShopping For local craft items and cheap souvenirs, head to the Mercado Central, or the open-air market on the Plaza de la Democracia. Be sure to check out the extensive and impressive collection of indigenous art and craftworks on offer at Galer\u00eda Namu. And don't forget to pick up some signature, shade-grown Costa Rican coffee and a bottle or two of Salsa Lizano, the ubiquitous vinegar and tamarind-based sauce spread on dishes across the country.\n\nEating & Drinking Imagine yourself drifting back in time to the days of the coffee barons in the elegant Grano de Oro Restaurant, or sample the contemporary fusion cuisine of Michelin two-star chef Richard Neat at the intimate and romantic Park Caf\u00e9. For a taste of traditional Costa Rican cuisine and culture, head to Restaurante Nuestra Tierra.\n\nNightlife & Entertainment The city's nightlife is lively and varied. The hip and bohemian crowds have several haunts, including the Cuartel de la Boca del Monte, El Observatorio, Rayeula, and the whole University district, while those looking for live music can head to the Jazz Caf\u00e9. Adventurous souls should shake their booties at a classic salsa joint like Castro's or Salsa 54, and those wanting a contemporary club vibe can head to Rhapsodia or Vertigo.\n\n  Should I Stay, Or Should I Go Now?\n\nFor as long as I've written this book, my stock advice to tourists has been to get in and out of San Jos\u00e9 as quickly as possible. In most cases, this remains good counsel. Still, San Jos\u00e9 is the country's only major urban center, with varied and active restaurant and nightlife scenes, several museums and galleries worth visiting, and a steady stream of theater, concerts, and other cultural events that you won't find elsewhere in the country.\n\nOrientation\n\nArriving\n\nBy Plane\n\nJuan Santamar\u00eda International Airport (  2437-2626 for 24-hr. airport information; airport code SJO) is near the city of Alajuela, about 20 minutes from downtown San Jos\u00e9. A taxi into town costs between $22 and $32, and a bus is only C450. The Alajuela\u2013San Jos\u00e9 buses run frequently and will drop you off anywhere along Paseo Col\u00f3n or at a station near the Parque de la Merced (downtown, btw. calles 12 and 14 and avs. 2 and 4). There are two separate lines: Tuasa (  2442-6900) buses are red; Station Wagon (  8388-9263) buses are beige\/yellow. At the airport, the bus stop is directly in front of the main terminal, beyond the parking structure. Be sure to ask whether the bus is going to San Jos\u00e9, or you'll end up in Alajuela. If you have a lot of luggage, you probably should take a cab.\n\nMost car-rental agencies have desks and offices at the airport, although if you're planning to spend a few days in San Jos\u00e9 itself, I personally think a car is a liability. (If you're heading off immediately to the beach, though, it's much easier to pick up your car here than at a downtown office.)\n\nTip: Chaos and confusion greet arriving passengers the second they step out of the terminal. You must abandon your luggage carts just before exiting the building and then face a gauntlet of aggressive taxi drivers, shuttle drivers waving signs, and people offering to carry your bags. Fortunately, the official airport taxi service has a booth inside the calm area just before the terminal exit. And official airport porters also hang out in this area. Still, there's often really nowhere for them to have to carry your bags because the line of waiting taxis and shuttles is just steps away. Keep a very watchful eye on your bags: Thieves have historically preyed on newly arrived passengers and their luggage. You should tip porters about 50\u00a2 per bag.\n\nIn terms of taxis, you should stick with the official airport taxi service, Taxis Unidos Aeropuerto (  2221-6865; www.taxiaeropuerto.com), which operates a fleet of orange vans and sedans. These folks have a kiosk in the no man's land just outside the exit door for arriving passengers. Here they will assign you a cab. These taxis now use meters, and fares to most downtown hotels should run $22 to $32. Despite the fact that Taxis Unidos has an official monopoly at the airport, you will usually find a handful of regular cabs (in traditional red sedans) and \"pirate\" cabs, driven by freelancers using their own vehicles. You could use either of these latter options, and \"pirate\" cabs tend to charge a dollar or two less, but I recommend using the official service for safety and standardized prices.\n\nYou have several options for exchanging money when you arrive at the airport. An ATM in the baggage claim area is connected to both the PLUS and Cirrus networks. There's also a Global Exchange (  2431-0686; www.globalexchange.co.cr) money exchange booth just as you clear Customs and Immigration. It's open whenever there are arriving flights; however, these folks exchange at more than 10% below the official rate. A branch of the Banco de San Jos\u00e9 is inside the main terminal, on the second floor across from the airline check-in counters, as well as a couple of more ATMs up there. The taxi company and rental-car agencies accept U.S. dollars. See \"Money & Costs,\" in chapter , for more details.\n\nTip: There's really no pressing need to exchange money the minute you arrive. Taxis Unidos accepts dollars. You can wait until after you settle into your hotel, and see if the hotel will give you a good rate of exchange, or use one of the many downtown banks or ATMs.\n\nIf you arrive in San Jos\u00e9 via Nature Air, private aircraft, or another small commuter or charter airline, you might find yourself at the Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas (  2232-2820; airport code SYQ). This small airport is on the western side of downtown San Jos\u00e9, about 10 minutes by car from the center. There are no car-rental desks here, so unless you have a car or a driver waiting for you here, you will have to take a cab into town, which should cost between $10 and $20.\n\nA panoramic view of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBy Bus\n\nIf you're coming to San Jos\u00e9 by bus, where you disembark depends on where you're coming from. (The different bus companies have their offices, and thus their drop-off points, all over downtown San Jos\u00e9. When you buy your ticket, ask where you'll be let off.) Buses arriving from Panama pass first through Cartago and San Pedro before letting passengers off in downtown San Jos\u00e9; buses arriving from Nicaragua generally enter the city on the west end of town, on Paseo Col\u00f3n. If you're staying here, you can ask to be let off before the final stop.\n\n\"I Know There's Got to Be a number Here Somewhere . . .\"\n\nThis is one of the most confusing aspects of visiting Costa Rica in general, and San Jos\u00e9 in particular. Although downtown San Jos\u00e9 often has street addresses and building numbers for locations, they are almost never used. Addresses are given as a set of coordinates such as \"Calle 3 between avenidas Central and 1.\" It's then up to you to locate the building within that block, keeping in mind that the building could be on either side of the street. Many addresses include additional information, such as the number of meters from a specified intersection or some other well-known landmark. (These \"meter measurements\" are not precise but are a good way to give directions to a taxi driver. In basic terms, 100m = 1 block, 200m = 2 blocks, and so on.) These landmarks are what become truly confusing for visitors to the city because they are often simply restaurants, bars, and shops that would be familiar only to locals.\n\nThings get even more confusing when the landmark in question no longer exists. The classic example of this is \"the Coca-Cola,\" one of the most common landmarks used in addresses in the blocks surrounding San Jos\u00e9's main market. The trouble is, the Coca-Cola bottling plant that it refers to is no longer there; the edifice is long gone, and one of the principal downtown bus depots stands in its place. Old habits die hard, though, and the address description remains. You might also try to find someplace near the antiguo higuer\u00f3n (\"old fig tree\") in San Pedro. This tree was felled over a decade ago. In outlying neighborhoods, addresses can become long directions such as \"50m (1\u20442 block) south of the old church, then 100m (1 block) east, then 20m (two buildings) south.\" Luckily for visitors, most downtown addresses are more straightforward.\n\nOh, and if you're wondering how letter carriers manage, well, welcome to the club. Some folks actually get their mail delivered this way, but most people and businesses in San Jos\u00e9 use a post office box. This is called an apartado and is abbreviated \"Apdo.\" or \"A.P.\" in mailing addresses.\n\nBy Car\n\nFor those of you intrepid readers arriving by car, you'll enter San Jos\u00e9 via the Inter-american Highway. If you arrive from Nicaragua and the north, the highway brings you first past the airport and the city of Alajuela, to the western edge of downtown, right at the end of Paseo Col\u00f3n, where it hits Parque La Sabana (La Sabana Park). The area is well marked with large road signs that direct you either to downtown (centro) or to the western suburbs of Rohrmoser, Pavas, and Escaz\u00fa. If you're heading toward downtown, follow the flow of traffic and turn left on Paseo Col\u00f3n.\n\nFor those of you entering from Panama and the south, things get a little more complicated. The Interamerican Highway first passes through the city of Cartago and then through the San Jos\u00e9 suburbs of Curridabat and San Pedro before reaching downtown. This route is relatively well marked, and if you stick with the major flow of traffic, you should find San Jos\u00e9 without any problem.\n\nVisitor Information\n\nThe Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT;   2443-1535; www.visitcostarica.com) desk at the Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport is in the baggage claims area, just before Customs. You can pick up maps and browse brochures, and they might even lend you a phone to make or confirm a reservation. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm.\n\nCity Layout\n\nDowntown San Jos\u00e9 is laid out on a grid. Avenidas (avenues) run east and west, while calles (streets) run north and south. The center of the city is at Avenida Central and Calle Central. To the north of Avenida Central, the avenidas have odd numbers beginning with Avenida 1; to the south, they have even numbers beginning with Avenida 2. Likewise, calles to the east of Calle Central have odd numbers, and those to the west have even numbers. The main downtown artery is Avenida 2, which merges with Avenida Central on either side of downtown. West of downtown, Avenida Central becomes Paseo Col\u00f3n, which ends at Parque La Sabana and feeds into the highway to Alajuela, the airport, Guanacaste, and the Pacific coast. East of downtown, Avenida Central leads to San Pedro and then to Cartago and the Interamerican Highway heading south. Calle 3 takes you out of town to the north, onto the Gu\u00e1piles Highway that leads to the Caribbean coast.\n\nThe Neighborhoods in Brief\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 is divided into dozens of neighborhoods, known as barrios. Most of the listings in this chapter fall within the main downtown area, but there are a few outlying neighborhoods you'll need to know about.\n\nDowntown In San Jos\u00e9's busy downtown, you'll find most of the city's museums, as well as a handful of small urban parks and open-air plazas, and the city's main cathedral. Many tour companies, restaurants, and hotels are located here. Unfortunately, traffic noise and exhaust fumes make this one of the least pleasant parts of the city. Streets and avenues are usually bustling and crowded with pedestrians and vehicular traffic, and street crime is most rampant here. Still, the sections of Avenida Central between calles 6 and 7, as well as Avenida 4 between calles 9 and 14, have been converted into pedestrian malls, greatly improving things on these stretches.\n\nA colonial-era building in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBarrio Am\u00f3n\/Barrio Otoya These two picturesque neighborhoods, just north and east of downtown, are the site of the greatest concentration of historic buildings in San Jos\u00e9. Some of these have been renovated and turned into boutique hotels and atmospheric restaurants. If you're looking for character and don't mind the noise and exhaust fumes from passing cars and buses, this neighborhood makes a good base for exploring the city.\n\nLa Sabana\/Paseo Col\u00f3n Paseo Col\u00f3n, a wide boulevard west of downtown, is an extension of Avenida Central and ends at Parque La Sabana. It has several good, small hotels and numerous restaurants. This is also where several of the city's car-rental agencies have their in-town offices. Once the site of the city's main airport, the Parque La Sabana (La Sabana Park) is San Jos\u00e9's largest public park, with ample green areas, sport and recreation facilities, the new National Stadium, and the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Costa Rican Art Museum).\n\nParque La Sabana.\n\nSan Pedro\/Los Yoses Located east of downtown San Jos\u00e9, Los Yoses is an upper-middle-class neighborhood that is home to many diplomatic missions and embassies. San Pedro is a little farther east and is the site of the University of Costa Rica. Numerous college-type bars and restaurants are all around the edge of the campus, and several good restaurants and small hotels can be found in both neighborhoods.\n\nGetting Around\n\nBy Bus\n\nBus transportation around San Jos\u00e9 is cheap\u2014the fare is usually somewhere around C115 to C375\u2014although the Alajuela\/San Jos\u00e9 buses that run in from the airport cost C450. The most important buses are those running east along Avenida 2 and west along Avenida 3. The Sabana\/Cementerio bus runs from Parque La Sabana to downtown and is one of the most convenient buses to use. You'll find a bus stop for the outbound Sabana\/Cementerio bus near the main post office on Avenida 3 near the corner of Calle 2, and another one on Calle 11 between avenidas Central and 1. This bus also has stops all along Avenida 2. San Pedro buses leave from the end of the pedestrian walk on Avenida Central between calles 9 and 11, and take you out of downtown heading east.\n\nThe city's bus drivers can make change, although they don't like to receive large bills. Be especially mindful of your wallet, purse, or other valuables, because pickpockets often work the crowded buses.\n\nA bus stop in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBy Taxi\n\nAlthough taxis in San Jos\u00e9 have meters (mar\u00edas), the drivers sometimes refuse to use them, particularly with foreigners, so you'll occasionally have to negotiate the price. Always try to get them to use the meter first (say \"ponga la mar\u00eda, por favor\"). The official rate at press time is C545 for the first kilometer (1\u20442 mile) and C15 every 4 seconds. If you have a rough idea of how far it is to your destination, you can estimate how much it should cost from these figures. After 10pm taxis are legally allowed to add a 20% surcharge. Some of the meters are programmed to include the extra charge automatically, but be careful: Some drivers will use the evening setting during the daytime or (at night) to charge an extra 20% on top of the higher meter setting.\n\nDepending on your location, the time of day, and the weather (rain places taxis at a premium), it's relatively easy to hail a cab downtown. You'll always find taxis in front of the Teatro Nacional (albeit at high prices) and around the Parque Central at Avenida Central and Calle Central. Taxis in front of hotels and the El Pueblo tourist complex usually charge more than others, although this is technically illegal. Most hotels will gladly call you a cab, either for a downtown excursion or for a trip back out to the airport. You can also get a cab by calling Coopetaxi (  2235-9966), Coopeirazu (  2254-3211), Coopetico (  2224-7979), or Coopeguaria (  2226-1366). Cinco Estrellas Taxi (  2228-3159) is based in Escaz\u00fa but services the entire metropolitan area and airport, and claims to always have an English-speaking operator on call.\n\nOn Foot\n\nDowntown San Jos\u00e9 is very compact. Nearly every place you might want to go is within a 15-by-4-block area. Because of traffic congestion, you'll often find it faster to walk than to take a bus or taxi. Be careful when walking the streets any time of day or night. Flashy jewelry, loosely held handbags or backpacks, and expensive camera equipment tend to attract thieves. Avenida Central is a pedestrian-only street from calles 6 to 7, and has been redone with interesting paving stones and the occasional fountain in an attempt to create a comfortable pedestrian mall. A similar pedestrian-only walkway runs along Avenida 4, between calles 9 and 14.\n\nPedestrians walking along Avenida Central.\n\nBy Train\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 has very sporadic and minimal urban commuter train service. One line connecting the western neighborhood of Pavas with the eastern suburb of San Pedro passes right through the downtown, with prominent stops at, or near, the U.S. Embassy, Parque La Sabana, the downtown court area, and the Universidad de Costa Rica (University of Costa Rica) and Universidad Latina (Latin University). The train runs commuter hours roughly every 11\u20442 hours between 5 and 8:30am and 4:10 and 8pm. Another line runs between downtown San Jos\u00e9 and Heredia. This train runs roughly every 15 minutes between 5:30 and 8:30am, and again between 4:30 and 7:30pm, with much less frequent service during non-commuter hours. Fares range from C200 to C400, depending on the length of your ride.\n\nBy Car\n\nIt will cost you between $45 and $150 per day to rent a car in Costa Rica (the higher prices are for 4WD vehicles). Many car-rental agencies have offices at the airport. If not, they will usually either pick you up or deliver the car to any San Jos\u00e9 hotel. If you decide to pick up your rental car in downtown San Jos\u00e9, be prepared for some very congested streets.\n\nThe following companies have desks at Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport, as well as offices downtown: Alamo (  2242-7733 for central reservations; www.alamocostarica.com), Adobe Rent A Car (  2442-2422 at the airport, or 2258-4242 in San Jos\u00e9; www.adobecar.com), Avis (  800\/331-1084 in the U.S., or 2293-2222 central reservation number in Costa Rica; www.avis.co.cr), Budget (  800\/527-0700 in the U.S., 2440-4412 at the airport, or 2255-4750 in San Jos\u00e9; www.budget.co.cr), Dollar (  2443-2736 at the airport, or 2257-1585 in San Jos\u00e9; www.dollarcostarica.com), Hertz (  888\/437-8927 in the U.S., 2430-7707 at the airport, or 2221-1818 in San Jos\u00e9; www.costaricarentacar.com), National Car Rental (  877\/862-8227 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, 2440-0084 at the airport, or 2242-7878 in San Jos\u00e9; www.natcar.com), Payless Rent A Car (  2256-0101 main reservations office in San Jos\u00e9, 2432-4747 at the airport; www.paylesscar.com), Thrifty (  800\/847-4389 in the U.S., 2442-8585 at the airport, or 2257-3434 in San Jos\u00e9; www.thrifty.com), and Toyota Rent A Car (  2441-1411 at the airport, or 2258-5797 in San Jos\u00e9; www.toyotarent.com).\n\nDozens of other car-rental agencies are in San Jos\u00e9, and most will arrange for airport or hotel pickup or delivery. One of the more dependable agencies is Hola! Rent A Car, across the street from (west of) Denny's, La Uruca (  2520-0100; www.hola.net). For more advice on renting cars, see \"Getting Around: By Car,\" in chapter .\n\nAs part of the highway to Caldera project, the Prospero Fernandez highway (CR27) has been greatly improved between San Jos\u00e9 and the western suburbs of Escaz\u00fa, Santa Ana, and Ciudad Col\u00f3n. This improvement comes at a cost, however; drivers will pay C290 each way between San Jos\u00e9 and Escaz\u00fa. The toll station is just beyond the main exit to Escaz\u00fa, if you are coming from San Jos\u00e9.\n\n  Car-Rental Advice\n\nIf you plan to rent a car, I recommend reserving it in advance from home. All the major international agencies and many local companies have toll-free numbers and websites. Sometimes you can even save a bit on the cost by reserving in advance. Costa Rica's car-rental fleet is not sufficient to meet demand during the high season when rental cars run at a premium. Sometimes this allows agencies here to gouge last-minute car-rental shoppers.\n\n  San Jos\u00e9\n\nAmerican Express American Express Travel Services is represented in Costa Rica by ASV Olympia, Oficentro La Sabana, Sabana Sur (  2242-8585; www.asvolympia.com), which can issue traveler's checks and replacement cards and provide other standard services. To report lost or stolen Amex traveler's checks within Costa Rica, call the number above or   0800-011-0826, or call collect to 800\/011-0826 in the U.S.\n\nArea Code See \"Telephones,\" in chapter . There are no city or area codes to dial from within Costa Rica; use the country code, 506, only when dialing a San Jos\u00e9 number from outside Costa Rica. (To call San Jos\u00e9 from the U.S., dial the international access code 011, then 506, and then the eight-digit number.)\n\nDentists Call your embassy, which will have a list of recommended dentists. Many bilingual dentists also advertise in the Tico Times. Because treatments are so inexpensive in Costa Rica, dental tourism has become a popular option for people needing extensive work.\n\nDoctors Contact your embassy for information on doctors in San Jos\u00e9, or see \"Hospitals,\" below.\n\nDrugstores San Jos\u00e9 has countless pharmacies and drugstores. Many of them deliver at little or no extra cost. The pharmacy at the Hospital Cl\u00ednica B\u00edblica, Avenida 14 between calles Central and 1 (  2522-1000), is open daily 24 hours. The pharmacy (  2208-1080) at the Hospital CIMA in Escaz\u00fa is also open 24 hours daily. Farmacia Fischel (  2519-0000; www.fischel.co.cr) has numerous branches around the metropolitan area.\n\nEmbassies & Consulates See chapter .\n\nEmergencies In case of any emergency, dial   911 (which should have an English-speaking operator); for an ambulance, call   1028; and to report a fire, call   1118.\n\nExpress Mail Services Many international courier and express-mail services have offices in San Jos\u00e9, including DHL, on Paseo Col\u00f3n between calles 30 and 32 (  2209-0000; www.dhl.co.cr)); EMS Courier, with desks at the principal metropolitan post offices (  800\/900-2000 in Costa Rica; www.correos.go.cr)); FedEx, which is based in Heredia but will arrange pickup anywhere in the metropolitan area (  800\/463-3339; www.fedex.com); and United Parcel Service, in Pavas (  2290-2828; www.ups.com).\n\nHospitals Cl\u00ednica B\u00edblica, Avenida 14 between calles Central and 1 (  2522-1000; www.clinicabiblica.com), is conveniently close to downtown and has several English-speaking doctors. The Hospital CIMA (  2208-1000; www.hospitalcima.com), located in Escaz\u00fa on the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway, which connects San Jos\u00e9 and the western suburb of Santa Ana, has the most modern facilities in the country.\n\nInternet Access Internet cafes are all over San Jos\u00e9. Rates run between C300 and C2,000 per hour. Many hotels have their own Internet cafe or allow guests to send and receive e-mail. And many have added wireless access, either for free or a small charge. You can also try Racsa, Avenida 5 and Calle 1 (  2287-0087; www.racsa.co.cr), the state Internet monopoly, which sells prepaid cards in 5-, 10-, and 15-hour denominations for connecting your laptop to the Web via a local phone call. Some knowledge of configuring your computer's dial-up connection is necessary, and you'll want to factor in the phone call charge if calling from a hotel.\n\nLaundry & Dry Cleaning Self-service laundromats are uncommon in Costa Rica, and hotel serv-ices can be expensive. Aqua Matic (  2291-2847) and Tyson (  2215-2362) are two dependable laundry and dry-cleaning chains with outlets all over town. The latter will even pick up and deliver your clothes free of charge.\n\nMaps The Costa Rican Tourist Board (ICT) can usually provide you with decent maps of both Costa Rica and San Jos\u00e9. Also try Seventh Street Books, Calle 7 between avenidas Central and 1 (  2256-8251); Librer\u00eda Lehmann, Avenida Central between calles 1 and 3 (  2522-4848); and Librer\u00eda Universal, Avenida Central and calles Central and 1 (  2222-2222).\n\nPolice Dial   911 or 2295-3272 for the police. They should have someone available who speaks English.\n\nPost Office The main post office (correo) is on Calle 2 between avenidas 1 and 3 (  2202-2900; www.correos.go.cr). See \"Mail,\" for more information.\n\nRestrooms Public restrooms are rare to nonexistent, but most big hotels and public restaurants will let you use their restrooms. Downtown, you can find public restrooms at the entrance to the Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica.\n\nSafety Pickpockets and purse slashers are rife in San Jos\u00e9, especially on public buses, in the markets, on crowded sidewalks, near hospitals, and lurking outside of bank offices and ATMs. Leave most of your money and other valuables in your hotel safe, and carry only as much as you really need when you go out. If you do carry anything valuable with you, keep it in a money belt or special passport bag around your neck. Day packs are a prime target of brazen pickpockets throughout the city. One common scam involves someone dousing you or your pack with mustard or ice cream. Another scamster (or two) will then quickly come to your aid\u2014they are usually much more interested in cleaning you out than cleaning you up.\n\nStay away from the red-light district northwest of the Central Market. Also be advised that the Parque Nacional is not a safe place for a late-night stroll. Other precautions include walking around corner vendors, not between the vendor and the building. The tight space between the vendor and the building is a favorite spot for pickpockets. Never park a car on the street, and never leave anything of value in a car, even if it's in a guarded parking lot. Don't even leave your car unattended by the curb in front of a hotel while you dash in to check on your reservation. With these precautions in mind, you should have a safe visit to San Jos\u00e9. Also, see \"Safety,\" in chapter .\n\nTime Zone San Jos\u00e9 is on Central Standard Time (same as Chicago and St. Louis), 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. For the exact time (in Spanish), call   1112.\n\nUseful Telephone Numbers For directory assistance, call   1113; for international directory assistance, call   1024.\n\nWeather The weather in San Jos\u00e9 (including the Central Valley) is usually temperate, never getting extremely hot or cold. May through November is the rainy season, although the rain usually falls only in the afternoon and evening.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 offers up a wide range of hotel choices, from plush boutique hotels to budget pensions and backpacker hangouts. Many downtown hotels and small inns are housed in beautifully converted and restored old mansions. The vast majority of accommodations\u2014and the best deals\u2014are in the moderate price range, where you can find everything from elegant little inns to contemporary business-class chains. Staying in San Jos\u00e9 puts you in the center of the action, and close to all of the city's museums, restaurants, and nightlife venues. However, it also exposes you to many urban pitfalls, including noise, traffic, pollution, and street crime.\n\nThe prices quoted here are for hotels' rack rate, the maximum that it charges; it is, however, not always necessary to pay that rate. You can typically find discounts of up to 20% for rooms when booking directly, or through websites such as hotels.com or expedia.com (see \"Tips on Accommodations,\" for more tips). Note: Quoted discount rates almost never include breakfast, local taxes, or other applicable hotel fees.\n\nDowntown San Jos\u00e9\/Barrio Am\u00f3n\n\nThe urban center of San Jos\u00e9 is the city's heart and soul, with a wide range of hotels and restaurants and easy access to museums and attractions. It also has several popular public parks and plazas, and the atmospheric Barrio Am\u00f3n, a charming neighborhood home to the city's greatest concentration of colonial-era architecture. The neighborhood's biggest drawbacks are the street noise, bus fumes, gridlock traffic, and petty crime.\n\nExpensive\n\nAurola Holiday Inn \u2605 Situated directly across the street from the attractive downtown Parque Moraz\u00e1n, this is downtown San Jos\u00e9's only high-rise business-class hotel. The rooms are quite well kept and cozy. Service can be somewhat hit-or-miss, and the restaurants here leave lots to be desired. Still, the location is great for exploring downtown on foot (although be careful at night, as this borders one of the city's red-light districts), and if you get one of the upper-floor rooms on the north side, you'll have one of the best views in the city.\n\nAv. 5 and Calle 5, San Jos\u00e9. www.holiday-inn.com.   800\/465-4329 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2523-1000. Fax 2248-3101. 200 units. $160 double; $230 junior suite; $300 suite. Rates include breakfast. Discounts for reservations made online. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; poolside snack bar; executive-level rooms; exercise room; Jacuzzi; indoor pool; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nClarion Am\u00f3n Plaza \u2605 On the north edge of the historic Barrio Am\u00f3n neighborhood, this hotel is a reliable business-class option. Though the property or rooms are nothing distinctive, in terms of service, location, and price, it gets my nod over the nearby Holiday Inn. The rooms are good sized, well kept, and come with plenty of amenities. And you are close to all the downtown action. I recommend paying the upgrade for one of the executive-floor rooms, which get you free happy-hour food and drinks, and a separate lounge area. While the food is merely average, the ambience of their little outdoor, sidewalk cafe, El Cafetal de la Luz, is delightful. A fairly swanky casino is on-site. You can usually do a bit better than the rack rates listed below if you book through www.choicehotels.com.\n\nAv. 11 and Calle 3 bis, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelamonplaza.com.   877\/424-6423 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2523-4600 in Costa Rica. Fax 2523-4614. 87 units. $140 double; $230 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; casino; babysitting; executive-level rooms; small exercise room; Jacuzzi; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, the Sleep Inn, Av. 3 between calles 9 and 11 (www.sleepinnsanjose.com;   2222-0101), is a modern, American-style chain hotel in the heart of downtown, while Hotel Do\u00f1a In\u00e9s (www.donaines.com;   2222-7443), on Calle 11 between avenidas 2 and 6; Hotel Rinc\u00f3n de San Jos\u00e9 (www.hotelrincondesanjose.com;   2221-9702), on the corner of Avenida 9 and Calle 15; Mansion del Parque Bolivar \u2605 (www.hotelparquebolivar.com;   2222-3636), on Avenida 9 between calles 11 and 13; and Taylor's Inn (www.taylorinn.com;   2257-4333), on Avenida 13 Calle 3, are all little boutique properties that are also good options.\n\nGran Hotel Costa Rica The Gran Hotel Costa Rica oozes historic charm and has arguably the best location of any downtown hotel (bordering the Teatro Nacional and the Plaza de la Cultura). A major remodeling has finally brought the rooms and amenities almost up to snuff. However, rooms still feel a bit spartan and dated, and some guests find the street noise a problem here. The Cafeteria 1930 is perhaps the hotel's greatest attribute. It's memorable not so much for its food as for its atmosphere\u2014it's an open-air patio that overlooks the Teatro Nacional, street musicians, and all the activity of the Plaza de la Cultura.\n\nAv. 2, btw. calles 1 and 3, San Jos\u00e9. www.grandhotelcostarica.com.   800\/949-0592 in the U.S., or 2221-4000. Fax 2221-3501. 103 units. $89 double; $185 suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking nearby. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; small gym; room service. In room: TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Britannia Built in 1910, the large, low main building, with its wraparound veranda, is one of the most attractive in the neighborhood. In the lobby, tile floors, large stained-glass picture windows, a brass chandelier, and reproduction Victorian decor all help set a tone of tropical opulence. There's also a four-story addition, which is separated from the original building by a narrow atrium. Rooms in the original home have hardwood floors and furniture; high ceilings and fans help keep them cool. Although the streetside rooms have double glass, light sleepers will still want to avoid them. The quietest rooms are those toward the back of the addition. The hotel's breakfast, along with afternoon tea and happy-hour drinks, is served in a sky-lit room adjacent to the restaurant.\n\nCalle 3 and Av. 11, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelbritanniacostarica.com.   800\/263-2618 in the U.S. or 2223-6667. Fax 2223-6411. 24 units. $89\u2013$105 double; $117 junior suite. AE, MC, V. Parking nearby. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; all rooms smoke-free. In room: A\/C (in suites), TV, hair dryer, minibar (in suites), Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Del Rey You can't miss the Del Rey: It's a massive pink corner building with vaguely colonial styling. The lobby continues the facade's theme with pink-tile floors and stone columns. Inside, a carved hardwood door marks every guest room. The rooms vary in size and comfort: Quiet interior rooms have no windows, and larger rooms with windows have street noise. Try for a sixth-floor room with a balcony. The hotel's main restaurant is across the street in an old restored home, with plenty of stained glass. Much of the first floor is taken up with a bustling casino and the neighboring Blue Marlin Bar, which is very popular with tourists, expatriates, and prostitutes. The hotel's owners also manage the popular Key Largo Bar, just across the street.\n\nAv. 1 and Calle 9, San Jos\u00e9. www.hoteldelrey.com.   866\/765-8037 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2257-7800. Fax 2221-0096. 104 units. $118\u2013$135 double; $340 suite. AE, MC, V. Parking nearby. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Don Carlos \u2605\u2605 If you're looking for a small downtown hotel that is unmistakably Costa Rican and hints at the days of the planters and coffee barons, this is the place for you. Located in an old residential neighborhood, only blocks from the business district, the Don Carlos was a former president's mansion. Inside you'll find a slew of arts-and-crafts works and archaeological reproductions, as well as orchids, ferns, palms, and parrots. The rooms are all distinct and vary greatly in size, so be specific when you reserve, or ask if it's possible to see a few when you check in. Breakfast is served in an outdoor orchid garden and atrium. The gift shop here is one of the largest in the country.\n\n779 Calle 9, btw. avs. 7 and 9, San Jos\u00e9. www.doncarloshotel.com.   2221-6707. Fax 2258-1152. 33 units. $80\u2013$90 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Presidente This business-class hotel is a good midrange option in the heart of downtown. Although the hotel's eight stories practically qualify it for skyscraper status, few of the rooms have any view to speak of; those with north-facing windows are your best bet. Rooms are all well-kept and feature the amenities you'd expect; upgrades have updated both furnishings and decor. If you want more space, opt for one of the junior suites. Rooms and suites with a \"spa\" designation come with a private Jacuzzi. The master suite is a massive two-bedroom affair, featuring a private eight-person Jacuzzi. A very popular casual cafe-style restaurant is just off the street. While similar in style and vibe, the Presidente is more tranquil and subdued than the Del Rey, especially after dark.\n\nAv. Central and Calle 7, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotel-presidente.com.   2010-0000. Fax 2221-1205. 100 units. $101\u2013$111 double; $135\u2013$175 junior or spa suite; $390 master suite. Rates include full breakfast buffet. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; casino; small gym; rooftop Jacuzzi and sauna; room service. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Kap's Place (www.kapsplace.com;   2221-1169), across from the Hotel Aranjuez on Calle 19 between avenidas 11 and 13, is another good choice, while real budget hounds might want to try Tranquilo Backpackers (www.tranquilobackpackers.com;   2222-2493), on Calle 7 between avenidas 9 and 11; Hostel Pangea \u2605 (www.hostelpangea.com;   2221-1992), on Avenida 7 and Calle 3; or Costa Rica Backpackers (www.costaricabackpackers.com;   2221-6191), on Avenida 6 between calles 21 and 23.\n\nHotel Colonial \u2605, Calle 11 between avenidas 4 and 6 (www.hotelcolonialcr.com;   2223-0109), is a good boutique hotel in a restored Victorian-style home a couple of blocks south of the city center, with rooms that fall into the upper end of this price range.\n\nHotel Aranjuez \u2605   This is probably the best and deservedly most popular budget option close to downtown. On a quiet and safe street in the Barrio Am\u00f3n neighborhood, this humble hotel is made up of five contiguous houses. All rooms are simple and clean, and some are a little dark. Rooms and bathrooms vary greatly in size, so ask when reserving, or try to see a few rooms when you arrive. The nicest features here, aside from the convivial hostel-like atmosphere, are the lush and shady gardens; the hanging orchids, bromeliads, and ferns decorating the hallways and nooks; and the numerous open lounge areas furnished with chairs, tables, and couches\u2014great for lazing around and sharing travel tales with your fellow guests. The hotel has a couple of computers, as well as a free Wi-Fi network, and provides free local calling.\n\nCalle 19, btw. avs. 11 and 13, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelaranjuez.com.   2256-1825. Fax 2223-3528. 35 units, 6 with shared bathroom. $27 double with shared bathroom; $49 double with private bathroom. Rates include breakfast buffet and taxes. MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Several lounges. In room: TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Santo Tom\u00e1s \u2605   Even though it's on a busy downtown street, this converted mansion is a quiet oasis inside. Built more than 100 years ago by a coffee baron, the house has been lovingly restored and maintained by its owner, Thomas Douglas. Throughout the hotel you'll enjoy the deep, dark tones of well-aged and well-worked wood, and various interior courtyards, open-air terraces, and garden nooks. The rooms vary in size, but most are fairly spacious and have a small table and chairs. A small outdoor pool with a Jacuzzi is above it; the two are solar heated and connected by a tiny water slide. The staff and management are extremely helpful, and the restaurant here is excellent. This neighborhood is a little bit sketchy after dark, so you'd be advised to take a taxi to and from the hotel for any evening excursions.\n\nAv. 7, btw. calles 3 and 5, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelsantotomas.com.   2255-0448. Fax 2222-3950. 30 units. $48\u2013$66 double. Rates include breakfast buffet. MC, V. Parking nearby. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; exercise room; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool; all rooms smoke-free. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nLa Sabana\/Paseo Col\u00f3n\n\nLocated on the western edge of downtown, the La Sabana Park is San Jos\u00e9's largest city park, and Paseo Col\u00f3n is a broad commercial avenue heading straight into the heart of the city. Stay in this neighborhood if you're looking for fast, easy access to the highways heading to Escaz\u00fa, Santa Ana, the Pacific coast, and the airport and northern zone. As you're on the edge of town, the area can be pretty dead at night.\n\nExpensive\n\nIn addition to the place mentioned below, Days Hotel \u2605 (www.dayshotelsanjose.com;   2547-2323), inside the Centro Col\u00f3n building on Avenida 3, between calles 38 and 40, is a new, well-located business-class hotel, with a great restaurant and excellent amenities.\n\nCrowne Plaza Corobic\u00ed \u2605 Just past the end of Paseo Col\u00f3n and on the edge of Parque La Sabana, the Corobic\u00ed is a dependable business-class option. The lobby is a vast expanse of marble floor faced by blank walls, although the Art Deco furnishings lend a bit of character. Guest rooms are contemporary and comfortable, with firm beds and walls of glass through which, on most floors, you get good views of the valley and surrounding mountains. The Corobic\u00ed has a large, modern spa, where you will find a well-equipped gym featuring a large exercise room, on-staff trainers, and regular classes. The Fuji restaurant here is one of the better Japanese and sushi restaurants in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nAutopista General Ca\u00f1as, Sabana Norte, San Jos\u00e9. www.crowneplaza.com.   800\/227-6963 in the U.S., or 2232-8122. Fax 2231-5834. 213 units. $175 double; $215 suite; $500 presidential suite. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; lounge; casino; extensive health club and spa; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; room service; sauna; all rooms smoke-free. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (for a small fee).\n\nHotel Grano de Oro \u2605\u2605\u2605   San Jos\u00e9 boasts dozens of old homes that have been converted into hotels, but the Grano de Oro tops them all in terms of design, comfort, and service. I favor the patio rooms, which have French doors opening onto private patios. Throughout all the guest rooms, you'll find attractive hardwood furniture. The Vista de Oro suite is the hotel's crown jewel, with its own private staircase and wonderful views of the city and surrounding mountains. If you don't grab one of the suites (which have whirlpool tubs), you still have access to the hotel's two rooftop Jacuzzis. The top-notch restaurant serves some of the city's best desserts. The hotel owners support a noble shelter for young, unwed mothers, Casa Luz. Feel free to inquire as to how you can help.\n\nCalle 30, no. 251, btw. avs. 2 and 4, 150m (11\u20442 blocks) south of Paseo Col\u00f3n, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelgranodeoro.com.   2255-3322. Fax 2221-2782. 40 units. $130\u2013$155 double; $180\u2013$335 suite. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; concierge; 2 rooftop Jacuzzis; room service; all rooms smoke-free; spa services. In room: TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nThe terrace at the Hotel Grano de Oro.\n\nModerate\n\nHotel Parque del Lago \u2605 This midsize business-class hotel is located on the western edge of busy Paseo Col\u00f3n, right near the Costa Rican Art Museum and Parque La Sabana. Rooms are large and modern, but have a somewhat sober decor. The junior suites are especially spacious, with a comfortable couch, sitting area, wet bar, and microwave. The hotel has Wi-Fi and an elegant little restaurant and bar area just off the lobby. This hotel is convenient to both downtown and the western suburbs of Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana, with easy access to the country's major highways.\n\nCalle 40, btw. Av. 2 and Paseo Col\u00f3n, San Jos\u00e9. www.parquedellago.com.   2257-8787. Fax 2223-1617. 40 units. $85 double; $105 junior suite; $185 penthouse. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; small exercise room and spa; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nHotel Cacts   Housed in a contemporary home on a business and residential street, this is one of the more interesting and unusual budget hotels in San Jos\u00e9. The seemingly constantly expanding complex is a maze of rooms and hallways on several levels. Rooms vary considerably in size, so it's always best to check out a few first if possible. The deluxe rooms here come with televisions and telephones, whereas the standard rooms lack both of these amenities. A small pool and separate Jacuzzi are in a lush garden patio. The third-floor open terrace serves as the breakfast area. The staff here is very helpful, and the hotel will receive mail and faxes, change money, and store baggage for guests.\n\nAv. 3 bis, no. 2845, btw. calles 28 and 30, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelcacts.com.   2221-2928 or 2221-6546. Fax 2222-9708. 26 units. $59\u2013$69 double. Rates include breakfast buffet. MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Lounge; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool; all rooms smoke-free. In room: TV, no phone (in standard rooms), Wi-Fi.\n\nSan Pedro\/Los Yoses\n\nLocated just east of downtown, Los Yoses is home to numerous foreign embassies and consulates, and was one of the city's early upper-class outposts, while San Pedro is home to the University of Costa Rica, and offers up a distinct college town vibe. Staying here, you'll be close to much of the city's action but still enjoy some peace and quiet. If you've rented a car, be sure your hotel provides secure parking or you'll have to find (and pay for) a nearby lot.\n\n  Alternative Accommodations\n\nIf you plan to be in town for a while or are traveling with family or several friends, you might want to consider staying in an apartotel, a cross between an apartment complex and a hotel. You can rent by the day, week, or month, and you get a furnished apartment with a full kitchen, plus housekeeping. Options include Apartotel El Sesteo \u2605 (www.sesteo.com;   2296-1805; fax 2296-1865), Apartotel La Sabana \u2605 (www.apartotel-lasabana.com;   877\/722-2621 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2220-2422; fax 2231-7386), Apartotel Mar\u00eda Alexandra (www.mariaalexandra.com;   2228-1507; fax 2289-5192), and Apartotel Los Yoses (www.apartotel.com;   888\/790-5264 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2225-0033; fax 2225-5595).\n\nModerate\n\nH\u00f4tel Le Bergerac \u2605\u2605   With charm and sophistication, the H\u00f4tel Le Bergerac has ingratiated itself over the years with business travelers and members of various diplomatic missions. Still, you don't have to be a diplomat or business traveler to enjoy this hotel's charms. Le Bergerac is composed of three houses with courtyard gardens in between. Almost all the rooms are fairly large, and each is a little different. I favor those with private patio gardens. In the evenings, candlelight and classical music set a relaxing and romantic mood.\n\nCalle 35 no. 50, San Jos\u00e9. www.bergerachotel.com.   2234-7850. Fax 2225-9103. 25 units. $90\u2013$145 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge; concierge. In room: TV, hair dryer.\n\nHotel Milvia \u2605   Art lovers should definitely look into this offbeat little hotel. This old converted home is chock-full of paintings and sculptures by a wide range of contemporary Costa Rican artists. One of the owners, Florencia Urbina, is one of these artists. But you'll also find works by Mario Maffioli and Fabio Herrera, among others. My favorite pieces are the large-scale sculptures by Leda Astorga, including two functional and funny chairs. The rooms are bright and airy, and most are plenty spacious. The hotel has a mix of courtyards and gardens that seem to beckon one to linger with a book or sketch pad in hand.\n\n1 block north and 2 blocks east of the Mu\u00f1oz y Nanne Supermarket, San Pedro. www.hotelmilvia.com.   2225-4543. Fax 2225-7801. 9 units. $69 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Lounge. In room: TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 has an excellent variety of restaurants serving cuisines from all over the world. You can find superb French, Italian, and contemporary fusion restaurants around the city, as well as Peruvian, Japanese, Swiss, and Spanish spots. If you're looking for cheap eats, you'll find them all across the city in little restaurants known as sodas, which are the equivalent of diners in the United States.\n\nFruit vendors stake out spots on almost every street corner in downtown San Jos\u00e9. If you're lucky enough to be in town between April and June, you can sample more varieties of mangoes than you ever knew existed. I like buying them already cut up in a little bag; they cost a little more this way, but you don't get nearly as messy. Be sure to try a green mango with salt and chili peppers\u2014it's guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. Another common street food is pejibaye, a bright orange palm nut about the size of a plum. They're boiled in big pots on carts; you eat them in much the same way you eat an avocado, and they taste a bit like squash.\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 has quite a few 24-hour restaurants. The best place to get some local late-night color is Chelles, on Avenida Central and Calle 9 (see \"San Jos\u00e9 After Dark,\" later in this chapter). Then there's Del Mar, which belongs to and is across from the Hotel Del Rey; with stained-glass windows and efficient service. Finally, you'll find a Denny's (  2431-5050; www.dennyscostarica.com), at the Best Western Iraz\u00fa, on the highway out to the airport. Another is beside the Hampton Inn at the airport).\n\nA vendor selling pejibaye.\n\nDowntown San Jos\u00e9\n\nExpensive\n\nLa Esquina de Buenos Aires \u2605\u2605   ARGENTINE Excellent Argentine cooking and authentic decor transport you almost immediately to this restaurant's namesake city. At once a neighborhood tango tavern and true steakhouse, this place has a lively and welcoming vibe. Grilled meats are the specialty here, but the long menu also features excellent pastas, and a range of fish, poultry, and steak. Start things off with some empanadas, which can be ordered with any number of fillings, or some thinly sliced beef carpaccio. The grill throws out some exotic blood sausages, tripe, and sweetbreads, but I recommend the bife de chorizo, or strip steak. This place fills up fast, especially on weekends, so be sure to have a reservation.\n\nCalle 11 and Av. 4.   2223-1909. www.laesquinadebuenosaires.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C7,000\u2013C13,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Fri 11:30am\u20133pm and 6\u201310:30pm; Sat\u2013Sun noon to 10pm.\n\nModerate\n\nCaf\u00e9 Mundo \u2605 INTERNATIONAL This popular place mixes contemporary cuisine with a casually elegant ambience. Wood tables and Art Deco wrought-iron chairs are spread spaciously around several rooms in this former colonial mansion. Additional seating is on the open-air veranda and in the small gardens. Appetizers include vegetable tempura, crab cakes, and chicken satay alongside more traditional Tico standards such as patacones (fried plantain chips) and fried yuca. There's a long list of pastas and pizzas, as well as more substantial main courses, nightly specials, and delicious desserts. One room here has colorful murals by Costa Rican artist Miguel Casafont. This place is almost always packed with a broad mix of San Jos\u00e9's gay, bohemian, theater, arts, and university crowds.\n\nCalle 15 and Av. 9, 200m (2 blocks) east and 100m (1 block) north of the INS building.   2222-6190. Reservations recommended. Main courses C4,500\u2013C15,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Thurs 11am\u201310:30pm; Fri 11am\u201311:30pm; Sat 5\u201311:30pm.\n\nThe Plaza de la Cultura.\n\nCafeteria 1930   INTERNATIONAL With veranda and patio seating directly fronting the Plaza de la Cultura, this is one of the most atmospheric spots for a casual bite and some good people-watching. A wrought-iron railing, white columns, and arches create an old-world atmosphere; on the plaza in front of the cafe, a marimba band performs and vendors sell handicrafts. Stop by for the breakfast and watch the plaza vendors set up their booths, or peruse the Tico Times over coffee while you have your shoes polished. The menu covers a lot of ground, and the food is respectable, if unspectacular, but there isn't a better place downtown to bask in the tropical sunshine while you sip a beer or have a light lunch, and it's a great place to come before or after a show at the Teatro Nacional.\n\nAt the Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Av. 2, btw. calles 1 and 3.   2221-4011. Sandwiches C6,800\u2013C7,800; main courses C6,800\u2013C9,200. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 6am\u201311pm.\n\nKal\u00fa Caf\u00e9 \u2605\u2605   CAFE\/BAKERY This hip restaurant and cafe is casual and chic. The best seats are on a covered outdoor back patio. The menu features soups, salads, panini, pizzas, and a handful of main courses. The daily lunch specials are a great deal, and are very popular with downtown workers. The Kal\u00fa burger features a grilled portobello mushroom instead of a beef patty, but it's not vegetarian, as it's topped with caramelized onions, a sundried tomato pesto, and bacon. The desserts here are astounding. I especially like the dark cherry and almond cream tart. Just off the cafe is Boutique Kiosko.\n\nCalle 7 and Av. 11.   2221-2081. www.kalu.co.cr Reservations recommended. Main courses C5,800\u2013C8,650. AE, MC, V. Mon 11:30am\u20136pm; Tues\u2013Sat 11:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nRestaurante Nuestra Tierra   COSTA RICAN Sure it's touristy, but if you want a casado or some gallo pinto, anytime of the day or night, this is the place to come. The decor seeks to imitate a humble country ranch kitchen, with heavy wooden tables, chairs, and paneling, and strings of fresh onions and bunches of bananas hung from the rafters and columns. Service is friendly and efficient; dressed in typical campesino outfits, servers periodically break out into traditional folkloric dances. The biggest downside here is that the restaurant fronts the very busy Avenida 2, so head for a second-floor table away from the traffic.\n\nAv. 2 and Calle 15.   2258-6500. Main courses C6,000\u2013C15,000. MC, V. Daily 24 hr.\n\nTin Jo \u2605\u2605\u2605 CHINESE\/PAN-ASIAN San Jos\u00e9 has hundreds of Chinese restaurants, but most simply serve up tired takes on chop suey, chow mein, and fried rice. In contrast, Tin Jo has a wide and varied menu, with an assortment of Cantonese and Szechuan staples, as well as a range of Thai, Japanese, and Malaysian dishes, and even some Indian food. Some of the dishes are served in edible rice-noodle bowls, and the pineapple shrimp in coconut-milk curry is served in the hollowed-out half of a fresh pineapple. Dishes not to miss include the salt-and-pepper shrimp, beef teriyaki, and Thai curries. For dessert, try the sticky rice with mango, or banana tempura. The cozy decor features artwork and textiles from across Asia. Tin Jo is also a great option for vegetarians, and even vegans.\n\nCalle 11, btw. avs. 6 and 8.   2221-7605 or 2257-3622. www.tinjo.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C5,500\u2013C9,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 11:30am\u20133pm and 5:30\u201310pm (Fri\u2013Sat kitchen open 'til 11pm); Sun 11:30am\u201310pm.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, the Q'Caf\u00e9 (  2221-0707; www.quecafe.com) is a delightful little European-style cafe with a pretty perch above the busy corner of Avenida Central and Calle 2. Try to grab a seat overlooking the action on the street below.\n\nCaracas Arepas & Juice Bar \u2605 VENEZUELAN\/COSTA RICAN A brightly lit lunch joint in the heart of the tourist district, this little Latin restaurant is a great stop between museums. Serving up a fusion of Costa Rican and Venezuelan plates, the specialty here is the arepa, a Venezuelan corn meal sandwich filled with shredded meats and local cheeses. Try the Caraque\u00f1o, a pulled beefsteak sandwich, mixed with beans and Turrialba cheese. The menu features a long list of creative smoothies, such as the Mango Tango, a blend of orange and mango juices; and the Bala Fria, a chocolate, ice cream and coffee concoction.\n\nAv. 7, btw. Calles 7 and 9, 1 block north of Parque Morazan.   2258-6565. www.caracasarepas.com. Arepas C1,100\u2013C2,900; main dishes C2,000\u2013C3,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Thurs 6am\u20137pm; Fri 6am\u20139pm; Sat 11am\u20139pm.\n\nCaf\u00e9 del Teatro Nacional \u2605 CAFE\/COFFEEHOUSE Even if there's no show on during your visit, you can enjoy a light meal, sandwich, dessert, or a cup of coffee here, while soaking up the neoclassical atmosphere. The theater was built in the 1890s from the designs of European architects, and the Art Nouveau chandeliers, ceiling murals, and marble floors and tables are pure Parisian. The ambience is French-cafe chic, but the marimba music drifting in from outside the open window and the changing art exhibits by local artists will remind you that you're still in Costa Rica. In addition to the regular hours of operation listed below, the cafe is open until 8pm any evening that there is a performance in the theater.\n\nIn the Teatro Nacional, Av. 2, btw. calles 3 and 5.   2221-1329. Sandwiches C2,000\u2013C4,400; main courses C4,000\u2013C4,500. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 9am\u20134:30pm.\n\nVishnu VEGETARIAN Vegetarians will likely find their way to this Vishnu restaurant or one of its many sister outlets around the city. The vibe's a little too plastic, too loud, and too brightly lit for my tastes in a vegetarian joint. However, most people just come for the filling plato del d\u00eda that includes soup, salad, veggies, an entree, and dessert for under $4. The menu also offers bean burgers and cheese sandwiches on whole-wheat bread. At the cashier's counter you can buy natural cosmetics, honey, and bags of granola. Another Vishnu (  2223-3095) is on the north side of Avenida 8, between calles 11 and 9.\n\nAv. 1, btw. calles 1 and 3.   2256-6063. Main courses C3,150\u2013C3,450. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 7am\u20139pm; Sun 9am\u20137:30pm.\n\nLa Sabana\/Paseo Col\u00f3n\n\nVery Expensive\n\nPark Caf\u00e9 \u2605\u2605\u2605   FUSION Having opened and run a Michelin two-star restaurant in London and another one-star joint in Cannes, Richard Neat now finds himself in San Jos\u00e9. The intimate restaurant spreads around the interior patio courtyard of a stately old downtown mansion, which also doubles as an antiques and imported furniture store. The menu changes regularly but might feature roasted scallops with ricotta tortellini in a pumpkin jus, or some expertly grilled quail on a vegetable pur\u00e9e bed, topped with poached quail egg. Presentations are artfully done, and often served in such a way as to encourage sharing. The well-thought-out and fairly priced wine list is a perfect complement to the cuisine.\n\nSabana Norte, 1 block north of Rostipollos.   2290-6324. www.parkcafecostarica.blogspot.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C12,500\u2013C15,500. V. Tues\u2013Sat noon to 2pm and 7\u201310pm.\n\nExpensive\n\nGrano de Oro Restaurant \u2605\u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL Set around the lovely interior courtyard of the wonderful Hotel Grano de Oro, this restaurant manages to have an atmosphere that's intimate, relaxed, and refined all at the same time. The French chef here has created a wide-ranging and eclectic menu. Main courses run from the local sea bass encrusted in macadamia nuts, to elaborate lamb, rabbit, and duck dishes. Be sure to save room for the \"Grano de Oro pie,\" a decadent dessert with various layers of chocolate and coffee mousses and creams. This place also has a good wine list, including a range of options by the glass.\n\nCalle 30, no. 251, btw. avs. 2 and 4, 150m (11\u20442 blocks) south of Paseo Col\u00f3n.   2255-3322. Reservations recommended. Main courses C9,700\u2013C19,600. AE, MC, V. Daily 7am\u201310pm.\n\nModerate\n\nMachu Picchu \u2605 PERUVIAN\/INTERNATIONAL Machu Picchu is an unpretentious little restaurant that is perennially one of the most popular places in San Jos\u00e9. The menu is classic Peruvian. One of my favorite entrees is the causa lime\u00f1a, lemon-flavored mashed potatoes stuffed with shrimp. The ceviche here is excellent, as is the aj\u00ed de gallina, a dish of shredded chicken in a fragrant cream sauce, and octopus with garlic butter. For main dishes, I recommend corvina a lo macho, sea bass in a slightly spicy tomato-based seafood sauce. Be sure to ask for a pisco sour, a classic Peruvian drink made from pisco, a grape liquor. These folks have a sister restaurant over in San Pedro (  2283-3679).\n\nCalle 32, btw. avs. 1 and 3, 150m (11\u20442 blocks) north of the KFC on Paseo Col\u00f3n.   2222-7384. www.restaurantemachupicchu.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C5,550\u2013C10,560. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 11am\u201310pm, Sun 11am\u20136pm.\n\nInexpensive\n\nSoda Tapia   COSTA RICAN The food is unspectacular, but dependable and quite inexpensive at this very popular local diner. Seating is inside the brightly lit dining room, as well as on the sidewalk-style patio fronting the parking area. Dour but efficient waitstaff take the order you mark down on your combination menu\/bill. This is a great place for late-night eats or for before or after a visit to Parque La Sabana or the Museo de Arte Costarricense. These folks also have another site in a small strip mall in Santa Ana (  2203-7174).\n\nCalle 42 and Av. 2, across from the Museo de Arte Costarricense.   2222-6734. Sandwiches C1,800\u2013C3,850; main dishes C2,200\u2013C4,400. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Thurs 6am\u20131am; Fri\u2013Sat 24 hr.; Sun 6am\u201311:45pm.\n\nSan Pedro\/Los Yoses\n\nIn addition to the restaurants listed below, local and visiting vegetarians swear by the little Comida Para Sentir Restaurante Vegetariano San Pedro (  2224-1163), located 125m (11\u20444 blocks) north of the San Pedro Church. Despite the massive size and popularity of the nearby Il Pomodoro (  2224-0966), I prefer Pane E Vino (  2280-2869; www.paneevino.co.cr), an excellent pasta-and-pizza joint on the eastern edge of San Pedro, with other outlets around town, as well.\n\nFor Peruvian cuisine, try the branch of Machu Picchu (  2283-3679;) in San Pedro. Finally, if you're hankering for sushi, try Ichiban \u2605 (  2253-8012; www.ichibanrestaurante.com) in San Pedro, or Matsuri \u2605 (  2280-5522), a little farther east in Curridabat. Both of these sushi places have outlets on the west side of town as well. Finally, for good Middle-Eastern fare, I recommend Aya Sofya (  2224-5050), located in Los Yoses, 2 blocks north of Bagleman's.\n\nExpensive\n\nDonde Carlos \u2605\u2605 ARGENTINE\/STEAK Bold architectural touches abound in this stylish restaurant, yet the food is built primarily around simple, expertly grilled meats and fresh fish. You pass the wood-burning Argentine-style charcoal grill as you enter. I like the outdoor tables on the second-floor balcony when the weather permits. Most folks stick to the hearty steak options, but you can also order a wide range of sausages and offal meats, as well as fresh tuna. Don't pass on the apple pancake dessert\u2014it's delicious. All portions are huge, and this place has a good and reasonably priced wine list to boot.\n\n1 block north of the Fatima Church in Los Yoses.   2225-0819. www.dondecarlos.com. Main courses C11,000\u2013C14,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Thurs noon\u20133pm and 6:30\u201310:30pm; Fri noon\u20133pm and 6:30\u201311pm; Sat noon\u201311pm; Sun noon\u20137pm.\n\nModerate\n\nOlio \u2605   MEDITERRANEAN Exposed brick walls, dark wood wainscoting, and stained-glass lamps imbue this place with character and romance. The extensive tapas menu features traditional Spanish fare, as well as bruschetta, antipasti, and a Greek mezza plate. For a main dish, I recommend the chicken Vesuvio, which is marinated first in a balsamic vinegar reduction and finished with a creamy herb sauce; or the arrollado siciliano, which is a thin filet of steak rolled around spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese and topped with a pomodoro sauce. The midsize wine list features very reasonably priced wines from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Chile, Greece, and even Bulgaria. Nonsmokers be warned: The bar and dining areas here are often tightly packed and smoke-filled.\n\nBarrio California, 200m (2 blocks) north of Bagelman's.   2281-0541. Reservations recommended. Main courses $5\u2013$12. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon\u2013Wed noon\u201311pm; Thurs\u2013Fri noon\u2013midnight; Sat 6pm\u2013midnight.\n\nWhappin' \u2605 COSTA RICAN\/CARIBBEAN You don't have to go to Lim\u00f3n or Cahuita to get good home-cooked Caribbean food. In addition to rondon, a coconut milk\u2013based stew or soup (see \"That Run-down Feeling\"), you can also get the classic rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, as well as a range of fish and chicken dishes from the coastal region. I like the whole red snapper covered in a spicy sauce of saut\u00e9ed onions. A small bar is at the entrance and some simple tables are spread around the restaurant, with an alcove here and there. Everything is very simple, and prices are quite reasonable. After a dinner of fresh fish, with rice, beans, and patacones, the only letdown is that the beach is some 4 hours away.\n\nBarrio Escalante, 200m (2 blocks) east of El Farolito.   2283-1480. www.whapin.com. Main courses C4,900\u2013C11,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 11:30am\u20132:30pm and 6\u201310pm.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nMost visitors to Costa Rica try to get out of the city as fast as possible so they can spend more time on the beach or off in the rainforests. But San Jos\u00e9 has a few attractions to keep you busy. Some of the best and most modern museums in Central America are here, with a wealth of fascinating pre-Columbian artifacts. Standouts include the Museo de Jade Marco Fidel Trist\u00e1n (Jade Museum) and the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Costa Rican Art Museum), featuring a top-notch collection of Costa Rican art, and a beautiful, open-air sculpture garden.\n\nJust outside San Jos\u00e9 in the Central Valley are also several great things to see and do. With day trips out of the city, you can spend quite a few days in this region. See \"San Jos\u00e9 & Environs in 3 Days,\" in chapter , for additional touring ideas.\n\nOrganized Tours San Jos\u00e9 is so compact that you can easily visit all the major sights on your own. However, if you want to take a city tour, which will run you between $20 and $50, here are some companies you can use: Horizontes Travel \u2605\u2605, Calle 28 between avenidas 1 and 3 (  2222-2022; www.horizontes.com); Gray Line Tours, Avenida 7 between calles 6 and 8, with additional offices at the Hampton Inn and Best Western Iraz\u00fa (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com); and Swiss Travel Service (  2282-4898; www.swisstravelcr.com). These same companies also offer a complete range of day trips out of San Jos\u00e9 (see \"Side Trips from San Jos\u00e9,\" later in this chapter, as well as the \"What to See & Do\" sections of chapter ). Almost all of the major hotels have tour desks, and most of the smaller hotels will also help arrange tours and day trips.\n\nThe Top Attractions\n\nCatedral Metropolitano (Metropolitan Cathedral) \u2605 San Jos\u00e9's principal Catholic cathedral was built in 1871. Rather plain from the outside, the large neoclassical church features a pretty mix of stained glass works, tile floors, and assorted sculptures and bas-reliefs. It also boasts a wonderfully restored 19th-century pipe organ. A well-tended little garden surrounds the church and features a massive marble statue of Pope Juan Pablo II, with a woman and child, carved by celebrated Costa Rican sculptor Jorge Jim\u00e9nez Deredia. Deredia also has a work at the Vatican. The cathedral is just across from the downtown Parque Central (Central Park).\n\nAv. 2 and Calle Central.   2221-3820. Free admission. Mon\u2013Sat 6am\u20136pm; Sun 6am\u20139pm.\n\nCentro Nacional de Arte y Cultura (National Center of Art and Culture) \u2605 Occupying a full city block, this was once the National Liquor Factory (FANAL). Now it houses the offices of the Cultural Ministry, several performing-arts centers, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design. The latter has done an excellent job of promoting cutting-edge Costa Rican and Central American artists, while also featuring impressive traveling international exhibits, including large retrospectives by prominent Latin American and international art stars. If you're looking for modern dance, experimental theater, or a lecture on Costa Rican video, this is a good place to start. Allow around 2 hours to take in all the exhibits here.\n\nCalle 13, btw. avs. 3 and 5.   2255-3376 or 2221-2022. Free admission. Mon\u2013Fri 7am\u20133pm.\n\nMuseo de Arte Costarricense (Costa Rican Art Museum) \u2605\u2605 This small museum at the end of Paseo Col\u00f3n in Parque La Sabana was originally the country's principal airport terminal. Today it houses a collection of works in all media by Costa Rica's most celebrated artists. On display are some exceptionally beautiful pieces in a wide range of styles, demonstrating how Costa Rican artists have interpreted and imitated the major European movements over the years. In addition to the permanent collection of sculptures, paintings, and prints are rotating temporary exhibits. Be sure to visit the outdoor sculpture garden, which features works by Jos\u00e9 Sancho, Jorge Jim\u00e9nez Deredia, Max Jim\u00e9nez, Edgar Zu\u00f1iga, and Francisco Zu\u00f1iga. Moreover, the outdoor setting is lovely. You can easily spend an hour or two at this museum\u2014more if you take a stroll through the neighboring Parque La Sabana.\n\nCalle 42 and Paseo Col\u00f3n, Parque La Sabana Este.   2256-1281. www.musarco.go.cr. Free admission. Tues\u2013Sun 9am\u20134pm.\n\nA sculpture at Museo de Arte Costarricense.\n\nMuseo de Jade Marco Fidel Trist\u00e1n (Jade Museum) \u2605 Jade was the most valuable commodity among the pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central America, worth more than gold. Located on the first floor of the INS (National Insurance Company) building, this popular museum houses a huge collection of jade artifacts dating from 500 b.c. to a.d. 800. Most are large pendants that were parts of necklaces and are primarily human and animal figures. A fascinating display illustrates how the primitive peoples of this region carved this extremely hard stone.\n\nThe museum also possesses an extensive collection of pre-Columbian polychrome terra-cotta vases, bowls, and figurines. Some of these pieces are amazingly modern in design and exhibit a surprisingly advanced technique. Particularly fascinating is a vase that incorporates real human teeth, and a display that shows how jade was embedded in human teeth merely for decorative reasons. All of the explanations are in English and Spanish. Allot at least an hour to tour this museum.\n\nAv. 7, btw. calles 9 and 9B, INS Building.   2287-6034. Admission $8, free for children 11 and under. Mon\u2013Fri 8:30am\u20133:30pm; Sat 9am\u20131pm.\n\nArt displays at Museo de Jade Marco Fidel Trist\u00e1n.\n\nMuseo de Los Ni\u00f1os (Children's Museum)   If you're traveling with children, you'll definitely want to come here, and you might want to visit even if you aren't. A former barracks and then a prison, this museum houses an extensive collection of exhibits designed to edify and entertain children of all ages. Experience a simulated earthquake or make music by dancing across the floor. Many exhibits encourage hands-on play. The museum sometimes features limited shows of \"serious\" art and is also the home of the National Auditorium. You can spend anywhere from 1 to 4 hours here. Be careful, though: The museum is large and spread out; it's easy to lose track of a family member or friend.\n\nThis museum is a few blocks north of downtown, on Calle 4. It's within easy walking distance, but you might want to take a cab because you'll have to walk right through the worst part of the red-light district.\n\nCalle 4 and Av. 9.   2258-4929. www.museocr.org. Admission C1,100 adults, C800 students and children 17 and under. Daily 9am\u20135pm.\n\nMuseo Nacional de Costa Rica (National Museum) \u2605\u2605 Costa Rica's most important historical museum is housed in a former army barracks that was the scene of fighting during the civil war of 1948. As you approach the building, or walk around it, you can still see hundreds of bullet holes on the turrets at its corners. Inside this traditional Spanish-style courtyard building, you will find displays on Costa Rican history and culture from pre-Columbian times to the present. In the pre-Columbian rooms, you'll see a 2,500-year-old jade carving that is shaped like a seashell and etched with an image of a hand holding a small animal.\n\nMuseo Nacional de Costa Rica.\n\nAmong the most fascinating objects unearthed at Costa Rica's numerous archaeological sites are many metates, or grinding stones. This type of grinding stone is still in use today throughout Central America; however, the ones on display here are more ornately decorated and some are the size of a small bed and are believed to have been part of funeral rites. A separate vault houses the museum's collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry and figurines, while two adjoining homes have been restored to their 19th-century grandeur. The newest addition here is a massive butterfly garden, with over 25 species of butterflies, and exhibits of the insects fascinating life cycle. It takes about 2 hours to take in the lion's share of the collection here.\n\nCalle 17, btw. avs. Central and 2, on the Plaza de la Democracia.   2257-1433. www.museocostarica.go.cr Admission $8 adults, $4 students and children 11 and under. Tues\u2013Sat 8:30am\u20134:30pm. Sun 9am\u20134:30pm. Closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25, and Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.\n\nMuseos del Banco Central de Costa Rica (Gold Museum) \u2605\u2605 Located directly beneath the Plaza de la Cultura, this unusual underground museum houses one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian gold in the Americas. On display are more than 20,000 troy ounces of gold in more than 2,000 objects, spread over three floors. The sheer number of pieces can be overwhelming and seem redundant, but the unusual display cases and complex lighting systems show off every piece to its utmost. This complex also includes separate numismatic and philatelic museums (coins and stamps, for us regular folks), and a modest gift shop.\n\nCalle 5, btw. avs. Central and 2, underneath the Plaza de la Cultura.   2243-4202. www.museosdelbancocentral.org. Admission C5,500 adults, C3,500 students, free for children 11 and under. Daily 9am\u20134:30pm.\n\nA gold artifact at the Museos del Banco Central.\n\nParque Zool\u00f3gico Sim\u00f3n Bol\u00edvar   This zoo no longer suffers from the overwhelming sense of neglect and despair that once plagued it, though it's still pretty lackluster and depressing. Why spend time here when you could head out into the forests and jungles? You won't see the great concentrations of wildlife available in one stop here at the zoo, but you'll see the animals in their natural habitats, not yours. The zoo is really geared toward locals and school groups, with Asian, African, and Costa Rican animals. There's a children's discovery area, a snake-and-reptile house, and a gift shop. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.\n\nAv. 11 and Calle 7, in Barrio Am\u00f3n.   2256-0012. www.fundazoo.org. Admission C2,100 adults, C1,400 children 3\u201312, free for children 2 and under. Daily 9am\u20134:30pm.\n\nSpirogyra Butterfly Garden This butterfly garden is smaller and less elaborate than the Butterfly Farm, but it provides a good introduction to the life cycle of butterflies. It's also a calm and quiet oasis in a noisy and crowded city, quite close to downtown. Plan on a half-hour to several hours here, depending on whether they have lunch or refreshments at the small coffee shop and gallery. You'll be given a self-guided-tour booklet when you arrive, and an 18-minute video runs continuously throughout the day. Spirogyra is near El Pueblo, a short taxi ride from San Jos\u00e9's center.\n\n100m (1 block) east and 150m (11\u20442 blocks) south of El Pueblo Shopping Center.  \/fax 2222-2937. www.butterflygardencr.com. Admission $7 adults, $6 students and $5 children 11 and under. Daily 8am\u20134pm.\n\nA butterfly at the Spirogyra Butterfly Garden.\n\nOutdoor Activities & Spectator Sports\n\nDue to the chaos and pollution, you'll probably want to get out of the city before undertaking anything too strenuous. But if you want to brave the elements, there are a few outdoor activities in and around San Jos\u00e9. For information on horseback riding, hiking, and white-water rafting trips from San Jos\u00e9, see \"Side Trips from San Jos\u00e9,\" later in this chapter.\n\nParque La Sabana \u2605\u2605 (La Sabana Park, at the western end of Paseo Col\u00f3n), formerly San Jos\u00e9's international airport, is the city's center for active sports and recreation. Here you'll find everything from jogging trails, soccer fields, and a few public tennis courts to the impressive new National Stadium. Aside from events at the National Stadium, all the facilities are free and open to the public. On weekends, you'll usually find free, public aerobic, yoga or dancercise classes taking place. Families gather for picnics, people fly kites, pony rides are available for the kids, and there's even an outdoor sculpture garden. If you really want to experience the local culture, try getting into a pickup soccer game here. However, be careful in this park, especially at dusk or after dark, when it becomes a favorite haunt for youth gangs and muggers.\n\nBird-Watching Serious birders will certainly want to head out of San Jos\u00e9, but it is still possible to see quite a few species in the metropolitan area. Two of the best spots for urban bird-watching are the campus at the University of Costa Rica, in the eastern suburb of San Pedro, and Parque del Este \u2605, located a little farther east on the road to San Ram\u00f3n de Tres R\u00edos. You'll see a mix of urban species, and if you're lucky, you might spy a couple of hummingbirds or even a blue-crowned motmot. To get to the university campus, take any San Pedro bus from Avenida Central between calles 9 and 11. To get to Parque del Este, take the San Ram\u00f3n\/Parque del Este bus from Calle 9 between avenidas Central and 1.\n\nBullfighting Although I hesitate to call it a sport, Las Corridas a la Tica (Costa Rican bullfighting) is a popular and frequently comic stadium event. Instead of the blood-and-gore\/life-and-death confrontation of traditional bullfighting, Ticos just like to tease the bull. In a typical corrida (bullfight), anywhere from 50 to 150 toreadores improvisados (literally, \"improvised bullfighters\") stand in the ring waiting for the bull. What follows is a slapstick scramble to safety whenever the bull heads toward a crowd of bullfighters. The braver bullfighters try to slap the bull's backside as the beast chases down one of his buddies.\n\nYou can see a bullfight during the various Festejos Populares (City Fairs) around the country. The country's largest Festejos Populares are in Zapote, a suburb east of San Jos\u00e9, during Christmas week and the first week in January. Admission is C5,000 to C10,000. This is a purely seasonal activity and occurs in San Jos\u00e9 only during the Festejos. However, nearly every little town around the country has yearly festejos. These are spread out throughout the year. Ask at your hotel; if your timing's right, you might be able to take in one of these.\n\nA Costa Rican bullfight.\n\nHotel Spas & Workout Facilities Most of the city's higher-end hotels have some sort of pool and exercise facilities. You'll find the best of these at the Marriott Costa Rica Hotel and Crowne Plaza Corobic\u00ed. If you're looking for a good, serious workout, I recommend the Multispa \u2605 (  2231-5542; www.multispa.net), in the Tryp Corobic\u00ed. Even if you're not a guest at the hotel, you can use the facilities here and join in any class for $20 per day. Multispa has five other locations around the Central Valley.\n\nJogging Try Parque La Sabana, mentioned above, or head to Parque del Este, which is east of town in the foothills above San Pedro. Take the San Ram\u00f3n\/Parque del Este bus from Calle 9 between avenidas Central and 1. It's never a good idea to jog at night, on busy streets, or alone. Women should be particularly careful about jogging alone. And remember, Tico drivers are not accustomed to joggers on residential streets, so don't expect drivers to give you much berth.\n\nParque La Sabana.\n\nSoccer (F\u00fatbol) Ticos take their f\u00fatbol seriously. Costa Rican professional soccer is some of the best in Central America, and the national team, or Sele (selecci\u00f3n nacional), qualified for the World Cup in 2002 and 2006, although they failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The soccer season runs from September to June, with the finals over several weeks in late June and early July.\n\nFans at a f\u00fatbol match.\n\nThe main San Jos\u00e9 team is Saprissa (affectionately called El Monstruo, or \"The Monster\"). Saprissa's stadium is in Tib\u00e1s (  2240-4034; www.saprissa.co.cr; take any Tib\u00e1s bus from Calle 2 and Av. 5). Games are often held on Sunday at 11am, but occasionally they are scheduled for Saturday afternoon or Wednesday evening. Check the local newspapers for game times and locations.\n\nInternational and other important matches are held in the new National Stadium on the north eastern corner of Parque La Sabana.\n\nYou don't need to buy tickets in advance. Tickets generally run between C1,000 and C7,500. It's worth paying a little extra for sombra numerado (reserved seats in the shade). This will protect you from both the sun and the more rowdy aficionados. Costa Rican soccer fans take the sport seriously, and periodic violent incidents, both inside and outside the stadiums, have marred the sport here, so be careful. Other options include sombra (general admission in the shade), palco and palco numerado (general admission and reserved mezzanine), and sol general (general admission in full sun).\n\nSwimming If you aren't going to get to the beach anytime soon and your hotel doesn't have a pool, you can use the pool at the Multispa facility at the hotel Crowne Plaza Corobic\u00ed for $20.\n\n  joe to Go\n\nTwo words of advice: Buy coffee. Lots of it.\n\nCoffee is the best shopping deal in all of Costa Rica. Although the best Costa Rican coffee is allegedly shipped off to North American and European markets, it's hard to beat the coffee that's roasted right in front of you here. Best of all is the price: One pound of coffee sells for around $3 to $6. It makes a great gift and truly is a local product.\n\nCaf\u00e9 Britt is the big name in Costa Rican coffee. These folks have the largest export business in the country, and, although high-priced, their blends are very dependable. Caf\u00e9 Britt is widely available at gift shops around the country, and at the souvenir concessions at both international airports. My favorites, however, are the coffees roasted and packaged in Manuel Antonio and Monteverde, by Caf\u00e9 Milagro and Caf\u00e9 Monteverde, respectively. If you visit either of these places, definitely pick up their beans.\n\nIn general, the best place to buy coffee is in any supermarket. Why pay more at a gift or specialty shop? You can also try Caf\u00e9 Tr\u00e9bol, on Calle 8 between avenidas Central and 1 (on the western side of the Central Market;   2221-8363). It's open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 6:30pm and Sunday from 9am to 1pm.\n\nBe sure to ask for whole beans; Costa Rican grinds are often too fine for standard coffee filters. The store will pack beans for you in whatever size bag you want. If you buy prepackaged coffee in a supermarket in Costa Rica, the whole beans will be marked either grano (grain) or grano entero (whole bean). If you opt for ground varieties (molido), be sure the package is marked puro; otherwise, it will likely be mixed with a good amount of sugar, the way Ticos like it.\n\nOne good coffee-related gift to bring home is a coffee sock and stand. This is the most common mechanism for brewing coffee beans in Costa Rica. It consists of a simple circular stand, made out of wood or wire, which holds a sock. Put the ground beans in the sock, place a pot or cup below it, and pour boiling water through. You can find the socks and stands at most supermarkets and in the Mercado Central. In fancier crafts shops, you'll find them made out of ceramic. Depending on its construction, a stand will cost you between $1.50 and $15; socks run around 30\u00a2, so buy a few spares.\n\nShopping\n\nSerious shoppers will be disappointed in Costa Rica. Aside from coffee and oxcarts, there isn't much that's distinctly Costa Rican. To compensate for its own relative lack of goods, Costa Rica does a brisk business in selling crafts and clothes imported from Guatemala, Panama, and Ecuador.\n\nThe Shopping Scene San Jos\u00e9's central shopping corridor is bounded by avenidas 1 and 2, from about Calle 14 in the west to Calle 13 in the east. For several blocks west of the Plaza de la Cultura, Avenida Central is a pedestrian-only street mall where you'll find store after store of inexpensive clothes for men, women, and children. Depending on the mood of the police that day, you might find a lot of street vendors as well. Most shops in the downtown district are open Monday through Saturday from about 8am to 6pm. Some shops close for lunch, while others remain open (it's just the luck of the draw for shoppers). You'll be happy to find that the sales and import taxes have already been figured into the display price.\n\nMarkets Several markets are near downtown, but by far the largest is the Mercado Central \u2605, located between avenidas Central and 1 and calles 6 and 8.\n\nA daily street market is on the west side of the Plaza de la Democracia \u2605\u2605. Two long rows of outdoor stalls sell T-shirts, Guatemalan and Ecuadorian handicrafts and clothing, small ceramic ocarinas (a small musical wind instrument), and handmade jewelry. The atmosphere here is much more open than at the Mercado Central, which I find just a bit too claustrophobic. You might be able to bargain prices down a little bit, but bargaining is not a traditional part of the vendor culture here, so you'll have to work hard to save a few dollars.\n\nA vendor at the Plaza de la Democracia market.\n\nModern Malls With globalization and modernization taking hold in Costa Rica, much of the local shopping scene has shifted to large megamalls. Modern multilevel affairs with cineplexes, food courts, and international brand-name stores are becoming ubiquitous. The biggest and most modern of these malls include the Mall San Pedro, Multiplaza (one each in Escaz\u00fa and the eastern suburb of Zapote), and Terra Mall (on the outskirts of downtown on the road to Cartago). Although they lack the charm of small shops found around San Jos\u00e9, they are a reasonable option for one-stop shopping; most contain at least one or two local galleries and crafts shops, along with a large supermarket, which is always the best place to stock up on local coffee, hot sauces, liquors, and other nonperishable foodstuffs.\n\nShopping A to Z\n\nArt Galleries\n\nArte Latino This gallery carries original artwork in a variety of media, featuring predominantly Central American themes. Some of it is pretty gaudy, but this is generally a good place to find Nicaraguan and Costa Rican \"primitive\" paintings. El Pueblo Shopping Center, 15.   2258-7083.\n\nGaler\u00eda Jacobo Karpio This excellent gallery handles some of the more adventurous modern art to be found in Costa Rica. Karpio has a steady stable of prominent Mexican, Cuban, and Argentine artists, as well as some local talent. Av. 1, casa no. 1352, btw. calles 13 and 15. 50m (164 ft.) west of the Legislative Assembly.   2257-7963.\n\nGaler\u00eda Kandinsky Owned by the daughter of one of Costa Rica's most prominent modern painters, Rafa Fern\u00e1ndez, this small gallery usually has a good selection of high-end contemporary Costa Rican paintings, be it the house collection or a specific temporary exhibit. Centro Comercial Calle Real, San Pedro.   2234-0478.\n\nTEORetica \u2605\u2605 This small downtown gallery was founded by one of the more adventurous and internationally respected collectors and curators in Costa Rica, the late Virginia P\u00e9rez-Ratton. It's still one of the best galleries in the country, and you'll usually find very interesting and cutting-edge exhibitions here. Calle 7, btw. avs. 9 and 11.   2233-4881. www.teoretica.org.\n\nBooks\n\nLibrer\u00eda Internacional This is the closest Costa Rica has to a major book retailer. Most of the books here are in Spanish, but they do have a small-to-modest selection of English-language contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and natural history texts. Librer\u00eda Internacional has various outlets around San Jos\u00e9, including in most of the major modern malls. Av. Central, 3\u20444 block west of the Plaza de la Cultura.   2257-2563. www.libreriainternacional.com.\n\nSeventh Street Books \u2605\u2605 There's no better bookstore in San Jos\u00e9 for English-language books. They are especially strong in the realm of field guides and natural history books, publishing quite a few titles in this category themselves. But you can also find a range of fiction, coffee-table books, general guidebooks, and even good English-language and bilingual children's books. Calle 7, btw. avs. 1 and Central.   2256-8251.\n\nHandicrafts\n\nNotable exceptions to the city's generally meager crafts offerings include the fine wooden creations of Barry Biesanz \u2605\u2605 (  2289-4337; www.biesanz.com). His work is sold in many of the finer gift shops around and at his own shop, but beware: Biesanz's work is often imitated, so make sure that what you buy is the real deal (he generally burns his signature into the bottom of the piece). Lil Mena is a local artist who specializes in working with and painting on handmade papers and rough fibers. You'll find her work in a number of shops around San Jos\u00e9.\n\nCecilia \"Pefi\" Figueres \u2605\u2605 makes practical ceramic wares that are lively and fun. Look for her brightly colored abstract and figurative bowls, pitchers, coffee mugs, and more at some of the better gift shops around the city.\n\nBoutique Annemarie \u2605 Occupying two floors at the Hotel Don Carlos, this shop has an amazing array of wood products, leather goods, papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 figurines, paintings, books, cards, posters, and jewelry. You'll see most of this stuff at the other shops, but not in such quantities or in such a relaxed and pressure-free environment. At the Hotel Don Carlos, Calle 9, btw. avs. 7 and 9.   2233-5343.\n\nBoutique Kiosco \u2605\u2605   This place features a range of original and one-off pieces of functional, wearable, and practical pieces made by contemporary Costa Rican and regional artists and designers. While the offerings are regularly changing, you'll usually find a mix of jewelry, handbags, shoes, dolls, furniture, and knickknacks. Often the pieces are made with recycled or sustainable materials. Calle 7 and Av. 11, Barrio Am\u00f3n.   2258-1829. www.kioscosjo.com.\n\nGaler\u00eda Namu \u2605\u2605 Galeria Namu has some very high-quality arts and crafts, specializing in truly high-end indigenous works, including excellent Boruca and Huetar carved masks and \"primitive\" paintings. It also carries a good selection of more modern arts and craft pieces, including the ceramic work of Cecilia \"Pefi\" Figueres. This place organizes tours to visit various indigenous tribes and artisans as well. Av. 7, btw. calles 5 and 7.   2256-3412. www.galerianamu.com.\n\nGaler\u00eda Namu wares.\n\nLa Casona Just off Avenida Central, in the heart of downtown, La Casona is a 3-story warren of crafts and souvenir stalls. The various stalls sell similar craft and souvenir works imported from Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, and even China. On a rainy day, this is a great alternative to the outdoor market on the Plaza de la Democracia. Calle Central btw. avs. Central and 1.   2222-7999.\n\nMercado Central \u2605   Although this tight maze of stalls is primarily a food market, vendors also sell souvenirs, leather goods, musical instruments, and many other items. Be especially careful with your wallet, purse, and prominent jewelry, as skilled pickpockets frequent the area. All the streets surrounding the Mercado Central are jammed with produce vendors selling from small carts or loading and unloading trucks. It's always a hive of activity, with crowds of people jostling for space on the streets. Your best bet is to visit on Sunday or a weekday; Saturday is particularly busy. Btw. avs. Central and 1 and calles 6 and 8, San Jos\u00e9. No phone.\n\nA stall at the Mercado Central.\n\nJewelry\n\nStudio Metallo \u2605\u2605 The outgrowth of a jewelry-making school and studio, this shop has some excellent handcrafted jewelry made in a range of styles, using everything from 18-karat white and yellow gold and pure silver, to some less exotic and expensive alloys. Some works integrate gemstones, while many others focus on the metalwork. 61\u20442 blocks east of the Iglesia Santa Teresita, Barrio Escalante.   2281-3207. www.studiometallo.com.\n\nLeather Goods\n\nIn general, Costa Rican leather products are not of the highest grade or quality, and prices are not particularly low. Del R\u00edo (  2262-1415) is a local leather goods manufacturer, with stores in most of the city's modern malls. It also offers free hotel pickup and transfer to its factory outlet in Heredia.\n\nLiquor\n\nThe best prices I've seen for liquor are at the city's large supermarkets, such as M\u00e1s \u00d7 Menos. A M\u00e1s \u00d7 Menos store is on Paseo Col\u00f3n and Calle 26 and another is on Avenida Central at the east end of town, just below the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 After Dark\n\nCatering to a mix of tourists, college students, and just generally party-loving Ticos, San Jos\u00e9 has a host of options to meet the nocturnal needs of visitors and residents alike. You'll find plenty of interesting clubs and bars, a wide range of theaters, and some very lively discos and dance salons.\n\nTo find out what's going on in San Jos\u00e9 while you're in town, pick up the Tico Times (English) or La Naci\u00f3n (Spanish). The former is a good place to find out where local expatriates are hanging out; the latter's \"Viva\" and \"Tiempo Libre\" sections have extensive listings of discos, movie theaters, and live music.\n\nTip: Several very popular nightlife venues are located in the upscale suburbs of Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana, as well as in Heredia (a college town) and Alajuela. See \"The Central Valley\" chapter for more details on nightlife in these areas.\n\nThe Performing Arts\n\nTheater is very popular in Costa Rica, and downtown San Jos\u00e9 is studded with small theaters. However, tastes tend toward the burlesque, and the crowd pleasers are almost always simplistic sexual comedies. The National Theater Company (  2221-1273) is an exception, tackling works from Lope de Vega to Lorca to Mamet. Similarly, the small independent group Abya Yala (  2240-6071; www.teatro-abyayala.org) also puts on several cutting-edge avant-garde shows each year. Almost all of the theater offerings are in Spanish, although the Little Theater Group (  8858-1446; www.littletheatregroup.org), a long-standing amateur group, periodically stages works in English. Check the Tico Times to see if anything is running during your stay.\n\nCosta Rica has a strong modern-dance scene. Both the University of Costa Rica and the National University have modern-dance companies that perform regularly in various venues in San Jos\u00e9. In addition to the university-sponsored companies, a host of smaller independent companies are worth catching; check local papers for details.\n\nThe National Symphony Orchestra is respectable by regional standards, although its repertoire tends to be rather conservative. Symphony season runs March through November, with concerts roughly every other weekend at the Teatro Nacional, Avenida 2 between calles 3 and 5 (  2221-5341; www.teatronacional.go.cr), and the Auditorio Nacional (  2256-5876) at the Museo de Los Ni\u00f1os. Tickets cost between $3 and $30 and can be purchased at the box office.\n\nThe Teatro Nacional.\n\nVisiting artists stop in Costa Rica on a regular basis. Recent concerts have featured hard rockers Aerosmith, Metallica, and Green Day, teen idols the Jonas Brothers, Colombian sensation Shakira, and Spanish heartthrob Julio Iglesias. Many of these performances take place in San Jos\u00e9's two historic theaters, the Teatro Nacional and the Teatro Melico Salazar, Avenida 2 between calles Central and 2 (  2233-5424 or 2257-6005; www.teatromelico.go.cr), as well as at the Auditorio Nacional. Really large shows are held at soccer stadiums or natural amphitheaters.\n\nCosta Rica's cultural panorama changes drastically every November when the country hosts large arts festivals. In odd-numbered years, El Festival Nacional de las Artes reigns supreme, featuring purely local talent. In even-numbered years, the month-long fete is El Festival Internacional de las Artes, with a nightly smorgasbord of dance, theater, and music from around the world. Most nights of the festival offer between 4 and 10 shows. Many are free, and the most expensive ticket is usually around $5. For exact dates and details, you can contact the Ministry of Youth and Culture (  2221-2022; www.mcjdcr.go.cr), although information is in Spanish.\n\nThe Club, Music & Dance Scene\n\nYou'll find plenty of places to hit the dance floor in San Jos\u00e9. Salsa and merengue are the main beats that move people here, and many of the dance clubs, discos, and salons feature live music on the weekends. You'll find a pretty limited selection, though, if you're looking to catch some small-club jazz, rock, or blues.\n\nSalsa dancing at a San Jos\u00e9 club.\n\nThe daily \"Viva\" and Friday's \"Tiempo Libre\" sections of La Naci\u00f3n newspaper have weekly performance schedules. Some dance bands to watch for are Gaviota, Chocolate, Son de Tikizia, Taboga Band, and La Orquestra Son Mayor. While Ghandi, Akasha, El Parque, and Malpa\u00eds are popular local rock groups, Marfil is a good cover band, and the Blues Devils, Chepe Blues, and the Las Tortugas are outfits that play American-style hard driving rock and blues. If you're looking for jazz, check out Editus, El Sexteto de Jazz Latino, or pianist and Minister of Culture Manuel Obreg\u00f3n. For a taste of something eclectic, look for Santos y Zurdo, Son\u00e1mbulo Psicotr\u00f3pical, or Amarillo, Cyan y Magenta.\n\nMost of the places listed below charge a nominal cover charge; sometimes it includes a drink or two.\n\nCastro's \u2605 This is a classic Costa Rican dance club. The music varies throughout the night, from salsa and merengue to reggaeton and occasionally electronic trance. The rooms and various types of environments include some intimate and quiet corners, spread over a couple of floors. It's open daily from noon to anytime between 3 and 6am. Av. 13 and Calle 22, Barrio Mexico.   2256-8789.\n\nSalsa 54 This is the place to watch expert salsa dancers and to try some steps yourself. You can take Latin dance classes here, or you might learn something just by watching. This place is popular with Ticos, and tourists are a rare commodity here\u2014tourists who can really dance salsa, even more so. It's open on weekends 'til 4am. Calle 3, btw. avs. 1 and 3.   2233-3814.\n\nV\u00e9rtigo Tucked inside a nondescript office building and commercial center on Paseo Col\u00f3n, this club remains one of the more popular places for rave-style late-night dancing and partying. The dance floor is huge and the ceilings are high, and electronic music rules the roost. It's open Friday and Saturday 'til 6am. Edificio Col\u00f3n, Paseo Col\u00f3n.   2257-8424. www.vertigocr.com.\n\nThe Bar Scene\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 has something for every taste. Lounge lizards will be happy in most hotel bars downtown, while students and the young at heart will have no problem mixing in at the livelier spots around town. Sports fans have plenty of places to catch the most important games of the day, and a couple of brewpubs are drastically improving the quality and selection of the local suds.\n\nThe best part of the varied bar scene in San Jos\u00e9 is something called a boca, the equivalent of a tapa in Spain: a little dish of snacks that arrives at your table when you order a drink. Although this is a somewhat dying tradition, especially in the younger, hipper bars, you will still find bocas alive and well in the older, more traditional San Jos\u00e9 drinking establishments. In most, the bocas are free, but in some, where the dishes are more sophisticated, you'll have to pay for the treats. You'll find drinks reasonably priced, with beer costing around $2 to $3 a bottle, and mixed drinks costing $4 to $10.\n\nChelles This classic downtown bar and restaurant makes up for its lack of ambience with plenty of tradition and a diverse and colorful clientele. The lights are bright, the chairs surround simple Formica-topped card tables, and mirrors adorn most of the walls. Simple sandwiches and meals are served, and pretty good bocas come with the drinks. It's open daily, round-the-clock. Av. Central and Calle 9.   2221-1369.\n\nEl 13 \u2605 Little more than a hole-in-the-wall, this new spot has been packing in a wide ranging crowd of punks, bohos, artists, and assorted revelers. A humble cafe and sandwich shop during the day, it really gets going at night. Thursday through Saturday nights folks are literally hanging out the windows, and spread out onto the street. This place is proudly LGBT friendly. Av. 8, btw. calles 11 and 13.   2221-7228. <http:\/\/el13cafebar.com>.\n\nEl Cuartel de la Boca del Monte \u2605\u2605 This popular bar, one of San Jos\u00e9's best, began life as an artist-and-bohemian hangout, and has evolved into a massive melting pot, attracting everyone from the city's young and well-heeled, to foreign exchange students and visitors. Artists still come, too. Live music is usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, and when there is, the place is packed shoulder to shoulder. From Monday to Friday it's open for lunch and again in the evenings; on weekends it opens at 6pm. On most nights it's open 'til about 1am, although the revelry might continue 'til about 3am on Friday or Saturday. One corner has been separated into a more bohemian-style bar or pub called La Esquina. Av. 1, btw. calles 21 and 23 (50m\/1\u20442 block west of the Cine Magaly).   2221-0327. www.elcuartel.net.\n\nEl Observatorio \u2605\u2605   It's easy to miss the narrow entrance to this hot spot across from the Cine Magaly. Owned by a local filmmaker, its decor includes a heavy dose of cinema motifs. The space is large, with high ceilings, and one of the best (perhaps only) smoke extraction systems of any popular bar, making the place bearable, even though most of the clientele are chain-smoking. There's occasional live music and movie screenings and a decent menu of appetizers and main dishes drawn from various world cuisines. It's open 10:30am to 2pm and 6pm to 2am daily. Calle 23, btw. avs. Central and 1.   2223-0725. www.elobservatorio.tv.\n\nKey Largo \u2605 This meticulously restored downtown mansion is also one of San Jos\u00e9's top prostitute pickup bars. Housed in a beautiful old building just off Parque Moraz\u00e1n in the heart of downtown, Key Largo is worth a visit if only to take in the scene and admire the dark-stained carved wood ceilings. There are a couple of pool tables, usually a live band, and always working women\u2014however, this is still an acceptable place for visiting couples and those not actively shopping the wares. It's open 8pm to 2:30am daily. Calle 7, btw. avs. 1 and 3.   2257-7800.\n\nRayuela \u2605\u2605 Named after a classic Julio Cortazar novel, this small, dark, cozy bar oozes boho charm. Poets and folk singers often hold court, and a simple menu of drinks and light bites is offered. If this place is too mellow or artsy for you, their sister spot next door, El Lobo Estepario, is larger and has a livelier club feel, with dance music and regular concerts. Av. Central, btw calles 13 and 15.   8383-7098. <http:\/\/enrayuela.blogspot.com>.\n\nHanging Out in San Pedro\n\nThe funky 2-block stretch of San Pedro \u2605\u2605 just south of the University of Costa Rica has been dubbed La Calle de Amargura, or the \"Street of Bitterness,\" and it's the heart and soul of this eastern suburb and college town. Bars and cafes are mixed in with bookstores and copy shops. After dark the streets are packed with teens, punks, students, and professors barhopping and just hanging around. You can walk the strip until someplace strikes your fancy\u2014you don't need a travel guide to find Omar Khayyam (  2253-8455), Tavarua Surf & Skate Bar (  2225-7249), or Caccio's (  2224-3261), which lie at the heart of this district\u2014or you can try one of the places listed below. Note: La Calle de Amargura attracts a certain unsavory element. Use caution here. Try to visit with a group, and try not to carry large amounts of cash or wear flashy jewelry.\n\nYou can get here by heading out (east) on Avenida 2, and following the flow of traffic. You will first pass through the neighborhood of Los Yoses before you reach a large traffic circle with a big fountain in the center (La Fuente de la Hispanidad). The Mall San Pedro is located on this traffic circle. Heading straight through the circle, you'll come to the Church of San Pedro, about 4 blocks east of the circle. The church is the major landmark in San Pedro. You can also take a bus here from downtown.\n\nOne of the many bars on La Calle Amagura in San Pedro.\n\nJazz Caf\u00e9 \u2605 The Jazz Caf\u00e9 is consistently a great spot to find live music and one of the more happening spots in San Pedro. It remains one of my favorites, although low ceilings and poor air circulation make it almost unbearably smoky most nights. Wrought-iron chairs, sculpted busts of famous jazz artists, and creative lighting give the place ambience. There's live music here most nights. It's open daily 'til about 2am. There's a sister Jazz Caf\u00e9 Escaz\u00fa (  2288-4740) on the western end of town. Next to the Banco Popular on Av. Central.   2253-8933. www.jazzcafecostarica.com.\n\nTerra U Set on a busy corner in the heart of the university district, this two-story joint is one of the most popular bars in the area. Part of this is due to the inviting open-air street-front patio area, which provides a nice alternative to the all-too-common smoke-filled rooms found at most other trendy spots. It's open daily 'til 2am. 200m (2 blocks) east and 150m (11\u20442 blocks) north of the church in San Pedro.   2225-4261. www.terrau.com.\n\nThe Gay & Lesbian Scene\n\nBecause Costa Rica is such a conservative Catholic country, the gay and lesbian communities here are rather discreet. Homosexuality is not generally under attack, but many gay and lesbian organizations guard their privacy, and the club scene is changeable and not well publicized.\n\nThe most established and happening gay and lesbian bar and dance club in San Jos\u00e9 is La Avispa \u2605, Calle 1 between avenidas 8 and 10 (  2223-5343; www.laavispa.co.cr). It is popular with both men and women, although it sometimes sets aside certain nights for specific persuasions. There's also Club Oh \u2605 (  2221-9341), on Calle 2 between avenidas 14 and 16; Pucho's Bar (  2256-1147), on Calle 11 and Avenida 8; and El Bochinche (  2221-0500; www.bochinchesanjose.com), on Calle 11 between avenidas 10 and 12. For a more casual and mixed scene, check out El 13 (see above).\n\nCasinos\n\nGambling is legal in Costa Rica, with casinos at virtually every major hotel. However, as with Tico bullfighting, some idiosyncrasies are involved in gambling a la Tica.\n\nIf blackjack is your game, you'll want to play \"rummy.\" The rules are almost identical, except that the house doesn't pay 11\u20442 times on blackjack\u2014instead, it pays double on any three of a kind or three-card straight flush.\n\nIf you're looking for roulette, what you'll find here is a bingolike spinning cage of numbered balls. The betting is the same, but some of the glamour is lost.\n\nYou'll also find a version of five-card-draw poker, but the rule differences are so complex that I advise you to sit down and watch for a while and then ask questions before joining in. That's about all you'll find. There are no craps tables or baccarat.\n\nThere's some controversy over slot machines\u2014one-armed bandits are currently outlawed\u2014but you will be able to play electronic slots and poker games. Most casinos here are casual and small by international standards. You may have to dress up slightly at some of the fancier hotels, but most are accustomed to tropical vacation attire.\n\nSide Trips from San Jos\u00e9\n\nSan Jos\u00e9 makes an excellent base for exploring the beautiful Central Valley. For first-time visitors, the best way to make the most of these excursions is usually to take a guided tour, but if you rent a car, you'll have greater independence. Some day trips also can be done by public bus.\n\nTip: Virtually every attraction, tour, and activity described in \"The Central Valley\" chapter makes for an easy day trip out of San Jos\u00e9.\n\nGuided Tours & Adventures\n\nA number of companies offer a wide variety of primarily nature-related day tours out of San Jos\u00e9. The most reputable include Costa Rica Expeditions \u2605 (  2296-7757; www.crsuntours.com), Horizontes Tours \u2605\u2605 (  2222-2022; www.horizontes.com), and Swiss Travel Service (  2282-4898; www.swisstravelcr.com). Prices range from around $30 to $60 for a half-day trip, and from $70 to $150 for a full-day trip.\n\nBefore signing on for a tour of any sort, find out how many fellow travelers will be accompanying you, how much time will be spent in transit and eating lunch, and how much time will actually be spent doing the primary activity. I've had complaints about tours that were rushed, that spent too much time in a bus or on secondary activities, or that had a cattle-car, assembly-line feel to them. The tours below are arranged by type of activity. In addition to these, you'll find many other tours that combine two or three different activities or destinations.\n\nBungee Jumping There's nothing unique about bungee jumping in Costa Rica, but the site here is quite beautiful. If you've always had the bug, Tropical Bungee \u2605 (  2248-2212; www.bungee.co.cr) will let you jump off an 80m (262-ft.) bridge for $65; two jumps cost $95. Transportation is provided free from San Jos\u00e9 twice daily. Someone should be there from 9am to 3pm every day. They prefer for you to have a reservation, but if you show up on your own, they'll probably let you jump, unless huge groups are booked ahead of you. These folks also offer paragliding tours.\n\nCanopy Tours & Aerial Trams Getting up into the treetops is a big trend in Costa Rican tourism, and scores of such tours are around the country. You have several options relatively close to San Jos\u00e9.\n\nPerhaps the most popular canopy-style day trip destination from San Jos\u00e9 is the Rain Forest Aerial Tram Atlantic \u2605 (  866\/759-8726 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2257-5961 in Costa Rica; www.rainforesttram.com), built on a private reserve bordering Braulio Carrillo National Park. This pioneering tramway is the brainchild of rainforest researcher Dr. Donald Perry, whose cable-car system through the forest canopy at Rara Avis helped establish him as an early expert on rainforest canopies. On the 90-minute tram ride through the treetops, visitors have the chance to glimpse the complex web of life that makes these forests unique. Additional attractions include a butterfly garden, serpentarium, and frog collection. They also have their own zip-line canopy tour, and the grounds feature well-groomed trails through the rainforest and a restaurant\u2014with all this on offer, a trip here can easily take up a full day. If you want to spend the night, 10 simple but clean and comfortable bungalows cost $150 per person per day (double occupancy), including three meals, three guided tours, taxes, two tram rides, and unlimited use of the rest of the facilities.\n\nThe cost for a full-day tour, including both the aerial tram and canopy tour, all the park's other attractions, and transportation from San Jos\u00e9 and either breakfast or lunch, is $139. Alternatively, you can drive or take one of the frequent Gu\u00e1piles buses\u2014they leave every half-hour throughout the day and cost C1,140\u2014from the Caribbean bus terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11. Ask the driver to let you off in front of the telef\u00e9rico. If you're driving, head out on the Gu\u00e1piles Highway as if driving to the Caribbean coast. Watch for the tram's roadside welcome center\u2014it's hard to miss. For walk-ins, the entrance fee is $116; students and anyone under 18 pay $92. Because this is a popular tour for groups, I highly recommend that you get an advance reservation in the high season and, if possible, a ticket; otherwise you could wait a long time for your tram ride or even be shut out. The tram handles only about 80 passengers per hour, so scheduling is tight; the folks here try to schedule as much as possible in advance.\n\nFor a zip-line style tour, the folks at Original Canopy Tour \u2605 (  2291-4465; www.canopytour.com) have their Mahogany Park operation, located about 1 hour outside of San Jos\u00e9. The tour here features 9 platforms, and at the end you have the choice of taking a cable to a ground station or doing an 18m (60-ft.) rappel down to finish off. The tour takes about 2 hours and costs $45. Package tours with transportation from San Jos\u00e9 are also available.\n\nThe Rain Forest Aerial Tram Atlantic.\n\nDay Cruises Several companies offer cruises to lovely Tortuga Island in the Gulf of Nicoya. These full-day tours generally entail an early departure for the 11\u20442-hour chartered bus ride to Puntarenas, where you board your vessel for a 11\u20442-hour cruise to Tortuga Island. Then you get several hours on the uninhabited island, where you can swim, lie on the beach, play volleyball, or try a canopy tour, followed by the return journey.\n\nA cruise to Tortuga Island.\n\nThe original and most dependable company running these trips is Calypso Tours \u2605 (  2256-2727; www.calypsotours.com). The tour costs $119 per person and includes round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, a basic continental breakfast during the bus ride to the boat, all drinks on the cruise, and an excellent buffet lunch on the beach at the island. The Calypso Tours main vessel is a massive motor-powered catamaran. They also run a separate tour to a private nature reserve at Punta Coral \u2605. The beach is much nicer at Tortuga Island, but the tour to Punta Coral is more intimate, and the restaurant, hiking, and kayaking are all superior here. These folks provide daily pickups from San Jos\u00e9, Manuel Antonio, Jac\u00f3, and Monteverde, and you can use the day trip on the boat as your transfer or transportation option between any of these towns and destinations.\n\nHiking Most of the tour agencies listed above offer 1-day guided hikes to a variety of destinations. In general, I recommend taking guided hikes to really see and learn about the local flora and fauna.\n\nRafting, Kayaking & River Trips Cascading down Costa Rica's mountain ranges are dozens of tumultuous rivers, several of which are very popular for white-water rafting and kayaking. If I had to choose just one day trip out of San Jos\u00e9, it would be a white-water rafting trip. For between $75 and $120, you can spend a day rafting through lush tropical forests; multiday trips are also available. Some of the most reliable rafting companies are Costa Rica Nature Adventures \u2605 (  2222-6262; www.exploradoresoutdoors.com), and R\u00edos Tropicales \u2605\u2605 (  866\/722-8273 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2233-6455 in Costa Rica; www.riostropicales.com). These companies all ply a number of rivers of varying difficulties, including the popular Pacuare and Reventaz\u00f3n rivers. For details, see \"White-Water Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing,\" in chapter .\n\nRafting on the Pacuare River.\n\nVolcano Visits The Po\u00e1s, Iraz\u00fa (see chapter  for more details), and Arenal volcanoes are three of Costa Rica's most popular destinations, and the first two are easy day trips from San Jos\u00e9. Although numerous companies offer day trips to Arenal, I don't recommend them because travel time is at least 31\u20442 hours in each direction. You usually arrive when the volcano is hidden by clouds and leave before the night's darkness shows off its glowing eruptions. For more information on Arenal Volcano, see chapter .\n6\n\nThe Central Valley\n\nIraz\u00fa Volcano.\n\nKnown locally as La Meseta Central or El Valle Central, the long, thin, doglegging Central Valley is Costa Rica's most densely populated region. In addition to San Jos\u00e9, it is home to both Alajuela and Heredia, numerous smaller cities, suburbs and towns, and the country's principal international airport. Most visitors start and end their Costa Rican vacations in the Central Valley.\n\nThe hills, mountains, and volcanoes that ring the Central Valley are an agricultural wonderland, planted with a wide range of crops, most prominently coffee. These towns, cities, hillsides, and volcanoes are home to a wide range of compelling attractions, from volcanic national parks and La Paz Waterfall Gardens, to the country's premier natural history museum, INBio Park. And this is a perfect place to tour a working coffee farm. Although technically one valley over, the colonial-era capital city of Cartago is included in this chapter, because of its general geographic location and proximity to San Jos\u00e9. With its ornate and locally revered Basilica, earthquake-damaged Central Park ruins, and the lovely, neighboring Orosi Valley, this is an area well worth exploring.\n\n  The Central Valley's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nCasa Turire\n\nFinca Rosa Blanca\n\nHotel Bougainvillea\n\nXandari Resort & Spa\n\nEscaz\u00fa & Santa Ana\n\nEscaz\u00fa: 5.5km (3.4 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9; Santa Ana: 13km (8 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9\n\nLocated just west of San Jos\u00e9, these affluent suburbs have boomed in recent years, as the metropolitan area continues to grow and expand. Both Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana are popular with the Costa Rican professional class, as well as North American retirees and expatriates. Quite a few hotels have sprung up to cater to their needs. Both have large modern malls, endless little strip malls, and important business parks. It's easy to commute between Escaz\u00fa or Santa Ana and downtown San Jos\u00e9 via car, bus, or taxi. And the area is about the same distance from the airport as downtown San Jos\u00e9.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head west out of San Jos\u00e9 along Paseo Col\u00f3n. Turn left when you hit La Sabana Park, and turn right a few blocks later, at the start of the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway (CR27). You will see well-marked exits for both Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana along this highway.\n\nBy Bus: Escaz\u00fa- and Santa Ana\u2013bound buses leave from the Coca-Cola bus station, as well as from Avenida 1 between calles 24 and 28. Alternatively, you can pick up both the Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana buses from a busy bus stop at the start of the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway (CR27) on the southeast corner of the Parque La Sabana, next to the Gimnasio Nacional. Buses leave roughly every 5 to 10 minutes from 5am until 8pm, and less frequently during off hours. A bus costs between C255 and C300.\n\nBy Taxi: Taxi fare should run around $8 to $15, each way between San Jos\u00e9 and Escaz\u00fa, and another $10 to $15 or so between Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana.\n\nOrientation Both Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana are old farming towns that have been swallowed up by metro San Jos\u00e9's urban sprawl. Each has a small downtown core built around an old church, with ever expanding rings of residential and commercial development radiating off this core. Both also have numerous little satellite towns, such as San Antonio de Escaz\u00fa, San Rafael de Escaz\u00fa, and Pozos de Santa Ana.\n\nFast Facts You'll find banks, ATMs, and Internet cafes all over Escaz\u00fa and Santa Ana, especially in the many malls and shopping centers.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nEscaz\u00fa and Santa Ana have few traditional tourism attractions, but both offer easy access to the attractions and activities offered up in San Jos\u00e9 and elsewhere around the Central Valley.\n\nHowever, if you are in downtown Santa Ana, do take a few minutes to visit the town's main cathedral, a lovely old stone church, with thick wooden beams, colorful stained glass windows, and a red-clay tile roof.\n\n  Ox Cart Derby\n\nThis area's agricultural heritage shines each year on El D\u00eda del Boyero (Oxcart Drivers' Day), which is celebrated on the second Sunday of March. The small town of San Antonio de Escaz\u00fa is the center of the celebrations, with a street fair and a large collection of colorfully painted ox-drawn carts parading through the streets.\n\nAnd while most folks don't come to Costa Rica to see movies, if you do decide to go, head for the Nova Cinemas (  2299-7485; www.imax.costa.rica.cr) multiplex, with the country's only IMAX theater and several other VIP salas, in the Avenida Escaz\u00fa shopping complex.\n\nSanta Ana cathedral.\n\nGolf & Tennis Some of the best Central Valley facilities for visi-ting golfers and tennis players can be found at Parque Valle del Sol \u2605 (  2282-9222; www.vallesol.com), in Santa Ana. The 18-hole course here is open to the general public. Greens fees are $94 per golfer per day, including the cart and unlimited playing both on the course and driving range. The tennis courts here cost C3,500 per hour weekdays and C7,000 per hour weekends. Reservations are essential. The golf course at the Cariari Country Club is not open to the general public.\n\nHorseback Riding Options are nearly endless in the mountains and along the coasts, but it's more difficult to find a place to saddle up in the Central Valley. La Cara\u00f1a Riding Academy (  2282-6754; www.lacarana.com) and Centro Ecuestre Valle Yos Oy (  8301-4401) are both in Santa Ana, and offer riding classes as well as some guided trail rides.\n\nShopping\n\nOne of the country's best and largest megamalls, Multiplaza Escaz\u00fa, is located along the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway (CR27), just west of downtown Escaz\u00fa.\n\nBiesanz Woodworks \u2605\u2605 Biesanz makes a wide range of high-quality items, including bowls, jewelry boxes, humidors, and some wonderful sets of wooden chopsticks. Biesanz Woodworks is actively involved in local reforestation, too. Bello Horizonte, Escaz\u00fa.   2289-4337. www.biesanz.com. Call for directions and off-hour appointments.\n\nWoodwork by Barry Biesanz.\n\nGaler\u00eda 11\u201312 \u2605\u2605\u2605 This outstanding gallery deals mainly in high-end Costa Rican art, from neoclassical painters such as Teodorico Quir\u00f3s to modern masters such as Francisco Amighetti and Paco Zu\u00f1iga, to current stars such as Rafa Fern\u00e1ndez, Rodolfo Stanley, Fernando Carballo, and Fabio Herrera. Plaza Itzkatzu, off the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Hwy., Escaz\u00fa.   2288-1975. www.galeria11\u201312.com.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nVery Expensive\n\nReal InterContinental San Jos\u00e9 \u2605\u2605 This is a contemporary and luxurious large-scale business-class hotel, with three five-story wings. The large, open lobby has a beautiful flagstone-and-mosaic floor. The rooms are all well-appointed, with either a king-size or two double beds, a working desk, a sitting chair and ottoman, and a large armoire. The hotel is just across from a large, modern shopping-mall complex, which is nice if you want access to shopping, restaurants, and a six-plex movie theater. Overall, the InterContinental offers many of the same features and amenities as the Marriott, although the latter gets my nod in terms of service, restaurants, and ambience.\n\nAutopista Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez, across from the Multiplaza mall, Escaz\u00fa. www.intercontinentalcostarica.com   2208-2100. Fax 2208-2101. 372 units. $250\u2013$350 double; $750 and up suite. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; lounge; concierge; good-size health club and spa; Jacuzzi; large free-form outdoor pool; room service; smoke-free rooms; outdoor tennis court. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nExpensive\n\nThe Beacon Escaz\u00fa \u2605 (www.mybeaconescazu.com;   866\/978-6168 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2228-3110) is a luxurious boutique hotel in downtown Escaz\u00fa, just a block from the town's central park. The restaurant and wine bar here are both excellent.\n\nAlta Hotel \u2605\u2605 This boutique hotel is infused with old-world charm. Curves and high arches abound. My favorite touch is the winding interior alleyway that snakes down from the reception through the hotel. Most of the rooms here have great views of the Central Valley from private balconies; the others have pleasant garden patios. The rooms are all up to modern resort standards, although some have slightly cramped bathrooms. The suites are considerably larger, each with a separate sitting room with its own television, as well as large Jacuzzi-style tubs in spacious bathrooms. If you opt to rent the entire upper floor, the penthouse becomes a three-bedroom extravaganza, with a massive living room and open-air rooftop patio. The hotel's La Luz restaurant is one of the more elegant and crea-tive dining spots in the Central Valley.\n\nAlto de las Palomas, old road to Santa Ana. www.thealtahotel.com.   888\/388-2582 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2282-4160. Fax 2282-4162. 23 units. $155 double; $179 junior suite; $230 master suite; $600 penthouse. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; concierge; small exercise room; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, the Courtyard San Jos\u00e9 (www.marriott.com;   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2208-3000), Residence Inn San Jos\u00e9 Escaz\u00fa  (www.marriott.com;   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2588-4300), and Quality Hotel Santa Ana (www.choicehotels.com;   877\/424-6423 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2204-6700) are all modern business-class hotels a few miles from each other, right on the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway.\n\nCasa de las T\u00edas   This old Victorian-style home is comfortable and brimming with local character. The rooms are homey and simply decorated in a sort of Costa Rican country motif. The hotel has a wonderful covered veranda for sitting and admiring the well-tended gardens, as well as a TV room and common areas inside the house. The owners live on-site and are extremely helpful and friendly\u2014you really get the sense of staying in someone's home here. Though it's on a quiet side street, Casa de las T\u00edas is nonetheless just a block away from a busy section of Escaz\u00fa, where you'll find scores of restaurants and shops, and easy access to public transportation. The hotel is 100m (1 block) south and 150m (11\u20442 blocks) east of El Cruce de San Rafael de Escaz\u00fa.\n\nSan Rafael de Escaz\u00fa. www.hotels.co.cr\/casatias.html.   2289-5517. Fax 2289-7353. 5 units. $90 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. In room: Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nPosada Nena Housed in a converted home on a residential side street just a couple of blocks from Santa Ana's central square and church, this hotel offers spacious, comfortable rooms. The decor leans heavily on Southwest American artwork and design touches, combined with Guatemalan textiles and locally made heavy wooden furniture. My favorite rooms are the upstairs units. Rooms nos. 3 and 4 even have skylights in their bathrooms. A midsize outdoor pool, which is good for lap swimming, takes up much of the backyard, but there's also a shady lounge area out back as well. Also known as Casa Alegre, this place is under new ownership, but still a well-run ship.\n\nSanta Ana. www.posadanena.com.   2203-7467. Fax 2282-0590. 8 units. $50 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Outdoor pool. In room: TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nThese two suburbs have the most vibrant restaurant scenes in San Jos\u00e9. In addition to the places listed below, Plaza Espa\u00f1a \u2605 (  2228-1850) is a romantic little Spanish restaurant in an ancient adobe home in the hills of San Antonio de Escaz\u00fa, while Cerruti \u2605 (  2228-3126; www.ilpanino.net), an upscale sandwich shop and cafe, located in the Centro Comercial El Paco. Time Out Tavern \u2605 (  2588-2622) is a well-done sports bar, with good food, a friendly vibe, and a dozen or so hi-def televisions showing sporting events. You'll find this place on the \"Country Club\" road, just north of downtown Escaz\u00fa. Come prepared; they don't accept credit cards. For good Indian fare, try Taj Mahal (  2228-0980; www.thetajmahalrestaurant.com).\n\nA good one-stop option to consider is the Plaza Itskatz\u00fa shopping center, just off the highway and sharing a parking lot with the Courtyard San Jos\u00e9. The wide variety of moderately priced restaurant options includes Tutti Li (  2588-2405), a good Italian restaurant and pizzeria; Chancay (  2588-2327; www.chancay.info), which serves Peruvian and Peruvian\/Chinese cuisine; Samurai Fusion (  2588-2240), a fine sushi and teppanyaki joint; Las Tapas de Manuel \u2605 (  2288-5700; www.lastapasdemanuel.com), a Spanish-style tapas restaurant; and franchise outlets of both Hooters (  2588-2241; www.hooters.co.cr) and Outback Steakhouse (  2288-0511).\n\nOver in Santa Ana, the stretch of road heading from the CR27 highway ramp north toward San Antonio de Bel\u00e9n features a steady line of strip malls with tons of excellent restaurants. Some of the top choices here include the sushi spot Matsuri \u2605 (Centro Comercial Via Lindora;   2282-3242); and the U.S.-style sports bar Brad's Grille (Centro Comercial Momentum;   2582-0724).\n\nExpensive\n\nBacchus \u2605\u2605   ITALIAN My favorite Italian restaurant in the San Jos\u00e9 metropolitan area is housed in a century-old historic home. This place somehow seamlessly blends the old with the new in an elegant atmosphere. The best tables are on the covered back patio, where you can watch the open kitchen and wood-burning pizza oven in action. The regularly changing menu features a range of antipasti, pastas, pizzas, and main dishes. Everything is perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. The desserts are also excellent, and the wine list is extensive and fairly priced.\n\nDowntown Santa Ana.   2282-5441. www.bacchus.cr. Reservations required. Main courses C4,000\u2013C14,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Thurs 5\u201311pm; Fri\u2013Sat 11am\u20133pm and 5\u201311pm; Sun 11am\u201311pm.\n\nLa Cava Grill \u2605 COSTA RICAN\/STEAK This place is a cozy and warm spot underneath the popular yet overrated Le Monest\u00e8re restaurant. While the decor is much less ornate, the service much less formal, and the menu much less French, the view is just as spectacular. Grab a window seat on a clear night and enjoy the sparkle of the lights below. The menu features a range of simply prepared meat, poultry, and fish. More adventurous diners can try the tepezquintle (a large rodent, also called a paca), which is actually quite tasty. The attached bar has live music and a festive party most weekend nights. My big complaint here is that the wine list is borrowed from the upstairs restaurant, and is pretentious and overpriced.\n\n1.5km (1 mile) south of Centro Comercial Paco; follow the signs to Le Monest\u00e8re.   2228-8515. Reservations recommended. Main courses C7,000\u2013C40,000. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 6:30pm\u20131:30am.\n\n  Dining Under the stars\n\nOne of my favorite unique Costa Rica experiences is dining on the side of a volcano with the lights of San Jos\u00e9 shimmering below. These hanging restaurants, called miradores, are a resourceful response to the city's topography. Because San Jos\u00e9 is set in a broad valley surrounded on all sides by volcanic mountains, people who live in these mountainous areas have no place to go but up\u2014so they do, building roadside cafes vertically up the sides of the volcanoes.\n\nThe food at most of these establishments is not spectacular, but the views often are, particularly at night, when the wide valley sparkles in a wash of lights. The town of Aserri, 10km (61\u20444 miles) south of downtown San Jos\u00e9, is the king of miradores, and Mirador Ram Luna (  2230-3060) is the king of Aserri. Grab a window seat and, if you've got the fortitude, order a plate of chicharrones (fried pork rinds). There's often live music. You can hire a cab for around $12 or take the Aserri bus at Avenida 6 between calles Central and 2. Just ask the driver where to get off.\n\nMiradores are also in the hills above Escaz\u00fa and in San Ram\u00f3n de Tres R\u00edos and Heredia. The most popular is Le Monest\u00e8re (  2228-8515; www.monastere-restaurant.com; closed Sun), an elegant converted church serving somewhat overrated French and Belgian cuisine in a spectacular setting above the hills of Escaz\u00fa. I recommend coming here just for the less formal La Cava Grill \u2605, which often features live music, mostly folk-pop but sometimes jazz. I also like Mirador Tiquicia \u2605 (  2289-5839; www.miradortiquicia.com), which occupies several rooms in a sprawling old Costa Rican home and has live folkloric dance shows on Thursday. This latter place offers a free shuttle Tuesday through Friday, which you can reserve, at least 1 day in advance, at   8381-3141 or tiquicia.shuttle.service@gmail.com.\n\nA mirador outside San Jos\u00e9.\n\nModerate\n\nBarbecue Los Anonos COSTA RICAN\/STEAK Good steaks and well-prepared Costa Rican cuisine have made this homey restaurant something of an institution. Most of the seating is at rustic wooden tables covered with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and long booths set under the shelter of low interior red-tile roofs. Aged Angus beef is served, and this is the place to come if you're craving a 16-ounce T-bone on the west side of town. There are also a host of chicken, pork, and fish options; I recommend the mixed-grill plate for two, which comes with a little bit of everything.\n\n600m (6 blocks) west of the Los Anonos bridge in San Rafael de Escaz\u00fa, next to the Sarretto Market.   2228-0180. Reservations recommended. Main courses C6,900\u2013C19,000. AE, MC, V. Tues\u2013Sat noon\u20133pm; Tues\u2013Thurs 6\u201310pm; Fri\u2013Sat 6\u201311pm; Sun 11:30am\u20139pm.\n\nProduct-C \u2605\u2605\u2605 SEAFOOD Founded by the former head chef at Nectar, this place has morphed from a simple fish and seafood outlet, into a fabulous little restaurant. A daily white-board menu features a half-dozen or so creative preparations of the freshest daily catch. These folks have also set up their own oyster farms and serve the only fresh, local oysters I've found in Costa Rica. They even have outposts in Malpa\u00eds, and over in the Avenida Escaz\u00fa complex along the Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Highway.\n\nSanta Ana, just north of the Red Cross (Cruz Roja).   2282-7767. www.product-c.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C4,500\u2013C14,000. AE, MC, V. Tues\u2013Sat 10:30am\u201310pm; Sun 10:30am\u20134pm.\n\nEscaz\u00fa & Santa Ana After Dark\n\nEscaz\u00fa has a host of popular bars and clubs. These are especially popu\u00adlar with the Central Valley's well-heeled urban youth. In addition to the place listed below, Henry's Beach Club \u2605 (  2289-6250; on the Guachipelin road in Escaz\u00fa) has an upbeat casual vibe; Mi Sala (Centro Comercial Paco;   2289-4389; www.mi-sala.com) is a chic lounge frequented by the city's hoity-toit; and the Jazz Caf\u00e9 Escaz\u00fa \u2605\u2605 (Pr\u00f3spero Fern\u00e1ndez Hwy.;   2288-4740) is a top spot for live music.\n\nGaira \u2605\u2605 This massive club is chic and contemporary, with a large open dance space, two floors of seating, impressive lighting and design effects, and a creative drink and food menu. Next to the Ferreteria EPA, Escaz\u00fa.   2288-1530. Wed\u2013Sat 6pm\u20132am. www.clubgaira.com.\n\nMusicians at Jazz Caf\u00e9 Escaz\u00fa.\n\nAlajuela, Po\u00e1s \u2605\u2605 & the Airport Area\n\nAirport: 15km (9.3 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; Alajuela: 18.5km (11.5 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; Po\u00e1s Volcano: 37km (23 miles) northwest of San Jos\u00e9\n\nMost folks visiting Costa Rica land at the Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport in Alajuela. The downtown area of Costa Rica's second largest city is just a mile or so north of the airport. The city itself is of little interest to most tourists, although it is the gateway to the Po\u00e1s Volcano, and several other of the Central Valley's top attractions.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head northwest out of San Jos\u00e9 on the Interamerican Highway (CR1).\n\nBy Bus: There are two separate lines: Tuasa (  2442-6900) buses are red; Station Wagon (  8388-9263) buses are beige\/yellow) making the run between San Jos\u00e9 and Alajuela. Buses leave roughly every 10 minutes between 5am and 11pm, and less frequently in off hours. The fare is C450.\n\nBy Train: A commuter train runs between downtown San Jos\u00e9 and Heredia. This train runs roughly every 15 minutes between 5:30 and 8:30am, and again between 4:30 and 7:30pm, with much less frequent service during non-commuter hours. Fares range from C200 to C400, depending on the length of your ride.\n\nOrientation Downtown Alajuela is a tight jumble of one-way streets, often choked to a standstill with gridlock traffic. Most folks will be heading up into the hills from downtown. The best way to find the route out of town is usually to follow signs for the Po\u00e1s Volcano, or some other well-known attraction.\n\nFast Facts You'll find banks, ATMs, and Internet cafes all over Alajuela, especially in the central downtown area, and nearby malls and shopping centers. The Hospital San Rafael de Alajuela (  2436-1001) is large, modern, and well-equipped. If you need a taxi, call COOTAXA (  2443-3030) or Taxi Radio Liga (  2441-1212).\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nAlajuela's main church, the Catedral de Alajuela (Alajuela Cathedral;   2441-4665) is a large, relatively ornate Catholic church, with a striking white-washed exterior, beautiful ceiling frescos, and a gold-leaf painted interior dome. The cathedral, which fronts the city's central park, received a major renovation in 2010. Mass is held Monday to Friday at 9am and 5pm; Saturday at 9am and 7pm, and Sunday at 9 and 11am, and 5 and 7pm.\n\nCatedral de Alajuela.\n\nThe Museo Historico Cultural Juan Santamar\u00eda, Avenida 3 between calles Central and 2 (  2441-4775; www.museojuansantamaria.go.cr), isn't worth a trip of its own, but you may want to stop here before or after a trip to another nearby attraction. The museum commemorates Costa Rica's national hero, Juan Santamar\u00eda, who gave his life defending the country against a small army led by William Walker, a U.S. citizen who invaded Costa Rica in 1856, attempting to set up a slave state. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm; admission is free.\n\nNearby Attractions\n\nButterfly Farm \u2605 At any given time, you might see around 30 of the 80 species of butterflies raised at this butterfly farm south of Alajuela. The butterflies live in a large enclosed garden similar to an aviary and flutter about the heads of visitors during tours of the gardens. You should be certain to spot glittering blue morphos and a large butterfly that mimics the eyes of an owl. Admission includes a 2-hour guided tour. In the demonstration room, you'll see butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and pupae. There are cocoons trimmed in a shimmering gold color and cocoons that mimic a snake's head to frighten away predators. The last guided tour of the day begins at 3pm.\n\nIf you reserve in advance, the Butterfly Farm has three daily bus tours that run from many major San Jos\u00e9 hotels. The cost, including round-trip transportation and admission to the garden, is $40 for adults, $35 for students, and $25 for children 5 to 12. Buses pick up passengers at more than 20 different hotels in the San Jos\u00e9 area.\n\nIn front of Los Reyes Country Club, La Gu\u00e1cima de Alajuela.   2438-0400. www.butterflyfarm.co.cr. Admission $19 adults, $15 students, $13 children 4\u201312, free for children 3 and under. Daily 8:45am\u20135pm.\n\nDoka Estate This large and long-standing coffee estate in Alajuela offers up a tour that takes you from \"seed to cup.\" Along the way, you'll get a full rundown of the processes involved in the growing, harvesting, curing, packing, and brewing of their award-winning coffee. Allow about 21\u20442 hours.\n\nSabanilla de Alajuela.   2449-5152. www.dokaestate.com. Admission $18 adults, $12 students with valid ID, $10 children 6\u201311; children 5 and under free. Packages including transportation and breakfast or lunch available. Daily 9, 10, and 11am; 1:30 and 2:30pm. Reservations required.\n\nLa Paz Waterfall Gardens \u2605\u2605   The original attraction here consists of a series of trails through primary and secondary forests alongside La Paz River, with lookouts over a series of powerful falls, including the namesake La Paz Fall. In addition to an orchid garden and a hummingbird garden, you must visit their huge butterfly garden, which is easily the largest in Costa Rica. A small serpentarium, featuring a mix of venomous and nonvenomous native snakes, several terrariums containing various frogs and lizards, and a section of wild cats and local monkey species in large enclosures are added attractions. While the admission fee is a little steep, everything is wonderfully done and the trails and waterfalls are beautiful. A buffet lunch at the large cafeteria-style restaurant costs an extra $12 for adults, or $6 for kids. This is a good stop after a morning visit to the Po\u00e1s Volcano. Plan to spend 2 to 4 hours here. The hotel rooms (Peace Lodge) are some of the nicest in the country.\n\n6km (33\u20444 miles) north of Varablanca on the road to San Miguel.   2482-2100. www.waterfallgardens.com. Admission $35 adults, $22 children ages 3\u201312; children 2 and under free admission. Daily 8am\u20135pm. There is no bus service here, so you will need to come in a rental car or taxi, or arrange transport with the gardens.\n\nLa Paz Waterfall Gardens.\n\nPo\u00e1s Volcano \u2605\u2605 From San Jos\u00e9, narrow roads wind through a landscape of fertile farms and dark forests to this active volcano. A paved road leads right to the top, although you'll have to hike in about 1km (1\u20442 mile) to reach the crater. The volcano stands 2,640m (8,659 ft.) tall and is located within a national park, which preserves not only the volcano but also dense stands of virgin forest. Po\u00e1s's crater, said to be the second largest in the world, is more than a mile across. Geysers in the crater sometimes spew steam and muddy water 180m (590 ft.) into the air, making this the largest geyser in the world.\n\nThe information center shows a slideshow about the volcano, and well-groomed and marked hiking trails through the cloud forest ring the crater. About 15 minutes from the parking area, along a forest trail, is an overlook onto beautiful Botos Lake, which has formed in one of the volcano's extinct craters.\n\nPo\u00e1s Volcano.\n\nBe prepared when you come to Po\u00e1s: This volcano is often enveloped in dense clouds. If you want to see the crater, it's best to come early and during the dry season. Moreover, it can get cool up here, especially when the sun isn't shining, so dress appropriately.\n\nPo\u00e1s de Alajuela. 37km (23 miles) from San Jos\u00e9.   2482-2165. Admission $10. Daily 8:30am\u20133:30pm.\n\n  DIY: Po\u00e1s Volcano\n\nIf you don't have a rental car and don't want to sign on for an organized tour, a daily bus (  2442-6900 or 2222-5325) from Avenida 2 between calles 12 and 14 leaves for the volcano at 8:30am and returns at 2pm. The fare is around C3,000 round-trip. The bus is often crowded, so arrive early. If you're driving, head for Alajuela and continue on the main road through town and follow signs for Fraijanes. Just beyond Fraijanes you will connect with the road between San Pedro de Po\u00e1s and Poasito; turn right toward Poasito and continue to the rim of the volcano.\n\nZoo Ave. \u2605 Dozens of scarlet macaws, reclusive owls, majestic raptors, several different species of toucans, and a host of brilliantly colored birds from Costa Rica and around the world make this one exciting place to visit. In total, over 115 species of birds are on display, including some 80 native species. Bird-watching enthusiasts will be able to get a closer look at birds they might have seen in the wild. Other species on view include iguana, deer, tapir, ocelot, puma, and monkeys\u2014and look out for the 3.6m (12-ft.) crocodile. Zoo Ave. houses only injured, donated, or confiscated animals. It takes about 2 hours to walk the paths and visit all the exhibits.\n\nLa Garita, Alajuela.   2433-8989. Admission $15, $13 students with valid ID. Daily 9am\u20135pm. Catch a bus to Alajuela on Av. 2 btw. calles 12 and 14. In Alajuela, transfer to a bus to Atenas and get off at Zoo Ave. before you get to La Garita. Fare is 60\u00a2.\n\nWhere to Stay in & around Alajuela\n\nOf the following hotels, the Doubletree Cariari By Hilton, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express, Marriott Costa Rica Hotel, and Pura Vida Hotel are the closest to the airport.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nPeace Lodge \u2605\u2605   Part of the popular La Paz Waterfall Gardens, the rooms here are some of the most impressive in the country. All are quite large and feature sparkling wood floors, handcrafted four-poster beds, stone fireplaces, intricately sculpted steel light fixtures, and a host of other creative details\u2014along with a private balcony fitted with a mosaic-tiled Jacuzzi. The deluxe bathrooms come with a second oversize Jacuzzi set under a skylight in the middle of an immense room that features a full interior wall planted with ferns, orchids, and bromeliads and fed by a functioning waterfall system. Guests here have full access to all the tours and attractions of La Paz Waterfall Gardens during normal operating hours and beyond.\n\n6km (33\u20444 miles) north of Varablanca on the road to San Miguel. www.waterfallgardens.com.   954\/727-3997 in the U.S., or 2482-2720 or 2482-2100 in Costa Rica. 17 units. $295\u2013$465 double; $415 villa. Rates include entrance to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor pools. In room: TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nXandari Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605 Set on a hilltop just above the city of Alajuela, Xandari commands wonderful views of the surrounding coffee farms and the Central Valley below. The owners are artists, and their original works and innovative design touches abound. The villas are huge private affairs with high-curved ceilings, stained-glass windows, living rooms with rattan sofas and chairs, as well as small kitchenettes. All come with both an outdoor patio with a view and a private covered palapa, as well as a smaller interior terrace with chaise lounges. The adjacent \"spa village\" features a series of private thatch-roofed treatment rooms; a wide range of fitness classes is offered, too. The hotel grounds contain several miles of trails that pass by jungle waterfalls, lush gardens, and fruit orchards. Some of the land has been set aside as a permanent nature reserve, and they are reforesting other areas that were formerly dedicated to agriculture.\n\nAlajuela. www.xandari.com.   866\/363-3212 in the U.S., or 2443-2020. Fax 2442-4847. 23 villas. $255\u2013$510 villa for 2. Rates include continental breakfast. $25 for extra person; children 3 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; several Jacuzzis; 2 lap pools; full-service spa. In room: Minibar.\n\nExpensive\n\nDoubletree Cariari By Hilton \u2605\u2605   With its stone walls, open-air lobby, and lush garden plantings, the Cariari has a warm tropical feel. The rooms, which are done in subdued tones, have either one king-size bed or two double beds, although I find most of the bathrooms a bit small. The suites are similarly appointed, but are more spacious and have larger bathrooms. Families can take advantage of the dependable babysitting, children's menus, and easy access to the modern mall nearby.\n\nAutopista General Ca\u00f1as, Ciudad Cariari, San Jos\u00e9. www.cariarisanjose.doubletree.com.   800\/222-8733 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2239-0022. Fax 2239-0285. 222 units. $119\u2013$199 double; $169\u2013$279 suite; $300\u2013$500 presidential suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; lounge; casino; babysitting; concierge; small exercise room; large outdoor pool w\/swim-up bar; room service; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nHampton Inn & Suites If familiarity, comfort, and proximity to the airport are important to you, then the Hampton Inn is a good bet. The rooms are what you'd expect from a well-known chain. The hotel has both standard rooms and suites. Breakfast is served, but no other dining options are on-site; a Denny's and a separate Costa Rican fast-food chicken joint are just across the parking lot, as is a large swank casino, with a popular bar. This is a good choice if your plane arrives very late or leaves very early and you don't plan to spend any time in San Jos\u00e9. Free local calls, high-speed Internet access in all rooms, and Wi-Fi in public areas are perks that will appeal to business travelers and vacationers alike.\n\nAutopista General Ca\u00f1as, by the airport, San Jos\u00e9. www.hamptoninncostarica.com.   800\/426-7866 in the U.S., or 2436-0000. Fax 2442-2781. 100 units. $147\u2013$189 double; $172\u2013$202 suite. Rates include buffet breakfast and airport shuttle. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Free airport transfers; babysitting; small exercise room; small outdoor pool; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge (in suites), hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nMarriott Costa Rica Hotel \u2605\u2605\u2605 For my money, the Marriott remains the best large luxury resort hotel in the San Jos\u00e9 metropolitan area. The hotel is designed in a mixed colonial style, with hand-painted Mexican tiles, antique red-clay roof tiles, and heavy wooden doors, lintels, and trim. The centerpiece is a large interior patio that somewhat replicates Old Havana's Plaza de Armas. All rooms are plush and well-appointed, with either a king-size or two double beds, a working desk, plenty of closet space, and a small \"Juliet\" balcony. The bathrooms are up to par but seem slightly small for this price. The casual Antigua restaurant serves well-prepared Costa Rican and international dishes, and there's a more upscale Spanish restaurant and tapas bar. The large lobby-level bar features daily piano music and weekend jazz nights, with both indoor and patio seating.\n\nSan Antonio de Bel\u00e9n. www.marriott.com.   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2298-0844 in Costa Rica. Fax 2298-0011. 290 units. $189\u2013$221 double; $244\u2013$267 executive level; $450 master suite; $750 presidential suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Valet parking. Amenities: 3 restaurants; bar; lounge; airport transfers; babysitting; concierge; golf driving range; small but well-appointed health club; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor pools; room service; sauna; 2 tennis courts; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nMarriott Costa Rica Hotel.\n\nVista del Valle Plantation Inn \u2605\u2605   Individual and duplex villas are spread around the grounds here, which command an impressive view over the R\u00edo Grande and its steep-walled canyon. The architecture has a strong Japanese influence, from the open and airy villas to the comfortable wraparound decks. My favorite rooms are the Mona Lisa and Ilan-Ilan suites, set on the edge of the bluff with great views and private outdoor showers. The grounds are wonderfully landscaped, with several inviting seating areas among a wealth of flowering tropical plants. The restaurant has stunning views and features a regularly changing menu of fine international cuisine prepared with local ingredients. The hotel is 20 minutes north of the Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport, and staying here can cut as much as an hour off your travel time if you're heading to the Pacific coast beaches, Arenal Volcano, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest.\n\nRosario de Naranjo, Alajuela. www.vistadelvalle.com.   2450-0800.  \/fax 2451-1165. 10 units. $160\u2013$175 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor tile pool w\/interesting fountain\/waterfall; room service; Wi-Fi. In room: Kitchenette (in some), minibar.\n\nModerate\n\nPura Vida Hotel (www.puravidahotel.com;   2441-1157) is a popular Alajuela inn that's also convenient to the airport. Finally, the Holiday Inn Express (www.hiexpress.com;   2443-0043) is another good U.S.-chain hotel located right beside the Hampton Inn, just across from the airport.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the restaurant reviewed below, the restaurants at Xandari Resort & Spa, Marriott Costa Rica Hotel, and Vista del Valle Plantation Inn are all excellent.\n\nJalape\u00f1os Central \u2605 MEXICAN\/TEX MEX This cozy and homey downtown spot serves well-prepared burritos, enchiladas, chalupas, nachos, and other typical Mexican and Tex-Mex specialties. You can also get burgers, fries, and onion rings. Daily lunch specials are an excellent bargain. Vegetarians will also find a few good choices on the menu here.\n\n1\u20442 block south of the Post Office, downtown Alajuela.   2430-4027. MC, V. Main courses C3,000\u2013C10,000. Mon\u2013Sat 11:30am\u20139pm.\n\nHeredia\n\n8.8km (5.5 miles) north of San Jos\u00e9\n\nSet on the flanks of the impressive Barva Volcano, this city was founded in 1706. Heredia is affectionately known as \"The City of Flowers.\" Of all the cities in the Central Valley, Heredia has the most colonial feel to it\u2014you'll still see adobe buildings with Spanish tile roofs along narrow streets. Heredia is also the site of the National University, and you'll find some nice coffee shops and bookstores near the school.\n\nSurrounding Heredia is an intricate maze of picturesque villages and towns, including Santa B\u00e1rbara, Santo Domingo, Barva, and San Joaqu\u00edn de Flores. The hills and fields surrounding these towns contain some of the best and most fertile coffee plantations in Costa Rica.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: The road to Heredia turns north off the Interamerican Highway (CR1) between San Jos\u00e9 and the airport.\n\nBy Bus: Buses (  2233-8392) leave for Heredia every 5 minutes between 5am and 11pm from Calle 1 between avenidas 7 and 9, or from Avenida 2 between calles 12 and 14. Bus fare is C310.\n\nOrientation Coming from San Jos\u00e9, the most common route passes first through Santo Domingo de Heredia, although another popular route leads into downtown Heredia from San Joaqu\u00edn de los Flores. The Universidad Nacional Autonoma (National Autonomous University) sits on the eastern edge of the city.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nThe colonial Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepci\u00f3n \u2605 (Church of the Immaculate Conception;   2237-0779), inaugurated in 1763, stands guard over Heredia's central park\u2014the stone facade leaves no questions as to the age of the church. The altar inside is decorated with neon stars and a crescent moon surrounding a statue of the Virgin Mary.\n\nIn the middle of the palm-shaded central park is a large gazebo, known as El Templo de la Musica (The Music Temple). Live music is frequently performed here. Across the street, beside several red tile-roofed municipal buildings, is El Fortin, the tower of an old Spanish fort.\n\nAnyone with an interest in medicinal herbs should plan a visit to the Ark Herb Farm \u2605 (  8922-7599 or 2269-4847; www.arkherbfarm.com). These folks offer guided tours of their gardens, which feature more than 300 types of medicinal plants. The tour costs $12 per person, and includes a light snack and refreshments. Reservations are required. While on the road to Barva, you'll find the small Museo de Cultura Popular (  2260-1619; www.museo.una.ac.cr), which is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm; admission is C1,000.\n\nTop Attractions\n\nCaf\u00e9 Britt Farm \u2605 Although bananas are the main export of Costa Rica, most people are far more interested in the country's second-most-important export crop: coffee. Caf\u00e9 Britt is one of the leading brands here, and the company has put together an interesting tour and stage production at its farm, which is 20 minutes outside of San Jos\u00e9. Here, you'll see how coffee is grown. You'll also visit the roasting and processing plant to learn how a coffee \"cherry\" is turned into a delicious roasted bean. Tasting sessions are offered for visitors to experience the different qualities of coffee. There are also a restaurant and a store where you can buy coffee and coffee-related gift items. The entire tour, including transportation, takes about 3 to 4 hours. Allow some extra time and an additional $10 for a visit to their nearby working plantation and mill. You can even strap on a basket and go out coffee picking during harvest time.\n\nNorth of Heredia on the road to Barva.   2277-1600. www.coffeetour.com. Admission $20 adults, $16 children 6\u201311; $37 adults and $33 children, including transportation from downtown San Jos\u00e9 and a coffee drink. Add $15 for a full buffet lunch. Tour daily at 11am (an additional tour at 3pm during high season). Store and restaurant daily 8am\u20135pm year-round.\n\nA coffee tree at Caf\u00e9 Britt.\n\nFinca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation Tour \u2605\u2605 This gorgeous boutique hotel in Heredia also has its own organic coffee plantation, with some 16 hectares (40 acres) of shade-grown Arabica under cultivation. The hotel offers up daily coffee tours led by a very knowledgeable guide. I recommend combining the coffee tour with lunch at the open-air restaurant here; sitting under the shady gazebos, you'll enjoy a wonderful view of the Central Valley along with some fine healthy dining. The good in-house spa offers several treatments featuring homemade, coffee-based products.\n\nSanta B\u00e1rbara de Heredia.   2269-9392. www.fincarosablanca.com. Admission $25 adults; children 11 and under free. Reservations required.\n\nINBio Park \u2605\u2605   Run by the National Biodiversity Institute (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, or INBio), this place is part museum, part educational center, and part nature park. In addition to watching a 15-minute informational video, visitors can tour two large pavilions explaining Costa Rica's biodiversity and natural wonders, and hike on trails that re-create the ecosystems of a tropical rainforest, dry forest, and premontane forest. A 2-hour guided hike is included in the entrance fee, and self-guided-tour booklets are also available. There's a good-size butterfly garden, as well as a Plexiglas viewing window into the small lagoon. One of my favorite attractions is the series of wonderful animal sculptures donated by one of Costa Rica's premiere artists, Jos\u00e9 Sancho. A simple cafeteria-style restaurant is here for lunch, as well as a coffee shop and gift shop. You can easily spend 2 to 3 hours here.\n\nINBio Park.\n\n400m (4 blocks) north and 250m (21\u20442 blocks) west of the Shell station in Santo Domingo de Heredia.   2507-8107. www.inbio.ac.cr Admission $23 adults, $13 children 12 and under. Tues\u2013Fri 8:30am\u20135pm (admission closes at 3pm), Sat\u2013Sun 9am\u20135pm. INBio Park offers packages that include transportation, entrance, and lunch for $44.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nWhile I don't recommend any hotels right in the city center, the small towns and agricultural villages surrounding Heredia are home to one of the country's finest boutique inns. In addition to the places listed below, you might want to check out the lovely little B&B the Casa de Flores Hotel and Villa (www.casadefloreshotel.com;   2560-4982), high in the hills above Heredia, near the Barva Volcano.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nFinca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn \u2605\u2605\u2605   Finca Rosa Blanca is an eclectic architectural gem set amid the lush, green hillsides of a coffee plantation. A turret tops the main building, and walls of glass, arched windows, and curves instead of corners are at almost every turn. Throughout, the glow of polished hardwood blends with white stucco walls and brightly painted murals. If breathtaking bathrooms are your idea of luxury, consider splurging on the Rosa Blanca suite, which has a stone waterfall that cascades into a tub in front of a huge picture window, and a spiral staircase that leads to the top of the turret. All of the suites and villas have the same sense of eclectic luxury, with beautiful tile work, fabulous views, and creative design touches. The restaurant and spa here are top-notch, and the owners have a real and noticeable dedication to sustainable practices. The hotel has 14 hectares (35 acres) of organic coffee under cultivation, and their in-house coffee tour is not to be missed.\n\nSanta B\u00e1rbara de Heredia. www.fincarosablanca.com.   2269-9392. Fax 2269-9555. 13 units. $295\u2013$520 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; babysitting; concierge; small free-form pool set in the hillside; room service; full-service spa; all rooms smoke-free. In room: Minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nFinca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn.\n\nExpensive\n\nHotel Bougainvillea \u2605 The Hotel Bougainvillea is an excellent choice\u2014a great value if you're looking for a hotel in a quiet residential neighborhood not far from downtown. It offers most of the amenities of the more expensive resort hotels around the Central Valley, but it charges considerably less. Rooms are carpeted and have small triangular balconies oriented to the wonderful views across the valley. The hillside property's gardens are beautifully designed and well tended, with pretty-good bird-watching. The hotel has an extensive recycling program and is working hard to implement sustainable tourism practices.\n\nIn Santo Tom\u00e1s de Santo Domingo de Heredia, 100m (1 block) west of the Escuela de Santo Tom\u00e1s, San Jos\u00e9. www.hb.co.cr   2244-1414. Fax 2244-1313. 82 units. $133 double; $147\u2013$166 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; gym; midsize pool in attractive garden; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms; 2 lighted tennis courts. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nThe restaurant at Finca Rosa Blanca is superb. It's also worth making the winding drive to San Pedro de Barva de Heredia, to stop in at La Lluna de Valencia \u2605\u2605 (  2269-6665; www.lallunadevalencia.com), a delightful rustic Spanish restaurant with amazing paella, delicious sangria, and a very colorful and amiable host.\n\nHeredia After Dark\n\nHome to the National Autonomous University, the center of Heredia is chock-full of bars and clubs frequented by college kids. Of these, Bulevar (  2237-1832), Fresas (  2262-5555), and La Choza (  2237-1553), all right near each other on Avenida Central, are the best. Down along the Interamerican Highway, in San Joaqu\u00edn de los Flores, Club 212 (  2265-1079) is a massive dance club with regular contemporary DJs, heavy beats, and occasional live acts.\n\nGrecia, Sarch\u00ed & Zarcero\n\nAll of these towns are northwest of San Jos\u00e9 and can be combined into a long day trip (if you have a car), perhaps in conjunction with a visit to Po\u00e1s Volcano and\/or the Waterfall Gardens. The scenery here is rich and verdant, and the small towns and scattered farming communities are truly representative of Costa Rica's agricultural heartland and campesino tradition. This is a great area to explore on your own in a rental car, if you don't mind getting lost a bit (roads are narrow, winding, and poorly marked). If you're relying on buses, you'll be able to visit any of the towns listed below, but probably just one or two per day.\n\nIf you're heading out to this area and want some adventure mixed in, you might consider taking a leap with the folks at Tropical Bungee, which is just off the Interamerican Highway, a little bit beyond the Grecia exit.\n\nGrecia\n\n9km (12 miles) NW of Alajuela; 37 km (23 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9\n\nThe picturesque little town of Grecia is noteworthy for its unusual metal church, which is painted a deep red with white gingerbread trim, and is just off the town's central park. About 1km (1\u20442 mile) outside of Grecia, on the old road to Alajuela, you will find the World of Snakes (  2494-3700; www.theworldofsnakes.com). Open daily from 8am to 4pm, this serpentarium has more than 150 snakes representing more than 45 species. Admission, which includes a guided tour, is $11 for adults, and $6 for children 7 to 14.\n\nGetting There: By Car: Grecia is located just off the Interamerican Highway (CR1), on the way from San Jos\u00e9 to Puntarenas.\n\nBy Bus: Tuan (  2258-2004) buses leave San Jos\u00e9 every half-hour for Grecia from Calle 18 between avenidas 3 and 5 (on the east side of the Abonos Agros building). The fare is C610.\n\nGrecia's church.\n\nSarch\u00ed \u2605\n\n7km (4 miles) NW of Grecia; 44km (27 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9\n\nSarch\u00ed is Costa Rica's main artisan town. The colorfully painted miniature oxcarts that you see all over the country are made here. Oxcarts such as these were once used to haul coffee beans to market. Today, although you might occasionally see oxcarts in use, most are purely decorative. However, they remain a well-known symbol of Costa Rica. In addition to miniature oxcarts, many carved wooden souvenirs are made here with rare hardwoods from the nation's forests. The town has dozens of shops, and all have similar prices. Perhaps your best one-stop shop in Sarch\u00ed is the large and long-standing Chaverri Oxcart Factory \u2605 (  2454-4411; www.sarchicostarica.net), which is right in the center of things, but it never hurts to shop around and visit several of the stores.\n\nClose-up of an oxcart.\n\nBuilt between 1950 and 1958, the town's main church \u2605 is painted pink with aquamarine trim and looks strangely like a child's birthday cake. It's definitely worth a quick visit.\n\nWhile Sarch\u00ed itself has no noteworthy accommodations, the plush El Silencio Lodge & Spa is about a 35-minute drive away in a beautiful mountain setting.\n\nAn oxcart factory in Sarch\u00ed.\n\nGetting There By Car: If you're going to Sarch\u00ed from San Jos\u00e9, take the Inter-american Highway (CR1) north, and take the exit for Grecia. From Grecia, the road to Sarch\u00ed heads off to the left as you face the main church, but due to all the one-way streets, you'll have to drive around the church. Rural roads connect Sarch\u00ed to Naranjo, San Ram\u00f3n and Zarcero.\n\nBy Bus: Tuan (  2258-2004) buses leave San Jos\u00e9 about three times throughout the day for Sarch\u00ed from Calle 18 between avenidas 3 and 5. The fare is C895. Alternatively, you can take any Grecia bus from this same station. In Grecia, they connect with the Alajuela-Sarch\u00ed buses, leaving every 30 minutes from Calle 8 between avenidas Central and 1 in Alajuela.\n\nElse Kientzler Botanical Garden \u2605\u2605   Located on the grounds of an ornamental flower farm, on the outskirts of the tourist town Sarch\u00ed, these are extensive, impressive, and lovingly laid out botanical gardens. Over 2.5km (1.5 miles) of trails run through a collection of more than 2,000 species of flora. All of the plants are labeled with their Latin names, with some further explanations around the grounds in both English and Spanish. There's a topiary labyrinth, as well as a variety of lookouts, gazebos, and shady benches on the grounds. A children's play area features some water games, jungle gym setups, and a child-friendly little zip-line canopy tour. Over 40% of the gardens are wheelchair accessible.\n\nSarch\u00ed, Alajuela.   2454-2070. www.elsegarden.com. Admission C6,300 adults, C2,900 students with valid ID and children 5\u201312. A guided tour costs an extra C14,500 per guide per hour, for a group of up to 15 persons. Advance reservations are necessary for guided tours. Daily 8am\u20134pm. About 6 blocks north of the central football (soccer) stadium in the town of Sarch\u00ed.\n\nElse Kientzler Botanical Garden.\n\nZarcero\n\n60km (38 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9\n\nBeyond Sarch\u00ed, on picturesque roads lined with cedar trees, is the town of Zarcero. In a small park in the middle of town is a menagerie of sculpted shrubs that includes a monkey on a motorcycle, people and animals dancing, an ox pulling a cart, a man wearing a top hat, and a large elephant. Behind all the topiary is a wonderful rural church. It's not really worth the drive just to see this park, but it's a good idea to take a break in Zarcero to walk the gardens, on the way to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano.\n\nGetting There By Car: Zarcero is located along the popular route from San Jos\u00e9 to La Fortuna. Take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north to Naranjo, and follow signs to Ciudad Quesada and Zarcero.\n\nBy Bus: Daily buses (  2255-0567) for Zarcero leave from San Jos\u00e9 hourly from the Atl\u00e1ntico del Norte bus station at Avenida 9 and Calle 12. This is actually the Ciudad Quesada\u2013San Carlos bus. Just tell the driver that you want to get off in Zarcero, and keep an eye out for the topiary. The ride takes around 11\u20442 hours, and the fare is around C875.\n\nThe topiary gardens in Zarcero.\n\nCartago \u2605\n\n24km (15 miles) SE of San Jos\u00e9\n\nCartago is the original capital of Costa Rica. Founded in 1563, it was Costa Rica's first city\u2014and was, in fact, the only city for almost 150 years. Iraz\u00fa Volcano rises up from the edge of town, and although it's quiet these days, it has not always been so peaceful. Earthquakes have damaged Cartago repeatedly over the years, so today few of the old colonial buildings are left standing. In the center of the city, a public park winds through the ruins of a large church that was destroyed in 1910 before it could be finished.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head east out of San Jos\u00e9 on Avenida 2, toward the suburbs of Los Yoses and San Pedro, continuing on through Curridabat. As you exit Curridabat, you will see signs to Cartago, putting you on the Interamerican Highway (CR2) to Cartago. This section of the highway is also known locally as the Florencio del Castillo Highway.\n\nBy Bus: Lumaca buses (  2537-0347) for Cartago leave San Jos\u00e9 every 3 to 5 minutes between 4:30am and 9pm, with slightly less frequent service until midnight, from Calle 3 and Avenida 2. You can also pick up one en route at any of the little covered bus stops along Avenida Central in Los Yoses and San Pedro. The length of the trip is 45 minutes; the fare is about 70\u00a2.\n\n  La Negrita\n\nLegend has it that Juana Pereira stumbled upon the statue of La Negrita sitting atop a rock, while gathering wood. Juana took it home, but the next morning it was gone. She went back to the rock, and there it was again. This was repeated three times, until Juana took her find to a local priest. The priest took the statue to his church for safekeeping, but the next morning it was gone, only to be found sitting upon the same rock later that day. The priest eventually decided that the strange occurrences were a sign that the Virgin wanted a temple or shrine built to her upon the spot. And so work was begun on what would eventually become today's impressive basilica.\n\nMiraculous healing powers have been attributed to La Negrita, and, over the years, a parade of pilgrims has come to the shrine seeking cures for their illnesses and difficulties. August 2 is her patron saint's day. Each year, on this date, tens of thousands of Costa Ricans and foreign pilgrims walk to Cartago from San Jos\u00e9 and elsewhere in the country in devotion to this powerful statue.\n\nOrientation The main route into town from the highway, Avenida 2, enters downtown Cartago from the west and leads right to the center of town, and the central park and ruins. The Basilica is 6 blocks farther east, near where you pick up the road out to Paraiso and the Orosi Valley.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nCartago is a quiet city, with little going on or of interest to tourists, aside from the Basilica. If you spend time in the city, head to the Parque Central (central park), also known as Las Ruinas (The Ruins) \u2605. This is the site of the city's ill-fated original cathedral. Begun in 1575, the church was devastated by a series of earthquakes. Despite several attempts, construction was abandoned after the massive 1910 quake, and today the stone and mortar ruins sit at the heart of a neatly manicured park, with quiet paths and plenty of benches. The ruins themselves are closed off, but the park itself is lovely.\n\nLas Ruinas.\n\nYou might also want to stop in at the Museo Municipal de Cartago (Cartago Municipal Museum;   2591-1050), on Avenida 6 between calles 2 and 4. Housed in a former, and wonderfully restored military barracks, the museum houses a series of local historical displays, as well as a range of changing exhibits, including those featuring local artists. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm and Sunday till 3pm. Admission is free.\n\nWith no real reason to stay in Cartago, and no hotels right in the city that I recommend highly, if you're looking to stay in the area, I recommend picking a hotel in the Orosi Valley or Turrialba region. Cartago (and the Orosi Valley) also makes a good stop along the way to visit one of the quetzal-viewing lodges in the Dota and Cerro de la Muerte region.\n\nCartago Basilica.\n\nBas\u00edlica de Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de los Angeles \u2605\u2605\u2605 Dedicated to the patron saint of Costa Rica, the impressive Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels anchors the east side of the city. Within the walls of this Byzantine-style church is a shrine containing the tiny carved figure of La Negrita, the Black Virgin, which is nearly lost amid its ornate altar. The walls of the shrine are covered with a fascinating array of tiny silver images left in thanks for cures affected by La Negrita. Amid the plethora of diminutive silver arms and legs, are also hands, feet, hearts, lungs, kidneys, eyes, torsos, breasts, and\u2014peculiarly\u2014guns, trucks, beds, and planes. Outside the church, vendors sell a wide selection of these trinkets, as well as little candle replicas of La Negrita.\n\nCalle 16, btw. avs. 2 and 4.   2551-0465. Free admission. Daily 6:30am\u20135pm.\n\n  DIY: Iraz\u00fa Volcano\n\nIf you don't have a rental car and don't want to sign on for an organized tour, buses leave San Jos\u00e9 for Iraz\u00fa Volcano daily at 8am from Avenida 2 between calles 1 and 3 (across the street from the entrance to the Gran Hotel Costa Rica). The fare is C3,820 round-trip, with the bus leaving the volcano at 12:30pm. This company is particularly fickle; to make sure that the buses are running, call   2530-1064, although that might not help much, since they often don't answer their phone, and speak only Spanish.\n\nAttractions around Cartago\n\nIraz\u00fa Volcano \u2605\u2605 The 3,378m (11,080-ft.) Iraz\u00fa Volcano is historically one of Costa Rica's more active volcanoes, although it's relatively quiet these days. It last erupted on March 19, 1963, the day that President John F. Kennedy arrived in Costa Rica. The landscape here is often compared to that of the moon. A good paved road leads right to the rim of the crater, where a desolate expanse of gray sand nurtures few plants and the air smells of sulfur. The drive up from Cartago has magnificent views of the fertile Meseta Central and Orosi Valley, and if you're very lucky, you might be able to see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Clouds usually descend by noon, so get here as early in the day as possible. Dress in layers; this might be the Tropics, but it can be cold up at the top if the sun's not out.\n\nIraz\u00fa Volcano.\n\nA short trail leads to the rim of the volcano's two craters, their walls a maze of eroded gullies feeding onto the flat floor far below. A 2km (1.25-mile) trail loops around the rim of the Playa Hermosa Crater. The visitor center up here has information on the volcano and natural history. The park restaurant, at an elevation of 3,022m (9,912 ft.), with walls of windows looking out over the valley far below, claims to be the highest restaurant in Central America.\n\nIraz\u00fa de Cartago, 52km (32 miles) east of San Jos\u00e9.   2200-5615. Admission $10. Daily 8am\u20134pm.\n\nLankester Gardens \u2605\u2605 Costa Rica has more than 1,400 varieties of orchids, and almost 800 species are cultivated and on display at this botanical garden in Cartago province. Created in the 1940s by English naturalist Charles Lankester, the gardens are now administered by the University of Costa Rica. The primary goal is to preserve the local flora, with an emphasis on orchids and bromeliads. Paved, well-marked trails meander from open, sunny gardens into shady forests. In each environment different species of orchids are in bloom. There's an information center and a gift shop. Plan to spend between 1 and 3 hours here if you're interested in flowers and gardening; you could run through it more quickly if you're not. You can easily combine a visit here with a tour at Cartago and\/or the Orosi Valley and Iraz\u00fa Volcano.\n\n1km (1\u20442 mile) east of Cartago, on the road to Para\u00edso de Cartago.   2511-7939. www.jbl.ucr.ac.cr Admission $7.50 adults, $5 children 6\u201316. Daily 8:30am\u20134:30pm. Take the Cartago bus from San Jos\u00e9, and then the Para\u00edso bus from a stop 1 block south and 3\u20444 block west of the Catholic church ruins in Cartago (ride takes 30\u201340 min.).\n\nThe Orosi Valley \u2605\u2605\n\nThe Orosi Valley, southeast of Cartago, is generally considered one of the most beautiful valleys in Costa Rica. The Reventaz\u00f3n River meanders through this steep-sided valley until it collects in the lake formed by the Cach\u00ed Dam. A well-paved road winds a near-perfect loop around the lake, allowing for easy access to all of the attractions listed below. Scenic overlooks are near the town of Orosi, at the head of the valley, and in Ujarr\u00e1s, on the banks of the lake.\n\nA panorama of Orosi Valley.\n\nGetting There & Departing If you're driving, take the road to Para\u00edso from Cartago, head toward Ujarr\u00e1s, continue around the lake, and then pass through Cach\u00ed and on to Orosi. From Orosi, the road leads back to Para\u00edso. It is difficult to explore this whole area by public bus because this is not a densely populated region and connections are often infrequent or unreliable. However, regular buses run from Cartago to the town of Orosi. These buses run roughly every half-hour and leave the main bus terminal in Cartago. The trip takes 30 minutes, and the fare is 60\u00a2.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nNear Ujarr\u00e1s are the ruins of Costa Rica's oldest church, which was built in 1693. Little remains beyond the worn brick and adobe facade of the church, but the gardens are a great place to sit and gaze at the surrounding mountains. Along the main road around the valley, especially near the town of Orosi, are several scenic overlooks; take the time to pull over and admire the views and snap a photo or two. In the town of Orosi itself is yet another colonial church and convent worth visiting.\n\nUjarr\u00e1s ruins.\n\nFrom the Orosi Valley, it's a quick shot to the entrance to the Tapant\u00ed National Park \u2605 (  2206-5615), where you'll find some gentle and beautiful hiking trails, as well as riverside picnic areas. The park is open daily from 8am to 4pm; admission is $10.\n\nIf you want to do any adventure activities or take an organized tour of the area, contact Aventuras Orosi (  2533-4000; www.aventurasorosi.com).\n\nOrosi church.\n\nTop Attractions\n\nOrosi Church & Religious Art Museum \u2605 Built in 1743 by Franciscan monks, this is, in fact, the oldest functioning church in the country. The exterior is a blindingly white adobe, and inside are three painted wooden alters. The small Museo de Arte Religioso (Religious Art Museum) is located on the south side of the church and features a modest collection of religious arts and relics. On display are 18th-century paintings, bibles, and religious icons, as well as period pieces of clothing and furniture.\n\nWest side of the soccer field, Orosi.   2533-3051. Admission C500. Tues\u2013Sun 8:30am\u20135pm.\n\nLa Casa del So\u00f1ador   The \"House of the Dreamer\" is the home and gallery of the late sculptor Macedonio Quesada. Quesada earned fame with his primitive sculptures of La Negrita (see \"La Negrita,\" above) and other religious and secular characters carved on coffee tree roots and trunks. You can see some of Macedonio's original work here, including his version of The Last Supper carved onto one of the walls of the main building. Today, his sons carry on the family tradition. You can shop among their collection of small sculptures, carved religious icons, and ornate walking sticks.\n\n1 km (1\u20442 mile) south of Cach\u00ed.   2577-1186. Daily 8am\u20134pm.\n\nLa Casa del So\u00f1ador sculptures.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nIf you're interested in staying out here, check out the charming little Orosi Lodge (www.orosilodge.com;   2533-3578), on the south side of the tiny town of Orosi, right next to some simple hot-spring pools. A little farther out of town is Ambrosia en la Monta\u00f1a \u2605 (www.ambrosiaenlamontana.com;   2533-2336), a pretty little inn, with two individual wooden cabins, great views, and an excellent restaurant.\n\nLa Casona del Cafetal COSTA RICAN Although clearly geared toward tourists, this popular restaurant is still an excellent option for a meal. The food is typical Tico fare. In addition to the long menu is a massive buffet and several daily options. The handmade tortillas are cooked to order. When the weather's nice, grab a patio table with a view of Lake Cach\u00ed.\n\nCach\u00ed.   2577-1414. www.lacasonadelcafetal.com. Main courses C4,500\u2013C18,000. Daily 11am\u20136pm.\n\nTurrialba & the Guayabo National Monument \u2605\n\n53km (33 miles) E of San Jos\u00e9\n\nThis attractive little town is best known as the starting point and home base for many popular white-water rafting trips. Turrialba is a hot spot for active and adventure travelers. However, it's also worth a visit if you have an interest in pre-Columbian history or tropical botany.\n\nTurrialba is situated in the heart of a rich agricultural region. Coffee and sugar cane are the principal crops. The area is lower in elevation than San Jos\u00e9 and much of the rest of the Central Valley, and for visitors (and the happy crops) this translates into generally higher temperatures. See map, \"The Central Valley\".\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: If you're driving, follow the directions above to Cartago, and then take the road from Cartago to Para\u00edso, through Juan Vi\u00f1as, and on to Turrialba. It's pretty well marked. (Alternatively you can head toward the small town of Cot, on the road to Iraz\u00fa Volcano, and then through the town of Pacayas on to Turrialba, another well-marked route.)\n\nBy Bus: Transtusa buses (  2222-4464 or 2557-5050) leave San Jos\u00e9 hourly for Turrialba between 5:45am and 10pm from Calle 13 between avenidas 6 and 8. The fare is around $2.\n\nAround three buses also head to Guayabo daily from the main bus terminal in Turrialba.\n\nOrientation Turrialba itself is a bit of a jumble, and you will probably have to ask directions to get to locations in, around, and outside of town. Guayabo is about 20km (12 miles) beyond Turrialba on a road that is paved the entire way except for the last 3km (13\u20444 miles).\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nMost of the white-water rafting companies in Costa Rica have an operational base in Turrialba, and the put-in points for several of the more popular river trips are nearby. See chapter , \"The Active Vacation Planner,\" for more information on rafting trips and operators.\n\nIn addition to rafting and kayaking, Explornatura \u2605 (  2556-2070; www.explornatura.com) is an excellent local adventure tour operator that offers up a range of trips and activities, including canopy tours, horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking.\n\nGuayabo National Monument \u2605 (  2559-1220) is one of Costa Rica's only pre-Columbian sites open to the public. It's 19km (12 miles) northeast of Turrialba and preserves a town site that dates from between 1000 b.c. and a.d. 1400. Archaeologists believe that Guayabo might have supported a population of as many as 10,000 people, but no clues yet explain why the city was eventually abandoned only shortly before the Spanish arrived in the New World. Excavated ruins at Guayabo consist of paved roads, aqueducts, stone bridges, and house and temple foundations. The site also has gravesites and petroglyphs. The monument is open daily from 8am to 4pm. This is a national park, and admission is $10 at the gate. For information about other parks in this area, see also \"Costa Rica's Top National Parks & Bioreserves,\" in chapter .\n\nBotanists and gardeners will want to pay a visit to the Center for Agronomy Research and Development (CATIE;   2556-2700; www.catie.ac.cr), which is located 5km (3 miles) southeast of Turrialba on the road to Siquirres. This center is one of the world's foremost facilities for research into tropical agriculture. Among the plants on CATIE's 810 hectares (2,000 acres) are hundreds of varieties of cacao and thousands of varieties of coffee. The plants here have been collected from all over the world. In addition to trees used for food and other purposes, other plants grown here are strictly for ornamental purposes. CATIE is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 4pm. Guided tours are available with advance notice for $15 per person.\n\nHovering over the town, the Turrialba Volcano National Park boasts nearly 1,600 hectares (3,950 acres) of lush rainforest, as well as its namesake 3,340m (10,955-ft.) volcano. The volcano is in an extremely active phase, and the park is currently closed to the public. When open, it is possible to hike to the volcano's summit.\n\nA view of the Turrialba valley.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nIf you're looking for luxury in this area, check out Casa Turire \u2605\u2605 (www.hotelcasaturire.com;   2531-1111), where well-appointed rooms and suites in an elegant country mansion run between $130 and $350. The hotel is set on the banks of the lake formed by the Angostura dam project, and you can take a kayak or paddleboat out on the lake here. This place was granted \"5 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program, and the excellent restaurant here serves all organic ingredients.\n\nAnother excellent upscale option is the new Hacienda Tayutic \u2605\u2605 (www.tayutic.com;   2538-1717). This historic\u2014and still functioning\u2014family farm has been totally converted, and features plush rooms, lush gardens, spa serv-ices, and an onsite 19th-century chapel. Rates here run $295 to $325 for a double, including a buffet breakfast.\n\nFinally, another great bet is Turrialtico \u2605 (www.turrialtico.com;   2538-1111), a rustic yet beautiful open-air restaurant and small hotel high on a hill overlooking the Turrialba Valley. The view here is one of the finest in the area, with lush greenery far below and volcanoes in the distance. The Costa Rican food is good and reasonably priced, and a double room will cost you $52 to $75, including breakfast and taxes. This place is popular with rafting companies that bring groups here for meals and for overnights before, during, and after multiday rafting trips.\n\nSince Turrialba is a main base for several rafting trips and operators, the town has a healthy population of rafting guides living here, and as a result, it actually has a pretty active nightlife.\n7\n\nGuanacaste: The Gold Coast\n\nWitch's Rock.\n\nGuanacaste is Costa Rica's \"Gold Coast\"\u2014and not because this is where the Spanish Conquistadors found vast quantities of the brilliant metal ore. Instead, it's because more and more visitors to Costa Rica are choosing Guanacaste as their first\u2014and often only\u2014stop. Beautiful beaches abound along this coastline. Several are packed with a mix of hotels and resorts, some are still pristine and deserted, and others are backed by small fishing villages. Choices range from long, broad sections of sand stretching on for miles, to tiny pocket coves bordered by rocky headlands.\n\nThis is Costa Rica's most coveted vacation destination and the site of its greatest tourism development. The international airport in Liberia receives daily direct flights from several major U.S. and Canadian hub cities, allowing tourists to visit some of Costa Rica's prime destinations without having to go through San Jos\u00e9.\n\nThis is also Costa Rica's driest region. The rainy season starts later and ends earlier, and overall it's more dependably sunny here than in other parts of the country. Combine this climate with a coastline that stretches south for hundreds of miles, from the Nicaraguan border, all the way to the Nicoya Peninsula, and you have an equation that yields beach bliss.\n\n  Guanacaste's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nFour Seasons Resort\n\nHacienda Guachipelin\n\nHotel Las Tortugas\n\nHotel Playa Hermosa Bosque del Mar\n\nOne caveat: During the dry season (mid-Nov to Apr), when sunshine is most reliable, the hillsides in Guanacaste turn browner than the chaparral of Southern California. Dust from dirt roads blankets the trees in many areas, and the vistas are far from tropical. Driving these dirt roads without air-conditioning and the windows rolled up tight can be extremely unpleasant.\n\nOn the other hand, if you happen to visit this area in the rainy season (particularly from May\u2013Aug), the hillsides are a beautiful, rich green, and the sun usually shines all morning, giving way to an afternoon shower\u2014just in time for a nice siesta.\n\nInland from the beaches, Guanacaste remains Costa Rica's \"Wild West,\" a land of dry plains populated with cattle ranches and cowboys, who are known here as sabaneros, a name that derives from the Spanish word for \"savanna\" or \"grassland.\" If it weren't for those rainforest-clad volcanoes in the distance, you might swear you were in Texas.\n\nGuanacaste is home to several active volcanoes and some beautiful national parks, including Santa Rosa National Park \u2605, the home to massive sea turtle nestings and the site of a major battle to maintain independence; Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park \u2605, a beautiful expanse of mangroves, wetlands, and savannah.\n\nLiberia\n\n217km (135 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 132km (82 miles) NW of Puntarenas\n\nFounded in 1769, Liberia is the capital of Guanacaste province, and although it can hardly be considered a bustling metropolis, it is growing rapidly, in large part as a business center to feed the growing coastal boom. Hardware stores, warehouses, malls, and shipping companies are setting up shop in Liberia, and the city serves as a housing hub for the many workers needed to man the construction and tourism boom along the coast here.\n\nThat said, Liberia offers up more colonial atmosphere than almost any other city in the country. Its narrow streets are lined with charming old adobe homes, many of which have ornate stone accents on their facades, carved wooden doors, and aged red-tile roofs. Many have beautiful large, shuttered windows (some don't even have iron bars for protection) opening onto the narrow streets. The central plaza, which occupies 2 square blocks in front of the church, remains the city's social hub and principal gathering spot.\n\nLiberia's central park.\n\nLiberia works well as a base for exploring this region or as an overnight stop in a longer itinerary. You'll find several moderately priced hotels in the city and its outskirts. Still, all things considered, it's usually preferable to base yourself either at the beach or at a mountain lodge, and to visit the city on a day trip.\n\n  An Interesting Stop on Your Way to Liberia\n\nIf you're driving to or from Guanacaste, be sure to take a brief break to check out the Iglesia de Ca\u00f1as (Ca\u00f1as Church) \u2605\u2605 in Ca\u00f1as. Well-known painter, installation artist, and local prodigal son Otto Apuy has designed and directed the envelopment of the entire church in colorful mosaic. The work uses whole and broken tiles in glossy, vibrant colors to depict both religious and abstract themes. The church's nearly 30m-tall (100-ft.) central tower is entirely covered in mosaic. It is estimated that more than a million pieces of ceramic were used in the work. The church is located in the center of town, just a few blocks off the highway.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The Daniel Oduber International Airport (  2668-1010; airport code LIR) in Liberia receives a steady stream of scheduled commercial and charter flights throughout the year. Delta (  800\/241-4141; www.delta.com) has daily direct flights between its Atlanta hub and Liberia; American Airlines (  800\/433-7300; www.aa.com) offers daily direct flights between Miami and Liberia, and twice-weekly flights between Dallas\u2013Ft. Worth and Liberia; Continental (  800\/231-0856; www.continental.com) has daily direct flights between Houston and Liberia, and three weekly direct flights between Newark and Liberia; and US Airways (  800\/622-1015; www.usairways.com) has one weekly direct flight between Charlotte and Liberia. In addition, numerous commercial charter flights from various North American cities fly in throughout the high season. Check with your travel agent.\n\nSansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has two daily flights to Liberia at 8:45am and 3pm from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport. Return flights depart for San Jos\u00e9 at 9:45am and 4pm. The fare for the 50-minute flight is $130 each way.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has four flights daily to Liberia at 6:20 and 11:45am, and 3:20pm from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. Return flights leave Liberia at 7:10am and 12:35 and 4:45pm. Fares run between $85 and $133 each way.\n\nThe following car rental companies all have local agencies: Adobe (  2667-0608), Alamo (  2668-1111), Avis (  2668-1138), Budget (  2668-1118), Dollar (  2668-1061), Economy (  2666-2816), Hertz (  2668-1048), Thrifty (  2665-0787), and Toyota (  2668-1212). You can also reserve with these and most major international car-rental companies via their San Jos\u00e9 and international offices (see \"Getting Around,\" in chapter ).\n\nThe airport is 13km (8 miles) from downtown Liberia. Taxis await all incoming flights; a taxi into town should cost around $10. The ride takes around 10 minutes.\n\nNote: Work to expand and renovate the cramped, inefficient, and overcrowded Daniel Oduber International Airport has been plagued by delays, contractual disputes, and funding problems. As of press time, work was underway and is slated to be complete in November, 2011.\n\nBy Car: From San Jos\u00e9, you can either take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north all the way to Liberia from downtown San Jos\u00e9, or first head west out of the city on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas, Liberia, and the Inter\u00adamerican Highway (CR1). This will lead you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp which will put you on the highway heading north. This latter route is a faster and flatter drive. Depending upon which route you take and traffic conditions, it's a 3- to 4-hour drive.\n\nBy Bus: Pulmitan express buses (  2222-1650 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2666-0458 in Liberia; www.pulmitandeliberia.com;) leave San Jos\u00e9 roughly every hour between 6am and 8pm from Calle 24 between avenidas 5 and 7. The ride to Liberia takes around 4 hours. A one-way fare costs C2,915.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Liberia at 3pm. The fare is $40. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Liberia at 7:45am; the fare is $40 to Liberia. The morning bus (for either company) makes connections to Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja and Santa Rosa national parks. Both companies will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels, and provide connections to and from most other destinations in Costa Rica.\n\nBuses depart for San Jos\u00e9 and most of the area beaches and national parks from the Liberia bus station on the edge of town, 200m (2 blocks) north and 100m (1 block) east of the main intersection on the Interamerican Highway. Express buses for San Jos\u00e9 leave roughly every hour between 3am and 8pm.\n\nA colonial-era building in Liberia.\n\nFast Facts Several state and private bank offices are clustered around downtown Liberia, as well as a branch of the Banco de Costa Rica inside the airport. The local police number is   2690-0129 and the Liberia Hospital number is   2690-2300. If you need a taxi, dial   2666-3330. A host of Internet cafes are on the blocks surrounding and just off the central plaza.\n\nOn the southern outskirts of the city is a modern shopping mall, the place to come for a food court fix or to catch a semi-late-run movie at the local multiplex. Smaller, contemporary shopping centers can be found near the airport, and right at the major intersection between the Interamerican highway and the road to the beaches.\n\n  Shady Business\n\nThis province gets its name from the abundant Guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), Costa Rica's national tree. This distinctive tree is known for its broad, full crown, which provides welcome shade on the Guanacaste's hot plains and savannas. The Guanacaste is also known as the elephant-ear tree, due to the distinctive shape of its large seedpods. Its fragrant white flowers bloom between February and April.\n\nExploring the Town\n\nThe central plaza in Liberia is a great place to people-watch, especially in the early evenings and on weekends. Grab a seat on one of the many concrete benches, or join the families and young lovers as they leisurely stroll around. On the northern edge of the Plaza Central, the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepci\u00f3n is Liberia's main house of worship. The church was built in 1972 and features a tall A-frame\u2013style central nave and a separate clock tower that rises up sharply\u2014a contemporary concrete obelisk. The main church is generally open from 6am to 6pm, though it's sometimes open later for masses.\n\nIf you venture for a few blocks down Calle Real \u2605, you'll see fine examples of the classic Spanish colonial adobe buildings with ornate wooden doors, heavy beams, central courtyards, and faded, sagging, red-tile roofs.\n\nWhile the Catholic church that anchors the central plaza is unspectacular, if you head several blocks east of the plaza, you will come to Iglesia La Ermita de la Agon\u00eda \u2605. Built in 1865, this whitewashed stone church is in surprisingly good shape. Inside it is plain and bare, but it is the only remaining colonial-era church to be found in Guanacaste. The visiting hours are seriously limited (daily from 2:30\u20133:30pm), but not to worry: Local tour agencies can sometimes arrange visits during off hours. Even if you can't enter, you'll still get a good feel for the place by checking out its whitewashed stucco exterior.\n\nOutdoor Adventures near Liberia\n\nIn addition to the activities listed below, Liberia is a major jumping-off point for Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park.\n\nLlano de Cortes Waterfall \u2605\n\nLocated about 25km (16 miles) south of Liberia, the Llano de Cortes Waterfall is a beautiful and wide jungle waterfall with an excellent pool at the base for cooling off and swimming. At roughly 12m (40 ft.) wide, the falls are actually slightly wider than they are tall. This is a great spot for a picnic. The turnoff for the dirt road to the falls is well marked and about 3km (13\u20444 miles) north of the crossroads for Bagaces. From the turnoff, you must drive a rough dirt road to the parking area and then hike down a short steep trail to the falls. Admission is free.\n\nBack to Africa\n\nSince the landscape is postcard-perfect, especially in the dry season, you shouldn't be too surprised to see antelope, zebra, giraffe, and elands roaming the grassy plains of Guanacaste. Africa Mia (My Africa;   2666-1111; www.africamia.net) offers safari-style open-jeep tours through its 100-hectare (247-acre) private reserve populated with a wide range of nonnative (predominantly African) species. All of the animals are herbivores, so don't expect to see any lions, hyenas, or cheetahs. The trip does provide some sense of being on the Serengeti or some other African plain and the animals have plenty of room to roam. Admission, which is C9,000 for adults, and C6,000 for children 11 and under, includes a 90-minute guided tour. Other more extensive tours include a chance to get closer to the animals, and the opportunity to feed a giraffe. Africa Mia is located just off the Interamerican Highway, 8km (5 miles) south of Liberia. The park is open daily from 9am to 5pm.\n\nAfrica Mia.\n\nBirding\n\nThe R\u00edo Tempisque Basin \u2605, southwest of town, is one of the best places in the country to spot marsh and stream birds by the hundreds. This area is an important breeding ground for gallinules, jacanas, and limpkins, as well as numerous heron and kingfisher species and the roseate spoonbill. Several tour operators offer excursions and a wide range of tours in the region. Swiss Travel Services (  2282-4898; www.swisstravelcr.com) is the largest and most reliable of the major operators here.\n\nOne of the most popular tours is a boat tour down the Bebedero River to Palo Verde National Park \u2605, which is south of Ca\u00f1as and is best known for its migratory bird populations. Some of the best bird-watching requires no more than a little walking around the Biological Station in the park.\n\nA boat-billed heron.\n\nRafting Trips\n\nLeisurely raft trips (with little white water) are offered by R\u00edos Tropicales ( \/fax 2233-6455; www.riostropicales.com), about 40km (25 miles) south of Liberia. Its 2-hour ($55) float trips are great for families and bird-watchers. Along the way you may see many of the area's more exotic animal residents: howler monkeys, iguanas, caimans, coatimundis, otters, toucans, parrots, motmots, trogons, and many other species of birds. Aside from your binoculars and camera, a bathing suit and sunscreen are the only things you'll need. Rios Tropicales is based out of the Restaurant Rinc\u00f3n Corobic\u00ed, which is located right on the Inter\u00adamerican Highway (CR1).\n\nFor a much wetter and wilder ride, the folks at Hacienda Guachipelin (see below) offer white-water inner-tube trips on the narrow R\u00edo Negro.\n\nShopping\n\nOn the road to the beaches, just west of the airport, are several large souvenir shops. These are popular stopping points on organized tours throughout this region. The best of the bunch for a one-stop shop is Kaltak Arts & Craft Market (  2667-0696). However, you might find better selection and prices, especially for Guait\u00edl pottery, at some of the smaller makeshift roadside kiosks that line the road between Liberia and the Guanacaste beaches. For something different, check out the Hidden Garden Art Gallery (  8386-6872; <http:\/\/hiddengarden.thevanstonegroup.com>), a well-stocked contemporary art gallery, with a large stable of prominent Costa Rican and expatriate artists. This place is located 5km (3 miles) west of the Liberia airport, on the road the beaches.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nExpensive\n\nHilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport \u2605 Long overdue, Liberia now has a modern, business-class airport hotel. That said, with most of Guanacaste's beaches under an hour drive away (some much closer), unless your flight arrives very late, or leaves very early, there's little need to stay near the airport. Rooms and suites are up-to-date, with MP3 docking stations and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel is directly across the street from the airport, and a small shopping mall is next door.\n\nAcross from the airport, Liberia, Guanacaste. www.hgi.com.   877\/STAY-HGI in the U.S. and Canada, or 2690-8888 in Costa Rica. 169 units. $169 double; $210 suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; room service; all rooms smoke-free. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nEl Punto Bed & Breakfast \u2605\u2605     This place is a cozy, homey, intimate oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Liberia. Bright primary colors and artsy touches abound. Rooms all feature a sleeping loft, making it a good option for families, and most have a private veranda with a hammock. The gardens are lush and the common areas are inviting. The restaurant serves excellent and healthy contemporary cuisine.\n\n11\u20442 blocks south of the intersection of CR1 and CR21, Liberia, Guanacaste. www.elpuntohotel.com.   2665-2986 or 8877-3949. 6 units. $66\u2013$104 double. Rates include full breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, minifridge.\n\nInexpensive\n\nHotel Guanacaste This basic, economical choice is primarily a hostel catering to young travelers on a tight budget. In addition to the small and simply furnished rooms\u2014almost all of which have bunk beds with thin foam mattresses\u2014there's a basic soda (diner) serving inexpensive meals. The folks here can help arrange trips to nearby national parks and tell you about other budget accommodations around the country. The best rooms here have double beds, private bathrooms, and air-conditioning and cost slightly more. Camping is also allowed, for $5 per person.\n\nA.P. 251-5000 (1 block north and 2 blocks east of the intersection of the Interamerican Hwy. and the beach hwy.), Liberia, Guanacaste. www.higuanacaste.com.   2666-0085. Fax 2666-2287. 27 units. $40 double. Discounts for students and those holding a valid hostel ID. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nLiberia has plenty of standard Tico dining choices. In town, the most popular alternative is Pizzer\u00eda Pronto (  2666-2098), which serves a wide range of wood-oven pizzas and assorted pasta dishes, in a restored old colonial home. Another favorite of mine is El Caf\u00e9 Liberia \u2605 (  2665-1660; www.cafeliberia.com), a little French-style coffee shop and bistro that morphs into a sort of European-style hip lounge and bar at night. For some local flavor, choose one of the sodas around the central park. The best of these is Restaurante Paseo Real \u2605 (  2666-3455). Another option for Costa Rican cuisine is La Choza de Laurel (  2668-1018; www.lachozadelaurel.com), located along the main highway, about 800m (2,624 ft.) east of the Liberia airport entrance.\n\nFor seafood and a good bar scene, try LIB (  2665-0741), which sometimes features live music and dancing at night, and is in the Centro Comercial Santa Rosa, at the main highway crossroads.\n\nIf you want fast food, both Burger King and Papa John's are in a small shopping complex on the northwest corner of the main intersection of the Inter\u00adamerican Highway and the road to the beaches, as well as an even bigger food court with more fast-food at the mall on the southern outskirts of town.\n\nRinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park\n\n242km (151 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 25km (16 miles) NW of Liberia\n\nThis sprawling national park begins on the flanks of the Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja Volcano and includes this volcano's namesake active crater. Down lower is an area of geothermal activity similar to that of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Fumaroles, geysers, and hot pools cover this small area, creating a bizarre, otherworldly landscape. In addition to hot springs and mud pots, you can explore waterfalls, a lake, and volcanic craters. The bird-watching here is excellent, and the views across the pasturelands to the Pacific Ocean are stunning.\n\n  What's in a Name?\n\nRinc\u00f3n de la Vieja translates literally as \"the old lady's corner.\" In this case, \"la vieja\" has the connotation of a witch or hag, while \"rinc\u00f3n\" is better interpreted as a \"lair\" or \"hangout.\" The smoking, belching volcanic crater and mud pots gave rise to this name.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There By Car: Follow the directions above to Liberia. When you reach Liberia, head straight through the major intersection, following signs to Pe\u00f1as Blancas and the Nicaraguan border.\n\nTo reach the Las Pailas (Las Espuelas) entrance, drive about 5km (3 miles) north of Liberia and turn right on the dirt road to the park. The turnoff is well marked. In about 12km (71\u20442 miles), you'll pass through the small village of Curuband\u00e9. Continue on this road for another 6km (33\u20444 miles) until you reach the Hacienda Guachipelin. The lodge is private property, and the owners charge vehicles a C700 toll to pass through their gate and continue on to the park. I'm not sure if this is legal or mandatory, but it's not worth the hassle to protest. Pay the toll, pass through the gate, and continue for another 4km (21\u20442 miles) until you reach the park entrance.\n\nTwo routes lead to the Santa Mar\u00eda entrance. The principal route heads out of the northeastern end of Liberia toward the small village of San Jorge. This route is about 25km (16 miles) long and takes about 45 minutes. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is required. Alternatively, you can reach the entrance on a turnoff from the Interamerican Highway at Bagaces. From here, head north through Guayabo, Aguas Claras, and Colonia Blanca. Though the road is paved up to Colonia Blanca, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required for the final, very rough 10km (61\u20444 miles) of gravel road.\n\nExploring Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park \u2605\u2605\n\nThe Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park has several excellent trails. The easiest hiking is the gentle Las Pailas loop \u2605. This 3km (1.75-mile) trail is just off the Las Espuelas park entrance and passes by several bubbling mud pots and steaming fumaroles. Don't get too close, or you could get scalded. Happily, the strong sulfur smell given off by these formations works well as a natural deterrent. This gentle trail crosses a river, so you'll have to either take off your shoes or get them wet. The whole loop is 3.2km (2 miles) and takes around 2 hours at a leisurely pace.\n\nRinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park mud pots.\n\nMore energetic hikers can tackle the summit \u2605 and explore the several craters and beautiful lakes up here. On a clear day you'll be rewarded with a fabulous view of the plains of Guanacaste and the Pacific Ocean below. The trail is 16.6km (10.3 miles) round-trip and should take about 7 hours (the trail head begins at the ranger station). It heads pretty much straight up the volcano and is pretty steep in places. Along the way, you'll pass through several different ecosystems, including sections of tropical moist and tropical cloud forests, while climbing some 1,000m (3,280 ft.) in altitude. After about 6km (3.7 miles), the trail splits. Take the right-hand fork to the Crater Activo (Active Crater). Filled with rainwater, this crater is some 700m (2,300 ft.) in diameter and still active. Off to the side is the massive Laguna Jigueros. Because this crater emits large amounts of sulfur and acid gases, it's not recommended that you linger here long. If you have the energy, a side trail leads to the Von Seebach Crater.\n\nMy favorite hike here is to the Blue Lake and La Cangrejo Waterfall \u2605\u2605. Along this well-marked 9.6km (6-mile) round-trip trail you will pass through several different ecosystems, including tropical dry forest, transitional moist forest, and open savanna. You are likely to spot a variety of birds and mammals and have a good chance of coming across a group of coatimundi\u2014a raccoonlike local mammal. While not requiring any great climbs or descents, the hike is nonetheless arduous. Pack a lunch; at the end of your 2-hour hike in, you can picnic at the aptly named Blue Lake, where a 30m (98-ft.) waterfall empties into a small pond whose crystal-blue hues are amazing.\n\nLa Cangrejo Waterfall.\n\nThe park entrance fee is $10 per person per day, and the park is open daily from 7am to 3pm.\n\nCamping will cost you an extra $2 per person per day. There are actually two entrances and camping areas here: Santa Mar\u00eda and Las Pailas (also called Las Espuelas;   2666-5051) ranger stations. Las Pailas is by far the more popu\u00adlar and accessible, and it's closer to the action. These small camping areas are near each other. I recommend the one closer to the river, although the restroom and shower facilities are about 90m (295 ft.) away, at the other site. For those seeking a less rugged tour of the park, several lodges are around the park perimeter and offer guided hikes and horseback rides into the park.\n\nOther Adventures around Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja\n\nOne-Stop Adventure Shop\n\nHacienda Guachipelin offers up a range of adventure tour options, including horseback riding, hiking, white-water river inner-tubing, a waterfall canyoning and rappel tour, and a more traditional zip-line canopy tour. The most popular is the hacienda's 1-Day Adventure pass \u2605\u2605, which allows you to choose as many of the hotel's different tour options as you want and fit them into 1 adventure-packed day. The price for this is $80, including a buffet lunch and transportation. Almost all of the beach hotels and resorts of Guanacaste offer day trips here, or you can book directly with the lodge. Be forewarned: During the high season, the whole operation has a bit of a cattle-car feel, with busloads of day-trippers coming in from the beach. Also, I have found the inner-tube adventure to be fairly dangerous when the river is high, particularly during or just after the rainy season.\n\nHorseback riding at Hacienda Guachipelin.\n\nHot Springs & Mud Baths\n\nThe active Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja volcano has blessed this area with several fine hot springs and mud baths. Even if you're not staying at the Hacienda Guachipelin or the Hotel Borinquen Mountain Resort (see below), you can take advantage of their hot-spring pools and hot mud baths. Both have on-site spas offering massages, facials, and other treatments.\n\nJust up the road from their lodge, Hacienda Guachipelin has opened the Simbiosis Spa (  2666-8075; www.simbiosis-spa.com). A $20 entrance fee gets you a stint in a sauna, self-application of the hot volcanic mud, and free run of the pools. Be forewarned: The pools are better described as warm, not hot, mud pools, and mud is the operative word here. A wide range of massages, mud wraps, facials, and other treatments are available at reasonable prices.\n\nAt the Hotel Borinquen Mountain Resort, a $25 entrance fee allows you access to their range of hot spring\u2013fed pools \u2605, which vary from tepid to very hot, as well as their fresh volcanic mud bath area, and large fresh-water pool.\n\nFinally, Tizate Wellness Gardens \u2605\u2605 (  2666-7759; www.buenavistalodgecr.com) is an excellent spa and adventure center run by the folks at Buena Vista Lodge, with a lovely man-made pool fed by natural hot springs. Unlike the other pools mentioned above, this one has no sulphuric smell. Entrance to the pool runs $35, but various packages, with a canopy tour, horseback ride, or other adventure activity, are available. Meals and spa treatments are also on offer.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, a couple of other good choices are by the park. On the Ca\u00f1as Dulces road, Buena Vista Lodge \u2605 (www.buenavistalodgecr.com;   2665-7759) is set on the edge of the national park and offers a wide range of activities and attractions, including its own water slide and canopy tour.\n\nAnother good choice for adventure tourists is the new Canyon Lodge (www.thecanyonlodge.com;   2665-5912), located just 3km (2 miles) inland from the main highway (CR1) on the outskirts of Liberia.\n\nOver in the area around Aguas Claras, Finca La Anita \u2605\u2605 (laanitarainforestranch.com;   8388-1775 or 2466-0228) is a remote and rustic, yet very cozy lodge, with a series of wooden cabins set on a working farm, on the edge of lush rain and cloud forests. The area around the lodge is home to several hot springs, and this area also provides easy access to the seldom used Santa Maria sector of Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park.\n\nHacienda Guachipelin \u2605   Set on the edge of Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park, this lodge is built around a still-operational 19th-century cattle-and-horse ranch. The superior rooms, worth the slight splurge, have a shared veranda fronting a large lawn and garden area. The older rooms are cozy and atmospheric, but generally smaller, and more rustic. These folks have implemented a variety of sustainable practices ranging from the use of solar energy for hot water and electricity to reforestation to on-site generation of bio-gas. A refreshing pool, as well as nearby rivers, creeks, and hot springs, all offer plenty of opportunities to get wet, while their extensive tour operation offers even more ways to get wild. Kids will love the working cattle and horse operations, and the range of tour activities appropriate for children of all ages. This place does a brisk business as a day-tour destination for hotels and resorts around Guanacaste, and there can be a cattle-car feel to that operation at times. See \"One-Stop Adventure Shop,\" above, for a description of their many tour offerings.\n\nRinc\u00f3n de la Vieja (23km\/14 miles northeast of Liberia). www.guachipelin.com.   2665-3303 for reservations, or 2666-8075 at the lodge. Fax 2665-2178. 59 units. $96 double; $102 superior double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. Rates higher during peak periods. AE, MC, V. Follow the directions\/signs to Curuband\u00e9 and Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja National Park. Amenities: Restaurant; outdoor pool; small spa; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nHotel Borinquen Mountain Resort \u2605\u2605 This is the fanciest resort in the Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja area. Individual and duplex bungalows are set on a hillside above the main lodge, restaurants, and hot springs. Rooms feature high ceilings, heavy wooden furniture, and a plush decor. All include an ample wooden deck with a view over the valley and surrounding forests. In the foot of the valley are several natural hot-spring pools of varying temperatures, a natural sauna, and an area for full-body mud baths given with hot volcanic mud. The hotel also features a pretty, free-form outdoor pool and full-service spa, set beside a rushing creek in the middle of dense forest. The resort has good hiking and horseback riding trails and some nice waterfalls nearby. Golf carts are available to shuttle you around.\n\nCa\u00f1as Dulces, Guanacaste. www.borinquenresort.com.   2690-1900. Fax 2690-1903. 39 units. $185 double villa; $206\u2013$286 double bungalow; $323 junior suite. Rates include breakfast and unlimited use of the hot springs, sauna, and mud baths. AE, MC, V. Drive 12km (712 miles) north of Liberia along the Interamerican Hwy., take the turnoff toward Ca\u00f1as Dulces, and follow the signs. The hotel is approximately 21km (13 miles) from the highway, along a mostly rugged dirt road. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; large outdoor pool; small spa; all rooms smoke-free; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar.\n\nR\u00edo Celeste & the Tenorio Volcano\n\nA crystalline turquoise pool at the foot of a forest waterfall, with nearby hot springs and volcanic mud make the R\u00edo Celeste \u2605\u2605 a must-see. Offering similar attractions and activities to Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja, this is a much less visited, and more remote-feeling area. R\u00edo Celeste, which means \"blue river,\" is inside the Parque Nacional Volc\u00e1n Tenorio (Tenorio Volcano National Park;   2206-5369). The hike takes about 2 hours each way, and is steep in places. Above the main pool and waterfall, a loop trail will take you along the river to a few spots where underground hot springs bubble up into the blue waters. Locals have made some well-worn pools at the spots best for soaking. Along the river banks here, you can find volcanic mud deposits perfect for a free, midhike facial treatment. The park is open daily from 8am until 4pm. Entrance is $10.\n\nIf you want easy access to the Tenorio volcano and Rio Celeste, I recommend the humble, yet delightful La Carolina Lodge \u2605 (www.lacarolinalodge.com;   8380-1656 or 2466-6393), which is on a working farm, next to a clear flowing river. Another good option is the Celeste Mountain Lodge \u2605 (www.celestemountainlodge.com;   2278-6628), a beautiful, sustainable lodge, with great views of the surrounding volcanoes. Finally, the most luxurious option in these parts is the new Rio Celeste Hideaway \u2605\u2605 (www.riocelestehideaway.com;   2206-4000), which is actually located on the \"back side\" of the Tenorio National Park, and reached via the road connecting Upala to the small town of Guatuso.\n\nGetting There: Tenorio National Park is located near the small town of Bijagua. The road to Bijagua (CR6) heads north off of the Interamerican Highway about 5km (3 miles) northwest of Ca\u00f1as. From here, it's another 30km (181\u20442 miles) to Bijagua, and another 12km (71\u20442 miles) to the park entrance. The last part of this is on rough dirt roads.\n\nLa Cruz & Bah\u00eda Salinas\n\n277km (172 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 59km (37 miles) NW of Liberia; 20km (12 miles) S of Pe\u00f1as Blancas\n\nNear the Nicaraguan border, La Cruz is a tiny hilltop town that has little to offer beyond a fabulous view of Bah\u00eda Salinas (Salinas Bay), but it does serve as a gateway to the nearly deserted beaches down below, a few mountain lodges bordering the nearby Santa Rosa and Guanacaste national parks, and the Nicaraguan border crossing at Pe\u00f1as Blancas.\n\nMealy parrots.\n\nThere's little reason to stay in La Cruz, but if you must, check out Hotel La Mirada Inn (www.hotellamirada.com;   2679-9084), a simple, well-kept local hotel. However, instead of staying in town, stay on the shores of the beaches listed below.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regular service is in Liberia (see \"Liberia,\" earlier in this chapter).\n\nBy Car: Follow the directions above for driving to Liberia. When you reach Liberia, head straight through the major intersection, following signs to Pe\u00f1as Blancas and the Nicaraguan border. Allow approximately 5 hours to get from San Jos\u00e9 to La Cruz.\n\nBy Bus: Transportes Deld\u00fa buses (  2256-9072 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2679-9323 in La Cruz; www.transportesdeldu.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 roughly every 2 hours (more frequently during the middle of the day) between 4am and 7pm for Pe\u00f1as Blancas from Calle 20 and Avenida 1. These buses stop in La Cruz and will also let you off at the entrance to Santa Rosa National Park if you ask. The ride to La Cruz takes 51\u20442 hours; a one-way fare costs between C3,300 and C4,580. Additional buses are often added on weekends and holidays.\n\n  On to Nicaragua\n\nGuanacaste is a popular jumping-off point for trips into Nicaragua. The main border point is at Pe\u00f1as Blancas, Costa Rica. Several tour agencies and hotel desks arrange day trips to Nicaragua from resorts and hotels around Guanacaste.\n\nCosta Rica charges no fees for entering or leaving, while Nicaragua charges $13 to enter and $3 to leave. Though it's by no means necessary, it's somewhat common to hire a helper or gavilan (literally, seagull), to expedite the process. These locals can occasionally cut lines, alleviate confusion, and speed up the process slightly. On the Costa Rican side, expect to spend about $5 for a bilingual gavilan, whereas on the Nicaraguan side, the cost should be around $3.\n\nIf you're planning on spending any time touring around Nicaragua, be sure to pick up a copy of Frommer's Nicaragua and El Salvador.\n\nLocal buses (  2666-0517) leave Liberia for Pe\u00f1as Blancas periodically throughout the day. The ride to La Cruz takes about 1 hour and costs C1,405. Buses depart for San Jos\u00e9 from Pe\u00f1as Blancas daily between 5am and 6:30pm, passing through La Cruz about 20 minutes later. Daily buses leave Liberia for San Jos\u00e9 roughly every hour between 3am and 8pm.\n\nOrientation The highway passes slightly to the east of town. You'll pass the turnoffs to Santa Rosa National Park and Playa Caujiniquil before you reach town. For the Bah\u00eda Salinas beaches, head into La Cruz and take the road that runs along the north side of the small central park and then follow the signs down to the water.\n\nExploring Santa Rosa National Park\n\nKnown for its remote, pristine beaches (reached by several kilometers of hiking trails or a 4WD vehicle), Santa Rosa National Park \u2605 (  2666-5051) is a great place to camp on the beach, surf, birdwatch, or (if you're lucky) watch sea turtles nest. Located 30km (19 miles) north of Liberia and 21km (13 miles) south of La Cruz on the Interamerican Highway, Costa Rica's first national park blankets the Santa Elena Peninsula. Unlike other national parks, it was founded not to preserve the land but to save a building, known as La Casona, which played an important role in Costa Rican independence. It was here, in 1856, that Costa Rican forces fought the decisive Battle of Santa Rosa, forcing the U.S.-backed soldier of fortune William Walker and his men to flee into Nicaragua. La Casona was completely destroyed by arson in 2001, but it has been rebuilt, very accurately mimicking the original building, and now houses a small museum, detailing the political history of the ranch house and housing rotating temporary art exhibits. The museum descriptions, however, are in Spanish only.\n\nLa Casona at Santa Rosa National Park.\n\nLa Casona has few nearby hiking trails. The best for most visitors is the Indio Desnudo (Naked Indian) trail. This 2.6km (1.5-mile) loop trail should take you about 45 minutes. It leads through a small patch of tropical dry forest and into overgrown former pastureland. If you're lucky, you might spot a white-tailed deer, coatimundi, black guan, or mantled howler monkey along the way.\n\nIt costs $10 per person to enter the park; day visitors can access the park daily from 8am to 4pm. Camping is allowed at several sites within the park. A campsite costs $2 per person per day. Camping is near the entrance, the principal ranger station, La Casona, and down by playas Naranjo and Nancite.\n\nThe Beaches \u2605\u2605 Eight kilometers (5 miles) west of La Casona, down a rugged road that's impassable during the rainy season (it's rough on 4WD vehicles even in the dry season), is Playa Naranjo. Four kilometers (21\u20442 miles) north of Playa Naranjo, along a hiking trail that follows the beach, you'll find Playa Nancite. Playa Blanca is 21km (13 miles) down a dirt road from Caujiniquil, which itself is 20km (12 miles) north of the park entrance. None of these three beaches has shower or restroom facilities. (Playa Nancite does have some facilities, but they're in a reservation-only camping area.) Bring along your own water, food, and anything else you'll need, and expect to find things relatively quiet and deserted.\n\nPlaya Nancite is known for its arribadas (\"arrivals,\" grouped egg-layings) of olive ridley sea turtles, which come ashore to nest by the tens of thousands each year in October. Playa Naranjo is legendary for its perfect surfing waves. In fact, this spot is quite popular with day-trippers who come in by boat from the Playa del Coco area to ride the waves that break around Witch's Rock, which lies just offshore.\n\nWitch's Rock.\n\nOn the northern side of the peninsula is Playa Blanca, a beautiful, remote white-sand beach with calm waters. This beach is reached by way of the small village of Caujiniquil and is accessible only during the dry season.\n\nIf you reach Caujiniquil and then head north for a few kilometers, you'll come to a small annex to the national park system at Playa Junquillal (  2666-5051), not to be confused with the more-developed beach of the same name farther south in Guanacaste. This is a lovely little beach that is also often good for swimming. You'll have to pay the park entrance fee ($10) to use the beach, and $2 more to camp here. There are basic restroom and shower facilities.\n\nFun on & over the Waves\n\nThe waters of Bah\u00eda Salinas are buffeted by serious winds from mid-November through mid-May, and this area is a prime spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding. The folks at Ecoplaya Beach Resort have the best windsurfing operation and rental equipment in the area. If you want to try your hand at the sport of kiteboarding, check in with the folks at the Kitesurfing Center, who operate out of the Blue Dream Hotel (www.bluedreamhotel.com;   8826-5221 or 2676-1042) in Playa Copal.\n\nBeach lovers should head to the far western tip of the Bah\u00eda Salinas, where you will find Playa Rajada \u2605\u2605, a beautiful little white-sand beach, with gentle surf and plenty of shade trees.\n\nNote: If you're coming to this area and aren't interested in windsurfing or kitesurfing, the winds can make your beach time rather unpleasant during the peak wind months. If you're just looking for a beach-resort vacation, I recommend heading to one of the beaches farther south in Guanacaste.\n\nWhere to Stay near La Cruz\n\nIn addition to the place listed below, Recreo \u2605\u2605 (www.recreocostarica.com;   877\/268-2911 in the U.S. and Canada, or 8378-6364 in Costa Rica) is a luxurious and intimate boutique resort, offering private villas and suites, with a personal chef and hyper-personalized services.\n\nEcoplaya Beach Resort This is the area's best beach hotel. The rooms are studios or junior, master, or luxury suites. Opt for one of the suites because the studios are somewhat cramped. Inside they all have high ceilings, tile floors, and plenty of varnished wood accents. The dark sand beach here is calm, although the winter winds really howl. To take advantage of this, the hotel features a fully equipped windsurf center, offering rentals and classes. This is a decent option if you're looking for isolation, or to combine some beach time with excursions to Santa Rosa National Park and\/or neighboring Nicaragua, although most folks will be much happier at the more popular Guanacaste beaches described below.\n\nLa Coyotera Beach, Salinas Bay. www.ecoplaya.com.   877\/211-5512 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2228-7146 in Costa Rica. Fax 2289-4536. 43 units. $79\u2013$98 double; $150\u2013$245 suite. Rates include taxes. AE, MC, V. From La Cruz, take the dirt road that heads toward Bah\u00eda Salinas and Playa Soley, and then follow signs to the hotel. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; 2 Jacuzzis; midsize outdoor pool; extensive watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, kitchenette (in some).\n\nPlaya Hermosa, Playa Panam\u00e1 & Papagayo \u2605\n\n258km (160 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 40km (25 miles) SW of Liberia\n\nWhile most of Costa Rica's coast is highly coveted by surfers, the beaches here are mostly protected and calm, making them good destinations for families with kids. Playa Hermosa \u2605 means \"beautiful beach,\" which is an apt moniker for this pretty crescent of sand. Surrounded by steep forested hills, this curving gray-sand beach is long and wide and the surf is usually quite gentle. Fringing the beach is a swath of trees that stays surprisingly green even during the dry season. The shade provided by these trees, along with the calm protected waters, is a big part of the beach's appeal. Rocky headlands jut out into the surf at both ends of the beach, and at the base of these rocks are fun tide pools to explore.\n\nBeyond Playa Hermosa you'll find Playa Panam\u00e1 \u2605 and, farther on, the calm waters of Bah\u00eda Culebra \u2605, a large protected bay dotted with small, private patches of beach and ringed with mostly intact dry forest. Around the north end of Bah\u00eda Culebra is the Papagayo Peninsula \u2605, home to two large all-inclusive resorts and one championship golf course. This peninsula has a half-dozen or so small to midsize beaches, the nicest of which might just be Playa Nacascolo \u2605\u2605\u2605, which is inside the domain of the Four Seasons Resort here\u2014but all beaches in Costa Rica are public, so you can still visit, albeit after passing through security and parking at the public parking lot.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled service is in Liberia. From there you can arrange a taxi to bring you the rest of the way. The ride takes about 25 minutes and should cost $40 to $60.\n\nBy Car: Follow the directions for getting to Liberia. When you reach the main intersection in Liberia, take a left onto CR21, which heads towards Santa Cruz and the beaches of Guanacaste. The turnoff for the Papagayo Peninsula is prominently marked 8km (5 miles) south of the Liberia airport. At the corner here you'll see a massive Do It Center hardware store and lumber yard.\n\nIf you are going to a hotel along the Papagayo Peninsula, turn at the Do It Center and follow the paved road out and around the peninsula. If you are going to Playa Panam\u00e1 or Playa Hermosa, you should also turn here and take the access road shortcut that leads from a turnoff on the Papagayo Peninsula road, just beyond the Do It Center, directly to Playa Panam\u00e1. When you reach Playa Panam\u00e1, turn left for Playa Hermosa, and turn right for the Hilton Papagayo resort.\n\nPlaya Hermosa.\n\nTo get to Playa Hermosa, you can also continue on a little farther west on CR21, and, just past the village of Comunidad, turn right. In about 11km (63\u20444 miles) you'll come to a fork in the road; take the right fork.\n\nThese roads are all relatively well marked, and a host of prominent hotel billboards should make it easy enough to find the beach or resort you are looking for. The drive takes about 4 to 41\u20442 hours from San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBy Bus: A Tralapa express bus (  2221-7202) leaves San Jos\u00e9 daily at 3:30pm from Calle 20 and Avenida 3, stopping at Playa Hermosa and Playa Panam\u00e1, 3km (13\u20444 miles) farther north. One-way fare for the 5-hour trip is around C4,565.\n\nDaily Gray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 at 8am and 3:30pm for all beaches in this area. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 at 7:45am for all beaches in this area. Both companies charge $40 and will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels, and offer connections to most other major tourist destinations in Costa Rica.\n\nYou can take a bus from San Jos\u00e9 to Liberia (see \"Essentials,\" earlier in this chapter) and then take a bus from Liberia to Playa Hermosa and Playa Panam\u00e1. Local buses (  2665-7530) leave Liberia for Playa Hermosa and Playa Panam\u00e1 at least a half-dozen times daily between 4:40am and 5:30pm. The trip lasts 40 minutes because the bus stops frequently to drop off and pick up passengers. The one-way fare costs C565. These bus schedules change from time to time, so it's always best to check in advance. During the high season and on weekends, extra buses from Liberia are sometimes added. You can also take a bus to Playa del Coco, from which playas Hermosa and Panam\u00e1 are a relatively quick taxi ride away. Taxi fare should run C7,000.\n\nOne direct bus departs for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 5am from Playa Panam\u00e1, with a stop in Playa Hermosa along the way. Buses to Liberia leave Playa Panam\u00e1 regularly between 6am and 7pm, stopping in Playa Hermosa a few minutes later. Ask at your hotel about current schedules, and where to catch the bus.\n\nOrientation From the well-marked turnoff for the Papagayo Peninsula (near the prominent Do It Center hardware store), a paved road leads around to the Allegro Papagayo and Four Seasons resorts. If you are heading to the beaches a little farther south, continue on to the well-marked turnoff for Playa del Coco and Playa Hermosa. This road forks before reaching Playa del Coco. You'll come to the turnoff for Playa Hermosa first. Playa Panam\u00e1 is a few kilometers farther along the same road. The road ends at the Hilton Papagayo Resort. A road connects the Papagayo Peninsula road and Playa Panam\u00e1. This 11km (63\u20444-mile) shortcut is definitely your quickest route to Playa Panam\u00e1.\n\nPlaya Hermosa is about a 450m (1,476-ft.) stretch of beach, with all the hotels laid out along this stretch. From the main road, which continues on to Playa Panam\u00e1, three access roads head off toward the beach. All the hotels are well marked, with signs pointing guests down the right access road. Playa Panam\u00e1 is the least developed of the beaches out here. Somewhat longer than Playa Hermosa, it also has several access roads heading in toward the beach from the main road, which is slightly inland.\n\nPlaya Panam\u00e1.\n\nFun on & Under the Water\n\nMost of the beaches up here are usually quite calm and good for swimming.\n\nIf you want to do some diving, check in with Diving Safaris de Costa Rica \u2605 (  2672-1259; www.costaricadiving.net), on the principal access road into Playa Hermosa, about 137m (450 ft.) before you hit the beach. This is a long-established and respected dive operation. It has a large shop and offers a wide range of trips to numerous dive spots, and it also offers night dives, multiday packages, certification classes, and Nitrox dives. These folks also offer multiday live-aboard and dive trips on their 14m (48-ft.) yacht.\n\nAlternatively, you can check out Resort Divers (  2672-0106; www.resortdivers-cr.com), which has set up shop at the Hilton Papagayo Resort.\n\nBoth of the above-mentioned companies will accept divers from any of the hotels in the area, and can arrange transport. A two-tank dive should run between $70 and $140 per person, depending primarily on the distance traveled to the dive sites.\n\nIn the middle of Playa Hermosa, Aqua Sport (  2672-0050) is where to go for watersports equipment rental. Kayaks, sailboards, canoes, bicycles, beach umbrellas, snorkel gear, and parasails are available at fairly reasonable rates. You'll also find here a small supermarket, public phones, and a restaurant.\n\nBecause the beaches in this area are relatively protected and generally flat, surfers should look into boat trips to nearby Witch's Rock \u2605. Costa Rica Surf Charters (  8935-2538; www.crsurfcharters.com), Hotel Finisterra (  2672-0227), and Aqua Sport (  2672-0050) all offer trips for up to six surfers for around $60 to $120 per hour.\n\nMost of these companies mentioned above also offer fishing trips for between $250 to $600 for groups of two to four anglers. Or you can check in with North Pacific Tours \u2605 (  2670-1564; www.northpacifictours.com).\n\nIf you're interested in wind power, check in with the folks at the El Velero Hotel, or any of the sailboat charter options listed in the Playa del Coco section below. All offer a range of full- and half-day tours, with snorkel stops, as well as sunset cruises.\n\nOther Options\n\nBoth Charlie's Adventures \u2605 (  2672-0317; www.charliesadventure.com) and Swiss Travel Service (  2668-1020; www.swisstravelcr.com) offer a wide range of activities and tours, including trips to Santa Rosa or Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja national parks, and rafting on the Corobic\u00ed River. Both of these operations have desks at several of the hotels around here and will pick you up at any hotel in the area.\n\nThe best zip-line canopy tour in this area is the Witch's Rock Canopy Tour \u2605\u2605 (  2696-7171; www.witchsrockcanopytour.com), just before the Allegro Papagayo Resort. The 11\u20442-hour tour covers 3km (13\u20444 miles) of cables touching down on 24 platforms and crossing 3 suspension bridges. The tour costs $75.\n\nFinally, the Arnold Palmer\u2013designed championship course at the Four Seasons Resort is hands-down the most beautiful and challenging golf course in the country. However, it is open only to Four Seasons' guests.\n\nIf you're looking for some pampering, whether it be a massage, facial, or body scrub, check out Spa Aguas de Hermosa (  2672-1386), which is located in the Hermosa Heights Resort Community, and offers up a wide range of treatment options.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nVery Expensive\n\nFour Seasons Resort Costa Rica \u2605\u2605\u2605   Set on a narrow spit of land between two stunning white-sand beaches, this is the most luxurious and impressive resort in Costa Rica. The architecture is unique, with most buildings featuring flowing roof designs and other touches imitating the forms of turtles, armadillos, and butterflies. Rooms are very spacious, with decorations from around the world and marble bathrooms. Each has a large private balcony with a sofa, a table, and a couple of chairs. Rooms on the third and fourth floors have the best views and are priced accordingly. Suites and villas have even more space and either a private pool, Jacuzzi, or an open-air gazebo for soaking in the views. The resort features the Four Seasons' renowned service (including family-friendly amenities such as kid-size bathrobes and childproof rooms), one of the best-equipped spas in the country, and a spectacular golf course that offers ocean views from 15 of its 18 holes. Despite being such a large resort, these folks have been granted \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nPapagayo Peninsula, Guanacaste. www.fourseasons.com\/costarica.   800\/332-3442 in the U.S., or 2696-0000. Fax 2696-0510. 153 units. $695\u2013$1,240 double; $1,350 and up suites and villas. Children stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 2 bars; lounge; babysitting; children's programs; concierge; championship 18-hole golf course; 3 free-form outdoor pools; room service; smoke-free rooms; full-service spa; 2 tennis courts; watersports equipment. In room: A\/C, TV\/DVD, hair dryer, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nFour Seasons Resort Costa Rica.\n\nOccidental Grand Papagayo \u2605\u2605 This is the highest-end all-inclusive resort of the Occidental Hotel chain in Costa Rica. The rooms are spread over a contoured hillside overlooking the ocean, but not all rooms come with an ocean view. The resort is geared toward couples, and the vast majority of the rooms come with just one king-size bed, although some have two queen-size beds. I like the Grand Concierge rooms, which are close to the pool and restaurants, and feature marble floors. However, the Royal Club rooms and suites are the best rooms, and they come with beefed up concierge services. The protected and calm beach almost entirely disappears at peak high tide. Scheduled activities and entertainment options are offered, and a wide range of additional tours and activities can be added on.\n\nPapagayo Peninsula, Guanacaste. www.occidentalhotels.com.   800\/858-2258 in the U.S. and Canada, 2672-0191 for reservations inside Costa Rica. Fax 2672-0057. 169 units. $300 per person double occupancy; $735 Royal Club room double. Rates include food, drinks, a range of activities, and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 2 bars; lounge; babysitting; large health club and spa; 2 large free-form outdoor pools; smoke-free rooms; 1 lighted tennis court; watersports equipment. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nExpensive\n\nOver on Playa Panam\u00e1, Casa Conde del Mar \u2605 (www.grupocasaconde.com;   2227-4232) is a pretty, boutique resort, with plush rooms and lush grounds.\n\nAllegro Papagayo Resort \u2605   If you're looking for an affordable all-inclusive vacation at a large modern resort with a wide range of facilities and activities, this is a good bet. The rooms are all identical in size\u2014comfortable enough, but by no means extravagant\u2014and housed in three-story buildings spread over a steep hillside overlooking the sea. Logically, the rooms on the upper floors in the buildings higher up the hill have the best views. The beach is an isolated patch of hard-packed salt-and-pepper sand that almost disappears at high tide. The waters here are very protected, and the drop-off is very gradual. However, most folks will want to spend their beach time at the hotel's \"Fun Club\" on a beautiful nearby white-sand beach. A regular boat shuttle brings folks to and fro, and the site has a snack bar\/grill, watersports equipment, and activities.\n\nPlaya Manzanillo, Guanacaste (A.P. 434-1150, La Uruca). www.occidentalhotels.com.   2248-2323 reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2690-9900 at the resort. Fax 2690-9910. 300 units. $113 per person double occupancy. Rates include food, drinks, a range of activities, and taxes. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 3 bars; babysitting; children's programs; small fitness center; 2 Jacuzzis; large free-form outdoor pool; watersports equipment. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nHilton Papagayo Resort \u2605   This sprawling resort is spread across several hillsides that rise up over a small, calm section of beach. Most of the duplex villas can be separated into two rooms or shared by a family or two couples. All rooms have marble floors, large bathrooms, and small private patios or balconies. Some of the junior suites come with private plunge pools. The resort is quite spread out, so if you don't want to do a lot of walking or wait for the minivan shuttles, request a room near the main pool and restaurants. If you want a good view, ask for one on a hill overlooking the bay. The hotel has a large, modern, and plush spa facility. It also has its own small crescent-shape swath of beach, which is very calm and protected for swimming. Among the amenities offered is an excellent children's program, with a range of daily activities.\n\nPlaya Panam\u00e1, Guanacaste. www.hiltonpapagayoresort.com.   800\/445-8667 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2672-0000 in Costa Rica. Fax 2672-0133. 202 units. $229\u2013$329 double; $579\u2013$1,320 suite. Rates include food, drinks, a range of activities, and taxes. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; babysitting; children's programs; well-equipped health center and spa; Jacuzzi; 3-tiered main outdoor pool, small lap pool and resistance lap pool; tennis court; watersports equipment. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Playa Hermosa Bosque del Mar \u2605\u2605\u2605 Following a major rebuild, this has emerged as the premier beachfront boutique hotel in the area. The oceanfront suites here are plush, and feature outdoor Jacuzzis. The garden-view suites are very similar but an indoor sauna replaces the Jacuzzi. In both cases, second floor units have better views and higher ceilings. The junior suites are all cozy and well-equipped. The whole complex was built around and among the lush existing gardens and trees, and employs sustainable practices wherever possible. Trees come up and through the main lobby and restaurant, and through some of the decks off the rooms. Three of the suites are handicapped accessible. The second-floor bar and lounge has great views through the trees to the sea.\n\nPlaya Hermosa, Guanacaste. www.hotelplayahermosa.com.   2672-0046. Fax 2672-0019. 32 units. $175 junior suite; $275 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; pretty outdoor pool w\/sculpted waterfall; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer.\n\nModerate\n\nEl Velero Hotel \u2605 This place is a great choice right on the beach in Playa Hermosa, especially at this price. White walls and polished tile floors give El Velero a Mediterranean flavor. The rooms are large, and those on the second floor have high ceilings. The furnishings are simple, though, and some of the bathrooms are a bit small. The hotel has its own popular little restaurant, which offers a good selection of meat, fish, and shrimp dishes, as well as weekly barbecue fests. Various tours, horseback riding, and fishing trips are arranged through the hotel; the most popular excursions are the full-day and sunset cruises on the hotel's namesake sailboat.\n\nPlaya Hermosa, Guanacaste. www.costaricahotel.net.   2672-1017. Fax 2672-0016. 22 units. $79 double. Rates higher during peak periods, slightly lower during the off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nVilla del Sue\u00f1o Hotel \u2605 Villa del Sue\u00f1o offers cozy rooms at a good price, and one of the better restaurants in Playa Hermosa. All the rooms have cool tile floors, high hardwood ceilings, ceiling fans, and well-placed windows for cross ventilation. The second-floor superior rooms have more space and larger windows. Some suites have full kitchens and multiple bedrooms. Although this hotel isn't right on the beach (it's about 1 block inland), its well-groomed lawns and gardens feel like an oasis in the dust and heat of a Guanacaste dry season. A small pool and open-air bar are in the center courtyard. In addition to fine meals, the restaurant features live music by local acts during high season.\n\nPlaya Hermosa, Guanacaste. www.villadelsueno.com.   800\/378-8599 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2672-0026 in Costa Rica. Fax 2672-0021. 46 units. $75\u2013$105 double; $130\u2013$255 suite. Children 11 and under free. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant (below); bar; two outdoor pools. In room: A\/C, Wi-Fi.\n\nEating & After-Dark Diversions\n\nFor nightlife, find out whether the Villa del Sue\u00f1o Restaurant has live music. Two Saturdays a month, Villa del Sue\u00f1o hosts larger concerts, featuring prominent Costa Rican acts, in its spiffy open-air amphitheater. For U.S.-style bar food and entertainment, try the Upper Deck Sports Bar (  2672-1276), just off the main road. For a more sedate night out, the Embassy Cine (  2672-0173) offers nightly, late-run movies in a small theater, with bar service.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, you'll find good restaurants at both the El Velero Hotel (see \"Where to Stay,\" above) and the Hotel Finisterra (see \"Fun on & Under the Water,\" above).\n\nGinger \u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/TAPAS In this most creative restaurant in the area, the architecture and decor are stylish and modern, with sharp angles and loads of chrome and glass. The food is an eclectic mix of modern takes on wide-ranging international fare, all served as tapas, meant to be shared while sampling the many cocktails and wines. Still, it's easy to make a full meal. Start things off with the signature Ginger Rolls, rice paper rolls filled with poached salmon, avocado, and mango, or the spicy Firecracker shrimp, jumbo shrimp cooked over the grill, with a chili, Hoisin, honey, and lime marinade. More traditional Mediterranean and Spanish-style tapas are also on the menu, as well as delicious desserts.\n\nOn the main road, Playa Hermosa.   2672-0041. www.gingercostarica.com. Tapas $5\u2013$10. MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun 5\u201310pm.\n\nVilla del Sue\u00f1o Restaurant \u2605 INTERNATIONAL A mellow yet refined atmosphere presides under slow-turning ceiling fans at this simple open-air restaurant. In addition to lots of fresh fish are well-prepared pasta dishes and meat and poultry options. A small selection of specials is offered nightly. Live music is available many nights during high season.\n\nAt the Villa del Sue\u00f1o Hotel.   2672-0026. Main courses $12\u2013$24. AE, MC, V. Daily 7am\u20139:30pm.\n\nPlaya del Coco & Playa Ocotal\n\n253km (157 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 35km (22 miles) W of Liberia\n\nPlaya del Coco is one of Costa Rica's busiest and most developed beach destinations. With a large modern mall and shopping center anchoring the eastern edge of town, you'll pass through a tight jumble of restaurants, hotels, and souvenir shops for several blocks before you hit the sand and sea; homes, condos, and hotels have sprouted up along the beach in either direction. This has long been, and remains, a popular destination with middle-class Ticos and weekend revelers from San Jos\u00e9. It's also a prime jumping-off point for some of Costa Rica's best scuba diving. The beach, which has grayish-brown sand and gentle surf, is quite wide at low tide and almost nonexistent at high tide. The crowds that come here like their music loud and constant, so if you're in search of a quiet retreat, stay away from the center of town. Still, if you're looking for a beach with a wide range of inexpensive hotels, lively nightlife, and plenty of cheap food and beer close at hand, you'll enjoy Playa del Coco.\n\nMore interesting still, in my opinion, is Playa Ocotal \u2605, which is a couple of kilometers to the south. This tiny pocket cove features a small salt-and-pepper beach bordered by high bluffs and is quite beautiful. When it's calm there's good snorkeling around some rocky islands close to shore here.\n\nPlaya Ocotal.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Liberia. From there you can arrange for a taxi to take you to Playa del Coco or Playa Ocotal, which is about a 25-minute drive, for $35 to $50.\n\nBy Car: From Liberia, head west on CR21 toward Santa Cruz. Just past the village of Comunidad, turn right. In about 11km (63\u20444 miles) you'll come to a fork in the road. Take the left fork. The right fork goes to Playa Hermosa. The drive takes about 4 hours from San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBy Bus: Pulmitan express buses (  2222-1650) leave San Jos\u00e9 for Playa del Coco at 8am and 2 and 4pm daily from Calle 24 between avenidas 5 and 7. Allow 5 hours for the trip. A one-way ticket is C3,475. From Liberia, buses (  2666-0458) to Playa del Coco leave regularly throughout the day between 5am and 7pm. A one-way ticket for the 40-minute trip costs around C500. These bus schedules change frequently, so it's always best to check in advance. During the high season and on weekends, extra buses from Liberia are sometimes added. The direct bus for San Jos\u00e9 leaves Playa del Coco daily at 4am and 8:45am and 2:45pm. Local buses for Liberia leave daily between 5am and 7pm.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 at 8am for Playa del Coco. The fare is $40. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 at 7:45am. The fare is $40. Both companies will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels, and have connections to most other tourist destinations around Costa Rica.\n\nDepending on demand, the Playa del Coco buses sometimes go as far as Playa Ocotal; it's worth checking beforehand. Otherwise, a taxi should cost around $5.\n\nOrientation Playa del Coco is a compact and busy beach town. Most of its hotels and restaurants are either on the water, on the road leading into town, or on the road that heads north, about 100m (328 ft.) inland from and parallel to the beach.\n\nPlaya Ocotal, which is south of Playa del Coco on a paved road that leaves the main road about 183m (600 ft.) before the beach, is a small collection of vacation homes, condos, and a couple of hotels. It has one bar and one restaurant on the beach.\n\nGetting Around You can rent cars from any number of rental companies. Most are based in Liberia, or at the airport. See \"Essentials,\" under \"Liberia,\" for details and contact information.\n\nIf you can't flag down a taxi on the street, call   2670-0408.\n\nFast Facts The nearest major hospital is in Liberia (  2690-2300). For the local health clinic, call   2670-1717; and for the local pharmacy, call   2670-2050. For the local police, dial   2670-0258. You'll find several banks and ATMs around town.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nPlenty of boats are anchored at Playa del Coco, and that means plenty of opportunities to go fishing, diving, or sailing. Still, the most popular activities, especially among the hordes of Ticos who come here, are lounging on the beach, hanging out in the sodas, and cruising the bars and discos at night. If you're interested, you might be able to join a soccer match. (The soccer field is in the middle of town.) You can also arrange horseback rides; ask at your hotel.\n\nPlaya del Coco.\n\nBeach Club If you're staying at a hotel without a pool, or just want a sense of exclusivity on the beach, you might check out Caf\u00e9 de Playa Beach & Dining Club (  2670-1621; www.cafedeplaya.com). In addition to having an excellent restaurant, this place offers day passes for $15 that allow access to their pool and private grassy lawn fronting the beach, and spread with comfortable teak chaise lounges. They also have a host of watersports equipment rental and tour options, and a small spa.\n\nCanopy Tour The Congo Trail Canopy Tour (  2666-4422 or 2697-1801) is on the outskirts of Playa del Coco, along a dirt road that leads to Playa Pan de Az\u00facar. This place is set in a stand of thick, tropical dry forest. In addition to the zip-line canopy tour, these folks have a small butterfly farm, and a few zoo-enclosures, with some monkeys, and reptiles. The tour runs every day from 8am to 5pm, and costs $35 for the canopy tour, and an extra $5 to see the animals.\n\nFour-Wheeling ATV tours along a deserted beach and through the surrounding forests are offered by Fourtrax Adventures (  2653-4040; www.fourtraxadventure.com), which charges $75 for its 2-hour outing. You can also combine their ATV tour with a canopy tour, for $110 per person.\n\nGolf Located about 10km (61\u20444 miles) outside Playa del Coco, the Papagayo Golf & Country Club \u2605 (  2697-0169; www.papagayo-golf.com) is a full 18-hole course, with a pro shop, driving range, and rental equipment. It costs $95 in greens fees, including a cart, and access to the pool area before or after your round. Tee time reservations are necessary on weekends. Closed Mondays during the off season.\n\nGym If you want to work out while in town, head to the Coco Gym (  2670-2129; www.cocogym.com), which is on the road between Playa del Coco and Ocotal. Weights, cardio machines, and a range of classes are all offered. A day pass here costs just $5.\n\nSailing Several cruising sailboats and longtime local salts offer daily sailing excursions. The 47-foot ketch-rigged Kuna Vela (  8301-3030; www.kunavela.com) and the Seabird (  8880-6393; www.seabirdsailingexcursions.com), a 45-foot ketch, are two boats plying the waters off Playa del Coco. Both offer half- and full-day and sunset sailing options, with snorkel stops and an open bar.\n\nScuba Diving Scuba diving is the most popular watersport in the area, and dive shops abound. Ocotal Diving (  2670-0321; www.ocotaldiving.com), Summer Salt (  2670-0308; www.summer-salt.com), and Rich Coast Diving (  2670-0176; www.richcoastdiving.com) are the most established and offer equipment rentals and dive trips. A two-tank dive, with equipment, should cost between $75 and $150 per person, depending on the distance to the dive site. The more distant dive sites visited include the Catalina Islands and Bat Island. All of these operators also offer PADI certification courses.\n\nA moray eel.\n\nSportfishing Full- and half-day sportfishing excursions can be arranged through any of the hotel tour desks, or with Tranquilamar (  2670-0833; www.tranquilamar.com). A half-day of fishing, with boat, captain, food, and tackle, should cost $500 for two to four passengers; a full day should run $700.\n\nSurfing Playa del Coco has no surf whatsoever, but it is a popular jumping-off point for daily boat trips to Witch's Rock or Roca Bruja, and Ollie's Point up in Santa Rosa National Park. Most of the above-mentioned sportfishing and dive operations also ferry surfers up to these two isolated surf breaks. Alternatively, you can contact Roca Bruja Surf Operations (  2670-1020). A boat that carries five surfers for a full day, including lunch and beer, should run around $285 to $350. Note: Both Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point are technically within Santa Rosa National Park. Permits are sometimes required, and boats without permits are sometimes turned away. If you decide to go, be sure your boat captain is licensed and has cleared access to the park. You may also have to pay the park's $10 entrance fee.\n\n  Charlie Don't Surf, But Ollie Does\n\nOllie's Point is named after Oliver North, the famous and felonious former lieutenant colonel at the center of the Iran-Contra scandal. The beaches and ports of northern Guanacaste were a staging ground for supplying the Nicaraguan Contra rebels. Legend has it that during a news broadcast of an interview with North, some surfers noticed a fabulous point break going off in the background. Hence, the discovery and naming of Ollie's Point.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nExpensive\n\nEl Ocotal Beach Resort \u2605 This place has been plagued with management and service issues and could use a major overhaul. That said, it's the most complete and best located resort in the Playas del Coco\/Ocotal area. The guest rooms vary considerably in size and styling. Those at the top of the hill overlook a dramatic stretch of rocky coastline and have fabulous views, although if you want quick access to the beach, choose one of the lower units. Each of the six duplex bungalows shares a small oceanview plunge pool. The third-floor suite, no. 520, is the best room in the house, with a large wraparound balcony and private Jacuzzi. El Ocotal's hilltop restaurant is a great place to watch the sunset and have a drink. Note: It's a steep, vigorous hike from bottom to top at this resort.\n\nPlaya del Coco, Guanacaste. www.ocotalresort.com.   2670-0321. Fax 2670-0083. 42 units, 12 bungalows, 5 suites. $125 double; $170 bungalow and suite. Rates include full breakfast. Children 11 and under free. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; exercise room; Jacuzzi; 3 outdoor pools and 3 plunge pools; lighted tennis court. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nCoco Beach Hotel & Casino This two-story hotel is the biggest thing in Playa del Coco and is an acceptable choice if you're looking for a contemporary and well-equipped room, close to the beach, restaurants, and action. The rooms are identical in size, and come with two queen-size beds. All share a common veranda, which gets blasted by the hot afternoon sun. The casino here is the best in Playa del Coco. You can't miss this large building on your right, on the main road into Playa del Coco\u2014about 2 blocks before you hit the beach.\n\nPlaya del Coco, Guanacaste. www.cocobeachhotelandcasino.com.   2670-0494. Fax 2670-0555. 32 units. $102 double. Rates substantially lower in the off season. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; casino; small outdoor pool; small spa. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Villa Casa Blanca \u2605 With friendly staff, beautiful gardens, and attractive rooms, this bed-and-breakfast inn is one of my favorite options in the area. Located about 500m (1,640 ft.) inland from the beach at Playa Ocotal, it's built in the style of a Spanish villa. All the guest rooms feature fine furnishings and are well kept. Some are a tad small, but others are quite roomy. The suites are higher up and have ocean views. My favorite has a secluded patio with lush flowering plants all around. A little rancho serves as an open-air bar and breakfast area, and beside this is a pretty little lap pool with a bridge over it. Another separate rancho serves as a sort of lounge\/recreation area and they have a little in-house day spa.\n\nPlaya Ocotal, Guanacaste. www.hotelvillacasablanca.com.   2670-0518. Fax 2670-0448. 11 units. $105 double; $125 double suite. Rates include breakfast buffet and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amen\u00adities: Outdoor lounge and bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool; small day spa. In room: A\/C, Wi-Fi.\n\nThe Suites at Caf\u00e9 de Playa \u2605 While simple and understated, the five suites here are the plushest beachfront rooms you'll find right in Playa del Coco. The design and decor are minimalist, with contemporary fixtures, furnishings, and art. Rooms are arranged around a central pool area and come with either one or two queen-size beds. The best thing about these rooms is the fact that they are just a few steps from the sand, and allow you access to the facilities and services available at Caf\u00e9 de Playa.\n\nPlaya del Coco, Guanacaste. www.cafedeplaya.com.   2670-1621. 4 units. $100\u2013$140 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; outdoor pool; small spa. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nA clutch of basic open-air sodas is at the traffic circle in the center of El Coco village. These restaurants serve Tico standards, with an emphasis on fried fish. Prices are quite low\u2014and so is the quality, for the most part.\n\nYou can get excellent Italian food at La Dolce Vita (  2670-2142; www.ladolcevitacostarica.com), in the little El Pueblito strip mall on the road running north and parallel to the beach.\n\nRight on the main strip, you'll also find the neighboring Papagayo and Louisiana operations. Growing out of the success of their seafood restaurant, Papagayo Seafood (  2670-0298) has opened both the Papagayo Steak House (  2670-0605) and Papagayo Sushi Boat (  2670-0298), in an attempt to cover all possible bases.\n\nCaf\u00e9 de Playa \u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/FUSION This hip restaurant is the most elegant and enjoyable spot in Playa del Coco. The creative menu covers a lot of ground, with influences from Italy and across Asia most prevalent. Appetizers range from an octopus carpaccio to a cold Thai beef salad. There are several pasta choices, and a very tasty oriental rice salad with smoked tuna, caviar, and avocado. Lobster is served several ways, as are tenderloin filets. Heavy teak tables and chairs are spread around the ample open-air dining room, or out under the open sky (either sun or stars, depending upon the hour). These folks also have an excellent wine list, with plenty of Italian and French choices, in addition to the more common Chilean and Argentine fare.\n\nOn the beach, Playa del Coco.   2670-1621. www.cafedeplaya.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C5,500\u2013C13,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 8am\u201310pm.\n\nFather Rooster   SEAFOOD\/BAR Set on the sand, just steps from Playa Ocotal, this beachfront bar and restaurant is supposed to look like a simple wooden shack. They serve up hearty and fresh lunch and dinner fare, and cool tasty cocktails. I recommend the fish tacos or beer battered shrimp. Heavy wooden tables and chairs are set under shade trees in the sand, and more ring the wraparound veranda. Inside, you'll find a pool table. Live bands occasionally set up here on weekend nights.\n\nOn the beach, Playa Ocotal.   2670-1246. Main courses C6,200\u2013C13,500. MC, V. Daily 11am\u201310pm.\n\nPlaya del Coco After Dark\n\nPlaya del Coco is one of Costa Rica's liveliest beach towns after dark. Most of the action is centered along a 2-block section of the main road into town, just before you hit the beach. Here you'll find the Lizard Lounge \u2605 (  2670-0307), which has a big party vibe. Just across the street is the large, open-air Zi Lounge \u2605 (  2670-1982; www.coconutz-costarica.com).\n\nIf you head north on the dirt road running parallel to the beach you'll find Caf\u00e9 de Playa (see above), which often has live music and concerts, with major acts from San Jos\u00e9, as well as local talent filling the bills. For a Middle Eastern\u2013inspired mellow lounge scene, you can head to Kashbar (  2670-2141; www.kashbar.com), in the Pueblito shopping center, located on this same road.\n\nOn the south end of the beach, reached via a rickety footbridge over the estuary, you'll find La Vida Loca \u2605 (  2670-0181), a lively beachfront bar with a pool table, Ping-Pong table, foosball table, and live bands.\n\nEn Route: Between Playas del Coco & Playa Flamingo\n\nHotel Sugar Beach \u2605\u2605 Playa Pan de Az\u00facar, or Sugar Beach, is a pretty, salt-and-pepper sand beach on a small cove surrounded by rocky hills. This is the only hotel in the area, and that's what gives it most of its charm, in my opinion\u2014lots of seclusion and privacy. Nature lovers will be thrilled to find that howler monkeys and iguanas abound on the grounds. Snorkelers should be happy here too; this cove has some good snorkeling on calm days. I like the oceanfront standard rooms, which have great views and easy access to the beach. However, the deluxe rooms and suites, which are set back on a hillside, are larger and more luxurious, and some have excellent ocean views from their private balconies. If you don't land one of the rooms with a sea view, the main lodge and restaurant have commanding views from a hillside perch.\n\nPlaya Pan de Az\u00facar, Guanacaste. www.sugar-beach.com.   2654-4242. Fax 2654-4239. 30 units. $123 double; $235 suite; $700 villa. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small kidney-shape pool set on the hillside; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge.\n\nRIU Guanacaste \u2605   This is the largest all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica, and it offers up everything you might want or expect in this genre. Rooms are spacious and well-equipped, and most have at least some view of the ocean from a private balcony. The large, multilevel pool is the center of the action here, although plenty of tour and activity options are available, including a tennis court and a massive spa, as well as a secluded and seldom visited beach out front. The beach itself is a bit rocky and steep, with dark brown sand, but the waters are generally calm and well-protected, and a fair number of shade trees line the shore. You'll definitely get a better deal than the published rack rate if you book online.\n\nPlaya Matapalo, Guanacaste. www.riu.com.   800\/748-4990 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2681-2300 at the hotel. Fax 2681-2305. 701 units. $304 double; $389 suite; $414 Jacuzzi suite. Rates include all meals, drinks, taxes, a wide range of activities, and use of nonmotorized land and watersports equipment. Spa services extra. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 5 bars; 2 lounges; casino; discotheque; babysitting; free bike usage; children's programs; concierge; extensive exercise facilities and spa; large free-form outdoor pool w\/several Jacuzzis, smoke-free rooms; lighted tennis court; watersports equipment rental; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nPlayas Conchal & Brasilito\n\n280km (174 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 67km (42 miles) SW of Liberia\n\nPlaya Conchal \u2605\u2605 is the first in a string of beaches stretching north along this coast. This beach is almost entirely backed by the massive Westin Playa Conchal resort and Reserva Conchal condominium complex. The unique beach here was once made up primarily of soft crushed shells\u2014a shell-collectors' heaven. Unfortunately, as Conchal has developed and its popularity spread, unscrupulous builders have brought in dump trucks to haul away the namesake seashells for landscaping and construction, and the impact is noticeable.\n\nJust beyond Playa Conchal to the north, you'll come to Playa Brasilito, a tiny beach town and one of the few real villages in the area. The soccer field is the center of the village, and around its edges are a couple of little pulper\u00edas (general stores). The long stretch of gray sand beach has a quiet, undiscovered feel to it.\n\nDining on the beach at Playa Brasilito.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Tamarindo (see \"Tamarindo: Getting There; By Plane\" below), although it is also possible to fly into Liberia. From either of these places, you can arrange for a taxi to drive you to any of these beaches. Playas Brasilito and Conchal are about 25 minutes from Tamarindo and 40 minutes from Liberia. A taxi from Tamarindo should cost around $30 to $45, and between $50 and $70 from Liberia.\n\nBy Car: Two major routes go to the beaches. The most direct is by way of the La Amistad Bridge over the Tempisque River. Take the Interamerican Highway west from San Jos\u00e9. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) past the turnoff for Puntarenas, you'll see signs for the turnoff to the bridge. After crossing the Tempisque River, follow the signs for Nicoya, continuing north to Santa Cruz. About 16km (10 miles) north of Santa Cruz, just before the village of Bel\u00e9n, take the turnoff for playas Conchal, Brasilito, Flamingo, and Potrero. After another 20km (12 miles), at the town of Huacas, take the right fork to reach these beaches. The drive takes about 41\u20442 hours.\n\nAlternatively, you can drive here via Liberia. When you reach Liberia, turn west and follow the signs for Santa Cruz and the various beaches. Just beyond the town of Bel\u00e9n, take the turnoff for playas Flamingo, Brasilito, and Potrero, and continue following the directions given above. This route takes around 5 hours.\n\nBy Bus: Tralapa express buses (  2221-7202 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2654-4203 in Flamingo) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 8 and 10:30am and 3pm from Calle 20 between avenidas 3 and 5, stopping at playas Brasilito, Flamingo, and Potrero, in that order. The ride takes around 5 hours. A one-way ticket costs C5,265.\n\nAlternatively, the same company's buses to Santa Cruz (  2680-0392) connect with one of the several buses from Santa Cruz to Playa Potrero. Buses depart San Jos\u00e9 for Santa Cruz roughly every 2 hours daily between 7am and 6pm from Calle 20 between avenidas 3 and 5. Trip duration is around 4 hours; the fare is C4,600. From Santa Cruz, the ride is about 90 minutes; the fare is C1,100.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has two daily buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Playa Flamingo at 8am and 3:30pm. The fare is $40. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Playa Flamingo at 7:30am and 2:30pm. The fare is $40. Both companies will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels, and offer connections to most other tourist destinations in the country.\n\nExpress buses depart Playa Potrero for San Jos\u00e9 at 3 and 9am and 2pm, stopping a few minutes later in playas Flamingo and Brasilito. Ask at your hotel where to catch the bus. Buses to Santa Cruz leave Potrero at regular intervals throughout the day and take about 90 minutes. If you're heading north toward Liberia, get off the bus at Bel\u00e9n and wait for a bus going north. Buses leave Santa Cruz for San Jos\u00e9 roughly every other hour between 6am and 6pm.\n\nOrientation The pavement ends just beyond Playa Conchal as you leave the small village of Brasilito.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nPlaya Conchal \u2605\u2605, which is legendary for its crushed seashells, is also stunningly beautiful, but the drop-off is quite steep, making it notorious for its strong riptides. However, the water at Playa Brasilito is often fairly calm, which makes it a good swimming choice. This is also a great jumping-off point for visiting other nearby, and less popular beaches, like Playa La Penca \u2605\u2605 and Playa Pan de Az\u00facar \u2605\u2605, both of which are north of here.\n\nThe village of Playa Brasilito.\n\nAll of the hotels here have tour desks offering a range of tour and activity options, including those available in the Flamingo and Potrero area.\n\nTip: All beaches in Costa Rica are public property. But the land behind the beaches is not, and the Westin hotel owns almost all of it in Playa Conchal, so the only public access is along the soft-sand road that follows the beach south from Brasilito. Before the road reaches Conchal, you'll have to ford a small river and then climb a steep, rocky hill, so four-wheel-drive is recommended.\n\nGolf The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605 (  2654-4123) is home to the excellent Reserva Conchal Golf Course. This Robert Trent Jones\u2013designed resort course features broad open fairways, fast greens, and a few wonderful views of the ocean. It is open to the walk-in public from neighboring hotels and resorts. It costs $150 in greens fees for 18 holes and $95 for nine holes. If you tee off after 1pm, the price drops to $95 for all the rounds you can squeeze in.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nVery Expensive\n\nWestin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605 From the massive open-air reception building down to the sprawling free-form swimming pool, everything at this resort is done on a grand scale. All rooms are suites and come with either one king-size bed or two double beds in a raised bedroom nook. Each unit has a garden patio or a small balcony. Very few rooms here have ocean views. The golf course, with its ponds and wetlands, allows for healthy populations of parrots, roseate spoonbills, and wood storks. Because the hotel owns so much land behind Playa Conchal, guests have almost exclusive access to this crushed-seashell beach. For years a Melia property, this place was taken over by the Westin hotel group in May 2011.\n\nPlaya Conchal, Guanacaste. www.starwoodhotels.com.   888\/336-3542 in the U.S., or 2654-3300. Fax 2654-3449. 406 units. $300\u2013$420 double; $560 and up deluxe double. Rates include all meals, drinks, taxes, a wide range of activities, and use of nonmotorized land and watersports equipment. Golf and spa services extra. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 6 restaurants; 5 bars; 2 lounges; casino; babysitting; bike rental; children's programs; concierge; Robert Trent Jones II\u2013designed 18-hole golf course and pro shop; modest exercise facilities and spa; massive free-form outdoor pool w\/several Jacuzzis, another large outdoor pool for Royal Level suites; room service; all rooms smoke-free; 4 lighted tennis courts; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nA string of inexpensive cabinas line the main road leading into Brasilito, just before you hit the beach. It's also possible to camp on playas Potrero and Brasilito. At the former, contact Maiyra's (  2654-4213); at the latter, try Camping Brasilito (  2654-4452). Both of these places offer some budget rooms as well. Each charges around C2,000 per person to make camp and use the basic restroom facilities or around C5,000 to C10,000 per person to stay in a rustic room.\n\nHotel Brasilito   This hotel, just across a sand road from the beach, offers pretty basic and small rooms that are nonetheless quite clean and well maintained. The bar and a big open-air restaurant are excellent. Even with Playa Brasilito's glut of budget options, this is one of the best values and is the closest to the water. The best rooms have balconies with ocean views, and air-conditioning. The hotel rents snorkeling equipment, kayaks, body boards, and horses and can arrange a variety of tours.\n\nPlaya Brasilito, Guanacaste. www.hotelbrasilito.com.   2654-4237. 15 units. $40\u2013$49 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; watersports equipment rental. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nYou'll find good fresh seafood and international fare at the Happy Snapper (  2654-4413) in Brasilito.\n\nCamar\u00f3n Dorado   SEAFOOD With a series of tables and kerosene torches set right in the sand just steps from the crashing surf, this is one of the most perfectly placed beach restaurants in the country. More tables are in a simple, open-air dining room, for those who don't want sand in their shoes. The service is sketchy, and at times can be anything from lax to rude. The seafood is fresh and well-prepared. When I asked to see the wine list, two waiters came over carrying about 12 different bottles between them, held precariously between the straining fingers of each hand.\n\nPlaya Brasilito.   2654-4028. Reservations recommended in high season. Main courses C5,000\u2013C10,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201310pm.\n\nPlayas Conchal & Brasilito After Dark\n\nPretty much all of the nightlife in Playa Conchal happens at the large Westin resort, which has a range of bars, nightly entertainment, and a casino. Over in Brasilito, you might see if there's any live music or sporting events on the televisions at the Happy Snapper (see above).\n\nPlayas Flamingo \u2605\u2605 & Potrero\n\n285km (176 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 71km (44 miles) SW of Liberia\n\nPlaya Flamingo is one of the prettiest beaches in the region. A long, broad stretch of pinkish white sand, it is on a long spit of land that forms part of Potrero Bay. At the northern end of the beach is a high rock outcropping upon which most of Playa Flamingo's hotels and vacation homes are built. This rocky hill has great views.\n\nIf you continue along the road from Brasilito without taking the turn for Playa Flamingo, you'll come to Playa Potrero, which sits in a broadly curving bay, protected by the Flamingo headlands. The sand here is a brownish gray, but the beach is long, clean, deserted, and very calm for swimming. You can see the hotels of Playa Flamingo across the bay. Drive a little farther north and you'll find the still-underdeveloped beaches of Playa Prieta \u2605, Playa La Penca \u2605 and, finally, Playa Pan de Az\u00facar \u2605\u2605, or Sugar Beach.\n\nPlaya Pan de Az\u00facar.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Tamarindo (see \"Tamarindo: Getting There; By Plane\" below), although it is also possible to fly into Liberia. From either, you can arrange for a taxi to drive you to any of these beaches. Playas Flamingo and Potrero are about 30 minutes from Tamarindo and 45 minutes from Liberia. A taxi from Tamarindo should cost around $35 to $50, and between $50 and $70 from Liberia.\n\nBy Car: See the information for driving to Playas Conchal and Brasilito above. Playa Flamingo is the first beach you'll come to beyond Playa Brasilito. Two prominent turnoffs on your left will take you to the beach, whereas if you continue straight, and follow signs bearing right, you'll soon come to Playa Potrero.\n\nGetting Around Economy Rent A Car (  2654-4543) has an office in Playa Flamingo.\n\nOrientation A small collection of shops is in a couple of minimalls at the crossroads in the center of Playa Flamingo. Here you'll find a branch of Banco de Costa Rica, as well as the Santa Fe Pharmacy and Medical Center (  2665-4960 or 2665-1425).\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nPlaya Flamingo \u2605\u2605 is a long and beautiful stretch of soft white sand, although the surf can sometimes get a bit rough here. The beach doesn't have much shade, so be sure to use plenty of sunscreen and bring an umbrella if you can. If you're not staying here, parking spots are all along the beach road where you can park your car for the day\u2014although do not leave anything of value inside. Playa Potrero has much gentler surf and, therefore, is the better swimming beach. However, the beach is made up of hard-packed dark sand that is much less appealing than Playa Flamingo.\n\nPlaya Flamingo.\n\nHorseback Riding You can arrange a horseback ride with the Flamingo Equestrian Center (  8846-7878; www.equestriancostarica.com) or Casagua Horses (  2653-8041; www.paintedponyguestranch.com). Depending on the size of your group, it should cost between $25 and $40 per person per hour.\n\nLearn the Language The Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (  2654-5002; www.cpi-edu.com), which has schools in San Jos\u00e9 and Monteverde, has a branch in Flamingo, across from the Flamingo Marina, facing Potrero Bay. A 1-week course with 4 hours of classes per day costs $350. Longer course options, and homestays with local families are available.\n\nScuba Diving Scuba diving is quite popular here. Costa Rica Diving ( \/fax 2654-4148; www.costarica-diving.com) has a shop in Flamingo and offers trips to the Catalina Island for around $85. Alternatively, you can check in at the Flamingo Marina Resort Hotel and Club.\n\n  Flamingo Marina\n\nIn 2004, the Flamingo marina was closed down by the municipal and county authorities for operating without proper permits (it had been built and set up a decade or so earlier). Currently, it remains tied up in a slow and convoluted process of public bidding, and there's been no word on when or if it will re-open. The harbor just outside the marina break wall is big, deep, and well protected; all boats are just working from there, and are kept at anchor, instead of at dock.\n\nSportfishing & Sailboat Charters Although the Flamingo Marina remains in a state of legal limbo and turmoil (see box above), you still have plenty of sportfishing and sailboat charter options here. Jim McKee, the former force behind the Flamingo Marina, manages a fleet of boats. Contact him via his company, Oso Viejo (  8827-5533 or 2653-8437; www.flamingobeachcr.com). A full-day fishing excursion costs between $700 and $2,200, depending on the size and quality of the boat, and distance traveled to the fishing grounds. Half-day trips cost between $500 and $700.\n\nIf you're looking for a full- or half-day sail or sunset cruise, check in with Oso Viejo to see what boats are available, or ask about the 52-foot cutter Shannon. Prices range from around $50 to $120 per person, depending on the length of the cruise. Multiday trips are also available.\n\nAlternatively, you can ask at the Flamingo Marina Resort Hotel and Club.\n\nA sailboat cruise near Tamarindo.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIf you plan to be here for a while or are coming down with friends or a large family, you might want to consider renting a condo or house. For information and reservations, contact the folks at Emerald Shores Realty (  2654-4554; www.emeraldshoresrealty.net) or Century 21 Marina Trading Post (  2654-4004; www.century21costarica.net).\n\nExpensive\n\nBah\u00eda del Sol \u2605 This small resort hotel sits right on the water's edge at the heart of Playa Potrero. The rooms are all fairly large and feature contemporary tropical decor with bright primary colors at every turn, although the furnishings are rather sparse. All have either a private balcony or shared veranda, and most of these are strung with hammocks. They also have fully equipped studio and two-bedroom apartments that are a good bet for longer stays. The midsize pool features a Jacuzzi, whose water cascades down a faux-waterfall into it. The large open-air restaurant serves fresh seafood and international fare, and offers wonderful views of Potrero Bay.\n\nPlaya Potrero, Guanacaste. www.bahiadelsolhotel.com.   866\/223-2463 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2654-4671 in Costa Rica. Fax 2654-5182. 28 units. $186 double; $250 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; large outdoor pool; room service; small spa; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer.\n\nFlamingo Beach Resort Located right across the road from the best section of beach at Playa Flamingo, this large resort boasts an enviable location fronting a gorgeous section of beach. The hotel is constructed in a horseshoe shape around a large pool and opens out onto the ocean. Half of the rooms have clear views of the ocean across a narrow dirt road. I definitely prefer the pool and oceanview rooms. The \"mountain view\" rooms aren't quite as desirable. All the rooms are clean and cool, with tile floors and comfortable bathrooms. The suites are larger and better equipped, with full-size refrigerators and kitchenettes.\n\nPlaya Flamingo, Guanacaste. www.resortflamingobeach.com.   2654-4444. Fax 2654-4060. 120 units. $162 double; $511 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; casino; exercise room; large outdoor pool; room service; small spa; outdoor lighted tennis court; watersport equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer, kitchenette (in suites).\n\nModerate\n\nFlamingo Marina Resort Hotel and Club \u2605 Uphill from the beach, the Flamingo Marina Hotel is a midsize resort with a good mix of facilities and amenities. The entire complex has received steady upkeep and makeovers over the years, although it was built in distinct stages, and lacks a sense of cohesion. Most rooms have white tile floors, bright bedspreads, and lots of light. The suites have leather couches and a wet bar in the seating area, as well as private whirlpool tubs. Condo units have full kitchenettes. All the rooms have patios or balconies, and most have pretty good bay views. While not directly on the beach (like Flamingo Beach Resort or Sugar Beach, see above), the hotel is close to Flamingo's principal beach, as well as all of the town's restaurants and nightlife options.\n\nPlaya Flamingo, Guanacaste. www.flamingomarina.com.   2654-4141. Fax 2654-4035. 30 units, 60 apts. $119 double; $149\u2013$189 suite; $209\u2013$280 apt. Standard rooms include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; Jacuzzi; 5 small outdoor pools; tennis court; watersports equipment rental; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, kitchenette (in condos).\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nYou also can't go wrong with the California-style and Asian fusion cuisine at Angelina's \u2605 (  2654-4839), on the second floor of La Plaza shopping center. In Playa Potrero, El Castillo (  2654-4271) is the most happening spot, with a wide-ranging menu of bar food and main courses.\n\nMarie's \u2605 COSTA RICAN\/SEAFOOD This long-standing local restaurant is a large open-air affair, with a soaring thatch roof and tall, thick columns all around. The menu has grown steadily over the years, although the best option here is always some simply prepared fresh fish, chicken, or meat. Check the blackboard for the daily specials, which usually highlight the freshest catch, such as mahimahi (dorado), marlin, and red snapper. You'll also find such Tico favorites as casados (rice-and-bean dish), rotisserie chicken, and ceviche, as well as burritos and quesadillas.\n\nPlaya Flamingo.   2654-4136. www.mariesrestaurantincostarica.com. Reservations recommended for dinner during the high season. Main courses C4,600\u2013C12,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 6:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nMar y Sol \u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/SEAFOOD French chef Alain Taulere has prepared food for regular folk and royalty. For visitors to his hilltop restaurant in Flamingo Beach, he offers a small, well-executed, and pricey selection of fresh seafood and meats. The ambience is casually formal, with the open-air main dining room dimly lit by old-fashioned lamp posts and covered by a thatch roof. Along with a surf-and-turf combo featuring filet mignon and either lobster tails or jumbo shrimp, menu highlights include a Peking-style duck served with maple-hoisin sauce. For starters, try the escargot in puff pastry, or the refreshing Gazpacho, which is a family recipe that's been passed down for generations. Call in advance for free transportation from and back to your hotel.\n\nPlaya Flamingo.   2654-4151. www.marysolflamingo.com. Reservations recommended for dinner in high season. Main courses $14\u2013$28. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 5\u201310pm. Closed Sept\u2013Oct.\n\nPlaya Flamingo After Dark\n\nWith both a disco and casino, Amberes (  2654-4001), just slightly up the hill at the north end of town, is the undisputed hot spot in this area; however, Flamingo Beach Resort also has a casino. You'll find a mellower bar and lounge scene at the bar of Angelina's \u2605.\n\nIn Playa Potrero, locals and tourists alike gather at El Castillo (see above), which sometimes has live bands.\n\nPlaya Grande \u2605\u2605\n\n295km (183 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 70km (43 miles) SW of Liberia\n\nPlaya Grande is one of the principal nesting sites for the giant leatherback turtle, the largest turtle in the world. This beach is often too rough for swimming, but the well-formed and consistent beach break here is very popular with surfers. The beach here is a long, straight stretch of soft, golden sand, with very little development at the moment. I almost hate to mention places to stay in Playa Grande because the steady influx of tourists and development is severely threatening it as a turtle-nesting site. See map \"Around Tamarindo\".\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Tamarindo (see \"Tamarindo: Getting There; By Plane\" below), although it is also possible to fly into Liberia. From either of these places, you can arrange for a taxi to drive you to Playa Grande. Playa Grande is about 15 minutes from Tamarindo and 45 minutes from Liberia. A taxi from Tamarindo should cost around $25 to $40, and between $50 and $70 from Liberia.\n\nBy Car: See the information for driving to Tamarindo below. The dirt and gravel entrance roads to Playa Grande are located along CR155 between Tamarindo and Huacas.\n\nWatching Nesting Sea Turtles Leatherback sea turtles nest on Playa Grande between early October and mid-February. The turtles come ashore to lay their eggs only at night. During the nesting season, you'll be inundated with opportunities to sign up for nightly tours, which usually cost $35 to $50 per person. No flash photography or flashlights are allowed because any sort of light can confuse the turtles and prevent them from laying their eggs; guides must use red-tinted flashlights.\n\nNote: Turtle nesting is a natural, unpredictable, and increasingly rare event. Moreover, things have gotten worse here over the years. All indications are that excessive building and lighting close to the beach are the culprits. Even during heavy nesting years you sometimes have to wait your turn for hours, hike quite a way, and even accept the possibility that no nesting mothers will be spotted that evening.\n\nIf your hotel can't set a tour up for you, you'll see signs all over town offering tours. Make sure you go with someone licensed and reputable. Do-it-yourselfers can drive over to Playa Grande and book a $25 tour directly with the National Parks Service (  2653-0470). The Parks Service operates out of a small shack just before the beach, across from the Hotel Las Tortugas. It opens each evening at around 6pm to begin taking reservations. They sometimes answer their phone during the day, and it's best to make a reservation in advance because only a limited number of people are allowed on the beach at one time. Spots fill up fast, and if you don't have a reservation, you may have to wait until really late, or you may not be able to go out onto the beach.\n\nA nesting leatherback turtle on Playa Grande.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Hotel Bula Bula \u2605 (www.hotelbulabula.com;   877\/658-2880 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2653-0975 in Costa Rica) is another excellent inland option, while the Playa Grande Surf Camp (www.playagrandesurfcamp.com;   2653-1074) is geared toward surfers and budget travelers.\n\nHotel Las Tortugas \u2605   The owner of this place has led the local fight to protect the leatherback turtles that nest here, and have the surrounding area declared Las Baulas National Park. Several of the rooms are quite large, and most have interesting stone floors and shower stalls. The upper suite has a curving staircase that leads to its second room. As part of the hotel's turtle-friendly design, a natural wall of shrubs and trees shields the beach from the restaurant's light and noise, and the swimming pool is shaped like a turtle. These folks also have fully equipped apartments a few blocks inland available for weekly or monthly rental.\n\nPlaya Grande, Guanacaste. www.lastortugashotel.com.   2653-0423 or  \/fax 2653-0458. 10 units. $90\u2013$100 double; $135 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV (in some), no phone.\n\nRipjack Inn \u2605 This hotel is about 100m (328 ft.) inland from the beach, which is reached via a short path. The rooms are all clean and cool, with tile floors, air-conditioning, and private bathrooms. The rooms come in several sizes and a mix of bed arrangements. They feature various Indonesian-inspired and imported design touches. The hotel's restaurant and bar, on the second floor of the octagonal main building, is one of the best restaurants in Playa Grande. The hotel has a large yoga studio, with regular classes for guests and the local community.\n\nPlaya Grande, Guanacaste. www.ripjackinn.com.   800\/808-4605 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2653-0480 in Costa Rica. Fax 2652-9272. 8 units. $80\u2013$125 double. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, no phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nDining options are pretty limited in Playa Grande. I like Upstairs \u2605, the restaurant at the Ripjack Inn, or The Great Waltini's \u2605, at the Hotel Bula Bula. Both are excellent restaurants serving fresh seafood and prime meats, cooked with care and creativity.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo \u2605\u2605\n\n295km (183 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 73km (45 miles) SW of Liberia\n\nTamarindo is the biggest boomtown in Guanacaste\u2014and in some ways, I think the boom went a bit too far, a bit too fast. The main road into Tamarindo is a helter-skelter jumble of strip malls, surf shops, hotels, and restaurants. Ongoing development is spreading up the hills inland from the beach and south to Playa Langosta. None of it seems regulated or particularly well planned out.\n\nStill, the wide range of accommodations, abundant restaurants, and active nightlife, along with very dependable surf, have established Tamarindo as one of the most popular beaches on this coast. The beautiful beach here is a long, wide swath of white sand that curves gently from one rocky headland to another. Fishing boats bob at their moorings and brown pelicans fish just beyond the breakers. A sandy islet off the southern end of the beach makes a great destination if you're a strong swimmer; if you're not, it makes a great foreground for sunsets. Tamarindo is very popular with surfers, who ply the break right here or use the town as a jumping-off place for beach and point breaks at playas Grande, Langosta, Avellanas, and Negra.\n\nSurfing in Tamarindo.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has three daily flights to Tamarindo from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport, at 9:10 and 11:46am, and 3:10pm. Return flights leave Tamarindo at 10:17am, and 2:53 and 4:17pm for San Jos\u00e9. The flight takes 55 minutes. The fare is $131 each way. During the high season, additional flights are sometimes added.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) flies to Tamarindo daily at 6:20 and 11:45am, and 3:15pm from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. Fares run $135 each way. The flight takes 55 minutes. Nature Air flights leave for San Jos\u00e9 at 7:35am and 1 and 4:20pm. Nature Air also connects Tamarindo and Arenal, Liberia, and Quepos.\n\nWhether you arrive on Sansa or Nature Air, a couple of cabs or minivans are always waiting for arriving flights. It costs $6 to $10 for the ride into town.\n\nIf you're flying into Liberia, a taxi should cost around $75. Alternately, you can use Tamarindo Shuttle (  2653-4444; www.tamarindoshuttle.com), which charges $18 per person one-way. These folks also offer a variety of tours and transfer services.\n\nBy Car: The most direct route is by way of the La Amistad bridge. From San Jos\u00e9, you can either take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north from downtown San Jos\u00e9, or first head west out of the city on the San Jos\u00e9-Caldera Highway (CR27). This latter route is a faster and flatter drive. When you reach Caldera on this route, follow the signs to Puntarenas, Liberia, and the Interamerican Highway (CR1). This will lead you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp which will put you on the highway heading north. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) north of the Puntarenas exit on the Interamerican Highway, you'll see signs for the turnoff to the bridge. After crossing the river, follow the signs for Nicoya and Santa Cruz. Continue north out of Santa Cruz, until just before the village of Bel\u00e9n, where you will find the turnoff for Tamarindo. In another 20km (12 miles), take the left fork for Playa Tamarindo at Huacas and continue on until the village of Villareal, where you make your final turn into Tamarindo. The trip should take around 4 hours.\n\nYou can save a little time, especially in the dry season, by taking a more direct but rougher route: You turn left just after passing the main intersection for Santa Cruz at the turnoff for playas Junquillal and Ostional. The road is paved until the tiny village of Veintesiete de Abril. From here, it's about 20km (12 miles) on a rough dirt road until the village of Villareal, where you make your final turn into Tamarindo.\n\nAlternatively, you can drive here via Liberia. When you reach Liberia, turn west and follow the signs for Santa Cruz and the various beaches. Just beyond the town of Bel\u00e9n, take the turnoff for playas Flamingo, Brasilito, and Tamarindo, and then follow the directions for the second option above. This route takes around 5 hours.\n\nBy Bus: Alfaro express buses (  2222-2666 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2653-0268 in Tamarindo; www.empresaalfaro.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily for Tamarindo at 11:30am and 3:30pm, departing from Calle 14 between avenidas 3 and 5. Tralapa (  2221-7202) also has two daily direct buses to Tamarindo leaving at 7:15am and 4pm from their main terminal at Calle 20 between avenidas 3 and 5. The trip takes around 5 hours, and the one-way fare is around C4,785.\n\nAlternatively, you can catch a bus to Santa Cruz from either of the above bus companies. Buses leave both stations for Santa Cruz roughly every 2 hours between 6am and 6pm. The 4-hour, one-way trip is around C4,600. Buses leave Santa Cruz for Tamarindo roughly every 11\u20442 hours between 5:45am and 10pm; the one-way fare is C950.\n\nDaily Gray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) buses leave San Jos\u00e9 for Tamarindo at 8am and 3:30pm. The fare is $35. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses from San Jos\u00e9 for Tamarindo at 7:30am and 2:30pm for $40. Both companies will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels.\n\nDirect buses leave Tamarindo for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 3:30 and 5:30am (except on Sun) and 2 and 4pm. Buses to Santa Cruz leave roughly every 2 hours between 4:30am and 8:30pm. In Santa Cruz you can transfer to one of the frequent San Jos\u00e9 buses.\n\nOrientation The road leading into town runs parallel to the beach and ends in a small cul-de-sac just past Zully Mar. A major side road off this main road leads farther on, to Playa Langosta, from just before Zully Mar. A variety of side roads branch off this road. To reach playas Avellanas, Negra, and Junquillal, you have to first head out of town and take the road toward Santa Cruz.\n\nFast Facts The local police can be reached at   2653-0283.\n\nA Banco Nacional branch is at the little mall across from El Diria, and a branch of the Banco de Costa Rica in the Plaza Conchal mall. Several Internet cafes and a couple of pharmacies are also in town. You'll find the Back Wash Laundry (  2653-0870) just past the turnoff for Playa Langosta.\n\nGetting Around Adobe (  2667-0608), Alamo (  2653-0727), Budget (  2436-2000), Economy (  2653-0752), Hertz (  2653-1358), and Thrifty (  2653-0829) have rental car offices in Tamarindo.\n\nThe town itself is very compact and you should be able to walk most places. Heck, it's not even that far a walk from Playa Langosta. Still, a large fleet of taxis are usually cruising around town, or hanging out at principal intersections and meeting points. If you need to, you can call a taxi at   8816-9864 or 8834-4075.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nTamarindo is a long, white-sand beach. Still, you have to be careful when and where you swim. The calmest water and best swimming are always down at the far southern end of the beach, toward Punta Langosta. Much of the sea just off the busiest part of the town is best for surfing. When the swell is up, you'll find scores of surfers in the water here. Be careful: Rocks are just offshore in several places, some of which are exposed only at low tide. An encounter with one of these rocks could be nasty, especially if you're bodysurfing. I also advise that you avoid swimming near the estuary mouth, where the currents can carry you out away from the beach.\n\nAll of the hotel desks and tour operators here offer turtle nesting tours to Playa Grande, in season, or you can contact ACOTAM (  2653-1687), a specialized local operator.\n\nBiking Bikes are available for rent at several locations in Tamarindo. Check around; you'll probably find the best bikes at the Blue Trailz Bike Shop \u2605 (  2653-1705; www.bluetrailz.com), which rents high-end Trek and Specialized mountain bikes for around $20 per day. These folks also offer guided mountain-bike tours and excursions.\n\n  Yo Quiero Hablar Espa\u00f1ol\n\nIf you want to try an intensive immersion program or just brush up on your rusty high school Spanish, check in with the folks at Wayra Instituto de Espa\u00f1ol ( \/fax 2653-0359; www.spanish-wayra.co.cr). This place is located up a side street from the dirt road that connects Tamarindo to Playa Langosta.\n\nFour-Wheeling Arenas Adventure Tours (  2653-0108; www.arenasadventures.com) offers a variety of guided ATV tours from 1 to 3 hours from $39 to $100 per person. This company also rents dirt bikes, snorkel equipment, surf and boogie boards, and jet skis and offers a full menu of other guided tours around the region. Similar ATV tours are offered by Fourtrax Adventures (  2653-4040; www.fourtraxadventure.com), which charges $75 for its 21\u20442-hour outing. You can also combine their ATV tour with a nearby canopy tour or horseback ride, for $110 per person.\n\nGolf Hacienda Pinilla \u2605\u2605 (  2680-7000; www.haciendapinilla.com) is a beautiful 18-hole links-style course located south of Tamarindo. The course is currently accepting golfers staying at all of the hotels around the area, with advance reservation. Greens fees run around $185 for 18 holes, including a cart, with discounts for guests staying at Hacienda Pinilla or the JW Marriott resort. Many folks staying in Tamarindo also play at the Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605, an excellent resort course.\n\nThe Hacienda Pinilla golf course.\n\nHorseback Riding Although some will be disappointed, I think it's a very good thing that horses are no longer allowed on the beach. Fortunately, you'll find plenty of opportunities to ride in the hills and forests around Tamarindo. You can go riding with Casagua Horses \u2605 (  2653-8041), Arenas Adventure Tours (  2653-0108; www.arenasadventures.com), Iguana Surf (  2653-0148; www.iguanasurf.net), or Papagayo Excursions (  2653-0254; www.papagayoexcursions.com). Rates for horse rental, with a guide, are around $30 to $65 per hour.\n\nSailboat Charters Several boats offer cruises offshore from Tamarindo; the 40-foot catamaran Blue Dolphin \u2605 (  8842-3204; www.sailbluedolphin.com) and 66-foot catamaran Marlin del Rey (  2653-1212; www.marlindelrey.com) are both good choices. A half-day snorkel or shorter sunset cruise should cost $60 to $75 per person, and a full day should run between $80 and $130 per person. This usually includes an open bar and snacks on the half-day and sunset cruises, and all of that plus lunch on the full-day trip.\n\nScuba Diving For scuba diving or snorkeling, check in with Agua Rica Diving Center \u2605 (  2653-0094; www.aguarica.net). These folks are the best and longest running operators in Tamarindo, and have a full-service dive shop. They offer day trips, multiday dive cruises, and standard resort and full-certification courses.\n\nSportfishing A host of captains offer anglers a chance to go after the \"big ones\" that abound in the offshore waters. From the Tamarindo estuary, it takes only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the continental shelf, where the waters are filled with mostly marlin and sailfish. Although fishing is good all year, the peak season for billfish is between mid-April and August. Contact Tamarindo Sportfishing (  2653-0090; www.tamarindosportfishing.com), Capullo Sportfishing \u2605 (  2653-0048; www.capullo.com), or Osprey Sportfishing (  2653-0162; www.osprey-sportfishing.com).\n\nTennis You can rent court time and equipment at the Tamarindo Tennis Club (  2653-0898), which features two lighted outdoor courts on the back road on the way to the Hotel El Jard\u00edn del Ed\u00e9n. It is open daily from 7:30am to 8pm, and court time runs $10 per day. You can also play at Hacienda Pinilla (see \"Golf\" above) for $5 per hour during the day, and $10 per hour at night.\n\nTours Galore Arenas Adventure Tours, Papagayo Excursions, and Iguana Surf (see above for all) all offer a host of tour and activity options. Papagayo Excursions probably offers the widest selection of full- and multiday trips, including outboard or kayak tours through the nearby estuary and mangroves, excursions to Santa Cruz and Guait\u00edl, raft floats on the Corobic\u00ed River, and tours to Palo Verde and Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja national parks. Rates run between $30 and $140, depending on the length of the tour and group size.\n\nThere's no canopy tour available right in Tamarindo, but the Monkey Jungle Canopy Tour (  2653-6982 or 8919-4242; www.canopymonkeyjungle.com) and Cartagena Canopy Tour \u2605 (  2675-0801; www.canopytourcartagena.com) are nearby. Both charge $35 to $40 per person and include transportation from Tamarindo. Of these two, the Monkey Jungle operation is much closer, but I prefer the Cartagena tour, which has a much more lush forest setting. Still, I think your best bet is to take a day trip to Hacienda Guachipelin and do the \"Canyon Tour\" there.\n\nWatersports If you want to try snorkeling, surfing, or sea kayaking in Tamarindo, Agua Rica Diving Center, Iguana Surf and Arenas Adventure Tours (see above) both rent all the necessary equipment. They have half-day and hourly rates for many of these items.\n\nTamarindo has a host of surf shops and surf schools, if you want to learn to catch a wave while in town. You can shop around town, or check in with the Tamarindo Surf School (  2653-0923; www.tamarindosurfschool.com), Banana Surf Club (  2653-2463; www.bananasurfschool.com), or Witch's Rock Surf Camp \u2605 (  2653-1262; www.witchsrocksurfcamp.com).\n\nWellness Centers Most of the higher-end hotels have their own spas, and most hotels can call you a massage therapist. But if you're looking for a local day spa experience, try Coc\u00f3 Day Spa (  2653-2562; www.cocobeautyspa.com), which has a wide range of treatments and packages, from facials and pedicures to hot stone massages.\n\nAlternately, you can head about 15- to 20-minutes inland to Los Altos de Eros \u2605 (  8850-4222; www.losaltosdeeros.com) for one of their signature, full-day spa experiences.\n\n  Pretty Pots\n\nThe lack of any long-standing local arts and crafts tradition across Costa Rica is often lamented. One of the outstanding exceptions to this rule is the small village of Guait\u00edl, located on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Santa Cruz. The small central plaza\u2014actually a soccer field\u2014of this village is ringed with craft shops and artisan stands selling a wide range of ceramic wares. Most are low-fired relatively soft clay pieces, with traditional Chorotega indigenous design motifs. All of the local tour agencies offer day trips to Guait\u00edl, or you can drive there yourself, by heading first to Santa Cruz, and then taking the well-marked turnoff for Guait\u00edl, just south of the city, on the road to Nicoya.\n\nShopping\n\nTamarindo's main boulevard is awash in souvenir stands, art galleries, jewelry stores, and clothing boutiques. For original beachwear and jewelry, try Azul Profundo \u2605 (  2653-0395), in the Plaza Tamarindo shopping center. The modern Garden Plaza shopping center, near the entrance to town, has several high-end shops, as well as a massive Automercado (supermarket).\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, Tamarindo, Playa Langosta, and Playa Grande have a wide range of beach houses and condos for rent by the night, the week, or the month. For more information on this option, check out Remax Tamarindo (  2653-0074; www.remax-oceansurf-cr.com) or Century 21 (  866\/978-6585 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2653-0300 in Costa Rica; www.costarica1realestate.com).\n\nVery Expensive\n\nHotel Capit\u00e1n Suizo \u2605\u2605   This well-appointed beachfront hotel sits on the quiet southern end of Tamarindo. The rooms are housed in a series of two-story buildings. The lower rooms have air-conditioning and private patios; the upper units have plenty of cross ventilation, ceiling fans, and cozy balconies. All have large bathrooms and sitting rooms with fold-down futon couches. The spacious bungalows are spread around the shady grounds; these all come with a tub in the bathroom and an inviting outdoor shower among the trees. The hotel's free-form pool is a delight, with tall shade trees all around. The shallow end slopes in gradually, imitating a beach, and there's also a separate children's pool. The lovely little spa is on the beachfront. Perhaps the greatest attribute here is that it's just steps from one of the calmer and more isolated sections of Playa Tamarindo.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo, Guanacaste. www.hotelcapitansuizo.com.   2653-0075 or 2653-0353. Fax 2653-0292. 28 units, 7 bungalows. $200\u2013$225 double; $265\u2013$305 bungalow; $370\u2013$535 suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; small exercise room; midsize outdoor pool and children's pool; spa; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C (in some), minifridge, hair dryer.\n\nSue\u00f1o del Mar \u2605   On Playa Langosta, Sue\u00f1o del Mar has charming little touches and innovative design: four-poster beds made from driftwood; African dolls on the windowsills; Kokopeli candleholders; and open-air showers with sculpted angelfish, hand-painted tiles, and lush tropical plants. Fabrics are from Bali and Guatemala. Somehow all of this works well together, and the requisite chairs, hammocks, and lounges nestled under shade trees right on the beach add the crowning touch. This intimate hotel, particularly its honeymoon suite, is also consistently a top choice for weddings, honeymoons, and romantic getaways. The two casitas have their own kitchens, veranda, and sleeping loft. The honeymoon suite is a spacious second-floor room, with wraparound windows, a delightful open-air shower, and commanding ocean views. The beach right out front is rocky and a bit rough, but it does reveal some nice, quiet tidal pools at low tide; it's one of the better sunset-viewing spots in Costa Rica.\n\nPlaya Langosta, Guanacaste. www.sueno-del-mar.com.  \/fax 2653-0284. 4 units, 2 casitas. $195 double; $220\u2013$295 suite or casita. Rates include full breakfast. No children 11 and under. MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool; free use of snorkel equipment and boogie boards; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, hair dryer, kitchens (in casitas).\n\nExpensive\n\nEl Diri\u00e1 \u2605 This is Tamarindo's largest beachfront resort. Wedged into a narrow piece of land planted with tropical gardens and palm trees, the Diri\u00e1 has an enviable spot, smack-dab in the middle of Tamarindo's long beach. I especially recommend the second- and third-floor \"sunset deluxe\" rooms, which feature oceanview private balconies. However, some rooms are across the street from the beach, so be sure you know what type of room you are booking when you reserve. The hotel has several swimming pools, as well as a lighted outdoor tennis court. They also have a large, open-air amphitheater that they use for weddings, private parties, and the occasional public concert, as well as a golf driving range on the outskirts of town.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo, Guanacaste. www.tamarindodiria.com.   866\/603-4742 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2653-0031 in Costa Rica. Fax 2653-0208. 182 units. $230 double. Rates include break\u00adfast buffet. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; 3 outdoor pools. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar (in some), Wi-Fi.\n\nVilla Alegre \u2605 This small bed-and-breakfast on Playa Langosta is a well-located and homey option. You'll immediately feel part of the family here, as guests and owners share breakfast, hang around the pool, or gather for a sunset cocktail. The owners' years of globetrotting have inspired them to decorate each room in the theme of a different country. In the main house, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States are all represented. Of these, Mexico is the most spacious, with a large open-air bathroom and shower. The smallest are Guatemala and the California casita. The latter room is quite small, in fact. Every room has its own private patio, courtyard, or balcony. The villas are spacious and luxurious, with kitchenettes. My favorite is the Japanese unit, with its subtle design touches and great woodwork. The Russian villa and the United States rooms are truly wheelchair accessible and equipped, with ramps and modified bathrooms with handrails. The beach is just a short stroll away through the trees. Breakfasts are delicious and abundant.\n\nPlaya Langosta, Guanacaste. www.villaalegrecostarica.com.   2653-0270. Fax 2653-0287. 5 units, 2 villas. $170\u2013$185 double; $230 villa. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Midsize outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, kitchenettes (in villas), no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the places listed here, Hotel Pueblo Dorado (www.pueblodorado.com;   2653-0008) is a well-located option just across from the beach, while tennis lovers (and anyone else) might want to check out the 15 Love Bed & Breakfast (www.15lovebedandbreakfast.com;   2653-0898), attached to the Tamarindo Tennis Club.\n\nHotel Arco Iris \u2605 This stylish place is a great option in this price category. Rooms feature a slightly minimalist contemporary Asian decor. The deluxe rooms are more spacious than the bungalows, and I especially like the second-floor deluxe units. The hotel is a few blocks inland from the beach, but at times there's not much impetus to leave, thanks to the small rectangular pool and the Season's by Shlomy restaurant\u2014one of the best in town.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo, Guanacaste. www.hotelarcoiris.com.  \/fax 2653-0330. 9 units. $109 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Zully Mar The Zully Mar had long been a favorite of budget travelers, though, the hotel has upgraded their rooms and upped their prices over the years. The best rooms here are in a two-story white-stucco building with a wide, curving staircase on the outside. They have air-conditioning, tile floors, long verandas or balconies, overhead or standing fans, large bathrooms, and doors that are hand-carved with pre-Columbian motifs. The less expensive rooms are smaller and darker and just have ceiling fans. The small free-form pool is refreshing if you don't want to walk across the street to the beach. This place is set on the busiest intersection in Tamarindo, smack-dab in the center of things, and noise can be a problem at times.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo, Guanacaste. www.zullymar.com.   2653-0140. Fax 2653-0028. 22 units. $69 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, minifridge, no phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Hostal La Botella de Leche (www.labotelladeleche.com;   2653-2061) is a popular backpacker option, while the beachfront Witch's Rock Surf Camp (www.witchsrocksurfcamp.com;   888\/318-7873 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2653-1262) caters to young, budget surfers. Out along the road to Playa Langosta, Tito's Camping (no phone) charges $5 to $8 per person for camping, in a large open area just off the beach.\n\nCabinas Marielos \u2605 This place is located up a palm-shaded driveway across the road from the beach just before the center of town. Rooms are clean and well maintained, although most are small and simply furnished with air-conditioning. Some of the bathrooms are quite small, but they're clean. Guests can use a communal kitchen, and the lush gardens are beautiful and provide some welcome shade. Common verandas and balconies are cool places to sit and read a book. The staff and owners are incredibly helpful and will make you feel like part of the family\u2014in fact, many of them are already family to each other.\n\nPlaya Tamarindo, Guanacaste. www.cabinasmarieloscr.com.  \/fax 2653-0141. 24 units. $45\u2013$60 double. Rates include taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Surfboard rentals. In room: A\/C (in some), TV (in some), no phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nTamarindo has a glut of excellent restaurants. El Coconut (  2653-0086; www.elcoconut-tamarindo.com), right on the main road into town, is a long-standing option, with a wide ranging menu, specializing in fresh seafood, with a European-influenced flair.\n\nNogui's Caf\u00e9 \u2605 (  2653-0029; www.noguis.com) is one of the more popular places in town\u2014and rightly so. This simple open-air cafe just off the beach on the small traffic circle serves hearty breakfasts and well-prepared salads, sandwiches, burgers, and casual meals.\n\nWok N Roll \u2605 (  2653-0156), a half-block inland from Zully Mar along the road that leads to Playa Langosta, is a lively, open-air affair, with a big menu of healthy, fresh Asian cuisine. For pizzas, I recommend La Baula \u2605 (  2653-1450), a delightful open-air place, on the road to Dragonfly. If you want sushi, head to the Bamboo Sushi Club \u2605 (  2653-4519), on the main road, near the turnoff for Langosta. Finally, for a light bite, breakfast, or coffee break, try Caf\u00e9 Caf\u00e9 \u2605 (  2653-1864), on the outskirts of town, near the turnoff for Santa Rosa and Hacienda Pinilla.\n\nCarolina's Restaurant & Grill \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/FUSION This elegant restaurant is housed in a large, enclosed space that feels like an old colonial-era home, with a red clay tile ceiling exposed through heavy wood beams, and tables decked out in white cloths and glass candleholders. Start things off with the hot ginger and papaya soup, and follow it up with some sesame seared tuna. The pastas here are also excellent. Or you can opt for one of the nightly four- or five-course tasting menus. Presentations are artful, service is impeccable, and they boast an excellent wine list.\n\nOn the road to Playa Langosta.   2653-1946 or 8379-6834. Reservations recommended. Main courses $18\u2013$25. AE, MC, V. Daily 6\u201310pm.\n\nDragonfly Bar & Grill \u2605\u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/FUSION Tucked away on a back street, this place has earned ample praise and a loyal following with its excellent food, generous portions and laid-back vibe. The menu mixes and matches several cuisines, with the southwestern United States and Pacific Rim fusion being the strongest influences. The daily seafood specials might range from seared tuna to wood-fired red snapper. If you're in the mood for meat, try the thick-cut pork chop with chipotle apple chutney. The restaurant is a simple open-air affair, with a concrete floor and rough wood tree trunks as support columns. An open wood-fired oven is on one side, and a popular bar is toward the back. The restaurant has free Wi-Fi.\n\nDown a dirt road behind the old Hotel Pasatiempo.   2653-1506. www.dragonflybarandgrill.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $10\u2013$16. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 6\u201310pm.\n\nLa Laguna del Cocodrilo \u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/FUSION In a crowded field, this is yet another option for fine dining and fusion cuisine in Tamarindo. When weather permits, tables are set up under the trees in their beachfront garden area. Beautiful presentations and creative use of ingredients are the norm. The menu changes regularly, but the chefs always focus on using the freshest and best ingredients available. The restaurant also has a good wine list, and a regular bar\/lounge crowd.\n\nOn the main road, toward the north end of Tamarindo.   2653-3897. www.lalagunatamarindo.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $14\u2013$32. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 3\u201310pm.\n\nSeason's by Shlomy \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL This is another of Tamarindo's standout restaurants. Chef and owner Shlomy Koren has earned a fond and faithful following for both his consistency and creativity. The contemporary cuisine carries a heavy Mediterranean influence: The seared tuna in a honey chili marinade is always a favorite, as is the pan fried red snapper with caramelized onions, portobello mushrooms, and a balsamic reduction. Desserts often feature homemade ice creams and sorbets. Tables are spread around an open-air dining room and poolside deck at the Hotel Arco Iris.\n\nInside the Hotel Arco Iris.   8368-6983. www.seasonstamarindo.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $12\u2013$15. No credit cards. Mon\u2013Sat 6\u201310pm.\n\nTamarindo After Dark\n\nAs a popular surfer destination, Tamarindo has a sometimes raging nightlife. The most happening bars in town are Bar 1 \u2605 (  2653-2782; www.aquadiscoteque.com), on the main road through town. Other popular spots throughout the week include the Crazy Monkey Bar at the Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas (  2653-0114), and the bar at the Dragonfly Bar & Grill. For a chill-out dance scene, try the Voodoo Lounge (  2653-0100), while those looking for a rocking sports bar can head to Sharky's (  8918-4968). These latter two places are just across from each other, a little up the road that heads to Playa Langosta.\n\nThe one casino in town is at the Barcel\u00f3 Playa Langosta (  2653-0363) resort down in Playa Langosta.\n\nEn Route South: Playa Avellanas & Playa Negra\n\nHeading south from Tamarindo are several as-yet-undeveloped beaches, most of which are quite popular with surfers. Beyond Tamarindo and Playa Langosta are Playa Avellanas and Playa Negra, both with a few basic surfer cabinas, and little else. See map \"Around Tamarindo\".\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nThe Mono Congo Lodge (www.monocongolodge.com;   2652-9261), just outside of Playa Negra, is a rustically plush option in a lush, forested setting a few hundred yards from the water.\n\nAbout a 15- to 20-minute drive inland is Los Altos de Eros \u2605 (www.losaltosdeeros.com;   8850-4222), a small, adults-only, luxury hotel and spa.\n\nIn addition to the JW Marriott, the large golf, residential, and vacation resort complex of Hacienda Pinilla (www.haciendapinilla.com;   2680-3000) features a couple of small hotels and condo rental units.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nJW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605\u2605 This large-scale resort is one of Costa Rica's finest. The rooms, facilities, restaurants, amenities, and service here are all top-of-the-line. All rooms have large flatscreen televisions, a separate tub and shower, and a spacious balcony or patio, with a cooling retractable shade screen. Of the limited number of beachfront rooms, the Marimba suite (#339), a corner-view unit, is probably the best in the house. The spa here is large, modern, and luxurious. The Mansita beach just out front is a bit rocky, but beautiful stretches of Playa Avellanas and Playa Langosta lie just a short walk or shuttle ride away, and the hotel also has the largest pool in Central America\u2014edging out the Westin Playa Conchal for the honor.\n\nHacienda Pinilla, Guanacaste. www.marriott.com.   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2681-2000. Fax 2681-2001. 310 units. $369\u2013$560 double; $469 suite; $1,299 presidential suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 3 bars; lounge; babysitting; children's programs; concierge; championship 18-hole golf course nearby; large, modern health club and spa; massive free-form outdoor pool; room service; smoke-free rooms; tennis courts nearby; watersports equipment. In room: A\/C, TV\/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nCabinas Las Olas This collection of duplex cabins is a popular surf lodge set in the shade of some tall trees, a couple hundred meters inland from the beach and bordering a mangrove reserve. The clean and simple rooms are a good value, and close to the surf. Each comes with a little private veranda and a hammock. The beach is a long stretch of almost always uncrowded white sand. Good beach breaks for surfers are up and down the shoreline, especially toward the northern end and the Langosta estuary. Mountain bikes and sea kayaks are available for rent.\n\nPlaya Avellanas, Guanacaste. www.cabinaslasolas.co.cr   2652-9315. Fax 2658-9331. 10 units. $80\u2013$90 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rentals; limited watersports equipment rentals. In room: No phone.\n\nHotel Playa Negra These thatch-roofed bungalows are set right in front of the famous Playa Negra point break. Even if you're not a surfer, you'll appreciate the beautiful beach and coastline with its coral and rock outcroppings and calm tide pools. The round bungalows each have one queen-size and two single beds, two desks, a ceiling fan, and a private bathroom. The bungalow suites are more spacious and plush, with coffeemakers and minifridges, outdoor showers, and private verandas. A few of these even come with air-conditioning. The restaurant is close to the ocean in a large open-air rancho and serves as a social hub for guests and surfers staying at more basic cabinas inland from the beach.\n\nPlaya Negra, Guanacaste. www.playanegra.com.   2652-9134. Fax 2652-9035. 17 units. $88 bungalow; $120 bungalow suite. Rates higher during peak periods. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the place listed below, the restaurants inside the JW Marriott resort are excellent, and open to the general public.\n\nLola's \u2605\u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/SEAFOOD Long loved by locals, the secret is out on Lola's. Named after the owner's departed massive pet pig, this place serves up top-notch fresh fare in a beautiful open-air beachfront setting. Most of the heavy, homemade wooden tables and chairs are set in the sand, under the intermittent shade of palm trees and large canvas umbrellas. The fresh seared tuna, big healthy salads, and Belgian french fries are the favorites here, alongside the fresh fruit smoothies and delicious sandwiches on just-baked bread. You'll have to come early on weekends to get a seat.\n\nOn the beach, Playa Avellanas.   2652-9097. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C3,900\u2013C6,000. No credit cards. Tues\u2013Sun 8am\u2013sunset.\n\nPlaya Junquillal \u2605\n\n30km (19 miles) W of Santa Cruz; 20km (12 miles) S of Tamarindo\n\nA long, windswept beach that, for most of its length, is backed by grasslands, Playa Junquillal remains a mostly undiscovered gem on an increasingly crowded coast. With no village to speak of here and a rough road, this is a good place to get away from it all and enjoy some unfettered time on a nearly deserted beach. The long stretch of white sand is great for strolling, and the sunsets are superb. When the waves are big, this beach is great for surfing, but can be a little dangerous for swimming. When it's calm, jump right in.\n\nPlaya Junquillal.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Tamarindo (see earlier in this chapter). You can arrange a taxi from the airport to Playa Junquillal. The ride should take around 40 minutes and cost about $40 to $60.\n\nBy Car: From San Jos\u00e9, you can either take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north from downtown San Jos\u00e9, or first head west out of the city on the San Jos\u00e9-Caldera Highway (CR27). This latter route is a faster and flatter drive. When you reach Caldera on this route, follow the signs to Puntarenas, Liberia, and the Interamerican Highway (CR1). This will lead you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp, which will put you on the highway heading north. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) past the Puntarenas on-ramp, you'll see signs and the turnoff for the La Amistad Bridge. After crossing the river, follow the signs for Nicoya and Santa Cruz. Just after leaving the main intersection for Santa Cruz, you'll see a marked turnoff for Playa Junquillal, Ostional, and Tamarindo. The road is paved for 14km (81\u20442 miles), until the tiny village of Veintesiete de Abril. From here, it's another rough 18km (11 miles) to Playa Junquillal.\n\nFrom Liberia, head south to Santa Cruz on the main road to all the beach towns, passing through Filadelfia and Bel\u00e9n. Then follow the directions above from Santa Cruz.\n\nBy Bus: To get here by bus, you must first head to Santa Cruz and, from there, take another bus to Playa Junquillal. Buses depart San Jos\u00e9 for Santa Cruz roughly every 2 hours between 6am and 6pm from the Tralapa bus station (  2221-7202) at Calle 20 between avenidas 3 and 5, and from the Alfaro bus station (  2222-2666) at Calle 14 between avenidas 3 and 5. The 4-hour trip is C4,600.\n\nBuses leave Santa Cruz for Junquillal at 4:45, 6:45 and 10:15am, and 12:15, 2:15, and 5:50pm from the town's central plaza. The ride takes about 1 hour, and the one-way fare is C600. Buses depart Playa Junquillal for Santa Cruz daily at 5:30 and 8:45am, noon, and 4pm.\n\nAlways check with your hotel in advance as the schedule of buses between Junquillal and Santa Cruz is notoriously fickle. If you miss the connection, or there's no bus running, you can hire a taxi for the trip to Junquillal for $60. From Tamarindo, a taxi should cost $40 to $60.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nOther than walking on the beach, surfing, swimming when the surf isn't too strong, and exploring tide pools, there isn't much to do here\u2014which is just fine with me. This beach is ideal for anyone who wants to relax without any distractions. Bring a few good books. You can rent bikes at the Iguanazul Hotel, which is a good way to get up and down to the beach; horseback-riding tours are also popular. If you have a car, you can explore the coastline just north and south of here, as well.\n\nFor surfers, the Junquillal beach break is often pretty good. I've also heard that if you look hard enough, a few hidden reef and point breaks are around.\n\nSeveral sportfishing boats operate out of Playa Junquillal. Inquire at your hotel or ask at the Iguanazul Hotel. To rent a mountain bike, you can also check in at the Iguanazul. If you want to ride a horse on the beach, call Paradise Riding (  2658-8162; www.paradiseriding.com). The cost is $55 per person for a 2-hour ride and $65 per person for a 3-hour ride.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nYou can get good pizza, homemade pasta, and fresh seafood at Pizzer\u00eda Tatanka (  2658-8426; www.hoteltatanka.com), which also offers simple rooms at very reasonable rates. It's near the Iguanazul Hotel on your left as you come into Junquillal, and also has good ocean and sunset views. For a more elegant dining experience, also featuring Italian cuisine, try La Puesta del Sol (  2658-8442), on a hillside overlooking the sea. This is a great place to watch sunsets.\n\nModerate\n\nIguanazul Hotel Set on a windswept, grassy bluff above a rocky beach, Iguanazul is the biggest, best-equipped, and most happening hotel in Junquillal. The large pool features a tiny island with a palm tree growing on it, and there's also a volleyball court. If you're feeling mellow, head down to one of the quiet coves or grab a hammock in a palapa on the hillside. Guest rooms are spacious and nicely decorated with basket lampshades, wicker furniture, red-tile floors, high ceilings, and blue-and-white-tile bathrooms. Even if you're not staying here, it's a good place to dine, and the sunset views are phenomenal. These folks can also rent out fully equipped houses and condos for longer stays at their neighboring residential project.\n\nPlaya Junquillal, Guanacaste. www.iguanazul.com.   2658-8123 or  \/fax 2658-8124. 24 units. $79\u2013$124 double. Rates include full breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool; small spa. In room: A\/C (in some), Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the hotel listed below, Camping Los Malinches (  2658-8429) has wonderful campsites on fluffy grass amid manicured gardens set on a bluff above the beach. Camping costs C2,500 per person, and includes restroom and shower privileges. You'll see a sign on the right as you drive toward Playa Junquillal, a little bit beyond the Iguanazul Hotel. The campground is about 1km (1\u20442 mile) down this dirt road. These folks also have some simple, rustic rooms.\n\nHotel Hibiscus   Although the accommodations are simple, the friendly German owner makes sure that everything is always in top shape. The grounds are pleasantly shady with flowering tropical flora and the beach is across the road. The rooms have cool Mexican-tile floors and firm beds. The service and ambience are excellent for the price range. The restaurant serves well-prepared international cuisine at reasonable prices.\n\nPlaya Junquillal, Guanacaste. www.hibiscus-info.com.  \/fax 2658-8437. 4 units. $50 double. Rates include full breakfast and taxes. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n8\n\nPuntarenas & the Nicoya Peninsula\n\nCur\u00fa Wildlife Refuge.\n\nThe beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula don't get nearly as much attention or traffic as those to the north in Guanacaste. However, they are just as stunning, varied, and rewarding. Montezuma, with its jungle waterfalls and gentle surf, is the original beach destination out this way. However, it's eclipsed by the up-and-coming hot spots of Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa.\n\nFarther up the peninsula lie the beaches of Playa S\u00e1mara and Playa Nosara. With easy access via paved roads and the time-saving La Amistad Bridge, Playa S\u00e1mara is one of the coastline's more popular destinations, especially with Ticos looking for a quick and easy weekend getaway. Just north of S\u00e1mara, Nosara and its neighboring beaches remain remote and sparsely visited, thanks in large part to the horrendous dirt road that separates these distinctly different destinations. However, Nosara is widely known and coveted as one of the country's top surf spots, with a host of different beach and point breaks from which to choose.\n\n  Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nCristal Azul\n\nFlorblanca Resort\n\nThe Harmony Hotel & Spa\n\nHotel Punta Islita\n\nLagarta Lodge\n\nPranamar Villas & Yoga Retreat\n\nYlang Ylang Beach Resort\n\nNearby Puntarenas was once Costa Rica's principal Pacific port. The town bustled and hummed with commerce, fishermen, coffee brokers, and a weekend rush of urban dwellers enjoying some sun and fun at one of the closest beaches to San Jos\u00e9. Today, Puntarenas is a run-down shell of its former self. Still, it remains a major fishing port, and the main gateway to the isolated and coveted beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula.\n\nPuntarenas\n\n115km (71 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9; 191km (118 miles) S of Liberia; 75km (47 miles) N of Playa de Jac\u00f3\n\nThey say you can't put lipstick on a pig, and this has proven true for Puntarenas. Despite serious investment and the steady influx of cruise ship passengers, Puntarenas can't seem to shed its image as a rough-and-tumble, perennially run-down port town. While the seafront Paseo de los Turistas (Tourist Walk) has a string of restaurants and souvenir stands, this town has little to interest visitors, and the beach here pales in comparison to almost any other beach destination in the country.\n\nA 16km (10-mile) spit of land jutting into the Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas was once Costa Rica's busiest port, but that changed drastically when the government inaugurated nearby Puerto Caldera, a modern container port facility. After losing its shipping business, the city has survived primarily on commercial fishing.\n\n  A Colorful Festival\n\nIf you're in Puntarenas on the Saturday closest to July 16, you can witness the Fiesta of the Virgin of the Sea. During this festival a regatta of colorfully decorated boats carries a statue of Puntarenas's patron saint. Boats run all along the waterfront, but the Paseo de los Turistas makes for a good place to catch the action.\n\nAn excellent highway from San Jos\u00e9 leads to the nearby port of Caldera, so you can reach Puntarenas (on a good day, with little traffic) in little more than an hour by car, which makes it one of the closest beaches to San Jos\u00e9. A long, straight stretch of sand with gentle surf, the beach is backed for most of its length by the Paseo de los Turistas. Across a wide boulevard from the Paseo de los Turistas are hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, and shops. The sunsets and the views across the Gulf of Nicoya are quite beautiful, and a cooling breeze usually blows in off the water. All around town you'll find unusual old buildings, reminders of the important role that Puntarenas once played in Costa Rican history. It was from here that much of the Central Valley's coffee crop was once shipped, and while the coffee barons in the highlands were getting rich, so were the merchants of Puntarenas.\n\nPuntarenas is primarily popu\u00adlar as a weekend holiday spot for Ticos from San Jos\u00e9 and is at its liveliest on weekends. Puntarenas is also where you must pick up the ferries to the southern Nicoya Peninsula, and some folks like to arrive the night before and get an early start.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas. The drive takes a little over 1 hour. To reach Puntarenas from Liberia, just take the Interamerican Highway south, to the well-marked exit for Puntarenas.\n\nBy Bus: Empresarios Unidos express buses (  2222-0064) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily every hour between 6am and 7pm from Calle 16 and Avenida 12. Trip duration is 2 hours; the fare is C2,150. Buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave the main station daily every hour between 6am and 9pm. Buses to Quepos and Manuel Antonio (  2777-0743; www.transportesquepospuntarenas.com) leave the main station daily at 5, 8, and 11am and 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm. The trip's duration is 1 hour; the fare is C980.\n\nThe bus to Santa Elena leaves daily at 2:15pm from a stop across the railroad tracks from the main bus station.\n\nThe main Puntarenas bus station is cater-cornered to the main pier on the Paseo de los Turistas.\n\nBy Ferry: See \"Playa Tambor\" or \"Playa Montezuma,\" below, for information on crossing to and returning from Puntarenas from Paquera or Naranjo on the Nicoya Peninsula.\n\nOrientation Puntarenas is built on a long, narrow sand spit that stretches 16km (10 miles) out into the Gulf of Nicoya and is marked by only five streets at its widest. The ferry docks for the Nicoya Peninsula are near the far end of town, as are the bus station and market. The north side of town faces an estuary, and the south side faces the mouth of the gulf. The Paseo de los Turistas is on the south side of town, beginning at the pier and extending out to the point.\n\nFast Facts Several banks, Internet cafes, and general markets are all located within a 2-block radius of the town's small church and central park. The town's main post office can be found here as well.\n\nThe Hospital Monse\u00f1or Sanabria (  2663-0033), located on the outskirts of downtown, is the largest and best equipped hospital in this region.\n\nIf you need a taxi, call Coopetico (  2663-2020).\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nTake a walk along the Paseo de los Turistas, which feels rather like a Florida beach town out of the 1950s. The hotels here range in style from converted old wooden homes with bright gingerbread trim to modern concrete monstrosities to tasteful Art Deco relics that need a new coat of paint.\n\nIf you venture into the center of the city, be sure to check out the central plaza around the Catholic church. The large, stone church itself is interesting because it has portholes for windows, reflecting the city's maritime tradition. In addition, it's one of the few churches in the country with a front entry facing east, as most face west. Here you'll also find the city's cultural center, La Casa de la Cultura (  2661-1394; www.casadelaculturapuntarenas.com). In addition to rotating exhibits and the occasional theater performance or poetry reading, this place houses the Museo Hist\u00f3rico (  2661-1394), a small museum on the city's history, especially its maritime history, with exhibits in both English and Spanish. Admission is free, and it's open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm. If you're looking for a shady spot to take a break, some inviting benches are in a little park off the north side of the church.\n\nPuntarenas's Catholic church.\n\nThe largest attraction in town is the Parque Marino del Pac\u00edfico (Pacific Marine Park;   2661-5272; www.parquemarino.org), a collection of saltwater aquariums highlighting the sea life of Costa Rica. Of the 23 separate tanks, the largest re-creates the undersea environment of Isla del Coco. Despite only being a few years old, this park has a neglected and run-down feel to it. This place is 2 blocks east of the main cruise ship terminal and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 4:30pm. Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children 11 and under.\n\nIf you want to go swimming, the ocean waters are now said to be perfectly safe (pollution was a problem for many years), although the beach is still not very attractive. Your best bet is to head back down the spit; just a few kilometers out of town, you'll find Playa Do\u00f1a A\u00f1a, a popular beach with picnic tables, restrooms and changing rooms, and a couple of sodas (diners). If you head a little farther south, you will come to Playa Tivives, which is virtually unvisited by tourists but quite popular with Ticos, many of whom have beach houses up and down this long, brown-sand beach. Surfers can check out the beach break here or head to the mouth of the Barranca River, which boasts an amazingly long left break. Still, surfers and swimmers should be careful; crocodiles live in both the Barranca and Tivives river mouths, and I'd be wary of pollution in the waters emptying out of the rivers here.\n\nPuntarenas isn't known as one of Costa Rica's prime sportfishing ports, but a few charter boats are usually available. Check at your hotel or head to the docks and ask around. Rates (for up to six people) are usually between $400 and $600 for a half-day and between $800 and $1,600 for a full day.\n\nYou can also take a yacht cruise through the tiny, uninhabited islands of the Guayabo, Negritos, and P\u00e1jaros Islands Biological Reserve. These cruises include a lunch buffet and a relaxing stop on beautiful and undeveloped Tortuga Island \u2605, where you can swim, snorkel, and sunbathe. The water is clear blue, and the sand is bright white. However, this trip has surged in popularity, and many of the tours here have a cattle-car feel. Several San Jos\u00e9\u2013based companies offer these excursions, with round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, but if you're already in Puntarenas, you might receive a slight discount by boarding here.\n\nDiving Trips to isla del coco (Cocos Island)\n\nThis little speck of land located some 480km (300 miles) off the Pacific coast was a prime pirate hide-out and refueling station. Robert Louis Stevenson most likely modeled Treasure Island on Cocos. Sir Francis Drake, Captain Edward Davis, William Dampier, and Mary Welch are just some of the famous corsairs who dropped anchor in the calm harbors of this Pacific pearl. They allegedly left troves of buried loot, although scores of treasure hunters over several centuries have failed to unearth more than a smattering of the purported bounty. The Costa Rican flag was first raised here on September 15, 1869. Throughout its history, Isla del Coco has provided anchorage and fresh water to hundreds of ships and has entertained divers and dignitaries. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited it three times.) In 1978 it was declared a national park and protected area.\n\nThe clear, warm waters around Cocos are widely regarded as one of the most rewarding dive destinations \u2605\u2605\u2605 on this planet. This is a prime place to see schooling herds of scalloped hammerhead sharks. On my shallow-water checkout dive\u2014normally, a perfunctory and uninspiring affair\u2014I spotted my first hammerhead lurking just 4.5m (15 ft.) below me within 15 seconds of flipping into the water. Soon there were more, and soon they came much, much closer.\n\nOther denizens of the waters around Isla del Coco include white- and silver-tipped reef sharks; marbled, manta, eagle, and mobula rays; moray and spotted eels; octopi; spiny and slipper lobsters; hawksbill turtles; squirrel fish, trigger fish, and angelfish; surgeon fish, trumpet fish, grouper, grunts, snapper, jack, and tangs; and more. Two of the more spectacular underwater residents here include the red-lipped batfish and the frogfish.\n\nMost diving at Cocos is relatively deep (26\u201335m\/85\u2013115 ft.), and there are often strong currents and choppy swells to deal with\u2014not to mention all those sharks. This is not a trip for novice divers.\n\nThe perimeter of Isla del Coco is ringed by steep, forested cliffs punctuated by dozens of majestic waterfalls cascading down in stages or steady streams for hundreds of feet. The island itself has a series of trails that climb its steep hills and wind through its rainforested interior. Several endemic bird, reptile, and plant species here include the ubiquitous Cocos finch, which I spotted soon after landing onshore, and the wild Isla del Coco pig.\n\nWith just a small ranger station housing a handful of national park guards, Isla del Coco is essentially uninhabited. Visitors these days come on private or charter yachts, fishing boats, or one of the few live-aboard dive vessels that make regular voyages out here. It's a long trip: Most dive vessels take 30 to 36 hours to reach Cocos. Sailboats are even slower.\n\nBoth Aggressor Fleet Limited (  800\/348-2628; www.aggressor.com) and Undersea Hunter (  800\/203-2120 in the U.S., or 2228-6613 in Costa Rica; www.underseahunter.com) regularly run dive trips to Isla del Coco from Puntarenas.\n\nCalypso Tours \u2605 (  2256-2727; www.calypsotours.com) is the most reputable company that cruises out of Puntarenas. In addition to Tortuga Island trips, Calypso Tours takes folks to its own private nature reserve at Punta Coral and even on a sunset cruise that includes dinner and some guided stargazing. Either cruise will run you $119 per person. These prices are the same whether you join them in San Jos\u00e9 or Puntarenas. If you ask around at the docks, you might find some other boats that ply the waters of the Nicoya Gulf. Some of these companies also offer sunset cruises with live music, snacks, and a bar.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places mentioned below, the Double Tree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas (www.puntarenas.doubletree.com;   800\/446-6677 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2663-0808 in Costa Rica) is an all-inclusive resort set on a decidedly unspectacular patch of sand, just south of the Puntarenas peninsula. While the accommodations and service are certainly acceptable, it's still not a top beach resort pick in my book.\n\nModerate\n\nHotel Alamar \u2605 This hotel is the most contemporary and best equipped option in town. Located toward the end of the Paseo de los Turistas, more than half of its units are one- or two-bedroom apartments, with fully equipped kitchens. All the rooms are spacious, clean, and modern. Walls are painted in bright primary colors and pastels. The furniture and decor are contemporary. In the center of the hotel complex are a refreshing pool and Jacuzzi. Ample breakfast buffets are served poolside. The best rooms here feature water-facing balconies and Jacuzzi tubs.\n\nPaseo de los Turistas, Puntarenas. www.alamarcr.com.   2661-4343. Fax 2661-2726. 34 units. $90\u2013$110 double. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Las Brisas Out near the end of the Paseo de los Turistas, you'll find this older, yet well-kept hotel with large air-conditioned rooms, a small pool out front, and the beach right across the street. All the rooms have tile floors, double or twin beds, and small televisions and tables. Large picture windows keep the rooms sunny and bright during the day. There's complimentary coffee and a secure parking lot. The hotel's small open-air restaurant serves Greek specialties, fresh seafood, and other international fare. I find the rooms here are not as nice as those at Hotel Alamar.\n\nPaseo de los Turistas, Puntarenas. www.lasbrisashotelcr.com.   2661-4040. Fax 2661-2120. 25 units. $95 double; $199 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small gym; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nHotel La Punta \u2605 Most budget lodgings in Puntarenas are real port-town dives. And for decades this place was just one of many. However, a top-to-bottom remodel has transformed this into a cozy little hotel at a good price. The rooms are spread around the two-story building here, and all feature small televisions, A\/C units, and a minifridge. Try for a second-floor room with a balcony. A small kidney-shaped pool is in a shady garden for cooling off during the day. The hotel has safe parking and easy access to the ferry terminal and docks.\n\nPuntarenas (1\u20442 block south of the ferry terminal). www.hotellapunta.com.   2661-0696. 8 units. $60 double. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, no phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nYou're in a seaport, so try some of the local catch. Corvina (sea bass) is the most popular offering, and it's served in various forms and preparations. My favorite dish on a hot afternoon is ceviche, and you'll find that just about every restaurant in town serves this savory marinated seafood concoction.\n\nThe most economical option is to pull up a table at one of the many open-air sodas along the Paseo de los Turistas, serving everything from sandwiches, drinks, and ice cream to fish. Sandwiches are priced at around $2, and a fish filet with rice and beans should cost around $4. If you want some seafood in a slightly more formal atmosphere, try the Jardin Cervecero or Casa de los Mariscos, or the open-air Restaurant Aloha, all located on the Paseo de los Turistas.\n\nLa Yunta Steakhouse \u2605 STEAK\/SEAFOOD This airy place bills itself as a steakhouse, but it has an ample menu of seafood dishes as well. Most of the tables are located on a two-tiered covered veranda at the front of the restaurant, overlooking the street and the ocean just beyond. Overall, this restaurant has the nicest ambience in town. The portions are immense, and the meat is tender and well prepared.\n\nPaseo de los Turistas.   2661-3216. Reservations recommended in high season and on Fri-Sat. Main courses C3,500\u2013C15,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 10am\u2013midnight.\n\nPlaya Tambor\n\n150\u2013168km (93\u2013104 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9 (not including ferry ride); 20km (12 miles) S of Paquera; 38km (24 miles) S of Naranjo\n\nPlaya Tambor was the site of Costa Rica's first large-scale all-inclusive resort, the Barcel\u00f3 Playa Tambor Beach Resort. Despite big plans, the resort and surrounding area have never really taken off. Tambor has a forgotten, isolated feel to it.\n\nPart of the blame lies with the beach itself. Playa Tambor is a long, gently curving stretch of beach protected on either end by rocky headlands. These headlands give the waters ample protection from Pacific swells, making this a good beach for swimming. However, the sand is a rather unattractive, dull gray-brown color, which often receives a large amount of flotsam and jetsam brought in by the sea. Playa Tambor pales in comparison to the beaches located farther south along the Nicoya Peninsula.\n\nHowever, Tambor is the site of the only major commuter airport on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, and you'll be arriving and departing here if you choose to visit Montezuma, Malpa\u00eds, or Santa Teresa by air.\n\nPlaya Tambor.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) flies five times daily to Tambor airport (TMU; no phone) from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport, with the first flight at 7:40am and the last flight at 4pm. Flights begin departing for San Jos\u00e9 at 8:25am, with the last flight out at 4:45pm. Flight duration is 30 minutes; the fare is $102 each way.\n\nNature Air (  866\/735-9278 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) flies to Tambor daily at 8am and 2pm from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. Flight duration is 25 minutes; fares run $83 to $125 each way. Return flights for San Jos\u00e9 leave at 8:30am and 2:30pm. Nature Air also has either direct flights or connecting flights between Tambor and Liberia, Tamarindo, Quepos, Palmar Sur, and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.\n\nThe airport in Tambor is about 16km (10 miles) from Montezuma. The ride takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Taxis are generally waiting to meet most regularly scheduled planes, but if they aren't, you can call Gilberto (  2642-0241 or 8826-9055).\n\nBy Car: The traditional route here is to drive to Puntarenas and catch the ferry to either Naranjo or Paquera. Tambor is about 30 minutes south of Paquera and about an hour and 20 minutes south of Naranjo. The road from Paquera to Tambor is paved and usually in pretty good shape, and taking the Paquera ferry will save you time and some rough, dusty driving. The road from Naranjo to Paquera is all dirt and gravel and often in very bad shape. For directions on driving to Puntarenas.\n\nNaviera Tambor (  2661-2084; www.navieratambor.com) car ferries to Paquera leave Puntarenas roughly every 2 hours daily between 9am and 9pm, with one early trip at 5am. The trip takes 11\u20442 hours. The fare is C7,780 per car, including the driver; C810 for each additional adult, and C485 for children. I recommend arriving early during the peak season and on weekends because lines can be long; if you miss the ferry, you'll have to wait around 2 hours or more for the next one. Moreover, the ferry schedule changes frequently, with fewer ferries during the low season, and the occasional extra ferry added during the high season to meet demand. It's always best to check in advance.\n\nThe car ferry from Paquera to Puntarenas leaves roughly every 2 hours between 9am and 7pm, with one early trip at 6am. Note: If you have to wait for the ferry, do not leave your car unattended, since break-ins are common.\n\nThe Naranjo ferry (  2661-1069; www.coonatramar.com) leaves daily at 6:30 and 10am and 2:30 and 7:30pm. The trip takes 11\u20442 hours. Return ferries leave Naranjo for Puntarenas daily at 8am and 12:30, 5:30, and 9pm. The fare is C7,500 per car, including the driver; C860 for each additional adult; and C515 for children.\n\nAnother option is to drive via the La Amistad Bridge over the Tempisque River. I only recommend this route when the ferries are on the fritz, or when the wait for the next ferry that your car will fit on is over 2 hours. (When the lines are long, you may not find room on the next departing ferry.) Although heading farther north and crossing the bridge is more circuitous, you will be driving the whole time, which beats waiting around in the midday heat of Puntarenas. To go this route, take the Interamerican Highway west from San Jos\u00e9. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) past the turnoff for Puntarenas, turn left for the La Amistad Bridge. After you cross the Tempisque River, head to Quebrada Honda and then south to Route 21, following signs for San Pablo, Jicaral, Lepanto, Playa Naranjo, and Paquera.\n\nTo drive to Tambor from Liberia, head out of town on the main road to the Guanacaste beaches, passing through Filadelfia, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya on your way toward the turnoff for the La Amistad Bridge. Continue straight at this turnoff, and follow the directions for this route as listed above.\n\nBy Bus & Ferry: Transportes Cobano (  2221-7479; www.transportescobanocr.com) runs two daily direct buses between San Jos\u00e9 and C\u00f3bano, dropping passengers off in Tambor en route. The buses leave from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 12 and Avenida 5 at 6am and 2pm. The fare is C6,515, including the ferry ride, and the trip takes a little over 4 hours.\n\nAlternately, it takes two buses and a ferry ride to get to Tambor. Empresarios Unidos express buses (  2222-0064) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily every hour between 6am and 7pm from Calle 16 and Avenida 12. Trip is 21\u20442 hours and costs C2,150. From Puntarenas, take the car ferry to Paquera mentioned above. A bus south to Montezuma (this will drop you off in Tambor) will be waiting to meet the ferry when it arrives in Paquera. The bus ride takes about 35 minutes; the fare is around C1,000. Be careful not to take the Naranjo ferry because it does not meet with regular onward bus transportation to Tambor.\n\nWhen you're ready to head back, buses originating in Montezuma, C\u00f3bano, or Malpa\u00eds pass through Tambor roughly every 2 hours between 6am and 4:30pm. Theoretically, these should connect with a waiting ferry in Paquera. Total trip duration is 31\u20442 hours. Buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave Puntarenas daily every hour between 5am and 8pm.\n\nOrientation Although there's a tiny village of Tambor, through which the main road passes, the hotels themselves are scattered along several kilometers, with Tango Mar, definitively outside Tambor proper. You'll see signs for all these hotels as the road passes through and beyond Playa Tambor.\n\nIf you need a bank, pharmacy, or post office, you'll have to head to nearby C\u00f3bano.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nCur\u00fa Wildlife Refuge \u2605\u2605 (  2641-0100; www.curuwildliferefuge.com), 16km (10 miles) north of Tambor, is a private reserve that has several pretty, secluded beaches, as well as forests and mangrove swamps. This area is extremely rich in wildlife. Mantled howler and white-faced monkeys are often spotted here, and quite a few species of birds. You will usually see scarlet macaws, as the refuge is actively involved in a macaw protection and repopulation effort. Horses are available to rent in the refuge for $10 per hour. Typically, the horse rentals work like this: You'll ride, with a guide, for about an hour to a lovely beach, hang out on the sand for about an hour, and then ride back. Happily, you only get charged for the time you're actually on horseback, so trips run about $20. If you'd like to take a longer ride, simply ask if they'll accommodate you. Admission for the day is $10 per person. Some rustic cabins are available with advance notice for $15 per person per day (includes entrance fee). Meals are $8. If you don't have a car, you should arrange pickup with the folks who manage this refuge. Or you can contact Turismo Cur\u00fa (  2641-0004; www.curutourism.com), which specializes in guided tours to the refuge, as well as kayaking trips and other area adventures.\n\nBoth the hotels listed below offer horseback riding and various tours around this part of the peninsula and can arrange fishing and dive trips.\n\nA woodpecker at Cur\u00fa Wildlife Refuge.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nAside from the hotels listed here, a few inexpensive cabinas are available near the town of Tambor, at the southern end of the beach. Most are very rustic and basic, and charge around $10 per person. Another option is Costa Coral \u2605 (www.hotelcostacoral.com;   2683-0105), a very attractive place with a good restaurant. This place would be my top choice in Tambor, except it's unfortunately set right off the busy main road here, several hundred meters from the beach.\n\nThe Barcel\u00f3 Playa Tambor Beach Resort (www.barcelotamborbeach.com;   2683-0303) was Costa Rica's first all-inclusive resort, but its beach is mediocre at best, and the Barcel\u00f3 company has been accused of violating Costa Rica's environmental laws, ignoring zoning regulations, and mistreating workers. In late 2010, hundreds of guests were stricken by a powerful stomach virus over a period of a week or so, before the resort was closed for another week or so. Although this resort is a major presence here, I don't recommend it; much better all-inclusive options are available farther north in Guanacaste.\n\nTambor Tropical \u2605 Most of the rooms are located in five two-story octagonal buildings and a few garden suites are set back in the thick forest. The whole place is an orgy of varnished hardwoods, with purple heart and cocobolo offsetting each other at every turn. Rooms are enormous and come with large, full kitchens and a spacious sitting area. The walls are, in effect, nothing but shuttered picture windows, which give you the choice of gazing out at the ocean or shutting in for a bit of privacy. The upstairs rooms have large wraparound verandas, and the lower rooms have garden-level decks. The beach is only steps away. Plenty of coconut palms and flowering plants provide a very tropical feel.\n\nTambor, Puntarenas. www.tambortropical.com.   866\/890-2537 in the U.S., or 2683-0011 in Costa Rica. Fax 2683-0013. 14 units. $160\u2013$220 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. No children 15 and under. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small free-form tile outdoor pool and Jacuzzi; small spa. In room: Kitchenette, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nTango Mar Resort \u2605\u2605 Tango Mar is a great place to get away from it all. With just 18 rooms and scattered suites and villas, the resort never feels crowded. A beautiful white-sand beach is right in front, and if you choose to go exploring, you'll find seaside cliffs and a beautiful nearby waterfall. The rooms have large balconies and glass walls to soak in the views, and some have private Jacuzzis. The suites are set among shade trees and flowering vegetation. Most come with four-poster canopy beds and indoor Jacuzzis. The villas are all different, spacious, and secluded. Some suites and villas are a bit far from the beach and main hotel, so you'll need either your own car or one of the hotel's golf carts. In addition to a 9-hole par-3 golf course and two tennis courts, the hotel has a small spa and yoga space to keep you fit and busy.\n\nPlaya Tambor, Puntarenas. www.tangomar.com.   800\/297-4420 in the U.S., or 2683-0001 in Costa Rica. Fax 2683-0003. 18 units. 12 tropical suites, 5 bungalows, and 4 villas. $199 double; $270 suites and bungalows; $450\u2013$999 villa. Rates include breakfast. Rates slightly lower during the off season, higher during peak weeks. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; 9-hole par-3 golf course ($35 full-day greens fee) w\/wonderful sea views; 4 small outdoor pools; room service; small spa; 2 lighted tennis courts; limited watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar.\n\nPlaya Montezuma \u2605\u2605\n\n166\u2013184km (103\u2013114 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9 (not including the ferry ride); 36km (22 miles) SE of Paquera; 54km (33 miles) S of Naranjo\n\nFor decades, this remote village and its surrounding beaches, forests, and waterfalls have enjoyed near-legendary status among backpackers, UFO seekers, hippie expatriates, and European budget travelers. Although it maintains its alternative vibe, Montezuma is a great destination for all manner of travelers looking for a beach retreat surrounded by some stunning scenery. Active pursuits abound, from hiking in the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve to horseback riding to visiting a beachside waterfall. The natural beauty, miles of almost abandoned beaches, rich wildlife, and jungle waterfalls here are what first made Montezuma famous, and they continue to make this one of my favorite beach towns in Costa Rica.\n\nA swimming hole at Playa Montezuma.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport is in Tambor, 17km (11 miles) away (see \"Playa Tambor,\" above, for details). Some of the hotels listed below might pick you up in Tambor for a reasonable fee. If not, you'll have to hire a taxi, which could cost anywhere between $20 and $30. Taxis are generally waiting to meet most regularly scheduled planes, but if they aren't, you can call Gilberto (  2642-0241 or 8826-9055).\n\nBy Car: The traditional route here is to first drive to Puntarenas and catch the ferry to either Naranjo or Paquera. Montezuma is about 30 minutes south of Tambor, 1 hour south of Paquera, and about 2 hours south of Naranjo. The road from Paquera to Tambor is paved and usually in pretty good shape, and taking the Paquera ferry will save you time and some rough, dusty driving. The road from Naranjo to Paquera is all dirt and gravel and often in very bad shape.\n\nTo drive to Montezuma from Liberia, head out of town on the main road to the Guanacaste beaches, passing through Filadelfia, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya on your way toward the turnoff for the La Amistad Bridge. Continue straight at this turnoff, and follow the directions for this route as listed above.\n\nBy Bus & Ferry: Transportes Cobano (  2221-7479; www.transportescobanocr.com) runs two daily direct buses between San Jos\u00e9 and Montezuma, dropping passengers off in en route. The buses leave from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 12 and Avenida 5 at 6am and 2pm. The fare is C6,515, including the ferry ride, and the trip takes a little over 5 hours.\n\nAlternately, it takes two buses and a ferry ride to get to Montezuma. Empresarios Unidos express buses (  2222-0064) to Puntarenas leave San Jos\u00e9 daily every hour between 6am and 7pm from Calle 16 and Avenida 12. The trip takes 21\u20442 hours; the fare is C2,150. From Puntarenas, you can take the ferry to Paquera. A bus south to Montezuma will be waiting to meet the ferry when it arrives in Paquera. The bus ride takes about 55 minutes; the fare is C1,650. Be careful not to take the Naranjo ferry because it does not meet with regular onward bus transportation to Montezuma.\n\nBuses are met by hordes of locals trying to corral you to one of the many budget hotels. Remember, they are getting a commission for everybody they bring in, so their information is biased. Not only that, they are often flat-out lying when they tell you the hotel you wanted to stay in is full.\n\nWhen you're ready to head back, direct buses leave Montezuma daily at 5:30am and 2:30pm. Regular local buses to Paquera leave C\u00f3bano roughly every 2 hours throughout the day starting around 4:45am. Buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave Puntarenas daily every hour between 6am and 7pm.\n\nOrientation As the winding mountain road that descends into Montezuma bottoms out, you turn left onto a small dirt road that defines the village proper. On this 1-block road, you will find El Sano Banano Village Cafe and, across from it, a small shady park with plenty of tall trees, as well as a basketball court and children's playground. The bus stops at the end of this road. From here, hotels are scattered up and down the beach and around the village's few sand streets.\n\nAround the center of town are several tour agencies and Internet cafes among the restaurants and souvenir stores.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nThe ocean here is a gorgeous royal blue, and beautiful beaches stretch out along the coast on either side of town. Be careful, though: The waves can occasionally be too rough for casual swimming, and you need to be aware of stray rocks at your feet. Be sure you know where the rocks and tide are before doing any bodysurfing. The best places to swim are a couple of hundred meters north of town in front of El Rinc\u00f3n de los Monos, or several kilometers farther north at Playa Grande.\n\nIf you're interested in more than simple beach time, head for the Montezuma waterfall \u2605\u2605 just south of town\u2014it's one of those tropical fantasies where water comes pouring down into a deep pool. It's a popular spot, and it's a bit of a hike up the stream. Along this stream are a couple of waterfalls, but the upper falls are by far the more spectacular. You'll find the trail to the falls just over the bridge south of the village (on your right just past Las Cascadas restaurant). At the first major outcropping of rocks, the trail disappears and you have to scramble up the rocks and river for a bit. A trail occasionally reappears for short stretches. Just stick close to the stream and you'll eventually hit the falls.\n\n  Buy the Book . . . or Just Borrow It\n\nIf you came unprepared or ran out of reading material, check in at Librer\u00eda Topsy (  2642-0576), which, in addition to selling books, runs a lending library and serves as the local post office. These folks also have a branch up in Cabuya.\n\nNote: Be very careful when climbing close to the rushing water, and also if you plan on taking any dives into the pools below. The rocks are quite slippery, and several people each year get very scraped up, break bones, and other\u00adwise hurt themselves here.\n\nAnother popular local waterfall is El Chorro \u2605, located 8km (5 miles) north of Montezuma. This waterfall cascades down into a tide pool at the edge of the ocean. The pool here is a delightful mix of fresh- and seawater, and you can bathe while gazing out over the sea and rocky coastline. When the water is clear and calm, this is one of my favorite swimming holes in all of Costa Rica. However, a massive landslide in 2004 filled in much of this pool and also somewhat lessened the drama and beauty of the falls. Moreover, the pool here is dependent upon the tides\u2014it disappears entirely at very high tide. It's about a 2-hour hike along the beach to reach El Chorro. Alternatively, you can take a horseback tour here with any of the tour operators or horseback riding companies in town.\n\nOn the Wing For an intimate look at the life cycle and acrobatic flights-of-fancy of butterflies, head to the Mariposario Montezuma Gardens (  2642-1317 or 8888-4200; www.montezumagardens.com). This is perhaps the most wild and natural feeling of all the butterfly gardens in Costa Rica. Wooden walkways wind through thick vegetation under black screen meshing. Most of the butterflies in the enclosure are self-reproducing. You can also see butterflies and other wildlife on trails through open forested areas outside the enclosure. Along the dirt road heading up the hill just beyond the entrance to the waterfall trail, this place is open daily from 8am to 4pm. Admission is $8, and includes a guided tour. These folks also have a few pretty rooms they rent out, or give to volunteers in exchange for work around the gardens.\n\nHorseback Riding Several people around the village will rent you horses for around $10 to $20 an hour, although most people choose to do a guided 4-hour horseback tour for $30 to $50. Any of the hotels or tour agencies in town can arrange it for you, or you can look for \"Roger, the horse guy\"\u2014any local can direct you to him. However, you'll find the best-cared-for and best-kept horses at Finca Los Caballos \u2605 (  2642-0124; www.naturelodge.net), which is up the hill on the road leading into Montezuma.\n\nOther Activities Some shops in the center of the village rent bicycles by the day or hour, as well as boogie boards and snorkeling equipment (although the water must be very calm for snorkeling).\n\nA range of guided tour and adventure options is available in Montezuma. CocoZuma Traveller (  2642-0911; www.cocozuma.com) and Sun Trails (  2642-0808; www.montezumatraveladventures.com) can both arrange horseback riding, boat excursions, scuba-dive and snorkel tours, ATV outings, and rafting trips; car and motorcycle rentals; airport transfers; international phone, fax, and Internet service; and currency exchange.\n\nOne popular tour option here is the Waterfall Canopy Tour \u2605 (  2642-0808; www.montezumatraveladventures.com), which is built right alongside Montezuma's famous falls. The tour, which features eight cables connecting 10 platforms, includes a swim at the foot of the falls and costs $45 per person. Tours are offered daily at 9am and 1 and 3pm.\n\nYou'll encounter plenty of simple souvenir stores, as well as itinerant artisans selling their wares on the street, but it's worth stopping in at Piedra Colorado \u2605 (  2642-0612 or 8841-5855) to check out their impressive silver, stone, and polished-shell creations. This place is located in the tiny strip mall in the center of Montezuma.\n\nAn Excursion to Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve\n\nAs beautiful as the beaches around Montezuma are, the beaches at Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve \u2605\u2605 (  2642-0093), 11km (63\u20444 miles) south of the village, are even more stunning. At the southernmost tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Cabo Blanco is a national park that preserves a nesting site for brown pelicans, magnificent frigate birds, and brown boobies. The beaches are backed by a lush tropical forest that is home to howler monkeys. The main trail here, Sendero Sueco (Swiss Trail), is a rugged and sometimes steep hike through thick rainforest. The trail leads to the beautiful Playa Balsita and Playa Cabo Blanco, two white-sand stretches that straddle either side of the namesake Cabo Blanco point. The beaches are connected by a short trail. It's 4km (2.5 miles) to Playa Balsita. Alternately, you can take a shorter 2km (1.25-mile) loop trail through the primary forest here. This is Costa Rica's oldest official bioreserve and was set up thanks to the pioneering efforts of conservationists Karen Mogensen and Nicholas Wessberg. Admission is $10; the reserve is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8am to 4pm.\n\nOn your way out to Cabo Blanco, you'll pass through the tiny village of Cabuya. There are a couple of private patches of beach to discover in this area, off some of the deserted dirt roads, and a small offshore island serves as the town's picturesque cemetery. Snorkel and kayak trips to this island are offered out of Montezuma.\n\nShuttle buses head from Montezuma to Cabo Blanco roughly every 2 hours beginning at 8am, and then turn around and bring folks from Cabo Blanco to Montezuma; the last one leaves Cabo Blanco around 5pm. The fare is $2 each way. These shuttles often don't run during the off season. Alternatively, you can share a taxi: The fare is around $15 to $20 per taxi, which can hold four or five passengers. Taxis tend to hang around Montezuma center. One dependable taxista is Gilberto Rodr\u00edguez (  2642-0241 or 8826-9055).\n\nCabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nExpensive\n\nIn addition to the places mentioned below, the Anamaya Resort \u2605 (www.anamayaresort.com;   2642-1289) is a lovely and luxe new option on a high hillside above Montezuma. Anamaya specializes in yoga and wellness retreats.\n\nYlang Ylang Beach Resort \u2605\u2605   Set in a lush patch of forest just steps away from the sand, this hotel offers accommodations in a variety of shapes and sizes. Coco Joe's Bungalow is the largest and features a luscious wraparound balcony and a small sleeping loft. But I also like the smaller ferroconcrete geodesic domes, which look like igloos and have outdoor garden showers. Suites with private balconies and sleeping lofts are in a separate building, with standard rooms on the ground floor below them, as well as \"jungalows\"\u2014large tents set on wooden platforms, with an indoor sink, small fridge, ceiling fan, and a private deck. These units share nearby bathrooms and showers. A beautiful swimming pool with a sculpted waterfall is on-site, and the whole operation is set amid lush gardens. You cannot drive in and out of the hotel, so arrival and check-in are handled at the downtown El Sano Banano Village Hotel. The owners are committed environmentalists and are actively involved in local and regional conservation efforts; the restaurant serves both vegan and raw food dishes and as much locally grown organic produce as possible.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.ylangylangresort.com.   2642-0636. Fax 2642-0068. 21 units. $140\u2013$365 double. Rates include breakfast and dinner. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool. In room: A\/C (except jungalows), fridge, hair dryer, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nThe El Sano Banano folks also run an in-town B&B (www.elbanano.com;   2642-0636), just off the popular restaurant. The rooms here feature air-conditioning and satellite televisions; because of the design, you are basically forced to use the air-conditioning. Rooms are $75 per double.\n\nEl Jardin Set on a steep hill, right on the crossroads leading into \"downtown,\" this is a good choice if you're looking for a comfortable and well-equipped room close to the action. The rooms are located in a series of different buildings spread across the hillside. Number 9 is my favorite, with pretty stone work in the bathroom, a greater sense of privacy than some of the others, and a good view from its private terrace. A fully equipped two-bedroom villa has a working kitchen for families and longer stays. A two-level pool and Jacuzzi are in a relaxing little garden area, and a small, full-service spa is on-site. Although the hotel doesn't have a restaurant, the town and its many dining options are just steps away.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.hoteleljardin.com.  \/fax 2642-0074 or   2642-0548. 17 units. $85\u2013$95 double; $115 villa. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool; spa. In room: A\/C, minifridge, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nNature Lodge Finca Los Caballos \u2605 This lodge is on a high ridge about 3km (13\u20444 miles) above Montezuma. The rooms are simple, with red tile roofs, hardwood trim, stone floors, and some pretty paintings and decorative accents. Every room has a private patio or balcony with a garden, jungle, or ocean view. The Superior Pacific rooms are the best bet, with beautiful ocean views out across the forested hills below. The hotel has a small pool, plenty of hammocks strung around for relaxing, and an in-house spa. Finca Los Caballos translates to \"horse ranch,\" and riding is taken seriously by the hotel. The owners have 16 hectares (40 acres) of land and access to many neighboring ranches and trail systems. Be forewarned: If you stay here, it's a quick car ride, but very hefty hike, especially on the way back, to the beach.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.naturelodge.net.   2642-0124.  \/fax 2642-0664. 12 units. $86\u2013$146 double. Rates include breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; small outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: Minifridge, no phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places mentioned below, El Pargo Feliz (www.montezuma-hotel.com;   2642-0065) and Cabinas Mar y Cielo (  2642-0261) are two good budget options right in the center of town. Hotel Los Mangos (www.hotellosmangos.com;   2642-0384), a bit before the waterfall on the road toward Cabo Blanco, has shared-bathroom budget rooms that are very basic, but they are a decent value and you do get access to a pool.\n\nAmor de Mar \u2605   This hotel has an idyllic setting, with a wide expanse of neatly trimmed grass sloping down to the sea, tide pools (one of which is as big as a small swimming pool), and hammocks slung from the mango trees. The rooms are housed in a two-story building, which abounds in varnished hardwoods. Although simply appointed, most rooms have plenty of space and receive lots of sunlight. However, a couple of the less expensive rooms are a bit small and dark. My favorite room is no. 5, which has exclusive access to a long second-floor balcony with a superb ocean view. Breakfast and lunch only are served on a beautiful open-air patio overlooking the sea. These folks also rent out a large fully equipped two-story, four-bedroom house next to the hotel.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.amordemar.com.  \/fax 2642-0262. 11 units, 9 with private bathroom. $50\u2013$60 double with shared bathroom; $70\u2013$110 double with private bathroom; $200 house. V, MC. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: A\/C (in some), no phone.\n\nHotel La Aurora Just to the left as you enter the village of Montezuma, you'll find this long-standing budget hotel. The rooms are spread out over three floors in two neighboring buildings fronting the village's small park and playground. All rooms are clean and well-kept. A two-room apartment on the third floor has a private balcony and a bit of an ocean view through the treetops. The hotel also features a couple of common sitting areas, a small lending library, some hammocks and comfortable chairs for chilling out in, a communal kitchen, and flowering vines growing up the walls. In fact, the plants and vines all over La Aurora keep things cool and give the place a fitting tropical feel. Fresh coffee, tea, and hearty breakfasts are served each morning.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.hotelaurora-montezuma.com.  \/fax 2642-0051. 19 units. $45\u2013$70 double. Rates include taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Lounge; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, no phone.\n\nHotel Lucy   Situated on a pretty section of beach a bit south of town, in front of Los Mangos, this converted two-story wooden home has the best location of any budget lodging in Montezuma. If you can snag a second-floor room with an ocean view, like room no. 19, you'll be in budget heaven. While very rustic and basic, the rooms are kept clean. The beach here is a bit rough and rocky for swimming, but the sunbathing and sunsets are beautiful.\n\nMontezuma, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas.   2642-0273. 17 units, 6 with bathroom. $20\u2013$24 double with shared bathroom; $26\u2013$30 double with private bathroom. No credit cards. Amenities: Smoke-free rooms. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, you'll find several basic sodas and casual restaurants right in the village. My favorite of these is the Pizzer\u00eda L'Angulo Allegro (  2642-1430), which is at the crossroads into town and serves good thin-crust pizzas, calzones, and pastas. You might also want to check out the Spanish cuisine and fabulous setting at the downtown Hotel Moctezuma (  2642-0657), or the varied international fare at Cocolores (  2642-0348). For breakfast, coffee, and light meals, Organico \u2605 (  2642-1322; bakingfairy@gmail.com) is a good option, with a range of healthy sandwiches, daily specials, and freshly baked goods. The Bakery Caf\u00e9 (  2642-0458) is another good choice, serving everything from gourmet coffee drinks to full meals from their massive menu.\n\nEl Sano Banano Village Cafe \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/VEGETARIAN Delicious vegetarian meals, including nightly specials, sandwiches, and salads, are the specialty of this perennially popular Montezuma restaurant, although there's also a variety of fish and chicken dishes. Lunches feature hefty sandwiches on whole-wheat bread and filling fish and vegetarian casados. The natural yogurt fruit shakes are fabulous, but I like to get a little more decadent and have one of the mocha chill shakes. El Sano Banano also doubles as the local movie house. Nightly DVD releases are projected on a large screen; the selection ranges from first-run to quite artsy from a constantly growing library of more than 1,000 movies. The movies begin at 7:30pm and require a minimum purchase of $6.\n\nOn the main road into the village.   2642-0944. Main courses $6\u2013$14. AE, MC, V. Daily 6am\u201310pm.\n\nPlaya de los Artistas \u2605\u2605\u2605   ITALIAN\/MEDITERRANEAN This open-air restaurant is housed in the back garden of an old house fronting the beach, and only has a few tables, so arrive early. If you don't get a seat and you feel hearty, try the low wooden table surrounded by tatami mats on the sand. Meals are served in large creative plates, in broad wooden bowls set on ceramic-ringed coasters, or on large wooden planks lined with banana leaves. The menu changes nightly but always features several fish dishes. The fresh grouper in a black-pepper sauce is phenomenal, as is the moscardini polenta, a tasty appetizer of polenta topped with grilled calamari tentacles and pecorino cheese. The outdoor brick oven and grill turns out consistently spectacular grilled seafood. All meals come with plenty of fresh bread for soaking up the delicious sauces.\n\nAcross from Hotel Los Mangos.   2642-0920. Reservations recommended. Main courses $6.50\u2013$20. No credit cards. Mon\u2013Sat 10:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nYlang Ylang \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/VEGETARIAN Located at the Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, this attractive, open-air affair features a covered dining area, as well as outdoor tables under broad canvas umbrellas, and a sculpted bar with indigenous and wildlife motifs. The menu is ample, with a prominent Asian influence, ranging from sushi to vegetarian teriyaki stir-fry. Several crepe and pasta options and plenty of fresh seafood dishes are also available. For lunch you can have a bruschetta or some cool gazpacho and be just a few steps from the sand when you're done. Vegans and even raw food fans are well taken care of here.\n\nAt the Ylang Ylang Beach Resort.   2642-0402. Reservations recommended. Main courses $12\u2013$25. AE, MC, V. Daily 7am\u20139pm.\n\nMontezuma After Dark\n\nMontezuma has had a tough time coming to terms with its nightlife. For years, local businesses banded together to force most of the loud, late-night activity out of town. This has eased somewhat, allowing for quite an active nightlife in Montezuma proper. The local action seems to base itself either at Chico's Bar \u2605 (  2642-0526) or at the bar at the Hotel Moctezuma (www.hotelmoctezuma.com;   2642-0058). Both are located on the main strip in town facing the water. If your evening tastes are mellower, El Sano Banano Village Cafe doubles as the local movie house, with nightly late-run features projected on a large screen.\n\nMalpa\u00eds & Santa Teresa \u2605\u2605\n\n150km (93 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9; 12km (71\u20442 miles) S of C\u00f3bano\n\nMalpa\u00eds (or Mal Pa\u00eds) translates as \"badlands,\" and, while this may have been an apt moniker several years ago, it no longer accurately describes this booming beach area. Malpa\u00eds is a bucket term often used to refer to a string of neighboring beaches running from south to north, and including Malpa\u00eds, Playa Carmen, Santa Teresa, Playa Hermosa, and Playa Manzanillo. To a fault, these beaches are long, wide expanses of light sand dotted with rocky outcroppings. This is one of Costa Rica's hottest spots, and development continues at a dizzying pace, especially in Santa Teresa. Still, it will take some time before this place is anything like more developed destinations Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio. In Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa today, you'll find a mix of beach hotels and resorts, restaurants, shops, and private houses, as well as miles of often deserted beach, and easy access to some nice jungle and the nearby Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.\n\nA surfer in Santa Teresa.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport is in Tambor (see \"Playa Tambor\", for flight details). The airport is about 22km (14 miles) away from Malpa\u00eds; the ride takes around 20 to 25 minutes. Some of the hotels listed below might be willing to pick you up in Tambor for a reasonable fee. If not, you'll have to hire a taxi, which could cost anywhere between $40 and $50. Taxis are generally waiting to meet most regularly scheduled planes, but if they aren't, you can call Miguel (  8367-4638 or 2640-0261) or Richard (  8317-7614 or 2640-0003) for a cab.\n\nBy Car: Follow the directions above to Montezuma (see \"Playa Montezuma,\" earlier in this chapter). At C\u00f3bano, follow the signs to Malpa\u00eds and Playa Santa Teresa. It's another 12km (71\u20442 miles) down a rough dirt road that requires four-wheel-drive much of the year, especially during the rainy season.\n\nTo drive to Malpa\u00eds from Liberia, head out of town on the main road to the Guanacaste beaches, passing through Filadelfia, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya on your way toward the turnoff for the La Amistad Bridge. Continue straight at this turnoff, and follow the directions for this route as listed above.\n\nBy Bus & Ferry: Transportes Cobano (  2221-7479; www.transportescobanocr.com) has two daily buses from San Jos\u00e9's Coca-Cola bus station to Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa. The buses leave at 6am and 2pm, and the fare is C6,515, including the ferry passage. The ride takes a little over 6 hours. The return buses leave Santa Teresa at 5:15am and 2pm.\n\nAlternately, you can follow the directions above for getting to Montezuma, but get off in C\u00f3bano. From C\u00f3bano are daily buses for Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa at 10:30am and 2:30pm. The fare is C800. Buses return daily to C\u00f3bano at 7 and 11:30am and 3:30pm. Be forewarned: These bus schedules are subject to change according to demand, road conditions, and the whim of the bus company.\n\nIf you miss the bus connection in C\u00f3bano, you can hire a cab to Malpa\u00eds for around $20.\n\nOrientation Malpa\u00eds and Santa Teresa are two tiny beach villages. As you reach the ocean, the road forks; Playa Carmen is straight ahead, Malpa\u00eds is to your left, and Santa Teresa is to your right. If you continue beyond Santa Teresa, you'll come to the even-more-deserted beaches of playas Hermosa and Manzanillo (not to be confused with beaches of the same names to be found elsewhere in the country). To get to playas Hermosa and Manzanillo, you have to ford a couple of rivers, which can be tricky during parts of the rainy season.\n\nFast Facts Currently, neither Malpa\u00eds nor Santa Teresa has a bank, but an ATM is near the crossroads at the entrance to town, along with several general stores, public phones, and Internet cafes. Farmacia Amiga (  2640-0539) is in the Playa Carmen Commercial Center.\n\nIf you need a taxi, call Miguel (  8367-4638 or 2640-0261) or Richard (  8317-7614 or 2640-0003). If you want to do the driving yourself, you can contact the local offices of Alamo (  2640-0526; www.alamocostarica.com) or Budget Rent A Car (  2640-0500; www.budget.co.cr). Or you can head to Quads Rental Center (  2640-0178), which has a large stock of ATVs.\n\nSanta Teresa.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nIf you decide to do anything here besides sunbathe on the beach and play in the waves, your options include nature hikes, horseback riding, ATV tours, scuba diving, and snorkeling, which most hotels can help arrange. Surfing is a major draw, with miles of beach breaks to choose from and a few points to boot. If you want to rent a board or take a lesson, you can find a host of surf shops in Malpa\u00eds, Playa Carmen, and Santa Teresa, all of which rent boards and offer lessons. I recommend Malpa\u00eds Surf Shop (  2640-0173), located right on the beach in Playa Carmen.\n\nIf you've gotten beat up by the waves, or are sore from paddling out, you'll find several excellent spas in town. The best and most extensive (and most expensive) of these is at the Florblanca Resort. But you might also check in to Yoga & Spa Natural (  2640-0402; www.yogaspanatural.com), which has a pretty beachfront location, at the Tr\u00f3pico Latino Lodge, or the Pranamar Villas & Yoga Retreat, also located on the beach, at the northern end of Santa Teresa.\n\nFor canopy adventures, head to Canopy del Pac\u00edfico (  2640-0360; www.canopydelpacifico.com), which is toward the southern end of Malpa\u00eds and just slightly inland. A 2-hour tour over the nearly 2km (1 mile) of cables touches down on 11 platforms, features two rappels, and offers good views of both the forest and the ocean below. The cost is $35. Round-trip transportation from an area hotel is just another $5 per person.\n\nFinally, any hotel in the area can arrange a horseback-riding or ATV trip into the hills and along the beaches of this region, a guided hike through Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, a sportfishing excursion out onto the high seas, or a trip over to Montezuma.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nVery Expensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Casa Chameleon \u2605\u2605 (www.hotelcasachameleon.com;   888\/705-0274 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2288-2879 in Costa Rica) is a collection of four plush, individual villas, each with a private pool, set on a steep hillside overlooking Malpa\u00eds.\n\nFlorblanca Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 This lush hotel is the most luxurious option in this neck of the woods and one of the top boutique hotels in the country. The individual villas are huge, with a vast living area opening onto a spacious veranda. The furnishings, decorations, and architecture boast a mix of Latin American and Asian influences. Most overlook flowing gardens, and about half have views through to the sea. Every unit features a large open-air bathroom with a garden shower and teardrop-shape tub set amid flowering tropical foliage. Despite the luxury on display here, the owners and management are committed to sustainable tourism ideals. The modern, full-service spa with massive treatment rooms is over an amazing water feature, and complimentary classes like yoga and Pilates are regularly offered in the full-size dojo. The beautiful free-form pool is on two levels, with a sculpted waterfall connecting them and a shady Indonesian-style gazebo off to one side.\n\nPlaya Santa Teresa, C\u00f3bano, Puntarenas. www.florblanca.com.   2640-0232. Fax 2640-0226. 11 units. $475\u2013$600 double; $650\u2013$750 2-bedroom villa for 4; $850 honeymoon house. Transfer to and from Tambor airstrip is included. AE, DC, MC, V. No children 13 and under. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; small open-air gym; outdoor pool; room service; spa; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, kitchenette, Wi-Fi.\n\nFlorblanca Resort.\n\nLatitude 10 \u2605\u2605   The individual bungalows here are architectural treats, with a heavy dose of Balinese and Indonesian art, furnishings, and overall design influences. Wraparound French doors can be opened up for access to the wraparound veranda, which in itself opens out on to lush gardens and forest. In fact, the open design of these bungalows does not include any windows, screens, or mesh. (While biting insects are not a problem, insectaphobes beware, moths and beetles will fly around as you read at night). The two master suites are the prize digs here, with massive outdoor garden bathrooms and more space than the similar, but somewhat more compact, junior suites. Thanks to the intimate vibe, it's not uncommon for a family or group of friends to rent out the whole resort.\n\nPlaya Santa Teresa, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.latitude10resort.com.   2640-0396. Fax 2640-0557. 6 units. $270\u2013$320 junior suite; $440 master suite. Rates include breakfast. Rates lower in the off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant, bar; outdoor pool; all rooms smoke-free. In room: Minibar, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nPranamar Villas & Yoga Retreat \u2605\u2605\u2605   Located at the far northern end of Playa Santa Teresa, this new, intimate resort features large, beautifully designed villas and bungalows, as well as daily yoga classes and delicious healthy spa cuisine. A mix of Balinese, Thai, and Central American materials and design motifs blend together seamlessly. The central salt-water pool is chemical free. A large yoga studio is in many ways the heart and soul of this place, featuring a range of daily classes, and often used by visiting groups for retreats. The owners here are dedicated to healthy living, community development, and sustainable tourism practices.\n\nPlaya Santa Teresa, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.pranamarvillas.com.   2640-0852. 10 units. $220\u2013$350 double. Rates include breakfast. Rates lower in the off season; higher during peak periods. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant, bar; outdoor, salt-water pool; all rooms smoke-free; spa treatments; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, minifridge, no phone.\n\nExpensive\n\nMilarepa \u2605 Named after a Buddhist sage, this small collection of bungalows is spread around shady grounds fronting the beach, just next door to Florblanca. The bungalows are simple, roomy, and understated. All have wooden floors, a mix of teak and bamboo furniture, beds with mosquito netting, and a private porch. An overhead fan keeps things cool, and plenty of windows make for good for cross ventilation. The more expensive units are closest to the beach and have ocean views. When the surf is too rough, you can take dip in the midsize pool. The restaurant here is excellent.\n\nPlaya Santa Teresa, C\u00f3bano, Puntarenas. www.milarepahotel.com.   2640-0023 or 2640-0663. 4 bungalows. $155\u2013$199 double. Rates include taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, Beija Flor Resort (www.beijaflorresort.com;   2640-1007) is a cozy little resort with an excellent restaurant in Malpa\u00eds.\n\nMoana Lodge \u2605 Set on a steep hillside, the rooms here are all decorated in African themes. The master and junior suites have excellent views, and a few of the higher-situated standard units have a bit of an ocean view, as well. In addition to being larger, the suites come with plasma televisions and stocked minibars. The pretty free-form pool has a shady gazebo beside it, as well as some mattresses hung like swings under another shade structure. The hotel's Papaya Lounge and Restaurant are set on the highest part of the property, with stunning panoramic views.\n\nMalpa\u00eds, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.moanalodge.com.   2640-0230. Fax 2640-0623. 10 units. $100\u2013$150 double; $210\u2013$295 suite. Rates include breakfast and taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant, bar; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; all rooms are smoke-free. In room: A\/C, hair dryer, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nTr\u00f3pico Latino Lodge \u2605 One of the first hotels in the area, this well-located beachfront spread is still a good choice. The best accommodations are the individual beachfront bungalows, and the six-room beach house, all with direct access to and views of the ocean. The older rooms are in four duplex units and are huge\u2014the king-size bamboo bed barely makes a dent in the floor space. There's also a separate sofa bed, as well as a small desk, and closet space galore. Although none of the older rooms has any ocean view to speak of, they all have private patios with a hammock. The shady grounds are home to many native pochote trees, known for their spiky trunks. The restaurant serves up excellent fresh fish and pasta dishes, and a pretty spa and yoga studio are on-site as well.\n\nPlaya Santa Teresa, C\u00f3bano, Puntarenas. www.hoteltropicolatino.com.   2640-0062. Fax 2640-0117. 18 units. $105\u2013$125 double; $135\u2013$195 bungalow; $250\u2013$350 suite. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small free-form outdoor pool; small spa. In room: A\/C, no phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nBudget travelers can check out Tranquilo Backpackers (www.tranquilobackpackers.com;   2640-0589), which is an outgrowth of a popular San Jos\u00e9 hostel. This place is located a bit inland off the road running toward Santa Teresa and has a mix of dorm-style and private rooms.\n\nYou can also pitch a tent at several spots and makeshift campsites here. Look for camping signs; you should get restroom and shower access for a few bucks.\n\nMalpa\u00eds Surf Camp & Resort The wide range of prices here reflects the equally wide range of accommodations. The most basic rooms are open-air ranchos with gravel floors, lathe-and-bamboo walls, bead curtain-doors, and shared bathrooms. They'll also let you set up a tent for around $10 per tent, with restroom and shower access included. From here, your options get progressively more comfortable, ranging from shared-bathroom bunk-bed rooms to deluxe poolside villas. A refreshing free-form tile pool is in the center of the complex, and the large, open main lodge area serves as a combination restaurant, bar, lounge, and surfboard-storage area. As the name implies, this place is run by and caters to surfers, and the overall vibe here is loose and funky. The restaurant serves filling, fresh, and, at times, quite creative cuisine, depending on how accomplished the itinerant surf-chef-of-the-month is. Surf rentals, lessons, and video sessions are all available.\n\nMalpa\u00eds, C\u00f3bano de Puntarenas. www.malpaissurfcamp.com.   2640-0031.  \/fax 2640-0061. 16 units, 8 with shared bathroom. $12\u2013$18 per person with shared bathroom; $95\u2013$150 double with private bathroom. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small exercise room; midsize outdoor pool; watersports equipment rental. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, you might try Mary's (  2640-0153), a very popular open-air joint that features wood-oven baked pizzas and fresh seafood, and is toward the northern end of Malpa\u00eds. The fresh creative cooking at the Beija Flor Resort (www.beijaflorresort.com;   2640-1006) is another good option in Malpa\u00eds.\n\nRight at the Playa Carmen Commercial Center, at the crossroads at the entrance to town, you'll find a small food court with a wide range of options, including the bistro-style Artemis Caf\u00e9 (  2640-0579; www.artemiscafe.com) and the somewhat pricey sushi joint Ume Sushi (  2640-0968). My favorite, however, is Product C \u2605\u2605 (  2640-1026; www.product-c.com), a seafood retail outlet that also cooks up the daily catch, makes fresh ceviche, and serves fresh, farm-grown, local oysters.\n\nDown in Santa Teresa, the fine Asian fusion cuisine served up from a chalkboard menu at Milarepa (see above) is worth a taste, and their Wednesday and Saturday sushi nights are a real hit. For fresh, homemade pastas and down-home Italian cuisine, head to Al Chile Viola, at the Tr\u00f3pico Latino Lodge.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nNectar \u2605\u2605\u2605   FUSION The dimly lit open-air setting of this poolside and beachfront restaurant is elegant yet casual. New American and Nuevo Latino cuisines are well-represented on the menu, which changes nightly. However, you can always start with some sushi or sashimi made with the daily catch. In addition to fresh seafood and at least one vegetarian entree, you will always find a hearty meat entree, prepared with imported aged beef. Between 4 and 6pm they specialize in sushi and bocas, the local term for tapas. The creativity, service, and presentation are some of the best you'll find in Costa Rica. In addition, their wine and Cuban cigar cellars are the best, by far, in the area.\n\nAt Flor Blanca Resort in Santa Teresa.   2640-0232. Reservations recommended. Main courses $16\u2013$32. AE, MC, V. Daily 7am\u20139pm.\n\nExpensive\n\nBrisas del Mar \u2605\u2605   FUSION With a large, open-air deck jutting out over a steep hillside, this happening spot offers up top-notch fusion fare from a chalkboard menu that changes weekly. The freshest catch and best available local ingredients are always featured, and the influence of various world cuisines is evident in the creative concoctions. Thai and Asian dishes are common, although the British-born chef and owner is also likely to throw some beer-battered fish and chips on the menu. Desserts are excellent, and they have a fine and fairly priced wine list. This is a great place to come for a sunset cocktail, and then linger on for dinner and dessert. I recommend taking a taxi here, as the walk up is daunting. Heck, even the drive up is daunting\u2014it's a very steep hill.\n\nOn a hillside, just north of main crossroads in Malpa\u00eds.   2640-0941. Reservations recommended. Main courses $8\u2013$16. No credit cards. Tues\u2013Sun 7:30\u201311:30am and 4\u201310pm.\n\nMalpa\u00eds & Santa Teresa After Dark\n\nThe most popular bar in Malpa\u00eds is D&N \u2605 (  2640-0353; www.dayandnightbeachclub.com), which stands for Day & Night, and is about 1 block north of the crossroads into town, off the main road. You might try Artemis Caf\u00e9 (see above) for a mellower scene. Surfers and other travelers tend to gather in the evenings at Frank's Place, at the crossroads of Malpa\u00eds and Playa Carmen (  2640-0096) and the Malpa\u00eds Surf Camp (see above for both). In Santa Teresa, La Lora Amarilla (  2640-0132) is the most happening spot. This is definitely the place to come on Saturday night, to dance some salsa and merengue with the locals.\n\nA Truly Remote Beach: Undiscovered, For Now\n\nThe Nicoya Peninsula coastline between Santa Teresa and Playa S\u00e1mara is perhaps the last, long undeveloped stretch of Costa Rican coastline. The following hotel is located roughly midway between Santa Teresa and Playa S\u00e1mara. It can be reached year round by rough, mostly unmarked dirt roads, so it is best to carefully coordinate you transportation with the hotel.\n\nCristal Azul \u2605 Set on a hillside overlooking the long, desolate Playa San Miguel, this boutique hotel is a great getaway. The four individual villas here all have simple, tasteful decor, plenty of room, and a private balcony for enjoying the fabulous views. They also feature delightful, open-air showers. Apart from enjoying the solitude and isolation, guests here can opt for a wide range of activities and adventures, including deep sea fishing, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. In addition to being gracious and involved hosts, the owners here are actively involved in helping improve the local community, and have earned \"4 Leaves\" from the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nPlaya San Miguel, Guanacaste. www.cristalazul.com.   888\/822-7369 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2655-8049 in Costa Rica. 4 units. $140\u2013$190 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, no phone.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara \u2605\n\n35km (22 miles) S of Nicoya; 245km (152 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara is a long, broad beach on a gently curved horseshoe-shape bay. Unlike most of the other beaches along this stretch of the Pacific coast, the water here is usually calm and perfect for swimming because an offshore island and rocky headlands break up most of the surf. Playa S\u00e1mara is popular both with Tico families seeking a quick and inexpensive getaway and with young Ticos looking to do some serious beach partying. On weekends, in particular, S\u00e1mara can get crowded and rowdy. Still, the calm waters and steep cliffs on the far side of the bay make this a very attractive spot, and the beach is so long that the crowds are usually well dispersed. Moreover, if you drive along the rugged coastal road in either direction, you'll discover some truly spectacular and isolated beaches.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas and the Interamerican Highway (CR1). You will actually follow signs for Liberia and San Jos\u00e9, which are, in fact, leading you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. This road (CR23) ends when it hits the Interamerican Highway. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp which will put you on the highway heading north. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) after you get on the Interamerican Highway heading north, you'll see signs and the turnoff for La Amistad Bridge (CR18). After crossing the bridge, continue on CR18 until it hits CR21. Take this road north to Nicoya. Turn in to the town of Nicoya, and head more or less straight through town until you see signs for Playa S\u00e1mara. From here, it's a well-marked and paved road (CR150) all the way to the beach.\n\nTo drive to S\u00e1mara from Liberia, head out of town on the main road to the Guanacaste beaches, passing through Filadelfia, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya. Once you reach Nicoya, follow the directions outlined above.\n\nBy Bus: Alfaro express buses (  2222-2666; www.empresaalfaro.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at noon and 6:30pm from Avenida 5 between calles 14 and 16. The trip lasts 5 hours; the one-way fare is C3,790. Extra buses are sometimes added on weekends and during peak periods, so it's always wise to check.\n\nAlternatively, you can take a bus from this same station to Nicoya and then catch a second bus from Nicoya to S\u00e1mara. Alfaro buses leave San Jos\u00e9 nearly every hour between 6am and 5pm. The fare is C3,315. The trip can take between 4 and 51\u20442 hours, depending if the bus goes via Liberia or La Amistad Bridge. The latter route is much faster and much more frequent. Empresa Rojas (  2685-5352) buses leave Nicoya for S\u00e1mara and Carrillo regularly throughout the day, between 5am and 9pm. The trip's duration is 11\u20442 hours. The fare to S\u00e1mara is C800; the fare to Carrillo is C850.\n\nExpress buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave daily at 4:30 and 8am. Buses for Nicoya leave throughout the day between 5am and 6pm. Buses leave Nicoya for San Jos\u00e9 nearly every hour between 3am and 5pm.\n\nInterbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Playa S\u00e1mara at 8am. The fare is $40, and they will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels.\n\nOrientation S\u00e1mara is a busy little town at the bottom of a steep hill. The main road heads straight into town, passing the soccer field before coming to an end at the beach. Just before the beach is a road to the left that leads to most of the hotels listed below. This road also leads to Playa Carrillo and the Hotel Punta Islita. If you turn right 3 blocks before hitting the beach, you'll hit the coastal road that goes to playas Buena Vista, Barrigona, and eventually Nosara.\n\nFast Facts In case of an emergency, dial   911. To reach the local police, dial   2656-0436. S\u00e1mara has a small medical clinic (  2656-0166). A branch of Banco Nacional (  2656-0089) is on the road to Playa Buena Vista, just as you head out of town. For full service laundry, head to Green Life Laundry (  2656-1051), about 3 blocks west of the Banco Nacional.\n\nIf you need a ride around S\u00e1mara, or to one of the nearby beaches, you can hire a taxi by calling Jorge (  8830-3002). Rides in town should cost $2 to $4; rides to nearby beaches might run $8 to $20, depending upon the distance.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nAside from sitting on the sand and soaking up the sun, the main activities in Playa S\u00e1mara seem to be hanging out in the bars and sodas and dancing into the early morning hours. But if you're looking for something more, there's horseback riding either on the beach or through the bordering pastureland and forests. Other options include sea kayaking in the calm waters off Playa S\u00e1mara, sportfishing, snorkeling and scuba diving, boat tours, mountain biking, and tours to Playa Ostional to see the mass nesting of olive ridley sea turtles. You can inquire about and book any of these tours at your hotel.\n\nYou'll find that the beach is nicer and cleaner down at the south end. Better yet, head about 8km (5 miles) south to Playa Carrillo \u2605\u2605, a long crescent of soft, white sand. With almost no development here, the beach is nearly always deserted. Loads of palm trees provide shade. If you've got a good four-wheel-drive vehicle, ask for directions at your hotel and set off in search of the hidden gems of Playa Buena Vista and Playa Barrigona \u2605\u2605, which are north of S\u00e1mara, less than a half-hour drive away.\n\nPlaya Carrillo.\n\nA taxi to Playa Carrillo should cost about $6 to $10 each way. Because it's a bit farther and the roads are a little rougher, expect to pay a little more to reach Playa Buena Vista, and even more for Playa Barrigona.\n\nThe folks at Wingnuts Canopy Tours (  2656-0153) offer zip-line and harness \"canopy tours.\" The 2-hour outing costs $55 per person; $35 for those under 18. You'll find their office by the giant strangler fig tree, or matapalo, toward the southern end of the beach.\n\nAlmost every hotel in the area can arrange sportfishing trips, or you could contact S\u00e1mara Sport Fishing (  2656-0589) or Kingfisher \u2605 (  2656-0091 or 8358-9661; www.costaricabillfishing.com). Rates run from $300 to $800 for a half-day and $700 to $1,200 for a full day outing.\n\nTo learn how to surf or to rent a board, check in with C & C Surf Shop and School (  2656-0590; http:\/\/cncsurfsamara.webs.com). Surfboard rentals run around $12 per day. Private lessons cost $30 per hour, including a free hour of board rental after your lesson. If you want to head out and try some scuba diving or a snorkel excursion, call Pura Vida Diving (  2656-0643; www.puravidadive.com). A two-tank dive, with equipment, will run you $95.\n\nFor a bird's-eye view of the area, head over to the Flying Crocodile (  2656-8048 or 8827-8858; www.flying-crocodile.com) in Playa Buena Vista. The folks here also offer flights on a two-seat (one for you, one for the pilot) Gyrocopter, the ultralight equiva\u00adlent of a helicopter. Although it might feel like little more than a modified tricycle with a nylon wing and lawnmower motor, these winged wonders are very safe. A 20-minute flight will run you $75, while an hour-long tour costs $120.\n\nA Flying Crocodile plane.\n\nAll of the hotels here can help you arrange any number of tour options, including horseback rides, boat trips, sea kayaking, scuba diving, and snorkeling outings. You might also contact Carillo Adventures (  2656-0380), a good all-around local tour company.\n\nLearn the Language\n\nIf you want to acquire or polish some language skills while here, check in with the S\u00e1mara Language School (  866\/978-6813 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2656-0127 in S\u00e1mara; www.samaralanguageschool.com). These folks offer a range of programs and private lessons and can arrange for a homestay with a local family. The facility even features classes with ocean views, although that might be a detriment to your language learning.\n\nGoing Down Under\n\nSpelunkers will want to head 62km (38 miles) northeast of Playa S\u00e1mara on the road to La Amistad Bridge. If you don't have a car, your best bet is to get to Nicoya, which is about a half-hour away by bus, and then take a taxi to the park, which should cost about $15. Here, at Barra Honda National Park \u2605 (  2659-1551 or 2685-5267), is an extensive system of caves, some of which reach more than 200m (656 ft.) in depth. Human remains and indigenous relics have been found in other caves, but those are not open to the public. Because this is a national park, you'll have to pay the $10 entrance fee.\n\nTerciopelo Cave at Barra Honda National Park.\n\nIf you plan to descend the one publicly accessible cave, you'll need to hire a local guide at the park entrance station. These guides are always available, and will provide harnesses, helmets, and flashlights. Depending upon your group size and bargaining abilities, expect to pay between $20 to $36 per person for a visit to the Terciopelo Cave, including the guide, harness, helmet, and flashlight. Furthermore, the cave is open only during the dry season (mid-Nov to Apr). You begin the roughly 3-hour tour with a descent of 19m (62 ft.) straight down a wooden ladder with a safety rope attached. Inside you'll see plenty of impressive stalactites and stalagmites while visiting several chambers of varying sizes. Even if you don't descend, the trails around Barra Honda and its prominent limestone plateau are great for hiking and bird-watching. Be sure to make a stop at La Cascada, a gentle waterfall that fills and passes through a series of calcium and limestone pools, some of them large enough to bathe in. The entire thing is slightly reminiscent of Ocho Rios in Jamaica.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Tico Adventure Lodge (www.ticoadventurelodge.com;   2656-0628) is another good option, about 2 blocks from the beach, in the heart of town.\n\nFenix Hotel \u2605 Set right on the beach, the rooms here are all really studio apartments, with fully equipped kitchenettes. The rooms are simple, but they are kept clean. For cooling off, the hotel has a postage stamp\u2013size pool and some coconut trees for shade. Hammocks are hung in the shade and the ocean is just steps away. The owners are personable and accommodating, and the full kitchens are a boon for families and those looking for longer stays.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara, Nicoya, Guanacaste. www.fenixhotel.com.   2656-0158. Fax 2656-0162. 6 units. $105\u2013$135 double. Children 17 and under stay free in parent's room. No credit cards. Amenities: Small outdoor pool. In room: Kitchenette, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Guanamar \u2605\u2605 Set on a high bluff overlooking Playa Carillo, this place offers great views, large well-equipped rooms, and easy access to one of the best beaches in the region. Once a dedicated fishing resort, it's now geared toward a broad spectrum of travelers, including sportfishers. The pool has the best vantage point on the property, with large, broad wooden decks all around, and the open-air restaurant and bar share the view from under soaring thatch roofs. I recommend grabbing one of the rooms built into the hillside, in two long rows of buildings. These newer units each feature a private balcony facing the sea. However, some good options, including the suites, are higher up behind the pool and restaurants. Of these, I recommend no. 116, which has a great private balcony.\n\nPuerto Carillo. www.guanamar.net.   2656-0054. Fax 2232-6678. 41 units. $100\u2013$120 double; $190 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; large outdoor pool; room service; Wi-Fi (in main building and around pool). In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nS\u00e1mara Tree House Inn \u2605\u2605 Set right on the beach in the heart of town, this hotel is my top choice in S\u00e1mara. The individual units are really small studio apartments. The four namesake rooms are built on raised stilts, made from varnished tree trunks. Inside, they are awash in varnished wood. The small sitting area has large picture windows and a great view up above. And the open-air area underneath each unit is outfitted with a couple of hammocks, a table and chairs, some chaise lounges, and a barbecue. The ground-floor unit is handicap accessible and quite beautiful in its own right. Fans are in every bedroom to make up for a lack of air-conditioning.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara, Guanacaste. www.samaratreehouse.com.   2656-0733. 6 units. $70\u2013$165 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, a slew of very inexpensive places to stay are along the road into town and around the soccer field. Many of the rooms at these places are less accommodating than your average jail cell.\n\nCasa del Mar   On the inland side of the beach-access road, 1 block south of the downtown, Casa del Mar is just 50m (164 ft.) from the beach. The rooms here are kept immaculate, and most of them are quite spacious. The place feels like a cool oasis from the harsh Guanacaste sun, with its open-air restaurant, shady central courtyard, and small pool\/Jacuzzi. Although the units with shared bathrooms are the best bargains here, I'd opt for a second-floor room with a private bathroom. The owners and staff members are extremely friendly and helpful.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara, Nicoya, Guanacaste. www.casadelmarsamara.com.   2656-0264. Fax 2656-0129. 17 units, 11 with private bathroom. $40\u2013$50 double with shared bathroom; $60\u2013$85 double with private bathroom and A\/C. Rates include taxes. Breakfast included for private bath rooms. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Bar; unheated outdoor pool\/Jacuzzi. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Belvedere \u2605   This long-standing German-run option is a few blocks inland and uphill from the beach. Rooms are housed in the older main building, and a newer annex, another block or so inland. Those in the annex feature modern split A\/C units, one queen and one twin bed, a coffeemaker, and little fridge. The rooms in the older section are somewhat more basic, although everything is well-maintained and immaculate. Some have a small kitchenette, and so are geared toward longer stays and families. Each of the building sites has a pool. Only breakfast is served, although they run a snack bar throughout most of the day, and there's an honor bar system for beverages.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara. www.belvederesamara.net.  \/fax 2656-0213. 21 units. $50\u2013$85 double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Lounge; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor pools. In room: A\/C, TV (in some), fridge.\n\nA Nearby Luxury Hotel\n\nHotel Punta Islita \u2605\u2605\u2605   Set on a high bluff between two mountain ridges that meet the sea, this is one of the most exclusive and romantic luxury resorts in Costa Rica. The rooms are done in a Santa Fe style, with red terra-cotta floor tiles, and adobe-colored walls. Suites come with a separate sitting room and a private two-person plunge pool or Jacuzzi; the villas have two or three bedrooms, their own private swimming pools, and full kitchens. The beach below the hotel is a small crescent of gray-white sand with a calm, protected section at the northern end. It's about a 10-minute hike, but the hotel will shuttle you up and back if you don't feel like walking. There's a rancho bar and grill down there for when you get hungry or thirsty, and a lap pool for when the waves are too rough.\n\nPunta Islita is very involved with the local community, and has sponsored a wide-ranging art program that brings in prominent Costa Rican artists to teach the local residents art and craft skills, while often creating large public works in the process.\n\nPlaya Islita. www.hotelpuntaislita.com.   866\/446-4053 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2656-3036 in Costa Rica. Fax 2656-2202. 58 units, 10 villas. $339 double; $542 suite; $706\u2013$825 villa. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; 9-hole golf course and driving range; small exercise room and spa; Jacuzzi; small tile outdoor pool and lap pool; room service; smoke-free rooms; 2 lit tennis courts; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Punta Islita.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nS\u00e1mara has numerous inexpensive sodas, and most of the hotels have their own restaurants. If you want to eat overlooking the water, check out El Ancla (  2656-0254) or Shake Joe's (  2656-0252). Both of these are located right on the beach a bit south of downtown.\n\nEl Lagarto \u2605\u2605   STEAK\/GRILL The first thing you notice as you enter this rustic, open-air restaurant\u2014unless you come via the beach\u2014is the two massive grill stations gravity-fed with fresh glowing wood coals via metal troughs from a huge overhead fire. The almost-as-massive menu features every form of meat, poultry, or fish you could imagine cooked to order over these fresh coals. The rustic open-air dining room has heavy wooden tables and chairs, some under a roof, others in the sand under shade trees and coconut palms. At night, atmospheric lighting gives this place a very romantic vibe.\n\nOn the beach, north end of Playa S\u00e1mara.   2656-0750. www.ellagartobbq.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $6\u2013$28. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nLas Brasas SPANISH\/SEAFOOD This two-story, open-air affair serves authentic Spanish cuisine and well-prepared fresh seafood. The whole fish a la catalana is excellent, as is the paella. For something lighter, try the gazpacho Andaluz, a refreshing lunch choice on a hot afternoon. If you have a big party, and order a day or so in advance, they'll roast a whole pig for you. Las Brasas has a good selection of Spanish wines, a rarity in Costa Rica. Service is attentive yet informal.\n\nOn the main road into S\u00e1mara, about 90m (295 ft.) before the beach.   2656-0546. Reservations recommended in the high season. Main courses C3,400\u2013C17,000. MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun noon\u201310pm.\n\nPlaya S\u00e1mara After Dark\n\nAfter dark the most happening place in town is Bar Arriba \u2605 (  2656-0487), a second-floor affair with a contemporary vibe a couple of blocks inland from the beach on the main road into town. You might also try the lounge scene at Shake Joe's \u2605, La Vela Latina (  2656-2286), or Tabanuco (  2656-1056), all on the beach or fronting the water, right near the center of the action, on the main road running parallel to the beach off the center of town.\n\nPlaya Nosara \u2605\u2605\n\n55km (34 miles) SW of Nicoya; 266km (165 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9\n\nAs is the case in Malpa\u00eds, Playa Nosara is a bucket term used to refer to several neighboring beaches, spread along an isolated stretch of coast. In addition to the namesake beach, Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada, Playa Garza, and (sometimes) Playa Ostional are also lumped into this area. In fact, the village of Nosara itself is several kilometers inland from the beach. Playa Nosara marks the northern limit of the Nicoya Peninsula.\n\nPlaya Guiones.\n\nPlaya Guiones is one of Costa Rica's most dependable beach breaks, and surfers come here in good numbers throughout the year. However, the waves are still much less crowded than you would find in and around Tamarindo.\n\nThe best way to get to Nosara is to fly, but, with everything so spread out, that makes getting around difficult after you've arrived. The roads to, in, and around Nosara are almost always in very rough shape, and there's little sign that this will improve anytime soon.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has one flight to Nosara airport (NOB; no phone) Tuesday through Saturday, departing from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport at 11:55am. The one-way fare for the 1-hour flight is $111.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has two flights daily leaving at 9:30am and 2pm from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. The fare is $111 to $139 each way.\n\nThe return Sansa flight to San Jos\u00e9 departs Nosara at 1:20pm, and the Nature Air flights leave at 10:45am and 2:55pm.\n\nIt's usually about a 5- to 10-minute drive from the airport to most hotels. Taxis wait for every arrival; fares range between $5 and $10 to most hotels in Nosara.\n\nBy Car: Follow the directions for getting to Playa S\u00e1mara (see \"Playa S\u00e1mara,\" earlier in this chapter), but watch for a well-marked fork in the road a few kilometers before you reach that beach. The right-hand fork leads to Nosara over another 22km (14 miles) of rough dirt road.\n\nBy Bus: Alfaro express buses (  2222-2666 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2282-0371 in Nosara; www.empresaalfaro.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 5:30am and noon from Avenida 5 between calles 14 and 16. The trip's duration is 51\u20442 hours; the one-way fare is C4,250.\n\nYou can also take an Alfaro bus from San Jos\u00e9 to Nicoya and then catch a second bus from Nicoya to Nosara. Alfaro buses leave San Jos\u00e9 nearly every hour between 6am and 5pm. The fare is C3,315. The trip can take between 4 and 51\u20442 hours, depending if the bus goes via Liberia or La Amistad Bridge. The latter route is much faster and much more frequent. Empresa Rojas buses (  2685-5352) leave Nicoya for Nosara daily at 4:45 and 10am, noon, and 3 and 5:30pm. Trip duration is 2 hours; the one-way fare is C925.\n\nThe direct Alfaro buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave daily at 5:30am and noon. Buses to Nicoya leave Nosara daily at 4:45 and 10am, noon, and 3 and 5:30pm. Buses leave Nicoya for San Jos\u00e9 nearly every hour between 3am and 5pm.\n\nOrientation The village of Nosara is about 5km (3 miles) inland from the beach. The small airstrip runs pretty much through the center of town; however, most hotels listed here are on or near the beach itself. You'll find the post office and police station (  2682-1130) right at the end of the airstrip. An EBAIS medical clinic (  2682-0266) and a couple of pharmacies are in the village as well. Both Banco Popular and Banco Nacional have offices in Nosara, with ATMs. There's even a tiny strip mall at the crossroads to Playa Guiones.\n\nIf you want to rent a car, both Economy (  2299-2000; www.economyrentacar.com) and National (  2682-0052; www.natcar.com) have offices here. Because demand often outstrips supply, I recommend you reserve a car in advance. Alternatively, you can rent an ATV from several operators around town, including Iguana Expeditions (see below) and Boca Nosara Tours. If you need a taxi, call Vino (  2682-0879).\n\nFast Facts An Internet cafe is in the village and others are at Caf\u00e9 de Paris, Frog Pad (  2682-4039), and Harbor Reef Lodge.\n\nThis area was originally conceived and zoned as a primarily residential community. The maze of dirt roads and lack of any single defining thoroughfare can be confusing for first-time visitors. Luckily, a host of hotel and restaurant signs spread around the area help point lost travelers in the direction of their final destination.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nAmong the several beaches at Nosara are the long, curving Playa Guiones \u2605, and the diminutive Playa Pelada \u2605. Because the village of Nosara is several miles inland, these beaches tend to be clean, secluded, and quiet. Surfing and bodysurfing are good here, particularly at Playa Guiones, which is garnering quite a reputation as a consistent and rideable beach break. Pelada is a short white-sand beach with three deep scallops, backed by sea grasses and mangroves. There isn't too much sand at high tide, so you'll want to hit the beach when the tide's out. At either end of the beach, rocky outcroppings reveal tide pools at low tide.\n\nWith miles of excellent beach breaks and relatively few crowds, this is a great place to learn how to surf. If you want to try to stand up for your first time, check in with the folks at Safari Surf School (  866\/433-3355 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2682-0113; www.safarisurfschool.com), Coconut Harry's Surf Shop (  2682-0574; www.coconutharrys.com), or Corky Carroll's Surf School (  888\/454-7873 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2682-0385; www.surfschool.net). All of the above offer hourly solo or group lessons, multiday packages with accommodations and meals included, and board rental.\n\nWhen the seas are calm, some decent snorkeling is around the rocks and reefs just offshore. You can rent masks, snorkels, and fins at Caf\u00e9 de Paris or Coconut Harry's. Bird-watchers should explore the mangrove swamps around the estuary mouth of the R\u00edo Nosara. Just walk north from Playa Pelada and follow the riverbank; explore the paths into the mangroves. In addition to numerous water, shore, and sea bird species, you're apt to spot a range of hawks and other raptors, as well as toucans and several parrot species.\n\nSea Turtle Watching If you time your trip right, you can do a night tour to nearby Playa Ostional to watch nesting olive ridley sea turtles. These turtles come ashore by the thousands in a mass egg-laying phenomenon known as an arribada. The arribadas are so difficult to predict that no one runs regularly scheduled turtle-viewing trips, but when the arribada is in full swing, several local guides and agencies offer tours. These arribadas take place 4 to 10 times between July and December; each occurrence lasts between 3 and 10 days. Consider yourself very lucky if you happen to be around during one of these fascinating natural phenomena. Your best bet is to ask the staff at your hotel or check in with Joe at Iguana Expeditions (  2682-4089; www.iguanaexpeditions.com). Tours are generally run at night, but because the turtles come ashore in such numbers, you can sometimes catch them in the early morning light as well. Even if it's not turtle-nesting season, you might want to look into visiting Playa Ostional just to have a long, wide expanse of beach to yourself. However, be careful swimming here because the surf and riptides can be formidable. During the dry season (mid-Nov to Apr), you can usually get here in a regular car, but during the rainy season you'll need four-wheel-drive. This beach is part of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge (  2682-0428). At the northwest end of the refuge is India Point, which is known for its tide pools and rocky outcrops.\n\nHiking & Wildlife Viewing Located on land surrounding the Nosara river mouth, the Nosara Biological Reserve (  2682-0035; www.lagarta.com) features a network of trails and raised walkways through tropical transitional forests and mangrove swamps. More than 270 species of birds have been spotted here. This private reserve is owned and managed by the folks at the Lagarta Lodge, and the trails start right at the hotel. Admission is $6. Guided tours and guided boat tours are also available.\n\nFishing Charters & Other Outdoor Activities All the hotels in the area can arrange fishing charters for $200 to $500 for a half-day, or $400 to $1,200 for a full day. These rates are for one to four people and vary according to boat size and accouterments.\n\nHorseback Riding The folks at Boca Nosara Tours (  2682-0280; www.bocanosaratours.com) have a large stable of well-cared-for horses and a range of beach, jungle, and waterfall rides to choose from. Rates run between $50 and $90 per person, depending on the size of your group and the length of the tour.\n\nKayak Tours Based out of the Gilded Iguana hotel and restaurant, Iguana Expeditions \u2605 (  2682-4089; www.iguanaexpeditions.com) offers a range of full- and half-day tours around the area. Explore the inland coastal mangroves by kayak or hike to a stunning waterfall. These folks can also arrange inexpensive fishing outings in a panga (small craft) with a local fisherman. The kayaking expedition costs $50, and the waterfall hike costs $25.\n\nYoga & More If you want to spend some time getting your mind and body together, check in with the Nosara Yoga Institute (  866\/439-4704 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2682-0071 in Costa Rica; www.nosarayoga.com), which offers intensive and daily yoga classes, teacher trainings, and a host of custom-designed \"retreat\" options. This is an internationally recognized retreat and teacher training center. Their daily, open, 90-minute classes cost just $10, and they even provide a mat.\n\nYou might also check in to see if anything is being offered up at the Harmony Hotel & Spa.\n\nAn instructor at Nosara Yoga Institute.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, the Nosara Beach House \u2605 (www.thenosarabeachhouse.com;   2682-0019), on Playa Guiones, has clean and comfortable rooms and a swimming pool\u2014and it's right on the beach to boot. Giardino Tropicale (www.giardinotropicale.com;   2682-4000) is a similar choice, although a bit farther from the beach. For a more intimate option that's also a very good deal, check out the Nosara B&B (www.nosarabandb.net;   2682-0209).\n\nOne final hotel that needs mentioning is the Nosara Beach Hotel (www.nosarabeachhotel.com;   2682-0121). The tallest and most striking structure in town, you can't miss the giant Russian-style dome topping this hillside hotel. The location and view here are top notch. However, the place has been in a constant state of construction for over a decade, rooms are pretty run-down, and service is spotty at best.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nThe Harmony Hotel & Spa \u2605\u2605 This hotel sits right in front of the beach break on Playa Guiones. All the rooms have patios or wooden decks. In fact, even the most basic rooms here, their \"Coco\" rooms, feature large private wooden decks out back, with an outdoor shower. The hotel is geared toward couples, and all rooms have just one king-size bed, although roll-in beds are available. The bungalows are two-bedroom affairs, with a king-size bed and fold-out sofa in each room and large shared deck area. The lush grounds have been planted to be adapted to the dry Guanacaste conditions, and the hotel has a gray water irrigation system and organic gardens. All of this has earned the hotel \"5 Leaves\" from the CST Sustainable Tourism program. The hotel also has a well-run spa, with various treatment options and regular yoga classes.\n\nPlaya Nosara. www.harmonynosara.com.   2682-4114. Fax 2682-4113. 24 units, 14 bungalows. $250 double; $300 bungalow; $460 2-bedroom bungalow. Rates include breakfast and one yoga class. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; complimentary bicycles; midsize outdoor pool; spa; lighted tennis court; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nL'Acqua Viva \u2605 This resort hotel has the most architecturally stunning and well-equipped facilities in the Nosara area. The name translates roughly as \"Living Water,\" and you'll find pools and water elements all around. Rooms are large, beautifully appointed, and feature LCD televisions. The restaurant, reception, lobby, and other public areas are also attractively done, with soaring thatch roofs and Balinese-inspired furnishings and decor. The biggest drawbacks here are the fact that the beach is a 10-minute drive away, and the whole complex is built close to the area's main dirt road and during the dry season dust and traffic noise can be a problem.\n\nPlaya Guiones. www.lacquaviva.com.   2682-1087. Fax 2682-0420. 35 units. $205 double; $310\u2013$341 suite; $525\u2013$735 villa. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; 2 large outdoor pools; room service; full-service spa; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nModerate\n\nHarbor Reef Lodge \u2605 This hotel caters to surfers, fishermen, and all-around vacationers, with clean, spacious rooms close to the beach (about 182m\/597 ft. inland from Playa Guiones). The suites come with separate sitting rooms, and a couple even have kitchenettes. The lush grounds have a cool, oasis-like feel. The best rooms are the Surf City rooms and suites, which are set around the hotel's second and larger pool, which is reserved for hotel guests\u2014the other pool, which is just off the restaurant, is open to diners and walk-ins. The hotel offers surf lessons and sportfishing outings and even has a small general store and Internet cafe on the grounds. They also rent out a variety of private homes and villas.\n\nPlaya Nosara. www.harborreef.com.   2682-0059. Fax 2682-0060. 21 units. $99\u2013$155 double; $135\u2013$250 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; 2 small outdoor pools; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C, TV, fridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nLagarta Lodge Located on a hillside high over the Nosara River, this small lodge is an excellent choice for bird-watchers and other travelers who are more interested in flora and fauna than the beach. The rooms are spartan but acceptable. The lodge borders its own private reserve, which has trails along the riverbank and through the mangrove and tropical humid forests here. The restaurant and most rooms have spectacular views over the river and surrounding forest, with the beaches of Nosara and Ostional in the distance. The six new superior rooms are larger than the standard rooms and come with air-conditioning. You'll want to have your own vehicle if you stay here: The beach is a good 10- to 15-minute hike away, and it's uphill on the way back. The hotel overseas its own biological reserve and has been granted \"3 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nPlaya Nosara. www.lagarta.com.   2682-0035. Fax 2682-0135. 12 units. $72\u2013$95 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nThe Gilded Iguana \u2605 This long-standing hotel and restaurant began with a few very basic budget rooms. However, it now has a swimming pool, with a high waterfall emptying into it, and six more upscale rooms. The best rooms here have high ceilings, lots of space, air-conditioning, and minifridges. They are set back from the pool in a row, and sit among some shade trees. The budget rooms are much more rustic, and located close to the road, just off the hotel's popular restaurant. These lack air-conditioning. The restaurant here is deservedly popular, and in addition to feeding its guests, draws a lot of the local expatriate community to watch sporting events and listen to the occasional live band.\n\nPlaya Guiones. www.thegildediguana.com.   2682-0259. 12 units. $50\u2013$60 double; $75\u2013$95 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool. In room: A\/C (in some), minifridge, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the places mentioned below, Marlin Bill's (  2682-0458) is a popular and massive open-air haunt on the hillside on the main road, just across from Caf\u00e9 de Paris. You can expect to get good, fresh seafood and American classics here. For Mexican food, try Pancho's (  2682-0591). For Italian, La Dolce Vita \u2605 (  2682-0107), on the outskirts of town on the road to Playa S\u00e1mara, serves up good Italian fare nightly, while closer to town, Giardino Tropicale (  2682-0258) also has good Italian fare and brick-oven pizzas. If you're looking to beat the heat, head to Robin's Ice Cream \u2605 (  2682-0617), on the road to the beach in Guiones, for some homemade ice cream. For local flavor, Do\u00f1a Olga's (no phone) is a simple Costa Rican soda right on the beach in Playa Pelada. Finally, I've been getting good reports about the food at the new The Rising Sun Caf\u00e9 (  2682-0080; <http:\/\/the-rising-sun.com>), with hearty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at the Kaya Sol Surf Hotel in Playa Guiones.\n\n  Yo Quiero Hablar Espa\u00f1ol\n\nYou can brush up on or start up your Spanish at the Rey de Nosara Language School ( \/fax 2682-0215; www.reydenosara.itgo.com). It offers group and private lessons according to demand, and can coordinate week or multiweek packages.\n\nCaf\u00e9 de Paris \u2605 BAKERY\/BISTRO This popular place has wonderful fresh-baked goods and a wide assortment of light bites and full-on meals. You can get pizza or nachos or filling sandwiches on fresh baguettes. Hearty salads, as well as fish, meat, and chicken dishes are also offered. I enjoy stopping in for a cup of espresso and a fresh almond croissant, and breakfasts are excellent here. Sporting events or movie videos are shown nightly, and there's even a pool table and Internet cafe.\n\nOn the main road into Nosara.   2682-0087. www.cafedeparis.net. Main courses C2,500\u2013C9,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 7am\u201311pm.\n\nThe Gilded Iguana \u2605 SEAFOOD\/GRILL This simple restaurant serves fish so fresh that it's still wiggling: The owner's husband, Chiqui, is a local fisherman. Other options include great burgers, Tex-Mex fare, Costa Rican casados, and a list of nightly specials. If you're in town fishing, they'll cook your catch. Sporting events are shown on a not-quite-big-enough television. You can also dine at a separate bar area, on the other side of their pool. Overall, the vibe is sociable and lively. Most of the tables and chairs here are low-lying affairs; plus-size travelers might find the chairs a bit challenging to get in and out of.\n\nAbout 90m (295 ft.) inland from the beach at Playa Guiones.   2682-0259. www.thegildediguana.com. Main courses C2,500\u2013C7,500. V. Daily 7:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nLa Luna \u2605 INTERNATIONAL With an enviable location overlooking the water at Playa Pelada and a casually elegant ambience, this little restaurant is an excellent choice. I especially like grabbing one of the outdoor tables closest to the waves for lunch. However, it's also quite beautiful at night, with candles generously spread around. The chalkboard menu changes regularly, but will usually include some Thai or Indian curry, as well as pasta dishes and hearty steaks. And a wood-fired pizza oven turns out excellent thin-crust pies. Prices are on the high side, and service and hospitality can be spotty at times, but this is still probably the best beachside dining to be had in Nosara.\n\nPlaya Pelada.   2682-0122. Main courses $7\u2013$35. No credit cards. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nNosara After Dark\n\nWhen evening rolls around, don't expect a major party scene. Visitors tend to gather at Marlin Bill's (see above) and Casa Tuc\u00e1n (  2682-0113), both near the main intersection leading to Playa Guiones. Kaya Sol (  2682-1459) has a lounge-style scene popular with surfers. Casa Tuc\u00e1n and Gilded Iguana often have live music. In \"downtown\" Nosara, you'll probably want to check out either the Tropicana (  2682-0140), the town's long-standing local disco, or the Legends Bar (  2682-0184), a U.S.-style bar with big-screen televisions, and pool and foosball tables.\n\nNorth of Nosara\n\nJust north of Nosara lies Playa Ostional, famous for its massive nestings of olive ridley sea turtles. At the northern edge of Playa Ostional where it meets Playa San Juanillo, are a few hotels. The best of these is Hotel Luna Azul \u2605 (www.hotellunaazul.com;   2682-1400), which features beautiful individual bungalows and a great view of the ocean\u2014although the beach is a good distance away.\n9\n\nThe Northern Zone: Mountain Lakes, Cloud Forests & a Volcano\n\nArenal Volcano.\n\nCosta Rica's northern zone is home to several prime ecotourist destinations, including the astoundingly active Arenal Volcano \u2605\u2605 and the misty and mysterious Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605. The region has rainforests and cloud forests, jungle rivers, mountain lakes, lowland marshes, and an unbelievable wealth of birds and other wildlife. Changes in elevation create unique microclimates and ecosystems throughout the region. In addition to these natural wonders, this region also provides an intimate glimpse into the rural heart and soul of Costa Rica. Small, isolated lodges flourish, and towns and villages remain predominantly small agricultural communities.\n\nThis area is also a must for adventure travelers. The northern zone has one of the best windsurfing spots in the world, on Lake Arenal \u2605, as well as excellent opportunities for mountain biking, hiking, canyoning, and river rafting. Zip-line canopy tours and suspended forest bridges abound. And if you partake in any number of adventure activities, you'll also find several soothing natural hot springs in the area to soak your tired muscles.\n\nArenal Volcano & La Fortuna \u2605\u2605\n\n140km (87 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 61km (38 miles) E of Tilar\u00e1n\n\nI've visited scores of times, and I never tire of watching red lava rocks tumble down the flanks of Arenal Volcano, and listening in awe to its deep rumbling. If you've never experienced them firsthand, the sights and sounds of an active volcano are awe-inspiring. At 1,607m (5,271 ft.), Arenal is one of the world's most regularly active volcanoes. In July 1968, the volcano, which had lain dormant for hundreds of years, surprised everybody by erupting with sudden violence. The nearby village of Tabac\u00f3n was destroyed, and nearly 80 of its inhabitants were killed. Frequent powerful explosions send cascades of red-hot lava rocks down the volcano's steep slopes. During the day, these lava flows smoke and rumble. However, at night the volcano puts on its most mesmerizing show. If you are lucky enough to be here on a clear and active night\u2014not necessarily a guaranteed occurrence\u2014you'll see the night sky turned red by lava spewing from Arenal's crater.\n\nArenal Volcano at night.\n\nLying at the eastern foot of this natural spectacle is the town of La Fortuna. Once a humble little farming village, La Fortuna has become a magnet for volcano watchers, adventure tourists, and assorted travelers from around the world. A host of budget and moderately priced hotels are in and near La Fortuna, and from here you can arrange night tours to the best volcano-viewing spots, which are 17km (11 miles) away on the western slope, on the road to and beyond the Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort.\n\n  The Northern Zone's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nArenal Kioro\n\nArenal Observatory Lodge\n\nCa\u00f1o Negro Natural Lodge\n\nEl Silencio Lodge & Spa\n\nHotel Poco A Poco\n\nLa Laguna del Lagarto Lodge\n\nLa Selva Biological Station\n\nMonteverde Lodge & Gardens\n\nRara Avis\n\nSelva Verde Lodge\n\nTabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort\n\nVilla Blanca Cloud Forest & Spa\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Nature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Cana\u00ad-da, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) flies to Arenal\/La Fortuna daily at noon from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. The flight is 30 minutes. Return flights depart for San Jos\u00e9 at 12:40pm. One-way fares are $100. Nature Air also has connecting flights between Arenal and other major destinations in the country.\n\nTaxis are sometimes waiting for all arriving flights. If not, you can call one at   2479-9605 or 2479-8522. The fare to La Fortuna runs around C4,500. Alternately, Nature Air can arrange to have a van waiting for you, for $32 for up to four people.\n\nBy Car: Several routes connect La Fortuna and San Jos\u00e9. The most popular is to head west on the Interamerican Highway (CR1) from San Jos\u00e9 and then turn north at Naranjo, continuing north through Zarcero to Ciudad Quesada on CR141. From Ciudad Quesada, CR141 passes through Florencia, Jabillos, and Tanque on its way to La Fortuna. This route offers wonderful views of the San Carlos valley as you come down from Ciudad Quesada; Zarcero, with its topiary gardens and quaint church, makes a good place to stop, stretch your legs, and snap a few photos (see chapter , \"The Central Valley,\" for more information).\n\nYou can also stay on the Interamerican Highway (CR1) until San Ram\u00f3n (west of Naranjo) and then head north through La Tigra on CR142. This route is also very scenic and passes the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest & Spa. The travel time on any of the above routes is roughly 3 to 31\u20442 hours.\n\nBy Bus: Buses (  2255-0567) leave San Jos\u00e9 for La Fortuna at 6:15, 8:40, and 11:30am from the Atl\u00e1ntico del Norte bus station at Avenida 9 and Calle 12. The trip lasts 4 hours; the fare is C2,070. The bus you take might be labeled tilar\u00e1n. Make sure it passes through Ciudad Quesada. If so, it passes through La Fortuna; if not, you'll end up in Tilar\u00e1n via the Interamerican Highway, passing through the Guanacaste town of Ca\u00f1as, a long way from La Fortuna.\n\nAlternatively, you can take a bus from the same station to Ciudad Quesada and transfer there to another bus to La Fortuna. These buses depart roughly every 30 minutes between 5am and 7:30pm. The fare for the 21\u20442-hour trip is C1,445. Local buses between Ciudad Quesada and La Fortuna run regularly through the day, although the schedule changes frequently, depending on demand. The trip lasts an hour; the fare is C750.\n\nBuses depart Monteverde\/Santa Elena for Tilar\u00e1n every day at 7am. This is a journey of only 35km (22 miles), but the trip lasts 21\u20442 hours because the road is in such horrendous condition. People with bad backs should think twice about making the trip, especially by bus. The return bus from Tilar\u00e1n to Santa Elena leaves at 12:30pm. The fare is $2.30. Buses from Tilar\u00e1n to La Fortuna depart daily at 8am and 4:30pm, and make the return trip at 7am and 12:30pm. The trip is 3 to 4 hours; the fare is C1,375.\n\nBuses depart La Fortuna for San Jos\u00e9 roughly every 2 hours between 5am and 6:15pm; in some instances, you might have to transfer in Ciudad Quesada. From there, you can catch one of the frequent buses to San Jos\u00e9.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has a bus that leaves from San Jos\u00e9 to La Fortuna daily at 8am. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) also has two buses daily leaving San Jos\u00e9 for La Fortuna at 7:30am and 2:30pm. Both companies charge $40, and will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels. And both companies also run routes from La Fortuna with connections to most other major destinations in Costa Rica.\n\n  boats, Horses & Taxis\n\nYou can travel between La Fortuna and Monteverde by boat and taxi, or on a combination of boat, horseback, and taxi. A 10- to 20-minute boat ride across Lake Arenal cuts out hours of driving around its shores. From La Fortuna to the put-in point is about a 25-minute taxi ride. It's about a 11\u20442-hour four-wheel-drive taxi ride between the R\u00edo Chiquito dock on the other side of Lake Arenal and Santa Elena. These trips can be arranged in either direction for between $25 and $50 per person, all-inclusive.\n\nYou can also add on a horseback ride on the Santa Elena\/Monteverde side of the lake. Several routes and rides are on offer. The steepest heads up the mountains and through the forest to the town of San Gerardo, only a 30-minute car ride from Santa Elena. Other routes throw in shorter sections of horseback riding along the lakeside lowlands. With the horseback ride, this trip runs around $85 per person.\n\nWarning: The riding is often rainy, muddy, and steep. Many find it much more arduous than awe-inspiring. Moreover, I've received numerous complaints about the condition of the trails and the treatment of the horses, so be very careful and demanding before signing on for this trip. Find out what route you will be taking, as well as the condition of the horses, if possible. Desaf\u00edo Expeditions (  2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) is one of the more reputable operators. They will even drive your car around for you while you take the scenic (and sore) route.\n\nIf you're looking to make the ride just by taxi and boat, check in with Jeep Boat Jeep (  2479-9955), which has a daily fixed departure in each direction at 7:30am for $28 per person.\n\nOrientation & Fast Facts As you enter La Fortuna, you'll see the massive volcano directly in front of you. La Fortuna is only a few streets wide, with almost all the hotels, restaurants, and shops clustered along the main road that leads out of town toward Tabac\u00f3n and the volcano. Several information and tour-booking offices and Internet cafes, as well as a couple of pharmacies, general stores, and laundromats are on the streets that surround the small central park fronting the Catholic church. A Banco de Costa Rica, as you enter La Fortuna, is just over the R\u00edo Bur\u00edo bridge, and a Banco Nacional is in the center of town, across the park from the church. Both have ATMs.\n\nGetting Around If you don't have a car, you'll need to either take a cab or go on an organized tour if you want to visit the hot springs or view the volcano eruption. La Fortuna has tons of taxis (you can flag one down practically anywhere), and a line of them is always ready and waiting along the main road beside the central park. A taxi between La Fortuna and Tabac\u00f3n should cost around C7,500. Another alternative is to rent a car when you get here. Alamo (  2479-9090; www.alamocostarica.com) has an office in downtown La Fortuna.\n\nSeveral places to rent scooters and ATVs are around town. I like Moto Rental (  2479-7376), which rents scooters and off-road motorcycles. Provided it's not raining too heavily, this is a good way to get around. Rates run around $45 to $60 per day for a scooter, and $50 to $90 for a dirt bike. They also offer up a 21\u20442-hour ATV tour. The cost is $70 per person.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nWhile in the town of La Fortuna, be sure to spend some time simply people-watching from a bench or grassy spot on the central plaza. It's also worth a quick visit to tour the town's Catholic church. This modern church was designed by famous Costa Rican artist Teodorico Quir\u00f3s, and features an interesting soaring front steeple and clock tower of concrete.\n\nExperiencing the Volcano \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nThe first thing you should know is that Arenal Volcano borders a region of cloud forests and rainforests, and the volcano's cone is often socked in by clouds and fog. Many people come to Arenal and never see the exposed cone. Moreover, the volcano does go through periods of relative quiet.\n\nThe second thing you should know is that you can't climb Arenal Volcano\u2014it's not safe due to the constant activity. Several foolish people who have ignored this warning have lost their lives, and others have been severely injured. The most recent fatalities occurred in August 2000.\n\nArenal National Park\n\nArenal National Park \u2605\u2605 (  2461-8499) constitutes an area of more than 2,880 hectares (7,114 acres), which includes the viewing and parking areas closest to the volcano. The park is open daily from 8am to 3:30pm and charges $10 admission per person. The trails through forest and over old lava flows inside the park are gorgeous and fun. (Be careful climbing on those volcanic boulders.)\n\nLa Fortuna and Arenal Volcano.\n\nThe principal trail inside the park, Sendero Coladas (Lava Flow Trail) \u2605, where you can not only see the volcano better, but really hear it rumble and roar. From the parking lot near the trail head for the Lava Flow Trail, you have the option of hiking or driving the 1km (.62 mile) to El Mirador.\n\nArenal Volcano After Dark\n\nWaiting for and watching Arenal's regular eruptions is the main activity in La Fortuna and is best done at night when the orange lava glows against the starry sky. Although it's sometimes possible simply to look up from the middle of town and see Arenal erupting, the view is usually best from the north and west sides of the volcano along the road to Tabac\u00f3n and toward the national park entrance. In fact, the best angle for volcano viewing often changes, as the activity shifts around the cone, and side vents. If you have a car, you can ask at your hotel and around town for the best current spot to view the action and drive there. If you've arrived by bus, you will need to take a taxi or tour.\n\nEvery hotel in the area and several tour offices in La Fortuna offer night tours to the volcano. (They don't actually enter the park; they usually stop on the road that runs btw. the park entrance and the Arenal Observatory Lodge.) These tours generally cost between $10 and $30 per person. Often these volcano-viewing tours include a stop at one of the local hot springs, and the price goes up accordingly (see \"Taking a Soothing Soak in Hot Springs,\" below, for a description of the different options and fees).\n\nArenal Volcano and the La Fortuna church.\n\nNote: Although it's counterintuitive, the rainy season is often a better time to see the exposed cone of Arenal Volcano, especially at night. I don't know why this is, but I've had excellent volcano-viewing sessions at various points during the rainy season; during the dry season, the volcano can often be socked in solid for days at a time. The bottom line is that catching a glimpse of the volcano's cone is never a sure thing.\n\nArenal Volcano's cooled-off lava flows.\n\nNature Up-Close & Personal\n\nLocated a couple of miles outside of La Fortuna, the Ecocentro Danaus \u2605 (  2479-7019; www.ecocentrodanaus.com) is a private biological reserve and sustainable tourism project, which offers educational and engaging tours. Among the attractions here are a butterfly garden and reproduction center, botanical and medicinal plant gardens, and a small museum honoring the local Maleku indigenous culture. Open daily from 8am to 4pm, admission is $6, including a 90-minute guided tour. Night tours ($30) are offered by reservation.\n\nOther Adventurous Pursuits in the Area\n\nAside from the impressive volcanic activity, the area around Arenal Volcano is packed with other natural wonders.\n\nATV The folks at Fourtrax Adventure (  2479-8444; www.fourtraxadventure.com) offers a 3-hour adventure through the forests and farmlands around La Fortuna. The tour includes a stop at a jungle swimming hole, where you can cool off. You get good views of the volcano, as well as La Fortuna Waterfall. The cost is $85 per ATV. A second rider on the same ATV costs $14.\n\nCanopy Tours & Canyoning There are numerous ways to get up into the forest canopy here. Perhaps the simplest way is to hike the trails and bridges of Arenal Hanging Bridges \u2605 (  2290-0469; www.hangingbridges.com). Located just over the Lake Arenal dam, this attraction is a complex of gentle trails and suspension bridges through a beautiful tract of primary forest. It's open daily from 7:30am to 4pm; admission is $22.\n\nAnother option is the Sky Tram \u2605\u2605 (  2479-9944; www.skyadventures.travel), an open gondola-style ride that begins near the shores of Lake Arenal and rises up, providing excellent views of the lake and volcano. From here, you can hike their series of trails and suspended bridges. In the end, you can hike down, take the gondola, or strap on a harness and ride their zip-line canopy tour down to the bottom. The zip-line tour here features several very long and very fast sections, with some impressive views of the lake and volcano. The cost is $66 for the combined tram ride up and zip-line down tour. It's $55 to ride the tram round-trip. The tram runs daily from 7:30am to 5pm. These folks also have a butterfly garden exhibit on-site.\n\nA Sky Tram canopy tour.\n\nSeveral other zip-line canopy tours in the area include the Arenal Canopy Tour (  2479-9769; www.canopy.co.cr) and Ecoglide \u2605 (  2479-7120; www.arenalecoglide.com). The hotel Monta\u00f1a de Fuego even has its own zip-line tour set up.\n\nA canyoning tour.\n\nIf you'd like a bigger rush than the canopy tours offer, you could go \"canyoning\" with Pure Trek Canyoning \u2605\u2605 (  866\/569-5723 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-1313; www.puretrekcostarica.com) and Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605\u2605 (  866\/210-0052 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com). This adventure sport is a mix of hiking through and alongside a jungle river, punctuated with periodic rappels through and alongside the faces of rushing waterfalls. Pure Trek's trip is probably better for first-timers and families with kids, while Desaf\u00edo's tour is just a bit more rugged and adventurous. The former charges $98. The latter charges $90. Both of these companies offer various combination full-day excursions, mixing canyoning with other adventure tours, and tend to have two to three daily departures, including one in the morning and one in the afternoon.\n\nFishing With Lake Arenal just around the corner, fishing is a popular activity here. The big fish here is guapote, a Central American species of rainbow bass. However, you can also book fishing trips to Ca\u00f1o Negro, where snook, tarpon, and other game fish can be stalked. Most hotels and adventure-tour companies can arrange fishing excursions. Costs run around $150 to $250 per boat, and a full day goes for around $250 to $500.\n\nHiking & Horseback Riding Horseback riding is a popular activity in this area, and there are scores of good rides on dirt back roads and through open fields and dense rainforest. Volcano and lake views come with the terrain on most rides. Horseback trips to the R\u00edo Fortuna waterfall are perhaps the most popular tours sold, but remember, the horse will get you only to the entrance; from there, you'll have to hike a bit. A horseback ride to the falls should cost between $20 and $40, including the entrance fee. Alternately, you can check in with the folks at Cabalgata Don Tobias (  2479-1212; www.cabalgatadontobias.com), which runs a 21\u20442-hour tour on their private land, which is a mix of farmland and forest, with some great views of the volcano. Two tours leave daily at 8:30am and 1:30pm, and the cost is $65 per person.\n\nOne popular and strenuous hike is to Cerro Chato, a dormant volcanic cone on the flank of Arenal with a pretty little lake. Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605 (  2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) leads a 5- to 6-hour hike for $75, including a snack.\n\nHorseback Riding to Cerro Chato.\n\nAventuras Arenal (  2479-9133; www.arenaladventures.com), Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605\u2605 (  2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com), Jacamar Tours (  2479-9767; www.arenaltours.com), and Sunset Tours (  866\/417-7352 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-9800 in Costa Rica; www.sunsettourcr.com) are the main tour operators. In addition to the above tours, each of these companies offers most of the tours listed in this section, as well as fishing and sightseeing excursions on the lake, and transfers to other destinations around Costa Rica.\n\nLa Fortuna Falls Leading the list of side attractions in the area is the impressive R\u00edo Fortuna Waterfall \u2605\u2605 (  2479-8338; www.arenaladifort.com), located about 5.5km (31\u20442 miles) outside of town in a lush jungle setting. A sign in town points the way to the road out to the falls. You can drive or hike to just within viewing distance. When you get to the entrance to the lookout, you'll have to pay a $9 entrance fee to actually check out the falls. It's another 15- to 20-minute hike down a steep and often muddy path to the pool formed by the waterfall. The hike back up will take slightly longer. You can swim, but stay away from the turbulent water at the base of the falls\u2014several people have drowned here. Instead, check out and enjoy the calm pool just around the bend, or join the locals at the popular swimming hole under the bridge on the paved road, just after the turnoff for the road up to the falls. The trail to the falls is open daily from 8am to 5pm.\n\nMountain Biking This region is very well suited for mountain biking. Rides range in difficulty from moderate to extremely challenging. You can combine a day on a mountain bike with a visit to one or more of the popular attractions here. Bike Arenal \u2605 (  866\/465-4114 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-7150; www.bikearenal.com) offers up an excellent collection of top-notch bikes and equipment and a wide range of tour possibilities.\n\nHard core bikers will want to come in March for the Vuelta al Lago \u2605 (  2695-5297; www.vueltaallago.net), an annual 2-day race around the lake.\n\n  What'SUP\n\nStand Up Paddling (SUP) is a booming sport and fitness craze, and you can practice it on the lovely Lake Arenal, in the shadow of the lake's namesake volcano, with the folks at Desaf\u00edo Expeditions.\n\nWhite-Water Rafting, Canoeing & Kayaking For adventurous tours of the area, check out Desaf\u00edo Expeditions \u2605\u2605 (  2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) or Wave Expeditions \u2605\u2605 (  2479-7262; www.waveexpeditions.com). Both companies offer daily raft rides of Class I to II, III, and IV to V on different sections of the Toro, Pe\u00f1as Blancas, and Sarapiqu\u00ed rivers. A half-day float trip on a nearby river costs between $50 and $65 per person; a full day of rafting on some rougher water costs $85 per person, depending on what section of what river you ride. Both companies also offer mountain biking and most of the standard local guided trips. If you want a wet and personal ride, try Desaf\u00edo's tour in inflatable kayaks, or \"duckies.\"\n\nA more laid-back alternative is to take a canoe tour with Canoa Aventura (  2479-8200; www.canoa-aventura.com), which offers half-, full-, and multiday excursions on a variety of rivers in the region, which range from $50 to $150 per person.\n\nA similar option, although in a kayak, is offered up by R\u00edos Tropicales \u2605\u2605 (  2479-0075; www.riostropicales.com), which offers a 4-hour paddle on the lake, with drinks and a snack, for $60.\n\nWhite-water rafting the R\u00edo Toro.\n\nSide Trips from La Fortuna\n\nLa Fortuna is a great place from which to make a day trip to the Ca\u00f1o Negro National Wildlife Refuge \u2605. This vast network of marshes and rivers (particularly the R\u00edo Fr\u00edo) is 100km (62 miles) north of La Fortuna near the town of Los Chiles. This refuge is best known for its amazing abundance of bird life, including roseate spoonbills, jabiru storks, herons, and egrets, but you can also see caimans and crocodiles. Bird-watchers should not miss this refuge, although keep in mind that the main lake dries up in the dry season (mid-Apr to Nov), which reduces the number of wading birds. Full-day tours to Ca\u00f1o Negro average between $55 and $65 per person. However, most of the tours run out of La Fortuna that are billed as Ca\u00f1o Negro never really enter the refuge but instead ply sections of the nearby R\u00edo Fr\u00edo, which features similar wildlife and ecosystems. If you're interested in staying in this area and really visiting the refuge, check out the Ca\u00f1o Negro Natural Lodge.\n\nYou can also visit the Venado Caverns, a 45-minute drive away. In addition to plenty of stalactites, stalagmites, and other limestone formations, you'll see bats and cave fish. Tours cost around $65. All of the tour agencies and hotel tour desks can arrange or directly offer trips to Ca\u00f1o Negro and Venado Caverns.\n\nJabiru storks.\n\nShopping\n\nLa Fortuna is chock-full of souvenir shops selling standard tourist fare. However, you'll find one of my favorite craft shops here. As you leave the town of La Fortuna toward Tabac\u00f3n, keep your eye on the right-hand side of the road. When you see a massive collection of wood sculptures and a building reading Original Grand Gallery (no phone), slow down and pull over. This local artisan and his family produce works in a variety of styles and sizes. They specialize in faces, many of them larger than a typical home's front door. You can also find a host of animal figures, ranging in style from purely representational to rather abstract. Another good shop, which features original oil paintings and acrylics, as well as other one-off jewelry and jade pieces, is Art Shop Onirica (  2479-7589; www.galeriaoniricacr.com), located next to La Fortuna's post office.\n\nWhere to Stay in La Fortuna\n\nExpensive\n\nHotel Magic Mountain \u2605\u2605 Located just on the outskirts of town\u2014as you head toward Tabac\u00f3n\u2014this three-story hotel has large and luxurious rooms, with plenty of perks. All come with a private balcony facing the volcano. The junior suites are even bigger, with a separate sitting area, large shower with rainwater shower head, and private volcano-view in-room Jacuzzi. I like no. 506, which is an end unit with spectacular views. The hotel has a spa and large free-form pool, with two separate outdoor Jacuzzis and separate children's pool, as well as the town's only sports bar.\n\nLa Fortuna, San Carlos. www.hotelmagicmountain.com.   2479-7246. Fax 2479-7248. 42 units. $142 double; $198 suite. Rates include buffet breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; 2 Jacuzzis; outdoor pool; spa, Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nModerate\n\nHotel La Fortuna \u2605 Centrally located just 1 block south of the gas station, the Hotel La Fortuna features large, spiffy rooms with a host of modern amenities. The best of these have volcano-view private balconies\u2014ask for a room on the fourth or fifth floor with a volcano view. This hotel has 12 rooms designed for wheelchair accessibility.\n\nLa Fortuna, San Carlos. www.fortunainn.com.   2479-9197. Fax 2479-8563. 44 units. $70\u2013$85 double. Rates include buffet breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant, bar. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nTaking a Soothing Soak in hot springs\n\nArenal Volcano has bestowed a terrific fringe benefit on the area around it: several naturally heated thermal springs.\n\nLocated at the site of the former village that was destroyed by the 1968 eruption, Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 (  2519-1900; www.tabacon.com) is the most luxurious, extensive, and expensive spot to soak your tired bones. A series of variously sized pools, fed by natural springs, are spread out among lush gardens. At the center is a large, warm, spring-fed swimming pool with a slide, a swim-up bar, and a perfect view of the volcano. One of the stronger streams flows over a sculpted waterfall, with a rock ledge underneath that provides a perfect place to sit and receive a free hydraulic shoulder massage. The extensive grounds are worth exploring. The pools and springs closest to the volcano are some of the hottest\u2014makes sense, doesn't it? The resort also has an excellent spa on the grounds offering professional massages, mud masks, and other treatments, as well as yoga classes (appointments required). Most of the treatments are conducted in lovely open-air gazebos surrounded by the rich tropical flora. The spa here even has several permanent sweat lodges, based on a Native American traditional design. A full-service restaurant, garden grill, and a couple of bars are available for those seeking sustenance.\n\nEntrance fees are $85 for adults and $40 for children 11 and under. This rate includes either a buffet lunch or dinner, and allows admission for a full day. After 6pm, you can enter for $45, not including any meals. The hot springs are open daily from 10am to 10pm. The pools are busiest between 2 and 6pm. Management enforces a policy of limiting visitors, so reservations (which can be made online or by phone) are recommended. Spa treatments must be purchased separately, and reservations are required.\n\nBaldi Hot Springs (  2479-2190; www.baldihotsprings.cr), next to the Volcano Look Disco, are the first hot springs you'll come to as you drive from La Fortuna toward Tabac\u00f3n. This place has grown substantially over the years, with many different pools, slides, and bars and restaurants spread around the expansive grounds. However, I find this place far less attractive than the other options mentioned here. Baldi has much more of a party vibe, with loud music often blaring at some of the swim-up bars. Admission is $28.\n\nJust across the street from Baldi Hot Springs is the unmarked entrance of my current favorite local hot spring, Eco Termales \u2605\u2605 (  2479-8484). Smaller and more intimate than Tabac\u00f3n, this series of pools set amid lush forest and gardens is almost as picturesque and luxurious, although it has far fewer pools, lacks a view of the volcano, and the spa services are much less extensive. Reservations are absolutely necessary here, and total admissions are limited so that it is never crowded. Admission is $32. These folks have added a restaurant serving basic local fare, but I recommend just coming for the springs.\n\nFinally, Tikok\u00fa \u2605 (  2479-7156) is right beside Baldi and run by the folks at Arenal Kioro. This spot features a row of eight descending sculpted pools. Admission is $24.\n\nInexpensive\n\nLa Fortuna is a tourist boomtown; basic hotels have been popping up here at a phenomenal rate for several years running. Right in La Fortuna you'll find a score of budget options. If you have time, it's worth walking around and checking out a couple. One of the better options is Arenal Backpackers Resort (www.arenalbackpackersresort.com;   2479-7000), which bills itself as a five-star hostel. It has both shared-bathroom dorm rooms, and more upscale private rooms, but even backpackers get to enjoy the large pool, Wi-Fi, and volcano views.\n\nA couple of places both in town and right on the outskirts of La Fortuna allow camping, with access to basic bathroom facilities, for around $5 to $10 per person per night. If you have a car, drive a bit out of town toward Tabac\u00f3n and you'll find several more basic cabins and camping sites, some that even offer views of the volcano.\n\nHotel Las Colinas \u2605   Like the Hotel La Fortuna, this long-standing downtown hotel was torn down and rebuilt. Today, Las Colinas is the centerpiece of a minimall, which features some shops and a small spa. The rooms range from simple budget accommodations to spiffy junior suites with a private volcano-view balcony and Jacuzzi. The budget rooms come with televisions, but lack the other amenities found in the rest of the rooms. The hotel's best feature is its rooftop terrace, where breakfasts are sometimes served. Ecofriendly touches include solar-heated water.\n\nLa Fortuna, San Carlos. www.lascolinasarenal.com.   2479-9305. Fax 2479-9160. 20 units. $49 budget room double; $75 double; $90 junior suite. Rates include breakfast and taxes. AE, MC. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Stay near the Volcano\n\nWhile La Fortuna is the major gateway town to Arenal Volcano, for my money, the best places to stay are located on the road between La Fortuna and the National Park.\n\nOne other very unique alternative is to stay aboard the Rain Goddess (www.bluwing.com;   866\/593-3168 in the U.S., or 2231-4299). This luxurious houseboat has four staterooms, ample lounge and dining areas, and cruises around Lake Arenal.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens \u2605\u2605 (www.arenalnayara.com;   866\/311-1197 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-1600 in Costa Rica) is a gorgeous collection of rooms, suites, and villas, located on a lush piece of land, with great volcano views.\n\nArenal Kioro \u2605\u2605 Set on 11 hectares (27 acres) of hilly land with two rivers and a small patch of forest, this place is extremely close to Arenal Volcano. The views from the rooms, grounds, pool, and restaurant of this hotel are truly astounding. The rooms themselves are massive, with soaring high ceilings, large picture windows and glass doors, and a private balcony or patio facing the action. Each has its own four-person modern Jacuzzi tub, with sculpted seats and numerous jets, set below a large picture window with a volcano view. The beds are also set to take in the view. Trails weave through the grounds and a host of tours and activities are on offer. The restaurant serves excellent international cuisine in a beautiful setting, with a giant wall of windows facing the volcano. The Kioro was granted \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nOn the main road btw. La Fortuna and Lake Arenal, 10km (6 miles) from La Fortuna. www.hotelarenalkioro.com.   2479-1700. Fax 2479-1710. 53 units. $385 double. Rates include buffet break\u00adfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; large outdoor pool; small spa. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nHotel Royal Corin \u2605\u2605 All of the rooms at this plush resort have excellent volcano views, although those on the north wing of the large, horseshoe-shaped building have the best views. The best feature here is the large and beautiful complex of pools and Jacuzzis fed by volcanically heated natural spring water. All rooms come with volcano-facing balconies, and chic, minimalist contemporary decor. The junior and master suites are larger and have Jacuzzis and double-sized balconies. The small spa here is top-notch, and the fifth-floor Lava bar is a great place to sip a cool drink while watching the volcano.\n\nOn the main road btw. La Fortuna and Lake Arenal, 4km (21\u20442 miles) from La Fortuna. www.royalcorin.com.   877\/642-6746 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-2201 in Costa Rica. Fax 2479-7395. 54 units. $265 double; $334\u2013$360 suite. Rates include buffet breakfast and taxes. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; exercise room; 6 Jacuzzis; large outdoor complex of pools and hot springs; room service; small spa; sauna. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nThe Springs Resort & Spa \u2605\u2605\u2605 Located on a large piece of land with a great view of the volcano, this sprawling resort features plush, luxurious rooms, and some fabulous facilities. The five-story main lodge building is massive, with several restaurants, a large, full-service spa, modern exercise room, and much-needed elevator. At its base sit a series of sculpted hot and cold pools of various sizes, and below these you'll find the suites and villas. All of the rooms here are opulently appointed, and all have volcano views. The bathrooms are large, marble affairs with a huge Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. Food and service are excellent, as you would expect. Note: Do not confuse this place with the Arenal Springs Resort.\n\nOff the main road btw. La Fortuna and Lake Arenal, 10km (6 miles) from La Fortuna. www.thespringscostarica.com.   954\/727-8333 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2401-3313 in Costa Rica. Fax 2401-3319. 44 units. $395\u2013$730 suite; $1,100 and up villa for 4. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 3 bars; large, modern exercise room; several Jacuzzis; series of outdoor pools; room service; smoke-free rooms; full-service spa. In room: A\/C, TV\/DVD, movie library, CD player, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nTabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort \u2605\u2605\u2605 This is the most popular resort in the Arenal area\u2014and for good reason. Many rooms have excellent, direct views of the volcano. Rooms on the upper floors of the 300-block building have the best vistas. Still, some have obstructed, or no, views. Be sure to specify in advance if you want a view room. Nine of the rooms are truly accessible to travelers with disabilities. Guests enjoy privileges at the spectacular hot-springs complex and spa across the street (see \"Taking a Soothing Soak in Hot Springs\"), including slightly extended hours. When you consider the included entrance fee to the hot springs, the rates here are actually rather reasonable. This hotel has shown a committed and innovative approach to sustainable tourism. Guests are encouraged to make their stay carbon neutral, and the hotel is actively involved in a range of local development and conservation programs.\n\nOn the main road btw. La Fortuna and Lake Arenal, Tabac\u00f3n. www.tabacon.com.   877\/277-8291 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2519-1999 reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2479-2020 at the resort. Fax 2519-1940. 114 units. $245\u2013$495 suite. Rates higher during peak periods. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; exercise room; Jacuzzi; large pool w\/swim-up bar; all rooms smoke-free; extensive hot springs and spa facilities across the street. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nTabac\u00f3n Grand Spa Thermal Resort.\n\nExpensive\n\nMonta\u00f1a de Fuego Inn \u2605 This resort is a collection of individual and duplex cabins spread over hilly grounds. Most have marvelous volcano views from their spacious glass-enclosed porches. Some rooms even have back balconies overlooking a forested ravine, in addition to the volcano-facing front porch. The suites and junior suites all have a Jacuzzi tub. I actually prefer the juniors over the full suites, since the Jacuzzis in the juniors are set in front of a volcano-view picture window. Behind the hotel are some rolling hills that lead down to a small river surrounded by patches of gallery forest, where they conduct an adventurous horseback, hiking, and a zip-line canopy tour.\n\nLa Palma de la Fortuna, San Carlos. www.montanafuegohotel.com.   2479-1220. Fax 2479-1455. 69 units. $110\u2013$132 double; $154\u2013$168 suite. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amen\u00adities: Restaurant; 2 bars; 2 Jacuzzis; outdoor pool; room service; full-service spa. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nVolcano Lodge   This large and spread-out resort has a wide range of serv\u00adices and amenities. All of the rooms are tastefully decorated with heavy wooden furnishings. All come with a small terrace with a couple of wooden rocking chairs, and most of these have great views of the volcano. Several rooms are wheelchair accessible. The lodge has two restaurants, as well as two outdoor pools, each with a separate heated Jacuzzi and volcano views. One also features a children's pool and playground. A wide range of tours and activities are offered.\n\nLa Fortuna de San Carlos. www.volcanolodge.com.   800\/649-5913 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-1717. Fax 2479-1716. 64 units. $138 double. Rates include taxes and breakfast buffet. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; Jacuzzis; 2 outdoor pools; small spa. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nModerate\n\nArenal Observatory Lodge \u2605\u2605 This place is built on a high ridge very close to the volcano, with a spectacular view of the cone. The best rooms here are the junior suites below the restaurant and main lodge, as well as the four rooms in the Observatory Block, and the White Hawk villa. The \"Smithsonian\" rooms feature massive picture windows with a direct view of the volcano. The lodge offers a number of guided and unguided hiking options, including a free morning guided hike through their trails and gardens, as well as a wide range of other tours. Five rooms are truly equipped for wheelchair access, and a paved path extends almost 1km (.5 mile) into the rainforest. When you're not hiking or touring the region, you can hang by the volcano-view swimming pool and Jacuzzi. The hotel maintains much of its land as part of a private nature reserve and is committed to sustainable and green tourism practices.\n\nOn the flanks of Arenal Volcano. To get here, head to the national park entrance, stay on the dirt road past the entrance, and follow the signs to the Observatory Lodge. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is not essential, although you'll always be better off with the clearance afforded by a four-wheel-drive vehicle. www.arenalobservatorylodge.com.   2290-7011 reservations number in San Jos\u00e9, or 2479-1070 at the lodge. Fax 2290-8427. 51 units. $91 La Casona double; $123 standard double; $159 Smithsonian; $183 junior suite. Rates include breakfast buffet and taxes and are lower in off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; smoke-free rooms. In room: No phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nWhile the hotels along the road between La Fortuna and the National Park tend to be geared toward higher-end travelers, more budget-conscious travelers do have a few choices. In addition to the inexpensive options in La Fortuna, if you have a car, Cabinas Los Guayabos (www.hotellosguayabos.com;  \/fax 2479-1444) is a good value, with views and a location that rival the more expensive lodgings listed above.\n\nLuigi's Hotel This small in-town hotel has a lively, hostel-like atmosphere. The rooms are all comfortable and clean; those on the second floor have the best views of the volcano, although those on the first floor have higher ceilings. All open onto a long shared veranda or porch. Despite the name and the fact that the restaurant here is a pizza-and-pasta joint, the owners are actually Costa Rican, not Italian.\n\nLa Fortuna, San Carlos. www.luigishotel.com.  \/fax 2479-9898. 22 units. $48 double. Rates include breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; gym; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, no phone.\n\nWhere to Eat in & Around La Fortuna\n\nDining in La Fortuna is nowhere near as spectacular as volcano viewing, although, given the area's popularity, options abound. The favorite meeting places in town are El Jard\u00edn Restaurant (  2479-9360) and Lava Rocks (  2479-8039); both are on the main road, right in the center of La Fortuna. Other choices include Rancho La Cascada (  2479-9145) and Restaurante Nene's (  2479-9192) for Tico fare, and Las Brasitas (  2479-9819; www.lasbrasitas.com) for Mexican. For good pizza and Italian cuisine, try either Anch'io (  2479-7560), near the heart of town, or El Vagabundo \u2605 (  2479-9565), just on the outskirts.\n\nFinally, for some fine and fancy dining, you can try Los Tucanes \u2605\u2605 (  2479-2020) restaurant at the Tabac\u00f3n Grand Spa resort.\n\nDon Rufino \u2605 COSTA RICAN\/INTERNATIONAL Set on a busy corner in the heart of town, this restaurant is easily the best\u2014and the busiest\u2014option right in town. The front wall and bar area open onto the street and are often filled both with local tour guides and tourists. Try the pollo al estilo de la abuela (Grandma's chicken), which is baked and served wrapped in banana leaves, or one of the excellent cuts of meat. The chateaubriand and imported top sirloin steaks are huge and are meant to be shared by two. The bar stays open most nights until midnight or beyond.\n\nDowntown La Fortuna.   2479-9997. www.donrufino.com. Main courses $8\u2013$35. Reservations recommended during the high season. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nEl Novillo del Arenal   STEAK\/COSTA RICAN This place is the definition of \"nothing fancy.\" In fact, it's just some lawn furniture (tables and chairs) set on a concrete slab underneath a high, open zinc roof. Still, it is perennially popular. The steaks are large and well prepared. The chicken and fish portions are also large and nicely done. Meals come with garlic bread, fries, and some slaw. For a real local treat, order some fried yuca as a side. If the night is clear, you can get a good view of any volcanic activity from the parking lot here.\n\nOn the road to Tabac\u00f3n, 10km (61\u20444 miles) outside of La Fortuna.   2479-1910. Reservations recommended. Main courses C3,500\u2013C9,000. MC, V. Mon\u2013Fri noon to 10pm; Sat\u2013Sun 10am\u201310pm.\n\nLava Lounge \u2605 INTERNATIONAL This humble downtown La Fortuna open-air restaurant combines a very simple setting with a sleek and somewhat eclectic menu. Healthy and hearty sandwiches, wraps, and salads are the main offerings here. You can get a traditional burger or one made with fresh grilled tuna. More substantial fare includes traditional Costa Rican arroz con pollo, and a casado, built around a thick pork chop. You can also get several different pastas, and nightly dinner specials may include some coconut-battered shrimp with a mango salsa, or a prime sirloin steak in a green pepper or red-wine sauce. The decor consists of a series of rustic wooden tables with mostly bench seats.\n\nDowntown La Fortuna, on the main road.   2479-7365. www.lavaloungecostarica.com. Main courses C4,500\u2013C8,500. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nLa Fortuna After Dark\n\nLa Fortuna's biggest after-dark attraction is the volcano, but the Volcano Look Disco (  2479-9690) on the road to Tabac\u00f3n is trying to compete. If you get bored of the eruptions and seismic rumbling, head here for heavy dance beats and mirrored disco balls. In town, the folks at Luigi's Hotel have a midsize casino (  2479-9898) next door to their hotel and restaurant, while the open-to-the-street bar at Don Rufino is a popular spot for a drink. Finally, a cozy sports bar with a pool table and flatscreen televisions is on the second floor at the Hotel Magic Mountain.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat Farther Afield\n\nAll of the hotels listed in the following four sections are at least a half-hour drive from La Fortuna and the volcano. Most, if not all, offer both night and day tours to Arenal and Tabac\u00f3n, but they also hope to attract you with their own natural charms.\n\nEast of La Fortuna\n\nThe broad, flat San Carlos valley spreads out to the east of La Fortuna. This is agricultural heartland, with large plantations of yuca, papaya, and other cash crops. The popular Ciudad Quesada route to, or from, La Fortuna will take you through this area.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Leaves & Lizards (www.leavesandlizards.com;   888\/828-9245 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2478-0023 in Costa Rica), near El Muelle, wins high praise as an intimate, isolated getaway.\n\nTermales del Bosque \u2605\u2605. The series of sculpted pools is set in the midst of rich rainforest, on the banks of a small river. Down by the pools are a natural steam room (scented each day with fresh eucalyptus), a massage room, and a snack-and-juice bar. The trail down here winds through the thick forest, and, if you want to keep on walking, you can take guided or self-guided tours on a network of well-marked trails. Rooms are pretty simple and plain. Still, they are clean and spacious, and most feature a private or shared veranda with views over gardens and rolling hills. A three-bedroom bungalow has a shared bathroom and kitchenette. You can rent horses at the lodge, and a variety of tours are offered. If you aren't staying here, you can use the pools and hike the trails for C6,000.\n\nOn the road from San Carlos to Aguas Zarcas, just before El Tucano; Ciudad Quesada, San Carlos. www.termalesdelbosque.com.   2460-4740. 49 units. $75 double; $100 bungalow. Rates include full breakfast, unlimited use of the hot springs, and taxes. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; several hot-spring pools set beside a forest river; massage. In room: A\/C, TV, no phone.\n\nTermales del Bosque.\n\nTilajari Resort Hotel \u2605   This sprawling resort on the banks of the San Carlos River makes a good base for exploring the area and offers terrific bird-watching. Most rooms have views of the river; others open onto rich flowering gardens. All have a private balcony or terrace. Large iguanas are frequently sighted on the grounds, and crocodiles live in the river. There's also an orchid garden, a tropical fruit-and-vegetable garden, a medicinal herb garden, and a well-maintained butterfly garden. Tilajari is quite popular with Tico families, especially on weekends. This is a great place for your kids to have a chance to interact and play with their Costa Rican counterparts. The lodge arranges a wide range of tours of the region, and frequently hosts local tennis tournaments, too. Tilajari lies between and is connected to La Fortuna, Aguas Zarcas, and Ciudad Quesada.\n\nMuelle (A.P. 81\u20134400), San Carlos. www.tilajari.com.   2462-1212. Fax 2462-1414. 76 units. $99 double; $120 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; large outdoor pool; sauna; 6 lighted tennis courts (2 indoors); Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer.\n\nSouth of La Fortuna\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Finca Luna Nueva Lodge \u2605(http:\/\/fincalunanuevalodge.com;   2468-4006) is a fascinating sustainable farm and tourism project, and proud local advocate for the international \"Slow Foods\" movement.\n\nChachagua Rainforest Hotel & Hacienda \u2605 Sitting on 100 hectares (247 acres) of lush land, about half of which is primary rainforest, this long-standing jungle lodge has recently gotten a major makeover. Rooms now are quite cozy, with lots of space, dark-stained hardwoods, and tasteful decor. You'll pay a bit more for air-conditioning and televisions, but even the fan-equipped \"rainforest bungalows\" are quite comfortable. Mountain biking, horseback riding and rainforest hiking are all offered on-site, and a host of other tours and activities are available nearby.\n\nThe tiny village of Chachagua is located 10km (6 miles) south of La Fortuna, on the main road to San Ramon. The hotel is located another 2km (11\u20444 miles) up a well-marked dirt road from the town.\n\nChachagua, Alajuela. www.chachaguarainforesthotel.com.   2468-1010. Fax 2468-1020. 30 units. $110\u2013$185 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; large outdoor pool; small spa; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nEl Silencio Lodge & Spa \u2605\u2605 Built and run by the folks behind Punta Islita, this luxurious lodge is a small collection of plush individual cabins, on a hillside in an isolated mountain setting. Each room features a king-size bed with luscious bedding, a modern marble bathroom, and private outdoor Jacuzzi. The spa offers a range of excellent treatments, and the restaurant specializes in healthy spa cooking\u2014no red meat is served. Hiking around the grounds will take you through their organic gardens, and a relatively easy loop trail passes by three nearby waterfalls. Day tours to Sarch\u00ed, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed, and Arenal\/La Fortuna are all offered. The rooms do not have televisions, but the main lodge has a lounge area with a large plasma-screen set and modest DVD library. This place was granted \"5 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nTo reach El Silencio, you must first get to the town of Sarch\u00ed. From the Pali supermarket in the center of town, head north and follow the signs. El Silencio is approximately 22km (13 miles) outside of Sarch\u00ed.\n\nBajos del Toro, Alajuela. www.elsilenciolodge.com.   2761-0301. Fax 2232-0302. 16 units. $480 double. Rates include all meals, nonalcoholic drinks, taxes, and 1 daily hike. AE, DC, MC, V. Amen\u00adities: Restaurant; bar; small spa; Wi-Fi. In room: Hair dryer, minibar.\n\nVilla Blanca Cloud Forest & Spa \u2605\u2605 This plush mountain-retreat hotel consists of a series of Tico-style casitas surrounded by 800 hectares (1,976 acres) of farm and forest. Each casita is built of adobe and has tile floors, open beamed ceilings, and whitewashed walls. Inside you'll find a fireplace in one corner, comfortable hardwood chairs, and either one queen-size or two twin beds covered with colorful bedspreads. The deluxe units and suites have a separate sitting area with a fold-out couch and bathrooms with a whirlpool bathtub and a separate shower. In many rooms, the bathroom tubs look out through a wall of windows onto lush gardens. Some have private patios. Just outside are 11km (6.75 miles) of trails through the Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve. You can also rent horses or take an adventurous swing through the canopy on a canopy tour here. The hotel is a member of the \"Green Hotels of Costa Rica\" and was granted \"5 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nIf you're driving, head west out of San Jos\u00e9 to San Ram\u00f3n and then head north, following the signs to Villa Blanca. Or you can take a public bus from San Jos\u00e9 to San Ram\u00f3n and then take a taxi for around $20.\n\nSan Ram\u00f3n, Alajuela. www.villablanca-costarica.com.   2461-0300. Fax 2461-0302. 34 units. $170 double; $192 deluxe; $215 suite. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small spa; Wi-Fi. In room: Stocked minifridge.\n\nNorth of La Fortuna\n\nCa\u00f1o Negro Natural Lodge \u2605 This small nature lodge is the best option in the tiny village of Ca\u00f1o Negro, and it's near the canals and lagoons. If you really want to visit the Ca\u00f1o Negro Wildlife Refuge, either for bird-watching and wildlife viewing or for fishing, this is a good choice. The hotel has spacious grounds full of flowering plants, tropical palms, and fruit trees. The rooms, housed in a series of duplex buildings, are all simple but roomy, clean, and comfortable, with much needed air-conditioning and tasteful decor. The hotel is proud of its small carbon footprint and contributions to local conservation and community development efforts. To get here, drive toward Los Chiles; several kilometers before Los Chiles, you'll see signs for this hotel and the wildlife refuge. From here, it's 18km (11 miles) on a flat dirt road to the village, refuge, and hotel.\n\nCa\u00f1o Negro. www.canonegrolodge.com.   2265-3302 for reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2471-1426 direct to the lodge. Fax 2265-4310. 42 units. $105 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool. In room: A\/C.\n\nA Really Remote Nature Lodge\n\nThis is a very remote region, right along the San Carlos river, near the Nicaraguan border. The roads up here a rough and poorly maintained. In addition to the place listed below, Manquenque Ecolodge \u2605 (www.maquenqueecolodge.com;   2479-7785) is a great new option for getting to see the green macaw in the wild and getting to know this area.\n\nTip: To get here, you head first to Pital and then continue on dirt roads to the town of Boca Tapada. It's also possible, albeit difficult, to get here on public transportation (ask your lodge directions), or you can arrange for the lodge to handle your transportation from San Jos\u00e9 or La Fortuna (for a cost). Since anyone with four-wheel-drive can make the trip here independently, though, you're best off driving on your own.\n\nLa Laguna del Lagarto Lodge This lodge is named after the two man-made lagoons that sit below the main resort buildings. Canoes are available for paddling around these and several other nearby jungle waterways. The lodge has more than 10km (6.25 miles) of well-maintained hiking trails, and offers trips on the San Carlos River, as well as horseback-riding tours. More than 380 species of birds have been spotted here, and the hotel is involved in efforts to preserve the rare green macaw, which is frequently sighted in the area. The accommodations are rustic yet comfortable. Most rooms open onto a balcony or veranda with sitting chairs and hammocks. In addition to the surrounding rainforest, the lodge sits on a small pepper plantation and has lands planted with heart of palm, pineapple, and other tropical fruits and vegetables.\n\n6km (33\u20444 miles) north of Boca Tapada. www.lagarto-lodge-costa-rica.com.   2289-8163. Fax 2289-5295. 20 units. $68 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone.\n\nAlong the Shores of Lake Arenal \u2605\n\n200km (124 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 20km (12 miles) NW of Monteverde; 70km (43 miles) SE of Liberia\n\nDespite its many charms, this remains one of the least-developed tourism regions in Costa Rica. Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica, is the centerpiece here. A long beautiful lake, it is surrounded by rolling hills that are partly pastured and partly forested. Loads of activities and adventures are available both on the lake and in the hills and forests around it. While the towns of Tilar\u00e1n and Nuevo Arenal remain quiet rural communities, several excellent hotels spread out along the shores of the lake.\n\nLocals here used to curse the winds, which often come blasting across this end of the lake at 60 knots or greater. However, since the first sailboarders caught wind of Lake Arenal's combination of warm, fresh water, steady blows, and spectacular scenery, things have been changing quickly. Even if you aren't a fanatical sailboarder, you might enjoy hanging out by the lake, hiking in the nearby forests, riding a mountain bike on dirt farm roads and one-track trails, and catching glimpses of Arenal Volcano.\n\nThe lake's other claim to fame is its rainbow-bass fishing. These fighting fish are known in Central America as guapote and are large members of the cichlid family. Their sharp teeth and fighting nature make them a real challenge.\n\nLake Arenal and Arenal Volcano.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: From San Jos\u00e9, you can either take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north all the way from San Jos\u00e9 to Ca\u00f1as, or first head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas and the Inter\u00adamerican Highway (CR1). You will actually follow signs for Liberia and San Jos\u00e9, which are, in fact, leading you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. This road (CR23) ends when it hits the Interamerican Highway. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp which will put you on the highway heading north. This latter route is a faster and flatter drive, with no windy mountain switchbacks to contend with. In Ca\u00f1as, turn east on CR142 toward Tilar\u00e1n. The drive takes 3 to 4 hours. If you're continuing on to Nuevo Arenal, follow the signs in town, which will put you on the road that skirts the shore of the lake. Nuevo Arenal is about a half-hour drive from Tilar\u00e1n. You can also drive here from La Fortuna, along a scenic road that winds around the lake. From La Fortuna, it's approximately 1 hour to Nuevo Arenal and 11\u20442 hours to Tilar\u00e1n.\n\nBy Bus: Transportes Tilar\u00e1n buses (  2258-5792 in San Jos\u00e9, 2695-5611 in Tilar\u00e1n) leave San Jos\u00e9 for Tilar\u00e1n daily at 7:30 and 9:30am and 12:45, 3:45, and 6:30pm from Calle 20 and Avenida 3. The trip lasts from 4 to 51\u20442 hours, depending on road conditions; the fare is C3,320.\n\nMorning and afternoon buses connect Puntarenas to Tilar\u00e1n. The ride takes about 3 hours; the fare is $3. (For details on getting to Puntarenas, see \"Puntarenas,\" in chapter .) The daily bus from Monteverde (Santa Elena) leaves at 7am. The fare for the 2-hour trip is $2.30. Buses from La Fortuna leave for Tilar\u00e1n daily at 8am and 4:30pm, returning at 7am and 12:30pm. The trip takes around 2 to 3 hours; the fare is C1,375.\n\nDirect buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave from Tilar\u00e1n daily at 5, 7, and 9:30am and 2 and 5pm. Buses to Puntarenas leave at 6am and 1pm daily. The bus to Santa Elena (Monteverde) leaves daily at 12:30pm. Buses also leave regu\u00adlarly for Ca\u00f1as, and can be caught heading north or south along the Interamerican Highway.\n\nOrientation & Fast Facts Tilar\u00e1n is about 5km (3 miles) from Lake Arenal. All roads into town lead to the central park, which is Tilar\u00e1n's main point of reference for addresses. If you need to exchange money, check at one of the hotels listed here, or go to the Banco Nacional. If you need a taxi to get to a lodge on Lake Arenal, call Taxis Unidos Tilar\u00e1n (  2695-5324). For a taxi in Nuevo Arenal, call Taxis Nuevo Arenal (  2694-4415).\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nArts, Crafts & Down-Home Cooking About halfway between Nuevo Arenal and Tilar\u00e1n is Casa Delagua \u2605 (  2692-2101), the studio, gallery, and coffee shop of Costa Rican artist Juan Carlos Ruiz. These folks also have a good used book and DVD collection on sale.\n\nThe Lucky Bug Gallery \u2605\u2605 is an excellent roadside arts-and-crafts and souvenir shop, attached to the Lucky Bug Bed & Breakfast. This place features a host of functional and decorative pieces produced locally.\n\nFishing Ask at your hotel if you want to try your hand at fishing for guapote. A half-day fishing trip should cost around $150 to $250 per boat, and a full day goes for around $250 to $500. The boats used will usually accommodate up to three people fishing. If you're interested in fishing, I recommend you check in with Captain Ron at Arenal Fishing Tours (  2694-4678; www.arenalfishing.com).\n\nA fisherman with a guapote at Lake Arenal.\n\nHorseback Riding Any of the hotels in the area can hook you up with a horseback-riding tour for around $10 to $20 per hour.\n\nSwimming & Hiking Up above Lake Arenal on the far side of the lake from Tilar\u00e1n, you'll find the beautiful little heart-shape Lake Coter. This lake is surrounded by forest and has good swimming. (UFO watchers also claim that this is a popular pit stop for extraterrestrials.) A taxi to Lake Coter costs around C15,000.\n\nIf you feel like strapping on your boots, some hiking trails are on the far side of Lake Arenal, near the smaller Lake Coter.\n\nWindsurfing & Kiteboarding If you want to try windsurfing, Tilawa Windsurfing Center (  2695-5050; www.windsurfcostarica.com) rents equipment at its facilities on one of the lake's few accessible beaches, about 8km (5 miles) from Tilar\u00e1n on the road along the west end of the lake. Boards rent for around $50 per day, and lessons are available. These folks also offer classes and rentals for the high-octane sport of kiteboarding. Another option that is especially popular with serious sail- and kiteboarders is Tico Wind (  2692-2002; www.ticowind.com), which sets up shop on the shores of the lake each year from December 1 to the end of April, when the winds blow. Rates run around $85 per day, including lunch, with multiday packages available. If you can't reach them via the phone or website, the folks at Mystica (see \"Where to Stay,\" below) can hook you up.\n\nWindsurfing on Lake Arenal.\n\nWakeboarding Lake Arenal is a big lake with plenty of calm quiet corners to practice wakeboarding. If you're interested in lessons, or just a reliable pull on a wakeboard or water skis, contact Fly Zone (  8339-5876; www.flyzone-cr.com). Simple pulls behind their specialized boat run around $95 per hour, including boards, skis, and any other necessary gear.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, the Ceiba Tree Lodge (www.ceibatree-lodge.com;   2692-8050) is a small, simple lodge with a beautiful view and lovely gardens on a hill above the lake. La Mansion Inn Arenal (www.lamansionarenal.com;   2692-8018) is an upscale option with a great setting and cozy cabins.\n\nModerate\n\nChalet Nicholas   This friendly American-owned bed-and-breakfast is 2.5km (11\u20442 miles) west of Nuevo Arenal and sits on a hill above the road. This converted home is set on 6 hectares (15 acres) and has pretty flower gardens, an organic vegetable garden, and an orchid garden. Behind the property are acres of forest through which you can hike in search of birds, orchids, butterflies, and other tropical beauties. The upstairs loft room is the largest unit, with its own private deck. All three rooms are nonsmoking and have a view of Arenal Volcano in the distance. Owners John and Catherine Nicholas go out of their way to make their guests feel at home, although their three Great Danes might intimidate you when you first drive up. All around, it's a really good deal. Three-hour horseback riding tours are offered for just $25 per person.\n\nTilar\u00e1n. www.chaletnicholas.com.   2694-4041. 3 units. $68 double. Rates include full breakfast. No credit cards. In room: No phone.\n\nHotel Tilawa   Built to resemble the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, the Hotel Tilawa sits high on the slopes above the lake and has a sweeping vista down to the water. It's primarily a windsurfers' and kiteboarders' hangout, and often has an untended or sloppy feel, particularly in terms of service and upkeep. Unusual colors and antique paint effects give the hotel a weathered look; inside are murals and other artistic paint treatments. Rooms have dyed cement floors, Guatemalan bedspreads, and big windows. Some have kitchenettes. Tilawa can arrange windsurfing, kiteboarding, mountain-biking, horseback-riding, and fishing trips. The hotel even has a small skate park for radical skateboarders and BMX freestyle bikers, which makes this a good place to bring teenagers.\n\nOn the road btw. Tilar\u00e1n and Nuevo Arenal. www.tilawa.com.   2695-5050. 22 units. $70\u2013$80 double; $110 apt. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; small spa; unlit outdoor tennis court; skateboard park; sailboard and kiteboard rental. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nLucky Bug Bed & Breakfast \u2605 An outgrowth of this family's successful restaurant, gallery, and gift shop, this hotel's rooms are artistic and cheery. Each features an animal motif, from the handmade wood and metal beds, to the hand-painted bathroom tiles, to the individual artworks and wall hangings. The Butterfly and Frog rooms are the best, and each comes with a small balcony. Most have one king-size bed. The largest room is the one ground-floor unit, although I prefer those on the second floor. The rooms are located just above the small lake that's behind the restaurant and gift shop. This lake is stocked with guapote, which you can fish for, and, if you're lucky, have cooked up for you at the restaurant.\n\nNuevo Arenal. www.luckybugcr.net.   2694-4515. 5 units. $89\u2013$129 double. Rates include full breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nMystica \u2605   Set on a high hill above Lake Arenal (about midway btw. Nuevo Arenal and Tilar\u00e1n), this establishment has simple but spacious and cozy rooms. The painted cement floors are kept immaculate, and the rooms get good ventilation from their large windows. All rooms open onto a long and broad shared veranda with a great view of the lake. The one private villa has a kitchenette, fireplace, and beautiful open deck area. The owners can help you book a wide range of adventures and tours. The hotel has a large open-air yoga platform and sometimes hosts retreats. Perhaps the star attraction here is the hotel's excellent little Italian restaurant and pizzeria by the same name.\n\nOn the road btw. Tilar\u00e1n and Nuevo Arenal. www.mysticaretreat.com.   2692-1001. Fax 2692-2097. 7 units. $100 double; $145 villa. Rates include continental breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone.\n\nVilla Decary \u2605   Named after a French explorer (and a rare palm species that he discovered and named), this small bed-and-breakfast is nestled on a hill above Lake Arenal, midway between the town of Nuevo Arenal and the Arenal Botanical Gardens. Each room comes with one queen-size and one twin bed, large picture windows, and a spacious balcony with a lake view. The rooms get plenty of light, and the bright Guatemalan bedspreads and white-tile floors create a vibrant look. The separate casitas have full kitchens and even better views of the lake from their slightly higher perches. Breakfasts are extravagant, with a steady stream of fresh fruits and juice; strong coffee; homemade pancakes, waffles, or muffins; and usually an excellent omelet or souffl\u00e9. The hotel grounds are great for bird-watching and howler monkeys are common guests here as well.\n\nNuevo Arenal. www.villadecary.com.   800\/556-0505 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2694-4330 in Costa Rica. 5 units, 3 casitas. $99 double; $129\u2013$149 casita for 2. Rates include full breakfast. Extra person $15. MC, V. Amenities: Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nRock River Lodge \u2605   Set high on a grassy hill above the lake, this place has fabulous lake and sunset views. Recently re-opened after a 3-year hiatus, the hotel is under new management. Midsize rooms are housed in a long, low wooden building set on stilts. The bungalows, which are farther up the hill, offer more privacy and space and have small sculpted bathtubs in larger bathrooms. It's a long walk down to the lake (not to mention the walk back up), so a car is recommended.\n\nOn the road btw. Tilar\u00e1n and Nuevo Arenal. www.rockriverlodgecr.com.   2692-1180. 6 units, 8 bungalows. $30\u2013$35 double; $60\u2013$65 bungalow. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nNumerous inexpensive places to eat are in the town of Tilar\u00e1n, including the restaurant at Hotel La Carreta (  2695-6593; www.lacarretacr.com) and Cabinas Mary (  2695-5479). Just outside of town, on the road to Nuevo Arenal, the Longhorn Bar & Grill \u2605 (  2695-5663; htt:\/\/:site.longhornbarandgrill.com) is a very popular spot, that's part steakhouse, part sports bar.\n\nIn Nuevo Arenal, try the pizzas and pastas at Restaurante Lajas (  2694-4780). For breakfast, snacks, lunch, and fresh-baked goods, check out Tom's Pan German Bakery (  2694-4547; www.tomspan.com). The lakeside Gingerbread \u2605 (  2694-0039; www.gingerbreadarenal.com) has an Israeli chef-owner who is turning out top-notch fusion fare in a lively, welcoming environment, on the outskirts of Nuevo Arenal.\n\nMystica \u2605 ITALIAN\/PIZZA The restaurant in this Italian-run hotel has a wonderful setting high on a hill overlooking the lake. The most striking features, aside from the view, are the large open fireplace on one end and, on the other, the large brick oven, in the shape of a small cottage, which turns out pizzas. The pastas and delicious main dishes are authentically northern Italian. Whenever possible, Mystica uses fresh ingredients from its own garden.\n\nOn the road btw. Tilar\u00e1n and Nuevo Arenal.   2692-1001. www.mysticacostarica.com. Main courses C4,900\u2013C6,000. MC, V. Daily noon\u20139pm.\n\nWilly's Caballo Negro \u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/VEGETARIAN The German owners of this attractive little roadside cafe serve up two different types of schnitzel, bratwurst, veal cordon bleu, and a host of other old-world dishes. However, vegetarians are well served here, and will find several tasty and filling options on the menu, including stuffed potatoes, garden burgers, and eggplant Parmesan. Wooden tables are set around the edges of the round dining room, with a high peaked roof. Candles and creative lighting give the place a cozy and warm feel. There's a small, picturesque lake behind the restaurant, a small B&B (Lucky Bug Bed & Breakfast), and the very interesting Lucky Bug Gallery, run by the owner's triplet daughters.\n\nNuevo Arenal (about 3km\/13\u20444 miles out of town on the road to Tilar\u00e1n).   2694-4515. Main courses $8\u2013$15. MC, V. Dinner by reservation only. Daily 7am\u20135pm.\n\nMonteverde \u2605\u2605\n\n167km (104 miles) NW of San Jos\u00e9; 82km (51 miles) NW of Puntarenas\n\nMonteverde, which translates as \"Green Mountain,\" is one of world's first and finest ecotourism destinations. The mist enshrouded and marvelous Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and extensive network of neighboring private reserves are rich and rewarding. Bird-watchers flock here for a chance to spot the myth-inspiring Resplendent Quetzal, scientists study its bountiful biodiversity, and a bevy of attractions and adventures await everyone else.\n\nActive Pursuits Hike the area's cloud forest reserves on foot, but also try riding the trails and dirt roads on horseback or an ATV. For real adrenaline junkies, there are several zip-line canopy tours and an even wetter and wilder canyoning adventure. The cloud forest's sounds are more palpable and its animal residents much more active when experienced on a fascinating night tour.\n\nFlora & Fauna Cloud forests are formed as moist air swept in off the ocean is forced upward by mountain slopes, and, cooling as it rises, forms clouds. Branches of huge trees are draped thick with epiphytic orchids, ferns, and bromeliads, which in turn host an incredibly diverse population of wildlife. Beyond the Resplendent Quetzal, the Monteverde area boasts more than 2,500 species of plants, 450 types of orchids, 400 species of birds, and 100 species of mammals.\n\nMonteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.\n\nTours The high mountain terrain here produces some of Costa Rica's best coffee, and you can tour a local coffee plantation, or see how sugar cane is harvested and processed on the El Trapiche tour. In the town of Santa Elena, you'll want to visit the Orchid Garden, Frog Pond, and World of Insects, while on the road to the reserve, the Bat Jungle and Butterfly Garden are well worth the price of admission.\n\nAn ATV on the road between Monteverde and Santa Elena.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: The principal access road to Monteverde and Santa Elena is located along the Interamerican Highway (CR1); about 20km (12 miles) north of the exit for Puntarenas is a marked turnoff for Sardinal, Santa Elena, and Monteverde. From this turnoff, the road is paved for 15km (91\u20442 miles), to just beyond the tiny town of Guacimal. From here, it's another 20km (12 miles) to Santa Elena.\n\n  Today's Forecast . . . Misty & Cool\n\nThe climatic conditions that make Monteverde such a biological hot spot can leave many tourists feeling chilled to the bone. More than a few visitors are unprepared for a cool, windy, and wet stay in the middle of their tropical vacation, and can find Monteverde a bit inhospitable, especially from August through November.\n\nFrom San Jos\u00e9, you can either take the Interamerican Highway (CR1) north all the way to the turnoff, or first head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas and the Interamerican Highway (CR1). You will actually follow signs for Liberia and San Jos\u00e9, which are, in fact, leading you to the unmarked entrance to CR1. This road (CR23) ends when it hits the Interamerican Highway. You'll want to pass under the bridge and follow the on-ramp which will put you on the highway heading north. This latter route is a faster and flatter drive.\n\nAnother access road to Santa Elena is found just south of the R\u00edo Lagarto Bridge. This turnoff is the first you will come to if driving from Liberia. From the R\u00edo Lagarto turnoff, it's 38km (24 miles) to Santa Elena, and the road is unpaved the entire way.\n\nOnce you arrive, the roads in and around Santa Elena are paved, including all the way to Cerro Plano, and about halfway to the Cloud Forest Preserve.\n\nTo drive from Monteverde to La Fortuna, head out of Santa Elena toward Sky Trek and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Follow signs for Tilar\u00e1n, which are posted at most of the critical intersections. If there's no sign, stick to the most well-worn road. This is a rough dirt road, all the way to Tilar\u00e1n. From Tilar\u00e1n, you have mostly well-marked and okay paved roads around the lake, passing first through Nuevo Arenal, and then over the dam and through Tabac\u00f3n, before reaching La Fortuna.\n\nBy Bus: Transmonteverde express buses (  2222-3854 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2645-5159 in Santa Elena) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6:30am and 2:30pm from Calle 12 between avenidas 7 and 9. The trip takes around 4 hours; the fare is C2,350. Buses arrive at and depart from Santa Elena. If you're staying at one of the hotels or lodges toward the reserve, arrange pickup if possible, or take a taxi or local bus.\n\nThree daily Transmonteverde buses depart Puntarenas for Santa Elena at 7:50am, and 1:50 and 2:15pm. The bus stop in Puntarenas is across the street from the main bus station. The fare for the 21\u20442-hour trip is C1,300. A daily bus from Tilar\u00e1n (Lake Arenal) leaves at 12:30pm. Trip duration, believe it or not, is 2 hours (for a 40km\/25-mile trip); the fare is C1,150. The express bus departs for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6:30am and 2:30pm. The buses from Santa Elena to Puntarenas leave daily at 4:30 and 6am and 3pm.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Monteverde at 8am. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Monteverde at 7:30am and 2:30pm. Both of the above companies charge $40, and will pick you up and drop you off at most San Jos\u00e9 and Monteverde area hotels.\n\n  Alternative Transport\n\nYou can travel between Monteverde and La Fortuna by boat and taxi, or on a combination boat, horseback, and taxi trip. See \"Boats, Horses & Taxis,\" for details. Any of the trips described there can be done in the reverse direction departing from Monteverde. Most hotels and Desaf\u00edo Expeditions (  2645-5874; www.monteverdetours.com) can arrange this trip for you. Desaf\u00edo also offers multiday hikes from Monteverde to Arenal; you spend the night in rustic research facilities inside the Bosque Eterno de los Ni\u00f1os.\n\nIf you're heading to Manuel Antonio, take the Santa Elena\/Puntarenas bus and transfer in Puntarenas. To reach Liberia, take any bus down the mountain and get off as soon as you hit the Interamerican Highway. You can then flag down a bus bound for Liberia (almost any bus heading north). The Santa Elena\/Tilar\u00e1n bus leaves daily at 7am. Both Gray Line and Interbus offer routes with connections to most major destinations in Costa Rica.\n\n  Peace, Love & Ecotourism\n\nMonteverde was settled in 1951 by Quakers from the United States who wanted to leave behind the fear of war, as well as their obligation to support continued militarism through paying U.S. taxes. They chose Costa Rica, a country that had abolished its army a few years earlier, in 1948. Although Monteverde's founders came here to farm the land, they wisely recognized the need to preserve the rare cloud forest that covered the mountain slopes above their fields, and to that end, they dedicated the largest adjacent tract of cloud forest as the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.\n\nIf you want an in-depth look into the lives and history of the local Quaker community, try to pick up a copy of the Monteverde Jubilee Family Album. Published in 2001 by the Monteverde Association of Friends, this collection of oral histories and photographs is 260 pages of local lore and memoirs. It's very simply bound and printed but well worth the $20 price.\n\nGetting Around Some six buses daily connect the town of Santa Elena and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The first bus leaves Santa Elena for the reserve at 6:15am and the last bus from the reserve leaves there at 4pm. The fare is around C600. Periodic van transportation also runs between the town of Santa Elena and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Ask around town and you should be able to find the current schedule and book a ride for around $2 per person. A taxi (  2645-6969 or 2645-6666) between Santa Elena and either the Monteverde Reserve or the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve costs around C3,500 for up to four people. Count on paying between C3,000 and C3,500 for the ride from Santa Elena to your lodge in Monteverde. Finally, several places around town rent ATVs, or all-terrain vehicles, for around $50 to $75 per day. Hourly rates and guided tours are also available. If this is up your alley, try Aventura (  2645-6959; www.cienporcientoaventura.com).\n\nOrientation The tiny town of Santa Elena is the gateway to Monteverde and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, which is located 6km (33\u20444 miles) outside of town along a windy road that dead-ends at the reserve entrance. As you approach Santa Elena, take the right fork in the road if you're heading directly to Monteverde. If you continue straight, you'll come into the little town center of tiny Santa Elena, which has a bus stop, a health clinic, a bank, a supermarket and a few general stores, and a collection of simple restaurants, budget hotels, souvenir shops, and tour offices. Heading just out of town, toward Monteverde, is a small strip mall with a large and prominent Megasuper supermarket. Monteverde, on the other hand, is not a village in the traditional sense of the word. There's no center of town\u2014only dirt lanes leading off from the main road to various farms. This main road has signs for all the hotels and restaurants mentioned here, and it dead-ends at the reserve entrance.\n\nFor a map of the Cloud Forest Reserve, see the inside front cover of this book.\n\nFast Facts The telephone number for the local clinic is   2645-5076; for the Red Cross,   2645-6128; and for the local police,   911 or 2645-6248. The Farmacia Monteverde (  2449-5495) is right downtown. A Banco Nacional (  2645-5610) is in downtown Santa Elena, and a Coopemex (  2645-6948) is on the road out to Santa Elena, near Finca Valverde; both have 24-hour ATMs.\n\nTip: Fill up on gas before heading up to Monteverde, as the local gas station has been closed for some years. A large service station is right at the main turnoff for Monteverde from the Interamerican Highway (CR1).\n\nA Self-Guided hike through the Reserve\n\nI know I strongly recommend going on a guided tour, but if you're intent on exploring the reserve on your own, or heading back for more, I suggest starting off on the Sendero El R\u00edo (River Trail) \u2605\u2605. This trail, which heads north from the reserve office, puts you immediately in the midst of dense primary cloud forest, where heavy layers of mosses, bromeliads, and epiphytes cover every branch and trunk. This very first section of trail is a prime location for spotting a Resplendent Quetzal.\n\nAfter 15 or 20 minutes, you'll come to a little marked spur leading down to a catarata, or waterfall. This diminutive fall fills a small, pristine pond and is quite picturesque, but if you fail in your attempts to capture its beauty, look for its image emblazoned on postcards at souvenir stores all around the area. The entire trek to the waterfall should take you an hour or so.\n\nFrom the waterfall, turn around and retrace your steps along the River Trail until you come to a fork and the Sendero Tosi (Tosi Trail). Follow this shortcut, which leads through varied terrain, back to the reserve entrance.\n\nOnce you've got the River Trail and waterfall under your belt, I recommend a slightly more strenuous hike to a lookout atop the Continental Divide. The Sendero Bosque Nuboso (Cloud Forest Trail) \u2605 heads east from the reserve entrance. As its name implies, the trail leads through thick, virgin cloud forest. Keep your eyes open for any number of bird and mammal species, including toucans, trogans, honeycreepers, and howler monkeys. Some great specimens of massive strangler fig trees are on the trail. These trees start as parasitic vines and eventually engulf their host tree. After 1.9km (1.2 miles), you will reach the Continental Divide. Despite the sound of this, there's only a modest elevation gain of some 65m (213 ft.).\n\nA couple of lookout points on the Divide are through clearings in the forest, but the best is La Ventana (The Window) \u2605, just beyond the end of this trail and reached via a short spur trail. Here you'll find a broad, elevated wooden deck with panoramic views. Be forewarned: It's often misty and quite windy up here.\n\nOn the way back, take the 2km (1.2-mile) Sendero Camino (Road Trail). As its name implies, much of this trail was once used as a rough all-terrain road. Since it is wide and open in many places, this trail is particularly good for bird-watching. About halfway along, you'll want to take a brief detour to a suspended bridge \u2605. Some 100m (330-ft.) long, this midforest bridge gives you a bird's-eye view of the forest canopy. The entire loop should take around 3 hours.\n\nExploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nThe Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve (  2645-5122; www.cct.or.cr) is one of the most developed and well-maintained natural attractions in Costa Rica. The trails are clearly marked, regularly traveled, and generally gentle in terms of ascents and descents. The cloud forest here is lush and largely untouched. Still, keep in mind that most of the birds and mammals are rare, elusive, and nocturnal. Moreover, to all but the most trained of eyes, those thousands of exotic ferns, orchids, and bromeliads tend to blend into one large mass of indistinguishable green. However, with a guide hired through your hotel, or on one of the reserve's official guided 2- to 3-hour hikes, you can see and learn far more than you could on your own. At $17 per person, the reserve's tours might seem like a splurge, especially after you pay the entrance fee, but I strongly recommend that you go with a guide.\n\nA hanging bridge in a Monteverde-area cloud forest.\n\nPerhaps the most famous resident of the cloud forests of Costa Rica is the quetzal, a robin-size bird with iridescent green wings and a ruby-red breast, which has become extremely rare due to habitat destruction. The male quetzal also has two long tail feathers that can reach nearly .6m (2 ft.) in length, making it one of the most spectacular birds on earth. The best time to see quetzals is early morning to midmorning, and the best months are February through April (mating season).\n\nOther animals that have been seen in Monteverde, although sightings are extremely rare, include jaguars, ocelots, and tapirs. After the quetzal, Monteverde's most famous resident used to be the golden toad (sapo dorado), a rare native species. However, the golden toad has disappeared from the forest and is feared extinct. Competing theories of the toad's demise include adverse effects of a natural drought cycle, the disappearing ozone layer, pesticides, and acid rain.\n\n  Seeing the Forest for the Trees, Bromeliads, Monkeys, Hummingbirds . . .\n\nBecause the entrance fee to Monteverde is valid for a full day, I recommend taking an early-morning walk with a guide and then heading off on your own either directly after that hike or after lunch. A guide will certainly point out and explain a lot, but there's also much to be said for walking quietly through the forest on your own or in very small groups. This will also allow you to stray from the well-traveled paths in the park.\n\nAdmission, Hours & Tours The reserve is open daily from 7am to 4pm, and the entrance fee is $17 for adults and $9 for students and children. Because only 220 people are allowed into the reserve at any one time, you might be forced to wait. Most hotels can reserve a guided walk and entrance to the reserve for the following day for you, or you can get tickets in advance directly at the reserve entrance.\n\nSome of the trails can be very muddy, depending on the season, so ask about current conditions. Before venturing into the forest, have a look around the information center. Several guidebooks are available, as well as posters and postcards of some of the reserve's more famous animal inhabitants.\n\nNight tours of the reserve leave every evening at 6:15pm. The cost is $17, including admission to the reserve, a 2-hour hike, and, most important, a guide with a high-powered searchlight. For an extra $3, they'll throw in round-trip transportation to and from your area hotel.\n\n  If Not Here, Where?\n\nFor many, the primary goal in visiting Monteverde is to glimpse the rare and elusive quetzal, a bird once revered by the pre-Columbian peoples of the Americas. However, if you just care about seeing a quetzal, you should also consider visiting other cloud forest areas. In particular, San Gerardo de Dota and Cerro de la Muerte areas are home to several specialty lodges (see \"Cerro de la Muerte & San Gerardo de Dota: Where to See Quetzals in the Wild,\" in chapter ), where you'll find far fewer crowds and often better chances of seeing the famed quetzal.\n\nWhat to See & Do outside the Reserve\n\nBird-Watching & Hiking\n\nYou can also find ample bird-watching and hiking opportunities outside the reserve boundaries. Avoid the crowds at Monteverde by heading 5km (3 miles) north from the village of Santa Elena to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5390; www.reservasantaelena.org). This 310-hectare (765-acre) reserve has a maximum elevation of 1,680m (5,510 ft.), making it the highest cloud forest in the Monteverde area. There are 13km (8 miles) of hiking trails, as well as an information center. Because it borders the Monteverde Reserve, a similar richness of flora and fauna is found here, although quetzals are not nearly as common. The $14 entry fee at this reserve goes directly to support local schools. The reserve is open daily from 7am to 5pm. Three-hour guided tours are available for $15 per person, not including the entrance fee. (Call the number above to make a reservation for the tour.)\n\nSanta Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.\n\nSky Walk \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5238; www.skyadventures.travel) is a network of forest paths and suspension bridges that provides visitors with a view previously reserved for birds, monkeys, and the much more adventurous traveler. The bridges reach 39m (128 ft.) above the ground at their highest point, so acrophobia could be an issue. The Sky Walk and its sister attraction, Sky Trek (see \"Canopy & Canyoning Tours,\" below), are about 3.5km (21\u20444 miles) outside the town of Santa Elena, on the road to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. The Sky Walk is open daily from 7am to 4pm; admission is $30, which includes a knowledgeable guide. For $75 per person, you can do the Sky Trek canopy tour and then walk the trails and bridges of the Sky Walk. Reservations are recommended for the Sky Trek; round-trip transportation from Santa Elena is just $5 per person.\n\nTo learn even more about Monteverde, stop in at the Monteverde Conservation League (  2645-5003; www.acmcr.org), which administers the 22,000-hectare (54,000-acre) private reserve Bosque Eterno de Los Ni\u00f1os (Children's Eternal Forest), as well as the Bajo del Tigre Trail. The Conservation League has an information center and small gift shop at the trail head\/entrance to the Bajo del Tigre Trail. In addition to being a good source for information, it also sells books, T-shirts, and cards, and all proceeds go to purchase more land for the Bosque Eterno de Los Ni\u00f1os. The Bajo del Tigre Trail \u2605 is a 3.5km (2.3-mile) trail that's home to several different bird species not usually found within the reserve. You can take several different loops, lasting anywhere from 1 hour to several hours. The trail starts a little past the CASEM artisans' shop (see \"Shopping,\" below) and is open daily from 8am to 4pm. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students. These folks also do a 2-hour night hike that departs at 5:30pm, and costs $20 per adult, and $17 per student. Children under 12 are free.\n\nYou can also go on guided 3-hour hikes at the Reserva Sendero Tranquilo \u2605 (  2645-5010; www.sapodorado.com), run by the folks at the Sapo Dorado and which has 80 hectares (198 acres) of land, two-thirds of which is in virgin forest. This reserve is up the hill from the cheese factory. Both day and night hikes are offered here, and the group size is always small. Prices run $25 for the 3- to 4-hour day tour, and $20 for the 21\u20442-hour night tour.\n\nFinally, you can walk the trails and grounds of the Ecological Sanctuary \u2605 (  2645-5869; www.santuarioecologico.com), a family-run wildlife refuge and private reserve located down the Cerro Plano road. This place has four main trails through a variety of ecosystems, and wildlife viewing is often quite good. A couple of pretty waterfalls are off the trails. It's open daily from 7am to 5:30pm; admission is $10 for self-guided hiking on the trails; $25 during the day for a 2-hour guided tour; and $20 for the 2-hour guided night tour at 5:30pm.\n\nCanopy & Canyoning Tours\n\nSelvatura Park \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5929; www.selvatura.com), located close to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, is the best one-stop shop for various adventures and attractions in the area. In addition to an extensive canopy tour, with 13 cables connecting 15 platforms, they also have a network of trails and suspended bridges, a huge butterfly garden, a hummingbird garden, a snake exhibit, and a wonderful insect display and museum. Prices vary depending upon how much you want to see and do. Individually, the canopy tour costs $45; the walkways and bridges, $25; the snake and reptile exhibit, $12; and the butterfly garden and the insect museum, $12 each. Packages to combine the various exhibits are available, although it's definitely confusing, and somewhat annoying, to pick the perfect package. For $120, you get the run of the entire joint, including the tours, lunch, and round-trip transportation from your Monteverde hotel. It's open daily from 7am to 4:30pm.\n\nA green iguana.\n\nAnother popular option is offered by the folks at Sky Trek \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5238; www.skyadventures.travel), which is part of a large complex of aerial adventures and hiking trails. This is one of the more extensive canopy tours in the country, and begins with a cable car ride (or Sky Tram) up into the cloud forest, where their zip-line canopy tour commences. This tour features 10 zip-line cables. The longest of these is some 770m (2,525 ft.) long, high above the forest floor. There are no rappel descents here, and you brake using the pulley system for friction. This tour costs $60.\n\nOne of the oldest canopy tours in the country is run by the Original Canopy Tour \u2605 (  2645-5243; www.canopytour.com). This is one of the more interesting canopy tours in Costa Rica because the initial ascent is made by climbing up the hollowed-out interior of a giant strangler fig. The tour has 13 platforms and one rappel. The 2- to 21\u20442-hour tours run four times daily and cost $45 for adults, $35 for students, and $25 for children 11 and under.\n\nFinally, if you want to add a bit more excitement, and definitely more water, to your adventure, you can try the Finca Modelo Canyoning Tour (  2645-5581; www.familiabrenestours.com). This tour involves a mix of hiking and then rappelling down the face of a series of forest waterfalls. The tallest of these waterfalls is around 39m (130 ft.). You will get wet on this tour. The cost is $50.\n\nThe Monteverde area has a glut of canopy tours, and I can only recommend those mentioned above. Anybody in average physical condition can do any of the adventure tours in Monteverde, but they're not for the fainthearted or acrophobic. Try to book directly with the companies listed above or through your hotel. Beware of touts on the streets of Monteverde, who make a small commission and frequently try to steer tourists to the operator paying the highest percentage.\n\nHorseback Riding\n\nMonteverde has excellent terrain for horseback riding. La Estrella Stables (  2645-5075) and Sabine's Smiling Horses (  2645-6894; www.smilinghorses.com) are the most established operators, offering guided rides for around $15 to $20 per hour. Horseback\/boat trips link Monteverde\/Santa Elena with La Fortuna.\n\nAnother option is to set up a day tour and sauna at El Sol \u2605 (  2645-5838; www.elsolnuestro.com). Located about a 10-minute car ride down the mountain from Santa Elena, these folks take you on a roughly 3-hour ride either to San Luis or to an isolated little waterfall with an excellent swimming hole. After the ride back, you'll find the wood-burning traditional Swedish sauna all fired up, with a refreshing and beautiful little pool beside it. The half-day tour costs $60 per person, including lunch. El Sol also has two rustically luxurious private cabins ($95\u2013$125 double), with excellent views.\n\nOther Attractions in Monteverde\n\nIt seems as if Monteverde has an exhibit or attraction dedicated to almost every type of tropical fauna. It's a pet peeve of mine, but I really wish these folks would band together and offer some sort of general pass. However, as it stands, you'll have to shell out for each individual attraction.\n\nButterflies abound here, and the Butterfly Garden \u2605 (  2645-5512; www.monteverdebutterflygarden.com), located near the Pensi\u00f3n Monteverde Inn, displays many of Costa Rica's most beautiful species. Besides the hundreds of preserved and mounted butterflies, there is a garden and a greenhouse where you can watch live butterflies. With over 20 years in business, the garden is open daily from 8:30am to 4pm, and admission is $12 for adults and $9 for students and $4 for children, including a guided tour. The best time to visit is between 9:30am and 1pm, when the butterflies are most active.\n\nIf your taste runs toward the slithery, you can check out the informative displays at the Monteverde Serpentarium \u2605 (  2645-5238; www.snaketour.com), on the road to the reserve. It's open daily from 8am to 8pm and charges $11 for admission. The Frog Pond of Monteverde \u2605 (  2645-6320; www.frogpondmonteverde.com), a couple of hundred meters north of the Monteverde Lodge, is probably a better bet. The $12 entrance gets you a 45-minute guided tour, and your ticket is good for 2 days. A variety of amphibians populates a series of glass terrariums. In addition, these folks have a butterfly garden. It's open daily from 9am to 8:30pm. I especially recommend that you stop by at least once after dark, when the tree frogs are active.\n\nFans of invertebrates will want to head to World of Insects (  2645-6859), which features more than 30 terrariums filled with some of the area's more interesting creepy-crawlies. My favorites are the giant horned beetles. This place is 300m (984 ft.) west of the supermarket in Santa Elena. It's open daily from 9am to 7pm; admission is $10.\n\nThe Bat Jungle \u2605\u2605 (  2645-6566 or 2645-7701; www.batjungle.com) provides an in-depth look into the life and habits of these odd flying mammals. A visit here includes several different types of exhibits, from skeletal remains to a large enclosure where you get to see various live species in action\u2014the enclosure and room are kept dark, and the bats have had their biological clocks tricked into thinking that it's night. It's quite an interesting experience. The Bat Jungle is open daily from 9am to 7:30pm, but keep in mind the last tour starts at 6:45pm. Admission is $11 for adults and $9 for students. In addition, there's a good gift shop and separate coffee shop, where they make homemade chocolate.\n\nIf you've had your fill of birds, snakes, bugs, butterflies, and bats, you might want to stop at the Orchid Garden \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5308; www.monteverdeorchidgarden.com), in Santa Elena across from the Pension El Tucano. This botanical garden boasts more than 450 species of orchids. The tour is fascinating, especially the fact that you need (and are given) a magnifying glass to see some of the flowers in bloom. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students. It's open daily from 8am to 5pm.\n\nAn orchid at the Orchid Garden.\n\nSeveral options are available for those looking for a glimpse into the practices and processes of daily life in this region. My favorite is El Trapiche Tour \u2605 (  2645-7780 or 2645-7650; www.eltrapichetour.com), which gives you a peek at the traditional means of harvesting and processing coffee and sugar cane. The 2-hour tour also includes a ride in an ox-drawn cart, and a visit to their coffee farms. Depending upon the season, you may even get to pick a bushel of raw coffee beans. Back at the farmhouse you get to see how the raw materials are turned into cane liquor, raw sugar, and roasted coffee. The tour costs $30 for adults, and $13 for children 6 through 12.\n\nIf your primary interest is java, you can take a tour of several different local coffee farms. The Monteverde Coffee Tour (  2645-5901; www.monteverde-coffee.com) is run by the folks at the Cooperativa Santa Elena, a local Fair Trade coffee producer, with a shop right next to CASEM. They offer a 3-hour tour to a working coffee farm and mill for $30. Don Juan Coffee Tour \u2605 (  2645-7100; www.donjuancoffeetour.com) is a local, family farm operation, which offers a similar 2-hour tour for $25.\n\nSampling sugar cane on El Trapiche Tour.\n\nBecause the vegetation in the cloud forest is so dense, most of the forest's animal residents are rather difficult to spot. If you were dissatisfied with your sightings, you might want to consider attending a slide show of photographs taken in the reserve. Various daily slide shows are offered around Monteverde. The longest running of these takes place at the Monteverde Lodge, Hotel El Sapo Dorado, Hotel Belmar (see \"Where to Stay,\" below), and Hummingbird Gallery. Dates, showtimes, and admissions vary, so inquire at your hotel or one of the places mentioned above.\n\nAlmost all of the area hotels can arrange a wide variety of other tours and activities, including guided night tours of the cloud forest and night trips to the Arenal Volcano (a tedious 4-hr. ride, each way).\n\nLearn the Language\n\nThe Centro Panamericano de Idiomas \u2605 (  2645-5441; www.cpi-edu.com) offers immersion language classes in a wonderful setting. A 1-week program with 4 hours of class per day and a homestay with a Costa Rican family costs $480. They offer language seminars on topics such as social work, medicine, and security. Be sure to check their website for the dates the seminars are taking place.\n\nLoose & Limber\n\nIf you're interested in a massage treatment or yoga class, head to R\u00edo Shanti (  2645-6121; www.rioshanti.com). This delightful spot offers regular, open yoga classes, private lessons, and various massage treatments. Their little boutique and shop sells handmade jewelry, clothing, and a range of oils, scents, and lotions, most made with organic local ingredients.\n\nShopping\n\nThe best-stocked gift shop in Monteverde is the Hummingbird Gallery \u2605 (  2645-5030), just outside the reserve entrance. Several hummingbird feeders here attract more than seven species of these tiny birds. At any given moment, several dozen hummingbirds might be buzzing and chattering around the building and your head. Inside you will find many beautiful color prints of hummingbirds and other local flora and fauna, as well as a wide range of craft items, T-shirts, and other gifts. The Hummingbird Gallery is open daily from 8am to 5pm.\n\nBirds at the Hummingbird Gallery.\n\nAnother good option is CASEM \u2605 (  2645-5190), on the right side of the main road, just across from Stella's Bakery. This crafts cooperative sells embroidered clothing, T-shirts, posters, and postcards with photos of the local flora and fauna, Boruca weavings, locally grown and roasted coffee, and many other items to remind you of your visit to Monteverde. CASEM is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 5pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm (closed Sun May\u2013Oct). A well-stocked gift shop is at the entrance to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. You'll find plenty of T-shirts, postcards, and assorted crafts here, as well as a selection of science and natural-history books.\n\nOver the years, Monteverde has developed a nice little community of artists. Around town you'll see paintings by local artists such as Paul Smith and Meg Wallace, whose works are displayed at the Fonda Vela Hotel and Stella's Bakery, respectively. You should also check out Casa de Arte \u2605\u2605 (  2645-5275), which has a mix of arts and crafts in many media.\n\nFinally, it's also worth stopping by the Monteverde Cheese Factory (  2645-5150; www.monteverde.net) to pick up some of the best cheese in Costa Rica. (You can even watch it being processed and get homemade ice cream.) The cheese factory is right on the main road about midway between Santa Elena and the reserve. They offer 1-hour tours at 9am and 2pm, at a cost of $10.\n\nShopping in Monteverde.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nWhen choosing a place to stay in Monteverde, be sure to check whether the rates include a meal plan. In the past almost all the lodges included three meals a day in their prices, but this practice is waning. Check before you assume anything.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nEl Establo Mountain Hotel From a working stable (El Establo translates as \"the stable\") owned by a local Quaker family, with just a handful of budget rooms, this place has morphed into the largest hotel in Monteverde. However, the design and scale are somewhat out of place with the vibe and aesthetic of Monteverde, and the service and food consistently fall short. The rooms are all very large and have balconies or patios taking in spectacular views. The honeymoon suites have fabulous views and a private Jacuzzi, but the 400-block of rooms are my favorites. There's one midsize outdoor swimming pool and another slightly smaller pool built under a high open-air roof. El Establo owns 48 hectares (119 acres) of land backing the hotel, and half of that is primary forest. They also have an on-site canopy tour and spa.\n\nMonteverde. www.hotelelestablo.com.   2645-5110. Fax 2645-5041. 155 units. $210 double; $295 suite. Rates include breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; 2 outdoor pools; all rooms smoke-free; small spa. In room: TV, hair dryer, minifridge.\n\nExpensive\n\nHidden Canopy Treehouses \u2605\u2605   The individual villas here are the most unique accommodations in the area. All are built at treetop level on stilts, making them feel at one with the surrounding forest. All also feature tons of varnished hardwood, custom furniture, and a sculpted waterfall shower. Most have a four-poster handmade bed, and some sort of canopy-level balcony or outdoor deck area. My favorite is \"Eden,\" a two-level unit, with a sitting area and large deck upstairs, and bedroom, fireplace, and glassed-in 2-person Jacuzzi surrounded by forest below. Breakfast and sunset tea are served in the main lodge, which has spectacular views\u2014especially at sunset\u2014of the Nicoya gulf. This is also where you'll find two more economical room options.\n\nOn the road to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. www.hiddencanopy.com.   2645-5447. Fax 2645-9952. 6 units. $165 double; $245\u2013$295 double treehouse. Rates include breakfast, afternoon tea, and taxes. Extra person $25. No children 9 or under. MC, V. Amenities: Lounge; Wi-Fi. In room: Hair dryer, minibar.\n\nHotel El Sapo Dorado On a steep hill between Santa Elena and the reserve, El Sapo Dorado (named for Monteverde's famous golden toad) offers individual and duplex cabins. The cabins, which are relatively spartan, still feel romantic and intimate. They are built of hardwoods both inside and out and are surrounded by a grassy lawn and gardens, and backed by forest. Big windows let in lots of light, and high ceilings keep the rooms cool during the day. Some of the cabins have fireplaces, a welcome feature on chilly nights and during the rainy season. My favorite rooms are the sunset suites, which have private terraces with views to the Gulf of Nicoya and wonderful sunsets. Not only does El Sapo Dorado own and manage the Reserva Sendero Tranquilo, but it also has a network of well-maintained trails into primary forest on-site.\n\nJust outside of Santa Elena, on the road to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. www.sapodorado.com.   800\/407-3903 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2645-5010 in Costa Rica. Fax 2645-5181. 30 units. $138 double. Rates include continental breakfast and taxes. Lower rates in the off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Fonda Vela \u2605\u2605 Although it's one of the older hotels here, Fonda Vela remains one of my top choices in Monteverde. Moreover, this is one of the closer lodges to the Cloud Forest Reserve, a relatively easy 15-minute walk away. Guest rooms are in a series of separate buildings scattered among the forests and pastures of this former farm, and most have views of the Nicoya Gulf. The junior suites all come with cable television. The newer block of junior suites, some of which have excellent views, are the best rooms in the house, and I prefer them to the older and larger junior suites. The dining room has great sunset views, and sometimes features live music. Throughout the hotel, you'll see paintings by co-owner Paul Smith, who also handcrafts violins and cellos and is a musician himself.\n\nOn the road to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. www.fondavela.com.   2645-5125. Fax 2645-5119. 40 units. $124 double; $146 junior suite. Extra person $10. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nHotel Heliconia The Heliconia's main lodge building is a three-story affair, located high on a hill behind the rest of the hotel's several buildings. Here you'll find most of the suites and junior suites, which are immense rooms featuring varnished wood walls, carpeted floors, two king-size beds, and huge private balconies. All of the rooms on the second and third floors get great sunset views. Rooms in the older buildings down by the road are done in floor-to-ceiling hardwoods that give them the rustic feel of a classic mountain resort. Some of these have large picture windows facing dense forest. All around are paths that lead through attractive gardens and to a hot tub in a bamboo grove; additional trails lead from the hotel up to and through a 240-hectare (593-acre) private reserve of virgin forest with scenic views of the Nicoya Gulf.\n\nMonteverde (A.P. 10921\u20131000, San Jos\u00e9). www.hotelheliconia.com.   2645-5109. Fax 2645-5570. 50 units. $129 double; $147 suite. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, El Sol \u2605 (www.elsolnuestro.com;   2645-5838), about 10 minutes south of Santa Elena, is on the road to the Interamerican Highway. Also check out Hotel Belmar (www.hotelbelmar.net;   2645-5201), a Swiss chalet\u2013style hotel with moderate rates.\n\nArco Iris Lodge \u2605\u2605   This is my favorite hotel in the town of Santa Elena and an excellent value to boot. The rooms are spread out in a variety of separate buildings, including several individual cabins. All have wood or tile floors and plenty of wood accents. My favorite is the \"honeymoon cabin,\" which has a Jacuzzi tub and its own private balcony with a forest view and good bird-watching, although nos. 16 and 17 are also good choices, with their own small private balconies. The management here is helpful, speaks five languages, and can arrange a wide variety of tours. Although they don't serve lunch or dinner, breakfast is offered in a spacious and airy dining and lounge building, where refreshments are available throughout the day and evening.\n\nSanta Elena. www.arcoirislodge.com.   2645-5067. Fax 2645-5022. 21 units. $85\u2013$110 double; $195 honeymoon cabin. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Lounge. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nFinca Valverde \u2605 This place is right on the outskirts of Santa Elena, yet once you head uphill to the rooms, you'll feel far from the hustle and bustle of the tiny burg. The standard rooms are set behind the main lodge and restaurant and are reached via a small suspension bridge over a small forest creek. Most have one queen-size and two twin beds. All share a broad common veranda. The superior rooms are larger, more private, and feature televisions, small refrigerators, and coffeemakers. The grounds are lush and well-tended.\n\nSanta Elena. www.monteverde.co.cr.   2645-5157. Fax 2645-5216. 40 units. $90\u2013$136 double. Rates include taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Poco a Poco \u2605   Located just outside of Santa Elena, this hotel provides many of the perks and comforts of a luxury hotel, at good prices. Some rooms are on the small side, but the beds are firm, and everything is kept neat and contemporary. The best rooms are higher up, away from the road, and have a small private balcony. All rooms come with DVD players, and the hotel maintains a movie-lending library of over 4,000 titles. A heated pool and Jacuzzi are on-site, and the restaurant is excellent. The children's pool and easy access to several nearby attractions make this a good choice for families. This hotel was granted \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nSanta Elena. www.hotelpocoapoco.com.   2645-6000. Fax 2645-6264. 32 units. $113 double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool; spa. In room: TV\/DVD, movie library, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\nMonteverde Lodge & Gardens \u2605\u2605   This was one of the first ecolodges in Monteverde, and it remains one of the best. Rooms are large and cozy. Most feature angled walls of glass with chairs and a table placed so that avid bird-watchers can do a bit of birding without leaving their rooms. The gardens and secondary forest surrounding the lodge have some gentle groomed trails and are home to quite a few species of birds. Perhaps the lodge's most popular attraction is the large hot tub in a big atrium garden. The dining room offers great views, excellent food, and attentive service. The adjacent bar is a popular gathering spot, and there are regular evening slide shows focusing on the cloud forest. Scheduled bus service to and from San Jos\u00e9 is available, as is a shuttle to the reserve, horseback riding, and a variety of optional tours.\n\nSanta Elena. www.monteverdelodge.com.   2257-0766 reservations office in San Jos\u00e9, or 2645-5057 at the lodge. Fax 2257-1665. 28 units. $98\u2013$197 double. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak periods. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, quite a few pensions and backpacker specials are in Santa Elena and spread along the road to the reserve. The best is the Pensi\u00f3n Santa Elena (www.pensionsantaelena.com;   2645-5051).\n\nFinally, it's possible to stay in a room right at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve (www.cct.or.cr;   2645-5122). A bunk bed, shared bathroom, and three meals per day here run $53 per person. For an extra $11 you can get a room with a private bathroom. Admission to the reserve is included in the price.\n\nLa Colina Lodge One of the older lodges in Monteverde, the former Flor Mar Pension remains a steady and solid budget choice. The rooms are housed in two separate buildings. Most rooms have one double and one single bed, although a couple still have bunk beds. The restaurant area is warm and cozy, with a big fireplace, and a separate common lounge area has satellite television. Service is friendly and attentive, and they even allow camping here, with access to the shared bathrooms. The lodge is pretty close to the reserve, which is a plus for budget travelers without a car.\n\nA.P. 60\u20135655, Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Monteverde. www.lacolinalodge.com.   2645-5009. Fax 2645-5580. 11 units, 7 with private bathroom. $15 per person with shared bathroom; $35 double with private bathroom; $5 per person camping. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bakery; lounge. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nMost lodges in Monteverde have their own dining rooms, and these are the most convenient places to eat, especially if you don't have a car. Because most visitors want to get an early start, they usually grab a quick breakfast at their hotel. It's also common for people to have their lodge pack them a bag lunch to take with them to the reserve, although a decent little soda is now at the reserve entrance, and another coffee shop next to the Hummingbird Gallery, just before the reserve entrance.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, you can get good pizzas and pastas at Tramonti (  2645-6120; www.tramonticr.com), along the road to the reserve, and passable sushi and Japanese fare at Musashi (  2645-7160) in downtown Santa Elena. Also, the restaurant at the Hotel Poco a Poco (  2645-6000) gets good marks for its wide range of international dishes.\n\nA popular choice for lunch is Stella's Bakery (  2645-5560), across from the CASEM gift shop. The restaurant is bright and inviting, with lots of varnished woodwork, as well as a few outdoor tables. The selection changes regularly but might include vegetarian quiche, eggplant parmigiana, and different salads. Stella's also features a daily supply of decadent baked goods.\n\nExpensive\n\nSofia \u2605\u2605\u2605 COSTA RICAN\/FUSION This restaurant serves top-notch eclectic cuisine in a beautiful setting. Start everything off with a mango-ginger mojito and then try one of their colorful and abundant salads. Main courses range from seafood chimichangas to chicken breast served in a guava reduction. The tenderloin comes with a chipotle butter sauce, or in a roasted red-pepper and cashew sauce, either way served over a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. Everything is very well prepared and reasonably priced. Of the two good-size dining rooms here, the best seats are close to the large arched picture windows overlooking the forest and gardens.\n\nCerro Plano, just past the turnoff to the Butterfly Farm, on your left.   2645-7017. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses $14\u2013$17. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nModerate\n\nCaf\u00e9 Cabur\u00e9 \u2605\u2605 DESSERT\/ARGENTINE Specializing in homemade artisanal truffles and other organic chocolate creations, this cozy spot is a good call for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a sinfully sweet coffee break. Although they advertise themselves as an Argentine restaurant, I find that description lacking. The menu includes excellent curries and chicken mole, as well as an Argentine\u2013style breaded steak, and fresh baked empanadas. A large, simple space, this place is located on the second floor of the Bat Jungle. Be sure to save room for some chocolates for dessert, or their chocolate-walnut souffl\u00e9.\n\nOn the road btw. Santa Elena and the reserve, at the Bat Jungle.   2645-5020. www.cabure.net. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses C6,000\u2013C7,500. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 9am\u20138pm.\n\nChimera \u2605\u2605 FUSION\/TAPAS The small menu at this creative, yet casual tapas restaurant has a broad scope, with influences ranging from Asia to Latin America to the Old World. Standout dishes include slow-cooked pork with white beans and caramelized onions and coconut shrimp \"lollipops\" with a mango-ginger dipping sauce. And for dessert, don't pass up the chocolate mousse with sangria syrup. A variety of creative and contemporary cocktails, as well as good wines, are also offered.\n\nCerro Plano, on the road btw. Santa Elena and the reserve, on your right.   2645-6081. Reservations recommended during high season. Tapas $2.50\u2013$12. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nTrio \u2605\u2605 FUSION Karen Nielsen, the force behind Sofia and Chimera, has brought her restaurant magic to downtown Santa Elena. A great spot for lunch or dinner, this place serves up a healthy and varied menu. I recommend the hamburger, which has sundried tomatoes mixed into the meat, and is served with figs, arugula, and caramelized onions on a home-baked bun. The fish tacos feature local sea bass with a green plantain coating and chipotle sauce. For a more substantial option, try the beef tenderloin with a Manchego cheese and Dijon mustard sauce.\n\nDowntown Santa Elena, below the supermarket.   2645-7254. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses $9.25\u2013$17; sandwiches $6.75\u2013$8.75. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am\u20139:30pm.\n\nInexpensive\n\nMorpho's Caf\u00e9   COSTA RICAN\/INTERNATIONAL Probably the best and definitely the most popular restaurant in the town of Santa Elena, this simple second-floor affair serves up hearty and economical meals. Soups, sandwiches, and casados (plates of the day) are available for lunch and dinner, and delicious fresh-fruit juices, ice-cream shakes, and home-baked desserts are ready throughout the day. The tables and chairs are made from rough-hewn lumber and whole branches and trunks, and the place brims with a light convivial atmosphere. Morpho's is a very popular hangout for backpackers.\n\nIn downtown Santa Elena, next to the Orchid Garden.   2645-5607. Main courses C2,400\u2013C10,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u20139pm.\n\nMonteverde After Dark\n\nThe most popular after-dark activities in Monteverde are night hikes in one of the reserves and a natural-history slide show (see \"Other Attractions in Monteverde,\" earlier in this chapter). However, if you want a taste of the local party scene, head to Mata 'e Ca\u00f1a \u2605 (  2645-6272), located up a steep driveway from Stella's Bakery, sometimes features live music, theater, or open-mic jam sessions. These folks also run the neighboring Monteverde Amphitheater, a beautiful open-air performance space, which is the site of regular performances by acts visiting from San Jos\u00e9 and beyond.\n\n  Take a Break\n\nIf all the activities in Monteverde have worn you out, stop in at Chunches (  2645-5147), a bookstore with a small coffee shop and espresso bar that also doubles as a laundromat.\n\nPuerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed \u2605\n\n82km (51 miles) N of San Jos\u00e9; 102km (63 miles) E of La Fortuna\n\nThe Sarapiqu\u00ed region, named for the principal river that runs through this area, lies at the foot of the Cordillera Central mountain range. To the west is the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and to the east are Tortuguero National Park \u2605. In between these protected areas lay thousands of acres of banana, pineapple, and palm plantations. Here you see the great contradiction of Costa Rica: On the one hand, the country is known for its national parks, which preserve some of the largest tracts of rainforest left in Central America; on the other hand, nearly every acre of land outside of these parks, save a few private reserves, has been clear-cut and converted into plantations\u2014and the cutting continues.\n\nWithin the remaining rainforest are several lodges that attract naturalists (both amateur and professional). Two of these lodges, La Selva and Rara Avis, are famous for the research that's conducted on their surrounding reserves. Bird-watching and rainforest hikes are the primary attractions, but more adventure-oriented travelers will find plenty of activities available here, including canopy tours and boating and rafting trips along the Sarapiqu\u00ed River.\n\nA pineapple plantation.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: The Gu\u00e1piles Highway (CR32), which leads to the Caribbean coast, heads north out of downtown San Jos\u00e9 on Calle 3. Turn north before reaching Gu\u00e1piles on the road to R\u00edo Fr\u00edo (CR4), and continue north through Las Horquetas, passing the turnoffs for Rara Avis, La Selva, and El Gavil\u00e1n lodges before reaching Puerto Viejo.\n\nA more scenic route goes through Heredia, Barva, Varablanca, and San Miguel before reaching Puerto Viejo. This route passes very close to the Po\u00e1s Volcano and directly in front of La Paz waterfall. If you want to take this route, head west out of San Jos\u00e9, then turn north to Heredia and follow the signs for Varablanca and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Note: A major March 2009 earthquake shut down this route, which is expected to reopen in late 2011.\n\nTip: If you plan to stop on the way to see La Paz Waterfall Gardens or ride the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, budget at least 2 hours to visit either attraction.\n\nBy Bus: Empresarios Guapile\u00f1os buses (  2222-0610 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2710-7780 in Puerto Viejo) leave San Jos\u00e9 roughly every hour between 6:30am and 6pm from the Gran Terminal del Caribe, on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11. The trip takes around 2 hours; the fare is C1,710. Buses for San Jos\u00e9 leave Puerto Viejo roughly every hour between 5:30am and 5:30pm.\n\n  Getting Loopy\n\nIf you connect the two routes mentioned above, you get what is sometimes referred to as \"The Sarapiqu\u00ed Loop.\" This loop is a pretty drive, punctuated with attractions and tour opportunities, and it also connects quite nicely with an alternative route to La Fortuna and the Arenal volcano area.\n\nOrientation Puerto Viejo is a very small town, with a soccer field at its center. If you continue past the soccer field on the main road and stay on the paved road, and then turn right at the Banco Nacional, you'll come to the R\u00edo Sarapiqu\u00ed and the dock, where you can look into arranging a boat trip.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nBoat Trips For the adventurous, Puerto Viejo is a jumping-off point for trips down the R\u00edo Sarapiqu\u00ed to Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge and Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast. A boat for up to 10 people will cost you around $400 to $500 to Barra del Colorado or $500 to $600 to Tortuguero. If you're interested in this trip, it's worth checking at your hotel or with Oasis Nature Tours (  2766-6108; www.oasisnaturetours.com). Alternatively, you can head down to the town dock on the bank of the Sarapiqu\u00ed and see if you can arrange a less expensive boat trip on your own by tagging along with another group or, better yet, with a bunch of locals.\n\nIn addition to the longer trips, you can take shorter trips on the river for between $10 and $20 per person per hour. A trip down the Sarapiqu\u00ed, even if it's for only an hour or two, provides opportunities to spot crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, sloths, and dozens of bird species.\n\nCanopy Tour & More Hacienda Pozo Azul \u2605 (  877\/810-6903 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2761-1360 in Costa Rica; www.pozoazul.com) is a working cattle farm and one-stop shop for a wide range of adventure activities. These folks have an extensive zip-line canopy tour operation, with 12 platforms connected by 9 different cable runs, in addition to offering white-water rafting, horseback riding, and guided hikes. They even run a tent-camp and separate rustic lodge in deep rainforest sites here. Several differently priced combo packages are offered, and the property is open daily from 8am to 6pm.\n\nHiking & Guided Tours Anyone can take advantage of the 56km (35 miles) of well-maintained trails at La Selva \u2605\u2605. If you're not staying there, however, you'll have to take a guided hike, led by experienced and well-informed naturalists. Half- and full-day hikes ($30 and $38, respectively) are offered daily, but you must reserve in advance (  2524-0607; www.threepaths.co.cr). The half-day tours leave at 8am and 1:30pm daily.\n\nMy favorite hike starts off with the Cantarrana (\"singing frog\") trail, which includes a section of low bridges over a rainforest swamp. From here, you can join up with either the near or far circular loop trails\u2014CCC and CCL. Another good hiking option is the trails and suspended bridges at the Centro Neotr\u00f3pico Sarapiqu\u00edS.\n\nFor a more orderly introduction to the local flora, head to a botanical garden, like the Chester Field Biological Gardens, or the nearby Heliconia Island (  2764-5220; www.heliconiaisland.com), an interesting garden with over 70 varieties of heliconia, on a small island. This place is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Admission is $10 for a self-guided walk, or $15 for a guided tour.\n\nA Natural-History Theme Park The Sarapiqu\u00edS Rainforest Lodge is a multifaceted natural-history project and tourist attraction. The Alma Ata Archaeological Park is basically an ongoing dig of a modest pre-Columbian gravesite; so far, 12 graves, some petroglyphs, and numerous pieces of ceramic and jewelry have been unearthed. Plans for the park include the reconstruction of a small indigenous village. The hotel also has a small museum that displays examples of the ceramics, tools, clothing, and carvings found here, as well as other natural-history exhibits. Just across the hotel's driveway, you'll find the Chester Field Biological Gardens, which feature well-tended displays of local medicinal and ornamental plants and herbs, as well as food crops. Admission to the archaeological park, museum, and gardens costs $30. If you just want to visit the museum, the cost is $15; it's open daily from 6am to 5pm. A self-guided walk through the botanical gardens is free.\n\nAcross the river from the Sarapiqu\u00edS Rainforest Lodge is the 300-hectare (741-acre) private Tirimbina Rainforest Center \u2605 (  2761-1579; www.tirimbina.org), with a small network of trails and several impressive suspension bridges, both over the river and through the forest canopy. A self-guided walk of the bridges and trails of the reserve costs $15 per person, and a 2-hour guided tour costs $22 per person\u2014definitely worth the extra few bucks. The center is open daily from 7am to 5pm, and from 7:30 to 9:30pm for night tours; specialized bird-watching tours are also available.\n\nA red-eyed tree frog.\n\nRafting & Kayaking If you want a fast, wild ride on the river, check in with Aguas Bravas (  2292-2072; www.aguas-bravas.co.cr) or Aventuras del Sarapiqu\u00ed \u2605 (  2766-6768; www.sarapiqui.com). Both companies run trips on a variety of sections of the Sarapiqu\u00ed and Puerto Viejo rivers, ranging from Class I to Class IV. Trips cost between $50 and $80 per person. Aventuras del Sarapiqu\u00ed also runs mountain-biking and horseback-riding tours in the area. They rent kayaks, give kayaking classes, and offer kayak trips for more experienced and\/or daring river rats, and offer inner-tube floats for those with lesser skill sets still looking to get wet.\n\nSnakes Under Glass Just a few blocks west of the Centro Neotr\u00f3pico Sarapiqu\u00edS, you'll find Jardin de Serpientes (Snake Garden;   2761-1059), a collection of over 50 snakes, both venomous and nonvenomous, and other reptiles and amphibians. One of the prize attractions here, although not native, is a massive, yellow Burmese python. All are kept in clean, well-lit displays. Admission is $8 adults, $6 children and it's open daily from 9am to 5pm.\n\nAn eyelash viper.\n\nOne Major Attraction En Route If you're driving to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed via the Gu\u00e1piles Highway, you might want to stop at the Rain Forest Aerial Tram \u2605. You'll see the entrance on your right shortly after passing through the Zurqu\u00ed tunnel. For more information, see \"Side Trips from San Jos\u00e9,\" in chapter .\n\nA Rain Forest Aerial Tram hike.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nAll the lodges listed below arrange excursions throughout the region, including boat trips on the Sarapiqu\u00ed, guided hikes in the rainforest, and horseback or mountain-bike rides. Also note that rates for the lodges in the \"Expensive\" category include all meals, taxes, and usually a tour or two, greatly reducing their real cost. In addition to the hotels listed below, Peace Lodge, located at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, is almost close enough to be considered lodging in this region.\n\nExpensive\n\nLa Selva Biological Station \u2605 This place caters primarily to students and researchers but also accepts visitors seeking a rustic rainforest adventure. The atmosphere is definitely that of a scientific research center. La Selva, operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), covers 1,614 hectares (3,656 acres). The contiguous Braulio Carrillo National Park, has miles of well-maintained hiking trails to explore. Rooms are basic but large, and the high ceilings help keep them cool. Most have bunk beds and shared bathrooms, although eight have private bathrooms and twin beds, and the two-room family units have a mix of twin and queen-size beds. There's no price difference, so be specific when reserving a room. Rates are pretty high for what you get, but you can take some solace in the fact that you're helping to support valuable and valiant research and conservation efforts.\n\nPuerto Viejo. www.threepaths.co.cr.   2524-0607 reservations office in San Jos\u00e9, or 2766-6565 at the lodge. Fax 2524-0608. 24 units, 16 with shared bathroom. $84 per person double occupancy. Rates include all meals, half-day tour, and taxes. Rates lower for researchers and student groups. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n\nSelva Verde Lodge \u2605   This is one of the pioneering ecotourist ventures in Costa Rica. The main lodge is a series of buildings connected by covered walkways that keep you dry even though this area receives more than 381cm (150 in.) of rain each year. The bungalows are across the road and 500m (1,640 ft.) into the forest; they're not as close to the main compound as the lodge rooms, but they offer more privacy, as well as air-conditioning and a private screened veranda. Meals are served buffet-style in a beautiful large dining room that overlooks the river. Across the river is a large rainforest preserve. The grounds have trails, a wonderful suspension bridge with a separate zip-line adventure across the river to more trails, and modest butterfly and botanical gardens. Swimming options include a pretty free-form pool and separate children's pool, as well as a natural swimming hole right on the river.\n\nChilamate, Sarapiqu\u00ed. www.selvaverde.com.   800\/451-7111 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2766-6800. Fax 2766-6011. 53 units, 5 bungalows. $185\u2013$211 double. Rates include 3 meals daily and taxes. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; outdoor pool; smoke-free rooms. In room: Hair dryer.\n\nSue\u00f1o Azul Resort \u2605\u2605   This lodge and wellness retreat offers the best accommodations in the area. Set at the juncture of two rivers and backed by forested mountains, the setting's pretty sweet, as well. All rooms are spacious, with high ceilings, large bathrooms, and a private porch overlooking either one of the rivers or a small lake. Junior suites come with a private outdoor Jacuzzi. Meals are served in an open-air dining room set to take in the view, and a pool, Jacuzzi, and bar are down by the river's edge. The best place to cool off is in the massive outdoor pool, fed and filled by river water, although there's a traditional freshwater pool, and you can simply swim in the river at various spots. A wide range of spa treatments, tours, and activities is offered, including rainforest hikes, horseback riding, mountain biking, and fly-fishing.\n\nLas Horquetas de Sarapiqu\u00ed. www.suenoazulresort.com.   2253-2020 reservation number in San Jos\u00e9, 2764-1000 at the lodge. Fax 2764-1048. 64 units. $122 double; $174 suite. Rates include taxes. Add $20 for A\/C. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor pools; room service. In room: A\/C, TV (in some), hair dryer, minibar.\n\nModerate\n\nAlthough I highly recommend you choose one of the more atmospheric nature lodges listed in this section, if you absolutely must (or for some reason prefer to) stay in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed proper, Hotel El Bamb\u00fa (www.elbambu.com;   2766-6005) is a clean, comfortable, and almost modern option.\n\nIn addition to the places outside town that are reviewed below, the Tirimbina Rainforest Center \u2605 (www.tirimbina.org;   2761-1579) also has rooms.\n\nLa Quinta de Sarapiqu\u00ed Country Inn This small, family-run lodge makes a good base for exploring the Sarapiqu\u00ed region. On the banks of the Sardinal River about 15 minutes west of Puerto Viejo, La Quinta caters primarily to nature lovers and bird-watchers. The rooms are in a half-dozen buildings dispersed among richly flowering gardens and connected by covered walkways. They're simple but clean, with good lighting and comfortable bathrooms. Each room has a small patio with a sitting chair or two for gazing out into the garden. The superior rooms have air-conditioning. A small gift shop, a butterfly garden, a frog garden, an extensive insect display, and a vegetable garden and reforestation project are also on hand. Meals are either buffet- or family-style in the main lodge.\n\nChilamate, Sarapiqu\u00ed. www.laquintasarapiqui.com.   2761-1300. Fax 2761-1395. 35 units. $110 double; $125 suite. Children 11 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool.\n\nRara Avis   Rara Avis is one of the first, most responsible, biologically rich, and isolated ecolodge operations in Costa Rica. Of the several options here, the Waterfall Lodge is by far the most popular. It has rustic but comfortable rooms in a two-story building near the main lodge, dining room, and namesake waterfall. Each unit here is a corner room with a wraparound porch. For those who want a closer communion with nature, Rara Avis has a two-room cabin set deep in the forest beside a river, about a 10-minute hike from the main lodge, as well as three more rustic two-bedroom cabins with shared bathrooms in a small clearing about a 5-minute walk from the lodge. Meals are basic Tico-style dishes with lots of beans and rice. Bird-watchers, take note: More than 367 species of birds have been sighted here, and the lodge consistently has excellent guides and naturalists.\n\nWhen making reservations, get directions for how to get to Las Horquetas and information on coordinating your ride on the lodge's tractor. The tractor leaves just once daily for the very bumpy and plodding 3-hour ride to the lodge.\n\n15km (91\u20443 miles) from Las Horquetas. www.rara-avis.com.   2764-1111 for reservations or 2710-8032 at the lodge. Fax 2764-1114. 16 units, 10 with private bathroom. $55 per person with shared bathroom; $75\u2013$90 double with private bathroom. Rates include transportation from Las Horquetas, guided hikes, all meals, and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n\nSarapiqu\u00edS Rainforest Lodge \u2605 On a high bluff fronting the Sarapiqu\u00ed River, this complex is the most unique project in the Sarapiqu\u00ed region. Rooms are housed in three large, round buildings, or palenques, based on the traditional pre-Columbian constructions of the area. Each palenque has a towering thatch roof. All rooms are of good size, although a little dark. Each has a door leading out to the shared veranda that encircles the building. The hotel has several interesting attractions, including a small natural-history museum, an on-site excavation of a pre-Columbian graveyard, and a well-marked botanical garden. Just across the river lies the 300-hectare (741-acre) Tirimbina Rainforest Center, with a small network of trails and several impressive suspension bridges, both over the river and through the forest canopy.\n\nLa Virgen de Sarapiqu\u00ed. www.sarapiquis.org.   2761-1004. Fax 2761-1415. 40 units. $104 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; room service; smoke-free rooms.\n\nInexpensive\n\nThe Posada Andrea Cristina (www.andreacristina.com;   2766-6265), just on the outskirts of Puerto Viejo, is run by Alex Mart\u00ednez, an excellent local guide and pioneering conservationist in the region. You may also consider staying at the jungle tent camp or isolated Magsasay Lodge at Hacienda Pozo Azul \u2605 (www.pozoazul.com;   877\/810-6903 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2438-2616).\n\nGavil\u00e1n Sarapiqu\u00ed River Lodge On the banks of the R\u00edo Sarapiqu\u00ed just south of Puerto Viejo, Gavil\u00e1n is surrounded by 100 hectares (247 acres) of forest reserve (secondary forest) and 14 hectares (35 acres) of gardens planted with lots of flowering ginger, heliconia, orchids, and bromeliads. Guest rooms are basic and simply furnished. All have fans, hot water, and fresh-cut flowers. The four \"superior\" rooms have much more contemporary appointments and amenities. An unheated Jacuzzi is in the garden and several open-air ranchos have hammocks strung up for afternoon siestas. Tico and Continental meals are served buffet-style with plenty of fresh fruits and juices. Guided hikes through the forest, horseback rides, and river trips are all offered for around $35 per person.\n\nPuerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed. www.gavilanlodge.com.   2234-9507 reservation office in San Jos\u00e9, 2766-7131 or 8343-9480 at the lodge. Fax 2253-6556. 20 units. $50 double; $70 superior double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n10\n\nThe Central Pacific Coast:Where the Mountains Meet the Sea\n\nA capuchin monkey.\n\nAfter Guanacaste, the beaches of Costa Rica's central Pacific coast are the country's most popular. Options here range from the surfer and snowbird hangout of Jac\u00f3, to the ecotourist mecca of Manuel Antonio, to remote and diminutive Dominical, with its jungle-clad hillsides and rainforest waterfalls. With the 2010 opening of a modern highway connecting San Jos\u00e9 to the coast, and improvements along the Costanera Sur highway heading south, this region has gotten much easier to visit.\n\nJac\u00f3 is the closest major beach destination to San Jos\u00e9. It has historically been a top choice for young surfers and city-dwelling Costa Ricans. Just north of Jac\u00f3 and Playa Herradura sits Carara National Park \u2605\u2605, one of the few places in Costa Rica where you can see the disappearing dry forest join the damp, humid forests that extend south down the coast. It's also a great place to see scarlet macaws in the wild.\n\n  The Central Pacific Coast's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nArenas Del Mar\n\nCuna del Angel\n\nEl Parador\n\nGaia Hotel & Reserve\n\nHacienda Baru\n\nHotel S\u00ed Como No\n\nLa Cusinga Lodge\n\nMonte Azul\n\nSavegre Mountain Hotel\n\nFor its part, Manuel Antonio remains one of the country's foremost ecotourist destinations, with a host of hotel and lodging options and an easily accessible national park that combines the exuberant lushness of a lowland tropical rainforest with several gorgeous beaches. Manuel Antonio National Park \u2605\u2605 is home to all four of Costa Rica's monkey species, as well as a wealth of other easily viewed flora and fauna.\n\nIf you're looking to get away from it all, Dominical and the beaches south of Dominical \u2605 should be your top choice on this coast. Still a small village, the beach town of Dominical is flanked by even more remote and undeveloped beaches, including those found inside Ballena Marine National Park \u2605\u2605.\n\nFinally, if you can tear yourself away from the beaches and coastline here, and head slightly inland, you'll find Chirrip\u00f3 National Park \u2605\u2605, a misty cloud forest that becomes a barren p\u00e1ramo (a region above 3,000m\/9,840 ft.) at the peak of its namesake, Mount Chirrip\u00f3\u2014the tallest peak in Costa Rica.\n\n  Vacation Rentals for Longer Stays\n\nIf you're coming for an extended stay with your family or a large group, Mead Brown \u2605 (www.meadbrown.com;   866\/567-1516 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2637-8561 in Costa Rica) rents a broad selection of luxurious private villas and condos in the Los Sue\u00f1os resort complex and around Jac\u00f3.\n\nThe climate here is considerably more humid than that farther north in Guanacaste, but it's not nearly as steamy as along the southern Pacific or Caribbean coasts.\n\nPlaya Herradura\n\n108 km (67 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9; 9km (6 miles) NW of Playa de Jac\u00f3.\n\nPlaya Herradura is the first major beach you'll hit as you head south along the Southern Coastal Highway. Playa Herradura is a long stretch of brown sand that is home to the massive Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort and its attached marina. North of Herradura, you'll find a few other small beaches and resorts, including the elegant boutique hotel Villa Caletas \u2605\u2605\u2605.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). Just past the toll booth at Pav\u00f3n, this road connects with the Costanera Sur (CR34), or Southern Coastal Highway. The exit is marked for Jac\u00f3 and CR34. From here it's a straight and flat shot down the coast to Playa Herradura. The trip should take about an hour.\n\nBy Bus No direct buses run all the way into Playa Herradura. All buses to Jac\u00f3 will drop off passengers at the entrance to Playa Herradura, which is about 1km (1\u20442 mile) or so from the beach and Los Sue\u00f1os resort complex. See \"Jac\u00f3: Getting There,\" below, for bus info.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has one bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Jac\u00f3 daily at 8am. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Jac\u00f3 daily at 8am and 2pm. Both companies charge $30 and will drop you off at any hotel in or around Playa Herradura. Both companies will also pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels. Both also offer connections to most major tourist destinations in the country.\n\nBuses from San Jos\u00e9 to Quepos and Manuel Antonio also pass by Playa Herradura. (They let passengers off on the hwy. about 1km\/1\u20442 mile from town.) However, during the busy months, some of these buses will refuse passengers getting off in Playa Herradura or will accept them only if they pay the full fare to Quepos or Manuel Antonio. For information and departure times of these buses.\n\nOrientation Playa Herradura is a short distance off the Southern Coastal Highway. Just before you hit the beach, you'll see the entrance to the Los Sue\u00f1os resort complex and marina on your right. One dirt road runs parallel to the beach, with a few restaurants and a makeshift line of parking spaces all along its length.\n\nFast Facts Playa Herradura has no real town. At the main intersection with the Southern Coastal Highway, you'll find a modern strip mall, with a large Automercado supermarket, and some restaurants, shops, and a couple of bank ATMs.\n\n  Don't Feed the Crocs\n\nThe Costanera Highway passes over the T\u00e1rcoles River just outside the entrance to Carara National Park, about 23km (14 miles) south of Orotina. This is a popular spot to pull over and spot some gargantuan crocodiles. Some can reach 3.7 to 4.6m (12\u201315 ft.) in length. Usually anywhere from 10 to 20 are easily visible, either swimming in the water or sunning on the banks. But be careful. First, you'll be walking on a narrow sidewalk along the side of the bridge with cars and trucks speeding by. And second, car break-ins are common here, including in the seemingly safe restaurant parking lots at the north end of the bridge. Although a police post has somewhat reduced the risk, I recommend that you don't leave your car or valuables unguarded for long, or better yet, leave someone at the car and take turns watching the crocs.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nPlaya Herradura is a calm and protected beach, although the dark sand is rocky in places and not very attractive. The calmest section of beach is toward the north end, where you'll find the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort. Aside from sunbathing and swimming, there's not too much to do here. When the swell is big, the center section of beach here can be a good place to body surf, boogie board, or try some beginning surf moves.\n\nPunta Leona, just a few kilometers north of Playa Herradura, is a cross between a hotel, a resort, and a private country club, and it has some of the nicer beaches in the area. Although they effectively have restricted access to their beaches for years, this is technically illegal in Costa Rica, and you have the right to enjoy both playas Manta \u2605 and Blanca \u2605, two very nice white-sand beaches inside the Punta Leona complex. The public access beach road is south of the main Punta Leona entrance and is not very well marked.\n\nIn contrast to the dryness of Guanacaste, these are the first beaches on the Pacific coast to have a tropical feel. The humidity is palpable, and the lushness of the tropical forest is visible on the hillsides surrounding town. In hotel gardens, flowers bloom profusely throughout the year.\n\nBecause they're so close, many folks staying in Playa Herradura take advantage of the tours and activities offered out of Jac\u00f3 and even those offered out of Quepos and Manuel Antonio. See the respective sections below for more details.\n\nFinally, just beyond Carara National Park on the Costanera Sur in the direction of Jac\u00f3 is a turnoff for the Pura Vida Botanical Gardens \u2605(  2645-1001; www.puravidagarden.com) and some beautiful waterfalls around the town of Bijagual. Admission for the gardens is $20, and it's open daily from 8am to 5pm. The fee includes free run of the gardens and trails, which lead to a couple of smaller local waterfalls.\n\nHowever, the largest waterfall here is a 180m (590-ft.) multitiered affair reached by a rather vigorous 45-minute hike. The entrance fee for the hike in is $20 per person, and is collected at a makeshift kiosk (no phone) at the entrance to the trail head, which is on private land.\n\nTo get here, turn off at the signs for Hotel Villa Lapas. From there, it's a rough 8km (5 miles) up to the gardens and waterfalls.\n\nCanopy Tours Vista Los Sue\u00f1os Canopy Tour \u2605 (  8342-3683; www.canopyvistalossuenos.com) is set in the hills above Playa Herradura. This place also has 13 zip-lines and some excellent views, and boasts the longest cable in the area, at almost a half-mile in length. Both of the above operations charge $60 per person, and can also arrange transportation.\n\nNearby, Villa Lapas has two different tours through the treetops outside of Jac\u00f3. The better and cheaper option is a guided hike on its network of trails and five suspended bridges ($20 per person). The operator also has a relatively low-adrenaline zip-line canopy tour ($30 per person), with seven platforms connected by six cables.\n\nGolf The excellent La Iguana, an 18-hole golf course at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort (  2630-9028; www.golflaiguana.com), is open to nonguests. Greens fees are $160 for a full round. The price drops to $130 if you tee off after noon. Club and shoe rentals are available. Marriott guests pay slightly less to play here.\n\nSportfishing, Scuba Diving & Seaborne Fun Since the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Resort and its adjacent 250-slip marina opened, most local maritime activity has shifted over here. If you're interested in doing some sportfishing, scuba diving, or any other waterborne activity, I recommend that you check with your hotel or at the marina. Dependable operators that have set up here include Maverick Sportfishing Yachts (  866\/888-6426 in the U.S., or 2637-8824 in Costa Rica; www.maverickyachtscostarica.com), Costa Rica Dreams (  732\/901-8625 ext. 246 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2637-8942 in Costa Rica; www.costaricadreams.com), and Central Pacific Sport Fishing (  707\/962-4470 in the U.S. and Canada; www.costarica-fishingcharters.com). A half-day fishing trip for four people costs around $700 to $1,200, and a full day costs between $1,000 and $1,700.\n\n  En Route to Jac\u00f3: An Isolated Boutique Beauty\n\nIf you're planning on heading to the beaches of the central Pacific coast via Ciudad Col\u00f3n and Puriscal, you might consider a stop at Ama Tierra Retreat & Wellness Center \u2605 (www.amatierra.com;   866\/659-3805 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2419-0110 in Costa Rica), a lovely little boutique hotel and retreat center about 11\u20442 hours outside of San Jos\u00e9 along this route, and approximately 1 hour from Jac\u00f3.\n\nCarara National Park \u2605\u2605\n\nA little more than 17.5km (11 miles) north of Playa Herradura is Carara National Park (  2637-1054 for visitor center), a world-renowned nesting ground for scarlet macaws. It has a few kilometers of trails open to visitors. The Sendero Accesso Universal (Universal Access Trail), which heads out from the national park office, is broad, flat, and wheelchair-accessible (hence the trail name). The first half of this 1km (.7-mile) stretch leads into the forest and features various informative plaques, in both English and Spanish, pointing out prominent flora. About 10 or 15 minutes into your hike, you'll see that the trail splits, forming a loop (you can go in either direction). The entire loop trail should take you about an hour. The macaws migrate daily, spending their days in the park and their nights among the coastal mangroves. It's best to view them in the early morning when they arrive, or around sunset when they head back to the coast for the evening, but a good guide can usually find them for you during the day. Whether or not you see them, you should hear their loud squawks. Among the other wildlife that you might see here are caimans, coatimundis, armadillos, pacas, peccaries, and, of course, hundreds of species of birds.\n\nA scarlet macaw.\n\nBe sure to bring along insect repellent or, better yet, wear light cotton long sleeves and pants. (I was once foolish enough to attempt a quick hike while returning from Manuel Antonio, still in beach clothes and flip-flops.) The reserve is open daily from 7am to 4pm. Admission is $10 per person at the gate.\n\nMost hotel desks can arrange for a guided hike to Carara National Park, or you can contact Jaguar Riders (  2643-0180; www.jaguariders.com) in Jac\u00f3 to set one up. Although you can certainly hike the gentle and well-marked trails of Carara independently, my advice is to take a guided tour; you'll learn a lot more about your surroundings.\n\nIf you're staying in any of the nearby beach towns, you might consider taking a boat tour of the river and mangroves here. Several companies offer such a tour, and every hotel and tour agency in the area can arrange it for you. Nearly all the operators bring along plenty of freshly killed chickens to attract the crocs and pump up the adrenaline\u2014a practice I cannot endorse. That's why I suggest going with Jungle Crocodile Safari \u2605 (  2637-0338; www.junglecrocodilesafari.com). The cost of the 2-hour tour is $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 4 to 12 (children 3 and under free). Transportation from Jac\u00f3, Playa Herradura, Manuel Antonio, or San Jos\u00e9 is available. Jungle Crocodile Safari's trips depart daily at 8:30 and 10:30am, and 1:30 and 3:30pm.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nVery Expensive\n\nIn addition to its hotel rooms, the Los Sue\u00f1os resort has scores of condominium units for rent. All come with kitchens, access to swimming pools, and rights to use the golf course here. These are excellent options for families who want to do some cooking, and for longer stays. If you want to rent a condo here, contact Costa Rica Luxury Rentals (www.crluxury.com;   866\/525-2188 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2637-7105 in Costa Rica). Rates are upwards of $451 nightly for one- and two-bedroom units, to over $1,320 for some of the more luxurious three-bedroom units.\n\nLos Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort \u2605\u2605   This large resort is done in a Spanish colonial style, with stucco walls, heavy wooden doors, and red-clay roof tiles. Every room has a balcony, but all are not created equal. Most have only small Juliet-style balconies. Those facing the ocean are clearly superior, and a few of the ocean-facing rooms even have large balconies with chaise lounges and garden furniture. The pool is a vast, intricate maze built to imitate the canals of Venice, with private nooks and grottoes; kids love exploring it. Parents will appreciate the excellent children's program. The beach here is calm and good for swimming, although it's one of the least attractive beaches on this coast, with a mix of rocks and hard-packed, dark-brown sand. The excellent, if not particularly challenging, golf course winds through some of the neighboring forest. The Stellaris Casino is the largest and plushest I've found at a beach resort in Costa Rica.\n\nPlaya Herradura (A.P. 502\u20134005), San Antonio de Bel\u00e9n. www.marriott.com.   888\/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, 2298-0844 or 2630-9000 in Costa Rica. Fax 2630-9090. 200 units. $325\u2013$399 double; $650 suite; $1,500 presidential suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; coffee shop; 2 bars; lounge; children's program; concierge; golf course and pro shop; 9-hole miniature golf course; extensive health club and spa; large outdoor pool; room service; smoke-free rooms; 4 outdoor lit tennis courts; Wi-Fi (for a fee) in most public areas. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet (for a fee), minibar.\n\nVilla Caletas \u2605\u2605\u2605 Perched above the sea, Villa Caletas enjoys commanding views of the Pacific over forested hillsides. The rooms are all elegantly appointed, but you'll want to stay in a villa or suite. All feature ornate neoclassical decor and a private terrace for soaking up the views. The larger junior suites come with their own outdoor Jacuzzis. The suites and master suites are larger still\u2014and come with their own swimming pools. Of the two master suites, one is a vigorous hike downhill from the main hotel building and restaurants. The same is true of some of the villas and juniors. The Zephyr Palace is a seven-suite addition, located a bit apart from the main hotel and villas. The rooms here are immense and thematically designed\u2014you can choose from an African suite, an Arabian suite, an Oriental suite, and more. All have beautiful ocean views, home theater systems, Jacuzzis, private balconies, and personal concierge service.\n\nA.P. 12358\u20131000, San Jos\u00e9. www.hotelvillacaletas.com.   2630-0505. Fax 2637-0404. 52 units. $180 double; $250 villa; $380 suite; $550\u2013$1,500 Zephyr Palace suites. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak periods. Extra person $35. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; concierge; 2 midsize outdoor pools w\/spectacular view; spa. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar.\n\nExpensive\n\nIn addition to the place listed below, El Paso de las Lapas (www.elpasodelaslapas.com;   2643-5678) is a boutique hotel and spa, located on a hillside a bit inland, between Playa Herradura and Jac\u00f3.\n\nVilla Lapas Located on a lush piece of property along the R\u00edo Tarcolitos bordering Carara National Park, Villa Lapas is a good choice if you're looking to combine a bit of ecoadventure and bird-watching with some beach time. The hotel's best feature is its massive, open-air restaurant and deck, which overlooks the river and where meals are served. Villa Lapas has 217 hectares (536 acres) of land with excellent trails, a series of suspended bridges crossing the river, and its own canopy tour. The hotel also features a small re-creation of a typical Costa Rican rural village of times gone by. This riverside attraction has three massive gift shops, an atmospheric old-style Costa Rican bar, and a small chapel, too. The hotel is about 15 to 25 minutes from the beaches of Jac\u00f3, Hermosa, and Herradura.\n\nT\u00e1rcoles (A.P. 419\u20134005, San Antonio de Bel\u00e9n). www.villalapas.com.   2637-0232. Fax 2637-0232, ext. 249. 56 units. $220 double. Rates include 3 meals daily and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nSeveral restaurants, including some fast-food outlets and the Peruvian chain Inka Grill (  2637-8510), are in the strip mall on the highway near the entrance to the beach. At the Los Sue\u00f1os marina you'll find several other options, including Bambu, a sushi bar and Pan-Asian restaurant; La Linterna, a fancy Italian restaurant; and Hook Up, an excellent American-style grill and restaurant, serving great lunch and light fare, with a second-floor perch and good views. You can make reservations at any of the marina restaurants by calling   2630-4444.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nEl Gale\u00f3n \u2605\u2605 FUSION This is the top restaurant in a complex of restaurants found at the Los Sue\u00f1os resort and marina. The setting is elegant, service refined, and the menu wide-ranging, creative, and eclectic. Appetizers range from an inventive plate of scallop sliders, to crisp Asian-spiced soft-shell crabs and sea bass ceviche served with avocado and a local salsa. For a main course, I recommend the pumpkin, ricotta, and basil\u2013filled ravioli served with grilled Creole jumbo shrimp.\n\nAt the marina of the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Resort.   2630-4555. Reservations recommended. Main courses $18\u2013$40. AE, MC, V. Wed\u2013Sun 6\u201310pm.\n\nModerate\n\nEl Pelicano SEAFOOD\/COSTA RICAN This simple beachfront restaurant is a lot like El Hicaco was before success went to its head. Heavy wooden tables and chairs are spread around a large, open-air dining room facing the beach and boats bobbing at anchor off Playa Herradura. The menu features a range of ceviche, salads, and main courses, with a heavy\u2014and logical\u2014emphasis on fresh seafood. The corvina al ajillo (sea bass in garlic sauce) is excellent, as is the arroz con mariscos (rice with seafood). To get here, drive the Playa Herradura road until you hit the beach, and then turn left on the narrow sandy access road.\n\nOn the beach in Playa Herradura.   2637-8910. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses C6,500\u2013C39,000. AE, MC, V. Daily noon to 10pm.\n\nPlaya Herradura After Dark\n\nPlaya Herradura doesn't have much in the way of nightlife. However, if you're into gaming, you'll want to head to the Stellaris Casino \u2605\u2605 (  2630-9143) at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Resort. This is the most elegant and elaborate casino in country.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3\n\nJac\u00f3: 117km (73 miles) W of San Jos\u00e9; 75km (47 miles) S of Puntarenas\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3 is a long stretch of beach strung with a dense hodgepodge of hotels in all price categories, souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, pizza joints, and rowdy bars. The main strip here, which runs parallel to the shoreline, is an overcrowded and congested collection of restaurants, shops, and small strip malls, where pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, cars, and ATVs vie for right of way both day and night.\n\nThe number-one attraction here is the surf, and this is definitely a surfer-dominated beach town. Surfers love the consistent beach break; however, the beach itself is not particularly appealing. It consists of dark-gray sand with lots of little rocks, and it's often pretty rough for swimming. Still, given its proximity to San Jos\u00e9, Jac\u00f3 is almost always packed with a mix of foreign and Tico vacationers. Beyond the surf, Jac\u00f3 is also known for its nightlife. A range of raging bars here offer everything from live music venues to chill lounge environments to beachfront sports bars with pool and foosball tables.\n\nA Jac\u00f3 surf shop.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Head west out of San Jos\u00e9 on the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). Just past the toll booth at Pav\u00f3n, this road connects with the Costanera Sur (CR34), or Southern Coastal Highway. The exit is marked for Jac\u00f3 and CR34. From here, it's a straight and flat shot down the coast to Jac\u00f3. The trip should take a little over an hour.\n\nBy Bus Transportes Jac\u00f3 express buses (  2223-1109 or 2643-3472) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily every 2 hours between 7am and 7pm from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 16 between avenidas 1 and 3. The trip takes between 21\u20442 and 3 hours; the fare is C1,945. On weekends and holidays, extra buses are sometimes added, so it's worth calling to check.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has one bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Jac\u00f3 daily at 8am. The fare is $30. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Jac\u00f3 daily at 8am and 2pm, and the fare is $30. Both companies will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2013area hotels. Both also offer connections to most major tourist destinations in the country.\n\nBuses from San Jos\u00e9 to Quepos and Manuel Antonio also pass by Jac\u00f3. (They let passengers off on the hwy. about 1km\/1\u20442 mile from town.) However, during the busy months, some of these buses will refuse passengers getting off in Jac\u00f3 or will accept them only if they pay the full fare to Quepos or Manuel Antonio. For information and departure times of these buses.\n\nFrom Puntarenas, you can catch daily Transportes Quepos Puntarenas (  2777-0743; www.transportesquepospuntarenas.com) Quepos-bound buses at 5, 8, and 11am and 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm. The buses drop you off on the highway outside of town. The trip's duration is 1 hour; the fare is C980.\n\nThe Jac\u00f3 bus station is at the north end of town, at a small mall across from the Jac\u00f3 Fiesta Hotel. Buses for San Jos\u00e9 leave daily every 2 hours between 5am and 5pm. Buses returning to San Jos\u00e9 from Quepos pass periodically and pick up passengers on the highway. Because schedules can change, it's best to ask at your hotel about current departure times.\n\nOrientation Playa de Jac\u00f3 is a short distance off the southern highway. One main road runs parallel to the beach, with a host of arteries heading toward the water; you'll find most of the town's hotels and restaurants off these roads.\n\nGetting Around Almost everything is within walking distance in Jac\u00f3, but you can call Asotaxi (  2643-2020 or 2643-1919) for a cab.\n\nYou can also rent a bicycle or scooter from a variety of different shops and streetside stands along the main street. A bike rental should run you around $9 to $15 per day, and a scooter should cost between $30 and $60 per day.\n\nFor longer excursions, you can rent a car from Budget (  2643-2665), Economy (  2643-1098), National\/Alamo (  2643-1752), Payless (  2643-3224), or Zuma (  2643-3207). Expect to pay approximately $45 to $90 for a 1-day rental. You might also consider talking to a local taxi driver, who'd probably take you wherever you want to go for about the same price, saving you some hassle and headache.\n\nFast Facts The Banco Nacional (  2643-3072) and the Banco de Costa Rica (  2643-3695) have branches in town on the main road. Also on the main road, you can find the Farmacia Jac\u00f3 (  2643-3205), which is right in the center of town. A gas station is on the main highway, between Playa Herradura and Jac\u00f3, and a 24-hour gas station, El Arroyo, is on the highway on the southern edge of Jac\u00f3. The health center (  2643-3667) and post office (  2643-2175) are at the Municipal Center at the south end of town. However, the best-equipped medical center is the ProSalud (  2643-5059), located 4 blocks inland from the Pop's ice-cream shop.\n\nA public phone office, where you can make international calls, is in the ICE building on the main road. This office is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to noon and 1 to 5pm. Half a dozen or more Internet cafes are in town, as well as several inexpensive full-service laundromats; a Western Union office in a small strip mall across from La Hacienda restaurant; a large M\u00e1s \u00d7 Menos supermarket on the main drag in the center of town; and an even larger and more modern Automercado supermarket in the strip mall on the main highway near the entrance to Playa Herradura.\n\nFun on & off the Beach\n\nJac\u00f3 beach has a reputation for dangerous riptides (as does most of Costa Rica's Pacific coast). Even strong swimmers have been known to drown in the power rips. In general, the far southern end of the beach is the calmest and safest place to swim.\n\nAs an alternative to Playa de Jac\u00f3, you may want to visit other nearby beaches, like Playa Manta, Playa Blanca, Playa Hermosa, Esterillos, and Playa Bejuco. These beaches are easily reached by car, moped, or even bicycle\u2014if you've got a lot of energy. All are signposted, so you'll have no trouble finding them. These are just south of Jac\u00f3. See the sections above and below for more information on these beaches.\n\nActivities & Tours\n\nATV Tours Several operations take folks out on ATV tours through the surrounding countryside. Tours range in length from 2 to 6 hours and cost between $65 and $140 per person. Contact Fourtrax Adventure (  2643-2373; www.fourtraxadventure.com), or Jaguar Riders (  2643-0180; www.jaguariders.com).\n\nBiking You can rent a bike for around $9 to $15 per day or $2 to $3 per hour. Bikes are available from a slew of shops along the main road. Shop around, and make sure you get a bike that is in good condition and that is comfortable.\n\nBungee Jumping Thrill-seekers can get some serious adrenaline pumping with a trip to Pacific Bungee (  2643-6682; www.pacificbungee.com). In addition to a traditional bungee jump from a 40m tall (120-ft.) steel tower, these folks offer the opportunity for a water immersion at the end of your jump and night-time jumps, as well as other thrilling rides, including their \"rocket launch\" and \"giant swing.\" The views are fabulous from the top of their tower. Rates run $45 for a single jump, launch, or swing; $70 for two activities; and $100 for three. This place is located 1 block south of the Red Cross (Cruz Roja) toward the southern end of Jac\u00f3.\n\nCanopy Tours The easiest way to get up into the canopy here is on the Rain Forest Aerial Tram Pacific (  2257-5961; www.rfat.com; see map \"Playas Herradura & Hermosa\"). A sister project to the original Rain Forest Aerial Tram, this attraction features modified ski-lift type gondolas that take you through and above the transitional forests bordering Carara National Park. The $55 entrance fee includes the guided 40-minute tram ride, and a guided 45-minute hike on a network of trails. You can also hike the company's trails for as long as you like. These folks have a zip-line canopy tour on the same grounds, and offer guided tours, including transportation from both San Jos\u00e9 and any hotel in the area. The Aerial Tram is a few kilometers inland from an exit just north of the first entrance into Jac\u00f3.\n\nQuite a few zip-line and harness-style canopy tours are in this area. Chiclets Tree Tour (  2643-1880) offers up a canopy adventure in nearby Playa Hermosa. This is an adventurous tour, with 16 platforms set in transitional forest, with some sweeping views of the Pacific.\n\nGolf The excellent La Iguana, an 18-hole golf course at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort (  2630-9028; www.golflaiguana.com), is open to nonguests.\n\nHorseback Riding Horseback-riding tours give you a chance to get away from all the development in Jac\u00f3 and see a bit of nature. The best operator in the area, with the best horses, is Discovery Horseback (  8838-7550 or 2643-7151; www.horseridecostarica.com) down in Playa Hermosa. It's $65 per person for a 21\u20442-hour tour.\n\nKayaking Kayak Jac\u00f3 (  2643-1233; www.kayakjaco.com) runs a couple of different trips. Tours are offered in single and tandem sea kayaks, as well as 8-person outrigger canoes. Along the way you'll be able to admire the beautiful coastline, and\u2014when conditions permit\u2014take a snorkel break. Kayak fishing tours and sailing trips aboard a 7.5m (25 ft.) Trimaran are also available. Most options run around 4 hours and include transportation to and from the put-in, as well as fresh fruit and soft drinks during the trip. The tours cost between $55 and $75 per person, depending on the particular trip and group size.\n\nOrganized Tours Farther Afield If you'll be spending your entire Costa Rican visit in Jac\u00f3 but would like to see some other parts of the country, you can arrange tours through the local offices of Gray Line Tours (  2643-3231), which operates out of the Best Western Jac\u00f3 Beach Resort. Gray Line offers day tours to Arenal and Po\u00e1s volcanoes; white-water rafting trips; and cruises to Tortuga Island, among its many options. Rates range from $86 to $132 for day trips. Overnight trips are also available. Thanks to improvements to the road, you can reach Manuel Antonio in about 1 hour from Jac\u00f3. In addition to the above-mentioned companies, many local operators offer a variety of tour options in Manuel Antonio, including trips to the national park, the Rainmaker Nature Refuge, and the Damas Island estuary. See the \"Manuel Antonio National Park\" section (later in this chapter) for more details on the types of tours and activities available there.\n\nSpa The Serenity Spa \u2605 (  2643-1624; www.serenityspacr.net) offers massages, as well as mud packs, face and body treatments, and manicures and pedicures. The spa's Jac\u00f3 branch is on the first floor, among a tiny little cul-de-sac of shops next to Zuma Rent-A-Car. These folks also have operations at Villa Caletas.\n\nSportfishing, Scuba Diving & Seaborne Fun Since the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Resort and its adjacent 250-slip marina opened, most local maritime activity has shifted over there.\n\nFishing vessels at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marina.\n\nSurfing The same waves that often make Playa de Jac\u00f3 dangerous for swimmers make it one of the most popular beaches in the country with surfers. Nearby Playa Hermosa, Playa Tulin, and Playa Escondida are also excellent surfing beaches. Those who want to challenge the waves can rent surfboards for around $3 an hour or $10 to $15 per day, and boogie boards for $2 an hour, from any one of the numerous surf shops along the main road. If you want to learn how to surf, try the Jac\u00f3 Surf School (  8829-4697 or 2643-1905; www.jacosurfschool.com), or contact Johnny at Jaguar Riders (  2643-0180; www.jaguariders.com) or ask for him at Club del Mar.\n\nShopping\n\nIf you try to do any shopping in Jac\u00f3, you'll be overrun with shops selling T-shirts, cut-rate souvenirs, and handmade jewelry and trinkets. Most of the offerings are of pretty poor quality. A notable exception is Guacamole \u2605 (  2643-1120), a small clothing store that produces its own line of batik beachwear. Guacamole is on the main street through town, close to the center of town.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nBecause Playa Herradura, Playa Hermosa de Jac\u00f3 (not to be confused with either Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste, or Playa Hermosa on the Nicoya Peninsula), Playa Esterillos, and Playa Bejuco are close, many people choose accommodations in these beach towns as well. Selected listings for these towns can be found above and below.\n\nExpensive\n\nBest Western Jac\u00f3 Beach Resort Situated right on the beach, this five-story hotel offers all the amenities and services you could want at a pretty good price. Still, this is a cut-rate resort, with little charm, romance, or true ambience here. The hotel is often packed throughout the high season, and a party atmosphere pervades the place. The open-air lobby is surrounded by lush gardens, and covered walkways connect the hotel's buildings. Rooms are adequate and have tile floors and walls of glass facing balconies; however, not all of the rooms have good views (some face another building), and many of them show the wear and tear of age and heavy occupancy. Ask for a room on a higher floor and with an ocean view. A large percentage of guests opt for the all-inclusive package; even so, I think you'd do better to sample some of the many restaurants and dining options around Jac\u00f3.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.bestwesterncostarica.com.   800\/528-1234 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2643-1000 in Costa Rica. Fax 2643-3833. 125 units. $160 double. Rates include breakfast buffet. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bikes; well-equipped gym; 2 circular outdoor pools; room service; tennis court; volleyball; free calls to the U.S. and Canada. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nClub del Mar Condominiums & Resort \u2605\u2605   This has perennially been my top choice in Playa de Jac\u00f3. It has a fabulous location, friendly management, and attractively designed rooms. Club del Mar is at the far southern end of the beach, where the rocky hills meet the sand, and where the swimming is probably the safest in town. Most of the rooms are actually one- or two-bedroom condo units, with full kitchens. All are spacious and feature private balconies or porches. Eight rooms are also on the second floor of the large main building, as well as two huge and luxurious penthouse suites up on the third floor. All units come with an ocean view, although some are more open and expansive than others. The grounds are lush and chock-full of flowering heliconia and ginger. The resort has a midsize multipurpose pool, an excellent open-air restaurant, and some modest spa facilities. Thanks to its welcoming, family-friendly vibe, this is a great choice for those traveling with children.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.clubdelmarcostarica.com.   866\/978-5669 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2643-3194 in Costa Rica. Fax 2643-3550. 32 units. $151 double; $228\u2013$332 condo; $409 penthouse. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; concierge; midsize free-form outdoor pool; room service; small spa; Wi-Fi (in main building and around pool). In room: A\/C, TV, fridge.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, the oceanfront Apartotel Girasol \u2605 (www.girasol.com;   800\/923-2779 or 2643-1591), with 16 fully equipped one-bedroom apartments, is a good option, especially for longer stays. Hotel Poseidon (www.hotel-poseidon.com;   888\/643-1242 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2643-1642) is a pretty boutique hotel in the heart of downtown, while Hotel Catalina (www.hotelcatalinacr.com;   2643-1237) is another good beachfront choice.\n\nArenal Pac\u00edfico \u2605 This is a good midrange option, and it's right on the beach to boot. The rooms are nothing special\u2014and almost none offer an ocean view\u2014but they are clean and cool, and most are pretty spacious. The grounds are lush by Jac\u00f3 standards\u2014you have to cross a shady bridge over a little stream to get from the parking lot and reception to the rooms and restaurant. I like the second-floor rooms, which have private balconies. The superior rooms are larger, and come with coffeemakers and minifridges. There are two outdoor pools\u2014one with a little waterfall filling it, another with a round children's pool. The open-air restaurant serves standard Tico and international fare.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3 (A.P. 962\u20131000, San Jos\u00e9), Puntarenas. www.arenalpacifico.com.   2643-3419. Fax 2643-3770. 40 units. $99 double; $129\u2013$137 superior double; $240 junior suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bicycle rental; 2 outdoor pools; surf- and boogie-board rental. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Mar de Luz \u2605 About 1 block inland from the main drag, all the rooms at this small hotel are immaculate and comfortable. Some feature stone walls, small sitting areas, and one or two double beds placed on a raised sleeping nook. My only complaint is that in most rooms, the windows are too small and mostly sealed, forcing you to use air-conditioning. In the gardens just off the pools are a couple of grills for guest use. A comfortable common sitting area has magazines and books, and there's a game room for the kids. The Dutch owner, Victor Keulen, seems driven to offer as much comfort, quality, and service as he can for the price.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.mardeluz.com.  \/fax 2643-3259. 29 units. $109 double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Babysitting; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor small-to-midsize adult pools and children's pool; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Nine \u2605 This hotel features contemporary architectural design touches that would be right at home on Miami's South Beach. This is appropriate, as the L-shaped, three-story building fronts the sand toward the southern end of Jac\u00f3 beach. Inside, the rooms have tropical-style wood and rattan furnishings and bold colors. The premium suites have a small kitchenette with microwave oven. Laundry service and surfboards are both complimentary. The excellent restaurant here bills itself primarily as a steakhouse, but fresh seafood options are also available.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.hotelnine.com.   2643-5335. 12 units. $90\u2013$150 double; $180 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; room service; all rooms smoke-free; surfboards. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nPochote Grande This well-kept hotel is located just off the beach toward the far north end of Jac\u00f3. All of the rooms are quite large, although sparsely furnished, and have white-tile floors, one queen-size and one single bed, a small fridge, and a balcony or patio. I prefer the second-floor rooms, which are blessed with high ceilings. The modest restaurant and snack bar serve a mixture of Tico, German, and American meals. (The owners are German by way of Africa.) The grounds and surrounding properties here were once shady and lush, but encroaching construction all around has left this place feeling a bit exposed.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.hotelpochotegrande.net.   2643-3236. Fax 2289-3204. 24 units. $85 double. Add $5 for a room with TV. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, fridge, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nQuite a few budget hotels are around town. Most cater to itinerant surfers, backpackers, and Ticos. If you're looking to stay on the cheap, your best bet is to simply walk the strip and see who's got the best room at the best price.\n\nYou can try camping at El Hicaco (  2643-3004), which is very centrally located and close to the beach, but it's also nearby the Disco La Central, so don't expect to get much sleep if you stay here. In addition, you'll need to be very careful with your belongings; I've heard several complaints of robberies at the campsites here. Camping runs around C3,500 per person per night.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3 has a wide range of restaurants. Many cater to surfers and budget travelers. In addition to the places listed below, if you're looking for simply prepared fresh seafood, El Barco de Mariscos (  2643-2831) and El Recreo (  2643-3012) are both good bets that serve standard Tico beach fare\u2014fresh seafood, sandwiches, chicken, and steak. For a coffee break and newly baked pastries and breads, head to Caf\u00e9 del M@r (  2643-1250). Wahoo Restaurant (  2643-1876) offers good fresh seafood. Pili Pili \u2605 (  2643-5535 or 8995-4946) serves up fusion fare, with dominant African and French flavors. And sushi lovers should head to Tsunami Sushi (  2643-3678; www.tsunamisushicr.com), inside the El Galeone strip mall.\n\nExpensive\n\nEl Hicaco   COSTA RICAN\/SEAFOOD This beachside restaurant is too popular for its own good. The whole operation has a cattle-car feel to it, and the food is overpriced and quality has declined. But the setting is still wonderful: right on the edge of the beach, with the majority of the tables outdoors. At night you sit under the stars, surrounded by tall palm trees, with some interesting lighting overhead. If you do come here, stick with the freshly caught grilled seafood or lobster, although the menu has plenty of meat and chicken selections as well.\n\nOn the beach in downtown Jac\u00f3.   2643-3226. www.elhicaco.net. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses C8,300\u2013C33,500. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nLemon Zest \u2605\u2605\u2605 SEAFOOD\/FUSION Former Le Cordon Bleu instructor, chef Richard Lemon runs what is easily the best restaurant in Jac\u00f3. Set on the second-floor of a small strip-mall, right on Jac\u00f3's main strip, the decor is elegant, with subdued lighting and white cloth-covered tables. I recommend starting things off with the lobster and manchego quesadilla, or the Korean BBQ satay skewers served with homemade banana ketchup. Seafood main courses include macadamia-crusted mahimahi and fresh seared tuna. For a splurge, try the sesame-and-panko-crusted lobster with a pineapple risotto and sweet chile sauce. You can also choose from daily specials and some outrageous desserts. The wine list here is well-priced, with several good selections offered by the glass.\n\nDowntown Jac\u00f3.   2643-2591. www.lemonzestjaco.com. Reservations recommended during high season. Main courses $4\u2013$32. AE, MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 5:30\u201310pm, Sun 5\u20139pm.\n\nInexpensive\n\nCaliche's Wishbone \u2605 SEAFOOD\/MEXICAN This casual spot is popular with surfers and offers Tex-Mex standards and homemade pizzas. However, you can also get excellent seafood dishes, as well as a variety of sandwiches served in homemade pita bread. The portions are huge. It almost always has fresh tuna lightly seared and served with a soy-wasabi dressing. The nicest tables are streetside on a covered veranda. Inside are more tables, as well as a bar with television sets showing surf videos.\n\nOn the main road in Jac\u00f3.   2643-3406. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $6\u2013$25. AE, MC, V. Thurs\u2013Tues 12\u201310pm.\n\nLos Amigos INTERNATIONAL\/SEAFOOD Set on a large corner of a busy intersection in the heart of Jac\u00f3, this restaurant serves fresh seafood and adventurous international fare at very reasonable prices. Sturdy wooden tables are spread around the small dining room and open-air patio here. I prefer the patio seating, which looks out over flowering heliconia to the bustle of Jac\u00f3's main drag. Fresh tuna can be had Cajun-style or with a spicy mango salsa. Several traditional Thai dishes are also on the menu, as well as some wraps and hearty salads. At night, they play electronic music and have a lively bar scene.\n\nOn the main road in Jac\u00f3.   2643-2961. www.losamigosjaco.com. Main courses $7\u2013$20. AE, MC, V. Sun\u2013Thurs 11am\u201311pm, Fri\u2013Sat 11am\u20131am.\n\nRioasis   PIZZA\/MEXICAN Rioasis serves hearty burritos, simple pasta dishes, and a wide array of freshly baked wood-oven pizzas. My favorite item is the Greek pizza, with olives, feta cheese, and anchovies, but the barbecue chicken pizza is also delicious. Choose from both indoor and terrace seating, or the bar area, complete with a pool table, dartboards, and a couple of TVs for sports events and surf videos.\n\nOn the main road in Jac\u00f3.   2643-3354. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C3,000\u2013C9,500. MC, V. Daily noon to 10pm.\n\nTaco Bar \u2605 MEXICAN\/INTERNATIONAL This casual little open-air joint serves up excellent food at great prices. The best option here is to order a one-, two-, or three-taco plate with the accompanying salad bar. Choose from fresh fish, chicken, shrimp, calamari, or any combination of them. My favorites are the coconut shrimp and spicy fish fillings. The well-stocked salad bar features a wide range of stand-alone salads, as well as numerous toppings to finish off your tacos. You won't leave here hungry. A few wooden tables are set outdoors under large umbrellas, but most of the seating is around a large U-shaped bar. The seats are either high stools or wood planks hung from ropes, like swings. They also serve breakfast, pizzas, and a small selection of full entrees, and offer free Wi-Fi for diners.\n\nA half-block inland from Pop's, central Jac\u00f3.   2643-0222 or 8836-2049. www.tacobar.info. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C3,300\u2013C6,700. MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun 7:30am\u201310pm, Mon noon\u201310pm.\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3 After Dark\n\nPlaya de Jac\u00f3 is the central Pacific's party town, with tons of bars and several discos. My favorite bar in town is the beachfront Ganesha Lounge \u2605, on the main street and near the center of town, seeks to attract a more sophisticated and chic clubbing crowd.\n\nFor a more casual atmosphere, head to either Los Amigos or Tabac\u00f3n \u2605 on the main street through Jac\u00f3, near the center of town. Tabac\u00f3n has popular pool and foosball tables, and often has live music.\n\nOther popular bars in town are the Beatle Bar (www.thebeatlebar.com), Jungle Bar, and Jac\u00f3 Taco. All of the aforementioned bars are along the main strip through town. Note: Jac\u00f3 has a good amount of prostitution. It's not uncommon to find working women at any of the above-mentioned places, particularly the Beatle Bar, as well as cruising other bars around town.\n\nFor a dance scene, try Congas \u2605, which often has live salsa bands, and is toward the south end of town. Congas usually charges a nominal cover charge.\n\nSports freaks can catch the latest games at Clarita's Beach Bar & Grill, Hotel Copacabana (both are right on the beach toward the north end of town), or Hotel Poseidon (on a side street near the center of town). The first two serve up good reasonably priced burritos, burgers, and bar food, while the latter offers much the same, as well as some items from their much better restaurant downstairs.\n\nIf you're into gaming, head to the Stellaris Casino \u2605\u2605 (  2630-9143) at the Los Sue\u00f1os Marriott Resort, or the Jazz Casino (  2643-2316) at the Hotel Amapola. The latter is a modest casino situated toward the southern end of the main road through Jac\u00f3 (Av. Pastor D\u00edaz), about a block beyond where it takes a sharp turn inland toward the Costanera Sur.\n\nEn Route South: Playas Hermosa, Esterillos & Bejuco\n\nSouth of Jac\u00f3, Costa Rica's coastline is a long, almost entirely straight stretch of largely undeveloped beach backed by thick forests and low lying rice and African palm plantations.\n\nPlaya Hermosa \u2605, 10km (61\u20444 miles) southeast of Jac\u00f3, is the first beach you'll hit as you head down the Southern Coastal Highway. This is primarily a surfers' beach, but it is still a lovely spot to spend some beach time. In fact, even though the surf conditions here can be rather rough and unprotected, and the beach is made of dark volcanic sand, I find Playa Hermosa and the beaches south of it much more attractive than Jac\u00f3. Be careful on Playa Hermosa, as the fine dark sand can get extremely hot in the tropical sun, so be sure to have adequate footwear and a large towel or mat to lay out on the sand. Aside from a small grouping of hotels and restaurants, most of Playa Hermosa is protected, as olive ridley sea turtles lay eggs here from July to December. During turtle nesting season, all of the hotel tour desks and local tour agencies can help you arrange a nighttime turtle nesting tour, for around $40 to $50 per person.\n\nPlaya Hermosa is the only beach in this section located right along the Southern Coastal Highway; all of the rest are a kilometer or so set in from the road and reached by a series of dirt access roads. If you exit the highway in Playa Hermosa, you can follow a dirt-and-sand access road that runs parallel to the shore along several miles of deserted, protected beach, as Playa Hermosa eventually becomes Playa Tulin, near the Tulin river mouth. This is another popular surf spot. Still be careful, crocodiles live in the Tulin river.\n\nAs you continue down the coastal highway from Playa Hermosa you will hit Esterillos. Playa Esterillos, 22km (14 miles) south of Jac\u00f3, is long and wide and almost always nearly deserted. Playa Esterillos is so long, in fact, that it has three separate entrances and sections, Esterillos Oeste, Centro, and Este\u2014West, Center, and East, in order as you head away from Jac\u00f3.\n\nPlaya Esterillos.\n\nIf you keep heading south (really southeast), you next come to Playa Bejuco, another long, wide, nearly deserted stretch of sand. Playa Bejuco, which features a very narrow strip of land fronting the beach, with mangroves and swampland behind, has very little development.\n\nNote: While beautiful, isolated, and expansive, the beaches of Hermosa, Esterillos, and Bejuco can be quite rough at times and dangerous for swimming. Caution is highly advised here.\n\nWhere to Stay in Playa Hermosa\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, you might want to check out Surf Inn Hermosa (www.surfinnhermosa.com;   2643-7184), which offers 1-bedroom studios with a kitchenette, and 2-bedroom fully equipped condo units, right on the beach.\n\nThe Backyard This perennially popular bar and restaurant also has some of the most comfortable accommodations in Playa Hermosa, although they're definitely overpriced for what you get. The two-story building features large rooms with dark red terra-cotta tile floors and simple furnishings. The second-floor rooms are better than those on the ground floor. The oceanfront end units are classified as suites. They are a bit bigger and do have excellent ocean views. The small pool features a little sculpted-rock waterfall and is quite refreshing on hot days. Despite the more elaborate facilities and amenities, this place is still quintessentially a surfer joint, and the main reason to stay here is that this hotel sits directly in front of the principal peaks on Playa Hermosa. At night, most folks find their way to the raucous surfer bar here, with a pool table, darts, and hearty food.\n\nPlaya Hermosa de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.backyardhotel.com.  \/fax 2643-7011. 8 units. $110\u2013$175 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nHotel Fuego del Sol \u2605 This place is right on the beach and offers clean, cool, and comfortable rooms, and easy access to the waves. Most of the rooms are housed in a long, two-story block set perpendicular to the beach. Each comes with a queen-size and twin bed and a private balcony overlooking the free-form pool. Those closest to the water will also give you a glimpse of the sea. The suites come with king-size beds, a separate sitting room, and a fully stocked kitchenette. Everything is well maintained, and the restaurant has a good view of the beach action. This place is a bit better value, and definitely a mellower option, than the Backyard.\n\nPlaya Hermosa de Jac\u00f3, Puntarenas. www.fuegodelsolhotel.com.   2643-7171. Fax 2288-0123. 24 units. $98 double; $155 suite. Rates include breakfast. Lower rates in off season. MC, V. Amen-ities: Restaurant; bar; pool. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nInexpensive\n\nPlaya Hermosa has a host of simple hotels and cabinas catering to surfers. Prices, conditions, and upkeep can vary greatly. If you've got the time, your best bet is to visit a few until you find the best deal on the cleanest room. Costanera Bed & Breakfast (www.costaneraplayahermosa.com;   2643-7044), Cabinas Las Arenas (www.cabinaslasarenas.com;   2643-7013), and Cabinas Las Olas (www.lasolashotel.com;   2643-7021) are three good options.\n\nWhere to Stay in Playa Esterillos\n\nIf you're looking for something even more remote and undeveloped than the hotel listed below, head to Playa Esterillos Este and the Pelican Hotel (www.pelicanbeachfronthotel.com;   2778-8105), a simple, cozy beachfront bed-and-breakfast.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nAlma del Pacifico Hotel \u2605\u2605   Formerly known as Xandari By The Pacific, this beachfront boutique resort features large, private villas, with high, curved ceilings and loads of artistic touches. I especially like the open, mosaic tile showers that let out onto lush gardens. The Maxima villas are the top option and come with their own private plunge pool. Most of the villas are beachfront, but those that aren't have large gardens and a wonderful sense of seclusion and romance. The open-air seafront restaurant serves excellent international fare, with an equal emphasis on healthy fresh ingredients and creative cooking combinations. Note: This place was bought by Rock Resorts in late 2010. Major remodeling and updating is slated to take place in late 2011, just in time for the 2012 season.\n\nPlaya Esterillos Centro, Puntarenas. www.legendarylodging.com.   866\/495-7625 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2778-7070 in Costa Rica. Fax 2778-7878. 20 units. $354\u2013$678 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; concierge; Jacuzzi; 2 outdoor lap pools; room service; all rooms smoke-free; full-service spa; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, kitchenette, minibar.\n\nWhere to Stay in Playa Bejuco\n\nModerate\n\nHotel Playa Bejuco \u2605   A half-block off the beach at Playa Bejuco, this is a younger sister to the popular Mar de Luz hotel in Jac\u00f3. The two-story hotel is an L-shape around a central swimming pool and gardens and faces the ocean. The construction features various walls and details made from heavy, smooth river stones. Rooms are spacious and cool, with tile floors and simple wooden furnishings. The second-floor rooms are the biggest, and most feature high ceilings with sleeping lofts, making them good options for families with children.\n\nPlaya Bejuco, Puntarenas. www.hotelplayabejuco.com.  \/fax 2778-8181. 20 units. $121 double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. Lower rates in off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nManuel Antonio National Park \u2605\u2605\n\n140km (87 miles) SW of San Jos\u00e9; 69km (43 miles) S of Playa de Jac\u00f3\n\nManuel Antonio was Costa Rica's first major ecotourist destination and remains one of its most popular. The views from the hills overlooking Manuel Antonio are spectacular, the beaches (especially those inside the national park) are idyllic, and its rainforests are crawling with howler, white-faced, and squirrel monkeys, among other forms of exotic wildlife. The downside is that you'll have to pay more to see it, and you'll have to share it with more fellow travelers than you would at other rainforest destinations around the country. Moreover, development has begun to destroy what makes this place so special. What was once a smattering of small hotels tucked into the forested hillside has become a long string of lodgings along the 7km (41\u20443 miles) of road between Quepos and the national park entrance. Hotel roofs now regularly break the tree line, and there seems to be no control over zoning and unchecked ongoing construction. A jumble of snack shacks, souvenir stands, and makeshift parking lots choke the beach road just outside the park, making the entrance road look more like a shanty than a national park.\n\nStill, this remains a beautiful destination, with a wide range of attractions and activities. Gazing down on the blue Pacific from high on the hillsides of Manuel Antonio, it's almost impossible to hold back a gasp of delight. Offshore, rocky islands dot the vast expanse of blue, and in the foreground, the rich, deep green of the rainforest sweeps down to the water. Even cheap disposable cameras regularly produce postcard-perfect snapshots. It's this superb view that keeps people transfixed on decks, patios, and balconies throughout the area.\n\nOne of the most popular national parks in the country, Manuel Antonio is also one of the smallest, covering fewer than 680 hectares (1,680 acres). Its several nearly perfect small beaches are connected by trails that meander through the rainforest. The mountains surrounding the beaches quickly rise as you head inland from the water; however, the park was created to preserve not its beautiful beaches but its forests, home to endangered squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, purple-and-orange crabs, and hundreds of other species of birds, mammals, and plants. Once, this entire stretch of coast was a rainforest teeming with wildlife, but now only this small rocky outcrop of forest remains.\n\nA squirrel monkey.\n\nThose views that are so bewitching also have their own set of drawbacks. If you want a great view, you aren't going to be staying on the beach\u2014in fact, you probably won't be able to walk to the beach. This means that you'll be driving back and forth, taking taxis, or riding the public bus. Also keep in mind that it's hot and humid here, and it rains a lot. However, the rain is what keeps Manuel Antonio lush and green, and this wouldn't be the Tropics if things were otherwise.\n\nA palm plantation nearby Quepos.\n\nIf you're traveling on a rock-bottom budget or are mainly interested in sportfishing, you might end up staying in the nearby town of Quepos, which was once a quiet banana port and now features a wide variety of restaurants, souvenir and crafts shops, and lively bars; the land to the north was used by Chiquita to grow its bananas. Disease wiped out most of the banana plantations, and now the land is planted primarily with African oil-palm trees. To reach Quepos by road, you pass through miles of these oil-palm plantations; see the box \"Profitable Palms,\" below, for info.\n\n  Travel Tips\n\nDespite the above caveats, Manuel Antonio is still a fabulous destination with a wealth of activities and attractions for all types and all ages. If you plan carefully, you can avoid many of the problems that detract from its appeal. If you steer clear of the peak months (Dec\u2013Mar), you'll miss most of the crowds. If you must come during the peak months, try to avoid weekends, when the beach is packed with families and young Ticos from San Jos\u00e9. If you visit the park early in the morning, you can leave when the crowds begin to show up at midday. In the afternoon, you can lounge by your pool or on your patio.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has seven daily flights to the Quepos airport (no phone; airport code: XQP) beginning at 6am, with the final flight departing at 3:30pm from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport. The flight's duration is 30 minutes; the fare is $82 each way.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000 in Costa Rica; www.natureair.com) flies to Quepos daily at 9am and 2pm from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. The flight duration is 30 minutes; the fare is $83 each way.\n\nBoth Sansa and Nature Air provide minivan airport-transfer service coordinated with their arriving flights. The service costs around $8 per person each way, depending on where your hotel is located. Speak to your airline's agent when you arrive to confirm your return flight and coordinate a pickup at your hotel for that day if necessary. Taxis meet incoming flights as well. Expect to be charged between $10 and $15 per car for up to four people, depending on the distance to your hotel.\n\nWhen you're ready to depart, Sansa (  2777-1912 in Quepos) flights begin departing at 8:40am, with the final flight leaving at 3:30pm. Nature Air (  2777-2548 in Quepos) flights leave for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 7:50 and 10:45am and 1:25 and 5pm.\n\nBy Car: From San Jos\u00e9, take the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27) west to Orotina. Just past the toll booth at Pav\u00f3n, this road connects with the Costanera Sur (CR34), or Southern Coastal Highway. The exit is marked for Jac\u00f3 and CR34. From here, it's a straight and flat shot down the coast to Quepos and Manuel Antonio.\n\nIf you're coming from Guanacaste or any point north, take the Interamerican Highway to the Puntarenas turnoff and follow signs to the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27). Take this east toward Orotina, where it connects with the Costanera Sur (CR34). It's about a 41\u20442-hour drive from Liberia to Quepos and Manuel Antonio.\n\nBy Bus: Express buses (  2223-5567) to Manuel Antonio leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6 and 9am, noon, and 2:30, 6, and 7:30pm from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 16 between avenidas 1 and 3. Trip duration is 31\u20442 hours; the fare is C3,785. These buses go all the way to the park entrance and will drop you off at any of the hotels along the way.\n\nRegular buses (  2223-5567) to Quepos leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6, 7, 9, and 10am, and 12, 2, 2:20, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7:30pm. Trip duration is 4 hours; the fare is C3,530. These buses stop in Quepos. From here, if you're staying at one of the hotels on the road to Manuel Antonio, you must take a local bus or taxi to your hotel.\n\nGray Line (  2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has one daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 8am. The return bus leaves at 3pm for San Jos\u00e9. Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses that leave San Jos\u00e9 for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 7:30am and 2:30pm. Return buses leave at 8am and 1pm. Both companies charge $40 one-way and will pick you up at most San Jos\u00e9\u2014and Manuel Antonio\u2014area hotels and also offer connections to various other popular destinations around Costa Rica.\n\nBuses leave Puntarenas for Quepos daily at 5, 8, and 11am and 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm. The ride takes 2 hours; the fare is C1,635.\n\nMany of the buses for Quepos stop to unload and pick up passengers in Playa de Jac\u00f3. If you're in Jac\u00f3 heading toward Manuel Antonio, you can try your luck at one of the covered bus stops out on the Interamerican Highway (see \"Playa de Jac\u00f3, Playa Hermosa & Playa Herradura,\" earlier in this chapter).\n\nWhen you're ready to depart, the Quepos bus station (  2777-0263) is next to the market, which is 3 blocks east of the water and 2 blocks north of the road to Manuel Antonio. Express buses to San Jos\u00e9 leave daily at 4, 6, and 9:30am, noon, and 2:30 and 5pm. Local buses to San Jos\u00e9 (duration is 4 hr.) leave at 5, 6, and 10am, noon, and 2 and 4:45pm.\n\n  Profitable Palms\n\nOn any drive to or from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, you will pass through miles and miles of African palm plantations. Native to West Africa, Elaeis guineensis was planted along this stretch in the 1940s by United Fruit, in response to a blight that was attacking their banana crops. The palms took hold and soon proved quite profitable, being blessed with copious bunches of plumsize nuts that are rich in oil. This oil is extracted and processed in plantations that dot the road between Jac\u00f3 and Quepos. The smoke and distinct smell of this processing is often easily noticed. The processed oil is eventually shipped overseas and used in a wide range of products, including soaps, cosmetics, lubricants, and food products.\n\nThese plantations are a major source of employment in the area\u2014note the small, orderly \"company towns\" built for workers\u2014but their presence is controversial. The palm trees aren't native, and the farming practices are thought by some to threaten Costa Rica's biodiversity.\n\nIn the busy winter months, tickets sell out well in advance, especially on weekends; if you can, purchase your ticket several days in advance. However, you must buy your Quepos-bound tickets in San Jos\u00e9 and your San Jos\u00e9 return tickets in Quepos. If you're staying in Manuel Antonio, you can buy your return ticket for a direct bus in advance in Quepos, and then wait along the road to be picked up. There is no particular bus stop; just make sure you are out to flag down the bus and give it time to stop\u2014you don't want to be standing in a blind spot when the bus comes flying around a tight corner.\n\nBuses for Puntarenas leave daily at 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30am and 12:30, 3, and 5:30pm. Any bus headed for San Jos\u00e9 or Puntarenas will let you off in Playa de Jac\u00f3.\n\nOrientation Quepos is a small port city at the mouth of the Boca Vieja Estuary. If you're heading to Manuel Antonio National Park, or any hotel on the way to the park, after crossing the bridge into town, take the lower road (to the left of the high road). In 4 blocks, turn left, and you'll be on the road to Manuel Antonio. This road winds through town a bit before starting over the hill to all the hotels and the national park.\n\nGetting Around A taxi between Quepos and Manuel Antonio (or any hotel along the road toward the park) costs between C3,500 and C4,000, depending upon the distance. At night or if the taxi must leave the main road (for hotels such as La Mariposa, Parador, Makanda, and Arenas del Mar), the charge is a little higher. If you need to call a taxi, dial   2777-3080 or 2777-0425. Taxis are supposed to use meters, although this isn't always the case. If your taxi doesn't have a meter, or the driver won't use it, try to negotiate in advance. Ask your hotel desk what a specific ride should cost, and use that as your guide.\n\nThe bus between Quepos and Manuel Antonio (  2777-0318) takes 15 minutes each way and runs roughly every half-hour from 5:30am to 9:30pm daily. The buses, which leave from the main bus terminal in Quepos, near the market, go all the way to the national park entrance before turning around and returning. You can flag down these buses from any point on the side of the road. The fare is C210.\n\nYou can also rent a car from Adobe (  2777-4242), Alamo\/National (  2777-3344), Economy (  2777-5260), or Hertz (  2777-3365) for around $45 to $90 a day. All have offices in downtown Quepos or Manuel Antonio, but with advance notice, someone will meet you at the airport with your car for no extra charge.\n\nIf you rent a car, never leave anything of value in it unless you intend to stay within sight of the car at all times. Car break-ins are common here. A couple of parking lots just outside the park entrance cost around $3 for the entire day. You should definitely keep your car in one of these while exploring the park or soaking up sun on the beach. And although these lots do offer a modicum of protection and safety, you still should not leave anything of value exposed in the car. The trunk is probably safe, though.\n\nFast Facts The telephone number of the Quepos Hospital is   2777-0922. In the event of an emergency, you can also call the Cruz Roja (Red Cross;   2777-0116). For the local police, call   2777-1511.\n\nThe post office (  2777-1471) is in downtown Quepos. Several pharmacies are in Quepos, as well as a pharmacy at the hospital, and another close to the park entrance. A half-dozen or so laundromats and laundry services are in town.\n\nSeveral major Costa Rican banks have branches and ATMs in downtown Quepos, and a couple of ATMs have sprung up along the road to the national park. An ample array of Internet cafes can be found around Quepos and along the road to Manuel Antonio, and many hotels have them as well.\n\nExploring the National Park\n\nManuel Antonio is a small park with three major trails. Most visitors come primarily to lie on a beach and check out the white-faced monkeys, which sometimes seem as common as tourists. A guide is not essential here, but unless you're experienced in rainforest hiking, you'll see and learn a lot more with one. A 2- or 3-hour guided hike should cost between $25 and $50 per person. Almost any of the hotels in town can help you set up a tour of the park. Bird-watchers might want to book a tour with Ave Natura (  2777-0973), a local tour agency that specializes in birding. If you decide to explore the park on your own, see the trail map on the inside front cover of this book.\n\nA Manuel Antonio National Park trail.\n\nEntry Point, Fees & Regulations The park (  2777-5185) is closed on Monday but is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7am to 4pm year-round. The entrance fee is $10 per person. The principal park entrance is at Playa Espadilla, the beach at the end of the road from Quepos. To reach the park station, you must cross a small, sometimes polluted stream that's little more than ankle-deep at low tide but that can be knee- or even waist-deep at high tide. It's even reputed to be home to a crocodile or two. For years there has been talk of building a bridge over this stream; in the meantime you'll have to either wade it or pay a boatman a small voluntary tip for the very quick crossing. Just over the stream and over a small rise is a small ranger station. Another ranger station is inland at the end of the side road that leads off perpendicular to Playa Espadilla just beyond Marlin Restaurant.\n\nMINAE, the national ministry that oversees the park, has been frustratingly inconsistent about which entrance visitors must use. As of this writing, tickets are being sold only at the inland entrance. The trail from here begins with about 20 to 30 minutes of hiking along an often muddy access road before you get to the beach and principal park trails. If this is still the situation when you visit, I recommend buying your ticket here, then heading back to the principal beach entrance to begin your exploration of the park. Note: The Parks Service allows only 600 visitors to enter each day, which could mean that you won't get in if you arrive in midafternoon during the high season. Camping is not allowed.\n\nThe Beaches Playa Espadilla Sur (as opposed to Playa Espadilla, which is just outside the park; see \"Hitting the Water,\" below) is the first beach within the actual park boundaries. It's usually the least crowded and one of the best places to find a quiet shade tree to plant yourself under. However, if there's any surf, this is also the roughest beach in the park. If you want to explore further, you can walk along this soft-sand beach or follow a trail through the rainforest parallel to the beach. Playa Manuel Antonio, which is the most popular beach inside the park, is a short, deep crescent of white sand backed by lush rainforest. The water here is sometimes clear enough to offer good snorkeling along the rocks at either end, and it's usually fairly calm. At low tide, Playa Manuel Antonio shows a very interesting relic: a circular stone turtle trap left by its pre-Columbian residents. From Playa Manuel Antonio, another slightly longer trail leads to Puerto Escondido, where a blowhole sends up plumes of spray at high tide.\n\n  Helping Out\n\nIf you want to help efforts in protecting the local environment and the severely endangered squirrel monkey (mono titi), make a donation to the Mono Titi Alliance (  2777-2306; www.monotiti.org), an organization supported by local businesses and individual donors, or to Kids Saving The Rainforest (  2777-2592; www.kidssavingtherainforest.org), which was started in 1999 by a couple of local children.\n\nThe Hiking Trails From either Playa Espadilla Sur or Playa Manuel Antonio, you can take a circular loop trail (1.4km\/0.9-mile) around a high promontory bluff. The highest point on this hike, which takes about 25 to 30 minutes round-trip, is Punta Catedral \u2605\u2605, where the view is spectacular. The trail is a little steep in places, but anybody in average shape can do it. I have done it in sturdy sandals, but you might want to wear good hiking shoes. This is a good place to spot monkeys, although you're more likely to see a white-faced monkey than a rare squirrel monkey. Another good place to see monkeys is the trail inland from Playa Manuel Antonio. This is a linear trail and mostly uphill, but it's not too taxing. It's great to spend hours exploring the steamy jungle and then take a refreshing dip in the ocean.\n\nFinally, a trail connects Puerto Escondido and Punta Surrucho, which has some sea caves. Be careful when hiking beyond Puerto Escondido: What seems like easy beach hiking at low tide becomes treacherous to impassable at high tide. Don't get trapped.\n\nHitting the Water\n\nBeaches Outside the Park Playa Espadilla, the gray-sand beach just outside the park boundary, is often perfect for board surfing and bodysurfing. At times it's a bit rough for casual swimming, but with no entrance fee, it's the most popular beach with locals and visiting Ticos. Some shops by the water rent boogie boards and beach chairs and umbrellas. A full-day rental of a beach umbrella and two chaise lounges costs around $10. (These are not available inside the park.) This beach is actually a great spot to learn how to surf, because several open-air shops renting surfboards and boogie boards are along the beachfront road. Rates run $5 to $10 per hour, and around $20 to $30 per day. If you want a lesson, I recommend the Manuel Antonio Surf School (  2777-4842; www.masurfschool.com), which has a kiosk on the road to Manuel Antonio.\n\nPlaya Espadilla Sur.\n\nBoating, Kayaking, Rafting & Sportfishing Tours Iguana Tours (  2777-2052; www.iguanatours.com) is the most established and dependable tour operator in the area, offering river rafting, sea kayaking, mangrove tours, and guided hikes.\n\nThe above company, as well as Rios Tropicales (  2777-4092; www.aventurash2o.com), offer full-day rafting trips for around $85 to $110. Large multiperson rafts are used during the rainy season, and single-person \"duckies\" are broken out when the water levels drop. Both of the above companies also offer half-day rafting adventures and sea-kayaking trips for around $65. Depending on rainfall and demand, they will run either the Naranjo or Savegre rivers. I very much prefer the Savegre River \u2605\u2605 for its stunning scenery.\n\nWhite-water rafting the Savegre River.\n\nAnother of my favorite tours in the area is a mangrove tour of the Damas Island estuary. These trips generally include lunch, a stop on Damas Island, and roughly 3 to 4 hours of cruising the waterways. You'll see loads of wildlife. The cost is usually around $60 to $80.\n\nA Damas Island boat tour.\n\nAmong the other boating options around Quepos\/Manuel Antonio are excursions in search of dolphins and sunset cruises. Iguana Tours and Planet Dolphin \u2605 ( \/fax 2777-1647; www.planetdolphin.com) offer these tours for $75 per person, depending upon the size of the group and the length of the cruise. Most tours include a snorkel break and, if lucky, dolphin sightings. Jungle Coast Jets (  2777-1706; www.junglecoastjets.com) offers 2-hour jet-ski tours for $95 per person. This tour plies the same waters and includes some snorkeling and the possibility of a dolphin encounter.\n\nA Planet Dolphin sailing tour.\n\nQuepos is one of Costa Rica's billfish centers, and sailfish, marlin, and tuna are all common in these waters. In the past year or so, fresh and brackish water fishing in the mangroves and estuaries has also become popular. If you're into sportfishing, try hooking up with Blue Fin Sportfishing (  2777-0000; www.bluefinsportfishing.com) or Luna Tours Sportfishing (  2777-0725; www.lunatours.net). A full day of fishing should cost between $550 and $1,800, depending on the size of the boat, distance traveled, tackle provided, and amenities. With so much competition here, it pays to shop around.\n\nScuba Diving & Snorkeling Oceans Unlimited \u2605 (  2777-3171; www.oceansunlimitedcr.com) offers both scuba diving and snorkel outings, as well as certification and resort courses. Because of river run-off and often less-than-stellar visibility close to Quepos, the best trips involve some travel time. Tours around Manuel Antonio run $95 per person for a two-tank scuba dive, and $220 for a four-person snorkel.\n\nHowever, Isla del Ca\u00f1o is only about a 90-minute ride each way. This is one of the best dive sites in Costa Rica, and I highly recommend it. Trips to Isla del Cano are $139 for snorkeling and $189 for two-tank scuba diving.\n\nOther Activities in the Area\n\nATV If you want to try riding a four-wheel ATV (all-terrain vehicle), check in with the folks at Fourtrax Adventure (  2777-1829; www.fourtraxadventure.com). Their principal tour is a 4-hour adventure through African palm plantations, rural towns, and secondary forest to a jungle waterfall, where you stop for a dip. You cross several rivers and a long suspension bridge. Either breakfast or lunch is served, depending on the timing. The cost is $95 per ATV. A second rider on the same ATV costs $30.\n\nBiking If you want to do some mountain biking while you're here, contact Estrella Tour (  2777-1286) in downtown Quepos. These folks offer a number of different guided tours according to skill level, for between $45 and $75 per day, as well as multiday expeditions.\n\nButterfly Garden Fincas Naturales\/The Nature Farm Reserve \u2605 is the centerpiece attraction here, but there is also a private reserve and a small network of well-groomed trails through the forest. A 1-hour guided tour of the butterfly garden costs $20 per person. This is also a good place to do a night tour ($39).\n\nA butterfly at Fincas Naturales.\n\nCanopy Adventures The most adventurous local canopy tour is by Canopy Safari \u2605 (  2777-0100; www.canopysafari.com), which features 18 treetop platforms connected by a series of cables and suspension bridges. Adventurers use a harness-and-pulley system to \"zip\" between platforms, using a leather-gloved hand as their only brake. The Titi Canopy Tour (  2777-3130; www.titicanopytours.com) is a similar but mellower setup. A canopy tour should run you between $50 and $70 per person.\n\nAbout 20 minutes outside of Quepos is Rainmaker Nature Refuge (  2777-3565; www.rainmakercostarica.org). The main attraction here is a system of connected suspension bridges strung through the forest canopy, crisscrossing a deep ravine. Of the six bridges, the longest is 90m (295 ft.) across. The refuge also has a small network of trails and some great swimming holes. The refuge is open daily from 7am to 5pm. The entrance fee is $15 and $10 additional for a guided tour.\n\nHorseback Riding While you can still sometimes find locals renting horses on the beaches outside the national park, I discourage this, as there are just too many crowds, the beach is too short, and the droppings are a problem. Better yet, head back into the hills and forests. Both Finca Valmy (  2779-1118; www.valmytours.com) and Brisas del Nara (  2779-1235; www.horsebacktour.com) offer horseback excursions that pass through both primary and secondary forest and feature a swimming stop or two at a jungle waterfall. Full-day tours, including breakfast and lunch, cost between $55 and $90 per person. Finca Valmy also offers an overnight tour for serious riders, with accommodations in rustic, but cozy cabins in the Santa Maria de Dota mountains.\n\nSoothe Your Body & Soul The best of the local day spas are Raindrop Spa (  2777-2880; www.raindropspa.com), Spa Uno \u2605 (  2777-2607; www.spauno.com), and Serenity Spa \u2605 at the Hotel S\u00ed Como No. A wide range of treatments, wraps, and facials are available at all of the above.\n\nSivana Yoga (  2777-3899 or 8899-2987; www.sivanayoga.com) has open classes ($12) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8am in the event center at Hotel Costa Verde. Private classes are also offered.\n\nSpice Up Your Life Located 16km (10 miles) outside of Quepos, Villa Vanilla \u2605\u2605 (  2779-1155 or 8839-2721; www.rainforestspices.com) offers an informative and tasty tour of their open-air botanical gardens and spice farm. Their on-site commercial vanilla operation is the centerpiece of the show, but you'll also learn about a host of other tropical spices and other assorted flora. You'll even sample some sweet and savory treats and drinks made with the on-site bounty. The half-day guided tour runs daily at 9am and 1pm, and costs $50, including round-trip transportation from any area hotel. Be sure to stock up at their small shop, which offers pure vanilla, cinnamon, and locally grown pepper.\n\nTake a Tour on the Tico Side \u2605 For a good taste of local Tico rural culture, mixed in with some fabulous scenery and adventure, sign up for the Santa Juana Mountain Tour (  2777-0850). This full-day tour takes you to a local farming village about an hour outside of Quepos. Depending upon your needs and interests, you can tour coffee and citrus farms, take part in carbon-offset tree planting, hike the trails, swim in rainforest pools, fish for tilapia, see how sugar cane is processed, and\/or ride horseback. A typical Tico lunch is included.\n\nBird's Eye Viewing If you want a really good view of Manuel Antonio's spectacular scenery, you might sign up with the folks at Costa Rica Flying Boat (  2777-9208 or 8368-1426), who offer ultralight flights out of Quepos. A 20-minute flight runs around $80.\n\nAnother good option for getting high and enjoying the scenery is to go parasailing. The folks at Aguas Azules (  2777-9193; www.costaricaparasailing.com) set up shop every morning on Playa Espadilla and offer parasailing tows behind a speedboat. A 15-minute ride costs $75, while a 30-minute jaunt will cost just $140.\n\n  Yo Quiero Hablar Espa\u00f1ol\n\nEscuela D'Amore ( \/fax 2777-0233; www.academiadamore.com) runs language-immersion programs out of a former hotel with a fabulous view on the road to Manuel Antonio. A 2-week conversational Spanish course, including a homestay and two meals daily, costs $845. Or you can try the Costa Rica Spanish Institute (COSI;   2234-1001 or 2777-0021; www.cosi.cocr), which charges $1,570 for a similar 2-week program with a homestay.\n\nShopping\n\nIf you're looking for souvenirs, you'll find plenty of beach towels, beachwear, and handmade jewelry in a variety of small shops in Quepos and at impromptu stalls down near the national park.\n\nFor higher-end gifts, check out Hotel S\u00ed Como No's Reg\u00e1lame (www.regalameart.com) gift shop, which has a wide variety of craft works, clothing, and original paintings and prints. Finally, one of my favorite shops from Jac\u00f3 has a branch in Manuel Antonio.\n\nDowntown Quepos.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nTake care when choosing your accommodations in Quepos\/Manuel Antonio. You won't have much luck finding a hotel where you can walk directly out of your room and onto the beach as Manuel Antonio has very few true beachfront hotels. In fact, most of the nicer hotels here are 1km (1\u20442 mile) or so away from the beach, high on the hill overlooking the ocean.\n\nIf you're traveling on a rock-bottom budget, you'll get more for your money by staying in Quepos and taking the bus to the beaches at Manuel Antonio. The rooms in Quepos might be small, but they're generally cleaner and more appealing than those available in the same price category closer to the park.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Bella Vista Villas and Casas (www.buenavistavillas.net;   866\/569-6241 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2777-0580 in Costa Rica) is a current incarnation of the former Tulemar Resort, and, after years of ups and downs, they've finally got this superbly located property running in good shape.\n\nIf you're coming for an extended stay with your family or a large group, look into Escape Villas \u2605\u2605 (www.escapevillas.com;   800\/340-2407 in the U.S., or 2777-5258 in Costa Rica), which rents a broad selection of very large and luxurious private villas with all the amenities and some of the best views in Manuel Antonio.\n\nArenas del Mar \u2605\u2605\u2605   This place has it all\u2014direct beach access, a rainforest setting, fabulous views, and luxurious accommodations. Designed and built by the folks behind Finca Rosa Blanca, Arenas del Mar is deeply committed to sustainability. Not all rooms have ocean views, so be sure to specify if you want one. However, all are spacious, with cool tile floors and stylish decorative accents. Most have outdoor Jacuzzi tubs on private balconies. The apartments are immense two-bedroom, three-bathroom affairs with a kitchenette, perfect for families and longer stays. The restaurant, lobby, and main pool are set on the highest point of land here, and several spots have fabulous views of Manuel Antonio's Punta Catedral. Note: The beautiful patch of beach right in front of Arenas has for decades been the town's de facto nude beach. Those who might find this offensive can walk farther down the beach or stick to the pools.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.arenasdelmar.com.  \/fax 2777-2777. 38 units. $320 double; $490 suite; $770 2-bedroom apt. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; snack bar; babysitting; concierge; 2 small outdoor pools; room service; spa. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nGaia Hotel & Reserve \u2605\u2605 This hotel features chic, postmodern design and decor, with large, well-equipped rooms, tons of amenities, and personalized serv-ice. Set on a hilly private reserve, the rooms, spa, and restaurant are housed in a series of tall, blocky buildings. The large rooms all have wooden floors, contemporary furnishings, plasma-screen televisions with complete home theater systems, and elaborate bathrooms with massive Jacuzzi tubs. Each guest is assigned a personal concierge and gets 20 minutes of free spa services. The deluxe suites feature a private rooftop terrace, with a reflecting pool, and shaded lounge chairs. The spa is extensive and well-run, with a wide range of treatment options and free daily yoga classes. Despite the over-the-top luxury here, this hotel is dedicated to sustainable and green tourism practices and was granted \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.gaiahr.com.   800\/226-2515 in the U.S., or 2777-9797 in Costa Rica. Fax 2777-9126. 20 units. $260\u2013$330 double; $440\u2013$495 suite; $840 Gaia suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. No children 15 and under. Amenities: Restaurant, bar; concierge; small gym; multilevel outdoor pool; room service; extensive spa. In room: A\/C, TV\/DVD, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel S\u00ed Como No \u2605\u2605     This local favorite is a lively, upscale, midsize resort that blends in with and respects the rainforests and natural wonders of Manuel Antonio. The hotel is equally suited to families traveling with children and to couples looking for a romantic getaway. All the wood used is farm-grown, and while the rooms have energy-efficient air-conditioning units, guests are urged to use them only when necessary. The standard rooms are quite acceptable, but it's worth the splurge for a superior or deluxe room or a suite. Most of these are on the top floors of the two- to three-story villas, with spectacular treetop views out over the forest and onto the Pacific. The deluxe suites have lots of space and large garden bathrooms, some of which have private Jacuzzis. This hotel has earned \"5 Leaves\" in the CST Sustainable Tourism program, and the parent organization, Green Hotels of Costa Rica, was honored in 2009 as a corporate leader in sustainability by the Rainforest Alliance.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.sicomono.com.   2777-0777. Fax 2777-1093. 52 units. $205\u2013$290 double; $315\u2013$375 suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. Extra person $30. Children 5 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; babysitting; concierge; 2 Jacuzzis; 2 midsize outdoor pools, including 1 w\/small water slide; all rooms smoke-free; modest spa, Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, hair dryer, minibar.\n\nMakanda by the Sea \u2605\u2605 A wonderful collection of studio apartments and private villas, Makanda is a great option for anyone looking for an intimate, romantic getaway in Manuel Antonio. If you combine villa no. 1 with the three studios, you get one very large four-bedroom villa, great for a family or a small group (although children 15 and under are not allowed, unless you rent out the entire hotel). Every choice comes with a full kitchenette, cable television, MP3 docking station, and either a terrace or a balcony. The grounds are well tended, and intermixed with tropical flowers and Japanese gardens. A full breakfast is delivered to your room each morning. The hotel's pool and Jacuzzi combine intricate and colorful tile work with a view of the jungle-covered hillsides and the Pacific Ocean. The hotel is set in thick forest, and, despite the name, is a hefty hike\u2014or short drive\u2014from the beach.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.makanda.com.   888\/625-2632 in the U.S., or 2777-0442 in Costa Rica. Fax 2777-1032. 11 units. $265 studio; $400 villa. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; concierge; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; room service; massage and spa services. In room: TV, kitchenette, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nExpensive\n\nHotel Parador \u2605\u2605 This hotel is spread out over more than 4.8 hectares (12 acres) of land on a low peninsula. The main building here is loaded with antiques, including 17th-century Dutch and Flemish oil paintings, a 300-year-old carved wooden horse, a 16th-century church and castle doors, and an amazing, museum-quality massive model ship. The spacious suites are located in a tall building on the top of a hill, giving a good view of the sea and Punta Catedral in the distance; the \"Vista Suites\" are the highest rooms here and have the best views. Despite being a large, resort-style hotel, this place has earned \"5 Leaves\" in the CST Sustainable Tourism program. The new executive chef here has also really improved the dining experience at all of the hotel's restaurants, especially its sushi bar and Nuevo Latino options.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.hotelparador.com.   877\/506-1414 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2777-1414 in Costa Rica. Fax 2777-1437. 129 units. $195\u2013$235 double; $300\u2013$325 premium; $450 suite; $975 presidential suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. Rates slightly higher during peak weeks; significantly lower in off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; babysitting; concierge; health club and spa; Jacuzzi; 3 outdoor pools, including one large free-form pool w\/swim-up bar and central fountain; room service; unlit outdoor tennis court. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nKarah\u00e9 The Karah\u00e9 is one of the original beachfront hotels in Manuel Antonio. If you stay in one of the more expensive beachfront units, you'll have a plain room with tile floors, two double beds, and a small patio. The least-expensive rooms are just off the reception area and offer neither views nor easy access to the ocean. Be aware that if you opt for one of the villas, you'll have a steep uphill climb from the beach; on the other hand, a couple of these have great views. The lush gardens have flowering ginger that often attracts hummingbirds. The hotel can arrange a wide variety of tours and charters, including sportfishing. Karah\u00e9 is located on both sides of the road about 450m (1,476 ft.) before you reach Playa Espadilla.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.karahe.com.   2777-0170. Fax 2777-1075. 33 units. $113\u2013$170 double. Rates include continental breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels mentioned below, the Best Western Kamuk Hotel (www.kamuk.co.cr;   2777-0811) and La Sirena Hotel (www.lasirenahotel.com;   2777-0572) are two dependable options right in downtown Quepos. Both are popular with sportfishing enthusiasts.\n\nEl Mono Azul Hotel   On the road to Manuel Antonio, just outside Quepos, the \"Blue Monkey\" offers clean and comfortable rooms at a good price. The more expensive rooms feature air-conditioning and\/or a small television with cable. The villas have red-tile floors, separate sitting rooms, and a kitchenette. One room even has a Jacuzzi tub. Though all the rooms are rather spartan, the place has a lively, hostel-like vibe. The owners are active in a children's arts program aimed at helping preserve the local rainforest and the endangered squirrel monkey. In fact, 10% of your bill goes to this program. The restaurant\/pizzeria here is quite popular. Staff can arrange longer-term rentals of fully equipped apartments and villas.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.monoazul.com.   800\/381-3578 in the U.S., or 2777-2572 in Costa Rica. Fax 2777-1954. 31 units. $60\u2013$85 double; $140 villa. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge; 3 small outdoor pools. In room: A\/C, TV, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Costa Verde \u2605 Costa Verde has rooms in a wide range of sizes and prices. The best rooms here have ocean views, kitchenettes, private balconies, and loads of space; some of these don't have air-conditioning, but feature huge screened walls to encourage cross ventilation. The enormous penthouse suite has a commanding view of the spectacular surroundings. The most unique option here is the 727 Fusilage suite, a 2-bedroom affair inside the converted fuselage of an old jet airliner. Three small pools are set into the hillside, with views out to the ocean, and the hotel has a couple of miles of private trails through the rainforest. Some of the buildings are quite a hike from the hotel's reception and restaurants, so be sure you know exactly what type of room you'll be staying in and where it's located.\n\nManuel Antonio.   866\/854-7958 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2777-0584 in Costa Rica. Fax 2777-0560. www.costaverde.com. 75 units. $115\u2013$174 double; $500 727 Fusilage suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants; 4 bars; 3 small outdoor pools. In room: A\/C (in some units), TV (in some units), Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Verde Mar \u2605 This hotel is a great choice for proximity to the national park and the beach, and I recommend it much more than the similarly priced hotel Karah\u00e9. From your room, it's just a short walk to the beach (Playa Espadilla) via a raised wooden walkway. All the rooms here have plenty of space, nice wrought-iron queen-size beds, tile floors, a desk and chair, a fan, and a small porch. All but two of the rooms come with a basic kitchenette. Some of the larger rooms even have two queen-size beds. The hotel has no restaurant, but plenty are within walking distance. When the surf is too rough you can enjoy the small pool here.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.verdemar.com.   2777-1805. Fax 2777-1311. 24 units. $110 double; $125 suite. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; small outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C, kitchenette (in some), no phone.\n\nVillas Nicol\u00e1s \u2605 These large villas offer a lot of bang for your buck. Built as terraced units up a steep hill in deep forest, they really give you the feeling that you're in the jungle. Most are quite large and well appointed, with wood floors, throw rugs, and comfortable bathrooms; some rooms even have separate living rooms and full kitchenettes, which make longer stays comfortable. My favorite features, though, are the balconies, which come with sitting chairs and a hammock. Some of these balconies are massive and have incredible views. In fact, the rooms highest up the hill have views that I'd be willing to pay a lot more for, and a few of them even have air-conditioning. During the high season, the hotel opens an informal restaurant\/bar near the pool that serves breakfast and sometimes lunch and dinner, depending on demand.\n\nManuel Antonio. www.villasnicolas.com.   2777-0481. Fax 2777-0451. 19 units. $115 double; $175 suite. Weekly, monthly, and off-season (May\u2013Nov) rates available. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: A\/C (in some units), fridge.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the place listed below, the Widemouth Frog (www.widemouthfrog.org;   2777-2798) is a hostel option in downtown Quepos, which even has its own swimming pool.\n\nHotel Malinche A good choice for budget travelers, the Hotel Malinche has consistently been my top choice in this category right in Quepos. The standard rooms are small but have hardwood or tile floors and clean bathrooms. Some of those on the second floor even have small private balconies that open on to a small interior courtyard. The more expensive rooms are larger and have air-conditioning, TVs, and carpets.\n\nHalf-block west of downtown bus terminal, Quepos.   2777-3723. Fax 2777-0093. 24 units. $30\u2013$60 double. AE, MC, V. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nScores of dining options are available around Manuel Antonio and Quepos, and almost every hotel has some sort of restaurant. For the cheapest meals around, try a simple soda in Quepos, or head to one of the open-air joints on the beach road before the national park entrance. The standard Tico menu prevails, with prices in the $4-to-$8 range. Of these, Marlin Restaurant (  2777-1134), right in front of Playa Espadilla, and Mar Luna (  2777-5107), on the main road just beyond Hotel La Colina, are your best bets. For simple pasta, pizzas, and Italian gelato, head to Pizza de Marco (  2777-9400; in the Plaza Yara shopping center). For Tex-Mex cuisine, margaritas and a sports bar scene, you can head to Jefe's Restaurante y Cantina at the Hotel Plinio (  2777-0055; www.hotelplinio.com), or for more traditional Mexican-style cooking, try the new Sancho's (  2777-0340), across from the Barba Roja. In addition to the places listed below, another good option, on the outskirts of Quepos, is Mi Lugar, or \"Ronny's Place\" (  2777-5120).\n\nFor a taste of the high life, head to La Luna \u2605 restaurant at Gaia Hotel & Reserve for their sunset tapas menu. The views are great and the creative tapas are very reasonably priced.\n\nFinally, one of my favorite hangouts has always been Caf\u00e9 Milagro \u2605\u2605 (  2777-1707; www.cafemilagro.com), a homey coffeehouse and gift shop with two locations in the area. The folks here roast their own beans and also have a mail-order service to keep you in Costa Rican coffee year-round. The menu includes a daily selection of freshly baked sweets, simple sandwiches, and breakfast items, and a wide range of coffee drinks. You'll find local art for sale on the walls and a good selection of Cuban cigars and international newspapers, too. The original storefront is located just over the bridge on your left as you enter Quepos, and another branch is on the main road to Manuel Antonio, right across from the turnoff for Hotel La Mariposa.\n\nExpensive\n\nAgua Azul \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL With a fabulous perch and panoramic view, this open-air restaurant serves up fresh fish, and what can best be described as upscale bar food. Tables by the railing fill up fast, so get here well before sunset if you want to snag one. Start things off with a Tuna Margarita, an inventive version of ceviche with a lime-and-tequila marinade. Main dishes include coconut-crusted mahimahi and panko-crusted tuna. For lunch are giant burgers and fresh fish sandwiches. The long wooden bar is a popular hangout, and a good place to order up some appetizers and drinks.\n\nManuel Antonio, near Villas del Parque.   2777-5280. www.cafeaguaazul.com. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $15\u2013$21. V. Thurs\u2013Tues 11am\u201310pm.\n\nEl Avi\u00f3n SEAFOOD\/INTERNATIONAL Set on the edge of Manuel Antonio's hillside with a great view of the ocean and surrounding forests, this restaurant is housed under some permanent tents and the starboard wing of a retired army transport plane, hence the name El Avi\u00f3n, which means \"the Plane.\" This specific plane was actually shot down by the Sandinista army, leading to a scandal that uncovered illegal CIA supply missions to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Today you can enjoy a wide range of seafood and steaks as you take in the unique surroundings and glow of history. However, food quality and service are inconsistent here\u2014I've had both excellent and roundly disappointing meals\u2014although the setting never falters. Inside the fuselage you'll also find a small bar.\n\nManuel Antonio.   2777-3378. www.elavion.net. Reservations recommended. Main courses C4,700\u2013C25,000. AE, MC, V. Daily noon to 10pm.\n\nEl Patio Bistro Latino \u2605\u2605\u2605 NUEVO LATINO\/FUSION This relaxed, yet refined restaurant is an outgrowth of the popular coffeehouse and roasting company Caf\u00e9 Milagro. The same attention to detail and focus on quality carries over here. By day, you can get a wide range of coffee drinks and specialties, as well as full breakfasts, fresh-baked sweets, and a variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, and light lunch dishes. By night, things get more interesting. The menu features inventive main dishes that take advantage of local ingredients and various regional culinary traditions. Fresh mahimahi comes steamed in a banana leaf with a spicy mojo, and the tenderloin features a tamarind glaze and is served over roasted local yuca puree. You may even find some of their home-roasted coffee used as an ingredient in a glaze, sauce, or dessert.\n\nOn the road btw. Quepos and Manuel Antonio.   2777-0794. www.elpatiobistrolatino.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C6,000\u2013C8,500. AE, MC, V. Daily 6am\u201310pm.\n\nKapi Kapi \u2605\u2605 FUSION\/NUEVO LATINO This place features elegant understated Asian-influenced decor and an inventive wide-ranging menu. At night, the ample, open-air dining room is candlelit and romantic. Start things off with the Asian-spice glazed baby back ribs or some seared fresh yellow-fin tuna. Or, save the seared tuna for your main course, where it comes encrusted in peppercorns and served with a green papaya salad. For a sample of local flavors, order up the grilled shrimp, which are served on sugar-cane skewers, with a glaze made from local rum, tamarind, and coconut. For dessert try their hot chocolate souffl\u00e9. These folks have an excellent and very fairly priced wine list, as well.\n\nOn the road btw. Quepos and Manuel Antonio.   2777-5049. www.restaurantekapikapi.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses C14,000\u2013C17,000. MC, V. Daily 4\u201310pm.\n\nSunspot Bar & Grill \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL Dining by candlelight under a purple canvas tent at one of the few poolside tables here is one of the most romantic dining experiences to be had in Manuel Antonio. The menu changes regularly but features prime meats and poultry and fresh fish, excellently prepared. The rack of lamb might get a light jalape\u00f1o-mint or mango chutney, and the chicken breast might be stuffed with feta cheese, kalamata olives, and roasted red peppers and topped with a blackberry sauce. The menu also includes nightly specials and a good selection of salads, appetizers, and desserts.\n\nAt Makanda by the Sea.   2777-0442. Reservations recommended. Main courses C4,000\u2013C15,000. MC, V. Daily noon\u201310pm.\n\nModerate\n\nBarba Roja SEAFOOD\/INTERNATIONAL Perched high on a hill with stunning views over jungle and ocean, the Barba Roja has long been one of the more popular restaurants in Manuel Antonio, although mostly for its lively ambience and stellar location, as the food and service can be inconsistent. The most current incarnation here features a creative fusion menu and sushi bar. The interior is done with local hardwoods and bamboo, which gives the open-air dining room a warm glow. You can sit for hours taking in the view or the stars on the outdoor patio. A gallery attached to the restaurant displays original art by local artists.\n\nManuel Antonio.   2777-0331. www.barbarojarestaurant.com. Reservations recommended in high season. Main courses C5,900\u2013C8,800. AE, MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun 10am\u201310pm; Mon 4\u201310pm.\n\nEl Gran Escape \u2605\u2605 SEAFOOD This Quepos landmark is consistently one of the top restaurants in the area. The fish is fresh and expertly prepared, portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable. If that's not enough of a recommendation, the atmosphere is lively, the locals seem to keep coming back, and the service is darn good for a beach town in Costa Rica. Sturdy wooden tables and chairs take up the large indoor dining room, and sportfishing photos and an exotic collection of masks fill up the walls. If you venture away from the fish, the menu features hearty steaks and giant burgers; the wide assortment of delicious appetizers, includes fresh tuna sashimi, and an excellent breakfast menu. El Gran Escape's Fish Head Bar is usually crowded and spirited, and if there's a game going on, it will be on the television here.\n\nOn the main road into Quepos, on your left just after the bridge.   2777-0395. www.elgranescape.com. Reservations recommended in high season. Main courses $5\u2013$20. Wed\u2013Mon 8am\u201311pm.\n\nManuel Antonio After Dark\n\nThe bars at the Barba Roja restaurant, about midway along the road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, and the Hotel S\u00ed Como No are good places to hang out and meet people in the evenings. To shoot some pool, I head to the Billfish Sportbar & Grill \u2605 at the Byblos Resort (on the main road btw. Quepos and the park entrance). For tapas and local bocas, try Salsipuedes (roughly midway along the road btw. Quepos and the National Park entrance), which translates as \"get out if you can.\" If you want live music, Bambu Jam \u2605 (along the road btw. Quepos and the park entrance; www.bambujam.com) and Dos Locos (in the heart of downtown) are your best bets. In downtown Quepos, Los Pescadores, Sargento Garcia's, Wacky Wanda's, and the Fish Head Bar at El Gran Escape are all popular hangouts.\n\nNight owls and dancing fools have several choices here, although the bulldozing of Mar y Sombra down by the beach has really hurt the scene. The live music at Bambu Jam is often salsa and merengue, perfect for dancing. For real late-night action, the local favorite appears to be the Arco Iris, just before the bridge heading into town. Admission is usually around $3.\n\nThe Hotel Kamuk in Quepos and the Byblos Resort on the road to Manuel Antonio both have small casinos and will even foot your cab bill if you try your luck and lay down your money. If you want to see a flick, check what's playing at Hotel S\u00ed Como No's little theater, although you have to eat at the restaurant or spend a minimum at the bar to earn admission.\n\nEn Route to Dominical: Playa Matapalo\n\nPlaya Matapalo is a long expanse of flat beach that's about midway between Quepos and Dominical. It's an easy but bumpy 26km (16 miles) south of Quepos on the Costanera Sur. It's nowhere near as developed as either of those two beaches, but that's part of its charm. The beach here seems to stretch on forever, and it's usually deserted. The surf and strong riptides frequently make Matapalo too rough for swimming, although surfing and boogie-boarding can be good. Foremost among this beach's charms are peace and quiet.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nMatapalo is a tiny coastal village, although the actual beach is about 1km (1\u20442 mile) away. A few very small and intimate lodges are located right on the beach. One of the more interesting is Bahari Beach Bungalows (www.baharibeach.com;   2787-5014), which offers deluxe tents with private bathrooms, and more standard rooms, right on the beach, or Dreamy Contentment (www.dreamycontentment.com;   2787-5223), a more traditional beachfront hotel. El Coquito del Pacifico hotel (www.elcoquito.com;   2787-5028) has a restaurant popular with tourists and locals alike.\n\nDominical \u2605\n\n29km (18 miles) SW of San Isidro; 42km (26 miles) S of Quepos; 160km (99 miles) S of San Jos\u00e9\n\nWith a stunning setting, and miles of nearly deserted beaches backed by rainforest-covered mountains, Dominical and the coastline south of it are excellent places to find uncrowded stretches of sand, spectacular views, remote jungle waterfalls, and abundant budget lodgings. The beach at Dominical itself is one of the prime surf destinations in Costa Rica, with both right and left beach breaks. When the swell is big, the wave here is a powerful and hollow tube, and the town is often packed with surfers. In fact, while the beach at Dominical gets broad, flat, and beautiful at low tide, its primary appeal is to surfers. It is often too rough for casual bathers. However, you will find excellent swimming, sunbathing, and strolling beaches just a little farther south at Dominicalito, Playa Hermosa, and inside Ballena Marine National Park \u2605\u2605.\n\nLeaving Manuel Antonio, the road south to Dominical runs by mile after mile of oil-palm plantations. However, just before Dominical, the mountains again meet the sea. From Dominical south, the coastline is dotted with tide pools, tiny coves, and cliff-side vistas. Dominical is the largest village in the area and has several small lodges both in town and along the beach to the south. The village enjoys an enviable location on the banks of R\u00edo Bar\u00fa, right where it widens considerably before emptying into the ocean. The banks of the river and throughout the surrounding forests offer good birding. Along the coast and rivers, you're likely to see numerous shore and sea birds, including herons, egrets, and kingfishers, while the forests are home to colorful and lively tanagers, toucans, and trogons.\n\nA campground in Dominical.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regular service is in Quepos (see \"Essentials\" under \"Manuel Antonio National Park,\" earlier in this chapter). From there you can hire a taxi, rent a car, or take the bus.\n\nBy Car: The traditional route from San Jos\u00e9 involves heading east out of town (toward Cartago), and then south on the Interamerican Highway (CR2) to the city of San Isidro de El General. From San Isidro, a well-marked and well-traveled route (CR243) leads to Dominical and the coast. The entire drive takes about 4 hours.\n\nHowever, it's faster and easier to take the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27) west to Orotina. Just past the toll booth at Pav\u00f3n, this road connects with the Costanera Sur (CR34), or Southern Coastal Highway. The exit is marked for Jac\u00f3 and CR34. From here, it's a straight and flat shot down the coast. When you reach Quepos, follow the signs for Dominical. This route should take you just over 3 hours.\n\nThe Costanera Sur (CR34) heading south from Dominical to Palmar Norte, passing all the beaches mentioned below, is in excellent shape.\n\nBy Bus: To reach Dominical, you must first go to San Isidro de El General or Quepos. Buses leave San Jos\u00e9 for San Isidro roughly every hour between 4:30am and 5:30pm. See \"Getting There & Departing\" in \"San Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park,\" later in this chapter. The trip takes 3 hours; the fare is C2,705. The main bus stop in Dominical is in the heart of town, near the soccer field and San Clemente restaurant.\n\nFrom Quepos, Transportes Blanco buses (  2771-4744) leave daily at 5:30 and 11:30am, and 3:30pm. The trip is 11\u20442 hours and costs C1,800.\n\nFrom San Isidro de El General, Transportes Blanco buses (  2771-4744) leave for Dominical at 7, 9, and 11:30am, and 3:30 and 4pm. The bus station in San Isidro for rides to Dominical is 1 block south of the main bus station and 2 blocks west of the church. Trip duration is 11\u20442 hours; the fare is C1,240.\n\nWhen you're ready to leave, buses depart Dominical for San Isidro at 6 and 7am and 1, 2, and 4:30pm. Buses leave San Isidro for San Jos\u00e9 roughly every hour between 5:30am and 5:30pm. Buses to Quepos leave Dominical at approximately 8:30am and 1 and 4pm.\n\nOrientation Dominical is a small village on the banks of the R\u00edo Bar\u00fa. The village is to the right after you cross the bridge (heading south) and stretches out along the main road parallel to the beach. As you first come into town, you'll see the small Pueblo Del Rio shopping center dead ahead of you, where the road hits a \"T\" intersection. On your left is the soccer field and the heart of the village. To the right, a rough road heads to the river and up along the riverbank. If you stay on the Costanera Highway heading south, just beyond the turnoff into town is a little strip mall, Plaza Pac\u00edfica, with a couple of restaurants, a pharmacy, bank, and a grocery store.\n\nFast Facts You can purchase stamps and send mail from the San Clemente Bar & Grill. In the little mall built beside this restaurant, you'll also find an Internet cafe, and they'll change dollars. A small branch of the Banco de Costa Rica, with an ATM, is in the Plaza Pacifica.\n\nTaxis tend to congregate in front of the soccer field. If you need a car, Solid Rental Car (  2787-0111; www.solidcarrental.com) will arrange drop-off and pickup at any area hotel.\n\nExploring the Beaches South of Dominical & Ballena Marine National Park\n\nThe open ocean waters just in front of town and toward the river mouth are often too rough for swimming. However, you can swim in the calm waters of the R\u00edo Bar\u00fa, just in from the river mouth, or head down the beach a few kilometers to the little sheltered cove at Roca Verde.\n\nIf you have a car, you should continue driving south, exploring beaches as you go. You will first come to Dominicalito, a small beach and cove that shelters the local fishing fleet and can be a decent place to swim, but continue on a bit. You'll soon hit Playa Hermosa, a long stretch of desolate beach with fine sand. As in Dominical, this is unprotected and can be rough, but it's a nicer place to sunbathe and swim than Dominical.\n\nDominicalito.\n\nAt the village of Uvita, 16km (10 miles) south of Dominical, you'll reach the northern end of the Ballena Marine National Park \u2605\u2605, which protects a coral reef that stretches from Uvita south to Playa Pi\u00f1uela and includes the little Isla Ballena, just offshore. To get to Playa Uvita (which is inside the park), turn in at the village of Bah\u00eda and continue until you hit the ocean. The beach here is actually well protected and good for swimming. At low tide, an exposed sandbar allows you to walk about and explore another tiny island. This park is named for the whales that are sometimes sighted close to shore in the winter months. If you ever fly over this area, you'll also notice that this little island and the spit of land that's formed at low tide compose the perfect outline of a whale's tail. An office at the entrance here regulates the park's use and even runs a small turtle-hatching shelter and program. Entrance to the national park is $10 per person. Camping is allowed here for $2 per person per day, including access to a public restroom and shower.\n\nBallena Marine National Park.\n\nDominical is a major surf destination. The long and varied beach break here is justifiably popular. In general, the beach boasts powerful waves best suited for experienced surfers. Nevertheless, beginners should check in with the folks at the Green Iguana Surf Camp (  2787-0157 or 8825-1381; www.greeniguanasurfcamp.com), who offer lessons and comprehensive \"surf camps.\" Rates run around $695 to $1,255 per person, based on double occupancy, for a 1-week program including accommodations, lessons, unlimited surfboard use, transportation to various surf breaks, and a T-shirt.\n\nOther Activities in the Area\n\nSeveral local farms offer horseback tours through forests and orchards, and some of these farms offer overnight accommodations. Hacienda Bar\u00fa \u2605 (  2787-0003; fax 2787-0057; www.haciendabaru.com) offers several different hikes and tours, including a walk through mangroves and along the riverbank (for some good bird-watching), a rainforest hike through 80 hectares (198 acres) of virgin jungle, an all-day trek from beach to mangrove to jungle that includes a visit to some Indian petroglyphs, an overnight camping trip, and a combination horseback-and-hiking tour. The operation, which is dedicated to conservation and reforestation, even has tree-climbing tours and a small canopy platform 30m (98 ft.) above the ground, as well as one of the more common zip-line canopy tours. Tour prices range from $20 for the mangrove hike to $98 for the jungle overnight. If you're traveling with a group, you'll be charged a lower per-person rate, depending on the number of people. In addition to its eco- and adventure tourism activities, Hacienda Bar\u00fa also has six comfortable cabins with two bedrooms each, full kitchens, and even a living room (prices range from $65 to $85 for a double, including breakfast). Hacienda Bar\u00fa is about 1.5km (1 mile) north of Dominical on the road to Manuel Antonio.\n\nThe jungles just outside of Dominical are home to two spectacular waterfalls. The most popular and impressive is the Santo Cristo or Nauyaca Waterfalls \u2605, a two-tiered beauty with an excellent swimming hole. Most of the hotels in town can arrange for the horseback ride up here, or you can contact Don Lulo (  2787-8013; www.cataratasnauyaca.com) directly. A full-day tour, with both breakfast and lunch, should cost around $85 per person, including transportation to and from Dominical. The tour is a mix of hiking, horseback riding, and hanging out at the falls. It is also possible to reach these falls by horseback from an entrance near the small village of Tinamaste. (You will see signs on the road.) Similar tours (at similar prices) are offered to the Diamante Waterfalls, which are a three-tiered set of falls with a 360m (1,180-ft.) drop, but not quite as spacious and inviting a pool as the one at Santo Cristo.\n\nNauyaca Waterfalls.\n\nIf you're looking for a bird's-eye view of the area, Skyline Ultralights (  2743-8037; www.ultralighttour.com) offers a variety of airborne tours of the area. Near the beach in Uvita, these folks offer options ranging from a 20-minute introductory flight for $110 to a roughly hour-long circuit exploring the Ballena Marine National Park and neighboring mangrove forests for $235.\n\nIf you want to take a scuba-diving trip out to the rocky sites off Ballena National Park or all the way out to Isla del Ca\u00f1o, call Mystic Dive Center (  2786-5217; www.mysticdivecenter.com), which has its main office in a small roadside strip mall down toward Playa Tortuga and Ojochal. These folks are only open from December 1 through April 15, and prices for Ballena National Park are $65 for snorkeling and $95 for a two-tank dive; prices for Isla del Ca\u00f1o are $95 for snorkeling and $145 for a two-tank dive.\n\nFor sportfishing, I recommend the folks at Sportfishing Dominical (  2787-8012; www.sportfishingdominical.co.cr), who are based out of the hotel Cuna del Angel.\n\nOther adventure activities offered in Dominical include kayak tours of the mangroves, river floats in inner tubes, day tours to Ca\u00f1o Island and Corcovado National Park, and sportfishing. To arrange any of these activities, check in with Dominical Adventures (  2787-0431; www.dominicalsurfadventures.com), Southern Expeditions (  2787-0100; www.southernexpeditionscr.com), or the folks at the Hotel Roca Verde (  2787-0036; www.rocaverde.net).\n\nA basilisk lizard.\n\nFor a fun side trip for anyone interested in snakes and other little critters, head to Parque Reptilandia \u2605\u2605 (  2787-0343; www.crreptiles.com), a few miles outside Dominical on the road to San Isidro. In my opinion, this is the best snake and reptile attraction in Costa Rica. With more than 55 well-designed and spacious terrariums and enclosed areas, the collection includes a wide range of snakes, frogs, turtles, and lizards, as well as crocodiles and caimans. Some of my favorite residents here are the brilliant eyelash pit viper and sleek golden vine snake. Both native and imported species are on display, including the only Komodo dragon in Central America. For those looking to spice up their visit, Fridays are feeding days. It's open daily from 9am to 4:30pm; admission is $10.\n\nFinally, if you're looking to learn or bone up on your Spanish, Adventure Education Center (  800\/237-2730 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2787-0023 in Costa Rica; www.adventurespanishschool.com), located right in the heart of town, offers a variety of immersion-style language programs. A standard, 1-week program including 20 hours of class, homestay, and breakfasts and dinners costs $460.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, a host of beautiful private homes on the hillsides above Dominical regularly rent out rooms. Most come with several bedrooms and full kitchens, and quite a few have private pools. If you're here for an extended stay and have a four-wheel-drive vehicle (a must for most of these), check in with Paradise Costa Rica (www.paradisecostarica.com;   800\/708-4552 in the U.S. and Canada) or with the folks at Cabinas San Clemente or Hotel Roca Verde (see below for both of these).\n\nExpensive\n\nCascadas Farallas Waterfall Villas \u2605\u2605   Although not on the beach, this boutique hotel is truly special. Set in deep, lush forest on the edge of a beautiful jungle waterfall, the villas here are plush and luxurious, and loaded with beautiful art and striking architectural details. Most are two-room affairs that can be rented whole or split up. Several rooms feature Jacuzzi tubs, and all come with a fabulous rainforest and\/or waterfall view balcony. This place frequently functions as a wellness retreat center, and has daily yoga classes. Fabulous healthy meals are served, and those on vegetarian, vegan, and even raw food diets are well-cared for.\n\n8km (5 miles) northeast of Dominical, on the road to San Isidro. www.waterfallvillas.com.   2787-8378. 6 units. $115\u2013$225 double. Rates include breakfast and a welcome glass of wine. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n\nModerate\n\nDomilocos This place offers basic, comfortable rooms at a reasonable price. Rooms are simply furnished and on the plain side, with bamboo furnishings, air-conditioning, and large bathrooms. All open onto a common veranda. In the small, central garden area, you'll find a large Jacuzzi. Since it's about 1 block inland from the beach, this hotel has an isolated location; still, the restaurant and bar are both popular here, so things can get lively.\n\nDominical. www.domilocos.com.   2787-0244. 25 units. $75 double. Rates include breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi. In room: A\/C, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Diuwak This little complex offers the best-equipped rooms right near the surf break, although that's definitely not saying much. The rooms are spartan, but bright. About half the rooms come with air-conditioning, and a few suites and bungalows are for larger groups and families. Most have some sort of private or semiprivate veranda. A refreshing pool is at the center of the complex. About 50m (164 ft.) inland from the beach, this place is a decent option for surfers seeking a little extra comfort just steps away from the waves. However, service and upkeep can be very spotty here.\n\nDominical. www.diuwak.com.   2787-0087. Fax 2787-0089. 36 units. $65\u2013$160 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool. In room: Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Roca Verde \u2605 This popular hotel offers the best beachfront accommodations in Dominical. Located a bit south of town, the setting is superb\u2014on a protected little cove with rocks and tide pools. The rooms are in a two-story building beside the swimming pool. Each room comes with one queen-size and one single bed, and a small patio or balcony. A large open-air restaurant with a popular bar really gets going on Saturday nights. The rooms are a bit close to the bar, so it can sometimes be hard to get an early night's sleep, especially during the high season if the bar is raging.\n\n1km (1\u20442 mile) south of Bar\u00fa River Bridge in Dominical, just off the coastal hwy. www.rocaverde.net.   2787-0036. 9 units. $85 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, no phone.\n\nPacific Edge \u2605 This place is away from the beach, but the views from the individual bungalows are so stunning that you might not mind. Spread along a lushly planted ridge on the hillside over Dominical, the hotel features four individual wooden cabins. Their best feature is the private porch with a comfortable hammock in which to laze about and enjoy the sweeping views. The restaurant serves breakfast, and dinners are served upon request. A wide range of tours and activities also can be arranged here, and there's a refreshing swimming pool. Pacific Edge is 4km (21\u20442 miles) south of Dominical, and then another 1.2km (3\u20444 mile) up a steep and rocky road; four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended.\n\nDominical. www.pacificedge.info.  \/fax 2787-8010. 4 units. $70\u2013$100 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; midsize outdoor pool. In room: Minifridge, no phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nAs a popular surfer destination, budget lodgings abound in Dominical. I've tried to list the best below, but if you're really counting pennies, it's always a good idea to walk around and check out what's currently available. Another good budget option is Montanas de Agua (  2787-0200), about a block and a half inland from the beach, across from Domilocos. There are plenty of camping options as well. I recommend Piramys (piramys@hotmail.com;   2787-0196) or Camping Antorchas (www.campingantorchas.net;   2787-0307), both of which offer basic rooms very close to the beach.\n\nCabinas San Clemente   In addition to running the town's most popular restaurant and serving as the social hub for the surfers, beach bums, and expatriates passing through, this place offers a variety of accommodations to fit most budgets. Located about 1km (1\u20442 mile) from the in-town restaurant, San Clemente has rooms in three separate buildings, right on the beach. Some of the second-floor rooms have wood floors and wraparound verandas and are a good deal in this price range. The grounds are shady and have plenty of hammocks. The cheapest rooms are bunk-bed hostel-style affairs in a separate building dubbed the Dominical Backpacker's Hostel. Rooms here come with access to a communal kitchen.\n\nDominical.   2787-0026 or 2787-0055. Fax 2787-0063. 21 units, 12 with private bathroom. $10 per person with shared bathroom; $30\u2013$40 double with private bathroom. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nTortilla Flats This long-standing surfer hotel is another good budget option on the beach. The several styles of rooms include options with fans, rooms with air-conditioning, and larger rooms fitted out for groups of surfers. I recommend the second-floor rooms with ocean views. Because the rooms differ so much in size and comfort levels, you should definitely take a look at a few of them before choosing one.\n\nDominical. www.tortillaflatsdominical.com.  \/fax 2787-0033. 18 units. $30\u2013$45 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nOn the beach, Tortilla Flats (  2787-0033) is the best and most happening spot, and their menu features some excellent fresh-fish dishes and a touch of fusion cuisine. If you head a bit south of town, you can check out the restaurant at the Hotel Roca Verde, which is usually pretty good for grilled fish, steaks, and burgers.\n\nSoda Nanyoa (  2787-0164) is a basic Tico restaurant on the main road, just down a bit from the soccer field, serving local food and fresh seafood at good prices.\n\nCoconut Spice \u2605\u2605 THAI\/INDIAN Near the mouth of the river, this place continues to serve up excellent and reasonably authentic Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Indian cuisine. The lemon-grass soup and pad Thai are both excellent. Chicken, pork, and shrimp are all served up in a selection of red, green, yellow, and Panang curry sauces. The open-air dining room has wood floors and paneling, heavy wooden tables and chairs, and a smattering of Asian decorations.\n\nIn the Pueblo del Rio shopping complex, Dominical.   2787-0073 or 8829-8397. Reservations recommended during the high season. Main courses $10\u2013$20. MC, V. Daily 1\u20139pm.\n\nMaracut\u00fa \u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/VEGETARIAN This open-air roadside restaurant has a lively party scene. The heart of the menu is vegetarian and vegan cuisine, but they also serve up some fish and seafood dishes. Much of the food here is locally grown and organic. For starters, you can get a range of Middle Eastern standards, such as falafel and tabouli, as well as delicious homemade guacamole, and fresh yuca chips. The menu also has a range of large, filling salads and pasta dishes. I also recommend the fresh seared tuna or the coconut shrimp baked in a rich and creamy coconut milk and butter sauce. Most nights feature either live music or a DJ and dancing.\n\nAcross from the soccer field, Dominical.   2787-0091. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $4.50\u2013$11. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201311pm.\n\nSan Clemente Bar & Grill \u2605\u2605 MEXICAN\/AMERICAN The large wooden tables and bench seats at this convivial place fill up fast most nights. The menu has a large selection of Mexican-American fare ranging from tacos and burritos to sandwiches. You can get any of the former with fresh fish. There are also more substantial plates, as well as nightly specials and excellent breakfasts. Just off the restaurant is a large indoor space that has a pool and foosball table, and which becomes one of the town's more popular nightspots, particularly on Fridays. An interesting (and sobering) decorative touch here is the ceiling full of broken surfboards. If you break a board out on the waves, bring it in; they'll hang it and even buy you a bucket of beer.\n\nNext to the soccer field, Dominical.   2787-0055. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $3.50\u2013$8. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201310pm.\n\nDominical's coastline.\n\nDominical After Dark\n\nThe big party scenes shift from night to night. Maracut\u00fa hosts an open jam session every Sunday and a ladies' night every Wednesday. The loud and late-night dancing scene usually takes place Fridays at San Clemente and Saturdays at Roca Verde; see above for info. In addition, Thrusters in the center of town is a popular surfer bar with pool tables and dartboards, and the bar at Rio Lindo Resort, which is several hundred meters inland along the R\u00edo Bar\u00fa, has a mellow scene, with occasional concerts.\n\nSouth of Dominical\n\nThe beaches south of Dominical are some of the nicest and most unexplored in Costa Rica. With the paving of the Costanera Sur, hotels and cabinas have begun popping up all along this route. This is a great area to roam in a rental car\u2014it's a beautiful drive \u2605\u2605. One good itinerary is to make a loop from San Isidro to Dominical, down the Costanera Sur, hitting several deserted beaches, and then returning along the Interamerican Highway.\n\nAmong the beaches you'll find are Playa Ballena, Playa Uvita, Playa Pi\u00f1uela, Playa Ventanas, and Playa Tortuga. Tip: Most of these beaches are considered part of Ballena Marine National Park and are subject to the national park entrance fee of $6 per person. If you're visiting several of these beaches in 1 day, save your ticket\u2014it's good at all of them.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed here, you'll find a campground at Playa Ballena and a couple of basic cabinas in Bah\u00eda and Uvita. The best of these is the Tucan Hotel (www.tucanhotel.com;   2743-8140), with a mix of private rooms and dorm accommodations and a friendly hostel-like vibe.\n\nHowever, if you want to be closer to the beach, check out Canto de Ballenas (www.hotelcantoballenas.com;   2743-8085), an interesting local cooperative with neat rooms located about .7km (a little less than a half-mile) from the national park entrance at Playa Uvita.\n\nJust south of Dominical, on a point over Dominicalito beach, La Parcela (www.laparcela.net;   2787-0016) offers up four simple, but ideally located individual cabins that sleep up to four people, for $100, per night, while the nearby Coconut Grove (www.coconutgrovecr.com;   2787-0130) offers a mix of cottages and guesthouses with direct access to Dominicalito, for between $75 and $135 per double.\n\nExpensive\n\nCuna del Angel \u2605\u2605 This hotel has the plushest accommodations along this stretch of coast. The name of this place translates roughly as the Angel's Cradle. All rooms are named after angels, and angel motifs are abundant, as are stained-glass windows and lampshades, carved wood details, tile mosaics, and other artistic touches. The hotel is a bit set in, away from the ocean, but many rooms and common areas have pretty good sea views, over the thick forest and gardens here. Rooms come with either an open front patio fronting the pool, or a private balcony. I prefer the second-floor rooms, with the balconies. A wide range of treatments is available at the spa, and they have several well-equipped boats for deep-sea sportfishing. These folks were awarded \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\n9km (51\u20442 miles) south of Dominical, just off the coastal hwy. www.cunadelangel.com.   2787-8436. Fax 2787-8015. 23 units. $151\u2013$255 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; midsize outdoor pool; sauna; all rooms smoke-free; small spa. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.\n\n  Get the Scoop\n\nIf you're venturing south of Domincal, you might want to stop in at the Uvita Tourist Information Center (  2743-8072; www.uvita.info), right on the Costanera Sur, at the main intersection in Uvita. These folks are a wealth of knowledge, have a tour booking agency and rental car operation, and even function as the local branch of the Costa Rican post office, DHL, and UPS.\n\nLa Cusinga Lodge \u2605   La Cusinga is a wonderful, low-impact sustainable lodge, with a true commitment to environmental protection and education. This should be a top choice for bird-watchers and those looking for a comfortable lodge that also feels entirely in touch with the natural surroundings. The individual and duplex cabins feature lots of varnished woodwork and large screened windows on all sides for cross ventilation. The small complex is set on a hill overlooking Ballena National Park and Playa Uvita. Heavy stone paths connect the main lodge to the various individual cabins. The \"honeymoon cabin\" is large, with a private garden sitting area and a large bathroom with rustic stonemasonry and its own Jacuzzi tub. This place also has a beautiful, large yoga space and caters to yoga groups. They have an extensive recycling and wastewater treatment program, serve almost entirely organic and locally harvested foods, and used reforested lumber in all construction.\n\nBah\u00eda Ballena. www.lacusingalodge.com.  \/fax 2770-2549. 9 units. $150 double. Rates include breakfast. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n\nModerate\n\nCosta Paraiso Lodge This hotel offers spacious and functional individual rooms on a rocky point at the north end of Dominicalito beach. All but one of the units come with either a full kitchen or kitchenette, and most have high ceilings and plenty of light and ventilation. The Toucan Nest is the best room here, set off from the rest, with a private deck and great view of the ocean. There is a small swimming pool, as well as some beautiful tide pools in front of the hotel; the beach is a short walk away.\n\n2km (11\u20444 miles) south of Dominical, just off the coastal hwy., Dominicalito. www.costa-paraiso.com.   2787-0025. Fax 2787-0340. 5 units. $110\u2013$140 double. Rates include taxes. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, fridge, kitchenette (in some), no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Villas Gaia \u2605 Located off the Costanera Sur just before the town of Ojochal, this small hotel is a collection of separate, spacious wood bungalows. Each bungalow has one single and one double bed, a private bathroom, a ceiling fan, and a small veranda with a jungle view. I prefer the bungalows farthest from the restaurant, up on the high hill by the swimming pool. The pool area has wonderful views over the forest to the sea. A large, open-air dining room down by the parking lot is too close to the highway for my liking but serves tasty, well-prepared international fare. A wide range of tours are available, including trips to Isla del Ca\u00f1o, Corcovado National Park, and Wilson Botanical Gardens.\n\nPlaya Tortuga. www.villasgaia.com.  \/fax 2244-0316 reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2786-5044 at the lodge. 14 units. $80 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C ($10), no phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the places mentioned below, in Ojochal you'll also find the charming Ylang-Ylang (  2786-5054), which serves up Indonesian fare.\n\nCitrus Restaurante \u2605\u2605\u2605 BISTRO\/FUSION With an open, airy feel and sense of laid-back refinement, this is my favorite restaurant in the area. You'll find a broad mix of world cuisine on the bistro-style menu, with dishes showing influences as far flung as Asia, North Africa, and France. In addition to the fixed menu are daily blackboard specials, and rich, delicious desserts. You can start things off with wine-steamed mussels, some coconut-milk tuna ceviche, or a fresh salad with rich goat cheese and organic, homegrown garden herbs. This place serves up cool cocktails and fruit juices fit for the hot steamy climate here, and occasionally features live music on weekend nights.\n\nJust inland from the turnoff for Ojochal, in front of the Police station.   2786-5175. restocitrus@yahoo.ca. Reservations recommended. Main courses $8\u2013$22. MC, V. Daily 11am\u201310pm.\n\nExotica \u2605\u2605   FRENCH\/INTERNATIONAL This place is tucked away along one of the dirt roads that run through Ojochal. With polished concrete floors, bamboo screens for walls, and only a few tree-trunk slab tables and plastic lawn chairs for furniture, it is nonetheless one of the most popular restaurants in the area. The chalkboard menu changes regularly but might feature such dishes as shrimp in a coconut curry sauce or Chicken Exotica, which is stuffed with bacon, prunes, and cheese and topped with a red-pepper coulis. The lunch menu is much more limited, with a selection of fresh salads and a few more filling mains.\n\n1km (1\u20442 mile) inland from the turnoff for Ojochal.   2786-5050. Reservations recommended. Lunch $4\u2013$16; main courses $6\u2013$26. MC, V. Mon\u2013Sat 11am\u20139pm.\n\nLa Parcela SEAFOOD\/INTERNATIONAL This open-air restaurant has a lovely setting on a rocky bluff overlooking the ocean. Try to get one of the tables by the railing and you'll be able to watch the waves crashing on the rocks below. The menu features fresh seafood, meat, and poultry dishes, as well as a selection of pastas. Start things off with a tuna tartare tower, and then try either their fresh mahimahi with a mango relish, or the filet mignon in a porcini mushroom sauce. This place has a truly wonderful view, although the food and service can be inconsistent.\n\nAt Punto Dominical.   2787-0016. www.laparcela.net. Reservations recommended. Main courses C3,000\u2013C30,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am\u201310pm.\n\nSan Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park\n\n120km (74 miles) SE of San Jos\u00e9; 123km (76 miles) NW of Palmar Norte; 29km (18 miles) NE of Dominical\n\nSan Isidro de El General is just off the Interamerican Highway in the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains and is the largest town in this region. Although there isn't much to do right in town, this is the jumping-off point for trips to Chirrip\u00f3 National Park.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: The long and winding stretch of the Interamerican Highway between San Jos\u00e9 and San Isidro is one of the most difficult sections of road in the country. Not only are there the usual car-eating potholes and periodic landslides, but you must also contend with driving over the 3,300m (10,824-ft.) Cerro de la Muerte (Mountain of Death). This aptly named mountain pass is legendary for its dense afternoon fogs, blinding torrential downpours, steep drop-offs, severe switchbacks, and unexpectedly breathtaking views. (Well, you wanted adventure travel, so here you go!) Drive with extreme care, and bring a sweater or sweatshirt\u2014it's cold up at the top. It'll take you about 3 hours to get to San Isidro.\n\nTip: If you want a break from the road, stop for a coffee or meal at Mirador Valle del General (  8384-4685 or 2200-5465; www.valledelgeneral.com; at Km 119), a rustic roadside joint with a great view, gift shop, hiking trails, and orchid collection. These folks also have a few rustic cabins, as well as a zip-line canopy tour.\n\nBy Bus: Musoc buses (  2222-2422 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2771-3829 in San Isidro) leave from their terminal at Calle Central and Avenida 22 roughly hourly between 5:30am and 5:30pm. Tracopa (  2221-4214 or 2771-0468) also runs express buses between San Jos\u00e9 and San Isidro that leave 6 and 8:30am and 12:30, 2:30, 4, and 6:30pm from Calle 5, between avenidas 18 and 20. Whichever company you choose, the trip takes a little over 3 hours, and the fare is roughly C2,705. Return buses depart San Isidro for San Jos\u00e9 roughly every hour between 4:30am and 5:30pm.\n\nBuses from Quepos to San Isidro leave daily at 5:30 and 11:30am and 3:30pm. Trip duration is 3 hours; the fare is C2,015. Buses to or from Golfito and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez will also drop you off in San Isidro.\n\nOrientation Downtown San Isidro is just off the Interamerican Highway. A large church fronts the central park, and you'll find several banks, and a host of restaurants, shops, and hotels within a 2-block radius of this park. The main bus station is 2 blocks west of the north end of the central park.\n\n  Little Devils\n\nIf you're visiting the San Isidro area in February, head out to the nearby Rey Curr\u00e9 village for the Fiesta of the Diablitos, where costumed Boruca Indians perform dances representative of the Spanish conquest of Central America. The 3-day event also includes fireworks and an Indian handicraft market\u2014this is the best place in Costa Rica to buy hand-carved Boruca masks. The date varies, so it's best to call the Costa Rica Tourist Board (  866\/267-8274 in the U.S. and Canada) for more information.\n\nExploring Chirrip\u00f3 National Park \u2605\u2605\n\nAt 3,819m (12,526 ft.) in elevation, Mount Chirrip\u00f3 is the tallest mountain in Costa Rica. If you're headed up this way, come prepared for chilly weather. Actually, dress in layers and come prepared for all sorts of weather: Because of the great elevations, temperatures frequently dip below freezing, especially at night. However, during the day, temperatures can soar\u2014remember, you're still only 9 degrees from the equator. The elevation and radical temperatures have produced an environment here that's very different from the Costa Rican norm. Above 3,000m (9,840 ft.), only stunted trees and shrubs survive in p\u00e1ramos. If you're driving the Interamerican Highway between San Isidro and San Jos\u00e9, you'll pass through a p\u00e1ramo on the Cerro de la Muerte.\n\nHiking up to the top of Mount Chirrip\u00f3 is one of Costa Rica's best adventures. On a clear day (usually in the morning), an unforgettable view \u2605\u2605\u2605 is your reward: You can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from the summit. You can do this trip fairly easily on your own if you've brought gear and are an experienced backpacker. Although it's possible to hike from the park entrance to the summit and back down in 2 days (in fact, some daredevils even do it in 1 day), it's best to allow 3 to 4 days for the trip in order to give yourself time to enjoy your hike fully and spend some time on top, because that's where the glacier lakes and p\u00e1ramos are. For much of the way, you'll be hiking through cloud forests that are home to abundant tropical fauna, including the spectacular quetzal, Costa Rica's most beautiful bird. However, quetzal sightings on summit climbs are rare. If you really want to see one of these birds, head to one of the specialized lodges listed below.\n\nSeveral routes lead to the top of Mount Chirrip\u00f3. The most popular, by far, leaves from San Gerardo de Rivas. However, it's also possible to start your hike from the nearby towns of Herradura or Canaan. All these places are within a mile or so of each other, reached by the same major road out of San Isidro. San Gerardo is the most popular because it's the easiest route to the top and has the greatest collection of small hotels and lodges, as well as the National Parks office. Information on all of these routes is available at the parks office.\n\nWhen you're at the summit lodge, you have a number of hiking options. Just in front of the lodge are Los Crestones (the Crests), an impressive rock formation, with trails leading up and around them. The most popular, however, is to the actual summit (the lodge itself is a bit below), which is about a 2-hour hike that passes through the Valle de los Conejos (Rabbit Valley) and the Valle de los Lagos (Valley of Lakes). Other hikes and trails lead off from the summit lodge, and it's easy to spend a couple of days hiking around here. A few trails will take you to the summits of several neighboring peaks. These hikes should be undertaken only after carefully studying an accurate map and talking to park rangers and other hikers.\n\nMount Chirrip\u00f3.\n\nEntry Point, Fees & Regulations Although it's not that difficult to get to Chirrip\u00f3 National Park from nearby San Isidro, it's still rather remote. And to see it fully, you have to be prepared to hike. To get to the trail head, you have three choices: car, taxi, or bus. If you choose to drive, take the road out of San Isidro, heading north toward San Gerardo de Rivas, which is some 20km (12 miles) down the road. Otherwise, you can catch a bus in San Isidro that will take you directly to the trail head in San Gerardo de Rivas. Buses leave daily at 5am from the western side of the central park in San Isidro. It costs C425 one-way and takes 11\u20442 hours. Another bus departs at 2pm from a bus station 200m (656 ft.) south of the park. Buses return to San Isidro daily at 7am and 4pm. A taxi from town should cost around C7,000 to C10,000. Because the hike to the summit of Mount Chirrip\u00f3 can take between 6 and 12 hours, depending on your physical condition, I recommend taking a taxi or the early bus so that you can start hiking when the day is still young. Better still, you should arrive the day before and spend the night in San Gerardo de Rivas (there are inexpensive cabinas and one nice hotel there) before setting out early the following morning.\n\nBefore climbing Mount Chirrip\u00f3, you must make a reservation and check in with the National Parks office (  2742-5083) in San Gerardo de Rivas. The office is open from 6:30am to 4:30pm daily. Even if you have a reservation, I recommend checking in the day before you plan to climb. If you plan to stay at the lodge near the summit, you must make reservations in advance because accommodations are limited (see \"Staying at the Summit Lodge,\" below). Note that camping is not allowed in the park. It's possible to have your gear carried up to the summit by horseback during the dry season (Dec\u2013Apr). Guides work outside the park entrance in San Gerardo de Rivas. They charge between $20 and $30 per pack, depending on size and weight. In the rainy season, the same guides work, but they take packs up by themselves, not by horseback. The guides like to take up the packs well before dawn, so arrangements are best made the day before. The entrance fee to the national park is $15 per day.\n\n  Movin' On Up\n\nFrom San Gerardo de Rivas, the 14.5km (9-mile) trail to the summit lodge is well marked and well maintained. The early parts of the trail are pretty steep and will take you through thick cloud forests and rainforests. After about 7.5km (4.7 miles), you will reach the \"Water Ridge,\" a flat ridge that features a small shelter and water spigot. This is roughly the midway point to the lodge and a great place to take a break.\n\nFrom Water Ridge, three steep uphill sections remain: Cuesta de Agua (Water Hill), Monte Sin Fe (Mountain without Hope), and La Cuesta de los Arrepentidos (The Hill of Regret). As you continue to climb, you will notice the flora changing. The entire elevation gain for this hike is 2,200m (7,215 ft.). La Cuesta de los Arrepentidos, your final ascent, brings you to a broad flat valley, where you'll find the summit lodge. This hike can take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours, depending on how long you linger along the way.\n\nStaying at the Summit Lodge Reservations for lodging on the summit of Mount Chirrip\u00f3 must be made with the National Parks office listed above. This is an increasingly popular destination, and you must reserve well in advance during the dry season. The lodge holds only 30 people and fills up quickly and frequently. However, a few last-minute spaces are usually released each day on a first-come, first-served basis.\n\nOnce you get to the lodge, you'll find various rooms with bunk beds, several bathrooms and showers, and a common kitchen area. It has good drinking water. However, blankets, lanterns, and cookstoves are no longer for rent up top, so you have to pack all your own gear, as well as food and water (for the hike up). Note: It gets cold up here at night, and the lodge seems to have been designed to be as cold, dark, and cavernous as possible. The showers are freezing. It costs $10 per person per night to stay here.\n\nWarning: It can be dangerous for more inexperienced or out-of-shape hikers to climb Chirrip\u00f3, especially by themselves. It's not very technical climbing, but it is a long, arduous hike. If you're not sure you're up for it, you can just take day hikes out of San Isidro and\/or San Gerardo de Rivas, or ask at your hotel about guides.\n\n  Race to the Top\n\nIf simply climbing the tallest peak in Costa Rica is a bit too mundane for you, why not join the annual Carrera Campo Traviesa Al Cerro Chirrip\u00f3 (  2771-8731; www.carrerachirripo.com). Held the third or fourth Saturday of February, this is a grueling 34km (21-mile) race from the base to the summit and back. The record time, to date, is 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 3 seconds.\n\nOther Adventures in & Around San Isidro\n\nIf you want to undertake any other adventures while in San Isidro, contact Costa Rica Trekking Adventures (  2771-4582; www.chirripo.com), which offers organized treks through Chirrip\u00f3 National Park, as well as white-water rafting trips and other adventure tours and activities.\n\nJust 7km (41\u20443 miles) from San Isidro is Las Quebradas Biological Center (  2771-4131), a community-run private reserve with 2.7km (1.75 miles) of trails through primary rainforest. The rustic lodge for visitors and researchers is C20,000 per person (C11,500 per person, if part of group, including three meals), and camping is also permitted. You can hike the trails here and visit the small information center on-site for C1,500. From San Isidro, you can take a local bus to Quebradas, but you'll have to walk the last mile to the entrance. You can also take a taxi for around C5,000. If you're driving, take the road to Moraz\u00e1n and Quebradas.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat in San Isidro\n\nSan Isidro doesn't have much of a dining scene. Sure, the town has its fair share of local joints, but most visitors are content at their hotel restaurant; see below for ideas. If you do venture beyond your hotel, your first stop should be the local outpost of Citrus \u2605 (  2770-4816), which is next to the Hotel Diamante Real (www.hoteldiamantereal.com;   2770-6230), and offers up free Wi-Fi, along with its regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.\n\nHotel Los Crestones This two-story hotel is a few blocks south of downtown, and away from most of the traffic noise of this busy little city, although it is still on the main route that heads out of town toward Dominical. All rooms are relatively large and come with air-conditioning. The televisions, however, are pretty small. I recommend the units on the second floor, which share a broad tiled veranda. The hotel has a midsize outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi.\n\nSan Isidro de El General (southwest side of the stadium). www.hotelloscrestones.com.   2770-1200. Fax 2770-5047. 27 units. C25,500\u2013C30,000 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Stay Closer to the Trail Head\n\nIf you're climbing Mount Chirrip\u00f3, you'll want to spend the night as close to the trail head as possible. As mentioned above, several basic cabinas right in San Gerardo de Rivas charge between $10 and $20 per person. The best of these are El Descanso (  2742-5061), Casa Mariposa (www.hotelcasamariposa.net;   2742-5037), and Roca Dura (hotelrocadura@hotmail.com;   2742-5071). If you're looking for a little more comfort, check out El Pelicano (www.hotelpelicano.net;   2742-5050) or the hotels listed below.\n\nFor good general information on the tiny village and its surrounding area, check out www.sangerardocostarica.com.\n\nMonte Azul \u2605\u2605\u2605   This boutique hotel is artsy, chic, and luxurious. Set among lush gardens, the casitas are spacious and loaded with contemporary art. All feature a queen-size bed, kitchenette, and a private garden patio. Casa Palo Alto is a large two-bedroom villa on a high point of land, with its own swimming pool, massive living room, and fully equipped kitchen. A range of spa treatments is offered in the comfort of your room or villa, and meals at the hotel's Caf\u00e9 Blue restaurant are excellent, and focus on locally grown organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Various arts and crafts classes are regularly held, and the hotel has an extensive network of trails, as well as easy access to the relatively nearby Chirrip\u00f3 National Park.\n\nRivas, San Isidro. www.monteazulcr.com.   2742-5222. 6 units. $190 casita; $1,390 Casa Palo Alto. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; concierge; all rooms smoke-free. In room: No phone, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\n  Rest Your Weary Muscles Here\n\nIf you're tired and sore from so much hiking, be sure to check out the small Aguas Termales Gevi (  2742-5016), located off the road between San Gerardo de Rivas and Herradura. The entrance to these humble hot springs is 1km (1\u20442 mile) beyond San Gerardo de Rivas. There are two small pools here, as well as showers and changing rooms. The entrance fee is C2,800.\n\nTalari Mountain Lodge \u2605 This small mountain getaway is nothing fancy, but it is one of the nicer options right around San Isidro, and it also makes a good base for exploring the region or climbing Mount Chirrip\u00f3. The rooms are in two separate concrete-block buildings. Most come with one double and one single bed, although one room can handle a family of four in one double and two single beds. I prefer the four rooms that face the Talamanca Mountains. The grounds are planted with fruit trees and offer good bird-watching. (They've identified more than 222 bird species here.) The hotel borders the R\u00edo General and maintains some forest trails. Talari is 8km (5 miles) outside of San Isidro, and a staff member picks you up in town for free with advance notice. This lodge is also about 11km (63\u20444 miles) from San Gerardo de Rivas, so you'll probably have to arrange transportation to and from the park entrance if you plan on climbing Chirrip\u00f3.\n\nRivas, San Isidro. www.talari.cocr.  \/fax 2771-0341. 12 units. $72 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool and separate children's pool; indoor lit tennis court. In room: Fridge, no phone.\n\nCerro de la Muerte & San Gerardo de Dota: Where to See Quetzals in the Wild\n\nBetween San Jos\u00e9 and San Isidro de El General, the Interamerican Highway climbs to its highest point in Costa Rica and crosses over the Cerro de la Muerte (The Mountain of Death). About midway between San Isidro and Cartago, a deep valley descends toward the Pacific coast and the tiny town of San Gerardo de Dota. This area is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see quetzals. March, April, and May is nesting season for these birds, and this is usually the best time to see them. However, it's often possible to spot them year-round here. On my first visit here, during a 2-hour hike without a guide, my small group spotted eight of these amazing birds. I was hooked.\n\nIf you plan on spending any time in the region and want to take an organized tour, contact Santos Tours \u2605 (  8855-9386; www.santostour.net), a local, community tourism project that offers a range of active adventures, including waterfall hikes, coffee plantation tours, and even a canopy tour.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge \u2605 (www.dantica.com;   2740-1067) is a small collection of private bungalows in a beautiful forested setting near the town of San Gerardo de Dota.\n\nAlbergue Mirador de Quetzales This family-run lodge is also known as Finca Eddie Serrano. The rooms in the main lodge are quite basic, with wood floors, bunk beds, and shared bathrooms. Eight separate A-frames provide a bit more comfort and a private bathroom. Meals are served family-style in the main lodge. But quetzals, not comfort, are the main draw here, and if you come between December and May, you should have no trouble spotting plenty. The cloud forest has good hiking trails and the Serrano family are genial hosts and good guides. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of five volcanoes from the hotel's lookout\u2014but it's not clear that often.\n\nCarretera Interamericana Sur Km 70, about 1km (1\u20442 mile) down a dirt road from the hwy. www.elmiradordequetzales.com.  \/fax 8381-8456 or 2200-5915. 15 units. $50 per person. Rate includes breakfast and dinner, a 2-hr. tour, and taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone.\n\nSavegre Mountain Hotel \u2605 This working apple-and-pear farm, which also has more than 240 hectares (593 acres) of primary forest, has a well-earned reputation for superb bird-watching\u2014it's one of the best places in the country to see quetzals. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but spartan, but if you're serious about birding, this shouldn't matter. In addition to the quetzals, some 170 other species have been spotted here. Hearty Tico meals are served, and if you want to try your hand at trout fishing, you might luck into a fish dinner. The owners of this place are a local family dedicated to local conservation and community development efforts. You'll find the lodge 9km (51\u20442 miles) down a dirt road off the Interamerican Highway. This road is steep and often muddy, and four-wheel-drive is recommended, although not necessary.\n\nCarretera Interamericana Sur Km 80, San Gerardo de Dota. www.savegre.cocr.   2740-1028. Fax 2740-1027. 41 cabins. $186\u2013$265 double. Rates include all meals, nonalcoholic drinks, entrance to their reserve, and taxes. Rates slightly lower in the off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; Wi-Fi.\n\nTrogon Lodge \u2605   This is the most attractive and comfortable of the area's lodges. The rooms are still rather basic, but the grounds, setting, and overall decor are a bit nicer than at the lodges listed above. The rooms are all of good size, with wood floors and walls, a shared veranda, and one double and one twin bed. Room nos. 15 and 16 are my favorites; they are the farthest from the main lodge and have great views of the river. The family-style meals often feature fresh trout from their well-stocked trout ponds; as at Savegre Mountain Hotel, more than half the fun is catching it yourself. These folks also have their own little zip-line canopy tour.\n\nCarretera Interamericana Sur Km 80, San Gerardo de Dota. www.grupomawamba.com.   2293-8181 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2740-1051 at the lodge. Fax 2239-7657. 23 units. $79 double; $130 junior suite with Jacuzzi. A full meal package runs $24 per person. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge. In room: No phone.\n11\n\nThe Southern Zone\n\nClimbing a Strangler fig on the Psycho Tour.\n\nCosta Rica's southern zone is an area of jaw-dropping beauty, with vast expanses of virgin lowland rainforest, loads of wildlife, tons of adventure opportunities and few cities, towns, or settlements. Lushly forested mountains tumble into the sea, streams still run clear and clean, scarlet macaws squawk raucously in the treetops, and dolphins frolic in the Golfo Dulce. The Osa Peninsula is the most popular attraction in this region and one of the premier ecotourism destinations in the world. It's home to Corcovado National Park \u2605\u2605. Scattered around the edges of these national parks and along the shores of the Golfo Dulce are some of the country's finest nature lodges. These lodges, in general, offer comfortable to nearly luxurious accommodations, attentive service, knowledgeable guides, and a wide range of activities and tours, all close to the area's many natural wonders.\n\nBut this beauty doesn't come easy. You must have plenty of time (or plenty of money\u2014or, preferably, both) and a desire for adventure. It's a long way from San Jos\u00e9, and many of the most fascinating spots can be reached only by small plane or boat\u2014although hiking and four-wheeling will get you into some memorable surroundings as well. In many ways, this is Costa Rica's final frontier, and the cities of Golfito and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez are nearly as wild as the jungles that surround them. Tourism is still underdeveloped here, with no large resorts in this neck of the woods. Moreover, the heat and humidity are more than some people can stand. It's best to put some forethought into planning a vacation down here, and wise to book your rooms and transportation in advance.\n\nDrake Bay \u2605\u2605\n\n145km (90 miles) S of San Jos\u00e9; 32km (20 miles) SW of Palmar\n\nWhile Drake Bay remains one of the more isolated spots in Costa Rica, the small town located at the mouth of the R\u00edo Agujitas has boomed a bit in recent years. Most of that is due to the year-round operation of the small airstrip here, and the sometimes passable condition of the rough dirt road connecting Drake Bay to the coastal highway\u2014just a decade or so ago there was no road, and the nearest regularly functioning airstrip was in Palmar Sur. That said, the village of Drake Bay is still tiny, and the lodges listed here remain quiet and remote getaways catering to naturalists, anglers, scuba divers, and assorted vacationers. Tucked away on the northern edge of the Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay is a great place to get away from it all.\n\nThe bay is named after Sir Francis Drake, who is believed to have anchored here in 1579. Emptying into a broad bay, the tiny R\u00edo Agujitas acts as a protected harbor for small boats and is a great place to do a bit of canoeing or swimming. Many of the local lodges dock their boats and many dolphin and whale-watching tours leave from here. Stretching south from Drake Bay are miles of deserted beaches and dense primary tropical rainforest. Adventurous explorers will find tide pools, spring-fed rivers, waterfalls, forest trails, and some of the best bird-watching in all of Costa Rica. If a paradise such as this appeals to you, Drake Bay makes a good base for exploring the peninsula.\n\nSpotting a common dolphin.\n\nSouth of Drake Bay are the wilds of the Osa Peninsula, including Corcovado National Park. This is one of Costa Rica's most beautiful regions, yet it's also one of its least accessible. Corcovado National Park covers about half of the peninsula and contains the largest single expanse of virgin lowland rainforest in Central America. For this reason, Corcovado is well known among naturalists and researchers studying rainforest ecology. If you come here, you'll learn firsthand why they call them rainforests: Some parts of the peninsula receive more than 635cm (250 in.) of rain per year.\n\n  The Southern Zone's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nBosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge\n\nCasa Corcovado\n\nEl Remanso\n\nGolfo Dulce Lodge\n\nIguana Lodge\n\nLa Paloma Lodge\n\nLapa R\u00edos\n\nLuna Lodge\n\nPlaya Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge\n\nTiskita Jungle Lodge\n\nPuerto Jim\u00e9nez is the best base if you want to spend a lot of time hiking in and camping inside Corcovado National Park. Drake Bay is primarily a collection of mostly high-end hotels, very isolated and mostly accessible only by boat. Travelers using these hotels can have great day hikes and guided tours into Corcovado Park, but Puerto Jim\u00e9nez is the place if you want to have more time in the park or to explore independently. (It has budget hotels, the parks office, and \"taxi\/bus\" service to Carate and Los Patos, from which visitors can hike into the various stations.) From the Drake Bay side, you're much more dependent on a boat ride\/organized tour from one of the lodges to explore the park; these lodges offer many other guided outings in addition to visits to the park.\n\nEssentials\n\nBecause Drake Bay is so remote, I recommend that you have a room reservation and transportation arrangements (usually arranged with your hotel) before you arrive. Most of the lodges listed here are scattered along several kilometers of coastline, and it is not easy to go from one to another looking for a room.\n\nTip: A flashlight and rain gear are always useful to have on hand in Costa Rica; they're absolutely essential in Drake Bay.\n\nGetting There By Plane: Most people fly directly into the little airstrip at Drake Bay (no phone), although some tourists still fly to Palmar Sur: All lodges will either arrange transportation for you, or include it in their packages. Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) flies directly to Drake Bay daily at 9:50am and 3pm from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport. The return flights leave Drake Bay at 10:53am and 4pm. The flight takes 50 minutes; the fare is $133 each way. Flights also depart San Jos\u00e9 daily at 9:20 and 9:40am for Palmar Sur; the fare is $120 each way.\n\n  Helping Out\n\nIf you want to help local efforts in protecting the fragile rainforests and wild areas of the Osa Peninsula, contact the Corcovado Foundation (  2297-3013;www.corcovadofoundation.org) or the Friends of the Osa (  2735-5756; www.osaconservation.org).\n\nMoreover, if you're looking to really lend a hand, both of the aforementioned groups have volunteer programs ranging from trail maintenance to environmental and English-language education to sea-turtle-nesting protection programs.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has direct flights to Drake Bay departing daily from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas at 8:20 and 11:30am. The flight duration is 40 minutes; the fare is $105 to $134 each way. Return flights leave Drake Bay at 9:05am and 12:20pm. It also has a daily flight to Palmar Sur that departs at 9am and sometimes stops at Quepos en route. The flight takes a little over an hour, and the fare is $123 each way.\n\nIf your travels take you to Drake Bay via Palmar Sur, you must then take a 15-minute bus or taxi ride over dirt roads to the small town of Sierpe. This bumpy route runs through several banana plantations and quickly past some important archaeological sites. In Sierpe, you board a small boat for a 40km (25-mile) ride to Drake Bay; see \"By Taxi & Boat from Sierpe,\" below. The first half of this trip snakes through a maze of mangrove canals and rivers before heading out to sea for the final leg to the bay. Warning: Entering and exiting the Sierpe River mouth is often treacherous; I've had several very white-knuckle moments here.\n\nBy Bus: Tracopa buses (  2221-4214 or 2258-8939; www.tracopacr.com) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily for the southern zone throughout the day, between 5am and 6:30pm from Calle 5 between avenidas 18 and 20. Almost all stop in Palmar Norte, although be sure to ask. The ride takes around 6 hours; the fare is C4,850.\n\nOnce in Palmar Norte, ask when the next bus goes out to Sierpe. If it doesn't leave for a while (buses aren't frequent), consider taking a taxi.\n\nBy Taxi & Boat from Sierpe: When you arrive at either the Palmar Norte bus station or the Palmar Sur airstrip, you'll most likely first need to take a taxi to the village of Sierpe. The fare should be around $15. If you're booked into one of the main lodges, chances are your transportation is included. Even if you're not booked into one of the lodges, a host of taxi and minibus drivers offer the trip. When you get to Sierpe, head to the dock and try to find space on a boat. This should run you another $20 to $40. If you don't arrive early enough, you might have to hire an entire boat, which usually runs around $90 to $150 for a boat that can carry up to six passengers. Make sure that you feel confident about the boat and skipper, and, if possible, try to find a spot on a boat from one of the established lodges in Drake Bay.\n\nA flowering banana plant.\n\nBy Car: I don't recommend driving to Drake Bay. But if you insist, take the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27) to the first exit past the Poz\u00f3n toll booth, where you will pick up the Southern Highway or Costanera Sur (CR34). Take this south through Jac\u00f3, Quepos, and Dominical to Palmar Norte, where you'll meet up with the Interamerican Highway (CR2). Take this south to the turnoff for La Palma, Rinc\u00f3n, and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez (at the town of Chacarita; it's clearly marked). Then at Rinc\u00f3n, turn onto the rough road leading into Drake Bay. This road fords some 10 rivers and is often not passable during the rainy season. Moreover, it only reaches into the small heart of the village of Drake Bay, though almost all of the hotels I list below are farther out along the peninsula, where only boats reach. The only hotels that you can actually drive up to are very basic cabins in town. For the rest, you'd have to find someplace secure to leave your car and either haul your bags quite a way or get picked up in a boat.\n\nDeparting If you're not flying directly out of Drake Bay, have your lodge arrange a boat trip back to Sierpe for you. Be sure that the lodge also arranges for a taxi to meet you in Sierpe for the trip to Palmar Sur or Palmar Norte. (If you're on a budget, you can ask around to see whether a late-morning public bus is still running from Sierpe to Palmar Norte.) In the two Palmars you can make onward plane and bus connections. At the Palmar Norte bus terminal, almost any bus heading north will take you to San Jos\u00e9, and almost any bus heading south will take you to Golfito.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nBeaches, forests, wildlife, and solitude are the main attractions of Drake Bay. Although Corcovado National Park (see \"Puerto Jim\u00e9nez: Gateway to Corcovado National Park,\" below) is the area's star attraction, plenty of other attractions are in and around Drake Bay. The Osa Peninsula is home to an unbelievable variety of plants and animals: more than 140 species of mammals, 390 species of birds, and 130 species of amphibians and reptiles. You aren't likely to see anywhere near all of these animals, but you can expect to see quite a few, including several types of monkeys, coatimundis, scarlet macaws, parrots, and hummingbirds. Other park inhabitants include jaguars, tapirs, sloths, and crocodiles. If you're lucky, you might even see one of the region's namesake osas, or giant anteaters.\n\nAround Drake Bay and within the national park are many miles of trails through rainforests and swamps, down beaches, and around rock headlands. All of the lodges listed below offer guided excursions into the park. It's also possible to begin a hike around the peninsula from Drake Bay.\n\nA baird's tapir.\n\nOne of the most popular excursions from Drake Bay is a trip out to Isla del Ca\u00f1o and the Ca\u00f1o Island Biological Reserve \u2605\u2605 for a bit of exploring and snorkeling or scuba diving. The island is about 19km (12 miles) offshore from Drake Bay and was once home to a pre-Columbian culture about which little is known. A trip to the island will include a visit to an ancient cemetery, and you'll also be able to see some of the stone spheres believed to have been carved by this area's ancient inhabitants (see the box below, \"Those Mysterious Stone Spheres\"). Few animals or birds live on the island, but the coral reefs just offshore teem with life and are the main reason most people come here. This is one of Costa Rica's prime scuba spots \u2605\u2605. Visibility is often quite good, and the beach has easily accessible snorkeling. All of the lodges listed below offer trips to Isla del Ca\u00f1o.\n\nSnorkelers at Ca\u00f1o Island Biological Reserve.\n\nAll lodges in the area also offer a host of half- and full-day tours and activities, including hikes in Corcovado National Park, horseback rides, and sportfishing. In some cases, tours are included in your room rate or package; in others, they must be bought a la carte. Other options include mountain biking and sea kayaking. Most of these tours run between $60 and $120, depending on the activity, with scuba diving ($90\u2013$125 for a two-tank dive) and sportfishing ($450\u2013$1,500, depending on the size of the boat and other amenities) costing a bit more.\n\n  Where's The Beach?\n\nWhile the beach at Drake Bay itself is acceptable and calm for swimming, it's far from spectacular. The most popular swimming beach is a pretty small patch of sand, known locally as Cocalito beach, about a 7-minute hike down from La Paloma Lodge. The nicest beaches around involve taking a day trip to either Isla del Ca\u00f1o or San Josesito. The latter is a stunning beach farther south on the peninsula with excellent snorkeling possibilities.\n\nOne of the most interesting tour options in Drake Bay is a 2-hour night tour \u2605\u2605 (  8701-7356; www.thenighttour.com; $35 per person) offered by Tracie Stice, who is affectionately known as the \"Bug Lady.\" Equipped with flashlights, participants get a bug's-eye view of the forest at night. You might see reflections of some larger forest dwellers, but most of the tour is a fascinating exploration of the nocturnal insect and arachnid world. Consider yourself lucky if she finds the burrow of a trap-door spider or large tarantula. Avoid this tour if you are helplessly arachnophobic. Any hotel in Drake Bay can book the tour for you. However, the travel distance makes it impossible for those staying at hotels outside of walking distance of the town.\n\nDrake Bay is one of the best places to go whale-watching in Costa Rica; humpback whales are most commonly spotted in the area between late July and November and December through March. There are currently no dedicated whale-watching operators in the area, but all the hotels listed below can arrange whale-watching, as well as dolphin-spotting, trips. Two resident marine biologists, Shawn Larkin and Roy Sancho, are often hired by the better hotels, but depending on demand and availability, the hotels may send you out with one of their own guides and\/or captains.\n\nA humpback whale.\n\nIf you want more information on the local whale watching scene, or to contact Shawn Larkin directly, head to the website www.costacetacea.com. These folks also offer deep-water free diving and snorkel tours aimed at providing the chance to swim in close proximity to the large pelagic fish, mammals, and reptiles found in the area.\n\nFinally, if you want to try a zip-line canopy adventure, The Drake Bay Canopy Tour (  8314-5454; canopytourdrakebay.com) has six cable runs, several \"Tarzan swings,\" and a hanging bridge, all set in lush forests just outside of Drake Bay. The 2-hour tour costs $39.\n\nThose Mysterious stone spheres\n\nAlthough Costa Rica lacks the great cities, giant temples, and bas-relief carvings of the Maya, Aztec, and Olmec civilizations of northern Mesoamerica, its pre-Columbian residents did leave a unique legacy that continues to cause archaeologists and anthropologists to scratch their heads and wonder. Over a period of several centuries, hundreds of painstakingly carved and carefully positioned granite spheres were left by the peoples who lived throughout the Diquis Delta, which flanks the Terraba River in southern Costa Rica. The orbs, which range from grapefruit size to more than 2m (61\u20442 ft.) in diameter, can weigh up to 15 tons, and many reach near-spherical perfection.\n\nArchaeologists believe that the spheres were created during two defined cultural periods. The first, called the Aguas Buenas period, dates from around a.d. 100 to 500. Few spheres survive from this time. The second phase, during which spheres were created in apparently greater numbers, is called the Chiriqu\u00ed period and lasted from approximately a.d. 800 to 1500. The \"balls\" believed to have been carved during this time frame are widely dispersed along the entire length of the lower section of the Terraba River. To date, only one known quarry for the spheres has been discovered, in the mountains above the Diquis Delta, which points to a difficult and lengthy transportation process.\n\nSome archaeologists believe that the spheres were hand-carved in a very time-consuming process, using stone tools, perhaps aided by some sort of firing process. However, another theory holds that granite blocks were placed at the bases of powerful waterfalls, and the hydraulic beating of the water eventually turned and carved the rock into these near-perfect spheres. And more than a few proponents have credited extraterrestrial intervention for the creation of the stone balls.\n\nMost of the stone balls have been found at the archaeological remains of defined settlements and are associated with either central plazas or known burial sites. Their size and placement have been interpreted to have both social and celestial importance, although their exact significance remains a mystery. Unfortunately, many of the stone balls have been plundered and are currently used as lawn ornaments in the fancier neighborhoods of San Jos\u00e9. Some have even been shipped out of the country. The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica has a nice collection, including one massive sphere in its center courtyard. It's a never-fail photo op. You can also see the stone balls near the small airports in Palmar Sur and Drake Bay, and on Isla del Ca\u00f1o (which is 19km\/12 miles off the Pacific coast near Drake Bay).\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nGiven the remote location and logistics of reaching Drake Bay, as well as the individual isolation of each hotel, nearly all of the hotels listed below deal almost exclusively in package trips that include transportation, meals, tours, and taxes. I list the most common packages, although all the lodges will work with you to accommodate longer or shorter stays. Nightly room rates are listed only where they're available and practical, generally at the more moderately priced hotels.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Guaria de Osa \u2605 (www.guariadeosa.com;   510\/235-4313 or 908\/998-1020 in the U.S.) is a beautiful lodge near the R\u00edo Claro that specializes in yoga, spiritual, and educational retreats.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nAguila de Osa Inn \u2605 This luxurious hillside lodge is a great choice for serious sportfishers and scuba divers, because it has a private fleet of sportfishing and dive vessels. On a hill overlooking Drake Bay and the Pacific Ocean, the Aguila de Osa Inn offers large, attractively decorated rooms, with hardwood or tile floors, ceiling fans, large bathrooms, and excellent views. Varnished wood and bamboo abound. A bar is built atop some rocks on the bank of the R\u00edo Agujitas, and the open-air dining room is set amid lush foliage with a partial view of the bay through the leaves, close to river level. Meals are excellent and filling, and the kitchen leaves a fresh thermos of coffee outside each room every morning. Service, upkeep, and attention are top-notch here. The biggest drawback, however, is the lack of a swimming pool, which most of the other high-end places here have.\n\nDrake Bay. www.aguiladeosainn.com.   866\/924-8452 in the U.S. and Canada, 2296-2190 in San Jos\u00e9, or 8840-2929 at the lodge. Fax 2232-7722. 13 units. $544\u2013$665 for 3 days\/2 nights; $818 and up for 4 days\/3 nights. Rates are per person based on double occupancy and include round-trip transportation from Palmar Sur, all meals, one daily guided tour, and taxes. Lower rates in off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; watersports rentals. In room: No phone, minibar.\n\nCasa Corcovado Jungle Lodge \u2605 This isolated jungle lodge is the closest to Corcovado National Park on this end of the Osa Peninsula. The rooms are all large private bungalows built on the grounds of an old cacao plantation on the jungle's edge. Access is strictly by small boat, and sometimes the beach landing can be a bit rough and wet. When the sea is calm, the beach is great for swimming; when it is rough, it's a great place to grab a hammock in the shade and read a book. The lodge has two pretty swimming pools, both surrounded by thick rainforest, and late afternoons are usually enjoyed from a high point overlooking the sea and sunset, with your beverage of choice in hand. The owners here are strong supporters of local community development projects and environmental protection organizations.\n\nOsa Peninsula. www.casacorcovado.com.   888\/896-6097 in the U.S., or 2256-3181 in Costa Rica. Fax 2256-7409. 14 units. $929 per person for 3 days\/2 nights with 1 tour; $1,149 for 4 days\/3 nights with 2 tours. Rates are based on double occupancy and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, all meals, daily tours, park fees, and taxes. Rates higher during peak weeks; lower in off season. Closed Sept 15\u2013Nov 14. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; 2 outdoor pools. In room: Minibar, no phone.\n\nLa Paloma Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605   On a steep hill overlooking the Pacific, with Isla del Ca\u00f1o in the distance, the luxurious bungalows at La Paloma offer expansive ocean views that make this my top choice in Drake Bay. All of the bungalows feature private verandas, and are set among lush foliage facing the Pacific. The large two-story Sunset Ranchos are the choice rooms here, with fabulous pano-ramic views. The other cabins are a tad smaller, but all are plenty spacious, beautifully appointed, and feature luxurious bathrooms and pretty good ocean views as well. Standard rooms, located in one long building, are smaller and less private than the cabins, but are still attractive and have good views from their hammock-equipped balcony. The beach is about a 7-minute hike down a winding jungle path. The restaurant serves hearty and delicious family-style meals. The owners are committed environmentalists and actively work on conservation and local development issues.\n\nDrake Bay. www.lapalomalodge.com.   2293-7502 or  \/fax 2239-0954. 11 units. $1,195\u2013$1,525 per person for 4 days\/3 nights with 2 tours; $1,360\u2013$1,765 per person for 5 days\/4 nights with 2 tours. Rates are based on double occupancy and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, all meals, park fees, indicated tours, and taxes. Rates slightly lower in off season. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small tile pool w\/spectacular view; Wi-Fi (main lodge). In room: Minibar, no phone.\n\nModerate\n\nDrake Bay Wilderness Resort \u2605 This is one of the best-located lodges at Drake Bay. It backs onto the R\u00edo Agujitas and fronts the Pacific. The rooms here are less fancy than those at the resort lodges listed above, but they are clean and cozy, with ceiling fans, small verandas, good mattresses on the beds, and private bathrooms. A few have air-conditioning. The best room is a pretty, deluxe honeymoon suite on a little hill toward the rear of the property, with a great view of the bay. Three budget cabins share bathroom and shower facilities. Because it's on a rocky spit, the beach doesn't have good swimming, but a saltwater pool is in front of the bay, and, depending on the tide, you can bathe in a beautiful small tide pool.\n\nDrake Bay. www.drakebay.com.   2725-1716 or 8825-4130 in Costa Rica. 25 units. $55 per person per day with shared bathroom; $90\u2013$130 per person per day standard and deluxe. Rates include all meals and taxes. $790 per person for 4 days\/3 nights with 2 tours, including all meals and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small saltwater pool; free use of canoes and kayaks. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nHotel Jinetes de Osa   This is a good option right on the edge of the village of Drake Bay, and a popular choice for serious divers and adventure tourists. Although no longer a budget lodging, it does offer a reasonable alternative to the more upscale options in the area. The best rooms here are spacious and well-appointed, and even have a view of the bay. The hotel is pretty close to the docks on the R\u00edo Agujitas, which is a plus for those traveling independently or with heavy bags. A wide range of tours and activities are available, as are dive packages, weekly packages, and PADI certification courses. For true budget travelers, camping is allowed just behind the main lodge.\n\nDrake Bay. www.drakebayhotel.com.   866\/553-7073 in the U.S. and Canada, or  \/fax 2231-5806 in Costa Rica. 9 units, 7 with private bathroom. $70\u2013$92 per person. Rates include 3 meals daily. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nPuerto Jim\u00e9nez: Gateway to Corcovado National Park\n\n35km (22 miles) W of Golfito by water (90km\/56 miles by road); 85km (53 miles) S of Palmar Norte\n\nDon't let its small size and languid pace fool you. Puerto Jim\u00e9nez \u2605 is actually a bustling little burg, where rough jungle gold-panners mix with wealthy ecotourists, budget backpackers, serious surfers, and a smattering of celebrities seeking a small dose of anonymity and escape. Located on the southeastern tip of the Osa Peninsula, the town itself is just a couple of streets wide in any direction, with a ubiquitous soccer field, a handful of general stores, some inexpensive sodas (diners), and several bars. Scarlet macaws fly overhead, and mealy parrots provide wake-up calls.\n\nCorcovado National Park has its headquarters here, and this town makes an excellent base for exploring this vast wilderness area. Signs in English on walls around town advertise a variety of tours, including a host of activities outside of the park. If the in-town accommodations are too budget-oriented, you'll find several far more luxurious places farther south on the Osa Peninsula. This is also a prime surf spot. Cabo Matapalo (the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula) is home to several very dependable right point breaks. When it's working, the waves at Pan Dulce and Backwash actually connect, and can provide rides almost as long and tiring as those to be had in more famous Pavones (see \"Playa Pavones: A Surfer's Mecca,\" later in this chapter).\n\nHiking in Corcovado National Park.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has three daily flights to Puerto Jim\u00e9nez from San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport. The cost is $133 each way. A direct flight takes around 55 minutes; add on about 10 minutes if there's a stop.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has flights to Puerto Jim\u00e9nez departing from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas at 6, 8:30, and 11am and 3:15pm daily. The flight is 50 minutes and costs $136 each way. Nature Air flights to San Jos\u00e9 depart daily at 7 and 9:30am, noon, and 4:15pm.\n\nNote that due to the remoteness of this area and the unpredictable flux of traffic, both Sansa and Nature Air frequently improvise on scheduling. Sometimes this means an unscheduled stop in Quepos or Golfito either on the way to or from San Jos\u00e9, which can add some time to your flight. Less frequently, it might mean a change in departure time, so it's always best to confirm. Also, lodges down here sometimes run charters, so it pays to ask them as well.\n\nTaxis are generally waiting to meet all incoming flights. A ride into downtown Puerto Jim\u00e9nez should cost around $3. If you're staying at a hotel outside of downtown, it's best to have them arrange for a taxi to meet you. Otherwise you can hire one at the airstrip. Depending upon how far out on the peninsula you are staying, it could cost up to $80 for a rugged four-wheel-drive vehicle that can carry up to four people.\n\nBy Car: Take the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27) to the first exit past the Poz\u00f3n toll booth, where you will pick up the Southern Highway or Costanera Sur (CR34). Take this south through Jac\u00f3, Quepos, and Dominical to Palmar Norte, where you'll meet up with the Interamerican Highway (CR2). Take this south to the turnoff for La Palma, Rinc\u00f3n, and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.\n\nBy Bus: Transportes Blanco-Lobo express buses (  2257-4121 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2771-4744 in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 8am and noon from Calle 12 between avenidas 7 and 9. The trip takes 7 to 8 hours; the fare is C6,250. Buses depart Puerto Jim\u00e9nez for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 5am and 9am.\n\nBy Boat: Several speedboats work as boat taxis between Puerto Jim\u00e9nez and Golfito. The fare is $5, and the ride takes a little under 30 minutes. These boats leave five or six times throughout the day, or whenever they fill up, beginning at around 5am and finishing up at around 5pm. Ask around town, or at the docks for current schedules.\n\nThere is also a daily passenger launch. This slower boat takes 11\u20442 hours and is $3. The ferry leaves the public dock in Golfito at 7:30 and 10am and 3pm for Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The return trip to Golfito leaves Puerto Jim\u00e9nez's municipal dock at 2:30 and 4pm. It's possible to charter a water taxi in Golfito for the trip across to Puerto Jim\u00e9nez as well. You'll have to pay around $100 for an entire launch, some of which can carry up to 12 people.\n\nThe Puerto Jim\u00e9nez dock.\n\nOrientation Puerto Jim\u00e9nez is a dirt-lane town on the southern coast of the Osa Peninsula. The public dock is over a bridge past the north end of the soccer field; the bus stop is 2 blocks east of the center of town. You'll find a couple of Internet cafes in town; the best of these is Cafe Net El Sol (  2735-5719; www.soldeosa.com), which is a great place to book tours and get information, and is also a Wi-Fi hot spot.\n\nFour-wheel-drive taxis are actually fairly plentiful in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. You can usually find them cruising or parked along the main street in town. Alternatively, have your hotel or restaurant call one for you. You can even rent a car down here from Solid Car Rental (  2735-5777; www.solidcarrental.com).\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nWhile Puerto Jim\u00e9nez has typically been a staging ground for adventures much farther out toward Carate and the park, quite a few activities and tours can be undertaken closer to town.\n\nIf you're looking to spend some time on the beach, head just east of town for a long pretty stretch of sand called Playa Plantanares. The waves are generally fairly gentle, and quite a few hotels have begun to pop up here. If you head farther out on the peninsula, you'll come to the beaches of Pan Dulce, Backwash, and Matapalo, all major surf spots with consistently well-formed right point breaks. When the waves aren't too big, these are excellent places to learn how to surf.\n\nSurfers at Backwash.\n\nKayaking trips around the estuary and up into the mangroves and out into the gulf are very popular. The two main operators in town are Escondido Trex \u2605 (  2735-5210; www.escondidotrex.com), which has an office in the Soda Carolina, and Aventuras Tropicales (  2735-5195; www.aventurastropicales.com), which is set up in front of the soccer field. Trips include daily paddles through the mangroves, as well as sunset trips where you can sometimes see dolphins. Both of these operations offer guided rainforest hikes and can have you rappelling down the face of a jungle waterfall. More adventurous multiday kayak and camping trips are also available, in price and comfort ranges from budget to luxury (staying at various lodges around the Golfo Dulce and Matapalo). Escondido Trex can even take you gold-panning (although there are no guarantees that your panning will pay for the trip).\n\nKayaking with Escondido Trex.\n\nOne unique option is the chocolate tour at Finca Kobo \u2605 (  8398-7604; www.fincakobo.com), which is located near La Palma, 17km (101\u20442 miles) northwest of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. These folks offer an informative tour through their organic cacao plantation. You'll learn about and see all the various stages involved in the process of growing cacao and transforming these precious beans into chocolate. At the end of the tour, you'll get to sample some of their handiwork, dipping some local fruit into fresh melted chocolate fondue. The tour costs $32; children 8 and under half-price.\n\nIf you're in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, be sure to check out the Herrera Botanical Gardens \u2605 (  2735-5256). These gardens are just outside of town, and the entrance is across from Crocodile Bay. The whole project encompasses over 101 hectares (260 acres) of botanical gardens, working permaculture gardens, and secondary forest. A few platforms built high in the trees are reached by climbing a ladder. A 21\u20442-hour guided tour of the gardens costs $20, although you can wander the gardens yourself, with a self-guiding map, for $4.\n\nFor a real adventure, check in with Psycho Tours \u2605\u2605 (  8353-8619; www.psychotours.com). These folks, who also call themselves Everyday Adventures, run a variety of adventure tours, but their signature combo trip features a free climb up (with a safety rope attached) the roots and trunks of a 60m-tall (200-ft.) Strangler fig. You can climb as high as your ability allows, but most try to reach a natural platform at around 18m (60 ft.), where you take a leap of faith into space and are belayed down by your guide. This is preceded by an informative hike through primary rainforest, often wading through a small river, and followed by a couple of rappels down jungle waterfalls, the highest of which is around 30m (100 ft.). You can do either one of the above adventures separately, but I recommend the 5- to 6-hour combo tour, which costs $120.\n\nIf you're interested in doing some bill-fishing or deep-sea fishing, you'll probably want to stay at or fish with Crocodile Bay Lodge (www.crocodilebay.com;   800\/733-1115 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2735-5631 in Costa Rica). This upscale fishing lodge is close to the Puerto Jim\u00e9nez airstrip. Alternatively, you can ask at your hotel, or contact the Osa Yacht Club (  2735-5298; www.costaricasportsman.com). Rates can run between $800 and $2,200 for a full day, or between $500 and $900 for a half-day, depending on the boat, tackle, number of anglers, and fishing grounds.\n\nIf you want to learn to surf, contact Pollo's Surf School \u2605 (  8366-6559; www.pollosurfschool.com), which is near some excellent learning waves on Pan Dulce beach. A 2-hour lesson runs $55 per person.\n\nOsa Aventura ( \/fax 2735-5758 or 8372-6135; www.osaaventura.com) and Sol de Osa (  2735-5702; www.corcovadoguide.com) are local tour companies that offer a host of guided tours and wildlife watching expeditions around the Osa Peninsula and into Corcovado National Park. Rates run between $120 and $300 per person, depending upon group size and the tour.\n\nExploring Corcovado National Park \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\nExploring Corcovado National Park is not something to be undertaken lightly, but neither is it the expedition that some people make it out to be. The weather is the biggest obstacle to overnight backpacking trips through the park. Within a couple of hours of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez (by 4WD vehicle) are several entrances to the park; however, the park has no roads, so once you reach any of the entrances, you'll have to start hiking. The heat and humidity are often quite extreme, and frequent rainstorms can make trails fairly muddy. If you choose the alternative\u2014hiking on the beach\u2014you'll have to plan your hiking around the tides when often there is no beach at all and some rivers are impassable.\n\nCorcovado National Park is amazingly rich in biodiversity. It is one of the only places in Costa Rica that is home to all four of the country's monkey species\u2014howler, white-faced, squirrel, and spider. Its large size makes it an ideal habitat for wildcat species, including the endangered jaguar, as well as other large mammals, like Baird's Tapir. Apart from the jaguar, other cat species found here include the ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and puma. More than 390 species of birds have been recorded inside the park. Scarlet macaws are commonly sighted here. Other common bird species include any number of antbirds, manakins, toucans, tanagers, hummingbirds, and puffbirds. Once thought extinct in Costa Rica, the harpy eagle has been spotted here as well. Most rivers in Corcovado are home to crocodiles; moreover, at high tide, they are frequented by bull sharks. For this reason, river crossings must be coordinated with low tides.\n\nBecause of its size and remoteness, Corcovado National Park is best explored over several days; however, it is possible to enter and hike a bit of it on day trips. The best way to do this is to book a tour with your lodge on the Osa Peninsula, from a tour company in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, or through a lodge in Drake Bay (see \"Where to Stay & Eat,\" above).\n\nA hummingbird.\n\nGetting There & Entry Points The park has four primary entrances, which are really just ranger stations reached by rough dirt roads. When you've reached them, you'll have to strap on a backpack and hike. Perhaps the easiest one to reach from Puerto Jim\u00e9nez is La Leona ranger station, accessible by car, bus, or taxi.\n\nIf you choose to drive, take the dirt road from Puerto Jim\u00e9nez to Carate (Carate is at the end of the road). From Carate, it's a 3km (1.75-mile) hike to La Leona. To travel there by \"public transportation,\" pick up one of the collective buses (actually, a 4WD pickup truck with a tarpaulin cover and slat seats in the back) that leave Puerto Jim\u00e9nez for Carate daily at 6am and 1:30pm, returning at 8am and 4pm. Remember, these \"buses\" are very informal and change their schedules regularly to meet demand or avoid bad weather, so always ask in town. The one-way fare is around $9. A small fleet of these pickups leaves just south of the bus terminal, and will stop to pick up anyone who flags them down along the way. Your other option is to hire a taxi to suit your schedule, which will charge between $60 and $100 (depending on road conditions) to or from Carate.\n\nEn route to Carate, you will pass several campgrounds and small lodges as you approach the park. If you are unable to get a spot at one of the campsites in the park, you can stay at one of these and hike the park during the day.\n\nYou can also travel to El Tigre, about 14km (83\u20444 miles) by dirt road from Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, site of another ranger station. But note that trails from El Tigre go only a short distance into the park.\n\nThe third entrance is in Los Patos, which is reached from the town of La Palma, northwest of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. From here, a 19km (12-mile) trail runs through the center of the park to Sirena, a ranger station and research facility (see \"Beach Treks & Rainforest Hikes,\" below). Sirena has a landing strip used by charter flights.\n\nThe northern entrance to the park is San Pedrillo, which you can reach by hiking from Sirena or by taking a boat from Drake Bay or Sierpe (see \"Beach Treks & Rainforest Hikes,\" below). It's 14km (83\u20444 miles) from Drake Bay.\n\nIf you're not into hiking in the heat, you can charter a plane in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez to take you to Carate or Sirena. A five-passenger plane costs between $200 to $400 one-way, depending on your destination. Contact Alfa Romeo Air Charters (  2735-5353 or 2735-5112; www.alfaromeoair.com) for details.\n\nA Corcovado National Park trail.\n\nFees & Regulations Park admission is $10 per person per day. Only the Sirena station is equipped with dormitory-style lodgings and a simple soda, but the others have basic campsites and toilet facilities. All must be reserved in advance by contacting the ACOSA (Area de Conservacion de Osa) in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez (  2735-5036 pncorcovado@gmail.com). For a good overview of the park and logistics, check out www.corcovado.org. Its offices are adjacent to the airstrip. Only a limited number of people are allowed to camp at each ranger station, so make your reservations well in advance.\n\n  Trail Distances in Corcovado National Park\n\nIt's 14km (8.7 miles) from La Leona to Sirena. From Sirena to San Pedrillo, it's 23km (14 miles) along the beach. From San Pedrillo, it's 20km (13 miles) to Drake Bay. It's 19km (12 miles) between Sirena and Los Patos.\n\nBeach Treks & Rainforest Hikes The park has quite a few good hiking trails. Two of the better-known ones are the beach routes, starting at either La Leona or San Pedrillo ranger stations. Between any two ranger stations, the hiking is arduous and takes all or most of a day, so it's best to rest for a day or so between hikes if possible. Remember, this is quite a wild area. Never hike alone, and take all the standard precautions for hiking in a rainforest. In addition, be especially careful about crossing or swimming in any isolated rivers or river mouths. Most rivers in Corcovado are home to crocodiles; moreover, at high tide, some are frequented by bull sharks. For this reason, river crossings must be coordinated with low tides. During the wet months (July\u2013Nov) parts of the park may be closed. One of the longest and most popular hikes, between San Pedrillo and La Sirena, can be undertaken only during the dry season.\n\n  Important Corcovado Tips\n\nIf you plan to hike the beach trails from La Leona or San Pedrillo, be sure to pick up a tide table at the park headquarters' office in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The tide changes rapidly; when it's high, the trails and river crossings can be dangerous or impassable.\n\nIf you plan to spend a night or more in the park, you'll want to stock up on food, water, and other essentials in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. Carate has a minimarket with a limited selection. Although most of the stations have simple sodas, you need to reserve in advance if you plan to take your meals at any of these.\n\nSirena is a fascinating destination. As a research facility and ranger station, it's frequented primarily by scientists studying the rainforest. The network of trails here can easily keep you busy for several days. Just north of the station lies the mouth of the R\u00edo Sirena. Most days at high tide, bull sharks swarm and feed in this river mouth. Large crocodiles also inhabit these waters, so swimming is seriously discouraged. Still, it's quite a spectacle. The Claro Trail will bring you to the mouth of the R\u00edo Claro. A bit smaller, this river also houses a healthy crocodile population, although allegedly fewer bull sharks. However, if you follow the Claro trail upstream a bit, you can find several safe and appropriate swimming spots.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat in the Park: Campsites, Cabins & Cantinas Reservations are essential at the various ranger stations if you plan to eat or sleep inside the park (see \"Fees & Regulations,\" above). Sirena has a modern research facility with dormitory-style accommodations for 28 persons, as well as a campground, soda, and landing strip for charter flights. Camping is available at La Leona, Los Patos, and San Pedrillo ranger stations. Every ranger station has potable water, but it's advisable to pack in your own; whatever you do, don't drink stream water. Campsites in the park are $4 per person per night. A dorm bed at the Sirena station will run you $8\u2014you must bring your own sheets, and a mosquito net is highly recommended\u2014and meals here are $15 breakfast, $20 lunch, and $20 dinner. Everything must be reserved in advance.\n\nShopping\n\nJagua Arts & Craft Store \u2605\u2605 (  2735-5267) is near the airstrip, and is definitely worth a visit. Owner Karen Herrera has found excellent local and regional art and craft works, including some fine jewelry and blown glass. Tip: Many folks head to this store while waiting for their departing flight out of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. Be sure to give yourself enough time, as the store has a somewhat extensive collection.\n\nWhere to Stay in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez\n\nVery Expensive\n\nCrocodile Bay Resort \u2605 Originally, and still primarily a sportfishing resort, this place also caters to other sorts of adventure travelers. The rooms are the most comfortable you'll find right in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, with tons of space and private balconies or verandas\u2014try for a garden-facing second-floor unit. The hotel has excellent facilities and expansive grounds. In addition to a large modern fleet of fishing boats, with top-notch crew and equipment, they have a well-staffed activities and tour desk, and a large spa. The food and service here are also excellent.\n\nPuerto Jim\u00e9nez. www.crocodilebay.com.   800\/733-1115 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2735-5631 in Costa Rica. 40 units. $550 double. Rates include breakfast, lunch, and dinner and alcoholic beverages. A wide range of fishing and adventure-tour packages are available. AE, MC, V. Amen-ities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; large modern spa; watersports equipment rental. In room: A\/C.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Cabinas Marcelina (www.jimenezhotels.com\/cabinasmarcelina;   2735-5007) is a good, clean, dependable budget option right in the heart of town.\n\nAgua Luna Agua Luna is located right at the foot of the town's public dock and backs up to a mangrove forest. The original rooms directly face the gulf across a fenced-in gravel parking area. The best thing about these rooms is the bathroom, which features a huge picture window that looks into the mangroves. The rooms have two double beds and a tiled veranda out front, with hammocks and chairs for lounging. Annex rooms are a half-block away and are smaller and less attractive than those in the original building, although room nos. 4 and 5 in this building do overlook the mangroves.\n\nIn front of the public dock, Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.  \/fax 2735-5393. 13 units. $50 double. MC, V. Amen-ities: Restaurant. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\n  Costa Rican Family Robinson\n\nFor a truly unique family vacation, think about renting the Lapa's Nest Tree House \u2605\u2605 (www.treehouseincostarica.com;   508\/714-0622 in the U.S., or 8372-3529 in Costa Rica), an impressive lodge built up and around a giant Guanacaste tree in the midst of thick forest. This gorgeous home, just 13km (8 miles) north of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, is chock-full of creative design touches. Spread over six levels, it features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen and is available for weekly rentals. The price for all of this ranges from $1,800 to $2,500, depending on the season.\n\nCabinas Jim\u00e9nez \u2605\u2605   This is my top hotel choice right in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. On the waterfront at the north end of the soccer field, this perennial budget favorite has improved with age. All of the rooms have air-conditioning, tile floors, hot-water showers, and hand-carved headboards and Guatemalan bedspreads. Some have little fridges and coffeemakers. Three units even have views of the water, with a broad shared veranda in front, and the one private bungalow is the choice room in the house. The range in prices, in fact, reflects the range in size and location of the rooms. But even the most basic room here is a good option, and a good value. These folks have their own boat, and offer excellent dolphin-watching, mangrove, and snorkel tours around the gulf. The biggest downside here is that the town's main disco is fairly close by, and the pounding bass and tunes can be a problem for some on weekend nights.\n\nDowntown, 50m (164 ft.) north of the soccer field, Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, Puntarenas. www.cabinasjimenez.com.   2735-5090. 11 units. $50\u2013$90 double. MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nLa Choza del Manglar   A short distance from the airstrip, this long-standing hotel is one of the better in-town options. The rooms are clean and comfortable, probably the most modern and tastefully decorated rooms you'll find in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez proper. All rooms have air-conditioning, and about half have televisions. However, the private cabins have fans only. The hotel has several acres of mangroves and gardens, and the bird-watching and wildlife viewing are pretty good. The restaurant serves Costa Rican and international fare in a large, open-air space with colorful murals. While this is a good in-town option, you're still several hundred meters or more from the water and from downtown Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.\n\n125m (410 ft.) west of the airstrip, Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. www.manglares.com.   888\/467-3181 in the U.S. and Canada, or  \/fax 2735-5605 in Costa Rica. 11 units. $39\u2013$99 double. Rates include breakfast and taxes. Rates higher during peak weeks; lower in off season. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Stay in Playa Plantanares\n\nExpensive\n\nIguana Lodge \u2605\u2605 This place has a variety of rooms and bungalows. The two-story casitas are their top option: These are set amid lush gardens just steps from the sand. Hardwood floors, bamboo furniture, and mosquito netting over orthopedic mattresses all add up to rustic tropical elegance. The lower units have delightful semi-outdoor garden showers, and all come with either a large covered balcony or veranda. Still, I recommend trying for a second-floor room, for the views and elevation. These folks also rent out a separate, private three-bedroom villa. There's also a lovely lap pool, with an attached Jacuzzi, and a beautiful large yoga space. The lodge incorporates a wide range of sustainable and responsible tourism practices.\n\nPlaya Plantanares. www.iguanalodge.com.   8829-5865 or 8848-0752. Fax 2735-5436. 19 units. $135 double club room; $330 casita double; $550 3-bedroom villa. Rates for club room include breakfast. Rates of the casita include dinner as well, while rates for the villa do not include any meals. MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; Jacuzzi; outdoor lap pool; spa; watersports equipment rental. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez\n\nFor pizzas and homemade pastas, you should head to Pizza Mail.it (  2735-5483), next to the post office. You can also get pizzas, as well as other excellent Italian fare, and even find the occasional sushi night at the open-air downtown Italian joint, Il Giardino \u2605 (  2735-5129).\n\nJuanita's Mexican Bar & Grille \u2605   MEXICAN This place offers good, hearty California-style Mexican food and seafood served up in a lively, convivial atmosphere. You can get fajitas with chicken, beef, fish, or even grilled vegetables. Juanita's also has pizza by the slice or pie, and will deliver, although I'm not sure how far out on the peninsula their drivers will go. There are nightly specials and a popular happy hour.\n\nDowntown, Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.   2735-5056. www.juanitasmexican.com. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C3,000\u2013C7,500. No credit cards. Daily 5am\u201311pm.\n\nSoda Carolina   COSTA RICAN Set in the center of the town's main street, and otherwise known as the \"Bar, Restaurante y Cabinas Carolina,\" this is the town's main budget travelers' hangout and also serves as an unofficial information center. The walls are painted with colorful jungle and wildlife scenes. As for the fare, seafood is the way to go. There's good fried fish as well as a variety of ceviche. The black-bean soup is usually tasty, and the casados (plates of the day) are filling and inexpensive.\n\nOn the main street.   2735-5185. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C3,000\u2013C5,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 6am\u201310pm.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat around the Osa Peninsula\n\nAs with most of the lodges in Drake Bay, the accommodations listed in this section include three meals a day in their rates and do a large share of their bookings in package trips. Per-night rates are listed, but the price categories have been adjusted to take into account the fact that all meals are included. Ask about package rates if you plan to take several tours and stay awhile: They could save you money.\n\nIn addition to the lodges listed below, several other options range from small bed-and-breakfasts to fully equipped home rentals. Surfers, in particular, might want to inquire into one of the several rental houses located close to the beach at Matapalo. Your best bet for alternative accommodations is to contact Jimenez Hotels (www.jimenezhotels.com;   2735-5702), which also handles a host of house rentals around the area.\n\nFinally, Carate has several lodges. In addition to the lodges listed below, you can look into Finca Exotica Eco-Lodge \u2605 (www.fincaexotica.com;   2735-5230), a delightful new beachfront lodge; La Leona Eco-Lodge \u2605 (www.laleonaecolodge.com;   2735-5705), a tent-camp option on the outskirts of the national park; and Lookout Inn (www.lookout-inn.com;   757\/644-5967 in the U.S., or 2735-5431 in Costa Rica), a more traditional lodge option right in Carate.\n\nThis is a very isolated area, with just one rough dirt road connecting all the lodges, nature reserves, and parks. Almost all visitors here take all their meals at their hotel or lodge. If you want to venture away for some good fresh food and simple home cooking, head to Martina's Buena Esperanza (no phone) on the main road, near Matapalo.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nThe following lodges are some of the best ecolodges Costa Rica has to offer, and most are pretty pricey. However, keep in mind that despite paying top dollar, the rooms have no TVs, no telephones, no air-conditioning, and the town has no discos, very limited shopping, and no paved roads. Consequently, there are also no crowds and very few modern distractions.\n\nBosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605   This lodge is my favorite spot in this neck of the woods. The large individual cabins are attractively furnished, have wooden decks or verandas to catch the ocean views, and are set amid beautiful gardens. The deluxe cabins come with king-size beds and more deck space. The Congo cabin is my choice for its spectacular view of the sunrise from your bed. All cabins have indoor bathrooms; while tiled showers are set outdoors amid flowering heliconia and ginger. About half of the units also have outdoor bathtubs.\n\nOne trail leads to a jungle waterfall, and several others wind through the rainforests of the lodge's 260-hectare (650-acre) private reserve. If you're too lazy to hike down to the beach, a beautiful pool is by the main lodge. Other attractions include a canopy platform 36m (118 ft.) up a Manu tree, reached along a 90m (295-ft.) zip line, as well as a bird- and wildlife-watching rancho set beside a little lake. These folks also rent out four separate, fully equipped houses that are quite popular, along with a couple of cabins set inland by their gardens. In addition to conservation and reforestation efforts, the owners here are actively involved in a host of local environmental and educational causes, and the lodge has been awarded \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nOsa Peninsula. www.bosquedelcabo.com.  \/fax 2735-5206 or 8389-2846. 17 units. $210\u2013$330 per person. Rates include 3 meals daily and taxes. $30 per person, round-trip transportation from Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool; surfboard rental. In room: No phone.\n\nEl Remanso \u2605\u2605 This collection of individual cabins and two-story units is set in a deep patch of primary forest. The best view of the ocean, over and through thick forest, can be had from the two-story deluxe La Vanilla unit, which can be rented whole or split into two separate one-bedroom affairs. The upstairs room here is the best in the house, with plenty of space, varnished wood floors, and a spacious balcony. All of the private cabins feature polished cement floors, a queen-size bed, and separate fold-down futon. If you want an individual cabin, Azul de Mar has the best view. A host of adventure activities are available, including tree climbing, waterfall rappelling, and a zip-line canopy tour. They also have a large, open-air yoga platform, and frequently host yoga groups. For chilling out, a small oval pool set is in a stone deck area with great views to the ocean. Breakfasts can be taken on a platform high atop a rainforest tree. The owners are committed to environmental protection. In fact, Joel and Belen Stewart met aboard the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, which Joel captained for a number of years.\n\nOsa Peninsula. www.elremanso.com.   2735-5569 or 8814-5775. Fax 2735-5938. 14 units. $165\u2013$195 per person. Rates include 3 meals daily and all taxes. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nLapa R\u00edos \u2605\u2605 This is one of Costa Rica's pioneering ecolodges. Although half of a duplex, each spacious room is totally private and oriented toward the view, with open screen walls and a high-peaked thatch roof. A large deck and small tropical garden, complete with a hammock and outdoor shower, more than double the living space. There's an indoor shower as well, which features screen walls letting out on the view, so it's not all that different from being outdoors. Note: It's a bit of a hike back and forth from the main lodge to the farthest rooms.\n\nThe centerpiece of the lodge's large open-air dining room is a 15m (49-ft.) spiral staircase that leads to an observation deck tucked beneath the peak of the thatch roof. Just off the main lodge is a pretty little pool with great views. The beach, however, is a good 15-minute hike away. Lapa R\u00edos is surrounded by its own 400-hectare (988-acre) private rainforest reserve, home to scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, hummingbirds, monkeys, and myriad other wildlife.\n\nOsa Peninsula. www.laparios.com.   2735-5130. Fax 2735-5179. 16 units. $760 double. Rates include 3 meals daily, 2 guided tours per stay, round-trip transportation btw. the lodge and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, and taxes. Discounts for children 10 and under. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool; all rooms smoke-free. In room: No phone.\n\nLuna Lodge \u2605\u2605 Set on a high hill, among thick rainforest, Luna Lodge is often used for yoga and wellness retreats. Accommodations range from lush private cabins with great views over the jungle, to a string of cozy rooms, and even some semipermanent large tents on sturdy platforms for more budget-conscious travelers. The biggest drawback here is that the beach is a short hike away\u2014it's downhill on the way to the water, but a steep, vigorous hike back. Luckily, the lodge has a delightful little pool. Among the various environmental and conservation causes she supports, owner Lana Wedmore is especially involved in White Hawk and Harpy Eagle monitoring and protection programs, and the whole operation is powered by low-impact, on-site solar and hydro power.\n\nCarate, Osa Peninsula. www.lunalodge.com.   888\/762-4069 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2206-5859 in Costa Rica. 8 units. $100\u2013$105 per person in tent; $120\u2013$135 per person, room; $145\u2013$175 per person, private cabin. Rates are double occupancy, and include 3 meals daily. A range of package tours, including round-trip transportation btw. the lodge and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, tours and yoga classes, and taxes are also available. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool; all rooms smoke-free. In room: No phone.\n\nPuerto Jim\u00e9nez After Dark\n\nIf you're looking for any after-tours action in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, I recommend you start off at either Juanita's Mexican Bar & Grille, or Soda Carolina, both of which are popular with locals, guides, and tourists. For a much more local scene, stop in for an Imperial at La Taberna (  2735-9533). You also might take a walk down along the water to see if anything is happening at The Palms (  2735-5012; www.thepalmscostarica.com).\n\nIf you're staying farther out on the Osa and want to hang with some locals, head to Buena Esperanza (see above). This place can actually get pretty lively on a Friday or Saturday night.\n\nGolfito: Gateway to the Golfo Dulce\n\n87km (54 miles) S of Palmar Norte; 337km (209 miles) S of San Jos\u00e9\n\nDespite being the largest and most important city in Costa Rica's southern zone, Golfito, in and of itself, is neither a popular nor a particularly inviting tourist destination. In its prime, this was a major banana port, but following years of rising taxes, falling prices, and labor disputes, United Fruit pulled out in 1985. Things may change in the future, as rumors perennially abound about the potential construction of an international airport nearby, major marina right on the bay, or large-scale tuna farm just offshore. But for the moment, none of these megaprojects have gotten off the drawing board.\n\nThat said, Golfito is still a major sportfishing center and a popular gateway to a slew of nature lodges spread along the quiet waters, isolated bays, and lush rainforests of the Golfo Dulce, or \"Sweet Gulf.\" In 1998, much of the rainforest bordering the Golfo Dulce was officially declared the Piedras Blancas National Park \u2605\u2605, which includes 12,000 hectares (29,640 acres) of primary forests, as well as protected secondary forests and pasturelands.\n\nGolfito is set on the north side of the Golfo Dulce, at the foot of lush green mountains. The setting alone gives Golfito the potential to be one of the most attractive cities in the country. However, the areas around the municipal park and public dock are somewhat seedy and the \"downtown\" section is quite run-down. Still, if you go a little bit farther along the bay, you come to the old United Fruit Company housing. Here you'll find well-maintained wooden houses painted bright colors and surrounded by neatly manicured gardens. Toucans are commonly sighted. It's all very lush and green and clean\u2014an altogether different picture from that painted by most port towns in this country. When a duty-free zone was opened here, these old homes experienced a minor renaissance and several were converted into small hotels. Ticos come here in droves on weekends and throughout December to take advantage of cheap prices on name-brand goods and clothing at the duty-free zone; sometimes all these shoppers make finding a room difficult.\n\nThe Golfito shoreline.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Sansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has three daily flights to the Golfito airstrip (no phone; airport code: GLF), with the first one departing San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport at 5:45am, followed by one at 9:25am and 2:55pm. Trip duration is 1 hour; the fare is $130 each way. Sansa flights return to San Jos\u00e9 daily at 7am, with the last flight departing at 2:43pm in the low season, and at 4:08pm in the high season.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has daily flights to Golfito from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas at 6am and 3:15pm. The direct morning flight is 50 minutes, and the later flight is 70 minutes and stops first in Puerto Jim\u00e9nez; the fare is $133 each way.\n\nBy Car: Take the San Jos\u00e9\u2013Caldera Highway (CR27) to the first exit past the Poz\u00f3n toll booth, where you will pick up the Southern Highway or Costanera Sur (CR34). Take this south through Jac\u00f3, Quepos, and Dominical to Palmar Norte, where you'll meet up with the Interamerican Highway (CR2). Take this south. When you get to R\u00edo Claro, you'll notice a couple of gas stations and quite a bit of activity. Turn right here and follow the signs to Golfito. If you end up at the Panama border, you've missed the turnoff by about 32km (20 miles). The complete drive takes about 6 hours.\n\nBy Bus: Express buses leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 7am and 3:30pm from the Tracopa bus station (  2221-4214 or 2775-0365; www.tracopacr.com) on the Plaza Viquez at Calle 5 between avenidas 18 and 20. The trip takes 7 hours; the fare is C6,145. Buses depart Golfito for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 5am and 1:30pm from the bus station near the municipal dock.\n\nBy Boat: Several speedboats work as boat taxis between Golfito and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The fare is $5, and the ride takes a little under 30 minutes. These boats leave five or six times throughout the day, or whenever they fill up, beginning at around 5am and finishing up at around 5pm. Ask at the muellecito (public dock) for current schedules.\n\nThere is also a daily passenger launch. This slower boat takes 11\u20442 hours, and the fare is $3. The ferry leaves the public dock in Golfito at 7:30 and 10am and 3pm for Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The return trip to Golfito leaves Puerto Jim\u00e9nez's municipal dock at 2:30pm and 4pm.\n\nIt's also possible to charter a water taxi in Golfito for the trip across to Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. You'll have to pay between $40 and $80 for an entire launch, some of which can carry up to 12 people.\n\nGetting Around Taxis are plentiful in Golfito, and are constantly cruising the main road, all the way from the entrance of town to the duty-free port. A taxi ride anywhere in town should cost around $1. Local buses also ply this loop. The fare for the bus is 20\u00a2.\n\nIf you drive down here and head out to one of the remote lodges on the gulf, you can leave your car at Samoa del Sur (see \"Where to Stay,\" below) for around $10 per day.\n\nIf you need to rent a car in Golfito, check in with Solid Car Rental (  2775-3333; www.solidcarrental.com).\n\nIf you can't get to your next destination by boat, bus, commuter airline, or car, Alfa Romeo Air Charters (  2735-5353 or 2735-5178; www.alfaromeoair.com) runs charters to most of the nearby destinations, including Carate, Drake Bay, Sirena, and Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. A five-passenger plane should cost around $290 to $450 one-way, depending on your destination.\n\nFast Facts To avoid the bureaucracy and frequently long lines at the banks, you can exchange money at the gas station, or La Bomba, in the middle of town. A laundromat on the upper street of the small downtown charges around $6 for an average-size load.\n\nExploring the Area\n\nYou won't find any really good swimming beaches right in Golfito. The closest spot is Playa Cacao, a short boat ride away, although this is not one of my favorite beaches in Costa Rica. You should be able to get a ride here for around $5 per person from one of the boat taxis down at the public docks. However, you might have to negotiate hard because these boatmen like to gouge tourists whenever possible. If you really want some beach time, I recommend staying at one of the hotels in the Golfo Dulce (see \"Where to Stay,\" below) or heading over to Playa Zancudo (see \"Playa Zancudo,\" later in this chapter).\n\nWith a trail head located just on the outskirts of town, the Golfito National Wildlife Reserve \u2605 is the closest place to Golfito for a hike in one of the area's typical local lowland rainforests. This reserve is home to much of the same wildlife and flora you'll find in other, more famous national parks. A well-marked trail begins near the ranger station, just beyond the city's airstrip. You can hike it yourself or go as part of an organized tour with Land Sea Tours (  2775-1614). Admission is $10, and the refuge is open daily 8am to 4pm.\n\nAbout a 20-minute drive over a rough dirt road from Golfito will bring you to the Cataratas y Senderos Avell\u00e1n (Avell\u00e1n Waterfall & Trails; no phone). Admission to the site costs $5 and includes a 2-hour guided hike through the forests and a visit to a beautiful forest waterfall, with several refreshing pools perfect for swimming. A taxi should charge around $20 for the ride, one-way. Horseback riding is available, and they even have a zip-line canopy tour. Camping is also allowed, and meals are served by the friendly owners of the land, the local Gamba family. However, for most folks, the best way to visit this site is to go as part of an organized trip with Land Sea Tours.\n\nThe waters off Golfito also offer some of the best sportfishing in Costa Rica. Most game fish species can be caught here year-round, including blue and black marlin, sailfish, and roosterfish. November through May is the peak period for sailfish and blue marlin. If you'd like to try hooking into a possible world-record marlin or sailfish, contact Banana Bay Marina (  2775-0838; www.bananabaymarina.com). These folks have a full-service marina, a few waterside rooms for guests, and a fleet of sportfishing boats and captains. A full-day fishing trip costs between $950 and $1,500. You can also try The Zancudo Lodge (www.thezancudolodge.com;   800\/854-8791 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2776-0008 in Costa Rica), which is based out of the Zancudo Beach Resort in nearby Playa Zancudo. The lodge can arrange pickup in Golfito, and I much prefer the Zancudo lodgings and scenery to what you'll find in Golfito.\n\nAbout 30 minutes by boat out of Golfito, you'll find Casa Orqu\u00eddeas \u2605\u2605 (  8829-1247), a private botanical garden lovingly built and maintained by Ron and Trudy MacAllister. Most hotels in the area offer trips here, including transportation and a 2-hour tour of the gardens. During the tour, you'll sample a load of fresh fruits picked right off the trees. If your hotel can't, you can book a trip out of Golfito with Land Sea Tours (  2775-1614). If you decide to do it yourself, the entrance and guided tour is only $5 per person, but it will cost you between $80 and $100 to hire a boat for the round-trip ride; the gardens are open daily from 8am to 4pm. Closed Fridays. Regularly scheduled tours are on Thursdays and Sundays at 8:30am (three-person minimum).\n\nA sportfishing vessel in Golfito.\n\nIf you have a serious interest in botanical gardens or bird-watching, consider an excursion to Wilson Botanical Gardens \u2605\u2605\u2605 at the Las Cruces Biological Station (  2524-0607 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2773-4004 at the gardens; www.threepaths.cocr), just outside the town of San Vito, about 65km (40 miles) to the northeast. The gardens are owned and maintained by the Organization for Tropical Studies and include more than 7,000 species of tropical plants from around the world. Among the plants grown here are many endangered species, which make the gardens of interest to botanical researchers. Despite the scientific aspects of the gardens, with so many beautiful and unusual flowers amid the manicured grounds, even a neophyte can't help but be astounded. All this luscious flora has attracted at least 360 species of birds. A full-day guided walk, including lunch, costs $53; a half-day guided walk costs $18. If you'd like to stay the night here, 12 well-appointed rooms are available. Rates include one guided walk, three meals, and taxes, and run around $84 per person. Reservations are essential if you want to spend the night, and it's usually a good idea to make a reservation for a simple day visit and hike. The gardens are about 6km (33\u20444 miles) before San Vito. To get here from Golfito, drive out to the Interamerican Highway and continue south toward Panama. In Ciudad Neily, turn north. A taxi from Golfito should cost around $45 each way.\n\nWilson Botanical Gardens.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn Golfito\n\nModerate\n\nCasa Roland Marina Resort \u2605 If you want a contemporary, well-appointed room in Golfito, this miniresort is your best bet. Located in the old banana company housing area, near the airport and duty-free zone, this place is geared equally toward business travelers, vacationers, and sportfishers. However, the hotel is several blocks from the water, so I find the use of \"marina\" in the title a bit misleading. Still, the rooms are large and well equipped, with interesting art works and comfortable, heavy wood furnishings.\n\nOld American zone, near the duty-free zone, Golfito. www.casarolandgolfito.com.   2775-0180. Fax 2775-1506. 53 units. $110\u2013$165 double; $185\u2013$250 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool; room service; spa. In room: A\/C, TV, Internet, minibar.\n\nHotel Sierra This resort-style hotel is set right beside the airstrip, within walking distance to the duty-free zone. The Hotel Sierra was originally built as a business-class option geared toward middle-class Ticos in town to shop, and that's still its primary market. The Sierra is constructed to be as open and breezy as possible, and covered walkways connect the hotel's various buildings. The rooms are large and have windows on two sides to let in plenty of light. The swimming pool is the largest and most appealing in town, and the restaurant serves good, affordable international fare. One of the biggest draws here is the small casino, which is popular with guests and locals alike.\n\nBeside the airstrip (A.P. 37), Golfito. www.hotelsierra.com.   888\/790-5264 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2775-0666 in Costa Rica. Fax 2775-0506. 72 units. $69\u2013$79 double. AE, MC, V. Amen-ities: Restaurant; bar; casino; midsize outdoor pool; room service. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nLas Gaviotas Hotel Situated just at the start of Golfito proper\u2014a short taxi or bus ride from the \"downtown\"\u2014Las Gaviotas is a local institution. The waterfront location is the hotel's greatest asset. The long pier attracts the sailboat and sportfishing crowd. For landlubbers, there's a small pool built out near the gulf. Guest rooms all face the ocean, and while regular maintenance has kept them up to date, they still feel a bit spartan. Small, tiled patios are in front of all the rooms, and the cabanas have little kitchens. A large, open-air restaurant looks over the pool to the gulf; it's a great view, but the food and service can be spotty. Just around the corner is a large, open-air bar.\n\nA.P. 12\u20138201, Golfito. www.lasgaviotasmarinaresort.com.   2775-0062. Fax 2775-0544. 18 units, 3 cabanas. $83 double; $98 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool; room service. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nInexpensive\n\nCentro Tur\u00edstico Samoa del Sur   This is the best-located hotel on the waterfront, and it features a popular restaurant and bar. The rooms are spacious and clean. Varnished wood headboards complement two firm and comfortable queen-size beds. With red-tile floors, modern bathrooms, and carved-wood doors, the rooms all share a long, covered veranda that's set perpendicular to the gulf, so the views aren't great. If you want to watch the water, you're better off grabbing a table at the restaurant, or walking out to the docks at their small marina. The hotel also has a swimming pool, children's playground, and a volleyball court that are popular with locals using it for a daily fee, as well as a large gift shop with an extensive shell-and-coral collection that they bill as a museum.\n\n100m (328 ft.) north of the public dock, Golfito. www.samoadelsur.com.   2775-0233. Fax 2775-0573. 14 units. $60 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; midsize outdoor pool; room service; kayak rentals. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nEl Gran Ceibo   This little motel-like option at the entrance to Golfito is a decent choice. It's named after the giant ceibo tree you'll see standing over it near the entrance. The rooms are clean, bright, comfortable, and relatively spacious. All feature small verandas with some sitting chairs. About half of them come with air-conditioning and cable TV; although you pay more for these, they're still quite affordable. The others have just fans and cold-water showers. The grounds and some of the rooms have nice views over the gulf.\n\nOn the left, just as you enter Golfito.   2775-0403. Fax 2775-2303. 27 units. C22,000\u2013C27,000 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C (in some units), TV, no phone.\n\nAlong the Shores of the Golfo Dulce\n\nThe lodges listed here are on the shores of the Golfo Dulce. This area has no roads, so you must get to the lodges by boat. I recommend that you have firm reservations when visiting this area, so your transportation should be arranged. If worse comes to worst, you can hire a boat taxi at the muellecito (little dock), on the water just beyond the gas station, or La Bomba, in Golfito, for between $30 and $70, depending on your lodging destination.\n\nBoth of the below hotels are extremely committed to environmental protection and education. Another excellent option, but with an emphasis on luxury, is Villas Corcovado \u2605 (www.villacorcovado.com;   8817-6969).\n\nGolfo Dulce Lodge \u2605 This small, Swiss-run lodge is just down the beach from Casa Orqu\u00eddeas, about a 30-minute boat ride from Golfito. The five separate cabins and main lodge buildings are all set back from the beach about 500m (1,640 ft.) into the forest. The cabins are spacious and airy, and feature either a twin and a double bed or three single beds. In addition, there are large bathrooms, solar hot-water showers, a small sitting area, and a porch with a hammock. The rooms are all comfortable and well appointed, and even feature private verandas, but they are not nearly as nice as the cabins. The lodge offers jungle hikes, river trips, and other guided tours. This lodge has been granted \"4 Leaves\" by the CST Sustainable Tourism program and is a member of the International Ecotourism Society.\n\nGolfo Dulce (A.P. 137\u20138201, Golfito). www.golfodulcelodge.com.   8821-5398. Fax 2775-0573. 8 units. $95\u2013$115 per person double occupancy. Rates include 3 meals daily and taxes. Add $30 per person for transportation to and from Golfito. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nPlaya Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605   Set on its own private bay and black-sand beach, this is the most impressive lodge along the shores of the Golfo Dulce. While the four Mango Manor rooms are certainly very cozy, you'll definitely want to snag one of the individual cabins. These are all set amid dense forest and are made almost entirely of wood, with large open-air showers, private verandas, and a true sense of being in touch with nature. The main lodge building is a huge, open-air affair with an abundance of varnished wood and a relaxed inviting vibe that induces one to grab a book, board game, or chat with other guests. An excellent network of trails snakes through the lodge's 66 hectares (165 acres), and a whole host of tours and activities are offered. The dedicated environmentalist owners have actively implemented a series of sustainable practices. The family-style meals are inventive and tasty.\n\nGolfo Dulce. www.nicuesalodge.com.   866\/504-8116 in the U.S., or 2258-8250 in Costa Rica. 11 units. $190\u2013$210 per person per day, double occupancy. Children 6\u201312, $105. Rates include all meals, taxes, and transfers to and from either Golfito or Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. A 2-night minimum stay is required during low season, and a 4-night minimum stay is required during high season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; watersports equipment. In room: No phone.\n\nEn Route to Wilson Botanical Gardens\n\nWhile the Wilson Botanical Gardens themselves offer up the best accommodations in or around the tiny town of San Vito, the place below is a rare exception. The French-owned and inspired restaurant here is a great place for lunch or dinner on your way to or from the gardens, although call in advance, as the hours are extremely limited.\n\nMorphose Mountain Retreat \u2605\u2605   This isolated, boutique lodge offers up fabulous views, rich bird and wildlife, and delicious dining. Guests can either rent out the entire two-bedroom Balinese-designed guesthouse, or share. A common living area has cable television and a fully equipped kitchen. Both of the bedrooms, as well as the restaurant and common areas, offer spectacular views over green hillsides and valleys all the way to the Golfo Dulce. The owners are a friendly and accommodating French-American family, and the food served here is the best in the area.\n\n9km (51\u20442 miles) outside of Ciudad Neily, on the road to San Vito. www.morphosecr.com.   8843-8626. 2 units. $75\u2013$95 double; $250 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nBilge Bar, Restaurant & Grill \u2605 INTERNATIONAL\/SEAFOOD This open-air restaurant attached to the Banana Bay Marina is the best restaurant in Golfito. The seafood is fresh and excellently prepared, but you can also get hearty steaks and great burgers. I personally recommend the fresh fish burger. Breakfasts are also hearty and well-prepared. Grab a table toward the water and watch the boats bob up and down while you enjoy your meal.\n\nAt the Banana Bay Marina, on the waterfront in downtown Golfito.   2775-0838. Main courses $5\u2013$15. MC, V. Daily 7am\u20139pm.\n\nSamoa del Sur INTERNATIONAL This large, open-air place features an extensive menu of Continental and French dishes (the owners are French), including such specialties as onion soup, salade ni\u00e7oise, filet of fish meuni\u00e8re, and, in a nod to their southern neighbor, paella. Pizzas and spaghetti are also offered. In addition to the food, the giant rancho houses a pool table, several high-quality dartboards, and two big-screen TVs. The bar sometimes stays open all night.\n\n100m (328 ft.) north of the public dock.   2775-0233. www.samoadelsur.com. Reservations not accepted. Main courses C2,000\u2013C20,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 6am\u2013midnight.\n\nGolfito After Dark\n\nGolfito is a rough-and-tumble port town, and it pays to be careful here after dark. Most folks stick pretty close to their hotel bar and restaurant. Of these, the bar\/restaurants at Las Gaviotas, Samoa del Sur, and Bilge Bar, Restaurant & Grill \u2605 are, by far, the liveliest. If you're feeling lucky, you can head to the casino at the Hotel Sierra. Another popular, if somewhat unlikely, spot is La Pista (  2775-9015) bar, near the airstrip.\n\nPlaya Zancudo \u2605\n\n19km (12 miles) S of Golfito by boat; 35km (22 miles) S of Golfito by road\n\nPlaya Zancudo is one of Costa Rica's most isolated and undeveloped beach destinations. If you're looking for a remote and low-key beach getaway, it's hard to beat Zancudo. It's pretty far from just about everything, and with relatively few places to stay, it's virtually never crowded. However, the small number of hotel rooms to be had means that the better ones, such as those listed here, can fill up fast in the high season. The beach itself is long and flat, and because it's protected from the full force of Pacific waves, it's one of the calmest beaches on this coast and relatively good for swimming, especially toward the northern end. There's a splendid view across the Golfo Dulce, and the sunsets are hard to beat.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There By Plane: The nearest airport is in Golfito. See \"Golfito: Gateway to the Golfo Dulce,\" earlier in this chapter, for details. To get from the airport to Playa Zancudo, your best bets are by boat or taxi.\n\nBy Boat: Water taxis can be hired in Golfito to make the trip out to Playa Zancudo; however, trips depend on the tides and weather conditions. When the tide is high, the boats take a route through the mangroves. This is by far the calmest and most scenic way to get to Zancudo. When the tide is low, they must stay out in the gulf, which can get choppy at times. It costs around $15 to $20 per person for a water taxi, with a minimum charge of $40. If you can round up any sort of group, be sure to negotiate. The ride takes about 30 minutes.\n\nAlso, there's a passenger launch from the muellecito (little dock) in Golfito, which normally leaves daily at around noon. Because the schedule sometimes changes, be sure to ask in town about current departure times. The trip lasts 40 minutes; the fare is $5. The muellecito is next to the town's principal gas station, La Bomba.\n\nIf you plan ahead, you can call Zancudo Boat Tours (  2776-0012; www.loscocos.com) and arrange for pickup in Golfito or Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. The trip costs $20 per person each way from Golfito or Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, with a $50 minimum from Golfito and $60 minimum from Puerto Jim\u00e9nez. Zancudo Boat Tours also includes land transportation to your hotel in Playa Zancudo\u2014a very nice perk because the town has so few taxis.\n\nA fishing vessel at Playa Zancundo.\n\nBy Car: If you've got a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can make it out to Zancudo even in the rainy season. To get here, follow the directions for driving to Golfito, but don't go all the way into town. The turnoff for playas Zancudo and Pavones is at El Rodeo, about 4km (21\u20442 miles) outside of Golfito, on the road in from the Interamerican Highway. It's mostly rough, gravel and dirt roads. Follow the few signs and the flow of traffic (if there is any) or stick to the most worn route when in doubt.\n\nAn alternative route from Paso Canoas (at the border) is via the towns of La Cuesta and Laurel. This route meets the route mentioned above at the small village of Conte.\n\nA four-wheel-drive taxi costs around $75 from Golfito. It takes about 1 hour when the road is in good condition, and about 2 hours when it's not. For info on getting here from San Jos\u00e9.\n\nBy Bus: It's possible to get to Zancudo by bus, but I highly recommend coming by boat from Golfito, or your own car. If you insist, you can catch one of the Pavones buses in front of the gas station La Bomba in downtown Golfito and get off in the village of Conte. In theory, a Zancudo\u2013bound bus should be waiting. However, this is not always the case, and you may have to wait, hitchhike, or spring for a cab, if any can be found. The entire trip takes about 3 hours; the fare is $3.50.\n\n  Park It\n\nIf you drive down to Golfito, you can leave your car at Samoa del Sur (see \"Where to Stay,\" above) and take one of the waterborne routes mentioned above. They charge around $10 per day, and the lot is very secure.\n\nDeparting The public launch to Golfito leaves daily at 7am from the dock near the school, in the center of Zancudo. You can also arrange a water taxi back to Golfito, but it's best to work with your hotel owner and make a reservation at least 1 day in advance. Zancudo Boat Tours will take you for $20 per person, with a $50 minimum. Zancudo will also take you to the Osa Peninsula. It costs the same $20 per person, but there's a minimum charge of $60. The bus to Golfito leaves Zancudo each morning at 5:30am. You can catch the bus anywhere along the main road.\n\nOrientation Zancudo is a long, narrow peninsula (sometimes only 90m\/295 ft. or so wide) at the mouth of the R\u00edo Colorado. On one side is the beach; on the other is a mangrove swamp. There is only one road that runs the length of the beach, and along this road, spread out over several kilometers of long, flat beach, you'll find the hotels I mention here. It's about a 20-minute walk from the public dock near the school to the popular Cabinas Sol y Mar.\n\nWhat to See & Do (or How to Not Do Anything)\n\nThe main activity at Zancudo is relaxing, and people take it seriously. Every lodge has hammocks, and if you bring a few good books, you can spend quite a number of hours swinging slowly in the tropical breezes. The beach along Zancudo is great for swimming. It's generally a little calmer on the northern end and gets rougher (good for bodysurfing) as you head south. There are a couple of bars and even a disco, but visitors are most likely to spend their time just hanging out at their hotel or in restaurants meeting like-minded folks, reading a good book, or playing board games. If you want to take a horseback ride on the beach, ask at your hotel; they should be able to arrange it for you.\n\nSusan and Andrew England, who run Cabinas Los Cocos, also operate Zancudo Boat Tours (  2776-0012; www.loscocos.com), which offers snorkeling trips, kayaking tours, trips to the Casa Orqu\u00eddeas Botanical Garden, hikes on the Osa Peninsula, a trip up the R\u00edo Coto to watch birds and wildlife, and more. A boat trip through the R\u00edo Coto mangroves will turn up a remarkable number of sea and shore birds, as well as the chance to see a crocodile resting on a river bank, or a white-faced monkey leaping overhead. Tour prices are $50 to $75 per person per tour, with discounts available for larger groups.\n\nFor fishing, ask at your hotel, or contact the Zancudo Beach Resort. A full day of fishing with lunch and beer should cost between $500 and $1,600 per boat.\n\nBecause a mangrove swamp is directly behind the beach, mosquitoes and sand flies can be a problem when the winds die down, so be sure to bring insect repellent.\n\nA blue-crowned motmot.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nQuite a few fully equipped beach houses are for rent for long stays. Once again, Susan and Andrew at Los Cocos (www.loscocos.com;   2776-0012) are your best bet for lining up one of these houses.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nZancudo Beach Resort \u2605\u2605   Located at the north end of Zancudo, this is, by far, the most luxurious option around. All of the rooms look out onto a bright green lawn of soft grass and the small swimming pool. The beach, which is almost always calm and perfect for swimming, is just a few steps beyond. Two units come with a kitchenette, which comes in handy for families, or during longer stays. Formerly a dedicated fishing lodge, boasting more than 60 world-record catches, this place still offers world-class fishing outings under the name The Zancudo Lodge (www.thezancudolodge.com).\n\nPlaya Zancudo. www.zancudobeachresort.com.   800\/854-8791 in the U.S. or Canada, or 2776-0008 in Costa Rica. Fax 2776-0011. 15 units. $146\u2013$160 double; $250 suite. Rates higher during peak periods. AE, DISC, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar.\n\nModerate\n\nCabinas Los Cocos \u2605   If you've ever pondered throwing it all away, downsizing, and moving to the beach, these cabins are a good choice for a trial run. Four individual cabins are set beneath palm trees just a few meters from the beach. Two of them served as banana-plantation housing in a former life, until they were salvaged and moved here. These wood houses have big verandas and bedrooms, and large eat-in kitchens. Bathrooms are down a few steps in back and have hot water. The other cabins also offer plenty of space, small kitchenettes, and a private veranda, as well as comfortable sleeping lofts. The owners, Susan and Andrew Robertson, run Zancudo Boat Tours, so if you want to do some exploring or need a ride into Golfito or Puerto Jim\u00e9nez, they're the folks to see. Finally, these folks also rent out several wonderful beach houses around Zancudo.\n\nPlaya Zancudo. www.loscocos.com.  \/fax 2776-0012. 4 units. $65 double. Weekly discounts available. No credit cards. In room: Kitchenette, no phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nCabinas Sol y Mar \u2605   This friendly owner-run establishment is one of the most popular lodgings in Zancudo. There are two individual bungalows and two rooms in a duplex building with a shared veranda. I prefer the individual rooms for their privacy. The bathrooms in these have unusual showers that feature a tiled platform set amid smooth river rocks. The small budget cabin is quite a good deal, as well as a fully equipped house for longer stays. You can even camp here for a few bucks per night. All of the options are just steps away from the sand. The hotel's open-air restaurant is one of the best and most popular places to eat in Zancudo.\n\nPlaya Zancudo. www.zancudo.com.   2776-0014. 6 units. $28\u2013$45 double. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the place listed below, you might try the tasty Italian meals at Restaurante Macondo (  2776-0157) or Alberto's Puerta Negra \u2605 (  2776-0181). And if you want basic Tico fare and some local company, head to Soda Sussy (  2776-0107) or Soda Katherine (  2776-0124).\n\nFinally, for a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or perhaps just a midday ice-cream treat, check out the open-air restaurant at Oceanos Cabinas \u2605 (  2776-0921; www.oceanocabinas.com).\n\nSol y Mar \u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL\/SEAFOOD This is the best and most popular restaurant in Playa Zancudo. The reasonably priced menu is heavy on seafood, but features some items you won't find at most places in town, including thick-cut pork chops in a teriyaki sauce. The fresh seared tuna is always excellent, as are the twice-weekly barbecues on Monday and Friday. Saturday is Taco Night, a regular horseshoe tournament takes place on Sundays throughout the high season, and free Wi-Fi is always available at the bar and restaurant. This is also my top choice for breakfast\u2014the breakfast burrito should get you through most of the day.\n\nAt Cabinas Sol y Mar.   2776-0014. Main courses C2,700\u2013C7,900. MC, V. Daily 7am\u20139pm.\n\nPlaya Pavones: A Surfer's Mecca \u2605\n\n40km (25 miles) S of Golfito\n\nHailed as the world's longest rideable left point break, Pavones is a legendary destination for surfing. It takes around 1.8m (6 ft.) of swell to get this wave cranking, but when the surf's up, you're in for a long, long ride\u2014so long, in fact, that it's much easier to walk back through town to where the wave is breaking than to paddle back. The swells are most consistent during the rainy season, but you're likely to find surfers here year-round. Locals tend to be pretty possessive of their turf, so don't be surprised if you receive a cool welcome.\n\nOther than surfing, nothing much goes on here; however, the surrounding rainforests are quite nice, and the beaches feature some rocky coves and points that give Pavones a bit more visual appeal than Zancudo. If you're feeling energetic, you can go for a horseback ride or hike into the rainforests that back up this beach town, or stroll south on the beaches that stretch toward Punta Banco and beyond, all the way to the Panamanian border. This is a forgotten and isolated destination catering almost exclusively to backpackers. So be prepared, Pavones is a tiny village with few amenities, and most of the accommodations are quite basic.\n\nSurfing in Pavones.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Golfito. Tiskita Jungle Lodge has a private airstrip. Depending on space, you might be able to arrange transportation to Pavones on one of its charter flights even if you are not staying there.\n\nBy Car: If you've got a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can make it out to Pavones even in the rainy season. To get here, follow the directions for driving to Golfito, but don't go all the way into town. The turnoff for playas Zancudo and Pavones is at El Rodeo, about 4km (21\u20442 miles) outside of Golfito, on the road in from the Interamerican Highway. It's mostly rough, gravel and dirt roads. Follow the few signs and the flow of traffic (if there is any) or stick to the most worn route when in doubt.\n\nAn alternative route from Paso Canoas (at the border) goes via the towns of La Cuesta and Laurel. This route meets the route mentioned above at the small village of Conte.\n\nBy Bus: Two daily buses (no phone) go to Pavones from Golfito at 10am and 3pm. Trip duration is 21\u20442 hours; the fare is around $3. Buses to Golfito depart Pavones daily at 5:30am and 12:30pm. This is a very remote destination, and the bus schedule is subject to change, so it always pays to check in advance.\n\nOrientation You can find an Internet connection at Esquina del Mar in the heart of the village. If there are no waves, or you want some other form of exercise, check in with the folks at Shooting Star Yoga (  2776-2107; www.yogapavones.com). For board rentals, head to Sea Kings Surf Shop (  2776-2015; www.surfpavones.com).\n\nA Wild ride\n\nSurfers first discovered the amazing wave off of Pavones in the late 1970s. When conditions are right, this wave peels off in one continuous ribbon for over 2km (1.25 miles). Your skills better be up to snuff, and your legs better be in good shape, if you want to ride this wave.\n\nPavones got some good press in Allan Weisbecker's 2001 novel In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond The End of the Road. The word was out and surfers began flocking to Pavones from all over. On any given day\u2014when the wave is working\u2014you are likely to find surfers from the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Australia, Peru, and any other number of countries.\n\nHowever, the town and wave are not without their controversy. Aside from the typical territorial squabbles that erupt over most popular waves, Pavones has been the site of a series of prominent squabbles and controversies that include land disputes, drug busts, fist fights, and even murders. For a unique and in-depth account of the town, its wave, and some of these controversies, check out Weisbecker's Can't You Get Along with Anyone?: A Writer's Memoir and a Tale of a Lost Surfer's Paradise.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, Riviera Riverside Villas (www.pavonesriviera.com;   2776-2396) offers modern, plush individual cabins, as well as several fully equipped house rentals, a block or so inland from the water, right alongside the R\u00edo Claro (Clear River). Cabinas La Ponderosa \u2605 (www.laponderosapavones.com;   954\/771-9166 in the U.S., or 2776-2076 in Costa Rica) is a small, beachfront collection of cabins and private, rustic villas, a bit out of town, on the way to Punta Banco.\n\nRight in Pavones, several very basic lodges cater to itinerant surfers by renting rooms for between $10 and $20 per night for a double room; most take walk-in reservations since they don't have phones. That said, for in-town budget lodgings, I recommend Mira Olas (www.miraolas.com;   2776-2006), about 2 blocks uphill from the soccer field.\n\nA couple of simple sodas where you can get Tico meals are in town. The most popular spot for both cheap meals and an afternoon-to-evening bar scene is Esquina del Mar (  2776-2005), right on the beach's edge, in front of the fattest part of the surf break.\n\nFor better and more healthy meals, I recommend Caf\u00e9 de la Suerte \u2605 (  2776-2388; www.cafedelasuerte.com), a lively little joint across from Esquina del Mar that serves breakfasts and lunches and specializes in vegetarian items, freshly baked goods, and fresh-fruit smoothies. These folks also serve dinner during the high season, and rent out a cozy A\/C-equipped cabin.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nTiskita Jungle Lodge \u2605\u2605   This remote ecolodge is nearly on the Panamanian border. Everything is set on a tall hillside a few hundred meters from the beach and commands a superb view of the ocean. There's a dark-sand beach, tide pools, jungle waterfalls, a farm and forest to explore, and great bird-watching. Most of the land here is primary rainforest; the rest is a mix of secondary forest, reforestation projects, orchards, and pastures. These folks actively work on projects to reintroduce scarlet macaws to the area, to protect the local turtle nesting sites, and to preserve and restore the surrounding forest lands. Accommodations are in cozy rustic cabins with screen walls and verandas. My favorite cabin is no. 6, which has a great view and ample deck space. Some cabins have two or three rooms, perfect for families but less private for couples.\n\n6km (33\u20444 miles) southeast, down the road from Pavones. www.tiskita.com.   2296-8125. Fax 2296-8133. 17 units. $150 per person. Rates include all meals. Packages with transportation to and from Golfito or Puerto Jim\u00e9nez are available. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool; limited watersports equipment. In room: No phone.\n\nModerate\n\nCasa Siempre Domingo This small hillside inn offers up the best accommodations right in Pavones. The rooms all feature high ceilings, tile floors, and two double beds (one room has two doubles and a twin). The high beds are custom-made constructions, and they're uncommonly high off the ground. The owner says the design helps capture the breeze from the picture windows, but if there's not enough, you can always crank up the air-conditioning. Meals are served on picnic tables in the large interior common space. The nicest feature is the huge deck, with its ocean view.\n\nPavones, several hundred meters south of downtown Pavones. www.casa-domingo.com.   8820-4709 or 2776-2185. 3 units. $100 double. Rate includes breakfast and taxes. No credit cards. In room: A\/C, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n12\n\nThe Caribbean Coast\n\nSurfboards at Playa Cocles.\n\nCosta Rica's Caribbean coast is a world apart from the rest of the country. The pace is slower, the food is spicier, the tropical heat is more palpable, and the rhythmic lilt of patois and reggae music fills the air. This remains one of Costa Rica's least discovered and explored regions. More than half of the coastline here is still inaccessible except by boat or small plane. This inaccessibility has helped preserve large tracts of virgin lowland rainforest, which are now set aside as Tortuguero National Park \u2605. These two parks, on the coast's northern reaches, are among Costa Rica's most popular destinations for adventurers and ecotravelers. Of particular interest are the sea turtles that nest here. Farther south, Cahuita National Park \u2605\u2605 is another popular national park, located just off its namesake beach village. It was set up to preserve 200 hectares (494 acres) of coral reef, but its palm tree\u2013lined white-sand beaches and gentle trails are stunning.\n\n  The Caribbean Coast's Top Sustainable Hotels\n\nAlmonds and Corals Hotel\n\nCasa Marbella\n\nCasa Verde Lodge\n\nPunta Mona Center for Sustainable Living & Education\n\nSelva Bananito Lodge\n\nTortuga Lodge\n\nTree House Lodge\n\nSo remote was the Caribbean coast from Costa Rica's population centers in the Central Valley that it developed a culture all its own. The original inhabitants of the area included people of the Bribri, Cab\u00e9car, and K\u00e9k\u00f6ldi tribes, and these groups maintain their cultures on indigenous reserves in the Talamanca Mountains. In fact, until the 1870s, this area had few non-Indians. However, when Minor Keith built the railroad to San Jos\u00e9 and began planting bananas, he brought in black laborers from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands to lay the track and work the plantations. These workers and their descendants established fishing and farming communities up and down the coast. Today dreadlocked Rastafarians, reggae music, Creole cooking, and the English-based patois of this Afro-Caribbean culture give this region a quasi-Jamaican flavor, a striking contrast with the Spanish\u2013derived Costa Rican culture.\n\nThe Caribbean coast has only one major city, Lim\u00f3n, a major commercial port and popular cruise ship port of call. However, the city itself is of little interest to most visitors, who quickly head south to the coast's spectacular beaches, or north to the jungle canals of Tortuguero.\n\n  To Go, or Not to Go? The Weather is Nobler\n\nThe Caribbean coast has a very unique weather pattern. Whereas you'll almost never get even a drop of rain in Guanacaste during Costa Rica's typical dry season (mid-Nov to Apr), on the Caribbean coast it can rain, at least a bit, almost any day of the year. However, the months of September and October, when torrential rains pound most of the rest of the country, most of the time, are oddly two of the drier and more dependably sunny days along the Caribbean coast.\n\nOver the years, the Caribbean coast has garnered a reputation as being a dangerous, drug-infested zone, rife with crime and danger. This is somewhat deserved because of several high-profile crimes in the area; petty theft is a major problem. Still, overall this reputation is exaggerated. The same crime and drug problems found here exist in San Jos\u00e9 and most of the more popular beach destinations on the Pacific coast. Use common sense and take normal precautions and you should have no problems on the Caribbean coast.\n\nBarra del Colorado \u2605\n\n115km (71 miles) NE of San Jos\u00e9\n\nMost visitors to Barra del Colorado come for the fishing. Tarpon and snook fishing are world-class, or you can head farther offshore for some deep-sea action. Barra del Colorado is part of the same ecosystem as Tortuguero National Park; as in Tortuguero, an abundance of wildlife and rainforest fauna lives in the rivers and canals.\n\nNamed for its location at the mouth of the R\u00edo Colorado up near the Costa Rica\u2013Nicaragua border, Barra del Colorado can be reached only by boat or small plane. No roads go in or out of Barra del Colorado. The town itself is a small, ramshackle collection of raised stilt houses, and it supports a diverse population of Afro-Caribbean and Miskito Indian residents, Nicaraguan emigrants, and transient commercial fishermen.\n\nIt's hot and humid here most of the year, and it rains a lot, so although some of the lodges have at times risked offering a \"tarpon guarantee,\" they're generally hesitant to promise anything in terms of the weather.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Most folks come here on multiday fishing packages, and most of the area's lodges either include charter flights as part of their package trips or will book you a flight.\n\nBy Boat: It is also possible to travel to Barra del Colorado by boat from Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed (see chapter ). Expect to pay $400 to $600 each way for a boat that holds up to 10 people. Check at the public dock in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed or call Oasis Nature Tours (  2766-6108; www.oasisnaturetours.com).\n\nR\u00edo Colorado Lodge (  800\/243-9777 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2232-4063; www.riocoloradolodge.com) runs its own launch between Barra del Colorado and Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed (and sometimes btw. Barra and Lim\u00f3n), including land transportation between Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed and San Jos\u00e9. If you're staying at the R\u00edo Colorado Lodge, be sure to ask about this option (for at least one leg of your trip) when booking; the hotel doesn't discriminate\u2014you can arrange transportation even if you aren't staying there. For $370 per person, you can arrange a San Jos\u00e9 pickup, a minibus to the boat, a river trip to Barra, overnight accommodations at R\u00edo Colorado Lodge, and a return trip the next day, with all meals and taxes included.\n\nOrientation The R\u00edo Colorado neatly divides the town of Barra del Colorado. The airstrip is in the southern half of town, as are most of the lodgings. The lodges that are farther up the canals will meet you at the airstrip with a small boat.\n\nFishing, Fishing & More Fishing\n\nAlmost all the lodges here specialize in fishing packages. If you don't fish, you may wonder just what in the world you're doing here. Even though there are excellent opportunities for bird-watching and touring jungle waterways, most lodges still merely pay lip service to ecotourists and would rather see you with a rod and reel.\n\nFishing takes place year-round. You can do it in the rivers and canals, in the very active river mouth, or offshore. Most anglers come in search of the tarpon, or silver king. Tarpon can be caught year-round, both in the river mouth and, to a lesser extent, in the canals; however, they are much harder to land in July and August\u2014the 2 rainiest months\u2014probably because the river runs so high and is so full of runoff and debris. Snook, an aggressive river fish, peak in April, May, October, and November; fat snook, or calba, run heavy November through January. Depending on how far out to sea you venture, you might hook up with barracuda, jack, mackerel (Spanish and king), wahoo, tuna, dorado, marlin, or sailfish. In the rivers and canals, fishermen regularly bring in mojarra, machaca, and guapote (rainbow bass).\n\nAn angler pulling in a tarpon in Barra del Colorado.\n\nFollowing current trends in sportfishing, more and more anglers have been using fly rods, in addition to traditional rod-and-reel setups, to land just about all the fish mentioned above. To fish here, you'll need a fishing license ($24), which covers both salt and fresh water. The lodges here either include these in your packages or can readily provide the licenses for you.\n\nNonfishers should see whether their lodge has a good naturalist guide or canoes or kayaks for rent or use.\n\nWhere to Stay & Eat\n\nAlmost all of the hotels here specialize in package tours, including all your meals, fishing and tackle, taxes, and usually your transportation and liquor too, so rates are high. With no dependable budget hotels, Barra remains a remote and difficult destination for independent and budget travelers.\n\nR\u00edo Colorado Lodge This riverside outpost is one of the country's oldest and best-known fishing lodges. It was founded and built more than 35 years ago by local legend Archie Fields. The rooms are comfortable but decidedly rustic, with many showing the wear and tear of the years. Two of the rooms are wheelchair accessible. The nicest feature here is the large covered deck out by the river, where breakfast is served. Lunch is served at the large bar with satellite TV, a pool table, and a dartboard. The lodge runs a small \"zoo\" and participates in a macaw breeding project, as well as local education efforts. While their hearts may be in the right place, I find the zoo and cage conditions here rather desultory.\n\nBarra del Colorado (A.P. 5094\u20131000, San Jos\u00e9). www.riocoloradolodge.com.   800\/243-9777 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2232-4063 in Costa Rica. Fax 2231-5987. 18 units. $2,453\u2013$3,051 per person double occupancy for 7 days\/6 nights with 4 full days of fishing, including 2 nights lodging in San Jos\u00e9, all meals and drinks at the lodge, boat, guide, fuel, licenses, and taxes. Non-fishing guests $120\u2013$170 per person per day. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi. In room: A\/C, no phone.\n\nSilver King Lodge \u2605\u2605   This is the most upscale lodge in Barra del Colorado. They take their fishing seriously here\u2014with a large selection of modern boats and equipment, as well as a full tackle shop\u2014but Silver King also emphasizes comfort. The rooms are immense, with two double beds, a desk and chair, fishing racks, air-conditioning, an overhead fan, and a roomy closet. The floors and walls are all varnished hardwood, and the ceilings are finished in bamboo. The entire complex is built on raised stilts and connected by covered walkways. Excellent and abundant buffet meals are served, and free daily laundry service is provided.\n\nBarra del Colorado (mailing address: Interlink P.O. Box 373, Gloucester, MA 01930). www.silverkinglodge.net.   800\/335-0755 in the U.S., or 2794-0139 in Costa Rica. 10 units. $2,255\u2013$3,600 per person double occupancy for 3 full days of fishing, round-trip air transportation btw. San Jos\u00e9 and the lodge, all meals at the lodge, liquor, and taxes; $375\u2013$420 per person per extra day, including all fishing, meals, liquor, and taxes. AE, MC, V. Closed throughout the months of June, July, Aug, Nov, and Dec. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool; sauna. In room: A\/C, TV, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nTortuguero National Park \u2605\u2605\n\n250km (155 miles) NE of San Jos\u00e9; 79km (49 miles) N of Lim\u00f3n\n\nSometimes dubbed \"the Venice of Costa Rica,\" Tortuguero is connected to Lim\u00f3n, and the rest of mainland Costa Rica, by a series of rivers and canals. This aquatic highway is lined almost entirely with a dense tropical rainforest that is home to howler and spider monkeys, three-toed sloths, toucans, and great green macaws. A trip through the canals is nothing like touring around Venice in a gondola, but it is a lot like cruising the Amazon basin\u2014on a much smaller scale.\n\n\"Tortuguero\" comes from the Spanish name for the giant sea turtles (tortugas) that nest on the beaches of this region every year from early March to mid-October (prime season is July\u2013Oct, and peak months are Aug\u2013Sept). The chance to see this nesting attracts many people to this remote region, but just as many come to explore the intricate network of jungle canals that serve as the region's main transportation arteries.\n\nVery important: More than 508cm (200 in.) of rain fall here annually, so you can expect a downpour at any time of the year. Most of the lodges will provide you with rain gear (including ponchos and rubber boots), but it can't hurt to carry your own.\n\nIndependent travel is not the norm here, although it's possible. Most travelers rely on their lodge for boat transportation through the canals and into town. At most of the lodges around Tortuguero, almost everything (bus rides to and from, boat trips through the canals, and even family-style meals) is done in groups.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Plane: Nature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has one flight that departs daily at 6:15am for Tortuguero airstrip (no phone) from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport in Pavas. The flight takes approximately 30 minutes; the fare is $95 each way. The return flight leaves Tortuguero daily at around 7am for San Jos\u00e9.\n\nAdditional flights are often added during the high season, and departure times can vary according to weather conditions. In addition, many local lodges operate charter flights as part of their package trips.\n\nBe sure to arrange with your hotel to pick you up at the airstrip. Otherwise you'll have to plead with one of the other hotels' boat captains to give you a lift, which they will usually do, either for free or for a few dollars.\n\nBy Car: It's not possible to drive to Tortuguero. If you have a car, your best bet is either to leave it in San Jos\u00e9 and take an organized tour, or drive it to Lim\u00f3n or Mo\u00edn, find a secure hotel or public parking lot, and then follow the directions for arriving by boat below. La Pavona has a secure parking useful for those meeting the boats plying the Cariari and La Pavona route outlined below.\n\nBy Boat: Flying to Tortuguero is convenient if you don't have much time, but a boat trip through the canals and rivers of this region is often the highlight of any visit. However, be forewarned: Although this trip can be stunning and exciting, it can also be long, tiring, and uncomfortable. You'll first have to ride by bus or minivan from San Jos\u00e9 to Mo\u00edn, Ca\u00f1o Blanco, or one of the other embarkation points; then it's 2 to 3 hours on a boat, usually with hard wooden benches or plastic seats. All of the more expensive lodges listed offer their own bus and boat transportation packages, which include the boat ride through the canals. However, if you're coming here on the cheap and plan to stay at one of the less expensive lodges or at a budget cabina in Tortuguero, you will have to arrange your own transportation. In this case, you have a few options.\n\nThe most traditional option is to get yourself first to Lim\u00f3n and then to the public docks in Mo\u00edn, just north of Lim\u00f3n, and try to find a boat on your own. You can reach Lim\u00f3n easily by public bus from San Jos\u00e9 (see \"Getting There & Departing\" under \"Lim\u00f3n: Gateway to Tortuguero National Park & Southern Coastal Beaches,\" later in this chapter). If you're coming by car, make sure you drive all the way to Lim\u00f3n or Mo\u00edn, unless you have prior arrangements out of Cariari or Ca\u00f1o Blanco Marina.\n\nIf you arrive in Lim\u00f3n by bus, you might be able to catch one of the periodic local buses to Mo\u00edn (around 50\u00a2) at the main bus terminal. Otherwise, you can take a taxi for around $6, for up to four people. At the docks, you should be able to negotiate a fare of between $50 and $80 per person round-trip with one of the boats docked here. These boats tend to depart between 8 and 10am every morning. You can stay as many days as you like in Tortuguero, but be sure to arrange with the captain to be there to pick you up when you're ready to leave. The trip from Mo\u00edn to Tortuguero takes between 3 and 4 hours.\n\nIt is possible to get to Tortuguero by bus and boat from Cariari. For backpackers and budget travelers, this is the cheapest and most reliable means of reaching Tortuguero from San Jos\u00e9. To take this route, begin by catching the 9 or 10:30am direct bus to Cariari from the Gran Terminal del Caribe, on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11 (  2222-0610). The fare is C1,400. This bus will actually drop you off at the main bus terminal in Cariari, from which you'll have to walk 4 blocks east to a separate bus station, known locally as \"la estaci\u00f3n vieja,\" or the old station. Look for a booth marked COOPETRACA or Clic Clic \u2605. At these booths you can buy your bus ticket for La Pavona. The bus fare is C1,200. Buy a ticket for the 11:30am bus (a later bus leaves at 3pm).\n\nA Tortuguero National Park boat tour.\n\nA boat or two will be waiting to meet the bus at the dock at the edge of the river at around 2:30pm (and again at 4pm). Check out the boats heading to Tortuguero, and pick the one that looks most comfortable and safe, then pay on board. The boat fare to Tortuguero is not regulated, and the price sometimes varies for foreigners. It can be as low as C1,600 each way, which is what locals pay. However, the boat captains often try to gouge tourists. Stand firm; you should not have to pay more than C3,500 (or $7). Return boats leave Tortuguero for La Pavona every morning at 6 and 11:30am, and 3pm, making return bus connections to Cariari.\n\nWarning: Be careful if you decide to take this route. I've received reports of unscrupulous operators providing misinformation to tourists. Folks from a company called Bananera have offices at the Gran Terminal del Caribe and in Cariari, offering to sell you \"packaged transportation\" to Tortuguero. However, all they are doing is charging you extra to buy the individual tickets described above. Be especially careful if the folks selling you boat transportation aggressively steer you to a specific hotel option, claim that your first choice is full, or insist that you must buy a package with them that includes the transportation, lodging, and guide services. If you have doubts or want to check on the current state of this route, check out the site www.tortuguerovillage.com \u2605, which has detailed directions about how to get to Tortuguero by a variety of routes.\n\nFinally, it's also possible, albeit expensive, to travel to Tortuguero by boat from Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed (see chapter ). Expect to pay $450 to $650 each way for a boat that holds up to 10 people. Check at the public dock in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed if you're interested. The ride usually takes about 3 to 4 hours, and the boats tend to leave in the morning.\n\nA Tortuguero stilt house.\n\nOrientation Tortuguero is one of the most remote locations in Costa Rica. With no roads into this area and no cars in the village, all transportation is by boat or foot. Most of the lodges are spread out over several kilometers to the north of Tortuguero Village on either side of the main canal; the small airstrip is at the north end of the beachside spit of land. At the far northern end of the main canal, you'll see the Cerro de Tortuguero (Turtle Hill), which, at some 119m (390 ft.), towers over the area. The hike to the top of this hill is a popular half-day tour and offers some good views of the Tortuguero canal and village, as well as the Caribbean Sea.\n\nTortuguero Village is a small collection of houses connected by footpaths. The village is spread out on a thin spit of land, bordered on one side by the Caribbean Sea and on the other by the main canal. At most points, it's less than 300m (984 ft.) wide. In the center of the village, you'll find a small children's playground, the town's health clinic, and a soccer field.\n\nIf you stay at a hotel on the ocean side of the canal, you'll be able to walk into and explore the village at your leisure; if you're across the canal, you'll be dependent on the lodge's boat transportation. However, some of the lodges across the canal have their own network of jungle trails that might appeal to naturalists.\n\nFast Facts Tortuguero has no banks, ATMs, or currency-exchange houses, so be sure to bring sufficient cash in colones to cover any expenses and incidental charges. The local hotels and shops generally charge a commission to exchange dollars. An Internet cafe (no phone) is right across from the main dock in town, although I prefer the one found at La Casona (  2709-8092), a small restaurant and budget hotel in the heart of the village.\n\nExploring the National Park\n\nAccording to existing records, sea turtles have frequented Tortuguero National Park since at least 1592, largely due to its extreme isolation. Over the years, turtles were captured and their eggs were harvested by local settlers; by the 1950s, this practice became so widespread that turtles faced extinction. Regulations controlling this mini-industry were passed in 1963, and in 1970 Tortuguero National Park was established.\n\nToday four different species of sea turtles nest here: the green turtle, the hawksbill, the loggerhead, and the giant leatherback. The park's beaches are excellent places to watch sea turtles nest, especially at night. As appealingly long and deserted as they are, however, the beaches are not appropriate for swimming. The surf is usually very rough, and the river mouths attract sharks that feed on the turtle hatchlings and many fish that live here.\n\nGreen turtles are the most common turtle found in Tortuguero, so you're more likely to see one of them than any other species if you visit during the prime nesting season from July to mid-October (Aug\u2013Sept are peak months). Loggerheads are very rare, so don't be disappointed if you don't see one. The giant leatherback is perhaps the most spectacular sea turtle to watch laying eggs. The largest of all turtle species, the leatherback can grow to 2m (61\u20442 ft.) long and weigh well over 1,000 pounds. It nests from late February to June, predominantly in the southern part of the park. See the \"In Search of Turtles\" box for more information.\n\nA turtle hatchling heading to sea.\n\nYou can explore the park's rainforest, either by foot or by boat, and look for some of the incredible varieties of wildlife that live here: jaguars, anteaters, howler monkeys, collared and white-lipped peccaries, some 350 species of birds, and countless butterflies, among others. Some of the more colorful and common bird species you might see in this area include the rufescent and tiger herons, keel billed toucan, northern jacana, red lored parrot, and ringed kingfisher. Boat tours are far and away the most popular way to visit this park, although one frequently very muddy trail starts at the park entrance and runs for about 2km (1.25 miles) through the coastal rainforest and along the beach.\n\nAlthough it's a perfect habitat, West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are rare and threatened in the canals, rivers, and lagoons of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. Hunting and propeller injuries are the prime culprits. Your chances of seeing one of these gentle aquatic mammals is extremely remote.\n\n  Turtle Tips\n\n\u2022 Visitors to the beach at night must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Tours generally last between 2 and 4 hours.\n\n\u2022 Sometimes you must walk quite a bit to encounter a nesting turtle. Wear sneakers or walking shoes rather than sandals. The beach is very dark at night, and it's easy to trip or step on driftwood or other detritus.\n\n\u2022 Wear dark clothes. White T-shirts are not permitted.\n\n\u2022 Flashlights, flash cameras, and lighted video cameras are prohibited on turtle tours.\n\n\u2022  Smoking is prohibited on the beach at night.\n\nEntry Point, Fees & Regulations The Tortuguero National Park entrance and ranger station are at the south end of Tortuguero Village. The ranger station is inside a landlocked old patrol boat, and a small, informative open-air kiosk explains a bit about the park and its environs. Park admission is $10. However, most people visit Tortuguero as part of a package tour. Be sure to confirm whether the park entrance is included in the price. Moreover, only certain canals and trails leaving from the park station are actually within the park. Many hotels and private guides take their tours to a series of canals that border the park and are very similar in terms of flora and fauna but don't require a park entrance. When the turtles are nesting, arrange a night tour in advance with either your hotel or one of the private guides working in town. These guided tours generally run between $10 and $15. Flashlights and flash cameras are not permitted on the beach at night because the lights discourage the turtles from nesting.\n\nOrganized Tours Most visitors come to Tortuguero on an organized tour. All of the lodges listed below, with the exception of the most inexpensive accommodations in Tortuguero Village, offer package tours that include various hikes and river tours; this is generally the best way to visit the area.\n\nIn addition, several San Jos\u00e9\u2013based tour companies offer budget 2-day\/1-night excursions to Tortuguero, including transportation, all meals, and limited tours around the region. Prices for these trips range between $120 and $220 per person, and\u2014depending on price\u2014guests are lodged either in one of the basic hotels in Tortuguero Village or one of the nicer lodges listed below. Reputable companies offering these excursions include Exploradores Outdoors \u2605\u2605 (  2222-6262; www.exploradoresoutdoors.com), Jungle Tom Safaris (  2221-7878; www.jungletomsafaris.com), and Iguana Verde Tours (  2231-6803; www.iguanaverdetours.com). Jungle Tom Safaris also offers 1-day trips in which tourists spend almost all their time coming and going but that do allow for a quick tour of the canals and lunch in Tortuguero. These trips are good for travelers who like to be able to say, \"Been there, done that,\" and they generally run between $80 and $100 per person. However, these trips spend most of their time traveling to and from Tortuguero. If you really want to experience Tortuguero, I recommend staying for at least 2 nights.\n\nAlternately, you could go with Fran and Modesto Watson \u2605 (  2226-0986; www.tortuguerocanals.com), who are pioneering guides in this region and operate their own boat. The couple offers a range of overnight and multiday packages to Tortuguero, with lodging options at most of the major lodges here.\n\nBoat Canal Tours Aside from watching the turtles nest, the unique thing to do in Tortuguero is tour the canals by boat, keeping your eye out for tropical birds and native wildlife. Most lodges can arrange a canal tour for you, but you can also arrange a tour through one of the operators in Tortuguero Village. I recommend Daryl Loth (  8833-0827; <http:\/\/casamarbella.tripod.com>), who runs the Casa Marbella in the center of the village. I also recommend Ernesto Castillo, who can be reached through Cabinas Sabina or by asking around the village. If neither of these guides is available, ask for a recommendation at the Jungle Shop (  2709-8072) or at the Caribbean Conservation Corporation's Museum (  2709-8091). Most guides charge between $15 to $25 per person for a tour of the canals. If you travel through the park, you'll also have to pay the park entrance fee of $10 per person.\n\nExploring the Village\n\nThe most popular attraction in town is the small Caribbean Conservation Corporation's Visitors' Center and Museum \u2605 (  2709-8091; www.cccturtle.org). The museum has information and exhibits on a whole range of native flora and fauna, but its primary focus is on the life and natural history of the sea turtles. Most visits to the museum include a short, informative video on the turtles. All the proceeds from the small gift shop go toward conservation and turtle protection. The museum is open daily from 10am to noon and 2 to 5pm. Admission is $2, but more generous donations are encouraged.\n\nIn the village you can also rent dugout canoes, known in Costa Rica as cayucos or pangas. Be careful before renting and taking off in one of these; they tend to be heavy, slow, and hard to maneuver, and you might be getting more than you bargained for. Miss Junie (  2709-8102) rents lighter and more modern fiberglass canoes for around $5 for 3 hours.\n\nYou'll find a handful of souvenir shops spread around the center of the village. The Para\u00edso Tropical Gift Shop has the largest selection of gifts and souvenirs. But I prefer the Jungle Shop, which has a higher-end selection of wares and donates 10% of its profits to local schools.\n\nTortuguero Village.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nAlthough the room rates below may appear high, keep in mind that they usually include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9 (which amounts to approx. $100 per person), plus all meals, taxes, and usually some tours. When broken down into nightly room rates, most of the lodges are really charging only between $60 and $120 for a double room. Note: When I list package rates below, I have always listed the least expensive travel option, which is a bus and boat combination both in and out. All of the lodges also offer packages with the option of a plane flight either one or both ways.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nManatus Hotel \u2605\u2605 This intimate hotel offers the most luxurious accommodations in Tortuguero. The large rooms are plush and well-equipped, with two queen-size four-poster beds, high ceilings, wood floors, tasteful local furnishings, and a host of amenities you won't find anywhere else in the area, including a stocked minibar. Meals and service are top-notch, and they have the best little spa of any local hotel, as well as an on-site art gallery. The amoeba-shaped pool is set just off the dark waters of the Tortuguero Canal, with a broad deck and plenty of inviting chaise lounges surrounding it. Only children over 10 years of age are allowed.\n\nTortuguero. www.manatushotel.com.   2239-4854 reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2709-8197 at the hotel. Fax 2239-4857. 12 units. $391 per person for 2 days\/1 night; $498 per person for 3 days\/2 nights. Rates are double occupancy, and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, 3 meals daily, taxes, and daily tours. AE, MC, V. No children 10 and under allowed. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool; room service; small spa and exercise room. In room: A\/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi.\n\nExpensive\n\nLaguna Lodge \u2605 This popular lodge is 2km (11\u20444 miles) north of Tortuguero Village, on the ocean side of the main canal (which allows you to walk along the beach and into town). Most of the rooms have wood walls, waxed hardwood floors, and tiled bathrooms. Each room also has a little veranda overlooking flowering gardens. The large dining area is on a deck that extends out over the Tortuguero Canal. Another covered deck, also over the water, is strung with hammocks for lazing away the afternoons. Several palapa huts, also strung with hammocks, have been built among the flowering ginger and hibiscus. There's a large landscaped pool, with a poolside bar and grill, as well as a butterfly garden and botanical garden.\n\nTortuguero (A.P. 173\u20132015, Zapote). www.lagunatortuguero.com.   2272-4943 for reservations, or 2709-8082 at the lodge. Fax 2272-4927. 100 units. $236 per person for 2 days\/1 night; $265 per person for 3 days\/2 nights. Rates are double occupancy and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, tours, taxes, and 3 meals daily. Children 5\u201311 pay half-price. Children 4 and under, free. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; large free-form outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nMawamba Lodge \u2605 Located just north of Tortuguero on the ocean side of the canal, Mawamba lies within easy walking distance of the village. All rooms are painted in bright Caribbean colors. A few \"superior rooms\" come with king-size beds and a few extra amenities, like hair dryers and a bathtub. The gardens are lush and overgrown with flowering ginger, heliconia, and hibiscus, and include a frog garden, butterfly garden, and iguana garden. Plenty of hammocks are around for anyone who wants to kick back and a beach volleyball court for those who don't. The newest option here is a floating restaurant, where you can enjoy lunch or dinner while slowly cruising the canals. These folks also offer an extensive menu of kayaking tours and excursions, including one package in which you actually kayak part of the way into Tortuguero.\n\nTortuguero (A.P. 10980\u20131000, San Jos\u00e9). www.grupomawamba.com.   2293-8181 or 2709-8100. Fax 2239-7657. 58 units. $200 per person for 2 days\/1 night; $285 per person for 3 days\/2 nights. Rates are double occupancy, and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, 3 meals daily, taxes, and some tours. Discounts for children 5\u201311. Children 4 and under, free. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; free-form outdoor pool. In room: Hair dryer (in superior rooms), no phone.\n\nTortuga Lodge \u2605\u2605   One of the oldest lodges in Tortuguero, this is still one of the best. My favorite feature here is the long multilevel deck off the main dining room, where you can sit and dine, sip a cool drink, or just take in the view as the water laps against the docks at your feet. The lovely pool built by the water's edge is designed to look like it blends into Tortuguero's main canal. All the rooms are large and feature loads of freshly varnished hardwood. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom second-floor suite is also available. Several acres of forest behind the lodge have well-maintained trails winding their way through the trees. This is a great place to look for howler monkeys and colorful poison-arrow frogs. The hotel is run by Costa Rica Expeditions, one of the pioneers in the field of sustainable travel.\n\nTortuguero. www.costaricaexpeditions.com.   800\/886-2609 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2257-0766 reservations in San Jos\u00e9 or 2709-8034 at the lodge. Fax 2257-1665. 27 units. $178 double; $278 penthouse. Package rates with transportation, meals, and tours are available. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nTurtle Beach Lodge \u2605 This isolated ecolodge is 8km (5 miles) north of the village of Tortuguero, about 20 minutes away by boat. The grounds are set on a narrow strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the Ca\u00f1o Palma canal. The accommodations are somewhat more spartan than those at the lodges listed above, but they are still clean and comfortable. The rooms are housed in a series of long buildings. Most feature exterior walls that are solid on the bottom half and pure screening above. The best rooms are the corner units, which get the most airflow and circulation. All have some form of shared or private verandas. Given its location, this is one of the more convenient lodges for viewing the turtle nestings. A small, turtle-shaped pool is in the center of the grounds, and a stable of horses is available for riding tours.\n\nCa\u00f1o Palma, Tortuguero. www.turtlebeachlodge.com.   2248-0707 in San Jos\u00e9, or 8837-6969 at the lodge. Fax 2257-4409. 55 units. $210 per person for 2 days\/1 night; $288 per person for 3 days\/2 nights. Rates double occupancy, and include round-trip transportation from San Jos\u00e9, 3 meals daily, taxes, and tours. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge w\/satellite TV; Internet; outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nSeveral basic cabinas in the village of Tortuguero offer budget lodgings for between $15 and $25 per person. Cabinas Miss Junie (  2709-8102) and Cabinas Miss Miriam (  2709-8002) are the traditional favorites, although in my opinion, the best of the batch are the Cabinas Icaco (www.hotelelicaco.com;   2709-8044), Cabinas La Casona (  2709-8092), and Cabinas Tortuguero (  2709-8114).\n\nCasa Marbella \u2605   Right in Tortuguero Village, this converted house is an excellent option for budget travelers looking for a bit more comfort and care than that offered at most of the other inexpensive in-town options. It's also a good alternative for those wishing to avoid the large groups and cattle-car-like operations of most big lodges here. The rooms all have high ceilings, tile floors, and firm mattresses. Co-owner Daryl Loth is a longtime resident and well-respected naturalist guide. He and his wife are dedicated environmentalists and actively involved in local community development and environmental conservation efforts. Breakfast is served on a little patio facing the main Tortuguero canal in back of the house. A library and lounge area complement the facilities, and a wide range of tours can be arranged. The best choices here are the two \"superior\" rooms, with direct views of the canal.\n\nTortuguero, Lim\u00f3n. <http:\/\/casamarbella.tripod.com>.  \/fax 2709-8011 or   8833-0827. 11 units. $50 double; $60 superior. Rates include breakfast. No credit cards. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nMost visitors take all their meals, as part of a package, at their hotel. The town has a couple of simple sodas (diners) and restaurants. The best of these are La Casona (  2709-8092) and the Miss Junie's (  2709-8102).\n\nBudda Caf\u00e9 \u2605 INTERNATIONAL With a laid-back, hip vibe, this is my favorite restaurant in Tortuguero Village. Most of the seating here is on an open-air deck out over the water. The heart of the menu here is the thin-crust pizzas, crepes and pastas, but you can also get delicious salads, a just-caught tuna carpaccio, or some fresh river prawns, head-on, with a garlic butter sauce. There's a good selection of wines and cocktails, as well.\n\nOn the main canal, next to the ICE building, Tortuguero Village.   2709-8084. www.buddacafe.com. Main courses C3,200\u2013C12,000. No credit cards. Daily noon to 10pm.\n\nLim\u00f3n: Gateway to Tortuguero National Park & Southern Coastal Beaches\n\n160km (99 miles) E of San Jos\u00e9; 55km (34 miles) N of Puerto Viejo\n\nIt was just offshore from present-day Lim\u00f3n, in the lee of Isla Uvita, that Christopher Columbus is said to have anchored in 1502, on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. Believing that this was potentially a very rich land, he christened it Costa Rica (\"Rich Coast\"). While never supplying the Spanish crown with much in the way of gold or jewels, the spot where he anchored has proved over the centuries to be the best port on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast\u2014so his judgment wasn't all bad. Today Lim\u00f3n is a rough-around-the-edges port city that ships millions of pounds of bananas northward every year. It also receives a fair share of the country's ocean-borne imports and a modest number of cruise ship callings. On days when a cruise ship is in port, you'll find the city bustling far beyond the norm.\n\nLim\u00f3n is not generally considered a tourist destination, and few tourists take the time to tour the city, except those stopping here on cruise ships. Very few choose to stay here, and I don't recommend it except during Carnaval\u2014and even then you're better off in Cahuita or Puerto Viejo.\n\n  A Fall Festival\n\nLim\u00f3n's biggest yearly event, and one of the liveliest festivals in Costa Rica, is Carnaval, around Columbus Day (Oct 12). For a week, languid Lim\u00f3n shifts into high gear for a nonstop bacchanal orchestrated to the beat of reggae, soca, and calypso music. During the revelries, residents don costumes and take to the streets in a dazzling parade of color. Festivities include marching bands, dancers, and parade floats. If you want to experience Carnaval, make your reservations early because hotels fill up fast. (This advice goes for the entire coast.)\n\nIf you want to get in some beach time while you're in Lim\u00f3n, hop in a taxi or a local bus and head north a few kilometers to Playa Bonita, a small public beach. Although the water isn't very clean and is usually too rough for swimming, the setting is much more attractive than downtown. This beach is popular with surfers.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: The Gu\u00e1piles Highway (CR32) heads north out of San Jos\u00e9 on Calle 3 before turning east and passing close to Barva Volcano and through the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park en route to Lim\u00f3n. The drive takes about 21\u20442 hours and is spectacularly beautiful, especially when it's not raining or misty. Alternately, you can take the old highway, which is also scenic but much slower. This highway heads east out of San Jos\u00e9 on Avenida Central and passes through San Pedro and then Curridabat before reaching Cartago. From Cartago on, the narrow and winding road passes through Para\u00edso and Turrialba before descending out of the mountains to Siquirres, where the old highway meets the new. This route takes around 4 hours, more or less, to get to Lim\u00f3n.\n\n  Along the Way\n\nIf you're driving to the Caribbean coast, you should consider combining the trip with a stop at the Rainforest Aerial Tram, or the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu\u00ed area.\n\nBy Bus: Transportes Caribe\u00f1os buses (  2222-0610 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2758-2575 in Lim\u00f3n) leave San Jos\u00e9 every hour daily between 5am and 7pm from the Caribbean bus terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11. Friday and Sunday, the last bus leaves an hour later at 8pm. The trip duration is around 3 hours. The buses are either direct or local (corriente), and they don't alternate in any particularly predictable fashion. The local buses are generally older and less comfortable and stop en route to pick up passengers from the roadside. I highly recommend taking a direct bus, if possible. The fare is C2,650 one-way.\n\nBuses leave Lim\u00f3n for San Jos\u00e9 every hour between 5am and 7pm, and similarly alternate between local and direct, with the last bus leaving 1 hour later on Sundays. The Lim\u00f3n bus terminal is on the main road into town, several blocks west of the downtown area and Parque Vargas. Buses (  2758-1572 for the terminal) to Cahuita and Puerto Viejo leave from here roughly every hour from 5am to 7pm daily. Buses to Punta Uva and Manzanillo, both of which are south of Puerto Viejo, leave Lim\u00f3n daily at 5:30, 6, and 10:30am and 3 and 6pm, from the same station.\n\nOrientation Nearly all addresses in Lim\u00f3n are measured from the central market, which is aptly located smack-dab in the center of town, or from Parque Vargas, which is at the east end of town fronting the sea. The cruise ship dock is just south of Parque Vargas. A pedestrian mall runs from Parque Vargas to the west for several blocks.\n\nFast Facts A host of private and national banks are in the small downtown area. You can reach the local police at   2758-0365 and the Red Cross at   2758-0125. The Tony Facio Hospital (  2758-0580) is just outside of downtown on the road to Playa Bonita.\n\nCruise ships at dock in Lim\u00f3n.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nLim\u00f3n has little for tourists to do or see. The closest true attraction, Veragua Rainforest Park, is about a 40-minute drive.\n\nIf you end up spending any time in Lim\u00f3n, be sure to take a seat in Parque Vargas along the seawall and watch the city's citizens go about their business. Occupying 1 city block on the waterfront, this is a lush and quiet oasis in the heart of downtown. You may even spot some sloths living in the trees here. If you want to shop for souvenirs, head to the cruise ship terminal whenever a ship is in port, and you'll find more than your fair share of vendors. Finally, if you're interested in architecture, take a walk around town. When banana shipments built this port, local merchants erected elaborately decorated buildings, several of which have survived the city's many earthquakes, humid weather, and salty sea air. There's a certain charm in the town's fallen grace, drooping balconies, rotting woodwork, and chipped paint. One of the city's most famous buildings is known locally as the Black Star Line (  2798-1948), located on Avenida 5 and Calle 6. Also called Liberty Hall, this building was built in 1922, as the headquarters for Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association. Recently restored, it serves today as the city's social and cultural meeting place. Check here for traveling art exhibits, and the occasional live music, dance, or theater performance.\n\nJust be careful: Lim\u00f3n is a rough and impoverished port town. Street crime and violence are problems. Tourists should stick to the very well-worn city center, and spots mentioned here. In addition, I don't recommend walking anywhere at night. And even in the daytime, it's probably best to travel in small groups.\n\nA One-Stop Shop Rainforest Tourism Spot\n\nLocated outside of Lim\u00f3n in a patch of thick rainforest south of the banana town of Liverpool, Veragua Rainforest Park \u2605 (  2296-5056;www.veraguarainforest.com) is primarily a destination for cruise ship excursions. However, this extensive complex is a worthy stop for anyone visiting the area. Attractions include a serpentarium, butterfly garden and breeding exhibit, hummingbird garden, extensive insect exhibit, free-range rainforest frog room, zip-line canopy tour, and a short tram ride that takes you to their rainforest trail system. Along the trails, you'll find a beautiful little waterfall. A half-day tour runs $55 per adult and $45 per child, and a full-day tour runs $89 per adult and $65 per child; these tour prices don't include transportation or lunch. The park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8am to 3pm.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nHotel Playa Westfalia \u2605   This is my favorite hotel in the Lim\u00f3n area. Located right on the beach about 10 minutes south of the city, and just a mile or so beyond the airstrip, this place offers up cool, contemporary rooms, in a quiet, laid-back environment. Rooms all feature red-tile floors, and bathrooms adorned in lively blue and yellow Mexican tiles. The second-floor master suite has a great view of the ocean. A waterfall and raised unheated Jacuzzi feed a midsized pool, and the hotel's restaurant serves good local and international cuisine. The whole thing fronts a stretch of nearly deserted beach.\n\nJust south of Lim\u00f3n, just beyond the airstrip. www.hotelplayawestfalia.com.   2756-1300 or 2756-1661. Fax 3756-1174. 8 units. $85\u2013$95 double; $105\u2013$135 suite. Rates include full breakfast and taxes. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; smoke-free rooms. In room: A\/C, TV, minifridge, Wi-Fi.\n\nPark Hotel \u2605 This is easily, and perennially, the best option in Lim\u00f3n proper\u2014although there really isn't any competition. The hotel has an excellent location fronting the ocean, across the street from the fire station, and just down from Parque Vargas. Unlike much of Lim\u00f3n, which seems to be in a state of prolonged and steady decay, the Park Hotel receives regular and fairly competent upkeep year in and year out. Ask for a room on the ocean side of the hotel because these are brighter, quieter, and cooler than those that face the fire station, although they're also slightly more expensive. The suites have private oceanview balconies and larger bathrooms with tubs. The large, sunny dining room off the lobby serves standard Tico fare at very reasonable prices.\n\nAv. 3, btw. calles 1 and 3 (A.P. 35\u20137300), Lim\u00f3n.   2798-0555. Fax 2758-4364. 32 units. $67 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: A\/C, TV.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nDining options are pretty limited in Lim\u00f3n. In addition to the place listed below, the restaurant at the Park Hotel is a good bet. Feel free to sample some pati. A local staple, this fried dough concoction is stuffed with a slightly spicy ground meat filling. You'll find pati vendors all over downtown Lim\u00f3n.\n\nBrisas del Caribe SEAFOOD\/COSTA RICAN The increase in cruise ship traffic here has been a shot in the arm for this local landmark. The local cuisine served up here is dependable, if not particularly special or memorable. Still, order up a plate of fresh fish with rice and beans and some patacones (fried plantain chips), and you'll do fine. When the weather permits, grab a table on the sidewalk, under a big umbrella.\n\nNorth side of Parque Vargas, Lim\u00f3n.   2758-0138. Main courses C1,950\u2013C6,900. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 7:30am\u20139pm.\n\nEn Route South\n\nStaying at the place listed below is a great way to combine some quiet beach time on the Caribbean coast with a more active ecolodge and bird-watching experience into one compact itinerary.\n\nSelva Bananito Lodge \u2605\u2605   The spacious raised-stilt cabins here feature an abundance of varnished woodwork, large private bathrooms, and a wraparound veranda with a hammock. Half the cabins have views of the Bananito River and a small valley; the other half have views of the Matama Mountains (part of the Talamanca mountain range). Hot water is provided by solar panels, and lighting is provided by a mix of gas lanterns and candles. The wide range of tours and activities includes rainforest hikes and horseback rides in the jungle, tree climbing, self-guided trail hikes, and even the opportunity to rappel down the face of a jungle waterfall. The owners are very involved in conservation efforts in this area, and approximately two-thirds of the 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) here are primary forest managed as a private reserve. This place has earned \"5 Leaves\" in the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nBananito (A.P. 2333\u20132050, San Pedro). www.selvabananito.com.   2253-8118. Fax 2280-0820. 11 units. $260\u2013$280 double. Rates include 3 meals daily and all taxes. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone. You'll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach the lodge itself, although most leave their rental cars in Bananito and let the lodge drive them the final bit. You can also arrange to be picked up in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nCahuita \u2605\n\n200km (124 miles) E of San Jos\u00e9; 42km (26 miles) S of Lim\u00f3n; 13km (8 miles) N of Puerto Viejo\n\nCahuita is a small beach village and the first \"major\" tourist destination heading south out of Lim\u00f3n. Nevertheless, the boom going on in Puerto Viejo and the beaches south of Puerto Viejo have in many ways passed Cahuita by. Depending on your point of view, that can be a reason to stay or to decide to head farther south. Any way you slice it, Cahuita is one of the more laid-back villages in Costa Rica. The few dirt and gravel streets here are host to a languid parade of pedestrian traffic, parted occasionally by a bicycle, car, or bus. After a short time, you'll find yourself slipping into the heat-induced torpor that affects anyone who ends up here.\n\nThe village traces its roots to Afro-Caribbean fishermen and laborers who settled in this region in the mid-1800s, and today the population is still primarily English-speaking blacks whose culture and language set them apart from other Costa Ricans.\n\nPeople come to Cahuita for its miles of pristine beaches, which stretch both north and south from town. The southern beaches, the forest behind them, and the coral reef offshore (one of just a handful in Costa Rica) are all part of Cahuita National Park \u2605\u2605. Silt and pesticides washing down from nearby banana plantations have taken a heavy toll on the coral reefs, so don't expect the snorkeling to be world-class. But on a calm day, it can be pretty good, and the beaches are idyllic every day. It can rain almost any time of year here, but the most dependably dry months are September and October.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: Follow the directions above for getting to Lim\u00f3n. As you enter Lim\u00f3n, about 5 blocks before the busiest section of downtown, watch for a paved road to the right, just before the railroad tracks. Take this road (CR36) south to Cahuita, passing the airstrip and the beach on your left as you leave Lim\u00f3n. Alternatively, a turnoff with signs for Sixaola and La Bomba is several miles before Lim\u00f3n. This winding shortcut skirts the city and puts you on the coastal road (CR36) several miles south of Lim\u00f3n.\n\nBy Bus: Mepe express buses (  2257-8129) leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6 and 10am, noon, and 2 and 4pm from the Caribbean bus terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11. The trip's duration is 4 hours; the fare is C3,910. During peak periods, extra buses are often added. However, it's wise to check because this bus line (Mepe) is one of the most fickle.\n\nAlternatively, you can catch a bus to Lim\u00f3n and then transfer to a Cahuita- or Puerto Viejo\u2013bound bus (  2758-1572) in Lim\u00f3n. These latter buses leave roughly every hour between 5am and 7pm from the main bus terminal in Lim\u00f3n. Buses from Lim\u00f3n to Manzanillo also stop in Cahuita and leave from the same spot at 6 and 10:30am, and 3 and 6pm. The trip takes 1 hour; the fare is C1,005.\n\nInterbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Cahuita at 7:50am. The fare is $40. Interbus buses leave Cahuita daily at both 7:20am and 3:15pm. Interbus will pick you up at most area hotels in both San Jos\u00e9 and Cahuita, and offers connections to various other destinations around Costa Rica.\n\nBuses departing Puerto Viejo and Sixaola (on the Panama border) stop in Cahuita roughly every hour between 8am and 8pm en route to San Jos\u00e9. However, the schedule is far from precise, so it's always best to check with your hotel. Moreover, these buses are often full, particularly on weekends and throughout the high season. To avoid standing in the aisle all the way to San Jos\u00e9, it is sometimes better to take a bus first to Lim\u00f3n and then catch one of the frequent Lim\u00f3n\u2013San Jos\u00e9 buses. Buses to Lim\u00f3n pass through Cahuita regularly throughout the day. Another tactic I've used is to take a morning bus to Puerto Viejo, spend the day down there, and board a direct bus to San Jos\u00e9 at its point of origin, thereby snagging a seat.\n\nA Cahuita National Park trail.\n\nOrientation Cahuita only has about eight dirt streets. The highway runs parallel to the coast, with three main access roads running perpendicular. The northernmost of these access roads bypasses town and brings you to the northern end of Playa Negra. It's marked with signs for the Magellan Inn and other hotels up on this end. The second road in brings you to the southern end of Playa Negra, a half-mile closer to town. The third road is the principal entrance into town. The village's main street in town, which runs parallel to the highway, dead-ends at the national park entrance (a footbridge over a small stream).\n\nBuses drop their passengers off at a bus terminal at the back of a small strip mall on the main entrance road into town. If you come in on the bus and are staying at a lodge on Playa Negra, there will be cabs waiting. Alternately, you can head out walking north on the street that runs between Coco's Bar and the small park. This road curves to the left and continues a mile or so out to Playa Negra.\n\nFast Facts The police station (  2755-0217) is located where the road from Playa Negra turns into town. The post office (  2755-0096) is next door. You'll find a well-equipped pharmacy, Farmacia Cahuita (  2755-0505), as well as a Banco de Costa Rica and ATM, in the small strip mall in front the bus station. Several Internet cafes are around the central downtown area of the village. If you can't find a cab in town, ask your hotel to call you one, or try Alejandro (  8875-3209) or Dino (  2755-0012 or 8340-2354).\n\n  You Can Bring It with You\n\nI recommend packing a picnic lunch, plenty of water, and some snorkel gear and hiking out along the inland rainforest trail, all the way out to Punta Cahuita. Once there, you can spread out a blanket or some towels, snorkel on the reef, and swim in the tide pools, before enjoying your lunch. You can walk along the beach for most of the return trip to town, and stop for a cooling dip or two if the mood strikes.\n\nExploring Cahuita National Park \u2605\u2605\n\nThis little gem of a national park sits at the southern edge of Cahuita town. Although the pristine white-sand beach, with its picture-perfect line of coconut palms and lush coastal forest backing it, is the main draw here, the park was actually created to preserve the 240-hectare (787-acre) coral reef that lies just offshore. The reef contains 35 species of coral and provides a haven for hundreds of brightly colored tropical fish. You can walk on the beach itself or follow the trail that runs through the forest just behind the beach to check out the reef.\n\nOne of the best places to swim is just before or beyond the R\u00edo Perezoso (Lazy River), several hundred meters inside Cahuita National Park. The trail behind the beach is great for bird-watching, and if you're lucky, you might see some monkeys or a sloth. The loud grunting sounds you'll hear off in the distance are the calls of howler monkeys, which can be heard from more than a kilometer away. Nearer at hand, you're likely to hear crabs scuttling amid the dry leaves on the forest floor\u2014a half-dozen or so species of land crabs live in this region\u2014my favorites are the bright orange-and-purple ones.\n\nThe trail behind the beach stretches a little more than 9km (5.6 miles) to the southern end of the park at Puerto Vargas (  2755-0302), where you'll find a beautiful white-sand beach. The best section of reef is off the point at Punta Cahuita, and you can snorkel here. If you don't dawdle, the 3.8km (2.35-mile) hike to Punta Cahuita should take a little over an hour each way\u2014although I'd allow plenty of extra time to marvel at the flora and fauna, and take a dip or two in the sea. Bring plenty of mosquito repellent because this area can be buggy.\n\nAlthough you can snorkel from the shore at Punta Cahuita, it's best to have a boat take you out to the nicest coral heads just offshore. A 3-hour snorkel trip costs between $15 and $30 per person, with equipment. You can arrange one with any of the local tour companies listed below. Note: These trips are best taken when the seas are calm\u2014for safety's sake, visibility, and comfort.\n\nCahuita National Park beach.\n\nEntry Points, Fees & Regulations The in-town park entrance is just over a footbridge at the end of the village's main street. It has restroom facilities, changing rooms, and storage lockers. This is the best place to enter if you just want to spend the day on the beach and maybe take a little hike in the bordering forest.\n\nThe alternate park entrance is at the southern end of the park in Puerto Vargas. This is where you should come if you plan to camp at the park or if you don't feel up to hiking a couple of hours to reach the good snorkeling spots. The road to Puerto Vargas is approximately 5km (3 miles) south of Cahuita on the left.\n\nOfficially, admission is $10 per person per day, but this is collected only at the Puerto Vargas entrance. You can enter the park from the town of Cahuita for free or with a voluntary contribution. The park is open from dawn to dusk for day visitors.\n\nHowler monkeys.\n\nGetting There By Car: The turnoff for the Puerto Vargas entrance is clearly marked 5km (3 miles) south of Cahuita.\n\nBy Bus: Your best bet is to get off a Puerto Viejo- or Sixaola-bound bus at the turnoff for the Puerto Vargas entrance (well marked, but tell the bus driver in advance). The guard station\/entrance is only about 500m (1,640 ft.) down this road. However, the campsites are several kilometers farther, so it's a long hike with a heavy pack.\n\n  Damaged & Endangered\n\nWhile patches of living, vibrant reef survive off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, much of it has been killed off, or is severely threatened by over-fishing, pollution, rain, and mud run-off during the rainy season. Much of the damage can be traced to the massive banana plantations that line this coastline, which have had a direct role in increasing the amount of muddy run-off and dumped tons of plastic and pesticides into the fragile, inshore reef systems.\n\nBeaches & Activities Outside the Park\n\nOutside the park the best place for swimming is Playa Negra. The stretch right in front of the Playa Negra Guesthouse is my favorite spot. The waves here are often good for bodysurfing, boogie boarding, or surfing. If you want to rent a board or try a surf lesson, check in with Rennie at Willie's Tours (see below).\n\nCahuita has plenty of options for organized adventure trips or tours. I recommend Cahuita Tours (  2755-0000; www.cahuitatours.com), on the village's main street heading out toward Playa Negra. They offer a wide range of tour and activity options, including snorkeling trips ($25\u2013$35 per person) and jungle hikes ($25\u2013$30).\n\nWillie's Tours (  2755-1024; www.williestourscostarica.com), also on the main road in the center of town, and Roberto Tours (  2755-0117), on the main road a half-block south of the small central park, offer similar tours at similar prices. Most of the companies offer multiday trips to Tortuguero, as well as to Bocas del Toro, Panama.\n\nBrigitte (  2755-0053; www.brigittecahuita.com) offers guided horseback tours for $35 to $75. She also rents mountain bikes for C3,500 per day, and even has a few rooms available.\n\nOn the main highway, just north of the main entrance to Cahuita, is the Mariposario Cahuita (  2755-0361), a large, informative butterfly-farm attraction that charges $10 and is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm, and weekends by appointment. It's best to come in the early morning on a sunny day, when the butterflies are most active.\n\nBird-watchers and sloth lovers should head north 9km (51\u20442 miles) to Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica \u2605\u2605 ( \/fax 2750-0775; www.slothrescue.org). Their signature tour features an informative visit to their sloth rehabilitation project and learning center, as well as a 1-hour canoe tour through the surrounding estuary and river system. More than 330 species of birds have been spotted here. You'll get an up-close look at a range of rescued wild sloths, both adults and babies, as well as several bred in captivity. After, you can hike their trail system and look for sloths in the wild. Tours begin at 8am, with the last tour of the day leaving at 2:30pm. It's best to make reservations in advance. These folks also offer up a few cozy and quaint rooms right on-site if you want to spend more time exploring the bird-watching, wildlife, and sloth rescue project here.\n\nA sloth at the Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica.\n\nToward the northern end of the dirt road leading out beyond Playa Negra is the Tree of Life Wildlife Rescue Center and Botanical Gardens (  2755-0014; www.treeoflifecostarica.com). Stroll through extensive, well-maintained gardens, where a series of large cages house a range of rescued and recovering local fauna, including toucans, monkeys, coatimundi, deer, wild pigs, or peccaries. This place is open daily from 8am to 3pm. Admission is $12.\n\nIf you're looking to study Spanish here, check in with Icari The Spanish School (  2755-1096; www.icari-spanishlearning.com). A variety of group and individual class options are available.\n\nCahuita locals.\n\nShopping\n\nFor a wide selection of beachwear, local crafts, cheesy souvenirs, and batik clothing, try Boutique Coco, which has moved to the small strip mall near the bus terminal, or Boutique Bambata, which is on the main road near the entrance to the park. The latter is also a good place to have your hair wrapped in colorful threads and strung with beads. Right in the center of town, Bodhi's Books & Gifts is another good option for souvenirs. Heading north out of town, similar wares are offered at the Cahuita Tours gift shop. For something less formal, local and itinerant artisans in makeshift stands near the park entrance sell handmade jewelry and crafts.\n\nIf you're interested in the region, pick up a copy of Paula Palmer's What Happen: A Folk-History of Costa Rica's Talamanca Coast. The book is a history of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast based on interviews with many of the area's oldest residents. Much of it is in the traditional Creole language, from which the title is taken. It makes for a fun and interesting read, and you just might meet someone mentioned in the book.\n\n  Cahuita's Calypso Legend\n\nWalter \"Gavitt\" Ferguson, who turned 92 in 2011, is a living legend. For decades, Ferguson labored and sang in obscurity. Occasionally he would record a personalized cassette tape of original tunes for an interested tourist willing to part with $5. Finally, in 2002, Ferguson was recorded by the local label Papaya Music (www.papayamusic.com). Today, he has two CDs of original songs, Babylon and Dr. Bombodee. Ask around town and you should be able to find a copy. If you're lucky, you might even bump into Gavitt himself.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Bungalow Malu (  2755-0114) is a pretty collection of individual bungalows located just across the dirt road from a long stretch of Black Beach, while Coral Hill Bungalows \u2605 (www.coralhillbungalows.com;   2755-0479) offers up three individual bungalows and a separate two-story house, in a lush garden setting, about a block or so inland from the beach.\n\nModerate\n\nEl Encanto Bed & Breakfast \u2605\u2605 The individual bungalows at this little bed-and-breakfast are set in from the road on spacious and well-kept grounds. The bungalows themselves are also spacious and have attractive touches that include wooden bed frames, arched windows, Mexican-tile floors, Guatemalan bedspreads, and framed Panamanian molas hanging on the walls. A separate two-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has a full kitchen. Hearty breakfasts are served in the small open dining room surrounded by lush gardens. The hotel also has a small kidney-shaped pool, a wood-floored meditation and yoga hall, and an open-air massage room.\n\nCahuita (just outside of town on the road to Playa Negra). www.elencantocahuita.com.   2755-0113. Fax 2755-0432. 8 units. $75 double; $190 house. Rates include full breakfast. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak weeks. MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nMagellan Inn \u2605 With an understated sense of tropical sophistication, this small inn has thrived over the years. The tile-floor rooms have French doors, vertical blinds, compact bathrooms with hardwood counters, and two joined single beds. Each room has its own tiled veranda with a Persian rug and bamboo sitting chairs. Half of the rooms have air-conditioning, and one has satellite television. Although a ceiling fan spins over each bed, the non-air-conditioned rooms could use a bit more ventilation. The combination bar\/lounge and dining room features even more Persian-style rugs and wicker furniture. Most memorable of all are the hotel's sunken pool and lush gardens, both of which are built into a crevice in the ancient coral reef that underlies this entire region.\n\nAt the far end of Playa Negra (about 2km\/11\u20444 miles north of Cahuita), Cahuita. www.magellaninn.com.  \/fax 2755-0035. 6 units. $68\u2013$74 double; $90\u2013$96 double with A\/C. Rates include continental breakfast. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak weeks. AE, MC, V. Amen-ities: Bar; lounge; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C (in some), no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nPlaya Negra Guesthouse \u2605\u2605   Expansive gardens and grounds, a beautiful pool, attentive owners, cozy accommodations, and direct beach access make this my top choice in Cahuita. Rooms are immaculate and well-lit and most come with a wet bar, in addition to the coffeemaker and minifridge. My favorite option for couples are the two private cabins, while the two independent two-bedroom cottages are perfect for families, with plenty of space, a full kitchen, and large veranda. The hotel is just across the road from a wonderful section of Playa Negra.\n\nOn Playa Negra (about 1.5km\/1 mile north of town), Cahuita. www.playanegra.cr.   2755-0127. Fax 2755-0481. 6 units. $60\u2013$80 double room; $75\u2013$85 cabin; $100\u2013$120 cottage. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Small outdoor pool. In room: Minifridge, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Cahuita Seaside Cabinas (www.cahuitaside.net;   2755-0027) and its somewhat funky collection of budget rooms is worth considering; its rooms are set just a few feet from the water in the heart of town. Another option is Hotel Belle Fleur (www.hotelbellefleur.com;   2755-0283), which has neat and cheery rooms set near the main road, close to the national park entrance.\n\nAlby Lodge \u2605   With the feel of a small village, Alby Lodge is a fascinating little place hand-built by its German owners. Although the four small cabins are close to the center of the village, they're surrounded by a large lawn and feel secluded. The cabins are quintessentially tropical, with thatch roofs, mosquito nets, hardwood floors and beams, big shuttered windows, tile bathrooms, and a hammock slung on the front porch. There's no restaurant here, but you may cook your own meals in a communal kitchen area if you wish. The turnoff for the lodge is on your right just before you reach the national park entrance; the hotel is about 136m (446 ft.) down a narrow, winding lane from here.\n\nCahuita. www.albylodge.com.  \/fax 2755-0031. 4 units. $50 double. $5 for extra person. No credit cards. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nCabinas Arrecife Located near the water, next to Restaurant Edith, this row of basic rooms is an excellent budget choice in Cahuita. Each room comes with a double and a single bed, a table fan, and tile floors. There's not a lot of room to move around, but things are pretty clean and well kept for this price range. A shared veranda offers a glimpse of the sea through a dense stand of coconut palms. The tiny pool fronts the ocean. If you want to be closer to the sea, grab one of the hammocks strung on the palms or sit in the small, open restaurant, which serves breakfast every day and dinners on demand.\n\nCahuita (about 100m\/328 ft. east of the post office). www.cabinasarrecife.com.  \/fax 2755-0081. 12 units. $30 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nCoconut meat and milk figure into a lot of the regional cuisine here. Most nights, local women cook up pots of various local specialties and sell them from the front porches of the two discos or from streetside stands around town; a full meal will cost you around $2 to $5.\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, Corleone (  2755-0341; toward the north end of the main road in town) is the place to go for pizza, pastas, and Italian specialties. Coral Reef (  2755-0133, at the main crossroads in town) is a good local restaurant, with a cozy open-air second-floor dining space that's great for people-watching. Another favorite is Caf\u00e9 El Parquecito (  2755-0279), which serves up local and international fare throughout the day, in an open-air space next to the small park in the center of town, as well as popular breakfasts featuring fresh crepes.\n\nCha Cha Cha \u2605\u2605 SEAFOOD\/INTERNATIONAL Fresh seafood and grilled meats, simply and expertly prepared\u2014what more could you ask for from a casual, open-air restaurant in a funky beach town? In addition to the fresh catch of the day and filet mignon, the eclectic menu here includes everything from jerk chicken to Thai shrimp salad. The grilled squid salad with a citrus dressing is one of the house specialties and deservedly so. The restaurant occupies the ground floor of an old wooden building, with only a half-dozen or so tables that fill up fast.\n\nOn the main road in town, 3 blocks north of Coco's Bar.   8780-2593. Reservations recommended during the high season. Main courses C5,000\u2013C10,000. No credit cards. Tues\u2013Sun 2\u201310pm.\n\nChoco Latte \u2605 COFFEEHOUSE\/CREOLE Light, airy, and cheerful, this simple yellow clapboard cafe is a great choice for breakfast or lunch. I recommend grabbing a table on the small outdoor patio. The open kitchen turns out great waffles, pancakes, and eggs for breakfast. Lunch options range from juicy burgers to casados. Throughout the day, fresh baked goods (cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, muffins, and such) are offered up, along with cold and hot coffee concoctions.\n\nOn the main road in town, 1\u20442 block south of Coco's Bar.   2755-0010. Main courses C1,500\u2013C3,000. No credit cards. Tues\u2013Fri 6:30am\u20132pm, Sat\u2013Sun 6:30am\u2013midnight.\n\nRestaurant Edith CREOLE\/SEAFOOD This place is a local institution. Miss Edith's daughters do most of the cooking and serving these days, but you will often find the restaurant's namesake matriarch on hand. The long menu has lots of local seafood dishes and Creole combinations such as yuca in coconut milk with meat or vegetables. The sauces' spice and zest are a welcome change from the typically bland fare served up elsewhere in Costa Rica. It's often crowded, so don't be bashful about sitting down with total strangers at any of the big tables. Hours can be erratic; it sometimes closes without warning, and service can be slow and gruff at times. After you've ordered, it's usually no more than 45 minutes until your meal arrives. As an added bonus, these folks also offer cooking classes, so you can whip up some of the Caribbean classics when you get home.\n\nBy the police station, Cahuita.   2755-0248. Reservations are accepted. Main courses $5\u2013$23. No credit cards. Mon\u2013Sat 7am\u201310pm.\n\nSobre Las Olas \u2605 SEAFOOD\/ITALIAN Set on a slight rise of rocks above a coral cove and breaking waves, this place has by far the best location in Cahuita. The Italian owners dish up a mix of local and Italian fare. They serve excellent fresh squid or shrimp in a tangy local coconut milk sauce, as well as a host of pasta dishes. The fresh grilled snapper is always a good way to go. I especially like this place for lunch, since you can really enjoy the view of the clear blue Caribbean Sea then. If weather permits, grab one of the outdoor tables set in the shade of coconut palms. After you finish eating, slide over and into one of the hammocks strung between those palms.\n\nJust north of town on the road to Playa Negra.   2755-0109. Main courses C5,700\u2013C12,500. AE, MC, V. Wed\u2013Mon noon\u201310pm.\n\nCahuita After Dark\n\nCoco's Bar \u2605, a classic Caribbean watering hole at the main crossroads in town, has traditionally been the place to spend your nights (or days, for that matter) if you like cold beer and very loud reggae and soca music. Toward the park entrance, the National Park Restaurant has a popular bar and disco on most nights during the high season and on weekends during the off season, while out toward Playa Negra, the Reggae Bar has a convivial vibe, with thumping tropical tunes blasting most nights.\n\nPuerto Viejo \u2605\u2605\n\n200km (124 miles) E of San Jos\u00e9; 55km (34 miles) S of Lim\u00f3n\n\nPuerto Viejo is the Caribbean coast's hottest destination. And not just because of the sometimes stifling heat. Even though Puerto Viejo is farther down the road from Cahuita, it's much, much more popular, with a distinctly livelier vibe and many more hotels and restaurants to choose from. Much of this is due to the scores of surfers who come to ride the town's famous and fearsome Salsa Brava wave, and only slightly mellower Playa Cocles beach break. Nonsurfers can enjoy other excellent swimming beaches, plenty of active adventure options, nearby rainforest trails, and the collection of great local and international restaurants.\n\nThis area gets plenty of rain, just like the rest of the coast (Feb\u2013Mar and Sept\u2013Oct are your best bets for sun, although it's not guaranteed).\n\nA beached barge by Puerto Viejo.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: To reach Puerto Viejo, continue south from Cahuita on CR36 for another 16km (10 miles). Watch for a prominent and well-marked fork in the highway. The right-hand fork continues on to Bribri, Sixaola, and the Panamanian border. The left-hand fork (it actually appears to be a straight shot) takes you into Puerto Viejo on 5km (3 miles) of sporadically paved road.\n\nBy Bus: Mepe express buses (  2257-8129 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2750-0023 in Puerto Viejo) to Puerto Viejo leave San Jos\u00e9 daily at 6 and 10am, noon, and 2 and 4pm from the Caribbean terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, 1 block north of Avenida 11. The trip's duration is 41\u20442 to 5 hours; the fare is C4,545. During peak periods extra buses are sometimes added. Always ask if the bus is continuing on to Manzanillo (especially helpful if you're staying in a hotel south of town).\n\nInterbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a daily bus that leaves San Jos\u00e9 for Puerto Viejo at 7:30am. The fare is $40. Interbus buses leave Puerto Viejo daily at 7am and 2pm. Interbus will pick you up at most hotels in both San Jos\u00e9 and Puerto Viejo, and offers connections to various other destinations around Costa Rica.\n\nAlternatively, you can catch a bus to Lim\u00f3n and then transfer to a Puerto Viejo\u2013bound bus in Lim\u00f3n. These latter buses (  2758-1572) leave roughly every hour between 5am and 7pm from the main terminal in Lim\u00f3n. Buses from Lim\u00f3n to Manzanillo also stop in Puerto Viejo and leave daily at 5:30, 6, and 10:30am and 3 and 6pm. The trip takes 11\u20442 hours; the fare is C1,505.\n\nIf you arrive in Puerto Viejo by bus, be leery of hucksters and touts offering you hotel rooms. In most cases, they work on a small commission from whatever hotel or cabina is hiring, and, in some cases, they'll steer you away from one of my recommended hotels or falsely claim that it is full.\n\nExpress buses leave Puerto Viejo for San Jos\u00e9 daily at 9 and 11am and 4pm. Buses for Lim\u00f3n leave daily roughly every hour between 7am and 8pm. However, this schedule is subject to change, so it's always best to check with your hotel. Buses to Punta Uva and Manzanillo leave Puerto Viejo about a half-dozen times throughout the day.\n\nOrientation The road in from the highway runs parallel to Playa Negra, or Black Sand Beach (not the beach in Cahuita), for a couple of hundred meters before entering the village of Puerto Viejo, which has all of about 10 dirt streets. The sea is on your left and forested hills on your right as you come into town. It's another 15km (91\u20443 miles) south to Manzanillo. This road is paved all the way to Manzanillo, although many sections are nonetheless in fairly rough shape.\n\nA handful of taxi drivers are in town. You'll either find them hanging around the parquecito (little park), or you can try calling Bull (  2750-0112 or 8836-8219) or Taxi Kale (  8340-2338). You can rent scooters and bicycles from several operators in town. I like Red Eye Scooter Rentals (  8860-8588), which is on the south side of town, across from Stanfords.\n\nFast Facts Public phones are located around town and at several hotels. Those looking to change money should head to the Banco de Costa Rica branch on the main road in town. A Banco Nacional branch is in Bribri, about 10km (6 miles) away. Both of these banks have ATMs. You'll find the post office (  2750-0404) in a small strip mall behind Caf\u00e9 Viejo. A Guardia Rural police office (  2750-0230) is on the beach, near Johnny's Place (see later in this chapter).\n\nSeveral little Internet cafes are around town. There are also a couple of self- and full-service laundromats\u2014the one at Caf\u00e9 Rico (  2750-0510) will give you a free cup of coffee, cappuccino, or espresso while you wait.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nCultural & Adventure Tours The Asociaci\u00f3n Talamanque\u00f1a de Ecoturismo y Conservaci\u00f3n \u2605\u2605 (ATEC; Talamancan Association of Ecotourism and Conservation;   2750-0398 or  \/fax 2750-0191; www.ateccr.org), across the street from the Soda Tamara, is a local organization concerned with preserving the environment and cultural heritage of this area and promoting ecologically sound development. (If you plan to stay in Puerto Viejo for an extended period of time and would like to contribute to the community, ask about volunteering.) In addition to functioning as the local information center, Internet cafe, and traveler's hub, ATEC runs a little shop that sells T-shirts, maps, posters, and books.\n\nA bare-throated tiger heron.\n\nATEC also offers quite a few tours, including half-day walks that focus on nature and either the local Afro-Caribbean culture or the indigenous Bribri culture. These walks pass through farms and forests, and along the way you'll learn about local history, customs, medicinal plants, and Indian mythology, and have an opportunity to see sloths, monkeys, iguanas, keel-billed toucans, and other wildlife. A range of different walks lead through the nearby Bribri Indians' K\u00e9k\u00f6ldi Reserve, as well as more strenuous hikes through the primary rainforest. Bird walks and night walks will help you spot more of the area wildlife; there are even overnight treks. The local guides have a wealth of information and make a hike through the forest a truly educational experience. ATEC can arrange snorkeling trips to the nearby coral reefs, as well as snorkeling and fishing trips in dugout canoes, and everything from surf lessons to dance classes. ATEC can also help you arrange overnight and multiday camping trips into the Talamanca Mountains and through neighboring indigenous reserves, as well as trips to Tortuguero and even a 7- to 10-day transcontinental trek to the Pacific coast. Half-day tours (and night walks) are $25 to $45, and full-day tours run between $50 and $75. Some tours require minimum groups of 5 or 10 people and several days' advance notice. The ATEC office is open daily from 8am to 9pm.\n\nCacao fruit.\n\nLocal tour operators Aventuras Bravas \u2605 (  2750-0750; www.terraventuras.com) all offer a host of half- and full-day adventure tours into the jungle or sea for between $35 and $150 per person. One popular tour is Terraventuras' zip-line canopy tour, which features 23 treetop platforms, a large harnessed swing, and a rappel.\n\nFor horseback riding, check in with Seahorse Stables (  8859-6435; www.horsebackridingincostarica.com).\n\nScuba divers can check in with Reef Runners Dive Shop (  2750-0480; www.reefrunnerdivers.com) or Puerto Viejo Scuba Dive \u2605 (  2750-0919; htt:\/\/:puertoviejoscuba.com). Both operators frequent a variety of dive sites between Punta Uva and Manzanillo, and if you're lucky the seas will be calm and visibility good\u2014although throughout most of the year it can be a bit rough and murky here. Reef Runners has an office in downtown Puerto Viejo. Rates run between $75 and $110 for a two-tank boat dive.\n\nA Little Mind & Body Revitalization If you're looking for some day-spa pampering, check out Indulgence Spa \u2605\u2605 (  2750-0536). Located at La Costa de Papito, these folks have a wide range of massage and treatment options at reasonable rates. They make many of their own oils, masks, wraps, and exfoliants. They also have an in-house salon.\n\nBliss Massage Center (  2756-8224; www.blisscostarica.com) offers up a similar menu of treatment options in the minimall in the center of downtown.\n\nBetter suited to a longer stay or organized retreat, Samasati  (www.samasati.com;   800\/563-9643 in the U.S., or 2756-8015 in Costa Rica) is a lovely jungle yoga retreat and spa, with spectacular hillside views of the Caribbean Sea and surrounding forests. Rates here run between $115 and $185 per person per day, depending on occupancy and room type, and include three vegetarian meals per day and taxes. A wide range of tour, massage, and yoga packages are available. If you're staying elsewhere in Puerto Viejo or Cahuita, you can come up for yoga classes ($15), meditation ($5), or private massages ($110\u2013$200) with advance notice. Samasati is located a couple of kilometers before Puerto Viejo (near the turnoff for Bribri) and roughly 1.6km (1 mile) up into the jungle.\n\nA spa treatment at Pure Jungle Spa.\n\nNot Your Everyday Gardens One of the nicest ways to spend a day in Puerto Viejo is to visit the Finca La Isla Botanical Gardens \u2605\u2605 (  2750-0046 or 8886-8530; www.costaricacaribbean.com), a couple hundred meters inland from the Black Sand Beach on a side road just north of El Pizote lodge. Peter Kring and his late wife Lindy poured time and love into the creation of this meandering collection of native and imported tropical flora. You'll see medicinal, commercial, and just plain wild flowering plants, fruits, herbs, trees, and bushes. Visitors get to gorge on whatever is ripe at the moment. A rigorous rainforest loop trail leaves from the grounds. The gardens are generally open Friday through Monday from 10am to 4pm, but visits at other times can sometimes be arranged in advance. Entrance to the garden is $5 per person for a self-guided tour of the trails (you can buy their trail map for an extra $1), or $10 for a 21\u20442 hour guided tour (minimum of three people).\n\nCacao Trails \u2605 (  2756-8186; www.cacaotrails.com) is a one-stop attraction featuring botanical gardens, a small serpentarium, an open-air museum demonstrating cacao cultivation and processing, and a series of trails. There's also a large open-air restaurant, and a swimming pool. You can take canoe rides on the bordering Carbon River, and even watch leatherback sea turtles lay their eggs during the nesting season. Admission to the attraction is $25, including a guided tour. A full-day tour, including lunch and a canoe trip, as well as the guided tour, costs $47. During turtle nesting season, they do night tours to watch sea turtles lay their eggs.\n\nCacao beans drying in the sun.\n\nSunning & Surfing Surfing has historically been the main draw here, but increasing numbers of folks are coming for the miles of beautiful and uncrowded beaches \u2605\u2605, acres of lush rainforests, and laid-back atmosphere. If you aren't a surfer, the same activities that prevail in any quiet beach town are the norm here\u2014sunbathe, go for a walk on the beach, read a book, or take a nap. If you have more energy, there's a host of tours and hiking options, or you can rent a bicycle or a horse. For swimming and sunbathing, locals like to hang out on the small patches of sand in front of the Lazy Mon @ Stanford's and Johnny's Place. Small, protected tide pools are in front of each of these bars for cooling off. The Lazy Mon has several hammocks and you're likely to stumble upon a pickup beach volleyball match or soccer game here.\n\nIf you want a more open patch of sand and sea, head north out to Playa Negra, along the road into town, or, better yet, to the beaches south of town around Punta Uva and all the way down to Manzanillo, where the coral reefs keep the surf much more manageable (see \"Manzanillo & the Manzanillo\u2013Gandoca Wildlife Refuge,\" below).\n\nJust offshore from the tiny village park is a shallow reef where powerful storm-generated waves sometimes reach 6m (20 ft.). Salsa Brava \u2605\u2605 (  2750-0626; www.braveadventure.net), which offers a range of group and private surf lessons, as well as weeklong all-inclusive surf camps.\n\nSeveral operators and makeshift roadside stands offer bicycles, scooters, boogie boards, surfboards, and snorkel gear for rent. Shop around to compare prices and the quality of the equipment before settling on any one.\n\nAnother Way to Get Wet & Wild Exploradores Outdoors \u2605\u2605 (  2222-6262 in San Jos\u00e9, or 2750-2020 in Puerto Viejo; www.exploradoresoutdoors.com) runs daily white-water rafting trips on the Pacuare and Reventaz\u00f3n rivers. The full-day trip, including transportation, breakfast, and lunch, is $99. If you want to combine white-water rafting with your transportation to or from the Caribbean coast, they can pick you up at your hotel in San Jos\u00e9 or La Fortuna with all your luggage, take you for a day of white-water rafting, and drop you off at day's end at your hotel anywhere on the Caribbean coast from Cahuita to Manzanillo. You can choose to use the option in the other direction, getting dropped off at the hotel of your choosing either in San Jos\u00e9 or the La Fortuna\/Arenal Volcano area. These folks also offer a combination kayaking and hiking tour to Punta Uva, as well as overnight tours to Tortuguero.\n\nShopping\n\nPuerto Viejo attracts a lot of local and international bohemians, who seem to survive solely on the sale of handmade jewelry, painted ceramic trinkets (mainly pipes and cigarette-lighter holders), and imported Indonesian textiles. You'll find them at makeshift stands set up by the town's parquecito (little park), which comprises a few wooden benches in front of the sea between Soda Tamara and Stanford's.\n\nIn addition to the makeshift outdoor stands, a host of well-stocked gift and crafts shops are spread around town. Luluberlu \u2605 (  2750-0394), located inland across from Cabinas Guaran\u00e1, features locally produced craftwork, including shell mobiles and mirrors with mosaic-inlaid frames, as well as imports from Thailand and India.\n\nTip: My favorite local purchase is locally produced chocolate, which comes wrapped in wax paper the size and shape of a roll of quarters. They come plain or flavored with coconut, peanuts, mint, ginger, or raisins, and can be found for sale at many gift shops and restaurants around town.\n\nWhere to Stay\n\nFor a longer stay, close to town, you might want to check out Cashew Hill Jungle Cottages (www.cashewhilllodge.co.cr;   2750-0256). On a hill just on the outskirts of town, these are simple but immaculate individual one- and two-bedroom bungalows, with kitchenettes.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the hotels listed below, Escape Caribe\u00f1o (www.escapecaribeno.com;   2750-0103) is another good option in this price range, located on the outskirts of town, just south of Salsa Brava.\n\nBanana Azul Guest House \u2605\u2605   At the northern end of Playa Negra, on the north end of town, this hotel has earned fast friends and hearty praise. Rooms abound in varnished hardwoods. Inside they are quite simple, with minimal furnishings and amenities, and an overhead or floor fan. Most are on the second floor of the main lodge building, and open onto a broad veranda with ocean views. The end-unit Howler Monkey suite is my favorite room here. The garden bath suites are larger units, with a large open-air bathtub in their private gardens\u2014hence, the name. The cute little free-form pool has an attached and elevated unheated Jacuzzi tub under a thatch-roof palapa. A virtually private section of beach sits just in front of the hotel, and stretches on for miles north, all the way to Cahuita National Park.\n\nPlaya Negra Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.bananaazul.com.   877\/284-5116 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2750-2035 in Costa Rica. 14 units. $69\u2013$99 double; $139\u2013$149 suite or apt. Rates include full breakfast. Discounts offered for cash payments. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. No children 15 and under allowed. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; watersports equipment rental. In room: TV (in some), no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nInexpensive\n\nTrue budget hounds will find an abundance of basic hotels and cabinas in downtown Puerto Viejo in addition to those listed below. Of these, Hotel Pura Vida (www.hotel-puravida.com;  \/fax 2750-0002) and Backpackers Sunrise Hostel (www.sunrisepuertoviejo.com;   2750-0028) are both good bets, while Kaya's Place (www.kayasplace.com;   2750-0690) is a budget traveler's favorite just on the northern outskirts of town across from Playa Negra.\n\nCabinas Guaran\u00e1 This is one of the better options right in town. The spacious rooms are painted in bright primary colors, with equally bright and contrasting trim. Rooms come with either two or three full-size beds, or a queen-size with one or two full beds. All come with tile floors, a ceiling fan, and mosquito netting. Guests can use the hotel's fully equipped kitchen to whip up meals, and an interesting little sitting area is on a platform high up a tree on the property.\n\n11\u20442 blocks inland from Caf\u00e9 Viejo, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.hotelguarana.com.  \/fax 2750-0244. 12 units. $41 double. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak weeks. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Lounge; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nCabinas Jacarand\u00e1   This small hotel has a few nice touches that set it apart from the others in the area. Guatemalan bedspreads add a dash of color and tropical flavor, as do tables made from sliced tree trunks. Most rooms and walkways feature intricate and colorful tile work; in addition, Japanese paper lanterns cover the lights, mosquito nets hang over the beds, and covered walkways connect the various buildings in this budding compound. Massage and yoga classes are offered on-site. If you're traveling in a group, you'll enjoy the space and atmosphere of the biggest room here. If the hotel is full, the owners also rent a few nearby bungalows.\n\n11\u20442 blocks inland from Caf\u00e9 Viejo, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.cabinasjacaranda.net.  \/fax 2750-0069. 14 units, 13 with private bathroom. $32\u2013$45 double. AE, MC, V. In room: No phone.\n\nCasa Verde Lodge \u2605\u2605   This is my favorite hotel right in Puerto Viejo, regardless of the price. A quiet sense of tropical tranquillity pervades this place. Most rooms here are large, with high ceilings, tile floors, private bathrooms, and a private veranda. Those with shared bathrooms are housed in a raised building with a wide, covered breezeway between the rooms. Two fully equipped apartments are available in a neighboring duplex. The hotel also features lush gardens, a small but well-stocked gift shop, a good-size outdoor pool with a waterfall, and an outdoor massage hut. Even though it's an in-town choice, there's great bird-watching all around the grounds. The owners here are deeply involved in \\improving the environmental and educational opportunities in the region.\n\nA.P. 37\u20137304, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.cabinascasaverde.com.   2750-0015. Fax 2750-0047. 17 units, 9 with private bathroom. $50 double with shared bathroom; $70 double with private bathroom. Rates include taxes. Rates slightly lower in off season; higher during peak weeks. Discounts offered for cash payments. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Outdoor pool; massage hut. In room: TV (in some), no phone.\n\nRocking J's \u2605   This is, hands-down, the top backpacker hangout in the area. Whimsy pervades this sprawling compound of dorm rooms, covered camping spaces, and private suites. The \"hammock hotel\" is a large, common room strung with a dozen or two hammocks. Guests here get a private locker and use of the shared bathrooms and showers. Throughout, you'll find places to hang out, or play board games, or shoot some pool. The restaurant and bar here are always packed and lively, and they have an excellent in-house tour operation, run by Aventuras Bravas.\n\nJust south of downtown, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.rockingjs.com.   2750-0665 or 2750-0657. 35 units, 3 with private bathroom. $4\u2013$6 per person in a tent; $5 hammock; $7 dorm room; $20\u2013$25 double with shared bathroom; $70 double with private bathroom; $50\u2013$60 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi. In room: No phone.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nTo really sample the local cuisine, you need to look up a few local women. Ask around for Miss Dolly, Miss Sam, Miss Isma, and Miss Irma, who all serve up sit-down meals in their modest little sodas. In addition to locally seasoned fish and chicken served with rice and beans, these joints are usually a great place to find some pan bon (a local sweet, dark bread), ginger cakes, paty (meat-filled turnovers), and rondon. Just ask around for these women, and someone will direct you to them.\n\n  That Run-down Feeling\n\nRondon soup is a spicy coconut milk\u2013based soup or stew made with anything the cook can \"run down\"\u2014it usually includes a mix of local tubers (potato, sweet potato, or yuca), other vegetables (carrots or corn), and often some seafood. Be sure to try this authentic taste of the Caribbean.\n\nIf you're looking for a light bite for breakfast, lunch, or a snack, check out Pan Pay (  2750-0081), a French-run bakery and sandwich shop next to Johnny's Place (see \"Puerto Viejo After Dark,\" below). Also, Jammin' Juice and Jerk Center \u2605 (  2750-2083 or 8826-4332), in the same building, specializes in jerk chicken, salads, and fresh juices. For casual fare, try E-Z Times (  2750-0663), right in front of the water near the heart of town.\n\nPuerto Viejo has a glut of excellent Italian restaurants; in addition to the places listed below, Amimodo \u2605 (  2750-0257) is a fine restaurant.\n\nFinally, if you're just looking for something to cool you off, try Mighty River's Ice Cream & Coffee Shop (  2750-0850), which has delicious homemade ice cream.\n\nThe Beach Hut \u2605\u2605   INTERNATIONAL This restaurant is a downtown gem. Tables are set on gravel in a small covered courtyard with a large tree in its center, although a few more tables are set under an adjacent open-roof closer to the water. The open-kitchen is abuzz with activity. There's a broad selection of soups, salads, and appetizers to get you going. I recommend the steamed mussels or the saut\u00e9ed squid and black-eyed peas, or some of the garlicky carrot soup. You can also choose from excellent fresh fish and seafood options, as well as such tasty terrestrial fare as slow-grilled pork and tasty tenderloin in a green peppercorn sauce. They occasionally have live music or a DJ.\n\nOn the waterfront, downtown Puerto Viejo.   2750-0895. Main courses C4,000\u2013C9,000. MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun 7am\u2013noon, 3\u201311pm.\n\nBread & Chocolate \u2605   BREAKFAST\/AMERICAN A top spot for breakfast or lunch, this place is almost always bustling and full. Breakfasts feature waffles, French toast, and pancakes served with some namesake fresh chocolate sauce, or egg dishes served with home-baked biscuits, bagels, or whole wheat bread. For lunch, sandwiches, served on the aforementioned homemade bread, include BLTs and Jerk chicken. Those with kids or a child within might want to sample the PB&J or PB&Chocolate, again made with homemade ingredients. Both breakfast and lunch are served all day. Don't leave without trying or buying some of their brownies and truffles.\n\nHalf-block south of Caf\u00e9 Viejo.   2750-0723. Main courses C2,400\u2013C3,000. No credit cards. Wed\u2013Sat 6:30am\u20136:30pm; Sun 6:30am\u20132:30pm.\n\nCaf\u00e9 Viejo ITALIAN This place is set on the busiest corner of \"downtown\" Puerto Viejo. White gauze curtains help to slightly shield this open-air spot from the hustle and bustle just outside. Still, it's often loud and crowded inside as well, and that's part of the charm of this popular place. You can get a wide range of pastas and thin-crust wood-oven pizzas, and substantial fish, chicken, and meat entrees. On weekends, a late-night lounge scene sometimes erupts, with electronic music and dancing.\n\nOn the main road.   2750-0817. Main courses C4,000\u2013C33,000. MC, V. Wed\u2013Mon 6\u201311:30pm.\n\nChile Rojo \u2605   PAN-ASIAN\/MEDITERRANEAN Housed in a large second floor space of Puerto Viejo's largest minimall, this long-standing restaurant serves up excellent Pan-Asian, Mediterranean, and vegetarian fare at very reasonable prices. Bright tablecloths, a lively bar scene, and an open kitchen make this place inviting. If you want to people-watch, grab a seat at the long line of stools that line the street-facing, open-air wall that runs along one side of the restaurant. Standout menu options are green Thai curry served with fish, chicken, or vegetables or seared fresh tuna steak with a ginger-soy dressing. There are also selections of sushi rolls and nigiri, daily specials, and occasional live concerts here.\n\n2nd floor of shopping mall downtown.   2750-0025. Main courses C5,200\u2013C6,800. AE, MC, V. Thurs\u2013Tues 7am\u201311pm.\n\nSoda Tamara   COSTA RICAN This little restaurant has long been popular with budget-conscious travelers and has an attractive setting for such an economical place. The painted picket fence in front gives the restaurant a homey feel, and the best seats are on the front veranda facing the street, or in the large open-air dining area. The menu features standard fish, chicken, and meat entrees, served with a hefty helping of Caribbean-style rice and beans. You can also get patacones (fried plantain chips) and a wide selection of fresh-fruit juices. A second-floor open-air bar is open nightly from 6pm until the last straggler calls it quits.\n\nOn the main road.   2750-0148. Main courses C3,500\u2013C11,000. AE, MC, V. Thurs\u2013Tues 11:30am\u201310pm.\n\nStashu's Con-Fusion \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL A friendly, hippie vibe pervades this open-air restaurant. Seating is at heavy wooden tables, and if the few smaller, more private tables are taken, you can take any empty seat at one of the larger communal tables. The short menu features several vegetarian items, as well as fresh fish and some chicken and meat dishes, prepared in curry, Thai, and Mexican sauces. Live music here ranges from reggae to jazz to Latin American folk. Historically known as El Loco Natural, longtime chef Stash, is now the restaurant's owner and namesake.\n\nOn the main road just south of downtown, about 1 block beyond Stanford's.   2750-0530. www.loconaturalrestaurant.com. Main courses C3,200\u2013C17,000. No credit cards. Thurs\u2013Tues 6\u201310pm.\n\nPuerto Viejo After Dark\n\nThe town has two main disco\/bars. Johnny's Place \u2605\u2605 (  2750-0623) is near the Rural Guard station, about 100m (328 ft.) or so north of the ATEC office. The action spills out from the dance floor and on to the beach on most nights, where you'll find candle-lit tables set near the water's edge. Another good waterfront nightspot is the Lazy Mon @ Stanford's (  2750-0608; www.thelazymon.com), with a bit more of a sport's bar vibe to it and features regular live bands or DJs. Formerly known as \"Stanford's\" and now under new ownership, this bar will be eventually called the Lazy Mon. However, \"Stanford's\" is still used as a reference point in town when giving directions. Both have small dance floors with ground-shaking reggae, dub, and rap rhythms blaring.\n\nOne of the more popular places in town is the Tex Mex (  2750-0525) restaurant and bar, right where the main road hits the water. Another option is the Mango Sunset Bar \u2605 (  8388-4359), or the oceanfront Koki Beach \u2605 (  2275-0902; www.kokibeach.com).\n\nAn open-air bar on the second floor of Soda Tamara is a casual and quiet place to gather after dark. Rocking J's often features live music. Finally, for a more local scene, check out Bar Maritza's (  2750-0003), in the center of town, right across from the basketball court, which really seems to go off on Sunday nights.\n\nYou can also take advantage of the pool table, board games, and DirecTV (usually showing sporting events) at El Dorado (  2750-0604), in front of the ATEC office, as an alternative to the loud music and dance scenes of the other joints mentioned above.\n\nPlayas Cocles, Chiquita, Manzanillo & South of Puerto Viejo \u2605\u2605\u2605\n\n200km (124 miles) E of San Jos\u00e9; 55km (34 miles) S of Lim\u00f3n\n\nAs you continue south on the coastal road from Puerto Viejo, you'll come to several of Costa Rica's best beaches. Soft white sands are fronted by the Caribbean Sea and backed by thick rainforest. Playa Cocles is a popular surf spot, with a powerful and dependable beach break. South of here, the isolated Playa Chiquita is characterized by small pocket coves, and calm pools formed by dead coral reefs raised slightly above sea level by the 1991 earthquake. Beyond this lies Punta Uva, a long curving swath of beach punctuated by its namesake point (or punta), a rainforest-clad mound of land that looks vaguely like a bunch of grapes from the distance. If you come here, be sure to hike the short loop trail up and around the point. From Punta Uva the coastline stretches to Manzanillo. Along the way, the white sands are fronted by a living coral reef, which breaks up the waves and keeps the swimming here generally calm and protected. When it's calm (Aug\u2013Oct), the waters down here are some of the clearest anywhere in the country, with good snorkeling among the nearby coral reefs. The tiny village of Manzanillo is literally the end of the road. The shoreline heading south from Manzanillo, located inside the Gandoca\u2013Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve, is especially beautiful, with a series of pocket coves and small beaches, featuring small islands and rocky outcroppings offshore, and backed by thick rainforest. This park stretches all the way to the Panamanian border.\n\nSurfers at Playa Cocles.\n\nEssentials\n\nGetting There & Departing By Car: A single two-lane road runs out south out of Puerto Viejo and ends in Manzanillo. A few dirt roads lead off this paved, but rutted road, both toward the beach and into the mountains.\n\nBy Bus: Follow the directions above for getting to Puerto Viejo. Local buses to Punta Uva and Manzanillo leave Puerto Viejo about a half-dozen times throughout the day.\n\nGetting Around A taxi from Puerto Viejo should run you around $7 to Punta Uva or $12 to Manzanillo. Alternatively, it's about 11\u20442 hours each way by bicycle, with only two relatively small hills to contend with. Although the road is ostensibly paved all the way to Manzanillo, between the near-constant potholes and washed-out sections, it's almost like riding an off-road trail. Most of the hotels in this area either offer free bicycles, or will help arrange a rental.\n\nIt's also possible to walk along the beach all the way from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo, with just a couple of short and well-worn detours inland around rocky points. However, I recommend you catch a ride down to Manzanillo and save your walking energies for the trails and beaches inside the refuge.\n\nOrientation As you drive south, the first beach you will hit is Playa Cocles \u2605, which is 2km (11\u20444 miles) from Puerto Viejo. A little farther you'll find Playa Chiquita \u2605, which is 5km (3 miles) from Puerto Viejo, followed by Punta Uva \u2605\u2605 at 8.4km (51\u20444 miles) away, and Manzanillo \u2605\u2605 some 13km (8 miles) away.\n\nFast Facts There are no true towns, and no major services to be found along this stretch of coast. However, you can find a few scattered internet cafes and small markets mixed in with the sporadic string of hotels, private homes, and restaurants that line the main road.\n\nWhat to See & Do\n\nFor all intents and purposes, this string of beaches is an extension of Puerto Viejo, and all of the tours, activities, and attractions mentioned above can be enjoyed by those staying here. For organized scuba diving, snorkeling, sportfishing excursions, or dolphin-sighting tours around Manzanillo and the beaches south of Puerto Viejo, check in with the Asociaci\u00f3n de Gu\u00edas Aut\u00f3ctonos Naturalistas de Manzanillo-Talamanca (Association of Naturalist Guides;   2759-9064) or a Puerto Viejo tour operator.\n\nManzanillo & the Gandoca\u2013Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge \u2605\u2605\n\n13km (8 miles) south of Puerto Viejo\n\nThe Gandoca\u2013Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge encompasses the small village and extends all the way to the Panamanian border. Manatees, crocodiles, and more than 350 species of birds live within the boundaries of the reserve. The reserve also includes the coral reef offshore\u2014when the seas are calm, this is the best snorkeling and diving spot on this entire coast. Four species of sea turtles nest on one 8.9km (51\u20442-mile) stretch of beach within the reserve between March and July. Three species of dolphins also inhabit and frolic in the waters just off Manzanillo. The waters here are home to Atlantic spotted, bottlenose, and the rare tucuxi. This latter species favors the brackish estuary waters, but has actually been observed in mixed species mating with local bottlenose dolphins. Many local tour guides and operators offer boat trips out to spot them.\n\nA green turtle.\n\nIf you want to explore the refuge, you can easily find the single, well-maintained trail by walking along the beach just south of town until you have to wade across a small river. On the other side, you'll pick up the trail head. Otherwise, you can ask around the village for local guides. For dolphin-spotting tours and information, you might want to check in with The Talamanca Dolphin Foundation (  8856-1348; www.dolphinlink.org).\n\nIguana Mamas \u2605\u2605 Down in Playa Chiquita, at the Tree House Lodge, is the Green Iguana Conservation Tour (  2750-0706; www.iguanaverde.com). This educational tour focuses on the life cycle, habits, and current situation of this endangered reptile. The tour features a walk around a massive natural enclosure, as well as a video presentation. The cost is $15. Regular tours are offered Tuesday and Thursday at 10am. Additional tours may be arranged by appointment.\n\nA Manzanillo offshore rock.\n\nSweet Stuff \u2605 Another great educational tour is the 2-hour ChocoRart (  2750-0075) through a working organic cacao plantation and chocolate production facility. The tour shows you the whole process of growing, harvesting, and processing cacao, and of course there's a tasting at the end. The tour is run by reservation only, and costs $22 per person or $12 for kids under 12, with a four-person minimum.\n\n(Organic) Peas & Love \u2605 Inside the Manzanillo\u2013Gandoca refuge is the Punta Mona Center For Sustainable Living & Education \u2605 (no phone; www.puntamona.org). With organic permaculture gardens and a distinctly alternative vibe, this place is open for day visits, overnight stays, and work-exchange and educational programs.\n\nShopping\n\nIf you need a book to read on the beach, head to Echo Books (  2756-8323; www.echobookscostarica.com) just inland from Playa Cocles. This place has a good supply of new and used books in English, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Italian, as well as a small cafe and gift shop. The owner also makes homemade truffles and other chocolate treats from local cacao.\n\nFor ceramics, head south to Playa Chiquita and check out the traditional Japanese-style works at Raku Art (  2750-0548).\n\nWhere to Stay between Puerto Viejo & Manzanillo\n\nI recommend that you rent a car if you plan to stay at one of these hotels because public transportation is sporadic and taxis aren't always available. If you arrive by bus, however, a rented bicycle or scooter might be all you need to get around once you are settled.\n\nManzanillo beach.\n\nVery Expensive\n\nAlmonds & Corals Hotel \u2605 Originally a tent camp, this place has morphed into a rustic, yet plush jungle lodge. The safari-style pavilions are set on large raised platforms, under high-pitched thatch roofs; the suites and rooms feature four-poster beds with mosquito netting, large screen windows, and private balconies. The whole complex is set in dense secondary forest, with wooden walkways connecting the rooms to the main lodge and dining area. Perhaps the best part is Manzanillo Beach, just a short walk away through the jungle. Snorkel equipment, sea kayaks, and a variety of tours are also available, and a zip-line canopy tour through the forest here ends right at the beach. These folks have done much to conserve the forests and wildlife around the hotel, and their efforts have earned them \"4 Leaves\" from the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nManzanillo, Lim\u00f3n. www.almondsandcorals.com.   2272-2024 reservations in San Jos\u00e9, or 2759-9057 at the hotel. Fax 2272-2220. 25 units. $300\u2013$400 double. Rates include breakfast, dinner, and taxes. Children 6\u20139 $40\u2013$50; children 5 and under free. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bicycle rental; Jacuzzi; small spa; all rooms smoke-free; watersports equipment rental. In room: No phone.\n\nLe Cam\u00e9l\u00e9on \u2605\u2605 This hotel offers up the most luxurious and contemporary accommodations on this coast. Rooms are spacious and well-equipped. Everything, aside from a few throw pillows, the flatscreen TV, a single painting, and some flowers, is pure white\u2014floors, walls, doors, furnishings, and linens. The throw pillows, flowers, and paintings are changed daily, adding a sense of whimsy and variety. However, while the decor is certainly chic, the all-white theme is very quick to show wear and spotting. The hotel has an inviting pool area, as well as a hip lounge scene at their bar most nights. In addition, their beach club provides beach lounge chairs, hammocks, private shaded gazebos, and waiter service all day long on a beautiful stretch of Playa Cocles, just across the road from the hotel.\n\nPlaya Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.lecameleonhotel.com.   2750-0501. 23 units. $295\u2013$354 double; $425\u2013$509 suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; small outdoor pool. In room: A\/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.\n\nTree House Lodge \u2605\u2605\u2605   The individual houses here are the most unique and stylish options on this coast. All are distinct and quite large, with fluid and fanciful architectural details and tons of brightly varnished woodwork. As the name implies, the Tree House is built into and around a large sangrillo tree. The Beach House is closest to the sea and has an ocean view from its kitchen and broad deck. However, the crowning achievement is the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Beach Suite, with its spectacular domed bathroom, sunlit by scores of colored glass skylights. All of the houses are beautiful, and you'll spend much of your time here marveling at the creative touches and one-off furniture. This property is right off Punta Uva, one of the best swimming beaches in the area. In addition to their Iguana preservation project, this place has earned \"4 Leaves\" in the CST Sustainable Tourism program.\n\nPunta Uva, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.costaricatreehouse.com.   2750-0706. 2 units. $300 double. Rates include breakfast. No credit cards. Amenities: Jacuzzi. In room: A\/C (in some), kitchen.\n\nThe Tree House Lodge.\n\nModerate\n\nIn addition to the places listed below, surfers might look into Totem (www.totemsite.com;   2750-0758), which offers comfortable rooms, set just off the road, right in front of the Playa Cocles beach break, while Casa Viva (www.puntauva.net;   2750-0089) offers beautiful, fully equipped one- and two-bedroom houses just steps from the sand on Punta Uva.\n\nAzania Bungalows \u2605 This collection of individual bungalows is an excellent option for those seeking a quiet, romantic tropical getaway. The spacious bungalows are set apart from each other amid the hotel's high flowering gardens, giving each a sense of seclusion. All come with one queen-size bed and one double bed downstairs and another double bed in the small loft. The high-pitched thatch roofs, combined with large screened windows, allow for good cross ventilation. The lounge area features a television with satellite TV, a small lending library, and a collection of board games. Some of the best features here include the refreshing free-form swimming pool and the open-air thatch-roofed poolside restaurant.\n\nPlaya Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.azania-costarica.com.   2750-0540. Fax 2750-0371. 10 bungalows. $90 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; outdoor pool; Wi-Fi. In room: Fridge, no phone.\n\nCariblue Bungalows \u2605\u2605 This intimate resort is a wonderful choice. The rooms are spread around well-tended and lush grounds. My favorites are the older raised-stilt wood bungalows, with spacious bedrooms and a small veranda with a hammock. The standard rooms are in a series of concrete-block buildings with high-pitched thatch roofs. They are also spacious and comfortable, but not quite as private or charming as the bungalows. Deluxe rooms and bungalows come with televisions and air-conditioning. Another option is a two-bedroom house with a full kitchen, for families or for longer stays. A large free-form swimming pool has a swim-up bar, and the restaurant here serves up excellent Italian and local cuisine. Cariblue is about 90m (295 ft.) or so inland from the southern end of Playa Cocles.\n\nPlaya Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.cariblue.com.   2750-0035 or  \/fax 2750-0057. 22 units, 1 house. $110\u2013$135 double; $265 house. Rates include breakfast buffet. Rates slightly lower in off season. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar\/lounge; bike rental; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool. In room: A\/C (in some), TV, hair dryer, no phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nCasa Camarona Casa Camarona has the enviable distinction of being one of the very few hotels in this area right on the beach. There's no road to cross and no long path through the jungle\u2014just a small section of shady gardens separates you from a pretty section of Playa Cocles and the Caribbean Sea. The rooms are in two separate two-story buildings. Definitely get a room on the second floor: Up there you'll find spacious rooms painted in pleasant pastels, with plenty of cross ventilation and a wide shared veranda. The hotel keeps some chaise lounges on the beach under the shade of palm trees, and a beach bar is open during the day, so you barely have to move to quench your thirst.\n\nPlaya Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.casacamarona.cocr.   2283-6711 or 2750-0151. Fax 2750-0210. 18 units. $63\u2013$98 double. Rates include continental breakfast and taxes. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Bar. In room: A\/C (in some), no phone.\n\nLa Costa de Papito \u2605   This small collection of individual and duplex cabins is just across from Playa Cocles, about 1.6km (1 mile) south of Puerto Viejo. The wooden bungalows come with one or two double beds, artfully tiled bathrooms, and an inviting private porch with a table and chairs and either a hammock or a swing chair. There's also a larger, two-bedroom unit, an excellent restaurant, and the Indulgence Spa.\n\nPlaya Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.lacostadepapito.com.   2750-0704 or  \/fax 2750-0080. 13 units. $89 double. AE, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rental; small spa. In room: No phone.\n\nShawandha Lodge \u2605 Remote and romantic, the individual bungalows here are rustically luxurious. Creative flourishes abound. The thatch-roofed, raised bungalows feature high-pitched ceilings, varnished wood floors, and either one king-size bed or a mix of queen-size and single beds. The bathrooms feature original, intricate mosaics of hand-cut tile highlighting a large, open shower. Every bungalow has its own spacious balcony, with both a hammock and a couch, where you can lie and look out on the lush, flowering gardens. The beach is accessed by a private path, and a host of activities and tours can be arranged. The restaurant is romantic and quite good. The newest addition here is a wonderful outdoor pool.\n\nPuerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.shawandhalodge.com.   2750-0018. Fax 2750-0037. 13 units. $115 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; small outdoor pool. In room: No phone.\n\nInexpensive\n\nDown in Manzanillo, the simple Cabinas Something Different (  2759-9014) is a good option, while Congo Bongo (www.congo-bongo.com;   2759-9016) offers fully equipped houses in a lush forest setting.\n\nPlaya Chiquita Lodge   Set amid the shade of large old trees a few kilometers south of Puerto Viejo toward Punta Uva (watch for the sign), this lodge has several wooden buildings set on stilts and connected by a garden walkway. Wide verandas offer built-in seating and rocking chairs. The spacious rooms are painted in bright colors. A short trail leads down to a semiprivate little swimming beach with tide pools and beautiful turquoise water. This stretch of beach is the site of a daily 4pm volleyball game.\n\nPuerto Viejo, Lim\u00f3n. www.playachiquitalodge.com.   2750-0062 or  \/fax 2750-0408. 8 units. $60 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.\n\nWhere to Eat\n\nIn addition to the restaurants listed above and below, Cabinas Selvyn (no phone) at Punta Uva is an excellent option for local cuisine and fresh seafood, while Pita Bonita (  2756-8173) serves up wonderful Middle Eastern cuisine at an open-air spot between Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva.\n\nJungle Love Caf\u00e9 \u2605\u2605 INTERNATIONAL This hidden gem is intimate and romantic. Five tables are spread around a circular, open-air deck, and a few more tables are in an open-air dining area. The creative chef and owner serves up excellent California-style cuisine, fresh pizzas, and a selection of nightly specials. I highly recommend the shrimp and pasta, with leeks and carrots in a spicy brandy cream sauce\u2014a family heirloom recipe. You also can't go wrong with the Tokyo Tuna or Chipotle chicken.\n\nPlaya Chiquita. www.junglelovecafe.com.   2750-0162. Main courses $33\u2013$65. No credit cards. Tues\u2013Sun 5\u20139:30pm.\n\n  On to Panama\n\nCosta Rica's southern zone, particularly Puerto Viejo, is a popular jumping-off point for trips into Panama. The nearest and most popular destination is the island retreat of Bocas del Toro. Most tour agencies and hotel desks in the area can arrange tours to Panama. The most reliable and easiest way to get to Bocas del Toro is to take the daily Caribe Shuttle (  2750-0626; www.caribeshuttle.com), which will take you via land and boat for $32 each way; check the website or call for departure times. These folks also offer a 1-day tour to Bocas, including all transport; a snorkel and dolphin-watching tour around Bocas; lunch, drinks, and snacks. The tour takes all day, and costs $95.\n\nIf you're planning on spending any time touring around Panama, be sure to pick up a copy of Frommer's Panama.\n\nLa Pecora Nera \u2605\u2605\u2605 ITALIAN This open-air joint on the jungle's edge has a deserved reputation as the finest Italian restaurant in the region, if not the country. Owner Ilario Giannoni is a whirlwind of enthusiasm and activity, switching hats all night long from maitre d' to chef to waiter to busboy in an entertaining blur. Sure, he's got some help, including his grandmother, who makes gnocchi, but it sometimes seems like he's doing it single-handedly. The menu has a broad selection of pizzas and pastas, but your best bet is to just ask Ilario what's fresh and special for that day, and to trust his instincts and inventions. I've had fabulous fresh pasta dishes and top-notch appetizers every time I've visited. The various carpaccios are fabulous, and the gnocchi here is light and mouthwatering. These folks also run Gatta Ci Cova, a less formal pizzeria and trattoria on the main road, near the entrance to La Pecora Nera.\n\n50m (164 ft.) inland from a well-marked turnoff on the main road south just beyond the soccer field in Cocles.   2750-0490. Reservations recommended. Main courses C6,000\u2013C15,000. AE, MC, V. Tues\u2013Sun 5:30\u201310pm.\n\nThe Punta Uva shoreline.\n\nMaxi's \u2605 This second floor, oceanfront restaurant is almost always packed, especially for lunch. The kitchen specializes in locally caught seafood simply prepared and served alongside the local rice 'n' beans, fried plantain chips, and cabbage salad. Portions are large and filling. The best seats are next to large open windows that overlook the beach and sea.\n\nOn the beach, Manzanillo.   2759-9086. Main courses C3,500\u2013C9,500; lobster C10,500\u2013C24,500. MC, V. Daily noon\u201310pm.\n13\n\nPlanning Your Trip to Costa Rica\n\nA Costa Rican oxcart.\n\nCosta Rica is no longer the next new thing. Neither is it old hat. As Costa Rica has matured as a tourist destination, things have gotten easier and easier for international travelers. That said, most travelers\u2014even experienced travelers and repeat visitors\u2014will want to do some serious pre-trip planning. This chapter provides a variety of planning tools, including information on how to get there; tips on accommodations; and quick, on the ground resources.\n\nGetting There\n\nBy Plane\n\nIt takes between 3 and 7 hours to fly to Costa Rica from most U.S. cities, the origin of most direct and connecting flights. Most international flights still land in San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport (  2437-2626 for 24-hr. airport information; www.alterra.co.cr; airport code: SJO). However, more and more direct international flights are touching down in Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport (  2668-1010; airport code: LIR).\n\nLiberia is the gateway to the beaches of the Guanacaste region and the Nicoya Peninsula, and a direct flight here eliminates the need for a separate commuter flight in a small aircraft or roughly 5 hours in a car or bus. If you are planning to spend all, or most, of your vacation time in the Guanacaste region, you'll want to fly in and out of Liberia. However, San Jos\u00e9 is a much more convenient gateway if you are planning to head to Manuel Antonio, the Central Pacific coast, the Caribbean coast, or the Southern zone.\n\nNumerous airlines fly into Costa Rica. Be warned that the smaller Latin American carriers tend to make several stops (sometimes unscheduled) en route to San Jos\u00e9, thus increasing flying time.\n\nFrom North America, Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Grupo Taca, JetBlue, Spirit Air, United, and US Airways all have regular direct flights to Costa Rica.\n\nFrom Europe, Iberia is the only airline with regular routes to San Jos\u00e9, some direct and others with one connection. Alternately, you can fly to any major U.S. hub-city and make connections to one of the airlines mentioned above.\n\nFor info on the airlines that travel to Costa Rica, please see \"Airline Websites\".\n\nBy Bus\n\nBus service runs regularly from Panama City, Panama, and Managua, Nicaragua. If at all possible, it's worth the splurge for a deluxe or express bus. In terms of travel time and convenience, it's always better to get a direct bus rather than one that stops along the way\u2014and you've got a better chance of getting a working restroom in a direct\/express or deluxe bus. Some even have television sets showing video movies.\n\nSeveral bus lines with regular daily departures connect the major capital cities of Central America. Call King Quality (  2258-8834; www.king-qualityca.com), Transnica (  2223-4242; www.transnica.com), or Tica Bus Company (  2221-0006; www.ticabus.com) for further information. All of these lines service Costa Rica directly from Panama City and Managua, with connections to the other principal cities of Central America. None of them will reserve a seat by telephone, and schedules change frequently according to season and demand, so buy your ticket in advance\u2014several days in advance, if you plan to travel on weekends or holidays. From Panama City, it's a 20-hour, 900km (558-mile) trip. The one-way fare is around $37. From Managua, it's 11 hours and 450km (279 miles) to San Jos\u00e9, and the one-way fare is around $21.\n\nWhenever you're traveling by bus through Central America, try to keep a watchful eye on your belongings, especially at rest and border stops, whether they're in an overhead bin or stored below decks in a luggage compartment.\n\nBy Car\n\nIt's possible to travel to Costa Rica from North America by car, but it can be difficult. After leaving Mexico, the Interamerican Highway (Carretera Interamericana, also known as the Pan-American Hwy.) passes through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua before reaching Costa Rica. This highway then travels the length of Costa Rica before entering Panama. All of these countries can be problematic for travelers for a variety of reasons, including internal violence, crime, corrupt border crossings, and visa formalities. If you do decide to undertake this adventure, take the Gulf Coast route from the border crossing at Brownsville, Texas, because it involves traveling the fewest miles through Mexico. Those planning to travel this route should purchase a copy of You Can Drive to Costa Rica in 8 Days! by Dawn Rae Lessler, which is available from the major online bookstores. You might also try to find a copy of Driving the Pan-Am Highway to Mexico and Central America, by Audrey and Raymond Pritchard, which is harder to find. A wealth of information is also online at www.sanbornsinsurance.com and www.drivemeloco.com.\n\nCar Documents You will need a current driver's license, as well as your vehicle's registration and the original title (no photocopies), to enter the country.\n\nCentral American Auto Insurance Contact Sanborn's Insurance Company (  800\/222-0158 or 956\/686-0711; www.sanbornsinsurance.com), which has agents at various border towns in the United States. These folks have been servicing this niche for more than 50 years. They can supply you with trip insurance for Mexico and Central America (you won't be able to buy insurance after you've left the U.S.), driving tips, and an itinerary.\n\nCar Safety Be sure your car is in excellent working order. It's advisable not to drive at night because of the danger of being robbed by bandits, especially in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.\n\nFor information on car rentals and gasoline (petrol) in Costa Rica, see \"Getting Around by Car,\" later in this section.\n\nBy Boat\n\nMore than 200 cruise ships stop each year in Costa Rica, calling at Lim\u00f3n on the Caribbean coast, and at Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. Many are part of routes that cruise through the Panama Canal. Cruise lines that offer stops in Costa Rica include Crystal Cruises (  888\/722-0021; www.crystalcruises.com), Celebrity Cruises (  800\/647-2251; www.celebritycruises.com), Holland America (  877\/932-4259; www.hollandamerica.com), Norwegian Cruise Line (  866\/234-7650; www.ncl.com), Royal Caribbean (  866\/562-7625; www.rccl.com), Regent Seven Seas Cruises (  877\/505-5370; www.rssc.com), Silver Sea Cruises (  954\/759-5098; www.silversea.com), and Windstar Cruises (  800\/258-7245; www.windstarcruises.com).\n\nIt might pay off to book through a travel agency that specializes in cruises; these companies buy in bulk and stay on top of the latest specials and promotions. Try the Cruise Company (  800\/289-5505; www.thecruisecompany.com) or World Wide Cruises (  800\/882-9000; www.wwcruises.com).\n\nGetting Around\n\nBy Plane\n\nFlying is one of the best ways to get around Costa Rica. Because the country is quite small, flights are short and not too expensive. The domestic airlines of Costa Rica are Sansa and Nature Air.\n\nSansa (  877\/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) operates from a separate terminal at San Jos\u00e9's Juan Santamar\u00eda International Airport.\n\nNature Air (  800\/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) operates from Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os International Airport (  2232-2820; airport code: SYQ) in Pavas, 6.4km (4 miles) from San Jos\u00e9. The ride from downtown to Pavas takes about 10 minutes, and a metered taxi should cost $10 to $20. Nature Air also provides a regularly scheduled shuttle between the Tob\u00edas Bola\u00f1os and Juan Santamar\u00eda airports for $8 per person.\n\nIn the high season (late Nov to late Apr), be sure to book reservations well in advance. Both companies have online booking systems via their websites.\n\nBy Car\n\nRenting a car in Costa Rica is no idle proposition. The roads are riddled with potholes, most rural intersections are unmarked, and, for some reason, sitting behind the wheel of a car seems to turn peaceful Ticos into homicidal maniacs. But unless you want to see the country from the window of a bus or pay exorbitant amounts for private transfers, renting a car might be your best option for independent exploring. (That said, if you don't want to put up with any stress on your vacation, it might be worthwhile springing for a driver.)\n\nBe forewarned, however: Although rental cars no longer bear special license plates, they are still readily identifiable to thieves and are frequently targeted. (Nothing is ever safe in a car in Costa Rica, although parking in guarded parking lots helps.) Transit police also seem to target tourists; never pay money directly to a police officer who stops you for any traffic violation.\n\nBefore driving off with a rental car, be sure that you inspect the exterior and point out to the rental-company representative every tiny scratch, dent, tear, or any other damage. It's a common practice with many Costa Rican car-rental companies to claim that you owe payment for minor dings and dents that the company finds when you return the car. Also, if you get into an accident, be sure that the rental company doesn't try to bill you for a higher amount than the deductible on your rental contract.\n\nThese caveats aren't meant to scare you off from driving in Costa Rica. Thousands of tourists rent cars here every year, and the large majority of them encounter no problems. Just keep your wits about you and guard against car theft, and you'll do fine. Also, keep in mind that four-wheel-drives are particularly useful in the rainy season (May to mid-Nov) and for navigating the bumpy, poorly paved roads year-round.\n\nNote: It's sometimes cheaper to reserve a car in your home country rather than book when you arrive in Costa Rica. If you know you'll be renting a car, it's always wise to reserve it well in advance for the high season because the rental fleet still can't match demand.\n\nAmong the major international agencies operating in Costa Rica are Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty. For a complete list of car-rental agencies and their contact information, see the \"Getting Around\" sections of major tourist destinations in this book.\n\nGasoline (Petrol) Gasoline is sold as \"regular\" and \"super.\" Both are unleaded; super is just higher octane. Diesel is available at almost every gas station as well. Most rental cars run on super, but always ask your rental agent what type of gas your car takes. When going off to remote places, try to leave with a full tank of gas because gas stations can be hard to find. If you need to gas up in a small town, you can sometimes get gasoline from enterprising families who sell it by the liter from their houses. Look for hand-lettered signs that say gasolina. At press time, a liter of super cost C681, or roughly $2.90 per liter, and $5.16 per gallon.\n\nRoad Conditions The awful road conditions throughout Costa Rica are legendary, and deservedly so. Despite constant promises to fix the problem and sporadic repair attempts, the hot sun, hard rain, and rampant corruption outpace any progress made toward improving the condition of roads. Even paved roads are often badly potholed, so stay alert. Road conditions get especially tricky during the rainy season, when heavy rains and runoff can destroy a stretch of pavement in the blink of an eye.\n\nNote: Estimated driving times are listed throughout this book, but bear in mind that it might take longer than estimated to reach your destination during the rainy season or if roads have deteriorated.\n\nRoute numbers are somewhat sporadically and arbitrarily used. You'll also find frequent signs listing the number of kilometers to various towns or cities. Still, your best bets for on-road directions are billboards and advertisements for hotels. It's always a good idea to know the names of a few hotels at your destination, just in case your specific hotel hasn't put up any billboards or signs.\n\nMost car rental agencies now offer the opportunity to rent out GPS units along with your car rental. Rates run between $10 to $15 per day. If you have your own GPS unit, several maps to Costa Rica are available. While you still can't simply enter a street address, most commercial GPS maps of Costa Rica feature hundreds of prominent points of interest (POI), and you should be able to plug in a POI close to your destination.\n\nRenter's Insurance Even if you hold your own car-insurance policy at home, coverage doesn't always extend abroad. Be sure to find out whether you'll be covered in Costa Rica, whether your policy extends to all persons who will be driving the rental car, how much liability is covered in case an outside party is injured in an accident, and whether the type of vehicle you are renting is included under your contract.\n\nDriving Rules A current foreign driver's license is valid for the first 3 months you are in Costa Rica. Seat belts are required for the driver and front-seat passengers. Motorcyclists must wear helmets. Highway police use radar, so keep to the speed limit (usually 60\u201390kmph\/37\u201356 mph) if you don't want to be pulled over. Speeding tickets can be charged to your credit card for up to a year after you leave the country if they are not paid before departure.\n\nTo reduce congestion and fuel consumption, a rotating ban on rush-hour traffic takes place in the central core of San Jos\u00e9 Monday through Friday from 7 to 8:30am and from 4 to 5:30pm. The ban affects cars with licenses ending in the digits 1 or 2 on Monday; 3 or 4 on Tuesday; 5 or 6 on Wednesday; 7 or 8 on Thursday; and 9 or 0 on Friday. If you are caught driving a car with the banned license plate during these hours on a specified day, you will be ticketed.\n\nIn 2010, Costa Rica passed a new comprehensive traffic law, which severely increased the monetary penalties for traffic offenses. It's still too early to tell if this will help reign in the general chaos and improve Ticos' driving habits, but it should.\n\nBreakdowns Be warned that emergency services, both vehicular and medical, are extremely limited outside San Jos\u00e9, and their availability is directly related to the remoteness of your location at the time of breakdown. You'll find service stations spread over the entire length of the Interamerican Highway, and most of these have tow trucks and mechanics. The major towns of Puntarenas, Liberia, Quepos, San Isidro, Palmar, and Golfito all have hospitals, and most other moderately sized cities and tourist destinations have some sort of clinic or health-services provider.\n\nIf you're involved in an accident, contact the National Insurance Institute (INS) at   800\/800-8000. You should probably also call the Transit Police (  2222-9330 or 2222-9245); if they have a unit close by, they'll send one. An official transit police report will greatly facilitate any insurance claim. If you can't get help from any of these, try to get written statements from any witnesses. Finally, you can also call   911, and they should be able to redirect your call to the appropriate agency.\n\nIf the police do show up, you've got a 50-50 chance of finding them helpful or downright antagonistic. Many officers are unsympathetic to the problems of what they perceive to be rich tourists running around in fancy cars with lots of expensive toys and trinkets. Success and happy endings run about equal with horror stories.\n\nIf you don't speak Spanish, expect added difficulty in any emergency or stressful situation. Don't expect that rural (or urban) police officers, hospital personnel, service-station personnel, or mechanics will speak English.\n\nIf your car breaks down and you're unable to get well off the road, check your trunk for reflecting triangles. If you find some, place them as a warning for approaching traffic, arranged in a wedge that starts at the shoulder about 30m (98 ft.) back and nudges gradually toward your car. If your car has no triangles, try to create a similar warning marker using a pile of leaves or branches.\n\nFinally, although not endemic, there have been reports of folks being robbed by seemingly friendly Ticos who stop to give assistance. To add insult to injury, there have even been reports of organized gangs who puncture tires of rental cars at rest stops or busy intersections, only to follow them, offer assistance, and make off with belongings and valuables. If you find yourself with a flat tire, try to ride it to the nearest gas station. If that's not possible, try to pull over into a well-lit public spot. Keep the doors of the car locked and an eye on your belongings while changing the tire, by yourself.\n\nBy Bus\n\nThis is by far the most economical way to get around Costa Rica. Buses are inexpensive and relatively well maintained, and they go nearly everywhere. The two types are: Local buses, the cheapest and slowest, stop frequently and are generally a bit dilapidated. Express buses run between San Jos\u00e9 and most beach towns and major cities; these tend to be newer units and more comfortable, although very few are so new or modern as to have restroom facilities, and they sometimes operate only on weekends and holidays.\n\nTwo companies run regular, fixed-schedule departures in passenger vans and small buses to most of the major tourist destinations in the country. Gray Line (  800\/719-3905 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has about 10 departures leaving San Jos\u00e9 each morning and heading or connecting to Jac\u00f3, Manuel Antonio, Liberia, Playa Hermosa, La Fortuna, Tamarindo, and playas Conchal and Flamingo. There are return trips to San Jos\u00e9 every day from these destinations and a variety of interconnecting routes. A similar service, Interbus (  2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has a slightly more extensive route map and more connections. Fares run between $30 and $55, depending upon the destination. Gray Line offers an unlimited weekly pass for all of its shuttle routes for $145.\n\nBeware: Both of these companies offer pickup and drop-off at a wide range of hotels. This means that if you are the first picked up or last dropped off, you might have to sit through a long period of subsequent stops before finally hitting the road or reaching your destination. Moreover, I've heard some horror stories about both lines, concerning missed or severely delayed connections and rude drivers. For details on how to get to various destinations from San Jos\u00e9, see the \"Getting There\" sections in the preceding chapters.\n\nAnother option is Costa Rica Drivers (  8840-2646; www.costaricadriver.net), which offers private, custom trips and transfers for groups large and small, to any destination in Costa Rica.\n\nBy Taxi\n\nTaxis are readily available in San Jos\u00e9 and most popular tourist towns and destinations. In San Jos\u00e9, your best bet is usually just to hail one down in the street. However, during rush hours and rain storms, and in more remote destinations, it is probably best to call a cab. Throughout the book, I list numbers for local taxi companies in the \"Getting Around\" sections. If no number is listed, ask at your hotel, or, if you're out and about, at the nearest restaurant or shop; someone will be more than happy to call you a cab.\n\nAll city taxis, and even some rural cabs, have meters (mar\u00edas), although drivers sometimes refuse to use them, particularly with foreigners. If this is the case, be sure to negotiate the price up front. Always try to get drivers to use the meter first (say \"ponga la mar\u00eda, por favor\"). The official rate at press time is C530 per kilometer (1\u20442 mile) and C10 every 4 seconds of wait time. If you have a rough idea of how far it is to your destination, you can estimate how much it should cost from these figures, or you can ask at your hotel how much a specific ride should cost. After 10pm, taxis are legally allowed to add a 20% surcharge. Some of the meters are programmed to include the extra charge automatically, but be careful: Some drivers will use the evening setting during the daytime or (at night) to charge an extra 20% on top of the higher meter setting.\n\nBy Thumb\n\nAlthough buses serve most towns in Costa Rica, service can be infrequent in the remote regions, so local people often hitchhike to get to their destinations sooner. If you're driving a car, people will frequently ask you for a ride. In remote rural areas, a hitchhiker carrying a machete is not necessarily a great danger, but use your judgment. Hitchhiking is not recommended on major roadways or in urban areas. In rural areas, it's usually pretty safe. (However, women should be extremely cautious about hitchhiking anywhere in Costa Rica.) If you choose to hitchhike, keep in mind that if a bus doesn't go to your destination, there probably aren't too many cars going there, either. Good luck.\n\nStaying Healthy\n\nStaying healthy on a trip to Costa Rica is predominantly a matter of being a little cautious about what you eat and drink, and using common sense. Know your physical limits, and don't overexert yourself in the ocean, on hikes, or in athletic activities. Respect the tropical sun and protect yourself from it. As you climb above 10,000 ft (3000m), you may feel the effects of altitude sickness. Be sure to drink plenty of water and not overexert yourself. Limit your exposure to the sun, especially during the first few days of your trip and, thereafter, from 11am to 2pm. Use sunscreen with a high protection factor, and apply it liberally. Remember that children need more protection than adults. I recommend buying and drinking bottled water or soft drinks, but the water in San Jos\u00e9 and in most of the country's heavily visited spots is safe to drink.\n\nGeneral Availability of Health Care\n\nIn general, Costa Rica has a high level of medical care and services for a developing nation. The better private hospitals and doctors in San Jos\u00e9 are very good. In fact, given the relatively budget nature of care and treatment, a sizable number of Americans come to Costa Rica each year for elective surgery and other care.\n\nPharmacies are widely available, and generally well stocked. In most cases you will not need a doctor's script to fill or refill a prescription.\n\nI list additional emergency numbers in the various destination chapters, as well as in \"Fast Facts\" below.\n\nIf You Get Sick\n\nYour hotel front desk should be your best source of information and assistance if you get sick while in Costa Rica. In addition, your local consulate in Costa Rica can provide a list of area doctors who speak English. The local English-language newspaper, the Tico Times, is another good resource. I list the best hospitals in San Jos\u00e9 in \"Fast Facts: San Jos\u00e9,\" in chapter ; these have the most modern facilities in the country. Most state-run hospitals and walk-in clinics around the country have emergency rooms that can treat most conditions, although I highly recommend the private hospitals in San Jos\u00e9 if your condition is not life-threatening and can wait for treatment until you reach one of them.\n\nI list additional emergency numbers in the various destination chapters, as well as in the \"Fast Facts,\" below.\n\nRegional Health Concerns\n\nTropical Illnesses Your chance of contracting any serious tropical disease in Costa Rica is slim, especially if you stick to the beaches or traditional spots for visitors. However, malaria, dengue fever, and leptospirosis all exist in Costa Rica, so it's a good idea to know what they are.\n\nMalaria is found in the lowlands on both coasts and in the northern zone. Although it's rarely found in urban areas, it's still a problem in remote wooded regions and along the Caribbean coast. Malaria prophylaxes are available, but several have side effects, and others are of questionable effectiveness. Consult your doctor regarding what is currently considered the best preventive treatment for malaria. Be sure to ask whether a recommended drug will cause you to be hypersensitive to the sun; it would be a shame to come down here for the beaches and then have to hide under an umbrella the whole time. Because malaria-carrying mosquitoes usually come out at night, you should do as much as possible to avoid being bitten after dark. If you are in a malaria-prone area, wear long pants and long sleeves, use insect repellent, and either sleep under a mosquito net or burn mosquito coils (similar to incense, but with a pesticide).\n\nOf greater concern is dengue fever, which has had periodic outbreaks in Latin America since the mid-1990s. Dengue fever is similar to malaria and is spread by an aggressive daytime mosquito. This mosquito seems to be most common in lowland urban areas, and Puntarenas, Liberia, and Lim\u00f3n have been the worst-hit cities in Costa Rica. Dengue is also known as \"bone-break fever\" because it is usually accompanied by severe body aches. The first infection with dengue fever will make you very sick but should cause no serious damage. However, a second infection with a different strain of the dengue virus can lead to internal hemorrhaging and could be life threatening.\n\nMany people are convinced that taking B-complex vitamins daily will help prevent mosquitoes from biting you. I don't think the American Medical Association has endorsed this idea yet, but I've run across it in enough places to think that there might be something to it.\n\nOne final tropical fever that I think you should know about (because I got it myself) is leptospirosis. There are more than 200 strains of leptospires, which are animal-borne bacteria transmitted to humans via contact with drinking, swimming, or bathing water. This bacterial infection is easily treated with antibiotics; however, it can quickly cause very high fever and chills, and should be treated promptly.\n\nIf you develop a high fever accompanied by severe body aches, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting during or shortly after a visit to Costa Rica, consult a physician as soon as possible.\n\nCosta Rica has historically had very few outbreaks of cholera. This is largely due to an extensive public-awareness campaign that has promoted good hygiene and increased sanitation. Your chances of contracting cholera while you're here are very slight.\n\nDietary Red Flags Even though the water in San Jos\u00e9 and most popular destinations in Costa Rica is generally safe, and even if you're careful to buy bottled water, order frescos en leche (fruit shakes made with milk rather than water), and drink your soft drink without ice cubes, you still might encounter some intestinal difficulties. Most of this is just due to tender stomachs coming into contact with slightly more aggressive Latin American intestinal flora. In extreme cases of diarrhea or intestinal discomfort, it's worth taking a stool sample to a lab for analysis. The results will usually pinpoint the amoebic or parasitic culprit, which can then be readily treated with available over-the-counter medicines.\n\nExcept in the most established and hygienic of restaurants, it's also advisable to avoid ceviche, a raw seafood salad, especially if it has any shellfish in it. It could be home to any number of bacterial critters.\n\nBugs, Bites & Other Wildlife Concerns Although Costa Rica has Africanized bees (the notorious \"killer bees\" of fact and fable) and several species of venomous snakes, your chances of being bitten are minimal, especially if you refrain from sticking your hands into hives or under rocks in the forest. If you know that you're allergic to bee stings, consult your doctor before traveling.\n\nAt the beaches, you'll probably be bitten by pirujas (sand fleas). These nearly invisible insects leave an irritating welt. Try not to scratch because this can lead to open sores and infections. Pirujas are most active at sunrise and sunset, so you might want to cover up or avoid the beaches at these times.\n\nSnake sightings, much less snakebites, are very rare. Moreover, the majority of snakes in Costa Rica are nonpoisonous. If you do encounter a snake, stay calm, don't make any sudden movements, and do not try to handle it. As recommended above, avoid sticking your hands under rocks, branches, and fallen trees.\n\nScorpions, black widow spiders, tarantulas, bullet ants, and biting insects of many types can all be found in Costa Rica. In general, they are not nearly the danger or nuisance most visitors fear. Watch where you stick your hands; in addition, you might want to shake out your clothes and shoes before putting them on to avoid any unpleasant and painful surprises.\n\nTropical Sun Limit your exposure to the sun, especially during the first few days of your trip and, thereafter, from 11am to 2pm. Use a sunscreen with a high protection factor, and apply it liberally. Remember that children need more protection than adults.\n\nRiptides Many of Costa Rica's beaches have riptides: strong currents that can drag swimmers out to sea. A riptide occurs when water that has been dumped on the shore by strong waves forms a channel back out to open water. These channels have strong currents. If you get caught in a riptide, you can't escape the current by swimming toward shore; it's like trying to swim upstream in a river. To break free of the current, swim parallel to shore and use the energy of the waves to help you get back to the beach.\n\nTips on Accommodations\n\nWhen the Costa Rican tourist boom began in the late 1980s, hotels popped up like mushrooms after a heavy rain. By the 1990s the country's first true megaresorts opened, more followed, and still more are under construction or in the planning phase. Except during the few busiest weeks of the year, there's a relative glut of rooms in Costa Rica. That said, most hotels are small to midsize, and the best ones fill up fast most of the year. You'll generally have to reserve well in advance if you want to land a room at any of the hotels on my \"Best of\" lists in chapter . Still, in broader terms, the glut of rooms is good news for travelers and bargain hunters. Less popular hotels that want to survive are being forced to reduce their rates and provide better service.\n\nYour best bet in Costa Rica is negotiating directly with the hotels themselves, especially the smaller hotels. Almost every hotel in Costa Rica has e-mail, if not its own website, and you'll find the contact information in this book. However, be aware that response times might be slower than you'd like, and many of the smaller hotels might have some trouble communicating back and forth in English.\n\n  Skip the Motel\n\nYou'll want to avoid motels in Costa Rica. To a fault, these are cut-rate affairs geared toward lovers consummating their affairs\u2014usually illicit. Most rent out rooms by the hour, and most have private garages with roll-down doors outside each room, so that snoopy spouses or ex-lovers can't check for cars or license plates.\n\nThroughout this book, I separate hotel listings into several broad categories: Very Expensive, $200 and up; Expensive, $125 to $199; Moderate, $60 to $124; and Inexpensive, under $60 for a double. Rates given in this book do not include the 13% room taxes, unless otherwise specified. These taxes will add considerably to the cost of your room.\n\nThroughout Costa Rica, rates generally fluctuate somewhat according to season and demand, with a majority of hotels offering lower rates in the off season, and charging higher rates during peak periods.\n\nHotel Options\n\nCosta Rica has hotels to suit every budget and travel style. In addition to the Four Seasons and JW Marriott, the host of amazing boutique hotels around the country will satisfy the high-end and luxury traveler.\n\nStill, the country's strong suit is its moderately priced hotels. In the $60-to-$124 price range, you'll find comfortable and sometimes outstanding accommodations almost anywhere in the country. However, room size and quality vary quite a bit within this price range, so don't expect the kind of uniformity that you may find at home.\n\nIf you're even more budget- or bohemian-minded, you can find quite a few good deals for less than $50 a double. But beware: Budget-oriented lodgings often feature shared bathrooms and either cold-water showers or showers heated by electrical heat-coil units mounted at the shower head, affectionately known as \"suicide showers.\" If your hotel has one, do not adjust it while the water is running. Unless specifically noted, all rooms listed in this guide have a private bathroom.\n\nNote: Air-conditioning is not necessarily a given in many midrange hotels and even some upscale joints. In general, this is not a problem. Cooler nights and a well-placed ceiling fan are often more than enough to keep things pleasant, unless I mention otherwise in the hotel reviews.\n\nBed-and-breakfasts are also abundant. Although the majority are in the San Jos\u00e9 area, you'll also find B&Bs (often gringo-owned and -operated) throughout the country. Another welcome hotel trend in the San Jos\u00e9 area is the renovation and conversion of old homes into small hotels. Most are in the Barrio Am\u00f3n district of downtown San Jos\u00e9, which means that you'll sometimes have to put up with noise and exhaust fumes, but these establishments have more character than any other hotels in the country. You'll find similar hotels in the Paseo Col\u00f3n and Los Yoses districts.\n\nCosta Rica has many small nature-oriented ecolodges. These lodges offer opportunities to see wildlife (including sloths, monkeys, and hundreds of species of birds) and learn about tropical forests. They range from spartan facilities catering primarily to scientific researchers, to luxury accommodations that are among the finest in the country. Keep in mind that although the nightly room rates at these lodges are often quite moderate, prices start to climb when you throw in transportation (often on chartered planes), guided excursions, and meals. Also, just because you can book a reservation at most of these lodges doesn't mean that they're not remote. Be sure to find out how you get to and from the ecolodge, and what tours and services are included in your stay. Then think long and hard about whether you really want to put up with hot, humid weather (cool and wet in the cloud forests); biting insects; rugged transportation; and strenuous hikes to see wildlife.\n\nA couple of uniquely Costa Rican accommodations types that you might encounter are the apartotel and the cabina. An apartotel is just what it sounds like: an apartment hotel where you'll get a full kitchen and one or two bedrooms, along with daily maid service. Cabinas are Costa Rica's version of cheap vacation lodging. They're very inexpensive and very basic\u2014often just cinder-block buildings divided into small rooms. Occasionally, you'll find a cabina in which the units are actually cabins, but these are a rarity. Cabinas often have clothes-washing sinks (pilas), and some come with kitchenettes; they cater primarily to Tico families on vacation.\n\nFor tips on surfing for hotel deals online, visit Frommers.com.\n\n  Costa Rica\n\nArea Codes There are no area codes in Costa Rica. All phone numbers are eight-digit numbers.\n\nBusiness Hours Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, although many have begun to offer extended hours. Post offices are generally open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, and Saturday from 7:30am to noon. (In small towns, post offices often close on Sat.) Stores are generally open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm (many close for 1 hr. at lunch) but stores in modern malls generally stay open until 8 or 9pm and don't close for lunch. Most bars are open until 1 or 2am, although some go later.\n\nCar Rental See \"Getting There by Car,\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nCellphones See \"Mobile Phones,\" later in this section.\n\nCrime See \"Safety,\" later in this section.\n\nCustoms Visitors to Costa Rica are permitted to bring in all manner of items for personal use, including cameras, video cameras and accessories, tape recorders, personal computers, and music players. Customs officials in Costa Rica seldom check tourists' luggage.\n\nDisabled Travelers Although Costa Rica does have a law mandating Equality of Opportunities for People with Disabilities, and some facilities have been adapted, in general, there are relatively few buildings or public buses for travelers with disabilities in the country. In San Jos\u00e9, sidewalks are particularly crowded and uneven, and they are nonexistent in most of the rest of the country. Few hotels offer wheelchair-accessible accommodations. In short, it can be difficult for a person with disabilities to get around San Jos\u00e9 and Costa Rica.\n\nHowever, one local agency specializes in tours for travelers with disabilities and restricted ability. Vaya Con Silla de Ruedas ( \/fax 2454-2810, or   8391-5045; www.gowithwheelchairs.com) has a ramp- and elevator-equipped van and knowledgeable, bilingual guides. It charges very reasonable prices and can provide anything from simple airport transfers to complete multiday tours.\n\nDoctors Your hotel front desk will be your best source of information on what to do and where to go for treatment. Most have the number of a trusted doctor on hand. In addition, your local consulate in Costa Rica can provide a list of area doctors who speak English. Also see \"Staying Healthy\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nDrinking Laws Alcoholic beverages are sold every day of the week throughout the year, with the exception of the 2 days before Easter and the 2 days before and after a presidential election. The legal drinking age is 18, although it's only sporadically enforced. Liquor\u2014everything from beer to hard spirits\u2014is sold in specific liquor stores, as well as at most supermarkets and even convenience stores.\n\nDriving Rules See \"Getting Around,\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nElectricity The standard in Costa Rica is the same as in the United States and Canada: 110 volts AC (60 cycles). However, three-pronged outlets can be scarce, so it's helpful to bring along an adapter. Wherever you go, bring a connection kit of the right power, plus phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable\u2014or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests.\n\nEmbassies & Consulates The following are located in San Jos\u00e9: United States Embassy, Calle 120 and Avenida 0, Pavas (  2519-2000, or 8863-4895 after hours in case of emergency; www.sanjose.usembassy.gov); Canadian Embassy, Oficentro Ejecutivo La Sabana, Edificio 5 (  2242-4400; www.costarica.gc.ca); and British Embassy, Edificio Col\u00f3n, 11th Floor, Paseo Col\u00f3n between calles 38 and 40 (  2258-2025; www.ukincostarica.fco.gov.uk\/en). There are no Australian, Irish, or New Zealand embassies in San Jos\u00e9.\n\nEmergencies In case of any emergency, dial   911 (which should have an English-speaking operator); for an ambulance, call   1028; and to report a fire, call   1118. If 911 doesn't work, you can contact the police at   2222-1365 or 2221-5337, and hopefully they can find someone who speaks English.\n\nFamily Travel Hotels in Costa Rica often give discounts for children, and allow children to stay for free in a parent's room. Still, discounts for children and the cutoff ages vary according to the hotel, and, in general, don't assume that your kids can stay in your room for free.\n\nSome hotels, villas, and cabinas come equipped with kitchenettes or full kitchen facilities. These can be a real money-saver for those traveling with children, and I list many of these accommodations in the destination chapters in this book.\n\nHotels offering regular, dependable babysitting service are few and far between. If you will need babysitting, make sure that your hotel offers it, and be sure to ask whether the babysitters are bilingual. In many cases, they are not. This is usually not a problem with infants and toddlers, but it can cause problems with older children.\n\nTo locate accommodations, restaurants, and attractions that are particularly kid-friendly, look for the \"Kids\" icon throughout this guide.\n\nGasoline Please see \"Getting There By Car,\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nInsurance For information on traveler's insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit <http:\/\/www.frommers.com\/planning>.\n\nInternet & Wi-Fi Cybercafes can be found all over Costa Rica, especially in the more popular tourist destinations. Moreover, an ever increasing number of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and retailers around Costa Rica are offering high-speed Wi-Fi access, either free or for a small fee. Throughout the book, I list which hotels provide free, or for a fee, Wi-Fi and high-speed Ethernet access.\n\nLanguage Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica. However, in most tourist areas, you'll be surprised by how well Costa Ricans speak English. Frommer's Spanish PhraseFinder & Dictionary is probably the best phrase book to bring with you; also see chapter  for some key Spanish terms and phrases.\n\nLegal Aid If you need legal help, your best bet is to first contact your local embassy or consulate. See \"Embassies & Consulates,\" above, for contact details. Alternatively, you can pick up a copy of the Tico Times, which usually carries advertisements from local English-speaking lawyers.\n\nLGBT Travelers Costa Rica is a Catholic, conservative, macho country where public displays of same-sex affection are rare and considered somewhat shocking. Public figures, politicians, and religious leaders periodically denounce homosexuality. However, gay and lesbian tourism to Costa Rica is quite robust, and gay and lesbian travelers are generally treated with respect and should not experience any harassment.\n\nFor a general overview of the current situation, info on LGBT friendly hotels, bars, and tour agencies, and news of any special events or meetings, the website www.costaricagaymap.com is your best bet, especially for gay men, and to a much lesser extent for lesbian women. If you speak Spanish, you'll want to connect with the Comunidad Arco Iris (CARI;   2221-1636; www.caricr.com), which serves as a meeting place and information clearinghouse for the entire LGBT community.\n\nThe International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA;   954\/630-1637; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses and tour operators.\n\nMail At press time, it cost C350 to mail a letter to the United States, and C395 to Europe. You can get stamps at post offices and at some gift shops in large hotels. Given the Costa Rican postal service's track record, I recommend paying an extra C500 to have anything of any value certified. Better yet, use an international courier service or wait until you get home to post it. DHL, on Paseo Col\u00f3n between calles 30 and 32 (  2209-6000; www.dhl.com); EMS Courier, with desks at most post offices nationwide (  800\/900-2000 in Costa Rica; www.correos.go.cr)); FedEx, which is based in Heredia but will arrange pickup anywhere in the metropolitan area (  800\/463-3339; www.fedex.com); and United Parcel Service, in Pavas (  2290-2828; www.ups.com), all operate in Costa Rica.\n\nIf you're sending mail to Costa Rica, it generally takes between 10 and 14 days to reach San Jos\u00e9, although it can take as much as a month to get to the more remote corners of the country. Plan ahead. Also note that many hotels and ecolodges have mailing addresses in the United States. Always use these addresses when writing from North America or Europe. Never send cash, checks, or valuables through the Costa Rican mail system.\n\nThroughout the book, I only list physical addresses for hotels. In this day of e-mails and fax communications, traditional mail between hotels and clients is extremely rare. That said, hotel addresses can easily be attained via their websites, and in fact, many hotels and ecolodges in Costa Rica maintain a mailing address in the United States.\n\nMedical Requirements No shots or inoculations are required to enter Costa Rica. The exception to this is for those who have recently been traveling in a country or region known to have yellow fever. In this case, proof of a yellow fever vaccination is required. Also see \"Staying Healthy,\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nMobile Phones Costa Rica primarily uses GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone, you should be able to make and receive calls in Costa Rica. Just call your wireless operator and ask for \"international roaming\" to be activated on your account. Per-minute charges can be high, though\u2014up to $5 in Costa Rica, depending upon your plan.\n\nYou can purchase a pre-paid SIM card for an unlocked GSM phone at the airport and offices of the Costa Rican Electrical Institute (ICE) around the country. A 30-day SIM card costs around $4. You'll need an 1800mHz band, unlocked phone. You can buy minutes separately via phone cards or at ICE offices.\n\nMoreover, as this book goes to press, two new cellphone operators, Claro and Telefonica, were making final preparations to enter into the Costa Rican market. This will most certainly open the availability and range of options for tourists and visitors.\n\nSeveral local firms rent cellphones. However, none of the rental companies has a booth or office at the airport, so you'll have to contact them either beforehand or from your hotel. Most will deliver the phone to your hotel. Cell Service (  2296-5553; www.cellservicecr.com) and Costa Rica Cellular Connection (  866\/353-6492 in the U.S. and Canada, or 8876-1776 in Costa Rica; www.costaricacellularconnection.com) both rent cellphones. Rates run around $5 to $8 per day or $30 to $50 per week for the rental, with charges of 50\u00a2 to $1.50 per minute for local calls and $1 to $3 per minute for international calls. In addition to the above companies, most of the major car-rental agencies offer cellphone rentals, for rates similar to those listed above.\n\nMoney & Costs The unit of currency in Costa Rica is the col\u00f3n. Frommer's lists exact prices. In this book, prices are listed in the currency you are most likely to see them quoted. Hence, nearly all hotel prices and most tour and transportation prices are listed in dollars, since the hotels, airlines, tour agencies, and transport companies quote their prices in dollars. Many restaurants do as well. Still, a good many restaurants, as well as taxis and other local goods and services, are advertised and quoted in colones. In those cases, prices listed are in colones (C).\n\nThe col\u00f3n is divided into 100 c\u00e9ntimos. Currently, two types of coins are in circulation. You'll find gold-hued 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-col\u00f3n coins, as well as light-weight silver-colored alloy coins in the 5- and 10- col\u00f3n denominations.\n\nPaper notes come in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 colones. You might also encounter a special-issue 5-col\u00f3n bill that is a popular gift and souvenir. It is valid currency, although it sells for much more than its face value. You might hear people refer to a rojo or tuc\u00e1n, which are slang terms for the 1,000- and 5,000-col\u00f3n bills, respectively. One-hundred-col\u00f3n denominations are called tejas, so cinco tejas is 500 colones. I've yet to encounter a slang equivalent for the 2,000, 10,000, and 20,000 bills.\n\nForged bills are not entirely uncommon. When receiving change in colones, it's a good idea to check the larger-denomination bills, which should have protective bands or hidden images that appear when held up to the light.\n\nYou can change money at all banks in Costa Rica. The principal state banks are Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica. However, be forewarned that service at state banks can be slow and tedious. You're almost always better off finding a private bank. Luckily, there are hosts of private banks around San Jos\u00e9 and in most major tourist destinations.\n\nSince banks handle money exchanges, Costa Rica has very, very few exchange houses. One major exception to this is the Global Exchange (  2431-0670; www.globalexchange.co.cr) office at the airport. However, be forewarned they exchange at more than 10% below the official exchange rate. Airport taxis accept U.S. dollars, so there isn't necessarily any great need to exchange money the moment you arrive.\n\nHotels will often exchange money and cash traveler's checks as well; there usually isn't much of a line, but they might shave a few colones off the exchange rate.\n\nBe very careful about exchanging money on the streets; it's extremely risky. In addition to forged bills and short counts, street money-changers frequently work in teams that can leave you holding neither colones nor dollars. Also be very careful when leaving a bank. Criminals are often looking for foreigners who have just withdrawn or exchanged cash.\n\nThe currency conversions provided below were correct at press time. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com\/currency\/converter to check up-to-the-minute rates.\n\nMasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted credit cards in Costa Rica, followed by American Express. Most hotels and restaurants accept all of these, especially in tourist destination areas. Discover and Diners Club are far less commonly accepted.\n\nBeware of hidden credit card fees while traveling. Check with your credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for overseas transactions. Recent reform legislation in the U.S., for example, has curbed some exploitative lending practices. But many banks have responded by increasing fees in other areas, including fees for customers who use credit and debit cards while out of the country\u2014even if those charges were made in U.S. dollars. Fees can amount to 3% or more of the purchase price. Check with your bank before departing to avoid any surprise charges on your statement.\n\nCosta Rica has a modern and widespread network of ATMs. You should find ATMs in all but the most remote tourist destinations and isolated nature lodges. In 2009, in response to a rash of \"express kidnappings\" in San Jos\u00e9, in which folks were taken at gunpoint to an ATM to clean out their bank accounts, both Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica stopped ATM service between the hours of 10pm and 5am. Other networks still dispense money 24 hours a day.\n\nIt's probably a good idea to change your PIN to a four-digit PIN. While many ATMs in Costa Rica will accept five- and six-digit PINs, some will only accept four-digit PINs.\n\nFor help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to <http:\/\/www.frommers.com\/go\/mobile> and click on the Travel Tools icon.\n\nNewspapers & Magazines Costa Rica has a half-dozen or so Spanish-language dailies and one English-language weekly, the Tico Times. In addition, you can get Time, Newsweek, and several U.S. newspapers at some hotel gift shops and a few of the bookstores in San Jos\u00e9. If you understand Spanish, La Naci\u00f3n is the paper you'll want. Its \"Viva\" and \"Tiempo Libre\" sections list what's going on in the world of music, theater, dance, and more.\n\nPacking Everyone should be sure to pack the essentials: sunscreen, insect repellent, camera, bathing suit, a wide-brimmed hat, all prescription medications, and so forth. You'll want good hiking shoes and\/or beach footwear, depending upon your itinerary. I also like to have a waterproof headlamp or flashlight and refillable water bottle. Lightweight long-sleeved shirts and long pants are good protection from both the sun and insects. Surfers use \"rash guards,\" quick-drying lycra or polyester shirts, which provide great protection from the sun while swimming.\n\nIf you're just heading to Guanacaste between December and March, you won't need anything for the rain. Otherwise, I recommend either or both an umbrella or some rain gear. Most high-end hotels provide umbrellas. If you plan to do any wildlife viewing, bringing your own binoculars is a good idea, as is a field guide.\n\nFor more helpful information on packing for your trip, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to and click on the Travel Tools icon.\n\nPassports Citizens of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and most European nations may visit Costa Rica for a maximum of 90 days. No visa is necessary, but you must have a valid passport, which you should carry with you at all times while you're in Costa Rica. Citizens of Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand can enter the country without a visa and stay for 30 days, although once in the country, visitors can apply for an extension.\n\nIf you overstay your visa or original entry stamp, you will have to pay around $45 for an exit visa. If you need to get an exit visa, a travel agent in San Jos\u00e9 can usually obtain one for a small fee and save you the hassle of dealing with Immigration. If you want to stay longer than the validity of your entry stamp or visa, the easiest thing to do is cross the border into Panama or Nicaragua for 72 hours and then reenter Costa Rica on a new entry stamp or visa. However, be careful: Periodically the Costa Rican government has cracked down on \"perpetual tourists\"; if it notices a continued pattern of exits and entries designed simply to support an extended stay, it might deny you reentry.\n\nIt is advised to always have at least one or two consecutive blank pages in your passport to allow space for visas and stamps that need to appear together. It is also important to note when your passport expires. Many countries require your passport to have at least 6 months left before its expiration in order to allow you into the destination.\n\nSee \"Embassies & Consulates,\" above, for whom to contact if you lose your passport while traveling. For other information, contact the following agencies:\n\nAustralia Australian Passport Information Service (  131-232; www.passports.gov.au).\n\nCanada Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (  800\/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).\n\nIreland Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (  01\/671-1633; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).\n\nNew Zealand Passports Office, Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott St., Wellington, 6011 (  0800\/225-050 in New Zealand or 04\/474-8100; www.passports.govt.nz).\n\nUnited Kingdom Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), 89 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1PN (  0300\/222-0000; www.ips.gov.uk).\n\nUnited States To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. State Department website (travel.state.gov\/passport) or call the National Passport Information Center (  877\/487-2778) for automated information.\n\nPetrol Please see \"Getting Around by Car,\" earlier in this chapter.\n\nPolice In most cases, dial   911 for the police, and you should be able to get someone who speaks English on the line. Other numbers for the Judicial Police are   2222-1365 and 2221-5337. The numbers for the Traffic Police (Polic\u00eda de Tr\u00e1nsito) are   800\/8726-7486 toll-free nationwide, or 2222-9330.\n\nSafety Although most of Costa Rica is safe, petty crime and robberies committed against tourists are endemic. San Jos\u00e9, in particular, is known for its pickpockets, so never carry a wallet in your back pocket. A woman should keep a tight grip on her purse (keep it tucked under your arm). Thieves also target gold chains, cameras and video cameras, prominent jewelry, and nice sunglasses. Be sure not to leave valuables unsecured in your hotel room, or unattended on the beach. Given the high rate of stolen passports in Costa Rica, mostly as collateral damage in a typical pickpocketing or room robbery, it is recommended that, whenever possible, you leave your passport in a hotel safe, and travel with a photocopy of the pertinent pages. Don't park a car on the street in Costa Rica, especially in San Jos\u00e9; plenty of public parking lots are around the city.\n\nRental cars generally stick out and are easily spotted by thieves. Don't leave anything of value in a car parked on the street, not even for a moment. Be wary of solicitous strangers who stop to help you change a tire or take you to a service station. Although most are truly good Samaritans, there have been reports of thieves preying on roadside breakdowns. See \"Getting Around, By Car,\" above, for more info.\n\nInter-city buses are also frequent targets of stealthy thieves. Try not to check your bags into the hold of a bus, if they will fit in the rack above your seat. If this can't be avoided, keep your eye on what leaves the hold. If you put your bags in an overhead rack, be sure you can see the bags at all times. Try not to fall asleep.\n\nSingle women should use common sense and take precaution, especially after dark. I don't recommend that single women walk alone anywhere at night, especially on seemingly deserted beaches, or dark uncrowded streets.\n\nSenior Travel Be sure to mention that you're a senior when you make your travel reservations. Although it's not common policy in Costa Rica to offer senior discounts, don't be shy about asking for one anyway. You never know. Always carry some kind of identification, such as a driver's license, that shows your date of birth, especially if you've kept your youthful glow.\n\nMany reliable agencies and organizations target the 50-plus market. Elderhostel (  800\/454-5768 in the U.S. and Canada; www.elderhostel.org) arranges Costa Rica study programs for those ages 55 and older, as well as intergenerational trips good for families. ElderTreks (  800\/741-7956 in the U.S. and Canada; 0808-234-1714 in the U.K.; www.eldertreks.com) offers small-group tours to Costa Rica, restricted to travelers 50 and older.\n\nSmoking Many Costa Ricans smoke, and public smoking regulations and smoke-free zones have yet to take hold. A comprehensive tobacco and smoking reform law is currently stalled in the legislature. Restaurants are required by law to have nonsmoking areas, but enforcement is often lax, air-circulation poor, and the separating almost nonexistent. Bars, as a whole, are often very smoke-filled in Costa Rica.\n\nMost higher-end hotels have at least some nonsmoking rooms. However, many midrange hotels and most budget options are pretty laissez-faire when it comes to smoking. Whenever possible, the presence of nonsmoking rooms is noted in hotel listing description information.\n\nStudent Travel In Costa Rica, there is one travel agency that specializes in student and youth travel: OTEC (  2523-0500; www.otecviajes.com). These folks have three offices in San Jos\u00e9, located in downtown, Escaz\u00fa, and the university district of San Pedro, and another office across from the National University in Heredia. OTEC also has sister operations throughout Central America, and are official representatives of STA Travel, the leader in international student travel.\n\nAlthough you won't find any discounts at the national parks, most museums and other attractions around Costa Rica do offer discounts for students. It always pays to ask.\n\nTaxes The national 13% value added tax (often written as i.v.i. in Costa Rica) is added to all goods and services. This includes hotel and restaurant bills. Restaurants also add on a 10% service charge, for a total of 23% more on your bill.\n\nThe airport departure tax is $26. This tax must be purchased prior to check-in. Desks where you can pay this tax are in the main terminal of all international airports. Some local travel agencies and hotels offer to purchase the departure tax in advance, as a convenience for tourists. You must give them authorization, as well as your passport number, and pay a small service fee.\n\nAlthough you can pay the airport exit tax with a credit card, it is charged as a cash advance. Most credit card companies hit this kind of transaction with a fee and begin charging interest on it immediately. It is best to pay the airport tax in cash, either dollars or colones.\n\nTelephones Costa Rica has an excellent and widespread phone system. A phone call within the country costs around C10 per minute. Pay phones take a calling card or 5-, 10-, or 20-col\u00f3n coins. Calling cards are much more practical, and coin-operated phones are getting harder and harder to find. You can purchase calling cards in a host of gift shops and pharmacies. However, there are several competing calling-card companies, and certain cards work only with certain phones. CHIP calling cards work with a computer chip and just slide into specific phones, although these phones aren't widely available. Better bets are the 197 and 199 calling cards, which are sold in varying denominations. These have a scratch-off PIN and can be used from any phone in the country. Generally, the 197 cards are sold in smaller denominations and are used for local calling, while the 199 cards are deemed international and are easier to find in larger denominations. Either card can be used to make any call, however, provided that the card can cover the costs. Another perk of the 199 cards is the fact that you can get the instructions in English. For local calls, it is often easiest to call from your hotel, although you will likely be charged around C150 to C300 per call.\n\nTo call Costa Rica from abroad:\n\n1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S. and Canada; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.\n\n2. Dial the country code 506.\n\n3. Dial the 8-digit number.\n\nTo make international calls: To make international calls from Costa Rica, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.\n\nFor directory assistance: Dial 1113 if you're looking for a number inside Costa Rica, and dial 1024 for numbers to all other countries.\n\nFor operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial 1116 if you're trying to make an international call, and 0 if you want to call a number in Costa Rica.\n\nToll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 0800 or 800 within Costa Rica are toll-free, but calling a 1-800 number in the States from Costa Rica is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.\n\nTime Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time (same as Chicago and St. Louis), 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Costa Rica does not use daylight saving time, so the time difference is an additional hour April through October.\n\nFor help with time translations, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to and click on the Travel Tools icon.\n\nTipping Tipping is not necessary in restaurants, where a 10% service charge is always added to your bill (along with a 13% tax). If service was particularly good, you can leave a little at your own discretion, but it's not mandatory. Porters and bellhops get around C500 to C1,000 per bag. You don't need to tip a taxi driver unless the service has been superior; a tip is not usually expected.\n\nFor help with tip calculations, currency conversions, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to <http:\/\/www.frommers.com\/go\/mobile> and click on the Travel Tools icon.\n\nToilets These are known as sanitarios, servicios sanitarios, or ba\u00f1os. They are marked damas (women) and hombres or caballeros (men). Public restrooms are hard to come by. You will almost never find a public restroom in a city park or downtown area. Public restrooms are usually at most national-park entrances, and much less frequently inside the national park. In towns and cities, it gets much trickier. One must count on the generosity of some hotel or restaurant. Same goes for most beaches. However, most restaurants, and, to a lesser degree, hotels, will let you use their facilities, especially if you buy a soft drink or something. Bus and gas stations often have restrooms, but many of these are pretty grim. In some restrooms around the country, especially more remote and natural areas, it's common practice not to flush any foreign matter, aside from your business, down the toilet. This includes toilet paper, sanitary napkins, cigarette butts, and so forth. You will usually find a little sign advising you of this practice in the restroom.\n\nVAT See \"Taxes\" earlier in this section.\n\nVisitor Information In the United States or Canada, you can get basic information on Costa Rica by contacting the Costa Rican Tourist Board (ICT, or Instituto Costarricense de Turismo;   866\/267-8274 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-5800 in Costa Rica; www.visitcostarica.com). Travelers from the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand will have to rely primarily on this website, or call direct to Costa Rica, because the ICT does not have toll-free access in these countries.\n\nIn addition to this official site, you'll be able to find a wealth of Web-based information on Costa Rica with a few clicks of your mouse. In fact, you'll be better off surfing, as the ICT site is rather limited and clunky. See \"The Best Websites About Costa Rica,\" for some helpful suggestions about where to begin your online search.\n\nYou can pick up a map at the ICT's information desk at the airport when you arrive, or at their downtown San Jos\u00e9 offices (although the destination maps and fold-out map that come with this book are sufficient for most purposes). Perhaps the best map to have is the waterproof country map of Costa Rica put out by Toucan Maps (www.mapcr.com), which can be ordered directly from their website, or any major online bookseller, like Amazon.com.\n\nWater Although the water in San Jos\u00e9 is generally safe to drink, water quality varies outside the city. Because many travelers have tender digestive tracts, I recommend playing it safe and sticking to bottled drinks as much as possible. Also avoid ice.\n\nWi-Fi See \"Internet & Wi-Fi,\" earlier in this section.\n\nWomen Travelers For lack of better phrasing, Costa Rica is a typically \"macho\" Latin American nation. Single women can expect catcalls, hisses, whistles, and car horns, especially in San Jos\u00e9. In most cases, while annoying, this is harmless and intended by Tico men as a compliment. Nonetheless, women should be careful walking alone at night throughout the country. Also, see \"Safety,\" earlier in this section.\n\nAirline Websites\n\nMajor Airlines\n\nAerom\u00e9xico\n\nwww.aeromexico.com\n\nAir France\n\nwww.airfrance.com\n\nAir New Zealand\n\nwww.airnewzealand.com\n\nAlitalia\n\nwww.alitalia.com\n\nAmerican Airlines\n\nwww.aa.com\n\nBritish Airways\n\nwww.british-airways.com\n\nCaribbean Airlines (formerly BWIA)\n\nwww.caribbean-airlines.com\n\nContinental Airlines\n\nwww.continental.com\n\nDelta Air Lines\n\nwww.delta.com\n\nFrontier Airlines\n\nwww.frontierairlines.com\n\nIberia Airlines\n\nwww.iberia.com\n\nJapan Airlines\n\nwww.jal.co.jp\n\nJetBlue Airways\n\nwww.jetblue.com\n\nKorean Air\n\nwww.koreanair.com\n\nLan Airlines\n\nwww.lan.com\n\nLufthansa\n\nwww.lufthansa.com\n\nQantas Airways\n\nwww.qantas.com\n\nTACA\n\nwww.taca.com\n\nUnited Airlines\n\nwww.united.com\n\nUS Airways\n\nwww.usairways.com\n\nVirgin Atlantic Airways\n\nwww.virgin-atlantic.com\n\nDomestic Airlines\n\nNature Air\n\nwww.natureair.com\n\nSansa\n\nwww.flysansa.com\n14\n\nCosta Rican Wildlife\n\nA Resplendent Quetzal.\n\nFor such a small country, Costa Rica is incredibly rich in biodiversity. With just .01% of the earth's landmass, the country is home to some 5% of its biodiversity. Whether you come to Costa Rica to check 100 or more species off your lifetime list, or just to check out of the rat race for a week or so, you'll be surrounded by a rich and varied collection of flora and fauna.\n\nIn many instances, the prime viewing recommendations should be understood within the reality of actual wildlife viewing. Most casual visitors and even many dedicated naturalists will never see a wild cat or kinkajou. However, anyone working with a good guide should be able to see a broad selection of Costa Rica's impressive flora and fauna. The information below is meant to be a selective introduction to some of what you might see.\n\nScores of good field guides are available; two of the best general guides are The Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica, by Carrol Henderson, and Costa Rica: Traveller's Wildlife Guides, by Les Beletsky. Bird-watchers will want to pick up one or both of the following two books: A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica, by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch and Birds of Costa Rica, by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean. Other specialized guides to mammals, reptiles, insects, flora, and more are also available. In Costa Rica, Seventh Street Books, on Calle 7 between avenidas 1 and Central in San Jos\u00e9 (  2256-8251), always has a great selection, including many of the specialized guides which they produce under their own publishing house imprint, Zona Tropical (www.zonatropical.net).\n\nSee \"The Lay of the Land,\" in chapter , for more information, as well as \"Tips on Health, Safety & Etiquette in the Wilderness,\" in chapter .\n\nFauna\n\nMammals\n\nCosta Rica has more than 230 species of mammals. Roughly half of these are bats. While it is very unlikely that you will spot a wildcat, you have good odds of catching a glimpse of a monkey, coatimundi, peccary, or sloth, or more likely any number of bats.\n\nJaguar (Panthera onca) This cat measures from 1 to 1.8m (31\u20442\u20136 ft.) plus tail and is distinguished by its tan\/yellowish fur with black spots. Often called simply tigre (tiger) in Costa Rica. Jaguars are classified as nocturnal, although some say it would be more accurate to describe them as crepuscular, most active in the periods around dawn and dusk. Prime Viewing: Major tracts of primary and secondary forest in Costa Rica, as well as some open savannas; the greatest concentration is in Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. However, jaguars are endangered and extremely hard to see in the wild.\n\nJaguar\n\nOcelot (Leopardus pardalis) Known as manigordo, or \"fat paws,\" in Costa Rica, the tail of this small cat is longer than its rear leg, which makes for easy identification. Ocelots are mostly nocturnal, and they sleep in trees. Prime Viewing: Forests in all regions of Costa Rica, with the greatest concentration found on the Osa Peninsula.\n\nOcelot\n\nJaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarondi) This small to midsize cat has a solid black, brown, or reddish coat and an oval-shaped face often compared to that of a weasel or otter, giving it a unique look for a wild cat. The jaguarundi is a diurnal hunter; it can occasionally be spotted in a clearing or climbing a tree. Prime Viewing: Most frequently spotted in middle elevation moist forests.\n\nJaguarundi\n\nPaca (Agouti paca) The paca, known as tepezquintle in Costa Rica, is a nocturnal rodent that feeds on fallen fruit, leaves, and tubers it digs from the ground. It features dark brown to black fur on its back, usually with three to five rows of white spots. Its belly fur tends to be lighter in color. However, since this species is nocturnal, you're more likely to see its cousin, the diurnal agouti or guatusa, which in addition to being smaller, is of a lighter brown coloring, with no spots. Prime Viewing: Most often found near water throughout many habitats of Costa Rica, from river valleys to swamps to dense tropical forest.\n\nPaca\n\nTayra (Eira Barbara) Known as tolumuco or gato de monte in Costa Rica, this midsize rodent is in the weasel family. Tayras run from dark brown to black, with a brown to tan head and neck. Long and low to the ground, they have a long, bushy tail. Prime Viewing: Tayras are found across the country, in forests as well as plain areas, and in trees, as well as on the ground.\n\nTayra\n\nBaird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) Known as the danta or macho de monte, Baird's tapir is the largest land mammal in Costa Rica. An endangered species, tapirs are active both day and night, foraging along riverbanks, streams, and forest clearings. Prime Viewing: Tapirs can be found in wet forested areas, particularly on the Caribbean and south Pacific slopes.\n\nBaird's Tapir\n\nCoatimundi (Nasua narica) Known as pizote in Costa Rica, the raccoonlike coatimundi can adapt to habitat disturbances and is often spotted near hotels and nature lodges. Active both day and night, they are social animals, often found in groups of 10 to 20. Coatimundi are equally comfortable on the ground and in trees. Prime Viewing: Found in a variety of habitats across Costa Rica, from dry scrub to dense forests, on the mainland as well as the coastal islands.\n\nCoatimundi\n\nCollared Peccary (Tayassu tajacu) Called saino or chancho de monte in Costa Rica, the collared peccary is a black or brown piglike animal that travels in groups and has a strong musk odor. Prime Viewing: Low- and middle-elevation forests in most of Costa Rica.\n\nCollared Peccary\n\nNorthern Tamandua (Tamandua Mexicana) Also known as the collared anteater (oso hormiguero in Spanish), the Northern Tamandua grows up to 77cm (30 in.) long, not counting its thick tail, which can be as long as its body. It is active diurnally and nocturnally. Prime Viewing: Low- and middle-elevation forests in most of Costa Rica.\n\nNorthern Tamandua\n\nThree-Toed Sloth (Bradypus variegates) The larger and more commonly sighted of Costa Rica's two sloth species, the three-toed sloth has long, coarse, brown-to-gray fur and a distinctive eye-band. Each fore leg has three long, sharp claws. Except for brief periods to defecate, these slow-moving creatures are entirely arboreal. Prime Viewing: Low- and middle-elevation forests in most of Costa Rica. While sloths can be found in a wide variety of trees, they are most commonly spotted in the relatively sparsely leaved Cecropia (see later in this chapter).\n\nThree-Toed Sloth\n\nMantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliate) Known locally as mono congo, the highly social mantled howler monkey grows to 56cm (22 in.) in size and often travels in groups of 10 to 30. The loud roar of the male can be heard as far as 1.6km (1 mile) away. Prime Viewing: Wet and dry forests across Costa Rica. Almost entirely arboreal, they tend to favor the higher reaches of the canopy.\n\nMantled Howler Monkey\n\nWhite-Faced Monkey (Cibus capucinus) Known as both mono cariblanca and mono capuchin in Costa Rica, the white-faced or capuchin monkey is a midsize species (46 cm\/18 in.) with distinct white fur around its face, head, and forearms. It can be found in forests all around the country and often travels in large troops or family groups. Prime Viewing: Wet and dry forests across Costa Rica.\n\nWhite-Faced Monkey\n\nRed-Backed Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) The smallest and friskiest of Costa Rica's monkeys, the red-backed squirrel monkey, or mono titi, is also its most endangered. Active in the daytime, these monkeys travel in small to midsize groups. Squirrel monkeys do not have a prehensile (grasping) tail. Prime Viewing: Manuel Antonio National Park and Corcovado National Park.\n\nRed-Backed Squirrel Monkey\n\nCentral American Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) Known as both mono ara\u00f1a and mono colorado in Costa Rica, the spider monkey is one of the more acrobatic monkey species. A large monkey (64 cm\/25 in.) with brown or silvery fur, it has long thin limbs and a long prehensile tail. It is active both day and night, and travels in small to midsize bands or family groups. Prime Viewing: Wet and dry forests across Costa Rica.\n\nCentral American Spider Monkey\n\nNine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) This is the most common armadillo species. Armadillo is Spanish for \"little armored one,\" and that's an accurate description of this hard-carapace carrying mammal. The nine-banded armadillo can reach 65cm (26 in.) in length and weigh up to 4.5kg (9.9 lb.). These prehistoric-looking animals are nocturnal and terrestrial. The female gives birth to identical quadruplets from one single egg. Prime Viewing: Low- and middle-elevation forests, as well as farm lands, in most of Costa Rica.\n\nNine-Banded Armadillo\n\nBirds\n\nCosta Rica has more than 880 identified species of resident and migrant birds. The variety of habitats and compact nature of the country make it a major bird-watching destination.\n\nJabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria) One of the largest birds in the world, this stork stands 1.5m (5 ft.) tall and has a wingspan of 2.4m (8 ft.) and a 30cm-long (1-ft.) bill. An endangered species, the jabiru is very rare, with only a dozen or so nesting pairs in Costa Rica. Prime Viewing: The wetlands of Palo Verde National Park and Ca\u00f1o Negro Wildlife Reserve are the best places to try to spot the jabiru stork. The birds arrive in Costa Rica from Mexico in November and fly north with the rains in May or June.\n\nJabiru Stork\n\nKeel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) The rainbow-colored canoe-shape bill and brightly colored feathers make the keel-billed toucan a favorite of bird-watching tours. The toucan can grow to about 51cm (20 in.) in length. Aside from its bill coloration, it is similar in shape and coloring to the chestnut-mandibled toucan. Costa Rica also is home to several smaller toucanet and aracari species. Prime Viewing: Lowland forests on the Caribbean and north Pacific slopes, up to 1,200m (4,000 ft.).\n\nKeel-Billed Toucan\n\nScarlet Macaw (Ara macao) Known as guacamaya or lapa in Costa Rica, the scarlet macaw is a long-tailed member of the parrot family. It can reach 89cm (35 in.) in length, including its long pointed tail. The bird is endangered over most of its range, mainly because it is coveted as a pet. Its loud squawk and rainbow-colored feathers are quite distinctive. Prime Viewing: Carara National Park, Corcovado National Park, and Piedras Blancas National Park.\n\nScarlet Macaw\n\nResplendent Quetzal (Pharomchrus mocinno) Arguably the most spectacular bird in Central America, the Resplendent Quetzal, of the trogon family, can grow to 37cm (15 in.). The males are distinctive, with bright red chests, iridescent blue-green coats, yellow bills, and tail feathers that can reach another 76cm (30 in.) in length. The females lack the long tail feathers and have a duller beak and less pronounced red chest. Prime Viewing: High-elevation wet and cloud forests, particularly in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and along the Cerro de la Muerte.\n\nResplendent Quetzal\n\nMagnificent Frigate Bird (Fregata magnificens) The magnificent frigate bird is a naturally agile flier, and it swoops (unlike other seabirds, it doesn't dive or swim) to pluck food from the water's surface\u2014or more commonly, it steals catch from the mouths of other birds. Prime Viewing: Often seen soaring high overhead, along the shores and coastal islands of both coasts.\n\nMagnificent Frigate Bird\n\nMontezuma's Oropendola (Psarocolius Montezuma) Montezuma's oropendola has a black head, brown body, a yellow-edged tail, a large black bill with an orange tip, and a blue patch under the eye. These birds build long, teardrop-shaped hanging nests, often found in large groups. They have several distinct loud calls, including one that they make while briefly hanging upside down. Prime Viewing: Low and middle elevations along the Caribbean slope, and some sections of eastern Guanacaste.\n\nMontezuma's Oropendola\n\nRoseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) The roseate spoonbill is a large water bird, pink or light red in color and with a large spoon-shaped bill. Also known as garza rosada (pink heron). The species almost became extinct in the United States because its pink wing feathers were used to make fans. Prime Viewing: Found in low-lying freshwater and saltwater wetlands nationwide, although rare along the Caribbean coast and plains. Common on the Pacific coast, north-central lowlands, and in the Golfo de Nicoya and Golfo Dulce areas.\n\nRoseate Spoonbill\n\nCattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) The cattle egret is a snow-white bird, with a yellow bill and irises, and black legs. It changes color for the breeding season: A yellowish buff color appears on the head, chest, and back, and a reddish hue emerges on the bill and legs. Prime Viewing: Found near cattle, or following tractors, throughout Costa Rica.\n\nCattle Egret\n\nBoat-Billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) The midsize boat-billed heron (about 51cm\/20 in.) has a large black head, a large broad bill, and a rusty brown color. Prime Viewing: Throughout the country, near marshes, swamps, rivers, and mangroves.\n\nBoat-Billed Heron\n\nLaughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) The laughing falcon is also known as the guaco in Costa Rica. It gets its name from its loud, piercing call. This largish (56cm\/22-in.) bird of prey's wingspan reaches an impressive 94cm (37 in.). It specializes in eating both venomous and nonvenomous snakes but will also hunt lizards and small rodents. Prime Viewing: Throughout the country, most commonly in lowland areas, near forest edges, grasslands, and farmlands.\n\nLaughing Falcon\n\nMealy Parrot (Amazona farinose) Called loro or loro verde this large, vocal parrot is common in lowland tropical rainforests on both coasts. Almost entirely green, it has a touch of blue on the top of its head, and small red and blue accents on its wings. Loro means parrot, and verde means green, so you and locals alike may confuse this parrot with any number of other local species. Prime Viewing: Lowland rainforests on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.\n\nMealy Parrot\n\nScarlet Rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis) With a striking scarlet red patch on its backside, this is one of the most commonly sighted tanagers in Costa Rica. It is known locally as sargento or sangre de toro. For true ornithologists, a reclassification has divided the Costa Rican scarlet rumped tanagers into two distinct species, Passerini's Tanager, which is found on the Caribbean slope and lowlands, and Cherrie's Tanager, which is found along the Pacific slope and lowlands. Prime Viewing: Throughout the country, in lowland and midelevation areas.\n\nScarlet Rumped Tanager\n\nOsprey (Pandion haliatus) This large (.6m\/2-ft.-tall, with a 1.8m\/6-ft. wingspan) brownish bird with a white head is also known as gavilan pescador, or \"fishing eagle.\" In flight, the osprey's wings \"bend\" backward. Prime Viewing: Found in lowland coastal areas and wetlands throughout Costa Rica; seen flying or perched in trees near water. A small population is resident year-round, although most are winter migrants, arriving September to October and departing April to May.\n\nOsprey\n\nFerruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) Unlike most owls, this small (about 38cm\/15-in.) grayish brown or reddish brown owl is most active during the day. Prime Viewing: In wooded areas, forest edges, and farmlands of low and middle elevations along the northern Pacific slope.\n\nPygmy Owl\n\nViolet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) The largest hummingbird found in Costa Rica, the violet sabrewing shines a deep purple when the sun strikes it right. Its beak is long, thick, and gently curving. Prime Viewing: Mid- and higher-elevation cloud forests and rainforests countrywide.\n\nViolet Sabrewing\n\nClay-Colored Robin (Turdus grayi) In a country with such a rich variety of spectacularly plumaged bird species, this plain brown robin is an unlikely choice to be Costa Rica's national bird. However, it is extremely widespread and common, especially in urban areas of the Central Valley, and it has a wide range of pleasant calls and songs. Known locally as the yiguirro, it has uniform brown plumage, with a lighter brown belly and yellow bill. Prime Viewing: Low and middle elevations nationwide, especially in clearings, secondary forests, and amid human settlements.\n\nClay-Colored Robin\n\nAmphibians\n\nFrogs and toads are actually some of the most beguiling, beautiful, and easy-to-spot residents of tropical forests.\n\nMarine Toad (Bufo marinus) The largest toad in the Americas, the 20cm (8-in.) wart-covered marine toad is also known as the cane toad, or sapo grande (giant toad). Females are mottled in color, while males are uniformly brown. These voracious toads have been known to eat small mammals, other toads, lizards, and just about any insect within range. They have a very strong chemical defense mechanism. Glands spread across their back and behind their eyes secrete a powerful toxin when threatened. Prime Viewing: Despite the misleading name, this terrestrial toad is not found in marine environments, but can be found in forests and open areas throughout Costa Rica.\n\nMarine Toad\n\nRed-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) The colorful 7.6-cm (3-in.) red-eyed tree frog usually has a pale or dark green back, sometimes with white or yellow spots, with blue-purple patches and vertical bars on the body, orange hands and feet, and deep red eyes. This nocturnal amphibian is also known as the gaudy leaf frog or red-eyed tree frog. Prime Viewing: This arboreal amphibian is most frequently found on the undersides of broad leaves, in low- and middle-elevation wet forests throughout Costa Rica. If you don't find this beautiful, distinctive-looking frog in the wild, you will certainly see its image on T-shirts and postcards.\n\nRed-Eyed Tree Frog\n\nGreen and Black Poison Arrow Frog (Dendrobates auratus) Also called the harlequin poison-arrow frog, the small green and black poison arrow frog ranges between 2.5 and 4cm (1\u201311\u20442 in.) in length. It has distinctive markings of iridescent green mixed with deep black. Prime Viewing: On the ground, around tree roots, and under fallen logs, in low- and middle-elevation wet forests on the Caribbean and southern Pacific slopes.\n\nGreen and Black Poison Arrow Frog\n\nReptiles\n\nCosta Rica's reptile species range from the frightening and justly feared fer-de-lance pit viper and massive American crocodile to a wide variety of turtles and lizards. Note: Sea turtles are included in the \"Sea Life\" section below.\n\nBoa Constrictor (Boa constrictor) Adult boa constrictors (b\u00e9cquer in Costa Rica) average about 1.8 to 3m (6\u201310 ft.) in length and weigh over 27 kilograms (60 lb.). Their coloration camouflages them. Look for patterns of cream, brown, gray, and black ovals and diamonds. Prime Viewing: Low- and middle-elevation wet and dry forests, countrywide. They often live in the rafters and eaves of homes in rural areas.\n\nBoa Constrictor\n\nFer-de-Lance (Bothrops atrox) Known as terciopelo in Costa Rica, the aggressive fer-de-lance can grow to 2.4m (8 ft.) in length. Beige, brown, or black triangles flank either side of the head, while the area under the head is a vivid yellow. These snakes begin life as arboreal but become increasingly terrestrial as they grow older and larger. Prime Viewing: Predominantly lower elevation forests, but has spread to almost all regions up to 1,300m (4,265 ft.), including towns and cities in agricultural areas.\n\nFer-de-Lance\n\nMussurana (Clelia clelia) This bluish black, brown, or grayish snake grows to 2.4m (8 ft.) in length. While slightly venomous, this snake has rear fangs and is of little danger to humans. In fact, it is prized and protected by locals, since its primary prey happens to be much more venomous pit vipers, like the fer-de-lance. Prime Viewing: Open forests, pastures, and farmlands across Costa Rica.\n\nMussurana\n\nTropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) Known as cascabel in Costa Rica, this pit viper has a triangular head, a pronounced ridge running along the middle of its back, and (of course) a rattling tail. It can reach 1.8m (6 ft.) in length. Prime Viewing: Mostly found in low elevation dry forests and open areas of Guanacaste.\n\nTropical Rattlesnake\n\nGreen Iguana (Iguana iguana) Despite its name, the green iguana comes in a range of coloring. Individuals can vary in color, ranging from bright green to a dull grayish green, with quite a bit of red and orange mixed in. Predominantly arboreal, it often perches on a branch overhanging a river and will plunge into the water when threatened. Prime Viewing: All lowland regions of the country, living near rivers and streams, along both coasts.\n\nGreen Iguana\n\nBasilisk (Basiliscus vittatus) The basilisk can run across the water's surface for short distances on its hind legs, holding its body almost upright; thus its alternate name, \"Jesus Christ lizard.\" Prime Viewing: In trees and on rocks located near water in wet forests throughout the country.\n\nBasilisk\n\nAmerican Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) Although an endangered species, environmental awareness and protection policies have allowed the massive American crocodile to mount an impressive comeback in recent years. While these reptiles can reach lengths of 6.4m (21 ft.), most are much smaller, usually less than 4m (13 ft.). Prime Viewing: Near swamps, estuaries, large rivers, and coastal lowlands, countrywide. Guaranteed viewing from the bridge over the Tarcoles River, on the coastal highway to Jac\u00f3 and Manuel Antonio.\n\nAmerican Crocodile\n\nLitter Skink (Sphenomorphus cherriei) This small, brown lizard has a proportionally large head and neck, and short legs. A black stripe extends off the back of its eyes and down its sides, with a yellowish area below. Prime Viewing: Common on the ground and in leaf litter of low- and middle-elevation forests throughout the country.\n\nLitter Skink\n\nSlender Anole (Anolis [norops] limifrons) This thin, olive-colored lizard can reach 5.1cm (2 in.) in length. There are some 25 related species of anolis or norops lizards. Prime Viewing: Lowland rainforests nationwide.\n\nSlender Anole\n\nSea Life\n\nBoasting over 1,290km (780 miles) of shoreline on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Costa Rica has a rich diversity of underwater flora and fauna.\n\nWhale Shark (Rhincodon typus) Although the whale shark grows to lengths of 14m (45 ft.) or more, its gentle nature makes swimming with them a special treat for divers and snorkelers. Prime Viewing: Can occasionally be spotted off Isla del Ca\u00f1o, and more frequently off Isla del Coco.\n\nWhale Shark\n\nGreen Turtle (Chelonia mydas) A large sea turtle, the green turtle has a teardrop-shaped carapace that can range in color from dull green to dark brown. Adults reach some 1.5m (4.9 ft.) and weigh an average of 200kg (440 lb.). Prime viewing: Carribean coast around Tortuguero National Park, from July through mid-October, with August through September their peak period.\n\nGreen turtle\n\nLeatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) The world's largest sea turtle (reaching nearly 2.4m\/8 ft. in length and weighing more than 544kg\/1,200 lb.), the leatherback sea turtle is now an endangered species. Unlike most other turtle species, the leatherback's carapace is not a hard shell, but rather a thick, leathery skin. Prime Viewing: Playa Grande, near Tamarindo, is a prime nesting site from early October through mid-February; also nests off Tortuguero in much lesser numbers from February through June, peaking during the months of March and April.\n\nLeatherback Sea Turtle\n\nOlive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) Also known as tortuga lora, the olive ridley sea turtle is the most common of Costa Rica's sea turtles, famous for its massive group nestings, or arribadas. Prime Viewing: Large arribadas occur from July through December, and to a lesser extent from January through June. Playa Nancite in Santa Rosa National Park and Playa Ostional, north of Nosara, are the prime nesting sites.\n\nOlive Ridley Sea Turtle\n\nMoray Eel (Gymnothorax mordax) Distinguished by a swaying serpent-head and teeth-filled jaw that continually opens and closes, the moray eel is most commonly seen with only its head appearing from behind rocks. At night, however, it leaves its home along the reef to hunt for small fish, crustaceans, shrimp, and octopus. Prime Viewing: Rocky areas and reefs off both coasts.\n\nMoray Eel\n\nHumpbacked Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) The migratory humpbacked whale spends the winters in warm southern waters and has been increasingly spotted close to the shores of Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast. These mammals have black backs and whitish throat and chest areas. Females have been known to calve here. Prime Viewing: Most common in the waters off Drake Bay and Isla del Ca\u00f1o, from December through April.\n\nHumpbacked Whale\n\nBottle-Nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncates) A wide tail fin, dark gray back, and light gray sides identify bottle-nosed dolphins. Dolphins grow to lengths of 3.7m (12 ft.) and weigh up to 635 kilograms (1,400 lb.). Prime Viewing: Along both coasts and inside the Golfo Dulce.\n\nBottle-Nosed Dolphin\n\nManta Ray (Manta birostris) The manta is the largest species of ray, with a wingspan that can reach 6m (20 ft.) and a body weight known to exceed 1,360kg (3,000 lb.). Despite its daunting appearance, the manta is quite gentle. If you are snorkeling or diving, watch for one of these extraordinary and graceful creatures. Prime Viewing: All along the Pacific coast.\n\nManta Ray\n\nBrain Coral (Diploria strigosa) The distinctive brain coral is named for its striking physical similarity to a human brain. Prime Viewing: Reefs off both coasts.\n\nBrain Coral\n\nInvertebrates\n\nCreepy-crawlies, biting bugs, spiders, and the like give most folks chills. But this group, which includes moths, butterflies, ants, beetles, bees, and even crabs, features some of the most abundant, fascinating, and easily viewed fauna in Costa Rica. In fact, Costa Rica has nearly 500,000 recorded species of invertebrates, with more than 9,000 species of butterflies and moths alone.\n\nBlue Morpho (Morpho peleides) The large blue morpho butterfly, with a wingspan of up to 15cm (6 in.), has brilliantly iridescent blue wings when opened. Fast and erratic fliers, they are often glimpsed flitting across your peripheral vision in dense forest. Prime Viewing: Countrywide, particularly in moist environments.\n\nBlue Morpho\n\nLeafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes) You can't miss the miniature rainforest highways formed by these industrious red ants carrying their freshly cut payload. The ants do not actually eat the leaves, but instead feed off a fungus that grows on the decomposing leaves in their massive underground nests. Prime Viewing: Can be found in most forests countrywide.\n\nLeafcutter Ants\n\nGolden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes) The common Neotropical golden silk spider weaves meticulous webs that can be as much as .5m (2 ft.) across. The adult female of this species can reach 7.6cm (3 in.) in length, including the legs, although the males are tiny. The silk of this spider is extremely strong and is being studied for industrial purposes. Prime Viewing: Lowland forests on both coasts.\n\nGolden Silk Spider\n\nMouthless Crab (Gecarcinus quadratus) The nocturnal mouthless crab is a distinctively colored land crab with bright orange legs, purple claws, and a deep black shell or carapace. Prime Viewing: All along the Pacific coast.\n\nMouthless Crab\n\nSally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus) Known simply as cangrego or \"crab,\" this is the most common crab spotted in Costa Rica. It is a midsize crab with a colorful carapace that can range from dark brown to deep red to bright yellow, with a wide variation in striations and spotting. Prime Viewing: On rocky outcroppings near the water's edge all along both coasts.\n\nSally Lightfoot Crab\n\nFlora\n\nTrees\n\nDespite the cliche to the contrary, it's often a good thing to be able to identify specific trees within a forest. I include illustrations of leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit to get you started.\n\nCeiba (Ceiba pentandra) Also known as the kapok tree, the ceiba tree is typically emergent (its large umbrella-shape crown emerges above the forest canopy), reaching as high as 60m (197 ft.); it is among the tallest trees of Costa Rica's tropical forest. The ceiba tree has a thick columnar trunk, often with large buttresses. Sometimes called the silk cotton tree in English, the ceiba's seed pod produces a light, airy fiber that is resilient, buoyant, and insulating. Throughout history this fiber has been used for bedding, and as stuffing for pillows, clothing, and even life jackets. Ceiba trees may flower as infrequently as once every 5 years, especially in wetter forests. Prime Viewing: Tropical forests throughout Costa Rica.\n\nCeiba\n\nGuanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) The guanacaste gives its name to Costa Rica's northwestern-most province, and is the country's national tree. With a broad and pronounced crown, the guanacaste can reach heights of over 39m (130 ft.), and its trunk can measure more than 1.8m (6 ft.) in diameter. Guanacaste is prized as a shade tree, and is often planted on pasture lands to provide relief to cattle from the hot tropical sun. Prime Viewing: Low elevation forests and plains throughout Costa Rica. Most commonly viewed in the open plains and savannahs of Guanacaste.\n\nGuanacaste\n\nStrangler Fig (Ficus aurea) This parasitic tree gets its name from the fact that it envelops and eventually strangles its host tree. The matapalo or strangler fig begins as an epiphyte, whose seeds are deposited high in a tree's canopy by bats, birds, or monkeys. The young strangler then sends long roots down to the earth. The sap is used to relieve burns. Prime Viewing: Primary and secondary forests countrywide.\n\nStrangler Fig\n\nCecropia (Cecropia obtusifolia) Several Cecropia (trumpet tree) species are found in Costa Rica. Most are characterized by large, handlike clusters of broad leaves, and a hollow, bamboolike trunk. They are \"gap specialists,\" fast-growing opportunists that can fill in a gap caused by a tree fall or landslide. Their trunks are usually home to Aztec ants. Prime Viewing: Primary and secondary forests, rivers, and roadsides, countrywide.\n\nCecropia\n\nGumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba) The bark of the gumbo limbo is its most distinguishing feature: A paper-thin red outer layer, when peeled off the tree, reveals a bright green bark. In Costa Rica the tree is called indio desnudo (naked Indian). In other countries it is the \"tourist tree.\" Both names refer to its reddish, flaking outer bark. The bark is used as a remedy for gum disease; gumbo limbo\u2013bark tea allegedly alleviates hypertension. Prime Viewing: Primary and secondary forests, countrywide.\n\nGumbo Limbo\n\nFlowers & Other Plants\n\nCosta Rica has an amazing wealth of tropical flora, including some 1,200 orchid species, and over 2,000 bromeliad species.\n\nGuaria Morada (Cattleya skinneri) The guaria morada orchid is the national flower of Costa Rica. Sporting a purple and white flower, this plant is also called the \"Easter orchid\" as it tends to flower between March and April each year. Prime Viewing: Countrywide from sea level to 1,220m (4,000 ft.). While usually epiphytic, it also is found as a terrestrial plant.\n\nGuaria Morada\n\nHeliconia (Heliconia collinsiana) More than 40 of the world's species of tropical heliconia are found in Costa Rica. The flowers of this species are darkish pink in color, and the underside of the plant's large leaves are coated in white wax. Prime Viewing: Low to middle elevations countrywide, particularly in moist environments.\n\nHelicona\n\nHotlips (Psychotria poeppigiana) Related to coffee, hotlips is a forest flower that boasts thick red \"lips\" that resemble the Rolling Stones logo. The small white flowers (found inside the red \"lips\") attract a variety of butterflies and hummingbirds. Prime Viewing: In the undergrowth of dense forests countrywide.\n\nHotlips\n\nRed Torch Ginger (Nicolaia elatior) Called bast\u00f3n del emperador (the Emperor's cane) in Costa Rica, the tall red torch ginger plant has an impressive bulbous red bract, often mistaken for the flower. The numerous, small white flowers actually emerge out of this bract. Originally a native to Indonesia, it is now quite common in Costa Rica. Prime Viewing: Countrywide, particu-larly in moist environments and gardens.\n\nRed Torch Ginger\n\nPoor Man's Umbrella (Gunnera insignis) The poor man's umbrella, a broad-leaved rainforest ground plant, is a member of the rhubarb family. The massive leaves are often used, as the colloquial name suggests, for protection during rainstorms. Prime Viewing: Low- to middle-elevation moist forests countrywide. Commonly seen in Po\u00e1s National Park and Braulio Carrillo National Park.\n\nPoor Man's Umbrella\n15\n\nSpanish Terms & Phrases\n\nCosta Rican Spanish is neither the easiest nor the most difficult dialect to understand. Ticos speak at a relatively relaxed speed and enunciate clearly, without dropping too many final consonants. The y and ll sounds are subtly, almost inaudibly, pronounced. Perhaps the most defining idiosyncrasy of Costa Rican Spanish is the way Ticos overemphasize, and almost chew, their r's.\n\nIf you're looking for a more comprehensive dictionary and language resource, pick up a copy of Frommer's Spanish Phrase Finder & Dictionary, or Frommer's Spanish Phrasebook and Culture Guide. Both are excellent pocket books with a wealth of information to make your travel interactions more rewarding.\n\nBasic Words & Phrases\n\nEnglish | Spanish | Pronunciation\n\n---|---|---\n\nHello | Buenos d\u00edas | bweh-nohss dee-ahss\n\nHow are you? | \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1 usted? | koh-moh ehss-tah oo-stehd\n\nVery well | Muy bien | mwee byehn\n\n|  |   \n|  |\n\nEnglish | Spanish | Pronunciation\n\nThank you | Gracias | grah-syahss\n\nGoodbye | Adi\u00f3s | ad-dyohss\n\nPlease | Por favor | pohr fah-vohr\n\nYes | S\u00ed | see\n\nNo | No | noh\n\nExcuse me (to get by someone) | Perd\u00f3neme | pehr-doh-neh-meh\n\nExcuse me (to begin a question) | Disculpe | dees-kool-peh\n\nGive me | Deme | deh-meh\n\nWhere is . . . ? | \u00bfD\u00f3nde est\u00e1 . . . ? | dohn-deh ehss-tah\n\nthe station | la estaci\u00f3n | la ehss-tah-syohn\n\nthe bus stop | la parada | la pah-rah-dah\n\na hotel | un hotel | oon oh-tehl\n\na restaurant | un restaurante | oon res-tow-rahn-teh\n\nthe toilet | el servicio | el ser-vee-syoh\n\nTo the right | A la derecha | ah lah deh-reh-chah\n\nTo the left | A la izquierda | ah lah ees-kyehr-dah\n\nStraight ahead | Adelante | ah-deh-lahn-teh\n\nI would like . . . | Quiero . . . | kyeh-roh\n\nto eat | comer | ko-mehr\n\na room | una habitaci\u00f3n | oo-nah ah-bee-tah-syohn\n\nHow much is it? | \u00bfCu\u00e1nto? | kwahn-toh\n\nWhen? | \u00bfCu\u00e1ndo? | kwan-doh\n\nWhat? | \u00bfQu\u00e9? | keh\n\nYesterday | Ayer | ah-yehr\n\nToday | Hoy | oy\n\nTomorrow | Ma\u00f1ana | mah-nyah-nah\n\nBreakfast | Desayuno | deh-sah-yoo-noh\n\nLunch | Almuerzo | ahl-mwehr-soh\n\nDinner | Cena | seh-nah\n\nDo you speak English? | \u00bfHabla usted ingl\u00e9s? | ah-blah oo-stehd een-glehss\n\nI don't understand Spanish very well. | No entiendo muy bien el espa\u00f1ol. | noh ehn-tyehn-do mwee byehn el ehss-pah-nyohl\n\nNumbers\n\nEnglish | Spanish | Pronunciation\n\n---|---|---\n\n0 | cero | ser-oh\n\n1 | uno | oo-noh\n\n2 | dos | dohss\n\n3 | tres | trehss\n\n4 | cuatro | kwah-troh\n\n5 | cinco | seen-koh\n\n6 | seis | sayss\n\n7 | siete | syeh-teh\n\n8 | ocho | oh-choh\n\n9 | nueve | nweh-beh\n\n10 | diez | dyehss\n\n11 | once | ohn-seh\n\n12 | doce | doh-seh\n\n13 | trece | treh-seh\n\n14 | catorce | kah-tohr-seh\n\n15 | quince | keen-seh\n\n16 | diecis\u00e9is | dyeh-see-sayss\n\n17 | diecisiete | dyeh-see-syeh-teh\n\n18 | dieciocho | dyeh-see-oh-choh\n\n19 | diecinueve | dyeh-see-nweh-beh\n\n20 | veinte | bayn-teh\n\n30 | treinta | trayn-tah\n\n40 | cuarenta | kwah-rehn-tah\n\n50 | cincuenta | seen-kwehn-tah\n\n60 | sesenta | seh-sehn-tah\n\n70 | setenta | seh-tehn-tah\n\n80 | ochenta | oh-chehn-tah\n\n90 | noventa | noh-behn-tah\n\n100 | cien | syehn\n\n1,000 | mil | meel\n\nDays of the Week\n\nEnglish | Spanish | Pronunciation\n\n---|---|---\n\nMonday | lunes | loo-nehss\n\nTuesday | martes | mahr-tehss\n\nWednesday | mi\u00e9rcoles | myehr-koh-lehs\n\nThursday | jueves | wheh-behss\n\nFriday | viernes | byehr-nehss\n\nSaturday | s\u00e1bado | sah-bah-doh\n\nSunday | domingo | doh-meen-goh\n\nSome Typical Tico Words & Phrases\n\nBirra Slang for beer.\n\nBoca Literally means \"mouth,\" but also a term to describe a small appetizer served alongside a drink at many bars.\n\nBomba Translates literally as \"pump,\" but is used in Costa Rica for \"gas station.\"\n\nBrete Work, or job.\n\nBuena nota To be good, or have a good vibe.\n\nCasado Literally means \"married,\" but is the local term for a popular restaurant offering that features a main dish and various side dishes.\n\nChapa Derogatory way to call someone stupid or clumsy.\n\nChepe Slang term for the capital city, San Jos\u00e9.\n\nChoza Slang for house or home. Also called chante.\n\nChunche Knickknack; thing, as in \"whatchamacallit.\"\n\nCon mucho gusto With pleasure.\n\nDe hoy en ocho In 1 week's time.\n\nDiay An untranslatable but common linguistic punctuation, often used to begin a sentence.\n\nEstar de chicha To be angry.\n\nFria Literally \"cold,\" but used to mean a cold beer\u2014una fria, por favor.\n\nFut Short for f\u00fatbol, or soccer.\n\nGoma Hangover.\n\nHarina Literally \"flour,\" but used to mean money.\n\nLa sele Short for la selecci\u00f3n, the Costa Rican national soccer team.\n\nLimpio Literally means \"clean,\" but is the local term for being broke, or having no money.\n\nMacha or machita A blond woman.\n\nMae Translates like \"man\"; used by many Costa Ricans, particularly teenagers, as frequent verbal punctuation.\n\nMaje A lot like mae, above, but with a slightly derogatory connotation.\n\nMala nota Bad vibe, or bad situation.\n\nMala pata Bad luck.\n\nMejenga An informal, or pickup, soccer game.\n\nPachanga or pel\u00f3n Both terms are used to signify a big party or gathering.\n\nPonga la mar\u00eda, por favor This is how you ask taxi drivers to turn on the meter.\n\nPulper\u00eda The Costa Rican version of the \"corner store\" or small market.\n\nPura paja Pure nonsense or BS.\n\nPura vida Literally, \"pure life\"; translates as \"everything's great.\"\n\nQu\u00e9 torta What a mess; what a screw-up.\n\nSi Dios quiere God willing; you'll hear Ticos say this all the time.\n\nSoda A casual diner-style restaurant serving cheap Tico meals.\n\nTico Costa Rican.\n\nTiquicia Costa Rica.\n\nTuanis Similar in usage and meaning to pura vida, above.\n\nUna teja 100 colones.\n\nUn rojo 1,000 colones.\n\nUn tuc\u00e1n 5,000 colones.\n\nUpe! Common shout to find out if anyone is home; used frequently since doorbells are so scarce.\n\nZarpe Last drink of the night, or \"one more for the road.\"\n\nMenu Terms\n\nFish\n\nAlmejas Clams\n\nAt\u00fan Tuna\n\nBacalao Cod\n\nCalamares Squid\n\nCamarones Shrimp\n\nCangrejo Crab\n\nCeviche Marinated seafood salad\n\nDorado Dolphin or mahimahi\n\nLangosta Lobster\n\nLenguado Sole\n\nMejillones Mussels\n\nOstras Oysters\n\nPargo Snapper\n\nPulpo Octopus\n\nTrucha Trout\n\nMeats\n\nAlb\u00f3ndigas Meatballs\n\nBistec Beefsteak\n\nCerdo Pork\n\nChicharrones Fried pork rinds\n\nChorizo Sausage\n\nChuleta Literally chop, usually pork chop\n\nCordero Lamb\n\nCostillas Ribs\n\nDelmonico Rib-eye\n\nJam\u00f3n Ham\n\nLengua Tongue\n\nLomo Sirloin\n\nLomito Tenderloin\n\nPato Duck\n\nPavo Turkey\n\nPollo Chicken\n\nSalchichas Hot dogs, but sometimes refers to any sausage\n\nVegetables\n\nAceitunas Olives\n\nAlcachofa Artichoke\n\nBerenjena Eggplant\n\nCebolla Onion\n\nElote Corn on the cob\n\nEnsalada Salad\n\nEspinacas Spinach\n\nFrijoles Beans\n\nLechuga Lettuce\n\nMa\u00edz Corn\n\nPalmito Heart of palm\n\nPapa Potato\n\nPepino Cucumber\n\nTomate Tomato\n\nYuca Yucca, cassava, or manioc\n\nZanahoria Carrot\n\nFruits\n\nAguacate Avocado\n\nBanano Banana\n\nCarambola Star fruit\n\nCereza Cherry\n\nCiruela Plum\n\nDurazno Peach\n\nFrambuesa Raspberry\n\nFresa Strawberry\n\nGranadilla Sweet passion fruit\n\nLim\u00f3n Lemon or lime\n\nMango Mango\n\nManzana Apple\n\nMaracuya Tart passion fruit\n\nMel\u00f3n Melon\n\nMora Blackberry\n\nNaranja Orange\n\nPapaya Papaya\n\nPi\u00f1a Pineapple\n\nPl\u00e1tano Plantain\n\nSand\u00eda Watermelon\n\nToronja Grapefruit\n\nBasics\n\nAceite Oil\n\nAjo Garlic\n\nArreglado Small meat sandwich\n\nAz\u00facar Sugar\n\nCasado Plate of the day\n\nGallo Corn tortilla topped with meat or chicken\n\nGallo pinto Rice and beans\n\nHielo Ice\n\nMantequilla Butter\n\nMiel Honey\n\nMostaza Mustard\n\nNatilla Sour cream\n\nOlla de carne Meat and vegetable soup\n\nPan Bread\n\nPatacones Fried plantain chips\n\nPicadillo Chopped vegetable side dish\n\nPimienta Pepper\n\nQueso Cheese\n\nSal Salt\n\nTamal Filled cornmeal pastry\n\nTortilla Flat corn pancake\n\nDrinks\n\nAgua purificada Purified water\n\nAgua con gas Sparkling water\n\nAgua sin gas Plain water\n\nBebida Drink\n\nCaf\u00e9 Coffee\n\nCaf\u00e9 con leche Coffee with milk\n\nCerveza Beer\n\nChocolate caliente Hot chocolate\n\nJugo Juice\n\nLeche Milk\n\nNatural Fruit juice\n\nNatural con leche Milkshake\n\nRefresco Soft drink\n\nRon Rum\n\nT\u00e9 Tea\n\nTrago Alcoholic drink\n\nOther Restaurant Terms\n\nAl grill Grilled\n\nAl horno Oven-baked\n\nAl vapor Steamed\n\nAsado Roasted\n\nCaliente Hot\n\nCambio or vuelto Change\n\nCocido Cooked\n\nComida Food\n\nCongelado Frozen\n\nCrudo Raw\n\nEl ba\u00f1o Toilet\n\nFr\u00edo Cold\n\nFrito Fried\n\nGrande Big or large\n\nLa cuenta The check\n\nMedio Medium\n\nMedio rojo Medium rare\n\nMuy cocido Well-done\n\nPeque\u00f1o Small\n\nPoco cocido or rojo Rare\n\nTres cuartos Medium-well-done\n\nOther Useful Terms\n\nHotel Terms\n\nAire acondicionado Air-conditioning\n\nAlmohada Pillow\n\nBa\u00f1o Bathroom\n\nBa\u00f1o privado Private bathroom\n\nCalefacci\u00f3n Heating\n\nCaja de seguridad Safe\n\nCama Bed\n\nCobija Blanket\n\nColch\u00f3n Mattress\n\nCuarto or Habitaci\u00f3n Room\n\nEscritorio Desk\n\nHabitaci\u00f3n simple\/sencilla Single room\n\nHabitaci\u00f3n doble Double room\n\nHabitaci\u00f3n triple Triple room\n\nLlave Key\n\nMosquitero Mosquito net\n\nS\u00e1banas Sheets\n\nSeguro de puerta Door lock\n\nSilla Chair\n\nTelecable Cable TV\n\nVentilador Fan\n\nTravel Terms\n\nAduana Customs\n\nAeropuerto Airport\n\nAvenida Avenue\n\nAvi\u00f3n Airplane\n\nAviso Warning\n\nBus Bus\n\nCajero ATM, also called cajero automatico\n\nCalle Street\n\nCheques viajeros Traveler's checks\n\nCorreo Mail, or post office\n\nCuadra City block\n\nDinero or plata Money\n\nEmbajada Embassy\n\nEmbarque Boarding\n\nEntrada Entrance\n\nEquipaje Luggage\n\nEste East\n\nFrontera Border\n\nLancha or bote Boat\n\nNorte North\n\nOeste West\n\nOccidente West\n\nOriente East\n\nPasaporte Passport\n\nPuerta de salida or puerta de embarque Boarding gate\n\nSalida Exit\n\nSur South\n\nTarjeta de embarque Boarding pass\n\nVuelo Flight\n\nEmergency Terms\n\n\u00a1Auxilio! Help!\n\nAmbulancia Ambulance\n\nBomberos Fire brigade\n\nCl\u00ednica Clinic or hospital\n\nDoctor or m\u00e9dico Doctor\n\nEmergencia Emergency\n\nEnfermo\/enferma Sick\n\nEnfermera Nurse\n\nFarmacia Pharmacy\n\nFuego or incendio Fire\n\nHospital Hospital\n\nLadr\u00f3n Thief\n\nPeligroso Dangerous\n\nPolic\u00eda Police\n\n\u00a1V\u00e1yase! Go away!\nPhoto Credits\n\np. i: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. iii: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 1: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 3 top: Courtesy Tabacon Grand Thermal Resort; p. 3 bottom: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 6: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 8 left: \u00a9 Oliver Gerhard \/ Imagebroker\/ AGE Fotostock; p. 8 right: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 9 left: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 9 right: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 10: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 11: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 12: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 13: \u00a9 Bill Gozansky \/ Alamy; p. 14: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 15: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 16: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 18: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 21: Courtesy Tortuga Lodge; p. 23: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 25: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 26 top: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 26 bottom: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 29: \u00a9 Ian Cumming \/ Axiom \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 31: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 33: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 36: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 37: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 40: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 42: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 43: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 44: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 46: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 48: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 53: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 54: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 55: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 59: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 62: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 64: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 66: Courtesy Tabacon Grand Thermal Spa; p. 67: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 68 left: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 68 right: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 70: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 72: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 74 left: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 74 right: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 75: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 76: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 78: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 101: \u00a9 Travelib Costa Rica \/ Alamy; p. 104: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 106: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 107: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 108: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 109: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 118: Courtesy Hotel Grano de Oro; p. 121: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 122: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 127: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 128: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 129: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 130: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 131: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 132 left: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 132 right: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 133: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 135: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 136: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 138: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 139: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 140: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 141: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 144: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 146: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 147: Courtesy Calypso Cruises; p. 148: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 150: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 152: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 154: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 158: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 160: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 161: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 162: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 163: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 166: Courtesy Marriott; p. 168: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 169: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 170: Courtesy Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation; p. 172: \u00a9 Raymond Pauly; p. 173 top: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 173 bottom: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 174: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 175: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 176: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 178: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 179: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 180 top: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 180 bottom: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 181: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 182: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 184: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 185: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 187: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 189: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 190: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 192: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 194 left: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 194 right: \u00a9 Carles Martorell \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 197: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 198: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 199: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 202: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 203: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 204: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 207: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 210: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen \/ Alamy; p. 211: Courtesy Four Seasons; p. 216: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 217: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 218: \u00a9 Amar and Isabelle Guillen - Guillen Photography \/ Alamy; p. 224: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 226: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 228: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 229: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 230: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 233: \u00a9 Ellen McKnight \/ Alamy; p. 236: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 240: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 248: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 251: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 255: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 257: \u00a9 Martin Strmiska \/ Alamy; p. 259: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 262: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 263: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 267: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 272: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 274: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 275: Courtesy Florblanca Resort; p. 280: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 281: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 282: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 283: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 285: Courtesy Hotel Punta Islita; p. 287: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 290: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 294: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 296: \u00a9 Charles Sleicher \/ Danita Delimont \/ Alamy; p. 300: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 301: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 302: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 303 top: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 303 bottom: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 304: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 306: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 307: \u00a9 kevinschafer.com; p. 308: Courtesy Tabacon Grand Thermal Resort; p. 309: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 312: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 315: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 320: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 321: \u00a9 Captain Ron Saunders Lake Arenal \/ www.arenalfishing.com; p. 322: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 325: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 326: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 330: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 332: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 334: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 336: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 337: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 338: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 339: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 345: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 346: \u00a9 Randall Hyman; p. 348 left: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 348 right: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 352: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 356: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 359: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 363: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 366: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 372: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 375 left: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 375 right: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 379: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 380: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 381: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 382: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 383 top: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 383 bottom: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 385: \u00a9 Ticopix \/ Alamy; p. 394: \u00a9 Carver Mostardi \/ AGE Foto\u00adstock; p. 396: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 397: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 398: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 399: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 403: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 407: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 408: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 414: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 416: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 420: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 421: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 422: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 423: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 424: \u00a9 Anel Kenjekeeva \/ Picture-Alliance \/ dpa \/ Newscom; p. 428: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 429: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 430: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 431: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 432: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 434: \u00a9 Ken Cedeno; p. 442: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 444: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p 445: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 449: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 450: \u00a9 Keith & Rebecca Snell \/ Danita Delimont; p. 453: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 456: \u00a9 Stuart Pearce \/ Alamy; p. 460: Courtesy Jim Kaufman; p. 464: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 465: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 466: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 469: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 474: \u00a9 Michael DeFreitas Central America \/ Alamy; p. 478: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 480: \u00a9 kevinschafer.com; p. 481: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 482: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 483: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 487: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 490: \u00a9 kevinschafer.com; p. 491: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 492 left: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 492 right: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 499: \u00a9 Stuart Pearce \/ Alamy; p. 500: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 501 top: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 501 bottom: \u00a9 Andre Seale \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 502: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 503: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 507: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 530: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 531: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 532: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 532: \u00a9 Minden Pictures \/ SuperStock; p. 532: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 532: \u00a9 NHPA \/ SuperStock; p. 532: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 533: \u00a9 Andoni Canela \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 533: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 533: \u00a9 Minden Pictures \/ SuperStock; p. 533: \u00a9 Buddy Mays \/ Alamy; p. 533: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 533: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 534: \u00a9 R Linke \/ Blickwinkel \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 534: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 534: \u00a9 NHPA \/ SuperStock; p. 534: \u00a9 Mayela Lopez \/ AFP \/ Getty Images \/ Newscom; p. 535: \u00a9 Minden Pictures \/ SuperStock; p. 535: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 535: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 535: \u00a9 Visuals Unlimited, Inc. \/ Glenn Bartley \/ Getty Images; p. 535: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 536: \u00a9 Rick & Nora Bowers \/ Alamy; p. 536: \u00a9 Dave and Sigrun Tollerton \/ Alamy; p. 536: \u00a9 Robin Chittenden \/ Alamy; p. 536: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 536: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 537: \u00a9 Glenn Bartley \/ All Canada Photos \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 537: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 537: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 537: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 537: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 538: \u00a9 B Trapp \/ Blickwinkel \/ AGE Fotsotock; p. 538: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 538: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 539: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 539: \u00a9 Minden Pictures \/ SuperStock; p. 539: \u00a9 Animals Animals \/ SuperStock; p. 539: \u00a9 John Cancalosi \/ AGE Fotostock; p. 539: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 540: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 540: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 540: \u00a9 Animals Animals \/ SuperStock; p. 540: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 541: \u00a9 Minden Pictures \/ SuperStock; p. 541: \u00a9 Ellen McKnight \/ Alamy; p. 541: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 541: \u00a9 Michael Patrick O'Neill \/ Alamy; p. 541: \u00a9 Karen & Ian Stewart \/ Alamy; p. 542: \u00a9 Michael Patrick O'Neill \/ Alamy; p. 542: \u00a9 Redmond Durrell \/ Alamy; p. 542: \u00a9 Jeff Rotman \/ Alamy; p. 542: \u00a9 Michael Moxter \/ Vario Images \/ Alamy; p. 543: \u00a9 Thornton Cohen; p. 543: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 543: \u00a9 Robert Pickett \/ Papilio \/ Alamy; p. 543: \u00a9 Jason Kremkau; p. 543: \u00a9 James Hager \/ Robert Harding World Imagery \/ Alamy; p. 544: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 544: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 544: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 545: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 545: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 545: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 545: \u00a9 Adrian Hepworth; p. 546: \u00a9 NHPA \/ SuperStock; p. 546: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes; p. 546: \u00a9 Ronald Reyes\n","meta":{"redpajama_set_name":"RedPajamaBook"}}
+{"text":" \nTo Esther (again)\n\nYou remain  \nMy power, my pleasure, my pain\n\nFirst published in Great Britain in 2010 by  \nPen & Sword Military  \nAn imprint of  \nPen & Sword Books Ltd  \n47 Church Street  \nBarnsley  \nSouth Yorkshire  \nS70 2AS\n\nCopyright \u00a9 Nic Fields, 2010\n\nISBN 9781844159703   \nDigital Edition ISBN 9781848847040\n\nThe right of Nic Fields to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.\n\nA CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library\n\nAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.\n\nTypeset in 10 on 12pt Times New Roman by Acredula\n\nPrinted and bound in England By CPI\n\nPen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen & Sword Aviation,  \nPen & Sword Family History, Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword Military,   \nWharncliffe Local History, Pen & Sword Select, Pen & Sword Military Classics,   \nLeo Cooper, Remember When, Seaforth Publishing and Frontline Publishing\n\nFor a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact  \nPEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED  \n47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England  \nE-mail:enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk  \nWebsite: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk\n**Contents**\n\n_Acknowledgements_\n\n_Maps_\n\n_List of Illustrations_\n\nPrologue\n\nChronology\n\n1. From emporium to empire\n\n2. Army and navy\n\n3. First contact\n\n4. Picking a fight\n\n5. Between the wars\n\n6. Hannibal's revenge\n\n7. Zama, a lesson learnt\n\n8. A military superpower\n\n9. Hannibal's retreat\n\n10. The final act\n\n11. The horse lords\n\n12. Mobile warfare\n\n13. Iugurtha's gamble\n\n14. Sallust on Iurgurtha\n\nEpilogue\n\nAppendix 1\n\nAppendix 2\n\n_Notes_\n\n_Bibliography_\n\n_Index_\n\n## **Acknowledgements**\n\nWhen our thoughts turn to Carthage we automatically think of suicidal Dido and her fatal love affair, and, of course, the unlucky Hannibal and his elephants. Dido's relationship with Aeneas is one of the best-known love stories of all time and countless writers, poets, painters and composers have been inspired by it. Similarly, Hannibal's passage of the Alps, along with the charge of the Light Brigade and Custer's last stand, has stirred the imagination of humankind. They were, however, only two dramatic details on a much larger canvas of historical (mythical) events. And for that discovery, I am forever indebted to John Lazenby and his stimulating teaching.\n\nI offer my sincere thanks to Philip Sidnell of Pen & Sword Books for his Herculean patience with my extreme (glacial, in truth) slowness and philosophical peculiarities. I am grateful, as well, to Elizabeth James for her careful and helpful reading and for her understanding of the finer points of the Latin language. I should like to offer a big thank you to Graham Sumner and Ian Hughes; the first for his artwork, the second for his mapwork. This volume is far richer as a result of their artistic talents and labours. Finally, trite though it may seem, my greatest thanks (as ever) go to Esther, who, once again, has been with me on this project all along the (rocky) way.\n\n## **Maps**\n\n##### **L IST OF MAPS**\n\n1. The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, with North Africa highlighted\n\n2. The Mediterranean basin, 8th-6th centuries BC\n\n3. The Western Mediterranean basin, 3rd century BC\n\n4. The Eastern Mediterranean basin, 3rd century BC\n\n5. Carthage and its hinterland\n\n6. Carthage, 2nd century BC\n\n7. The Battle of Zama\n\n8. The Burning of the Camps\n\nThe Roman Empire at its greatest extent, with the area covered in this volume highlighted.\n\n## **List of Illustrations**\n\n1. Marble head of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Rome, Museo Capitolini)\n\n2. Marble statue of Hannibal Barca (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n3. Limestone relief of Iberian warriors (Madrid, Museo Arquelogico Nacional) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n4. 'Wounded Gaul', statue (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n5. Bronze figurine of Numidian horseman (London, British Museum) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n6. Greek mercenary spearman (painting by Graham Sumner)\n\n7. Iberian _caetratus_ (painting by Graham Sumner)\n\n8. Carthaginian citizen spearman (painting by Graham Sumner)\n\n9. Numidian warrior (painting by Graham Sumner)\n\n10. Republican Roman _triarius_ , recreated by Legio Prima Germanica (photo courtesy of Graham Sumner)\n\n11. Military clerk on the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n12. Roman troops on the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n13. Mars as a Roman officer on the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre) (Esther Carr\u00e9)\n\n## **Prologue**\n\n##### ROME AND THE REST\n\nLet us begin our story with an amusing anecdote. As the armies were deploying to commit themselves to the lottery of battle, it is commonly said that Antiochos of Syria turned to Hannibal Barca, the luckless but bewitching Carthaginian general who accompanied his entourage, to enquire whether his army, its ranks gleaming with silver and gold, its commanders grandly arrayed in their heavy jewels and rich silks, would be enough for the Romans. 'Indeed they will be more than enough', sneered Hannibal, 'even though the Romans are the greediest nation on earth'.\n\nIf we were lucky enough to be able to ask the citizens of ancient Rome how they saw their empire, then almost certainly the view of the Augustan poet Virgil would probably cover the vast majority of current feeling: 'an empire with no limits'. We, in our post-Cold War world, readily deplore the craving of conquest and the cruelty of conquerors. Imperialism, that ageless human concept of acquisitiveness, implies a conscious desire to take and possess, and if it is to carry weight in the historical balance, it must lead to some spectacular and abiding achievement. As westerners we tend to associate, by tradition, Rome with the superior aspects of Latin culture, namely the legacy still with us today in law, administration and language, while those of us who live in Europe, the Levant or North Africa have the added bonus of being surrounded by concrete reminders of its former grandeur. The Roman Empire at its zenith, and at its most confident (roughly, 27 BC to AD 235), covered vast tracts of three continents, Europe, Africa and Asia, encompassed countless cultures, languages and climates, and included nomads and farmers, tribesmen and urbanites, brigands and philosophers. Rome was anticipatory of a world composed of the most diverse elements and people, and its empire would be synonymous with that world at peace.\n\nThe idiomatic expression _pax romana_ was borrowed from the elder Pliny, the learned Roman admiral who perished during the terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year AD 79. When he penned it, he was reflecting upon the flora 'now available to the botanist from all the corners of the world, thanks to the boundless majesty of Roman peace'. So we read in Pliny that 'the cherry tree did not exist in Italy before the victory of Lucullus over Mithridates [70 BC]. He brought the first one from the Black Sea and in a hundred and twenty years it had crossed the Ocean and even reached Britannia'. In Pliny's time, peach and apricot trees had just arrived in Italy, the former probably originating from China and the latter from the land we know now as Turkestan. Walnut and almond trees from the east had only recently arrived, as had the quince bush from Crete. Naturally all this talk of seeds, cuttings and grafts ignores the fact that empire had to be bought with the coin of human degradation: murder, brutality, starvation, dispossession.\n\nRepugnant though this is, the _pax romana_ is not to be sniffed at, more so if we consider the terrible plight of our own world today, where universal peace appears to remain a mere will o' the wisp. Conflict is as much a part of the contemporary world as ever, and we are all, either through actual experience or through mediated experience, the children of war. Though certainly not as 'happy and prosperous' as the supposed golden age of Edward Gibbon, the population of the Roman Empire, despite notable exceptions, was at least to enjoy relative quiet for two-and-a-half centuries. This was something new, as yet to be repeated, to the human condition. Even so, there is something else. Empires are not acquired in a fit of absence of mind, but through a conscious policy of expansion.\n\nIn its broad outline, the manifest destiny of Rome was devastatingly simple. The mood of the time, if correctly reflected in the literature of the day, leans unmistakably toward irresistible expansion beyond the confines of the Italian peninsula on the grounds of mission, decreed fortune, and divine will. Rome's greatest orator, Cicero, gave it an air of the miraculous when he blustered 'that Romulus had from the outset the divine inspiration to make his city the seat of a mighty empire'. Indeed, by the time of Augustus, the first emperor, it would be fashionable to call the rise of Rome prodigious. 'Go and tell the Romans that by heaven's will my Rome will be the capital of the world', Livy has Romulus, the first king, proclaim when he was becoming a god but the city he had founded was still little more than an insignificant palisaded hilltop overlooking a convenient crossing of the Tiber. 'Let them learn to be soldiers', he continues, 'let them know, and teach their children, that no power on earth can stand against Roman arms'.\n\nThe immortal Romulus notwithstanding, in war Rome had no secret weapon and the basis of its world domination was forged from an indomitable blend of unlimited manpower, military skill and might, relentless aggression, doggedness in adversity and moral superiority, all of which was occasionally compounded with a large dose of self-deception and a long streak of cruelty. Rome believed its expansion had been sanctioned by the gods from the very beginning and that its wars had always been fought with a pitiless dedication to total victory.\n\nIn 29 BC, after Octavianus, the future Augustus, had made himself master of the known world by vanquishing Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra at Actium, Virgil finished his _Georgics_. Ostensibly a didactic poem on farming (in truth, few working farmers would have been readers of poetry) the _Georgics_ is the great poem of united Italy. Others, including Varro in his contemporary and more serviceable prose manual, had praised the variety, fertility, self-sufficiency and temperate climate of Italy, and the elder Cato, who wrote the first agricultural treatise in Latin in the second century BC, had praised the sturdy qualities of its sons who were by turns farmers then soldiers. Virgil's famous eulogy of Italy is the Augustan apogee in that it adds a new dimension, the association of this land with the greatness of Rome. This virtuoso set piece ranges far beyond the workaday realm of agriculture and sometimes even of sober truth. Virgil, of course, was a poet and one for whom embellishment was no vice. Yet his allegory of a conscious and united Italy, where Romans are Italians and Italians are Romans, was to be an overture to the glorification of Augustus and his new regime, and an assertion of Rome's imperial destiny.\n\nAs the contemporary military engineer Vitruvius wrote, 'the truly perfect territory _(veros fines)_ , situated in the centre of the universe _(mundus)_ , and having on each side the entire extent of the world and its countries, is that which is occupied by the Roman people'. Therefore, Vitruvius concluded, 'it was the divine intelligence that set the city of the Roman people in a peerless and temperate country, in order that it might acquire the right to command the whole world'. The belief that Romans enjoyed a privileged position in the ordered cosmos was echoed by Pliny when he picked up the theme of the role of the Italian peninsula and the Latin language:\n\nA land which is the nurseling and mother of all other lands, chosen by the divine might of the gods, to make heaven itself more glorious, to unite dispersed empires, to temper manners, to draw together in mutual comprehension by community of language the warring and uncouth tongues of so many nations, to give mankind _humanitas_ and in a word to become throughout the world the single fatherland of all peoples.\n\nTo us the notion of taking Roman dominion 'to the ends of the earth' is an egotistical view, to say the least of it, but to the Romans it was a neat way of justifying their acquisition of empire. 'The Gods favour us', said Tacitus more tersely, while Virgil in the _Aeneid_ , the new national epic on the origins and destiny of imperial Rome, made Iuppiter himself proclaim: 'On them [the Romans] I impose no limits of time or place. I have given them an empire that will know no end'. Virgil's friend Horace, who too used his facile pen in the service of the new regime, was rather more particular in his choice of hyperbole when he claimed in his last Ode (13 BC) that 'the fame and majesty of our rule was spread to the rising of the sun from its western bed', and that 'neither those who drink deep Danubius (viz.Dacians) will break Iulian laws, nor the Getae, nor the Seres (viz.Chinese) or faithless Persae (viz.Parthians), nor those born by the River Tana\u00efs (viz.Scythians)'. In the memoir composed by Augustus at the end of his long and eventful reign (27 BC - AD 14), and inscribed on public monuments all over the empire, he merely declared in the opening sentence that he had 'brought the world under the empire of the Roman people'.\n\nWe can, of course, view all this as simply part of the hot air of Roman imperialism, which it was. But in earthly terms the _pax romana_ would be an enormous human entity (enormous for the times, that is) spread over an area that was also enormous. The civilized Romans, on whom it seems divine providence had bestowed earth's fairest portion, evidently marched steadily ahead with full belief in their right to create an eternal empire. Doubtless there was some conscious hypocrisy in all this, particularly as they anachronistically read this world view back into earlier times. Even Hannibal is made to call Rome the 'capital of the world'. Yet it goes without saying that we are all, as were the Romans, swinish hypocrites under the cosy cloak that civilization fashions for us. The gap between civilized and barbaric is never as great as we like to think.\n\nThere was a very dark side to Rome's rise to world domination, and Gore Vidal, in one of his most brilliant of essays, throws a spotlight on its more disreputable doppelg\u00e4nger. 'Suetonius', he says, 'in holding up a mirror to those Caesars of diverting legend, reflects not only them but ourselves: half-tempted creatures, whose great moral task it is to hold in balance the angel and the monster within -for we are both, and to ignore this duality is to invite disaster'. Earlier in the same composition he hits the nail squarely on the head when he announces: 'Power for the sake of power. Conquest for the sake of conquest. Earthly dominion as an end in itself: no Utopian vison, no dissembling, no hypocrisy. I knock you down; now _I_ am king of the castle'. Of course we could politely point out that such luminance, elegantly written in the light of hindsight, should be given little weight. However, contemporary writers themselves were very well aware of the nature of the beast and their writings are filled with criticisms of war and empire. Even the ardently pro-Roman historian Flavius Josephus, a Jewish _prot\u00e9g\u00e9_ of the emperor Vespasianus and reporting a supposed speech by the ardently pro-Roman Jewish prince Agrippa II, did not hesitate to equate Rome's outward march with pathological megalomania:\n\nAnd even the world is not big enough to satisfy them; the Euphrates is not far enough to the east, or the Danube to the north, or Libya and the desert beyond to the south, or Gades to the west; but beyond the Ocean they have sought a new world, carrying their arms as far as Britannia, that land of mystery.\n\nThe Romans knew no limit or scruple. As Cicero tells us, 'the essential significance, surely, of those eulogistic words inscribed upon the monuments of our greatest generals, \"he extended the boundaries of the empire\", is that he had extended them by taking territory from someone else.' And naturally such belligerent imperialism not only brought territories and taxes, but slaves and spoils too. Conquests were often awesomely bloody: a body count of 5,000 qualified a general for a triumph back in Rome, and was followed up by enslavement and pillage to defray the costs of the campaign, fill the yawning purse of the general, and give his threadbare soldiers something to take home into civilian life. Romans expected war to be profitable both in blood and plunder.\n\nHerein lies the rub, the working of empire and its double face, bringing as it does civilization and slavery. No matter how artful the patriotic histories and the heroic poems, there were inevitable tensions that could not be smoothed or wished away. Whatever Rome was able to take from its subject peoples, there was also a responsibility towards their welfare beyond the maintenance of the _pax romana_. Yet for the Romans 'peace gained by victories', the physical process of pacification, and not peace itself, this was the function of empire. The nature and makeup of the Roman world view was not to be passive but to exert power, to conquer and dominate, 'to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and war down the proud', as Virgil has Anchises prophesy to his son Aeneas. In short, Roman victories meant the forcing (viz. peacemaking), not maintenance (viz. peacekeeping), of Roman peace and order on others. The world had been not so much tempted into peace as battered into submission.\n\nWe moderns, burdened with our increased sensitivity to the iniquities of imperialism and unjust wars, find it hard to reconcile the positive aspects of Roman civilization with Roman cruelty. This was not however a mere aberration. What we see as the belligerence, brutality and bloodthirstiness of the Romans were fundamental to their culture and to their social system. The Romans knew very well that the ability to make war, which is what gives power to any state, does not function if it cannot be used, and therefore aggression was the fundamental rationale of their foreign policy. Moreover, the monopoly of military power was in the hands of a few, first the tightly knit oligarchy of the imperial Republic, then the emperor as an autocratic avatar of that oligarchy. So it follows that not only did Roman aristocrats make war, wars made Roman aristocrats. Throughout human history aristocracies have preserved for themselves power and wealth, and what else is deemed worth having. They too have had, to a greater or less degree, a strong military tradition, and for the fiercely competitive aristocrats of Rome warfare was gravy. It gave them a purpose, an opportunity to carry out what they had been trained to do since puerility, namely exercise their undoubted physical courage and tell other people what to do. It also made them priggish, patriarchal, brutal and, occasionally, psychopathic.\n\nIn the last resort, of course, the peace and order of the empire depended on the proletariat armed forces, which now had a permanent _raison d' \u00eatre_. 'Legions, fleets, provinces, the whole system was interconnected', so Tacitus described the empire and its armed forces. Thus a naked piece of imperialism could be seen as, depending on who (and where) the viewer (or the victim) was, either civic militarism (viz. defensive) or brute militarism (viz. offensive). The evidence strongly suggests that the Roman citizens, both rich and poor, thought primarily of the benefits that empire brought to Rome and were not ashamed to say so. In one of his last speeches (43 BC), Cicero reminds his fellow senators that their ancestors had gone to war not merely 'that they might be free but that they might rule'. A Greek quip, again relayed by Cicero, might best describe the credible opinion at the capital's street level: 'Let them hate provided that they fear'. Of bullies what shall we look for but bullying? Still, bullies and other repellent creatures can easily delude themselves that their wars and punitive expeditions are fought only when absolutely necessary, and then only for honourable humanitarian reasons or to punish the unjust, what the Romans traditionally regarded as acting in 'good faith', _fides_ , and conducting campaigns according to the ideological rules of a 'just war', _bellum iustum_. Everything is so much easier when it is black and white, civilization against barbarism, us or them. But reality is never entirely black and white, naturally, because nothing occurs in a vacuum.\n\nAs we have just observed with Rome, such self-delusion is often reinforced by the belief that the imperialists are somehow a 'chosen' people destined to dominate the lesser races, that the use of organized violence by the military aristocracy was a legitimate activity in the cause of civilizing, and the army an agent in the divine plan. As Cicero tells the ordinary citizens in one of his early speeches (66 BC), Rome is a just conqueror, so much so that other peoples would rather be ruled by Romans than rule themselves. Nor should it be overlooked that as the world 'went Roman' those 'effeminate' Greeks in Alexandria, 'long-haired' Gauls in Armorica, and 'reeking' Gaetulians in Africa now had something in common. As we would expect, all types of things still distinguished them one from another, language and customs to name but two, but they shared the condition that they were now subject to the domination of one single city. Rome was tolerant of the social and cultural 'pluralism' within its armed frontiers, as long as everyone paid their dues, showed due respect to its absolute authority, and revered its traditional gods. For the most part everyone was willing to play along with the Roman thing and nonchalantly identify themselves with the embracing imperial structure. Morally and ethically, Rome did not reach deeply into the private hearts of its subjects out in the provinces. That belonged to their local gods and exotic cults.\n\nAs a rule, civilized men do not readily move away from the centres of civilization: as Dr Samuel Johnson pronounced, a man who was tired of London was tired of life. Imperial capitals are invariably cities of consumers, of people who are civilized but not creative. In this regard Rome was no exception. It was also a marvellous Tower of Babel to which all roads led. By the age of emperors Rome began to see the arrival of a swelling stream of immigrants, mostly from different parts of the empire but also from beyond it. As resident aliens, Greeks, Gauls, Iberians and Africans soon contributed to the rich diversity of tongues, cults and customs of this huge parasitic city. Still, as is customary with multiracial empires, there was also a reactionary backlash to Rome's cosmopolitanism and cultural flexibility that readily found its Roman street tongue through the overt racism of a biting satirist vilifying the importation into his beloved city of alien culture and practice, especially those of the Hellenized east:\n\nI cannot, citizens, stomach a Greek Rome. Yet what faction of these dregs is truly Greek? For years now eastern Orontes has discharged into the Tiber its lingo and manners, its flutes, its outlandish harps with their transverse strings, its native tambourines, and the whores pimped out round the racecourse.\n\nThis is powerful stuff, but it does not do for us to forget that Juvenal was a satirist, and that satirists enjoy soaring to the dizzy heights of caustic invective. He needs checking against other evidence.\n\nJuvenal's vehement dislike for the 'hungry Greeklings', amongst other clever foreigners, had good literary antecedents. The elder Cato and the elder Pliny, self-appointed guardians of good old-fashioned Roman values, utterly detested them: in particular they were prejudiced against Greek doctors, whom they regarded as quacks and snake-oil sellers. Nevertheless, in actual fact the Greeks, powerful and unconquerable as a cultural force, were very well integrated into Roman society. 'Conquered Greece took her uncultivated conqueror captive', as Horace had very nimbly said. This paradox, of course, is what Juvenal finds particularly nettlesome, yet even those at the very pinnacle of Roman society held similar, if none so rancid, xenophobic attitudes: 'Those silly Greeklings all love a gymnasium, so it may be that they were too ambitious in their plans at Nicaea.'\n\nSuch views say much about the Roman aristocratic mentality, yet there was at least one very learned gentleman who was willing to disrupt the existing pattern of society, to inject some mobility and dynamism into its fossilized, pyramidal structure.\n\nAlmost predictably, the sources portray the emperor Claudius (r. AD 41-54) as feeble-minded, engagingly dim, stammering, rambling, wholly under the thumb of his ambitious freedmen and his scheming wives. The alternative picture, which the sources say much to suggest that it may be equally valid as a description, is of a quiet, studious man, of considerable learning, with the ability to identify the problems facing the empire, and a gift for administration, if not the charisma for great leadership. Indeed, inscriptions and papyri from Claudius' reign give a more favourable impression of his personal contribution to the running of the empire than the literary tradition:\n\nUpon my word, I did wish to give him [Claudius] another hour or two, until he should make Roman citizens of the half dozen who are still outsiders. (He made up his mind you know, to see the whole world in the toga, Greeks, Gauls, Iberians and Britons, and all). But since it is your pleasure to leave a few foreigners for seed, and since you command me, so be it.\n\nThe wearing of the toga was a distinctive right, under Augustus a duty, of the Roman citizen, and Seneca was plainly following the literary tradition of emphasizing the 'outlandish' appearance of the 'others', reinforcing their racial inferiority when compared with their 'civilized' conquerors.\n\nIt goes without saying that this sarcasm from the pen of Seneca is blatant exaggeration, for out of the world population in AD 48 Claudius, in the role of censor, registered only 5,984,072 Roman citizens. Yet it was Claudius, again as censor, who gave 'trousered, long-haired Gauls, chieftans from the area of Gaul conquered a century earlier by Caesar, the right to hold public office at Rome. What is more, one of the most striking initiatives was the Senate's decision to admit to membership a number of these Gaulish nobles. Tacitus tells us that the momentous decision followed Claudius' personal intervention in the senatorial debate, and all the available evidence strongly suggests that he was very much acting on his own initiative and not as a mouthpiece for others. Although this farsighted policy led to integration and stability, Seneca, a typical product of his age in that he regarded his society as an immutable datum, obviously mocks the emperor (a reputed fool) for this.\n\nWe can credit the progressive but eccentric Claudius with a concept of the unity of the empire, an empire in which the conquered, whatever their race, profited as much as the conquerors from the _pax romana_. However, bigotry and understanding are strange bedfellows at the best of times, and within the empire, despite the wisdom of men such as Claudius in taking the longer view, there was a permanent division between the conquered and their conquerors, the Romans and the rest. Racial intolerance is an insidious thread that runs throughout human history. In this respect the British Empire was no better (or worse) than that of Rome. Take, for instance, the plainspoken views of Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902), the British imperialist and arch-capitalist who founded Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) with the mechanical help of the Maxim machine gun:\n\nWhites have clearly come out top... in the struggle for existence... Within the white race the English-speaking man has proved himself to be the most likely instrument of the Divine plan to spread Justice, Liberty, and Peace over the widest possible area of the planet. Therefore I shall devote the rest of my life to God's purpose and help him to make the world English.\n\nIt is hardly surprising that this degree of racial superiority towards foreigners should give rise to an arrogance and a mismatch of pretension and reality. Later, as the Prime Minister and virtual dictator of the Cape Colony, the 'Colonial Colossus' speaks of his 'mission' to paint the map of the 'Dark Continent' pink, a British dominion of Africa from the Cape to Cairo. Worldly empires naturally create a culture of pride and pomp, and foster the pernicious rhetoric of imperialistic transcendency.\n\nThe imperial poets Virgil and Kipling both supplied their readership with paeans of praise expounding the grandeur of imperial domains: Romans wanted the prestige of the _pax romana_ , and Britons, looking at a world map that was one-fifth pink, could proudly boast that the sun never set on British shores. What interests us in this story are the ancient shores of the Mediterranean, especially the long African one. For the British, with their nautical imagination, the Middle Sea was not merely a segmented lake contained by three continents but the corridor to their far-flung empire, a watery highway from Gibraltar to Goa. Similarly the Romans saw the _mare nostrum_ as an organizing principle, albeit as landlubbers it was buckled firmly at the narrow passage of the Pillars of Hercules (Greek = Herakles), as the Straits of Gibraltar were then called, against outside intrusion. Naturally the Romans themselves did not just settle for the sun, the vine and the olive, the marginal province of Britannia is a testament alone to that fact. Yet the warm pulse of this expanse of blue water and the fringe of provinces around its shores meant Mediterranean culture circulated well beyond its outer margins.\n\nOf course dreams of a boundless empire are but dreams, the divine gift of celestial gods and court poets. In the early days of Rome's career, nothing seemed to single out for future greatness a puny riverine settlement that lay sleeping. Assume not, therefore, that this mighty empire came about by some automatic, let alone divine, process. In these obscure, slumberous times Rome was allied with the other Latin settlements in the neighbourhood, and the seasonal battles that preoccupied these Italic people were little more than parochial squabbles over cattle herds, water rights, and arable land. Rome did not happen suddenly, nor did it simply happen, and when it finally did happen, world dominion rested on its military arm, whose strength and length were definite. The Roman war machine, which relied on heavily-equipped infantry, was best suited for high-intensity warfare against a dense agricultural population with conquerable assets. It was less well suited for mobile warfare against lightly-equipped opponents. Rome would settle for what its army could handle and its agriculturists could exploit, and thus excluded the steppe, the forest, and the desert.\n\nBesides, for all its majesty and authority, the peace imposed by Rome would not live long into the third century AD. We see it, from the luxurious advantage of hindsight, as an extended respite from the gruesome norms of human behaviour. Admittedly world peace, universal laws, improved roads, new markets, urban growth, all these things and more besides contributed to a stability and prosperity unknown before the time of the Roman emperors. Yet though there was more wealth in the world, the impecunious, hovering between survival and starvation, received no more of it than they had received previously. Under the imperial Republic, the villain of our particular story, Rome had been ruled by an aristocratic plutocracy. This had disarmed the weary and cheated the unoffending poor by pressing swords in their hands, the cold-blooded assumption being that anyone who became a soldier became thereby once and for all one of the props of the ruling order. With the collapse of this political organization, Augustus would establish an autocracy that was backed ultimately by military force. Under both systems the poor, whose only worldly goods were their offspring, were reduced by hunger, social discrimination, illiteracy and the legal apparatus to the most wretched impotence. Under the new regime, however, where the ruler's relationship with his soldiers was of the foremost importance, there was the opportunity for a poor man to better his prospects by taking up a full-time career in the armed forces of his emperor.\n\nThough two-and-a-half predominately peaceful centuries were a formidable achievement, the overall effect would be to pool up external pressures that one day would overflow. Hitherto independent tribes came together to form larger confederations. As the fable goes, the tiger was the lord in the jungle and the terror of lesser beasts, including the wolf. The wolf, himself a hunter, wearied of being hunted. He took to associating with other wolves, and then the wolves discovered the power of the pack, and took to hunting the tiger, with calamitous results to him. Some may think that Rome had been rotted by long peace and good times, but Iron Age man had little taste for order let alone domination by another. Peoples who have been free, and subject to no power, could not be reduced to order in an instant. Human nature is glacially slow to change, and it remains questionable whether even his post-atomic counterpart has the skill or the will to do better.\n\nWar, as the ancient Greeks teach us, seems innate to the human species, the 'father and king of all', as the philosopher Herakleitos of Ephesos asserted. Unfortunately, we have to admit he was right. Let us take two straightforward examples: few national borders were determined by compassion and altruism; most people live on land that their forefathers snatched from others by force. War has been and is humanity's inseparable companion, and so new fashions and more advanced ideas, the benchmarks of human progress, do not include passive resistance:\n\nHad my high birth and rank been accompanied by moderation in my hour of success, I should have entered this city as a friend and not a prisoner. You would not have hesitated to accept me as an ally, a man of splendid ancestry, and bearing rule over many tribes. My present position is degrading to me, but glorious to you. I had horses, warriors and gold; if I was unwilling to lose them, what wonder is that? Does it follow that because you desire universal empire, one must accept universal slavery?\n\nThis speech Tacitus puts into the mouth of the British prince Caratacus is typical of the historian (according to many the greatest of classical antiquity) echoing his constant theme concerning the destiny of Rome and the excesses committed in the name of Roman imperialism. Was Rome's mission in the world, he asked, for universal peace and prosperity, or for plundering and enslaving its subject peoples?\n\nRoman laws of war, as Tacitus surely knew, took for granted that conquered peoples surrendered their freedom and property to Rome. Seized and taken to Rome, where he was pardoned by our wise emperor Claudius, Caratacus asked a question of imperialism famous for its irony: 'You have so much; why do you covet _our_ poor huts?' Whatever Caratacus did or did not actually say, it was inevitable that 'barbarians' should stress Roman egoistic ambition and insatiable greed. All were familiar with rapacity at local level, tribe robbing tribe, as was their primordial way, but here was grand theft on a global scale. 'Globe grabbers' roars a Caledonian war leader to his gathered people. He continues his tirade: 'Plunder, murder and rapine, these things they misname empire: they create desolation and call it peace' Written in the mode of tragic irony, Calgacus' speech against Rome is Tacitus' editorial on 'romanisation', that process whereby the lands conquered by the forces of Rome or settled by its citizens or agents were subject to a single rule of law. Modern empires have looked back on this process, which had the merit of being ambiguous, as a blessing, like their own ideals, and ascribed it to _la mission civilatrice_. For Tacitus, on the other hand, naked barbarism was not a monopoly of bare-limbed barbarians.\n\nIt is doubtful whether our two Britons really said these things, but their crisp appraisals of plundering Rome are highly plausible. Still, Roman imperialism was concerned not with poor huts but rich fields. A pre-battle harangue of another Briton, none other than Queen Boudica of the Iceni, offers as much when she says of the legions facing her war host: 'They require shade and covering, they require bread and wine and olive oil, and if any of these things fail them, they perish'. Perish they might, but not from a lack of these three staples. From an early stage, Rome had exported government and law but imported cargoes of food produced by the provinces to feed it citizens and soldiers. The first provinces of Sicily, Sardinia and Africa paid much of their taxes in cereal grain.\n\nShifting time and space, we now travel from the killing fields of Roman Britain to the rolling fields of Punic Africa. It is a time when Rome is a young commonwealth, feeling its feet and still a little unsteady. Others elsewhere were playing the great game of empires.\n\nOne of these players was Agathokles of Syracuse, one-time _condottiere_ turned military tyrant. When his roughneck soldiers landed in Africa, they were amazed by the mild and highly-cultivated scenery of the Punic countryside. In his telling description of the event, Diodoros the Sicilian describes how it abounded with the tree crops for which North Africa became famous, such as grapes, figs, olives, almonds and pomegranates. He also mentions herds of cattle, flocks of sheep and numerous grazing horses, to which we can add an abundance of wheat and barley to complete his pastoral picture. The finely kept land of the northern coastal strip was certainly fat (much more so than now), the climate favourable (a lot cooler than it is today), and its bounty plentiful. His summation says it all: 'In general there was a manifold prosperity in the region, since the leading Carthaginians had laid out their private estates and with their wealth had beautified them for their enjoyment'. The message was loud and clear: here was a highly desirable land, a fragrant land dense with great fields and richly-bearing orchards, a thriving and comfortable land where every roughness had been softened away from the landscape. This was a land that deserved to be conquered. In all good time North Africa would serve as the breadbasket of Rome.\n\nIf we are to believe in the poetical spells woven by Virgil, the singer of Rome's imperial destiny, the fates of Rome and Africa were inextricably linked from the earliest of times. According to his epic in praise of the emperor Augustus, the _Aeneid_ , the Trojan hero Aeneas, fleeing from the fiery destruction of Troy, was fated, like his Greek contemporary Odysseus, to wander far and wide before finding a home. His travels took him to the shores of Africa where he was welcomed at Carthage by its young queen, Dido, who fell insanely in love with the fine-looking refugee and offered him permanent sanctuary and her feather bed. Iuppiter, however, had scheduled Aeneas as the father of the Roman race and the ancestor of Augustus, and ordered him to quit his dalliance with an alien queen and get on with the job in hand. Italy is his terminus: _hic amor, haec patria est_. He duly obeyed and Dido, deserted and heartbroken, committed suicide.\n\nAs she climbed onto the great pyre built from her nuptial bed and all the clothes and other objects that the 'pious Aeneas', had left behind, Dido launched her curse on him and all his descendants:\n\nLet there be no love between our peoples and no treaties. Arise from my dead bones, O my unknown avenger, and harry the race of Dardanus with fire and sword wherever they may settle, now and in the future, whenever our strength allows it. I pray that we may stand opposed, shore against shore, sea against sea and sword against sword. Let there be war between the nations and between their sons forever.\n\nHaving prophesied the Punic Wars and Hannibal's invasion of Italy, she then fell upon the sword that Aeneas had given her as a gift. However paradoxical it may seem, civilizations have often been built on the back of waging war, and the problem of political morality, the problem of empire, which tormented Tacitus, has yet to be resolved. It seems that the future is to be interpreted with certainty only in the past.\n\n## Chronology\n\n814 BC | Traditional date for foundation of Carthage from Tyre  \n---|---  \n753 BC | Traditional date for foundation of Rome by Romulus  \n574 BC | Tyre falls to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon  \n535 BC | Carthaginian-Etruscan fleet engage Greeks off Alalia  \n509 BC | Traditional date for expulsion of Rome's last king  \n508 BC | First treaty between Carthage and Rome (according to Polybios)  \n496 BC | Latin League defeated by Romans at Lake Regillus  \n480 BC | Carthaginians defeated at Himera  \n474 BC | Etruscan fleet defeated off Cumae by Sicilian Greeks  \n409 BC | Carthaginians capture Selinous and Himera  \n406 BC | Carthaginians capture Akragas and Gela  \n405 BC | Carthaginians fail to take Syracuse (peace accord with Dionysios)  \n397 BC | Dionysios captures Motya  \n396 BC | Carthaginians retake Motya (foundation of Lilybaeum)  \nCarthaginians capture and destroy Messana  \nCarthaginians lay siege to Syracuse ('plague' destroys Carthaginian army)  \n392 BC | Armistice between Carthage and Syracuse  \n390 BC | Romans defeated at Allia  \n| Gauls sack Rome (387 BC according to Polybios)  \n348 BC | Second treaty between Carthage and Rome  \n344 BC | Timoleon of Corinth arrives in Sicily (revival of Greek Sicily)  \n**343-341 BC** | **First Samnite War: a war invented by Rome?**  \n341 BC | Timoleon defeats Carthaginians at Krimisos  \n**340-338 BC** | **Latin War: Rome versus its allies**  \n**326-304 BC** | **Second Samnite War: Romans face mountain warfare**  \n321 BC | Romans humiliated at Caudine Forks  \n316 BC | Agathokles takes power in Syracuse  \n311 BC | Agathokles defeated by Carthaginians in Sicily  \n310 BC | Agathokles lands in Africa  \n307 BC | Stalemate between Agathokles and Carthage  \n306 BC | Philinos'treaty between Carthage and Rome (disputed by Polybios)  \n**298-290 BC** | **Third Samnite War: old foes fight back**  \n295 BC | Romans defeat coalition of Samnites and Gauls at Sentinum  \n289 BC | Death of Agathokles  \n281 BC | Rome declares war on Taras  \n**280-275 BC** | **Pyrrhic War: Rome versus Pyrrhos of Epeiros**  \n280 BC | Romans defeated at Herakleia  \n279 BC | Romans defeated at Asculum  \n278 BC | Pyrrhos sails to Sicily  \n275 BC | Pyrrhos defeated at Malventum (renamed Beneventum)  \n273 BC | Latin colonies at Cosa and Paestum  \n272 BC | Taras falls to Romans (end of pre-Roman Italy)  \n| Pyrrhos slain in Argos  \n270 BC | Romans recapture Rhegion  \n**264-241 BC** | **First Punic War: Rome takes the path to empire**  \n264 BC | Roman alliance with Mamertini (consular army lands in Sicily)  \n263 BC | Hiero II of Syracuse becomes ally of Rome  \n262 BC | Romans lay siege to Akragas  \n261 BC | Akragas falls  \n| Carthaginian navy raids Italy  \n260 BC | Roman naval victory off Mylae  \n258 BC | Roman naval victory off Sulci  \n257 BC | Roman naval victory off Tyndaris  \n256 BC | Roman naval victory off Ecnomus  \n| Regulus lands in Africa (captures Tunis)  \n255 BC | Xanthippos defeats Regulus near Tunis (Regulus captured)  \n254 BC | Romans capture Panormus  \n250 BC | Romans lay siege to Lilybaeum  \n249 BC | Roman naval defeat off Drepana  \n247 BC | Hamilcar Barca lands in Sicily (seaborne raid on Bruttium)  \n| Birth of Hannibal Barca  \n246 BC | Hamilcar occupies Heirkte  \n244 BC | Hamilcar shifts to Eryx  \n241 BC | Roman naval victory off Aegates Islands  \n**240-237 BC** | **Libyan War: Carthage versus its mercenaries**  \n238 BC | Rome annexes Sardinia (threatens Carthage with war)  \n237 BC | Hamilcar sent to Iberia  \n231 BC | Roman embassy to Hamilcar  \n229 BC | Death of Hamilcar (succeeded by Hasdrubal the Splendid)  \n**229-228 BC** | **First Illyrian War: Roman 'police action' against Queen Teuta**  \n227 BC | Praetors raised to four (Sicily and Sardinia-Corsica made Roman provinces)  \n226 BC | Roman embassy to Hasdrubal (signing of Iber treaty)  \n225 BC | Romans defeat Gaulish invaders at Telamon  \n221 BC | Hasdrubal assassinated (Hannibal Barca acclaimed generalissimo)  \n**219 BC** | **Second Illyrian War: Demetrios of Pharos knocked down**  \n| Hannibal storms Saguntum  \n**218-201 BC** | **Second Punic War: Carthage strikes back**  \n218 BC | Romans defeated at Ticinus and Trebbia  \n217 BC | Romans defeated at Lake Trasimene  \n216 BC | Romans defeated at Cannae  \nCapua revolts  \nRoman navy raids Africa  \n215 BC | Alliance of Carthage with Philip V of Macedon  \nHanno enters Kroton  \nRoman navy raids Africa  \n**214-205 BC** | **First Macedonian War: Roman sideshow in Greece**  \n214 BC | Defection of Syracuse  \nRomans expel Carthaginians from Saguntum  \n213 BC | Hannibal enters Tarentum  \nRomans besiege Syracuse  \n212 BC | Romans besiege Capua  \n211 BC | Hannibal marches on Rome (fails to prevent fall of Capua)  \nFall of Syracuse (Rome recovers Sicily)  \nCornelii Scipiones defeated and killed in Iberia  \n210 BC | Scipio appointed to Iberian command  \nHannibal levels Herdonea  \nRoman navy raids Africa  \n209 BC | Tarentum recovered  \nTwelve Latin colonies refuse to supply troops  \nScipio takes New Carthage  \n208 BC | Scipio defeats Hasdrubal Barca at Baecula (Hasdrubal leaves Iberia)  \nRoman navy raids Africa (Carthaginian fleet defeated off Clupea)  \n207 BC | Hasdrubal crosses Alps (defeated and killed at Metaurus)  \nRoman navy raids Africa (Carthaginian fleet defeat off Utica)  \n206 BC | Scipio's victory at Ilipa (end of Carthaginian resistance in Iberia)  \nMasinissa defects to Rome  \n205 BC | Roman navy raids Africa  \nMago Barca lands in northern Italy  \n204 BC | Pact between Syphax and Carthage (marries Sophonisba)  \nScipio lands in Africa (begins siege of Utica)  \nMasinissa joins Scipio  \n203 BC | Burning of winter camps near Utica  \nScipio's victory at Great Plains (Hannibal and Mago recalled)  \nCapture of Syphax (bittersweet death of Sophonisba)  \nDefeat of Mago (dies en route to Africa)  \nHannibal lands at Hadrumentum  \n202 BC | Hannibal marches to Zama (Scipio and Hannibal meet)  \nScipio's victory at Zama  \n201 BC | Carthage reduced to client status  \nTriumph of Scipio (takes cognomen 'Africanus')  \n**200-197 BC** | **Second Macedonian War: Rome 'punishes' Philip V of Macedon**  \n200 BC | Philip lays siege to Athens  \n198 BC | Philip retains Corinth  \n197 BC | Philip defeated at Kynoskephalai  \nPraetors raised to six (Hispania Citerior and Ulterior made Roman provinces)  \n196 BC | Hannibal elected _sufete_ (political and economic reforms in Carthage)  \n| Rome proclaims Greek freedom  \n195 BC | Hannibal's flight and exile  \nMasinissa opens his raids on Carthaginian territory  \n194 BC | Romans evacuate Greece   \nHannibal in court of Antiochos III of Syria  \n**192-189 BC** | **Syrian War: Rome versus Antiochos**  \n191 BC | Antiochos defeated at Thermopylai  \n190 BC | Seleukid fleet under Hannibal defeated by Rhodians  \n| Antiochos defeated at Magnesia by Sipylos  \n189 BC | Romans plunder Galatia  \n188 BC | Peace of Apamea (Asia Minor and Aegean divided between Pergamon  \n| and Rhodes)  \n**186-183 BC** | **Pergamon-Bithynia War: Hannibal's last fight**  \n186 BC | Exile of Scipio Africanus  \n185 BC | Death of Scipio Africanus  \n183 BC | Suicide of Hannibal  \n**181-179 BC** | **First Celtiberian War**  \n181 BC | Revolts in Sardinia and Corsica  \n176 BC | Final reduction of Sardinia  \n173 BC | Envoys sent to arbitrate between Carthage and Masinissa  \n**172-168 BC** | **Third Macedonian War: Rome versus Perseus of Macedon**  \n168 BC | Perseus defeated at Pydna (end of Macedonian monarchy)  \n167 BC | Macedonia divided into four republics  \n| Romans plunder Epeiros (150,000 people enslaved)  \n| Polybios taken to Rome  \n163 BC | Final reduction of Corsica  \n157 BC | Birth of Marius  \n**154-138 BC** | **Lusitanian War: a long small war**  \n**153-151 BC** | **Second Celtiberian War**  \n151 BC | Carthage declares war on Masinissa  \n**149-148 BC** | **Fourth Macedonian War: rising of the pretender Andriskos**  \n**149-146 BC** | **Third Punic War: _Delenda Carthago_**  \n**147-146 BC** | **Achaean War: end of Greek independence**  \n147 BC | Scipio Aemilianus takes command in Africa (tightens siege of Carthage)  \nMacedonia made Roman province  \n146 BC | Destruction of Carthage (Africa made Roman province)   \nSack of Corinth  \nTriumph of Scipio Aemilianus (awarded cognomen 'Africanus')  \n**143-133 BC** | **Third Celtiberian War: the fall of Numantia**  \n137 BC | Roman force entrapped and surrenders to Numantines  \n**135-132 BC** | **First Sicilian Slave War: rising of the Slave-King Eunus**  \n133 BC | Numantia falls to Scipio Aemilianus  \nAsia Minor made Roman province  \nSecond triumph of Scipio Aemilianus (takes cognomen 'Numantinus')  \n129 BC | Death of Scipio Aemilianus (heart attack or poison?)  \n121 BC | Gallia Transalpina made Roman province  \n**112-106 BC** | **Iugurthine War: a 'dirty war' in Africa**  \n112 BC | Fall of Cirta (murder of Adherbal)  \n111 BC | Campaign of Bestia (settlement with Iugurtha)  \n110 BC | Campaign of Spurius Albinus  \nCampaign and capitulation of Aulus Albinus  \n109 BC | Metellus takes command in Africa  \nBattle at the Muthul  \nSiege of Zama Regia  \n108 BC | Romans capture Thala  \nRomans occupy Cirta  \n107 BC | Marius takes command in Africa  \nRomans capture Capsa  \n106 BC | Battle at the Muluccha  \nSulla arrives in Africa  \n105 BC | Bocchus' betrayal of Iugurtha  \n104 BC | Triumph of Marius  \nMarius' army 'reforms'\nCHAPTER 1\n\n## **From emporium to empire**\n\nWhen Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, the Roman general who besieged and then burned Carthage, surveyed the wreckage of Rome's great enemy, he is said to have been moved to tears by the reflection that all nations, like men, were doomed to pass and that a time would come when Rome itself might be reduced to charred ruins. Writing the history of nations is always about silencing voices. It involves drawing lines around people, excising connections between human communities and reading onto the untidy past the features of pure identities and immutable boundaries. The real life of peoples and cultures is usually cacophonous, occasionally choral, but seldom solo.\n\nOne of those still voices from the distant past is that of Carthage, the Semitic superpower that fought with Rome in a series of three epic wars (264-241, 218-201 and 149-146 BC), a titanic struggle that would lock the two cities into 'A Hundred Years War'. Probably the largest conflict of the ancient world, the Punic Wars, as history has named them, marked an important phase in the story of Rome and the rise of its world empire. Before the First Punic War, Rome was still a purely Italian power, not even in control of northern Italy; during the second Hannibal had destroyed its armies and overrun the Italian peninsula; after the last, its writ effectively ran from the Levant to Iberia and from the Alps to the Sahara. But what of Carthage?\n\nCarthage, at the time of the first war with Rome, was the greatest power in the western Mediterranean. Its wealth was proverbial, with Polybios claiming that Carthage was the richest city in the Mediterranean world even when it fell in 146 BC, despite the fact that it had been deprived of its overseas territories after the second war. Originally one of many landing sites and trading stations established by settlers and traders from Phoenicia, which broadly equated to that flat coastline overlooked by the mountains of Lebanon, Carthage had been founded even before Rome was only a huddle of huts and hovels squatting by the somnolent Tiber. According to Timaios of Tauromenion the colonists pitched up sometime in 814 BC conveniently near the mouth of the River Bagradas (Oued Medjerda), having sailed directly either from the metropolis of Tyre, one of the leading mercantile cities of Phoenicia, or from the next-door colony of Utica. The archaeological evidence is still short of this traditional foundation date, the earliest deposits found in the sanctuary of Tanit, the tutelary goddess of the city, belonging to 725 BC or thereabouts. Whatever the true date, Carthage was destined over time to take the place of Tyre at the head of the Phoenician world of the west, and to acquire sufficient power to become a rival on equal terms first with the Greeks and then with the Romans.\n\nAccording to the Annals of Tyre, in the seventh year of the reign of Pygmalion (820-774 BC), his sister Elishat fled the city. Graeco-Roman authors (the most extensive version is told by Justin, who seems to depend on Timaios, while the essential outlines are confirmed by Flavius Josephus) later told of Elishat (Timaios' Elissa, Virgil's Dido) fleeing after her brother had her husband assassinated. The princess, heir to the throne together with her brother before the people elected the latter as sole sovereign, had married her maternal uncle, Acherbas (Virgil's Sychaeus), who was the high priest of Melqarth and fabulously wealthy.\n\nWith a band of loyal friends and her husband's riches, Elishat initially sailed to Cyprus, where the high priest of Astarte (Iuno in the Classical version) joined her, along with fourscore maidens destined for sacred prostitution. The voyagers finally landed on the site of the future Carthage. Granted as much land as an oxhide could cover by the local Libyans, Elishat cut the hide into the thinnest of strips and laid them end to end so as to be able to claim far more ground than anticipated. Here we witness an early display of that deviousness that Romans considered a peculiarly Punic trait. This version of the foundation of Carthage, at least, satisfies the superficial inquirer, a version that for obvious reasons we cannot discount.\n\nApparently, the personal story of Elishat came to a tragic end. Justin tells us that the local king, Iarbas, fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage, the alternative being war. The doomed queen took her time, but eventually chose to immolate herself on a funeral pyre rather than marry the Libyan king, an act that protected her people and maintained faith with her dead husband. Her people, again according to Justin, elevated her to the rank of a deity, preserving her cult until the destruction of Carthage. The modified version made famous by Virgil, by grandly ignoring chronology, brought together Aeneas and Dido in a passionate love affair that ends tragically. Thence a later poetic elaboration, the love of Dido for Aeneas serves the purpose of emphasizing Carthage's strange and alien culture, its otherness. Still, the fiery relationship between Dido and Aeneas is one of the best-known love stories of antiquity, and countless writers, poets, painters, and composers have been inspired by it and its tragic end.\n\nWhether or not the foundation myth contains a kernel of truth, and most myths actually do, the site itself was well chosen. It was naturally strong, situated as it was on what was normally a lee shore at the head of a promontory. On this promontory was a chain of sandstone hills, and it was these hills, running eastward and parallel to the Mediterranean coast, which provided the shelter from the prevailing north and west winds. The site's landward, western approaches consisted of the neck of the promontory, which overlooked a marine bay to the north and a small azure lagoon within a large natural harbour, the present Bay of Tunis, to the south. The presence of these shallow waters offered excellent anchorage and, in turn, their daytime evaporation gave the settlers life-giving salt flats.\n\nThe surrounding hinterland was fertile too, much of it being well watered by the Bagradas. A Carthaginian agronomist, a retired general by the name of Mago whose wide-ranging work on agriculture has reached us indirectly and in fragments, provides scores of methods for planting vines so as to protect them from excessive drought, for making fine wines, cultivating almond trees, grafting of fruit trees on to wild rootstocks, keeping pomegranates in clay for export, choosing the right sort of quality in breeds of oxen, and so on and so forth. Mago's agrarian ideal was the large estate worked in part by chattel slaves, procured either by piracy or through war, supplemented by free labour drawn from the Libyan peasantry, a model that was to very much influence the Romans. When Mago lived is not certain, but in view of the already advanced agronomy of the late fourth century BC, he was from around that time if not before. At any rate, in all good time the combination of fertile land and scientific farming techniques was to bring Carthage a vast amount of agricultural wealth.\n\nThe original foundation was probably what later became the Byrsa with its citadel, built on a rock outcrop that overlooked the celebrated double harbour. The harbour quarter was soon built up into what became known as the Cothon, and Appian mentions buildings up to six storeys high arranged along three main streets that sloped up to the Byrsa from the agora. Diodoros refers to tall buildings in the neighbourhood of the agora too, adding a small detail regarding the narrow back streets hereabouts. As the city prospered it expanded north and west to form the suburb of Megara with, according to Appian again, grand houses surrounded by gardens and orchards, until the whole city covered, by the fifth century BC, an estimated area of some 37km in circumference.\n\nExcavations have revealed that the city was protected by enormous curtain walls, double on the landward side, the main one up to 40 cubits (17.8 metres) high by 22 cubits (9.8 metres) wide according to Diodoros, and studded with square, forward projecting, four-storey towers that, in Appian's estimation, were set at regular intervals of 60 metres. His statistics for the main wall virtually tally with those of Diodoros, 15 metres high by 10 metres wide 'without counting parapets and towers'. This was constructed as a casement wall with cisterns and magazines at basement level, stabling for 300 elephants at ground level, and above likewise for 4,000 horses and barracks for soldiers, 4,000 horse and 20,000 foot. Along its crenellated summit ran a wall-walk from which the defenders could discharge missiles and the like, while its projecting towers allowed them to enfilade assailants. Polybios corroborates these impressive landward defences, which had to be carried across the flat space of the 4.5 kilometre wide promontory neck. He, of course, had plenty of opportunity to see for himself the near-impregnable fortifications of Carthage when he was at Scipio Aemilianus' side during the final phases of the siege of the city. He mentions too that these high-lying double walls were shielded by an outer line, or _proteichisma_ , consisting of a ditch and an earthwork topped with a timber palisade. The three authors also agree in stating that the city, at least from the third century BC, was completely girded by walls. The existence of seawalls, again mentioned by the sources, has been borne out by excavations in the Magon quarter, which have turned up a line of powerful fortifications along the coast. Carthage would contain at the time of its destruction, so we are told by Livy, some 700,000 souls, though archaeology suggests a population density of no more than 100,000. Nonetheless, this is still a dense population, which was clearly a reflection of the relatively advanced agriculture and surplus food supply that sustained the mercantile city.\n\nCulturally, the crowded, bustling new metropolis remained distinctively Phoenician in language and customs, the adoption of Greek and Libyan ideas not changing its essential nature. It is clear that Carthage maintained a close link with the old metropolis across the sea throughout its history, annually sending to Tyre a seaborne delegation to sacrifice at the temple of Melqarth there, even after Carthage had grown in power and established colonies of its own. The most typical image of the Phoenicians, which implied and exalted all the other gifts for which they were famous, was the one that showed them as indissolubly bound to the sea, undisputed masters of its lanes and secrets, both as expert and adventuresome explorers of the known world, and even beyond, and as effective and astute merchants. 'There came Phoenician men, famous seafarers', to use a single, lapidary line in Homer.\n\nCarthage was founded when the Assyrian Empire was at the pinnacle of its power and demanded huge quantities of raw materials to sustain itself, not least silver, which was now the main medium of exchange. According to Diodoros it was the far west, with its wealth of metals, which was the original objective of Phoenician expansion. In fact, the Iberian peninsula represents the westernmost point of the Phoenician expansion in the Mediterranean, and although this was then the furthest known frontier, both Graeco-Roman authors and archaeological material show it to have been one of the first destinations chosen by the westbound Phoenician merchant venturers. This means that we should not think in terms of an imperialistic progression in space, but rather as a mercantile network of ports-of-call established to service expeditions to the farthest destinations.\n\nThe ability to span the length of the Mediterranean appears to have come about because of the development of latitude sailing, which gave the Phoenician seamen, in their seafaring merchantmen with broad square sails and fat-bellied hulls, the confidence to probe open waters. Checking their position against the noonday sun or, at night, the Pole Star and the Ursa Minor constellation, which the ancient world called the 'Phoenician Star', the ships first cut across the Ionian Sea to Sicily. After coasting round Sicily, they set sail for the southern coast of Sardinia and from there to the Balearic Islands. The final leg took them to the southern coast of Iberia. Conveniently situated at the meeting place of the great western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean, the new colony provided a safe anchorage and supplies for Phoenician merchant ships sailing east to west along the North African coast and for those making for Sicily and Sardinia too. So the early days of Carthage were spent in the usual manner of a Phoenician colony, namely serving the primary function of greasing the wheels of trade: purveying and conveying goods, in entrepreneurship (gold, copper, tin, and above all silver), and the occasional small affrays when the locals who surrounded it turned hostile.\n\nTrade was more important to Carthage throughout its history than perhaps to any other ancient state. Initially most of it was conducted by barter with tribes in Africa and Iberia, where metals were obtained in return for wine, olive oil, cloth, ceramics and other commodities associated with civilized life. If Herodotos is to be believed, there was regular trade with the natives 'who live in a part of Libya beyond the Pillar of Herakles', on Carthaginian goods being exchanged for gold dust in a system which required each of the partners to lay out their wares on the shoreline and retreat. Only when one partner felt that the offered goods displayed were fair exchange for what they had laid out would they take them.\n\nTrade of this kind (silent trade, as it is called) clearly required the trust and honesty that would come only if both partners benefited and wanted the exchange to continue. The abiding principle was obviously equality and mutual benefit, with gain at the expense of another belonging to a different realm, to warfare and to raiding. An exchange based on mutual trust certainly contradicts the rather unflattering, or even downright villainous images of Carthaginian merchants as swindling thieves, petty shysters and profiteering pirates, which have been handed down by Graeco-Roman writers small and great. Being as they were in the opposite camp, it was only natural that they should put in a bad light, or sometimes openly disparage, their commercial competitors, not to mention the treatment reserved for their political and military rivals, who became the butts of every sort of scurrilous accusation.\n\nIf we were forced to place our complete faith in the judgements of these writers on the character of Carthaginian merchants and the epithets they cast at them, our brief journey back in time would certainly get off to a shaky start. To be sure, we could easily fall into the trap of demonizing the Carthaginians, accusing them of being well versed in the art of exploiting the natives (admittedly not a modern invention) by procuring gold on the cheap through profitable and unfair bargaining. But as Herodotos says in his lively piece on Carthaginian trade with the African locals, there was 'perfect honesty on both sides'. Punic faith, to tell the precise truth, was distinctly as good as Greek or Roman faith, and we suspect that when Carthaginians acted this way, it was Punic fraud, but when the Greeks or Romans did, they were exhibiting Greek or Roman prudence. The black art of propaganda is not a modern invention either.\n\nSeeking new markets, voyages of exploration were undertaken beyond the Pillars of Hercules along the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Iberia, though there is nothing in the sources (or in the archaeology) to suggest that the Carthaginians, albeit giants of maritime navigation, were exploiting the tin mines of the islands known as the Cassiterides (British Isles). However, around the mid-sixth century BC the pattern changed. Initially Carthaginian imperialism rarely involved establishing state control, in a modern sense, over the outlying regions of the western Mediterranean. Rather, conquest was mainly about striking deals, paying off potential adversaries, and where possible turning competitors into clients. Under the guidance of one Malchus _(fl. c_. 580-550 BC), however, the city turned away from strict commercialism and began a systematic conquest of the surrounding region. Rome as yet was barely known.\n\nMalchus is an enigmatic name: it means 'king' or 'chief ' _(melek)_ and thus may refer to an office rather than a person. In any case, Carthage's new career of expansion led to the subjugation of the indigenous North African peoples, called _L\u00edbyes_ , Libyans, by Polybios, _Afri_ , Africans, by Livy, who inhabited the interior. At the same time, the smaller neighbouring Phoenician and Libyphoenician cities along the coast and up the Bagradas valley, of which the most important was Utica, were brought into its alliance. Livy describes the Libyphoenicians as people of mixed blood, half Punic and half Libyan, but this may be an over simplification. In point of fact they could have been people of Phoenician race living in Libyan settlements, or simply native Libyans who had adopted Phoenician culture. It seems probable that like the citizens of Carthaginian and Phoenician settlements, Libyphoenicians enjoyed a privileged position, Polybios implying they had the same laws as the Carthaginians while Diodoros notes they had the right to intermarry with Carthaginians. But it also seems probable that the Libyphoenician cities were not always willing to accept the leadership of Carthage. The metropolis exacted dues on imports and exports, and there is evidence too that Libyphoenicians, unlike Carthaginian citizens, were liable for military service overseas. Carthage also hammered out alliances with the various nomadic tribes (the people Polybios calls _N\u00f3mades_ , Numidians, probably the ancestors of the present Berbers) of the deep interior (i.e. the more remote parts of Tunisia and Algeria), and these furnished auxiliaries for Carthage, in particular the cruel horsemen that, as we shall later discover, were to be the bane of many a Roman general.\n\nThe rule of Malchus and his successors marked a fundamental change in the attitudes of Carthaginian government, a change characterized by Carthaginian hegemony being ruthlessly established. The new African territory was based on a subdivision into districts (called 'lands' in Punic), which were put in the charge of officials appointed from the capital, while the new African subjects, we shall follow Polybios and call them 'Libyans', were treated as a conquered people, with few rights and heavy tithes. They were also expected to furnish the fighting men that formed the bulk and backbone of Carthaginian armies. The cities meanwhile, though allowed to retain a titular independence as allies of Carthage, were forced to level their walls and surrender their foreign policy. Carthage therefore showed an indubitable capacity for coordination and control in the fields of tax collection and military organization. What it lacked was a unified grasp of the problems of empire and with it the ability to create a really homogeneous body of people, bound by the common conviction of being an integral part of a state that allowed some degree of political franchise. Unlike its future rival Rome, Carthage made no attempt to grant its citizenship to its Libyan subjects or Punic allies, the latter being treated as subject allies of course. This lack of corporate loyalty was to cost Carthage dear in the future, as a foreign invader could always find a certain amount of support from the local populace and the Phoenician and Libyphoenician cities, even if they wished, could offer little or no resistance.\n\nIn the meantime, Carthage began to turn its attention overseas, and to establish what is best described as a grand maritime empire. As budding imperialists, the Carthaginians saw themselves as the rightful rulers of all the far-flung Phoenician settlements throughout the western Mediterranean, not only those strung out along the northern littoral of Africa but also those around southern Iberia and on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. Our enigmatic Malchus, it is said, defeated the Greeks in Sicily and evidently subjugated the western part of the island, and then was defeated in turn in Sardinia. At this time Malchus was no tyrant but a removable magistrate, who in fact was deposed and banished for his failure, but he fought back and took Carthage, seizing the whole executive to himself. His rule lasted but a short time. Accused of tyranny he was put to death. Malchus was succeeded by another equally enigmatic character, Mago, who in turn was succeeded by his son Hasdrubal.\n\nAs born seafarers and traders, the Carthaginians pursued a violent maritime policy to promote, protect and control trade, shipping and empire itself. Policy is not practice, of course, and so the instrument of this policy was to be a powerful navy, both to keep the seas safe from pirates and to discourage others from competing with Carthaginian merchants. The state would provide protection for maritime trade and, in return, would receive a flow of revenue from increased trade and tariffs. It is about this time that we hear of the first established contact with Rome. A treaty (the first of three, in fact) was drawn up that effectually debarred Roman shipping from roaming the sea lanes to the west and established the western Mediterranean as a Carthaginian lake.\n\nFrom the mid-sixth century BC onwards, Carthage was an aggressive warfare state committed to the use of violence to maintain commercial predominance and territorial expansion. And so by the time of the first war with Rome it controlled the whole northern littoral of Africa from the silphium fields of Cyrenaica to the trackless blue waters of the Atlantic, partly through its own colonies, partly through having taken under its aegis other Phoenician colonies. Though numerous, these colonies were mostly quite small, surviving because the littoral zone was apparently otherwise sparsely inhabited. The eastern limit of the Carthaginian empire was at a place the Romans called Arae Philaenorum, Altars of the Philaeni (El Agheila, southwest of Benghazi), which marks the boundary between present-day Tripolitania and Cyrenaica in Libya. To the west, Carthaginian influence extended beyond the Pillars of Hercules and down the west coast of Africa at least as far as what is now Mogador in Morocco. Beyond Africa, Carthage probably already controlled a few outposts in Iberia, which, like itself, had been originally founded by the Phoenicians, including Gadir (Cadiz) and Malaka (Malaga). In the Balearic Islands there were entrep\u00f4ts on the southern coast of Ibiza, the best-known being Ebusus (Ibiza town), and there was a string of such settlements around the coast of Sardinia, including Caralis (Cagliari). In Corsica Alalia (Aleria), at least, was in Carthaginian hands, while the Lipari Islands were providing a safe anchorage for the navy. In Sicily, finally, Carthaginian power had been, albeit of a chequered quality, a feature for centuries.\n\nSeafaring Carthage, now in the dawn of its career as a great naval and mercantile power, was a melting pot too, a down-to-earth, fast-moving civilization that attracted soldiers, sailors, journeymen, and other itinerants from far afield. Accepting many different cultures, it was by nature cosmopolitan. Yet at the same time it undoubtedly absorbed into its veins all kinds of African blood. With the passage of the years, the colonizing power was in turn colonized and something of a hybrid civilization developed that blended styles of life. The clear cultural line between Punic and native imagined by historian and archaeologist became extremely fuzzy indeed.\nCHAPTER 2\n\n## **Army and navy**\n\nIt is a truism that a state's political organization and military system go hand-in-hand. Before we look at the army and navy of Carthage, therefore, it is worth considering the new Carthaginian constitution. A governor, responsible to the king of Tyre, ruled Carthage at first; whether by the seventh century BC it had its own king is far from clear. It is well known, as we have seen, that Carthage is linked, in the foundation myth of the city, to the figure of a royal princess, Elishat, yet Punic epigraphic sources always mention oligarchic-type magistracies as opposed to titles of a monarchical nature. In 574 BC, however, a most far-reaching single event took place when, after holding out for thirteen years, Tyre lost its independence to the new superpower in the Levant, the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar (r. 586-573 BC). The Phoenician colonies were on their own, and out of the uncertainty Carthage soon emerged as the leader.\n\nAt any rate, by the end of the sixth century BC the Carthaginian constitution had become decidedly oligarchic in nature. Thanks to the curiosity of Aristotle, who very much admired it as a shining example of what he labels a 'mixed form of government', we know something of the governmental system of the city during the period of our study. In point of fact, this was the only non-Greek political system treated by Aristotle in his treatise (around 336 BC) dealing with man as a political being and the nature of the state, the _Politics_. Interestingly, he knew of Rome too, but ignored that city. The stable government of Carthage was headed by at first one, later two annually elected chief magistrates called _sufetes_ in Latin; Aristotle calls them 'kings'. Aside from their judicial role, they presided over the ruling council, more of which below, convoked it and established the working agenda, and in this respect obviously resembled the consuls of Rome.\n\nNonetheless, unlike Rome, separately elected generals, invariably members of the ruling elite, held the military commands in Carthage. This separation of civil and military powers was extremely unusual, if not unique, in the ancient world, but probably arose out of the very nature of the Carthaginian army. A body of 104 men, chosen from among the councillors in office and referred to as 'the hundred' by Aristotle, scrutinized the actions of these generals, and a commander who failed in the field had to explain himself. In fact Aristotle compares this much-feared, self-perpetuating body of blue bloods to the Spartan board of ephors, which, if the comparison is at all exact, implies it had a wide measure of control over all magistrates. Anyway, if the commander's explanation was not satisfactory, the punishment was often crucifixion _pour encourager les autres_. Conversely, a too-successful Carthaginian general might suffer the same slow agonizing death, simply because 'the hundred' feared he might use his success (and hired army) to overturn the constitution, just as the general Bomilcar attempted to do in 308 BC with the backing of 500 citizens and 1,000 mercenaries. Yet this draconian treatment of their commanders was accompanied by a freedom of action while in command, which did give a Carthaginian general a chance to gain valuable experience, something not given to a Roman general. We also hear that Carthaginian generals were held in high esteem, having 'the honour, too, of wearing as many armlets as they have served campaigns'.\n\nIt was largely through 'the hundred' that the political elite was successful in preventing the rise of tyranny through generals manipulating the mercenary armies that served Carthage so well. While military service was obligatory for native subjects, it was not so for native-born Carthaginians, whose members were too small to support a large, regular citizen arm. Instead warlike mercenaries, down to the time of the second war with Rome, were hired from various western Mediterranean peoples and, ever increasingly, from the Celtic lands in the north. It was the enormous wealth deriving from trade and tribute that made it possible for Carthage to wage wars by proxy by employing others to fight on its behalf, a true privatization of warfare. By the third century BC Carthaginians no longer served in Carthaginian armies, except of course as senior officers and generals. The last recorded occasion citizen soldiers had served overseas had been when the victorious Greeks made a horrid slaughter of them on the banks of the Krimisos in Sicily (341 BC). But that is to anticipate.\n\nLast, but by no means least, there was a powerful executive body, what Roman writers called 'the senate', while the Greeks used various terms, including _gerousia_ , a council of elders. It apparently had several hundred members, who probably held office for life, but whose method of appointment is uncertain. Nor is it clear what the relationship was between the 'senate' and 'the hundred', though it is usually assumed that the latter were members of the former. The powers of the citizens, however, were somewhat limited. According to Aristotle, if the _sufetes_ and the senate were in agreement, they could decide whether or not to bring a matter before the people, though Polybios records that the power of the popular assembly grew over times.\n\nOf course our knowledge of the civilization of Carthage derives mainly from Graeco-Roman writers, who usually make use of a terminology that is peculiar to Greek and Roman institutional framework, and from the results of modern archaeological investigation. Yet in the objectively positive words of Cicero: 'Carthage would not have held an empire for six hundred years had it not been governed with wisdom and statecraft'. A fine tribute from a Roman at a time when the long and bitter struggle of the Punic Wars was not yet a dim and distant memory. Also, as we shall discover all in good time, some of the ancient world's finest soldiers came from the Punic family of Barca.\n\nWhile the army of Carthage (more of which later) was generally of a mercenary character, its navy was very much a citizen affair, as was to be expected from such a maritime power. Unlike the army, which tended to be raised for any temporary crisis and disbanded when it was over, the navy of Carthage had a more permanent status with a pool of trained sailors to fight in its naval wars. The Carthaginian navy that reigned supreme in the western Mediterranean, therefore, was a highly skilled and professional force rich in knowledge of navigation and fighting at sea, which, by the time of the struggle with Rome, was built around the quinquireme as the standard fighting ship of the day.\n\nAncient warships, which needed to move rapidly in any direction regardless of wind, depended mainly on muscle power. The quinquereme was so named not because it was propelled by five banks of oars but probably because the ratio of its oar-power to that of the classical trireme (which certainly did have three banks of oars) was 5:3. How many banks of oars a quinquereme had, and how many oarsmen manned each oar, is not known for certain. It is known from excavations of ship sheds at Carthage that a Carthaginian quinquereme was not much larger than an Athenian trireme, the practicable ultimate in the fast, ram-armed, oared warship (around 45m in overall length and less than 6m at the beam compared with around 37m in overall length and less than 4m at the beam) and thus similarly built for speed, long and narrow. It is therefore postulated that the quinquereme developed directly from the trireme. Its crew, however, was much larger than that of a trireme (300 to 200) and it could carry many more marines: up to 120 crammed on a Roman quinquereme when fully manned for battle, and apparently 40 as a standard complement. One suggestion is that there were three banks of oars like the trireme, but with two oarsmen to an oar at two of the three levels (i.e. arranged 2:2:1). Since a trireme had a crew of 200 of which 170 were oarsmen, we would expect 270 of the 300 crew members of a quinquereme to be oarsmen. Thus, with an oar crew of 270 the quinquereme would have 81 oars a side.\n\nSuch vessels were formidable in a sea fight, designed essentially to be highly manoeuvrable and capable of being driven by oars at high speeds for short spurts in battle, with the result that their sea-keeping qualities were not good. Lack of space in the hull for food and water, low freeboard, low cruising speed under oars, and limited sailing qualities lowered their range of operations. Hence naval engagements customarily took place near the coast, where ships could be handled in relatively calm water and there was some hope for the shipwrecked. Sails were used for fleets in transit, but when approaching the battle area the masts would be lowered and the ships rowed. There were only two methods of fighting, which placed contradictory demands on warship design. The first was manoeuvre and ramming. Theoretically, this called for the smallest possible ship built around the largest number of oarsmen. The Carthaginian navy with its minimum number of marines followed this naval doctrine. The other was boarding and battle. This called for a heavier ship able to carry the maximum number of marines, the naval doctrine adopted, as we shall presently see, by the unfledged Roman navy, which very much favoured an aquatic version of a land battle.\n\nWhether boarding or ramming, oar-powered warships had to collide, and this tended to limit their tactical capabilities. However, a numerically inferior fleet manned by good seamen should have had endless opportunities for the sort of hit-and-run tactics ably demonstrated by the legendary Carthaginian captain, Hannibal 'the Rhodian', during the First Punic War, of which more elsewhere. For their class, Carthaginian quinqueremes tended to be light, swift and manoeuvrable, just as had been the triremes of the Athenians in the heyday of their naval skill, and Carthaginian oarsmen, like the Athenian oarsmen in the balmy days of their empire, were well practised in the intricate battle manoeuvres designed for ramming attacks on vulnerable sides and sterns, the _diekplous_ and the _periplous_. It is distinctly possible, as was the case in democratic Athens, that many of the poorer citizens of Carthage derived their livelihood from service as rowers in the large, busy imperial fleet. If this was so, then it may well have contributed to the city's political stability.\n\nThe famous naval installations at Carthage, namely the vast inner harbour as round as a cup, provided covered slipways, or ship sheds for around 220 warships and all the facilities for their maintenance. This military facility was a restricted area, walled off from the landward side, and its only seaward approach was through the outer mercantile harbour, whose narrow entrance could be quickly closed off by heavy iron chains if danger threatened. In actual fact, both harbours were landlocked, artificially excavated basins. Modern, full-scale excavations at the naval harbour date its final form to the second century BC, during the years between the Second and Third Punic wars and before the destruction of the city by the Romans, although the evidence is not certain and it is possible that this was a period of rebuilding. Yet after the second war, Carthaginian naval strength was finally broken and Carthage was forbidden by a clause in the peace treaty with Rome to have a navy. Technically, therefore, the city had no need of a costly harbour to house and to furbish 200-plus ships of war. Nonetheless, the sheer scale of the naval installations is a clear reflection of the wealth of Carthage, and economically the Carthaginians do not seem to have suffered in the long run as a result of their territorial losses and war indemnities.\n\nIn the centre of the naval harbour was a round artificial island, the _Il\u00f4t de l' Admiraut\u00e9_ , on which stood the admiral's headquarters, rising high above the surrounding facilities and fortifications and enabling him to keep a weather eye on the far horizon. Below the headquarters were thirty stone-built ship sheds. The archaeological evidence also reveals the slipways, mostly 5.9m wide and with a gradient of 1:10, built with rammed earth. In them socket holes placed at roughly 60cm intervals have been found, and these once held the upright timber staves that shipwrights employed to support the hulls of ships under construction or repair. A fighting ship was antiquity's most complicated piece of machinery, and artefacts recovered in the associated debris include copper nails for use in shipbuilding and terracotta moulds used in metal casting.\n\nWarships of this period were not 'Hearts of Oak'. For lightness and flexibility combined with strength, ship timber was mostly of softwoods such as pine and fir. Theophrastos, Aristotle's equally multi-talented successor, lists the three principal timbers for building ships as fir _(elat\u00ea)_ , pine _(peuk\u00ea)_ , and cedar _(kedros)_ , the last having become more readily available from Syria as a result of Alexander's conquests. Beforehand, in his trademark clinical tone, he had compared the fir and the pine:\n\nThe latter is fleshier and has few fibres, while the former has many fibres and is not fleshy. That is why the pine is heavy and the fir light. Long ships [i.e. warships] are made of fir for the sake of lightness, whereas round ships [i.e. merchantmen] are made of pine because it resists decay.\n\nElsewhere he says pine is second-best timber for warships because it is heavier. The emphasis on lightness for ship timber is obviously a prime consideration in the overall design of a plank-built warship. However, one result of using softwoods was that its hull tended to soak up water like a sponge. Consequently, all warships, great and small, were manhandled out of the water as often as possible so as to dry and clean the hulls.\n\nThe hulls would not only become waterlogged and leaky, but they would also suffer from that scourge of wooden ships, the naval borer or shipworm, the maritime equivalent of a woodworm or deathwatch beetle. Ancient shipwrights avoided using certain woods for the hull planking because they were thought to be susceptible to it, the larch particularly so according to the elder Pliny. The hulls of stubbier, rounder merchantmen were as a rule protected by a drastic and expensive, but effective remedy, first by applying a layer of linen cloth soaked in pitch and then covering this with lead sheathing. However, the additional weight of metal made lead sheathing highly undesirable for warships. Theophrastos remarks that the harm done to a ship's hull by the naval borer is impossible to repair. Once hauled up in a ship shed, however, the caulking of worm-holes during the process of maintenance, and an application of pitch as a sealant, would have gone some way to remedying the effect of the naval borer provided the hull planks were not too much worm-eaten. Theophrastos explains the methods used to obtain pitch from fir, pine and cedar, and Pliny speaks too of pitch being produced from various trees and extracted by heat from pitch pine _(taeda)_ for the protection of warships.\n\nBefore we take our leave of the warship, a brief mention should be made of the _diekplous_ and the _periplous_.\n\nThe _diekplous_ was a battle manoeuvre involving single ships in line abeam, the standard battle formation, in which each helmsman would steer for a gap in the enemy line. He would then turn suddenly either to port or to starboard to ram an enemy ship in the side or row clean through the line, swing round and smash into the stern of an enemy ship. The top-deck would be lined with marines and missile-men at the ready, but their main role was mainly defensive. The primary weapon was the attacking ship's ram. Polybios, in his lively account of the sea battle off Drepana, describes it as such: 'To sail through the enemy's line and to appear from behind, while they were already fighting others [in front], which is a most effective naval manoeuvre'. The Carthaginian quinqueremes executing this 'most effective naval manoeuvre'were well constructed, had experienced oarsmen and, even more important, the best helmsmen.\n\nThe _periplous_ was either a variation involving outflanking the enemy line when there was plenty of sea room, or the final stage of the _diekplous_ , when the manoeuvring vessel, having cut through the line, swung round to press home a ramming attack from the stern. Once the enemy formation had broken up, the _periplous_ would have become the most important tactical option available to the helmsman. And so the _periplous_ was a tactical manoeuvre that a single, skilfully handled vessel performed to make a ramming attack that did not involve a prow-to-prow contact. Even so, it required room for its execution, and timing was of the essence. It also called for high speed and, what is more important, smart-as-a-whip steering promptly supported by adept oarsmanship. It is interesting to note that Polybios finishes by saying that Roman quinqueremes were unable to perform these manoeuvres 'owing to weight of the vessels and their crews' lack of skill'.\n\nAs far as the composition of Carthaginian armies is concerned, it is most probable that, at least at the outset, the core of an army was made up of citizen soldiers, backed up by levies from tributary allies and a handful of foreign mercenaries who over time became the main component. Carthaginian coinage came to be widely distributed throughout Sicily in the first instance, and later throughout North Africa and Sardinia, not only to check the economic power of the western Greeks but also to pay for those soldiers that were hired.\n\nCitizen soldiers had been involved in the major events of the intermittent conflict against the Greeks of Sicily. A _corps d' \u00e9lite_ , which the Greeks described as a 'Sacred Band' _(hier\u00f2s l\u00f3chos)_ , was made up of solely of native-born Carthaginians (resident aliens in Carthage did not qualify) and was held back in reserve during battles, moving into action only when there was a possibility of defeat. According to Plutarch this noble band of picked citizens was magnificently decked out in ostentatious armour. He talks too, of 10,000 Carthaginian foot soldiers bearing white shields who fought in the war against the Corinthian Timoleon. Here, we need to distinguish the citizens of Carthage itself from the Punic citizens of African and overseas cities. Diodoros, who in his history of his native Sicily is often at his best, says the Sacred Band itself consisted of 2,500 men, 'citizens who were distinguished for valour and reputation as well as for wealth', so that the remaining 7,500 'Carthaginians'were probably ordinary Punic citizens. In this war the glittering Sacred Band was destroyed utterly, and after its second destruction three decades later, it appears no more in history.\n\nOver the passage of time and according to the theatre of operations, Carthaginian armies became more and more heterogeneous as the deployment of Carthaginian citizens was gradually phased out in favour of subject levies and foreign mercenaries. We learn from Plutarch that Africa and Iberia were Carthage's great resource when it needed soldiers to fight its wars, raising most of its levies from areas under direct Carthaginian rule, such as North Africa, and hiring its mercenaries from places with which the Carthaginians had extensive trade links, such as the Balearic Islands or the Iberian peninsula. So Thucydides, an experienced soldier, has his fellow Athenian general, Alcibiades, describe Iberian mercenaries as among the best fighting material of the kind to be had for hire in the western Mediterranean. Even so, Carthage's recruiting officers sometimes went much farther afield, scooping up mercenaries from _outre-mer_ regions that were noted for the warlike character of their peoples, such as Gaul or Campania, or where training and discipline formed the basis of military prowess, such as Etruria or Greece.\n\nBy the time Carthage was raising armies for its wars with the Greeks in Sicily they were principally made up of subject levies and foreign mercenaries. The great army of Hamilcar, son of Hanno, was recruited from Italy and Liguria, from Sardinia and Corsica, from Gaul and Iberia, as well as from the subject Libyans and Carthaginians themselves (480 BC), that of Hannibal, grandson of the aforementioned Hamilcar, had Carthaginians and Libyans too, stiffened by Campanian mercenaries that had formerly served Athens (409 BC). When Hannibal was preparing his return to Sicily in greater strength (406 BC), he sent his recruiting officers to Iberia and the Balearic Islands, and to Italy for more Campanians, who were highly prized. For his expedition Himilco, son of Hanno, hired mercenaries from Iberia (397 BC) while his successor, Mago (393 BC) commanded 'barbarians from Italy' as well as Libyans and Sardinians who were probably subject levies. In the war against the Corinthian Timoleon (341 BC), the Carthaginians used Iberians, Celts and Ligurians. For the large army mustered to fight the war against Agathokles of Syracuse (311 BC), Carthaginian recruiting officers hired mercenaries from Etruria and the Balearic Islands, while the general himself, yet another Hamilcar, enrolled mercenaries in Sicily. The last we surmise to be Greeks since the army was later divided before Syracuse into two divisions, 'one composed of the barbarians and one of the Greek auxiliaries'.\n\nIn point of fact, after suffering a shocking defeat in the early summer of 341 BC, the Carthaginians fully realized the excellence of Greek armoured spearmen, or hoplites _(hopl\u00edt\u00eas)_ , as soldiers. The disaster in question was the massacre on the muddy margins of the Krimisos, less than 45km from Lilybaeum and on the Punic side of Sicily, where even the crack Sacred Band of Carthage was shattered and slaughtered by Timoleon's hoplite phalanx, the meat of which was made up of mercenaries. Following the Krimisos the Carthaginians, in the words of Plutarch, 'had come to admire them [i.e. hoplites] as the best and most irresistible fighters to be found anywhere', and, according to Diodoros, it was after the battle that the Carthaginians decided to place their reliance more upon foreign soldiery and, in particular, Greeks 'who, they thought, would answer the call in large numbers because of the high rate of pay and wealth of Carthage'. At the time, of course, the other main competitor in the Greek mercenary market was the Great King of Persia. For, like Persia, it was good, hard currency that allowed Carthage not only to hire mercenaries in large numbers, but also allowed it the liberty to hire the best on the market. This, explains Diodoros, enabled the Carthaginians to win 'with their aid many and great wars'.\n\nBoth Plutarch and Diodoros agree that it was the Krimisos _d\u00e9b\u00e2cle_ , which motivated Carthage to look to Greece as a potential source of mercenaries. Both, too, report the city's utter shock over the fearful loss of so many of its brave citizens, Diodoros going so far to add that a decree was hurriedly passed, which curtailed the practice of sending overseas a body of citizen soldiers as Carthage had done to Sicily with fatal results. Despite unexpected aid from the elements, Timoleon's victory was owed to the superior discipline and experience of the Greek mercenaries in his army. For, unlike bow-carrying Persia, Carthage had in its citizens soldiers whose primary function was to fight at close quarters in a well-drilled phalanx.\n\nIn their respective accounts of the battle, both Plutarch and Diodoros emphasize the fact that the citizens were well protected by corselets, helmets and large shields, and stelae (unpublished) from Punic Carthage are described as depicting similar soldiers in muscled cuirasses, conical helmets and round shields. The conical-style helmet, usually in bronze, was a common pattern in the east, used by the armies of Assyria, Persia and so on, and an iron example was recovered from a second-century BC Numidian prince's tomb at el-Soum\u00e2a. Body armour in the form of stiff linen was worn too, since the traveller Pausanias saw three linen corselets at Olympia, describing them as 'the dedication of Gelon and the Syracusans after overpowering the Phoenicians _(Pho\u00ednikas)_ either in a land or sea battle'. Pausanias probably saw an inscription on the objects, which marked them as war spoils taken from the 'Phoenicians' (i.e. Carthaginians) by Gelon of Syracuse, perhaps at Himera (480 BC). Additionally, Diodoros says the citizen soldiers at Krimisos were armed with spears and, though we are uncertain of the spear's length in comparison to the long thrusting spear carried by a hoplite, Plutarch does mention that 'the struggle came to swords', which does suggest that a Carthaginian citizen was not inferior to a Greek hoplite. For what it is worth, the above-mentioned stelae apparently show broad-bladed spears as long as their bearers are high, which makes the spear of a Carthaginian shorter than that of a Greek, the latter being fashioned out of ash wood and some 2-2.5 metres in length. In a sense the _d\u00f3ru_ , as the Greeks knew it, was their 'national' weapon. Others, such as the Etruscans and Romans borrowed it. But no other peoples used it with the confident ferocity of the Greeks.\n\nIt is therefore a matter of some significance that is was not until after the battle on the banks of the Krimisos that native-born Carthaginians would be held in reserve for home defence. In other words, from now on citizens were to be called to arms only in times of national emergency, as they were, along with the Sacred Band, to face the invasion force of Agathokles (310 BC), and again to deploy in the second line of Hannibal's army at Zama (202 BC). Evidently Hannibal did not think much of the citizen soldiers who came out on this obligation, looking upon them as a cowardly lot, while in Polybios' considered judgement the Carthaginians made poor fighting material 'because they use armies of foreigners and mercenaries'. Polybios is probably being rather too harsh here, for among the Carthaginians all the best men doubtless went to the navy, and the army, the Sacred Band aside, was the secondary service.\n\nReturning to Agathokles' landing in Africa, it seems the Carthaginians, apart from those serving in the Sacred Band, who perished almost to a man, only put up a feeble resistance to the invader, and orders for reinforcements were sent to Carthage's general in Sicily, Hamilcar. He shipped more than 5,000 men, and it is almost certain these were Greek mercenaries as we later hear of Greek cavalry in Africa, who were severely handled by Agathokles, and of 1,000 Greeks taken prisoner, of whom more than half were Syracusans, and presumably exiles from Syracuse. Finally, many of Agathokles' soldiers, when he secretly sailed for home and abandoned them to their fate, made peace with Carthage and signed up to serve with the Carthaginian army. For Carthage one of the key lessons of the Krimisos, though it is possibly more obvious to us in retrospect than it could have been to people at the time, was that it demonstrated the warlike superiority of the full-time hoplite mercenary over the part-time citizen soldier.\n\nJason of Pherai was no man to argue with; he had the backing of 6,000 hoplite mercenaries and he had personally trained this private army 'to the highest pitch of efficiency'. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, for Jason now controlled his native land of Thessaly. Anyway, we shall pause for a moment and take note of our tyrant's views on the advantages of professionals over amateurs. Citizen armies, he is quick to point out, include men who are already past their prime and others who are still immature. On top of this, few citizens actually bother keeping themselves physically in shape. The crux of Jason's argument is as simple as it is direct: mercenaries could be trained and then hardened through the experience of battle, they are in every sense of the word professionals. Indeed, experience, like a trade, was gained by an apprenticeship, and so professionalism was fostered because bands of mercenaries that had served together on a particular campaign, instead of dispersing at its conclusion, could hold together and move off to fight another campaign under another paymaster. The fundamental problem with citizen armies, as Jason fully appreciates, was they included soldiers who were likely to be inexperienced or ill-equipped both mentally and physically for battle, the central act of war. In brief, they were amateurs in the art of war.\n\nTraining and experience may have given the professional soldier total superiority over the armed amateur, but it also made him a social pariah. According to Polybios, the opposing generals at Cannae stood up and made lengthy pre-battle speeches before their respective armies. The theme adopted by the consul, Lucius Aemilius Paullus, was one of duty, the citizen soldier fighting not only for himself, but also for his fatherland, family and friends. Hannibal Barca, on the other hand, struck a different cord and harangued his hired soldiery not on patriotic duty, but on the wealth to be gained through victory. Philosophically speaking, even if these two battle exhortations were rhetorical inventions of Polybios, what we witness here are two opposing extremes: the dutiful and honest citizen soldier versus the greedy and anarchic hireling. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between and, besides, if there were a thousand reasons for being a soldier, patriotism would come far down the list.\n\nWe would guess that these mercenary armies were singularly leaky, if we may use the term. Inspired by neither loyalty to a state nor devotion to a cause they were at the best held together by _esprit de corps_. However, though they were not a patriotic national army, but a motley, if not mongrel throng of mercenaries, treachery among the Noah's ark armies of Carthage was rare. One example from the First Punic War took place during the long-drawn-out siege of Lilybaeum, the most important Carthaginian base in Sicily, and involved one of those mercenary armies which were all that Carthage ever put in the field. According to Polybios, some of their senior officers, having talked things over, and convinced that the men would follow them, slipped out of the city at night to parley with the Roman commander. However, a Greek officer named Alexon, an Achaian, who had previously distinguished himself at the siege of Akragas, got wind of the treachery and informed the Carthaginian commander. Acting quickly, he assembled the remaining officers, and by means of lavish blandishments induced them to remain loyal to him. He then sent them to persuade their men to bide by their contracts. When the treacherous officers came up openly to the walls and endeavoured to persuade them to deliver up the city, they were driven off with a barrage of stones and missiles.\n\nThe other example from this long weary war is the attempted betrayal of Eryx, the guerrilla base of Hamilcar Barca, to the Romans. The villains of this particular episode were a band of Gaulish mercenaries with an infamous career in robbery and treachery, which obviously fascinated our usually staid Polybios. After having been driven out of their homeland by their compatriots, he says, these adventurers had been first employed by the Carthaginians as part of the garrison of Akragas, being then above 3,000 strong. This place they had pillaged as a result of a dispute over pay, perhaps early in the war, but presumably they had managed to break out with the rest of the mercenaries when the city fell to the Romans (261 BC). Much later, as part of Hamilcar's command, around 1,000 of them tried to betray the town of Eryx, and when this ruse failed, deserted to the enemy, by whom they were put to guard the temple of Venus Erycina on the summit of the hill where the Romans maintained a watchful garrison (242 BC). Inevitably, they also plundered that, and as soon as the war with Carthage was over, the Romans banished them from the whole of Italy. Still numbering about 800, they were then hired by the good citizens of Phoinike in Epeiros, and naturally betrayed them, too, to the Illyrian raiders of the autocratic Queen Teuta (230 BC). Meanwhile, the remaining 2,000, under their war chieftain, Autaritos, had returned to Africa and joined in the great mutiny of mercenaries (241 BC). Most of them were probably killed there in battle against their old commander, Hamilcar himself, though Autaritos escaped the destruction to be finally crucified with the other principal mutineers (237 BC).\n\nOn the whole, the professional soldier was worth his salt until the First Punic War was over, and he would, by the time of the next one, supply the core of Carthaginian armies. Unlike a Roman army, therefore, a Carthaginian army was a heterogeneous assortment of races, and in the period of these two great wars we hear of Libyan levies, Numidians and Moors from the wild warrior tribes of the North African interior, Iberians, Celtiberians and Lustianians from the Iberian peninsula, deadeye shooters from the Balearic Islands, Celts or Gauls, Ligurians, Oscans, Etruscans and Greeks, a who's who of ethnic fighting techniques. A Carthaginian army differed more from Hellenistic and Roman armies, based as they were around heavily equipped infantry either in a phalanx or a legion, than the latter two did from each other. Fighting with their native weapons, the mercenaries from the Balearic Islands were employed as skirmishers armed with slings, the accurate use of which the islanders were renowned for; their role was to open the hostilities, and then to irritate the enemy during the various stages of the battle. The mercenaries from the Iberian peninsula, on the other hand, were armed with either the _falcata_ , a curved single-bladed weapon much like a Gurkha _kukri_ , or a straight-bladed, sharp-pointed sword from which the Roman _gladius_ was probably derived, while those from Celtic lands wielded the long, blunt-pointed sword that was only effective in sweeping, slashing blows. The first were close-fighting warriors, the second adopted a much looser formation, yet both nonetheless carried spears and javelins. Meanwhile, the Greek and Etruscan fighting formation was the phalanx, a solid body of hoplites standing shoulder to shoulder with long spear and heavy shield.\n\nAs for the Libyan subjects, who already made up one quarter of Carthage's army in 310 BC and would be the foundation of the army Hannibal brought to Italy, some 12,000 of his 20,000 infantry being Libyans, we cannot be entirely sure about these. Ultimately the official status of the Libyans was probably largely irrelevant, as their true loyalty was neither to their half-forgotten families nor fatherland nor to the distant paymaster that was Carthage, but rather to their comrades and to their commander. All we can say for certain are that by Hannibal's day, at any rate, they were worse armed than Roman soldiers. Polybios says that Hannibal issued his Libyans with Roman war gear plundered from the booty of the Trebbia and Lake Trasimene, and Livy notes that thereafter they could easily have been mistaken for actual Romans. But does this mean the Libyans re-equipped themselves only with Roman helmets, body armour, greaves and _scuta_ , or did they take _pila_ and _gladii_ too? If the later, then we have to assume the Libyans were primarily trained, like Roman legionaries, as swordsmen, since it is unlikely that Hannibal would have risked retraining his best infantry in the course of a campaign. Besides, extensive, uninterrupted training time was a luxury which the Libyans simply did not have.\n\nTentative evidence against their adoption of Roman weaponry comes from Plutarch, in a passage referring to a period after the assumption of Roman legionary equipment, when he says 'Carthaginians were not trained in throwing the javelin and carried only short spears for hand-to-hand fighting'. In other words, just prior to contact with Roman legionaries, Carthaginian spearmen would have to endure a lethal hail of _pila_ to which they had no response. However, we quickly notice that in this particular passage Plutarch makes reference only to the _pilum_ , not to the _gladius_. Prior to Italy the Libyans had fought in Iberia under the Barca family for nigh on two decades, and it is possible that they had adopted a very efficient Iberian cut-and-thrust sword from which it is believed the Roman _gladius_ developed. This was a straight-bladed weapon with parallel edges and a tapered, sharp point. Hannibal's Libyans at Cannae were 'veteran troops of long training', says Frontinus, 'for as hardly anything but a trained army, responsive to every direction, can carry out this sort of tactics'. He of course is referring to Hannibal's celebrated double envelopment. In other words, whatever they were originally, namely subject levies or hired mercenaries, the Libyans had grown old in the service of the Barca family and were now professional soldiers serving in a private army.\n\nOne of the popular assumptions of modern European military history has been that national forces are superior in most respects to those composed of foreign mercenaries who, after all, are singularly indifferent about their nationality. Twentieth-century warfare democratized armies. The old pre-machine gun armies had been composed of volunteers (viz. patriotic soldiers) and mercenaries (viz. paid soldiers). After August 1914, Everyman went to war. Henceforth the term 'mercenary' has acquired an unflattering connotation in most, if not all, European languages because it suggests someone incapable of elevated sentiments, such as loyalty to a cause, but who acts in his own interests. Thus the mistaken belief that loyalty, and other such patriotic pretensions, gives the citizen army courage and determination that no mere mercenary army could hope to emulate.\n\nWe are not surprised, therefore, to find that it is almost an article of faith among western-style democracies to view mercenary armies as little more than dangerous congregations of footloose ruffians, foreign murderers even, with soldierly skills who could be faithful only to their greed. This is a prejudice that certainly goes as far back as the polemic writings of Isokrates, if not before. Citizen armies, on the other hand, express national purpose and fight for national goals, which potentially make them more forceful and more flexible instruments in the hands of energetic and innovative commanders, less - in a word - mercenary. Nor are they likely to threaten the integrity of the state. Even so, constitutional governments, responding to the ideological dogma that their wars are waged in the name of a democratic civil society, have always been reluctant to send their own soldiers and often even to provide the cold, hard cash for low-level colonial ventures. In the case of France, for instance, its colonial officers were forced to recruit an army on the cheap in order to expand the boundaries of the empire and to garrison the lands already conquered. This meant creating an army specially tailored for _le tourisme_ , as metropolitan army officers regarded colonial service, namely combinations of European mercenaries and indigenous levies. The existence of a separate 'two-army' tradition, however, is not unique to France: Britain, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Portugal have all used colonial and white mercenary armies in their imperial ventures outside of Europe. Such armies were not only useful, but also, at times, utterly disposable.\n\nAs a prelude to his account of the Battle of Mantineia (207 BC), Polybios muses upon what he considers the fundamental differences in combat motivation for those mercenaries who serve for hire in a democracy, and those mercenaries who fight on behalf of a tyrant, the two ends of the political spectrum if you will. The crux of Polybios' argument is that a democracy, once it has destroyed those who conspire against it, will no longer need the services of its mercenaries. As far as the ordinary rank-and-file mercenary was concerned, it was need and not greed that had forced him into his risk-ridden profession. From his standpoint, of course, serving a tyrant would seem preferable to defending a democracy. For the employers, on the other hand, the professional mercenary was a handy commodity that could provide unbiased support in the quest for power. There were occasions, however, when the mercenary was little more than a pawn on a political chessboard where mightier pieces struggled so as to dominate the game. As such, he was expendable.\n\nThe universal mercenary as a commodity is an obvious cat's-paw to secure a political goal of one form or another. Thus, in the ancient Mediterranean world, hired bands of mercenaries were readily available tools that monarchs, tyrants, plutocracies, and even democracies could seek and exploit in their quest for dominance. So no matter how objectionable the hired foreigner might be to the moralists, he could at least be trusted to serve as long as he was regularly paid. Besides, a mercenary was too busy to judge, and too hard-headed. He did not care for philosophy nor care for the quarrels of sovereigns or states; they will not fill his belly or stop a swinging sword. Anyway, as it always happens with fusty moralists, their opinions fell on deaf ears, and state governments, whatever their colour, continued to regard the hired foreigner's professional services a necessity during prolonged periods of conflict, the first two Punic wars being a notable example of this phenomenon where for Carthage, with its powerful navy in being, the ability to mobilize a mercenary army in a crisis was a clearly perceived necessity.\n\n##### ELEPHANTS OF WAR\n\nIn war the elephant's major function was to terrify the opposition, fear being the beast's strongest weapon, and to wreak as much destruction as possible. They were used in two basic ways on the battlefield: as a screen against cavalry, horses, unless specially trained, disliking the sight, sound and smell of elephants; and to attack infantry, not least by offering a higher platform from which missiles could be launched. In these tactical roles the elephant was not conspicuously successful and its offensive promise never lived up to expectations. It was too vulnerable to missile weapons. It was also too slow, and well-trained infantry could successfully deal with them, and their tendency to run amok when panicked could wreak as much havoc among their friends as among their foes.\n\nCertainly escorting infantry was deployed in elephant units. This was to try and prevent light-armed troops from getting too close to an elephant and hamstringing it. The _Mahavamsa_ , a Buddhist chronicle from Tamraparni (later Ceylon, now Sri Lanka), has the war elephant burdened with no less than a dozen men, and an anonymous ancient commentator sensibly explains this as four riders and eight foot soldiers, 'two looking after each foot'. The weapons of the escort are described as bows, spears, javelins, axes, maces, clubs and swords, a pretty heavily-armed mob by the sound of it. Likewise, the _Mah\u00e2 bh\u00e2rata_ , one of the founding epics of Indian culture, makes mention of seven riders, 'two held the goads, two were excellent archers, two fine swordsmen . . . while one held spear and flag'. This, if not mere poetical fantasy, may easily derive from confusing escorting infantry with the crew onboard. In fact according to Megathenes, the Greek envoy sent by Seleukos of Syria to the Indian court of Chandragupta Maurya, an elephant 'carries three fighting men of whom two shoot from the side while one shoots from behind. There is a fourth man who carries in his hand the goad'.\n\nThe pachyderm was first encountered in combat by the Macedonians at Gaugamela (331 BC), the third and final fray between Alexander the Great and Dareios III of Persia, and at the Hydaspes (326 BC), the bloody victory over Porus, elephants and all. Alexander had well more than a hundred of them when he returned from India, but he died soon after and so it was left to his warring generals to incorporate these strange, imposing beasts into the military art of the period. These pugnacious gentlemen became inordinately fond of war elephants, developing large herds of them as part of a pre-industrial arms race. Elephants were imported from India, and the Seleukids of Syria had their own stud farm at Apamea on the Euphrates and bred them specifically for war, while their princely rivals, the Ptolemies of Egypt, founded a market town on the African side of the Red Sea called Ptolemais Theron, Ptolemais of the Beasts, to be the base for the hunters sent out to round up these valuable four-footed war machines. In the quest for decisive victory against each other, between 321 BC and 217 BC elephants were used at least seven times in major battles between the Successors and, in a militaristic sense, the third century BC saw the rise and fall of the use of the elephant in the Mediterranean world. Thus by the time of Hannibal, though the elephant was to reach the pinnacle of its fame when it crossed the snow-clad Alps, its heyday had come and gone.\n\nAnyway, after having witnessed Pyrrhos in action, the Carthaginians had added the elephant to their armoury, the forest elephant _(Loxodonta africana cyclotis)_ to be precise, a breed that was still native along parts of North Africa, including, as Herodotos knew, on the coast of Mauretania. It was systematically hunted out of existence there during the Roman period, the arenas being a vast consumer of wild animals, but was still to be seen until comparatively recently in the Gambia. The African forest elephant was 2.15-2.45m tall at the shoulder, shorter in stature than the Indian elephant at up to 3.1m, and much smaller than the great bush elephant of present-day central Africa, not used in war, which can be up to 4m though 3.5m is the norm. In brief, the African bush elephant is larger than the Indian elephant _(Elephas maximus)_ , but the Indian is larger than the African forest elephant. Other differences between the subspecies include the African's more strongly segmented trunk, ending in two 'fingers' rather than one, and the line of its back is concave, whereas the Indian's is convex. The forest elephant also has ears with enormous flaps and rounded lobes, and little straight tusks. According to Polybios, a man who knew his elephants, at the Battle of Raphia near Gaza (217 BC) most of the Ptolemaic elephants 'shirked the fight, as African elephants are wont to do, because they cannot bear the smell and trumpeting of the Indian elephant. Furthermore, I believe that they are dismayed by the greater size and strength of the Indian elephants, with the result that they run away'.\n\nIt is because of its small stature that the forest elephant did not carry the howdah as did the Indian elephants of Pyrrhos, but only their drivers: there is no real evidence as to whether they carried soldiers apart from the driver. It was the beast that was the weapon, though some would argue that Carthaginian (and Numidian) elephants were equipped with howdahs. But here I favour the arguments of Scullard, who has pointed out the lack of textual references to them. We also have the occasional Punic silver coins from Hannibal's time depicting elephants with a driver only. This driver, who was probably brought especially from India in the early days, managed his charge, sitting astride its neck, armed only with a special hook. Eventually, however, as part of their equipment they were provided with a mallet and sharp chisel with which to pole-axe their beasts, by a swift blow to the base of the skull, if they went into reverse and ran amok, as were the ten drivers of Hasdrubal Barca at the Metaurus (207 BC). Obviously fielding elephants must have been something of a gamble, and this innovation was introduced by Hasdrubal himself to counter the chief danger of using them, yet some 300 elephants could be housed in the purpose-built stables within the thickness of the main landward wall of Carthage. It is believed that the elephant superseded the chariot as a terror weapon in Carthaginian armies, four-horse chariots having been mobilized against Timoleon in Sicily when they exercised a disruptive effect on the Greek cavalry at the Krimisos (341 BC). They were mobilized once more to face Agathokles (310 BC), and thereafter they drop out of use.\n\nThe Carthaginians probably used elephants for the first time at Akragas (262 BC), and the fact that they deployed them in the second line suggests they were somewhat unsure how best to use them. Elephants were to play a large part in the defeat of Regulus' army in Africa (255 BC), when at Tunis Xanthippos, a general well versed in the Hellenistic art of war, used some hundred of them in a hell-for-leather charge to open the battle. Probably his Carthaginian counterparts took good heed, and as a result elephants were greatly feared until Lucius Caecilius Metellus defeated a Punic army containing perhaps as many as 140 of them before Panormus (250 BC), this being the largest number known. At the Trebbia (218 BC) Hannibal initially used his elephants to scare the Roman cavalry, but when they were driven off by the Roman _velites_ he rallied his beasts and successfully launched them against Rome's Gallic allies. At Zama (202 BC) he had eighty elephants, and he used them once again to open the battle with a rush attack, which mauled the _velites_ but made little impression on the heavier legionaries. None were used after Zama.\n\nFor their part, the Romans, though they fielded sixteen of the expensive monsters at Magnesia-by-Sipylos (190 BC), did not seem to bother with them much. Those, for instance, which Metellus had rounded up outside Panormus were shipped home to eventually be slaughtered before the spectators in the circus. Thereafter the Caecilii Metelli adopted the elephant as a kind of family emblem, which was often used on coins issued by members of the family who became officials at the state mint.\nCHAPTER 3\n\n## **First contact**\n\nThe Carthaginians had commercial interests in Etruria (low-cost iron and copper) and had combined with the Etruscans to challenge the Greeks of Massalia (Latin Massilia, modern Marseilles) in a naval engagement off Corsica in 535 BC, thereby preventing them from establishing themselves at Alalia (Aleria) on the east coast of the island This was also the end of the Greek dream of tapping into the Iberian copper and silver trade, with the river the Greeks knew as the Iber (Latin Iberus, modern Ebro) becoming the effective dividing line between Carthaginian and Greek (i.e. Massiliote) spheres. Archaeological excavations in a sanctuary at Pyrgi (Santa Severa), the port of the Etruscan city of Caere, have uncovered three gold plaques inscribed, two in Etruscan and one in Punic, with a dedication made to the Semitic mother-goddess Astarte and her Etruscan equivalent, Uni, by the ruler of Caere. They can be dated early in the fifth century BC.\n\nThis evidence gives us the context for the first of three treaties made between Rome and Carthage before the First Punic War. Dated, according to Polybios, to the beginning of the Republic and twenty-eight years before Xerxes' invasion of Greece (i.e. 508 BC), our Greek historian had difficulty reading this fascinating document on which he found the date because of its archaic Latin, which 'differs from the modern so much that it can only partially be made out' To the best of his understanding it said the Romans and their allies must not sail beyond the Fair Promontory unless forced to do so by storm or by enemies, and that they must follow certain regulations if they want to trade in Africa or Sardinia, though not with Carthaginian Sicily, where they enjoyed equal rights with others. The Carthaginians, for their part, agreed not to injure any Latin community or to establish a fort in Latin territory. Polybios tells us that the Fair Promontory, _Pulchri Promontorium_ to the Romans, was on the African coast, lying 'immediately to the front of Carthage to the north', in other words the modern Cap Farina or Rass Sidi Ali el Mekki, the western horn flanking the Gulf of Tunis, the eastern one being Cap Bon or Rass Adder, the ancient Hermaia Promontory\n\nPolybios says the treaty names praetors but neither a king nor two consuls, while the spheres of influence defined for both Carthage and Rome only fit this period (viz. the first years of the Republic) and Carthaginian interest in the area has been confirmed by the Pyrgi inscriptions. So the treaty of 508 BC was precisely drawn up to delimit the sphere of commercial activities of the Romans, who were excluded from trading along the African coast west of Carthage. More important, the actual conditions of the treaty give us a vivid glimpse into the way that the Carthaginians tried to exercise economic control in the western Mediterranean.\n\nIn 348 BC the Romans and their allies made a second treaty with Carthage and its allies, also reported but not dated by Polybios The terms of this treaty bound both sides not to harm the friends or allies of either, and again regulated the circumstances in which the Romans could trade in Carthaginian territory, but also adds southern Iberia to the original exclusion zone. The Romans are also prevented from marauding along the North African coast, implying those Phoenician cities such as Utica was now within the Carthaginian sphere, and if the Carthaginians capture any city in Latium, which is not subject to Rome, they may keep the captives and the booty, but must hand over the city. The advantage in the treaty again seems to lie with Carthage as the dominant power.\n\nAll this time the real enemies of the Carthaginians were the Greeks, and the real reason for this, as we shall soon discover, is not difficult to appreciate, namely the island of Sicily. A third and final treaty reported by Polybios was made at the time of the Pyrrhic War (280-275 BC) and 'before the Carthaginians had begun their war for Sicily' This probably places the signing of the treaty after Pyrrhos' two victories at Herakleia (280 BC) and Asculum (279 BC) when the Carthaginians must have feared that the 'elephant king' would cross to Sicily, as he would in the following year when he would almost drive them out of the island. In the treaty both sides confirmed their previous agreements, and added that if they should make an alliance against Pyrrhos each side shall provide help to the other, the Carthaginians especially by sea. The chief interest of the treaty, from our point of view, is the total lack of Roman naval forces it implies. This situation continued until the outbreak of the First Punic War.\n\nSo in 279 BC relations between Rome and Carthage (more friends than rivals) were reasonably good, albeit under a common threat. But following Pyrrhos' withdrawal from Italy after his defeat at Malventum (275 BC), the Romans planted two Latin colonies, Cosa and Paestum, on the west coast of the peninsula (273 BC). Was Rome afraid of Carthaginian seapower? To return to the third treaty, according to Justin, the Carthaginians despatched one Mago with 120 ships (Valerius Maximus says 130) to aid the Romans, but the Senate, while expressing their thanks, rejected the aid, whereupon Mago sailed away to negotiate with Pyrrhos This treaty between Carthage and Rome would thus appear to have been negotiated after these events; 'perhaps', as Lazenby says, 'after Pyrrhos had rejected some offer by Mago' It appears Mago had made his point. The 120 warships could be thrown into either scale.\n\nNorth from Carthage, across 140km of water, lay the triangular-shaped island of Sicily, the key to the western Mediterranean as it commanded the narrow sea between the toe of Italy and the northernmost tip of the North African coast. Initially, Carthage had not been strong enough nor even interested in acquiring the island, despite its good harbours and its fecundity. To quote Thucydides on the pre-Greek settlers of Sicily:\n\nThere were also Phoenicians living all around Sicily. The Phoenicians occupied the headlands and small islands off the coast and used them as posts for trading with the Sicels. But when the Greeks began to come in by sea in great numbers, the Phoenicians abandoned most of their settlements and concentrated on the towns of Motya, Soleis, and Panormus, where they lived together in the neighbourhood of the Elymi, partly because they relied on their alliance with the Elymi, partly because from here the voyage from Sicily to Carthage is shortest\n\nFrom his account, despite its brevity, we learn that the early Phoenician traders in Sicily were not forcibly driven to the western end of the island by an advancing tide of Greek colonists, as some scholars have held, but merely abandoned what were no more than trading stations. The value and accuracy of Thucydides' passage, in the light of archaeological discoveries, has become increasingly evident\n\nHowever, sometime after 580 BC, Carthage was finally enticed into what would become troubled waters for it. As we have discussed elsewhere, the first Carthaginian army to land in Sicily was possibly under a general named Malchus. Anyway, whatever he did or did not achieve there, for the first hundred years Carthage was happy to maintain a low-key approach to Sicily, but the year 480 BC saw its first large-scale attempt at imperial expansion. Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, was making moves to unite the island under his military leadership, and in doing so was menacing the Phoenician inhabitants of the south and west. Carthage responded, and despatched an expeditionary force under Hamilcar, son of Hanno, to meet this threat. In fact the Carthaginian armada was so formidable that contemporaries compared it with the host of Xerxes then being marshalled in the east. It was to suffer a similar fate. Hamilcar landed at the Punic city of Panormus (Palermo), only to be resoundingly defeated by Gelon near Himera on, it is said, the same day as the Persians were licked at Salamis\n\nSo great was the loss for Carthage at Himera (Hamilcar himself had died fighting), it seems to go into a decline over the next few decades The war was ended by this one blow. Carthage sued for peace, paid a large indemnity, and in the event, despite consistent rumours of invasions, left Sicily alone for seventy years. Meantime back home, the ruling Magonid dynasty was ousted from the executive and the aristocracy seized power. Relations with sub-Saharan Africa were strengthened, a region known for its gold-bearing rivers, and, most especially, Carthage fell back on the flat, fertile seaboard of North Africa, taking over a vast surrounding area for livestock-raising and fruit groves\n\nIn 409 BC, however, Carthage had recovered enough to intervene once more in Sicilian affairs. Under Hannibal, grandson of Hamilcar, a Carthaginian punitive force was successful in capturing Selinous (Selinunte) while the Greek relieving force was still at the stage of preparation. Next Hannibal broke into Himera, and having destroyed the city and slaughtered 3,000 Greek captives at the scene of his grandfather's death, took his army home to Carthage laden with much booty. The principal foe, Syracuse, was however still untouched, and three years later, a second Carthaginian expedition, again led by Hannibal, landed on the island to spread terror anew through the Greek cities. The Carthaginians, however, soon found themselves dogged by ill fortune. A 'plague' decimated their ranks, even killing Hannibal as his besieging army lay rotting below the walls of Akragas (Latin Agrigentum, modern Agrigento). Although his successor, Himilco, son of Hanno, succeeded in capturing both that wealthy city and Gela and defeating a Syracusan relief attempt, a return of the pestilence left his command so weakened that in 405 BC he signed a peace accord with Dionysios of Syracuse. The newly established tyrant was more than happy for the respite. Equally contented with the outcome, Himilco sailed back to Carthage with the survivors of his anaemic army\n\nSeven years later Dionysios felt strong enough to renew hostilities with Carthage. The war was popular, and the Greeks began it with a massacre of all the Carthaginians and Phoenicians in their cities. Dionysios secured Greek Sicily and, the following year, marched on the Punic stronghold of Motya (Mozia). This wellwalled offshore island fell with the help of a formidable array of siege machinery, including recently invented non-torsion catapults But this sparked off a new Carthaginian effort, in which Himilco not only retook Motya but also sacked Messina on the other side of the island and finally, after a decisive naval victory, drove Dionysios back to face a siege in Syracuse itself This expedition, however, also ended in a complete disease-ridden disaster and the loss of the entire army, which in turn sparked off a revolt by Carthage's African subjects\n\nAn agreed frontier was drawn up between the two spheres and an uneasy truce was to last over the next half century. But by now Sicily was an obsession. The astonishing seesaw continued when a third major attempt at its conquest was launched in 341 BC, and once again it ended in disaster and defeat. Yet despite this, the lack of unity amongst the Sicilian Greeks enabled Carthage to hold tight the extreme western end of the island. 'No land was more productive of tyrants than Sicily', wrote Justin, and it is generally agreed amongst modern commentators that the Sicilian tyrannies owed their outmoded existence at least in part to the need of a strong hand and central control against the Carthaginians Nonetheless, after the breakdown in the second generation of the tyranny established by Dionysios, the Corinthian Timoleon sought to purge the island of its larger-than-life warlords and their roughneck private armies, and revive the autonomy of the Greek city states. But though he was successful in beating the Carthaginians more decisively than they had been since Gelon's time, no long-term political stability was achieved for the war weary island. The liberty Timoleon offered was liberty in the old city-state style, and Greek Sicily had no longer the vitality to make use of it. Tyranny reappeared on the island.\n\nIn 311 BC Agathokles, whose dream was the complete unification of Sicily under thef aegis of Syracuse, attacked the last of these Punic possessions, but was heavily defeated and driven all the way back to Syracuse, most of the island falling into Carthaginian hands. In an act of sheer desperation, though others would argue this was true strategic insight, the tyrant loaded 14,000 troops, mercenaries mostly, onto 60 ships, slipped out of the harbour, and set course for Africa, hoping by this bold counterstroke to save the situation In this he was successful. Having literally burnt his boats, he defeated a Carthaginian army, conscripted in haste, which stood against him and thus was able to move at will through the fertile countryside and the undefended cities. Thence caught on the back foot, Carthage had to recall troops from Sicily to deal with the invader. However, Agathokles failed to take well-walled Carthage itself and eventually peace was made in 307 BC, which left the Carthaginians in control of most of western and southern Sicily Although Agathokles' daring African expedition failed, later it was to influence the Romans in the Punic wars\n\nCarthage had one more foe to face before the curtain went up on the struggle with Rome. In 280 BC the Italian-Greek city of Taras (Latin Tarentum, modern Taranto), under threat from the Romans, had called in Pyrrhos of Epeiros, an outstanding mercenary warrior-king, to assist them His first bloody victory over Roman troops was near Taras' colony, Herakleia, after which he dashed northwards to Rome and sent his trusted diplomat Kineas to extend terms to the Senate. He offered to restore all prisoners and to end the war, if the Romans would make peace with Taras, grant autonomy to the Italian Greeks, and return all territory taken from the Samnites and Lucanians, Oscan peoples recently conquered by Rome. These terms would have severely limited the spread of Roman involvement in the south and have created a Tarentine supremacy there. He was refused bluntly and sent packing by the Senate, and he was said to have reported to his king that Rome was like a many-headed monster whose armies would keep on being replenished If this was true, then Kineas, erstwhile pupil of the great Athenian orator and democrat Demosthenes, was a shrewd judge of Roman manpower.\n\nAfter this refusal Pyrrhos won a second bloody victory at Asculum, a ferocious two-day engagement, in which his elephants of war played a major role. Each one carried a tower, or howdah, strapped to its back as a fighting platform protecting two men armed with javelins. This is our first reliable reference to the howdah, and Pyrrhos may have invented it In any event, only when a heroic (or foolhardy) legionary hacked off the trunk of one elephant were the Romans said to have realized that 'the monsters were mortal' Nonetheless, they still terrified the enemy cavalry. Once again, the casualties on both sides were heavy. 'Another such victory', Pyrrhos is said to have remarked, 'and we shall be lost', whence our saying 'a Pyrrhic victory' for any success bought at too high a price As was becoming painfully clear, the Romans could afford such losses better than Pyrrhos could, as they had much of Italy from which to recruit, whereas the highly skilled professionals of Pyrrhos' Macedonian-style phalanx were irreplaceable.\n\nIn 278 BC Pyrrhos faced a choice: either to turn to Macedonia, where recent events gave him hope of the throne there, or else to Sicily, in keeping with his former marriage to a Syracusan princess, none other than the daughter of Agathokles, Lanassa While continuing to protect Taras, he chose to go south to Sicily where he now promised 'freedom' from the Carthaginians, who had high hopes of winning the whole of the island. For three years he showed no more commitment to real freedom than any true Hellenistic king and failed in his hopes. The plans of Carthage were indeed thwarted, the Carthaginians having been swept out from the island except for the one stronghold Lilybaeum (Marsala), but the autocratic Pyrrhos overstayed his welcome, and his Sicilian-Greek supporters, who were no keener to surrender their freedom to Pyrrhos than to Carthage, turned against him. On his return voyage to Italy he lost several of his precious elephants when he was soundly trounced by the Carthaginian navy, losing 70 out of his 110 ships, and he failed to win the third crucial encounter against the Romans at Malventum So Pyrrhos left a substantial garrison at Taras and sailed back across the Adriatic.\n\nIn the meantime the _status quo_ in Sicily was restored, and the Carthaginians and Greeks were once again at each other's throats, oblivious to the world around. Pyrrhos' meteoric career there had prevented it from becoming a Carthaginian province, and on his departure he is said to have described the island as the 'future wrestling-ground for Rome and Carthage' At first, Rome and Carthage had reasserted their old alliances in the face of the new invader. But within a dozen years they would be locked in war, as Pyrrhos predicted. On and off, it was to last for more than six decades. As for Taras, its days of freedom were to be over. Three years after Malventum, in 272 BC, the Romans took control of troublesome Taras, allowing the garrison that Pyrrhos had left there to withdraw on honourable terms. Definitely crushed, its territory was confiscated and made _ager publicus_ , state land. The plunder of Taras, according to the Hadrianic author and poet Florus, was enormous and its acquisition would be a turning point in the Republic's history:\n\nSo rich a spoil was gathered from so many wealthy races that Rome could not contain the fruits of her victory. Scarcely ever did a fairer or more glorious triumph enter the city. Up to that time the only spoils that you could have seen were the cattle of the Volsci, the chariots of the Gauls, the broken arms of the Samnites; now if you looked at the captives they were Molossians, Thessalians, Macedonians [i.e. soldiers from Pyrrhos' army who had remained in Taras], Bruttians, Apulians and Lucanians [i.e. Italic peoples and Italian Greeks]; if you look upon the procession, you saw gold, purple, statues, pictures and all the luxury of Taras. But upon nothing did the Roman people look with greater pleasure than upon those huge beasts [i.e. Pyrrhos' elephants], which they had feared so much, with towers upon their backs, now following the horses [i.e. Roman citizen cavalry], which had vanquished them, with their heads bowed low, not wholly unconscious that they were prisoners\n\nWith the taking and sacking of Taras, continues the baroque Florus, 'all Italy enjoyed peace' Peace, however, would be short lived, as the Romans soon afterwards occupied Rhegion (Reggio di Calabria) on the straits of Messina, opposite Sicily. As fate would have it, the rival powers of Rome and Carthage were now face to face and about to cross swords.\n\n##### **T HE ELEPHANT KING**\n\nThe restless career of Pyrrhos of Epeiros epitomizes the age of Alexander's Successors. In spring 280 BC the king crossed into Italy and confronted the Romans for the first time with first-class professional soldiers who had been trained in the world-conquering tactics of Alexander the Great. He also brought another Hellenistic novelty: twenty war elephants.\n\nBut Pyrrhos was also a throwback; he was the last great rival of Homer's heroes. Like his cousin Alexander, he matched himself with Achilles, his assumed ancestor, and set off to fight a new Trojan War against the Romans of 'Trojan' descent The prince shone in the front line of battle in his ornamented armour and laurelled helmet. Yet he was no tinsel hero. He revelled in single combat and it is said that once, with a single swipe, he hacked a savage Mamertine mercenary in half But he was not just a heroic hooligan either. He was the most famous general of his day He wrote a treatise on tactics and a set of personal memoirs, and was later admired for his siegecraft and diplomacy\n\nNowadays, in the public imagination at least, it is Hannibal who is remembered as the celebrated user of pachyderms, probably first popularized as such when the embittered satirist Juvenal lampooned him as 'the one-eyed commander perched on his gigantic beast!' As we shall discover later, this is something of a paradox, since elephants figured only in his earliest victories, the Tagus (220 BC) and the Trebbia (218 BC), and then, damagingly, at Zama (202 BC). In point of fact, Pyrrhos deployed them in far more settings, including the Italian peninsula, throughout his full and eventful career. In the west, he, not Hannibal, is the true 'Elephant King', and it is interesting to note that the Carthaginian genius classed Pyrrhos as second only to Alexander in his hierarchy of top-flight generals A similar sentiment was expressed by Antigonos Gonatas of Macedon, for when the king was asked who the best general of his day was, he replied, 'Pyrrhos, if he lives to be old enough' As Justin was to write later, 'all Greece in admiration of his name and amazed at his achievements against the Romans and the Carthaginians was awaiting his return' And return he did.\n\nAfter Italy Pyrrhos ended up fighting first in Macedon, then in Sparta and Argos. In Macedon he replenished his elephants by a victory over Antigonos Gonatas, and then took them down to the Peloponnese. When Areus was chosen as king of Sparta, his uncle Kleonymos, who thought he had a better claim, went off to fight for Taras as a mercenary. Later, having seized Corcyra for himself, he signed on with the power most likely to help him to higher things, hence Pyrrhos' invasion of the Peloponnese during the spring of 272 BC, but his attempt to place Kleonymos on the throne by force of arms failed. Later in the same year, while his stampeding elephants blocked the gates at Argos, he was knocked senseless by a roof-tile, apparently hurled from a housetop by the mother of an Argive he was trying to kill, and he toppled from his horse. In the confused street fighting, a soldier of Antigonos dragged him into a doorway and decapitated him. His head was brought to Antigonos, who was said to have rebuked its bearer, his son, and wept at the sight of the ashen visage. Pyrrhos' head and trunk were soon reunited and cremated with full honours.\nC H A P T E R 4\n\n## **Picking a fight**\n\nA fire that had been slowly smouldering for some time was kindled into flame in an unexpected manner. Following the death of Agathokles of Syracuse (289 BC), a band of his Campanian mercenaries found themselves discharged and without further employment. Instead of returning home, they decided to seize the Greek city of Messana (Messina), on the northeastern tip of Sicily within view of the toe of Italy, and to live as an independent community of brigands. This they did by slaughtering Messana's leading citizens and appropriating their wives and property. Their position was further strengthened by a similar seizure of Rhegion, across the straits in Italy, by a force of Roman soldiers made up of Campanian 'citizens without the vote'.\n\nGoing under the sobriquet of 'Mamertini' or 'sons of Mamers', the Oscan version of the pitiless war god Mars, the mercenaries-turned-brigands survived by harrying their small corner of Sicily, plundering the surrounding districts, Punic and Greek alike. Beaten but not exterminated by Pyrrhos, they were later defeated by Hiero II, the new king of Syracuse who, as a young general, had fought alongside the Olympian _condottiere._ 3 Thereupon, with their ill-gotten city now besieged by Syracusan forces, some of the Mamertini turned to the Carthaginians and offered to put themselves and Messana in their hands (265 BC). At the same time, however, another faction among them had sent envoys to Rome seeking protection as Campanians and so as 'a kindred people', and they likewise proposed to surrender Messana. The acceptance of this appeal by the Senate was the spark that fired the train. The proximate cause of the First Punic War is thus clear, like the assassination at Sarajevo in June 1914, but it is not a circumstance.\n\nIf the fundamental cause of the First Punic War is not so clear, we do nonetheless have in Polybios' account some of the opinions that were supposed to have been aired in the Senate at the time. It seems in Polybios' view the overriding consideration in the minds of those senators who advocated acceptance of the appeal was fear, lest the island pass finally under Punic control and 'allow the Carthaginians as it were to build a bridge for crossing over to Italy'. We have no means of knowing whether the Carthaginians had any intentions of interfering in Italy. Such information is lost to history. Nevertheless, Rome must have been sensitive about the attitude of Italian-Greek city states of the south with which it had so recently been at war, and there is the later annalistic tradition that a Carthaginian fleet had sailed to the aid of Taras, which was still being held by Pyrrhos' captain general Milo, during the latter stages of the Roman siege.\n\nThus Roman fears, though perhaps groundless, may have been quite genuine. It should also be noted that the acceptance of the Mamertini appeal did not mark any new departure in Roman foreign policy: it had long been characteristic of the Senate to accept such appeals, naturally, when it suited. The Carthaginians, for their part, could have avoided war had they been prepared to accept a _fait accompli_ in Messana, but they must have calculated that if the Romans were allowed to interfere there, this might lead to further encroachment elsewhere in Sicily. At the same time, they had every reason to expect success: their navy could dominate the waters around Sicily and control of the island was ultimately bound to depend on seapower. It appears that the prime reason for the war was the mutual fear in both Rome and Carthage of the other's growing power, each believing their only long-term security lay in weakening the other's power before that power was big enough to pose a serious threat. The potential for war became the reason for war, and once begun, it grew to such monstrous proportions that neither side was willing to back down.\n\nDespite popular fantasy, fuelled by many popular books, it would be wrong of us to describe their first confrontation as an instance of big versus small, one between a gadfly (maritime Carthage) and an elephant (landlubber Rome). They were well-matched adversaries, capable in fact of coming to terms, as earlier treaties had shown. Polybios describes the First Punic War as 'the longest, most continuous and the greatest war of which we have knowledge', and the first round in the struggle between Rome and Carthage would rage for some twenty-three years, mainly fought out in the coastal waters of Sicily. It was chiefly remarkable for the Roman achievement in not only building up a navy, but in winning all the naval engagements (Mylae 260 BC, Sulci 258 BC, Tyndaris 257 BC, Ecnomus 256 BC, Cape Hermaia 255 BC) save one (Drepana 249 BC), culminating in the decisive victory off the Aegates Islands (241 BC). In fact this struggle at sea was the greatest naval war in antiquity, with fleets of more than 300 oared warships crewed by more than 100,000 sailors, and at the end of it Rome, a nation of alleged landlubbers, replaced Carthage as the most powerful maritime state in the western Mediterranean. This is a fact that is often forgotten, but partway explains Rome's eventual domination over all the lands of the Mediterranean basin.\n\nSo the first war between Rome and Carthage was essentially a scramble for control of an island: Sicily. In 264 BC one of the two consuls for that year, Appius Claudius Caudex, was despatched by the Senate with an army across the straits into Sicily. This was the first country beyond the shores of Italy on which the Romans set foot, using ships borrowed from their _socii navales_ , allies whose cities lay on the coast (especially those of the Italian Greeks) and were required to furnish ships, oarsmen and marines. Having made a single, successful crossing at night, the consular army went on to defeat both the Carthaginian and Syracusan forces in a rapid series of sharp encounters.\n\nThe following year Hiero of Syracuse dropped his alliance with Carthage and contracted one with Rome; from now until the end of the war the Greek king would provide Rome both men and supplies, and for the rest of his long life proved to be remarkably loyal. In any case, the immediate upshot of this new friendship with Hiero meant not only did the Romans no longer have to face two enemies at the same time, but they now had a secure foothold on the island. Alarmed, Carthage responded by hiring mercenaries, recruited mainly in Liguria, Gaul and Iberia, and focused its efforts around Akragas (Latin Agrigentum, modern Agrigento), a Greek city in southern Sicily and an important Carthaginian base. Rome's countermove was to brutally sack the city, an action that quickly alienated many Sicilian communities.\n\nAccording to Polybios, Roman policy was no longer one of just ensuring the security of the Mamertini in Messana, but one now geared to driving the Carthaginians entirely from the island. By 261 BC Roman forces were winning the land war, but they were unable to take the strongly-fortified coastal cities by direct assault, many of which had sided with Carthage because of fear of the Carthaginian navy. These could only be forced into submission by starvation, but having no navy of their own prevented the Romans from blockading them by sea, even if the nature of ancient warships precluded a continuous sea blockade in the modern sense of naval power. In addition, Rome had been suffering from seaborne raids up and down the Italian coast and was unable to retaliate by doing likewise to the African coast.\n\nThe almost impossible task of conquering an island without a proper war fleet was remedied by the construction of 100 quinqueremes and 20 triremes, all in the space of 60 days from cutting the timber; a Carthaginian vessel, which had run aground in the heat of battle, had been captured, whole and intact, at the beginning of the war and subsequently used as an indispensable model for the quinqueremes. The discovery in a shallow stretch of water just north of Marsala of a Punic warship of the third century BC has told us, like the Romans before, a great deal about the carpentry and construction techniques used by the Carthaginians. The craft was entirely built of wooden components prefabricated separately and assembled later. This can be deduced from the presence of letters from the Punic alphabet on individual parts, and blueprints that must have been drawn for the shipwrights. Though a ship's construction required expert calculations, it is assumed that its various component parts were mass produced separately with the aid of standard patterns, and were put together piece by piece at a second stage, after seasoning and according to need. Thus it was possible to assemble a large number of vessels at the same time, and make them seaworthy very quickly.\n\nThe Marsala wreck also tells us the nature of the timber used in warship construction, namely maple for the keel, oak for the ribs, and pine for the planking. But this has been dealt with elsewhere. The ship itself conforms to the eastern Mediterranean tradition of shipbuilding known as 'shell-first' or 'carvel' construction. The hull itself is made up of keel, stem- and sternpost, frames, planks, gunwales, and beams. The longitudinal members are put together by use of mortise-and-tenon joints fixed by dowel-pins, brilliantly described by Homer in his quintessential sailor's story, the _Odyssey_ , and covered by a stressed carvel-built shell of planks, namely edge-to-edge and not overlapping to give a smoother, faster hull. The usual practice was to individually shape and fit the ribs inside the hull after it was completed: the reverse order of construction from that of a clinker-built\n\nboat.\n\nAccording to the remarkable story of Polybios, the Romans, having no previous experience of naval matters, then proceeded to train its greenhorn crews on dry land. Naturally, the resulting ships were no-match for the more experienced Carthaginian navy; not only were the Roman crews untried, but their new ships were heavy in construction. Ever adaptable, the Romans decided to fit their quinqueremes with the _corvus_ , 'crow', a mechanical gangplank that enabled enemy vessels to be boarded by lubberly legionaries serving as makeshift marines. This ingenious but simple device was clearly designed to enable the Romans, with their advantage in the weight of metal and of men, to turn a sea battle into a close imitation of a land battle and thus confront their adversaries with cold steel. This was their forte. Yet when we pause to consider, from the snug comfort of our armchairs, the class of warfare that lay before them, they, in fact, deserve our admiration for braving what was cooped-up fighting on an unknown element in a thing made of wood that might at any moment founder under foot.\n\nUnderneath the raised end of the gangplank was a heavy, pointed spike resembling a bird's beak, hence the device's nickname. The _corvus_ , according to Polybios, who employs here the equivalent Greek noun _k\u00f3rax_ , was constructed as follows:\n\nOn the prow stood a round pole four fathoms (7.3m) in height and three palms (25.4cm) in diameter. This pole had a pulley at the summit and round it was put a gangway made of cross planks attached by nails, four feet (1.2m) in width and six fathoms (10.9m) in length. In this gangplank was an oblong groove, and it went around the pole at a distance of two fathoms (3.7m) from its near end. The gangway also had a railing on each of its long sides as high as a man's knee [ie around 0.65m]. At its extremity was fastened an iron object like a pestle pointed at one end and with a ring at the other end, so that the whole looked like the machine for pounding grain. To this ring was attached a rope with which, when the ship charged an enemy, they raised the _corvi_ by means of the pulley on the pole and let them down on the enemy's deck, sometimes from the prow and sometimes bringing them round when the ships collided broadsides.\n\nSome scholars have completely rejected Polybios' account of the _corvus_ , mainly on the grounds that they would have made the ship top-heavy. These doubters have postulated that in reality the device was simply a form of a grapnel, as is suggested by some of the secondary sources. But Polybios' description is detailed, and there is no sound reason to question that the device he describes was practicable, especially so when we consider the viable working model of the _corvus_ so ably constructed by Wallinga.\n\nFollowing Polybios, therefore, we can presume that when released the _corvus_ fell heavily onto the deck of an enemy vessel, the large spike embedding itself into its planking, locking the two vessels together. The oblong groove, which was cut about a third of the way along its length, allowed the gangplank to be swung around in a wide arc to fall ahead or either side of the ship's prow, depending on the direction of the approaching enemy. Once the gangplank was securely fixed in the other vessel, the Roman marines could swarm across, sweep through the doomed ship, and swamp its less numerous and less well-armed crew.\n\nThe new Roman fleet, under the _novus homo_ Caius Duilius, set sail on the hunt and into the history books. And so it was that Duilius first deployed the _corvus_ in the subsequent naval engagement off Mylae (Milazzo), on the north coast near Messana (260 BC). Here the Carthaginian fleet, overconfident in its seamanship and contemptuous of that of its adversary, was overcome in a blistering sea battle in which Duilius and his marines hammered the Carthaginians into submission with a loss of fifty vessels. Duilius then sailed to the western end of Sicily where he landed his marines just in time to save Egesta (Latin Segesta), which was under siege and in the last stage of distress. At this point it would be worthwhile pausing for a brief moment and pondering a text in praise of Duilius' victory, which was inscribed on a monument erected in his honour and known as the _columna rostrata:_\n\n[Segest]ans[] he delivered [from blocka]de [all the Carthaginians and their gr]eatest magistrates in d[aylight after n]ine days fed from their camps, and Macel[a the town by force and s]torm he took. In the same mag[istracy good t]hings by sea as consul first (of all men) he d[id and forces(?) and f]leets of ships he first equipped and pre[pared] and with those ships the Punic fleets a[ll of them, and ve]ry great forces of Carthaginians, when [Hannibal] their dictator was present, he [defeated in ba]ttle on the high seas [and by fo]rce he [too]k ship[s] with their crews: one septir[eme] th[irty] [quinquere]mes and triremes [thirteen he sank(?)]. Gold taken 3,600 pieces [more details of the booty follow] [the first al]so he was naval booty on the people [to bestow and first of all] fre[ebo]rn Carthaginians to l[ead in triumph].\n\nFulsome in its use of boastful superlatives, the Duilius inscription superbly illustrates the fame that a victorious Roman commander could achieve in his own lifetime and, naturally, advertise posthumously. In an aristocratic society where personal glory counted for everything, enumeration was essential, just to make it clear how great your achievement has been. Thus, as can be seen in the most casual glance at the inscription, it boldly advertises the exact number of ships sunk, including the gargantuan _hept\u00ear\u00eas_ that Polybios says formerly belonged to Pyrrhos, and exact quantity of booty captured - objective proof that his victory was the best. On top of this, Duilius had been the first in his family to gain the consulship, hence the appellation _novus homo_ , 'new man', and the first in Rome to achieve victory on the high seas in a major naval engagement.\n\nRome was now a serious challenge at sea, and both sides displayed an outward confidence of victory. Fleets were commissioned and the expected showdown finally took place off Cape Ecnomus (Poggio San Angelo) on the south coast near Phintias (256 BC), 330 Roman quinqueremes under raised _corvi_ sailed into action against 350 Carthaginian, the largest naval action to date. Polybios claims the Romans packed 120 marines per ship, and the combination of sheer brute force and the _corvus_ brought Rome a triumph. The price was the loss of twenty-four ships, while that for Carthage stood in the order of thirty plus ships wrecked and a further sixty-four taken as prizes.\n\nEncouraged by its triumph off Cape Ecnomus, Rome now took the important decision to mount a full-scale invasion of Africa, despatching the victorious 'fleet in being' under the two consuls Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso. Coming ashore near Aspis (Latin Clupea, modern Kelibia) without hindrance, the Carthaginians only having sufficient men in Africa to do no more than defend Carthage some 60km to the west, and the consuls soon forced the city to surrender. With winter fast approaching there was the looming logistic headache of feeding some 75,000 seamen, who outnumbered the soldiers of the fleet by threefold. Fresh orders from the Senate detailed one consul, Regulus, to remain in Africa with 15,000 foot and 500 horse, with a detachment of 40 ships to support them. This was probably a consular army, albeit below strength, since Polybios later mentions 'the first legion', which does suggest there was another one. The lack of cavalry is best explained by the obvious difficulties involved in transporting horses by sea. Meantime, the other consul, Vulso, was to return to Rome with the bulk of the fleet, including all the transports.\n\nEarly in 255 BC, having defeated the Carthaginians and occupied Tunis, Regulus was encamped within a few kilometres of Carthage, from where he dominated the surrounding countryside, the bounty of which provided his men with provisions in abundant quantities. Having partaken in the notable victory off Cape Ecnomus, landed successfully in the Carthaginian homeland, and pitched up outside their very capital, Regulus must have sensed glory lying within his grasp. All he needed to do was to push the already tottering Carthage.\n\nYet there was a rub. Carthage was still a formidable city to take by storm and time was pressing. In a society based on the pursuit of glory, as Rome clearly was, there is only a limited amount of glory to be had. Regulus' consular replacement could shortly be expected to arrive from Rome and thus snatch that precious glory. This would not do, so, according to Polybios, Regulus decided to negotiate with the Carthaginians, an offer which was gladly accepted. But with true Roman arrogance, he imposed too harsh conditions upon them. The Carthaginians, therefore, decided to carry on with the war and sent recruiting agents to Greece.\n\nThere, says Polybios, 'a considerable number of soldiers' were employed and quickly shipped to Carthage. With them was 'a certain Spartan, a man who had been brought up in the Spartan discipline, and had had a fair amount of military experience'. Xanthippos was a _condottieri_ , and he was hired to reorganize and shake up the Carthaginian army.\n\nIn the late spring Xanthippos, who obviously excelled in his task, annihilated the Roman expeditionary force and Rome was compelled to send 350 ships so as to rescue the survivors of Regulus' shattered and starving army. Off the African coast an engagement ensued, resulting in 114 Carthaginian vessels being captured. Returning home, however, the Roman fleet was overtaken by a terrific summer storm off Camarina and all but eighty vessels survived the tempest. With this appalling reversal for Rome, Carthage bounced back.\n\nStubborn as ever, as indeed they were, the Romans laid down another 220 quinqueremes, completing the task in three months, 'a thing', to use Polybios' words, 'difficult to believe'. Yet, as he points out, the consuls of 254 BC were provided with 300 ships for an attack on Panormus, presumably the 220 new quinqueremes plus the eighty that survived the disaster off Camarina. Anyway, the combined army and navy operation was a complete success, Panormus quickly falling once its harbour was secured and its walls breached.\n\nDuring the campaign season of 253 BC the Romans crossed over to Africa with the aim of carrying the war right up to Carthage's doorstep once again. Unfortunately for Rome its fleet was all but lost when it became ignominiously stranded off the island of Meninx (Dejerba) on an ebb tide, the lubberly Romans saving themselves only by flinging overboard all their heavy gear, presumably including the _corvi_. But worse was to befall them. Limping homewards, they stopped off in Panormus, now in Roman hands, but instead of continuing along the north coast of Sicily, they rashly made a dash across the open sea for home and were caught in a storm; the losses totalled 150 ships together with their crews. Unsurprisingly, Rome now opted to concentrate its efforts on land.\n\nDuring the summer of 250 BC, Lucius Caecilius Metellus _(cos_. 251 BC) defeated the Carthaginian army attempting to retake Panormus. With this victory, the last set-piece land battle to be fought in Sicily during the war, Rome decided once again to take to the high seas; some 200 ships were hastily constructed and Sicily was occupied apart from the two Carthaginian strongholds of Lilybaeum (Marsala) and Drepana (Trapani), both situated on the westernmost tip of the island. Lilybaeum, the fulcrum of Punic military power, was subsequently besieged.\n\nHowever, fifty warships under Hannibal, the son of the Hamilcar who had been one of the Carthaginian generals with Xanthippos at the victory over Regulus, sailed to the Aegates Islands and, having picked up a following wind, dashed into the harbour of Lilybaeum like some corsair on an afternoon foray. Here he disembarked substantial reinforcements and ample supplies, sailed out again unmolested by the blockading Roman fleet and proceeded to Drepana. Thus the pattern was set, and another Carthaginian captain, the legendary Hannibal 'the Rhodian', frequently ran the blockade of Lilybaeum despite Roman efforts to prevent this, and despite the fact that the approach to its harbour was made doubly dangerous by the shoals. Eventually his luck was to run out, the Romans having managed to take a Carthaginian quadrireme intact, which turned out to be one of the finest and fastest vessels that ever held oars. This they manned with a select crew and, packing on board a crack boarding party, the Romans overhauled and overwhelmed the slippery blockade-runner of 'the Rhodian'.\n\nBuoyed up by this success the Roman fleet now challenged the Carthaginians at sea. Publius Claudius Pulcher, one of the consuls for 249 BC, sailed against the Carthaginian naval base at Drepana, but was trounced when the commander there, Adherbal, trapped his fleet close inshore. Amazingly, it was the only victory Carthage won on the high seas, yet this naval engagement ideally demonstrates the fact that the Carthaginians possessed the better quinquereme: lighter construction, therefore faster, and with better-trained crews who knew how to outclass and outmanoeuvre the heavy and clumsy Roman quinquereme. It is at this juncture that Polybios takes the opportunity to explain to his Greek readers the naval tactics employed by the Carthaginians: the _diekplous_ ('sailing through') and the _periplous_ ('sailing around'), the same naval tactics once employed by the imperial navy of democratic Athens. If they had not done already, the calamitous result of Drepana demonstrated to the Romans that they had to abandon the _corvus_ , particularly as it made their quinqueremes unseaworthy and sluggish, and this also partly explains their horrendous losses through storms.\n\nRome next sent ships to resupply its forces besieging Lilybaeum, and once again its lack of seamanship resulted in the complete loss of yet another fleet, this time shattered on the rocks off Cape Pachynon (Capo Passero), the southeastern tip of Sicily. Once more Rome abandoned its naval effort for the time being, but continued its investment of Lilybaeum; eight years later when the war had finally limped to its finale, the city would still belong to the Carthaginians.\n\nYet Carthage failed to press home the obvious advantage it had gained by the destruction of the Roman fleet. At the very least we might have expected Carthage to ship troops over to Sicily to relieve the siege of Lilybaeum and begin the task of recovering the ground lost there. The other option afforded by its newly recovered seapower was to attack southern Italy, where Rome's grip was precarious. It is arguable that Carthage, unlike Rome, lacked the killer instinct. To Rome, wars ended when it dictated its terms to the vanquished: to Carthage, wars ended with a negotiated settlement, even Hannibal, as is told in the proper place, was later to think in much the same terms. The immediate problem for Carthage, however, was Africa. Ever since Regulus' landing and initial success there, unrest and discontentment simmered on the fringes of Carthaginian territory, which the savage reprisals immediately following Regulus' defeat will probably have done little or nothing to suppress. But, as we have seen, this had not prevented the reinforcing of Lilybaeum with at least 10,000, if not 14,000 men.\n\nThere seems to have been a major shift in policy in Carthage. We know that at about this time the Carthaginian general Hanno 'the Great' conquered Hekatompylos (Latin Theveste, modern T\u00e9 bessa on the Tunisian-Algerian frontier). Since this lies at the furthest point Carthaginian conquest ever reached (it is some 160km southwest of Carthage) its subjugation was probably the culmination of some years of warfare, as Polybios hints when he says Hanno was 'accustomed to fighting with Numidians and Libyans'. By 241 BC he was evidently the generalissimo in Africa, and judging by what Polybios says about his extortions from the Libyans, had been for some years. It seems, therefore, it was felt by some Carthaginians, led perhaps by Hanno, that the war against Rome was as good as won, and that the time had come to consolidate and even extend their territory in Africa. One of the opponents of this African policy was almost certainly Hamilcar Barca. Everything we know about this man and his family, including his son Hannibal, and of Hanno's later opposition to them, would suggest this. But if Hamilcar did push an aggressive strategy in Sicily, it would appear that he lost the argument.\n\nIt was in the year 247 BC that this venturesome and resourceful member of the Barca family entered the Sicilian arena. Not content to sit tight in Lilybaeum or Drepana, Hamilcar's intention was to take the offensive, but his resources were slim, limited basically to the existing garrisons within the two besieged cities. After raiding the Italian coast around Locri, he established a base on top of Mount Heirkte (Monte Castellaccio, 890m), an abrupt flat-topped hill 'lying near the sea between Eryx and Panormus'. From this hulking sanctuary he maintained a low-key war, mounting guerrilla operations diversified with seaborne raids along the Italian coast, some of which took him as far as Cumae, in the hope of bringing the Italic peoples to revolt against the Romans. Some three years later he would audaciously shift his base of operations to the nearby Eryx (Monte San Giuliano, 751m), just east of Drepana and, much like a sentinel, commanding the route from there to Panormus. For a total of five years Hamilcar would remain a constant thorn in the side of the Romans.\n\nWith both sides exhausted and almost spent, much like two punch-drunk boxers lurching around the ring, a stalemate had been reached. But Rome, with voluntary loans from private citizens, built 200 quinqueremes modelled on the captured blockade-runner of Hannibal the Rhodian. The following year the consul Caius Lutatius Catulus positioned the newly commissioned ships off Sicily and, with no fleet in service outside of African waters, the Carthaginians were caught off their guard. Lutatius therefore took the harbour at Drepana and the anchorage ground near Lilybaeum, then spent the remainder of the campaigning season rigorously training his fleet for the inevitable clash that lay ahead.\n\nIn early 241 BC the Carthaginians despatched a fleet, laden with supplies, its commander, yet another Hanno, ordered to join up with Hamilcar at Eryx. Here, having emptied his ships, he was to take on board as marines the best qualified mercenaries together with Hamilcar himself, 'and then', as Polybios says, 'engage the enemy'. But Lutatius had other plans. Taking on board a picked force from the army, he stationed his fleet off the Aegates Islands, armed with the knowledge that the Carthaginians invariably approached Sicily this way. The following morning, despite choppy seas and the wind blowing against him, Lutatius formed for battle in single line abeam. On sighting the Roman fleet, the Carthaginians, knowing they had to fight, lowered their sails and closed to engage.\n\nThere is some doubt about the validity of Polybios' account covering this crucial, final naval engagement, as he conveniently and very neatly states that just as 'the outfit of each force was just the reverse of what it had been at the Battle of Drepana, the result also was naturally the reverse for each'. The Roman quinqueremes were of a superior design, their oarsmen highly trained, their marines the pick of the army, while their opponents' ships were heavily laden with stores, their crews poorly trained and hastily raised, and their marines new levies on their first voyage. The result, if we are to believe the usually honest Polybios, was a foregone conclusion. With no losses for the Romans, the Carthaginians lost fifty ships with a further seventy taken as prizes along with their crews. Diodoros, however, though his figure of 117 ships for the overall losses is very similar, claims that only twenty were captured, and gives the Roman losses as eighty ships, thirty completely and fifty partially disabled. If this is true, the sea fight was harder fought than Polybios implies. We may ask ourselves the one obvious question: was Polybios massaging the historical facts? Notwithstanding the problems of our principal source in this context, the Carthaginians decisively lost the battle and command of the sea rested firmly with Rome. Hanno got away to Carthage only to be nailed to the cross, while Hamilcar was left high and dry on Sicily and, therefore, was instructed by Carthage to negotiate the best terms he could with the Romans.\n\nThe resulting peace treaty forced Carthage out of Sicily and it was also instructed not to make war on Hiero of Syracuse. Sicily effectively passed into Roman control; the western part of the island became the first Roman province overseas, while the eastern part remained under the rule of Hiero until his death (215 BC). In addition, Carthage had to surrender the islands, including the Aegates, between Sicily and Italy, and was condemned to pay over to Rome 3,200 Euboian talents of silver, 1,000 payable immediately, the balance over a period of ten years. It was a chastening blow, and the future of Carthage seemed reduced to that of a second-rate power. Polybios also adds that in the course of the war Rome lost about 700 quinqueremes and the Carthaginians about 500. Despite this, however, Rome was now a fully-fledged naval power.\n\n##### THE BATTLE OF TUNIS, 255 BC\n\nEarly in the year Regulus had defeated a Carthaginian army that had encamped on a hill, where their cavalry and elephants could not be properly deployed. Understandably, therefore, Xanthippos was loudly critical of the Carthaginian generals' performance to date and, accepting his criticisms, they agreed to listen to him. In particular, he pointed out that their long suit lay in cavalry and elephants would give them the advantage on level ground, which hitherto they had ignominiously avoided. As a graduate of the Hellenistic school of warfare, he doubtless knew the proper use of horse and elephant.\n\nWhen Regulus marched across the flat Bagradas plain towards Carthage, Xanthippos confidently advanced to check him, leading an army of 12,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, and his ace in the hole, elephants close to 100 strong. Precisely where the battle was fought is unknown, beyond Polybios' vague assertion that the Carthaginians were 'marching through the flat country'. However, it is often referred to as the Battle of Tunis, since 'the town named Tunis' was the place he mentions as occupied by the Romans. No matter, for whatever its true location, the battle was obviously going to be contested on ground of Xanthippos' own choosing.\n\nXanthippos deployed the Carthaginian citizens in the centre, with the bulk of his fellow Greek mercenaries on the right. The elephants were in a single line some way ahead of the Carthaginian phalanx, with cavalry and those mercenaries of a lightly-armed nature in front of the wings. In response Regulus split his few cavalry between his wings and, in the vain hope of halting the elephants, drew up his legionaries in unusual depth, 'many maniples deep', with the _velites_ thrown out in front. Normally a Roman legion deployed in three lines, _triplex acies_ , the ten maniples of each side by side, but with gaps between them equal to a width of a maniple. The maniples of the second line covered the gaps between those of the first, and those of the third the gaps between those of the second. Before contact, the gaps of each line would be closed, probably by the rear century _(centuria posterior)_ of each maniple moving up and deploying to the left of the front century _(centuria prior)_. __The only hint from Polybios is that Regulus made the 'whole line shorter and deeper than before', perhaps by ordering the centuries of each maniple to remain one behind the other. 69 Whatever it was Regulus ordered with regards to his tactical subunits, Xanthippos must have smiled grimly when he surveyed the Roman order of battle.\n\nXanthippos, still smiling no doubt, opened the proceedings by ordering the elephants and cavalry to charge forward. Bravely, the Romans advanced to meet them, 'clashing their shields and spears together, as is their custom, and uttering their war cries' to stiffen their own resolve for the coming struggle. The Carthaginian cavalry soon trounced their heavily outnumbered Roman counterparts, who vanished from the field to play no further part in the battle. However, the infantry on the left of the Roman battleline, avoiding the elephants, charged and broke the Greek mercenaries opposite them, pursuing them as far as the Carthaginian camp. Meanwhile, the charging elephants crashed into the remaining legionaries, who quickly discovered their deep formation only allowed them to be crushed underfoot more easily. To make matters grimmer for them, they were soon also assaulted on flank and rear by the returning cavalry. Those who managed to carve their way past the elephants were cut down by the waiting Carthaginian citizens, who, having until now mainly featured as 'extras', made great slaughter of them.\n\nSome 2,000 legionaries from the Roman left, who had hared after the mercenaries, got away and eventually made it to Aspis; Regulus and those who got away with him, probably his _entourage_ , were shortly afterwards rounded up and taken to Carthage; the rest were slaughtered where they stood or hunted down by horsemen as they fled across the open plain. The Carthaginians lost 800 mercenaries, but no other casualties worth mentioning. Carthage owed everything to the Spartan, and Polybios does not fail to give his fellow Greek his due, considering him a striking vindication of Euripides' sagacity that 'one wise counsel conquers many hands'. In the very hour of his triumph Xanthippos disappears from the scene, quitting Carthaginian service, possibly for that of Egypt. Much like Drepana at sea, Tunis was to prove Carthage's only victory in a land battle.\nC H A P T E R 5\n\n## **Between the wars**\n\nIn 241 BC the first epic struggle between Rome and Carthage came to an end. Carthage had evacuated Sicily, after some 500 years on parts of it, and was now forced to pay Rome a considerable war indemnity. Before long, its government would be plunged into a bloody and shameful debacle when Carthage's war-weary and penniless mercenary troops mutinied, believing, like many a frontline fighting man returning home to Germany after the 1918 Armistice, that they had received a 'stab in the back'. Having been handed over to a general named Gesco and evacuated back to Africa in small staggered batches, Hamilcar Barca's veterans were left to rot on the streets of Carthage. Wisely, Gesco had reasoned that the authorities back home could pay the mercenaries their arrears as they landed and then pack them off to their own places of origin before the next batch arrived. Unwisely, the authorities chose to ignore these very sensible arrangements and refused to pay anyone until the whole army had collected in Carthage in the mistaken conviction that the mercenaries would let them off part of their arrears of pay. Anyway, after numerous disturbances in the city the 20,000 ill-disciplined but well-equipped mercenaries were shifted to Sicca (El Kef), the authorities even allowing them to take their baggage and their families.\n\nAt Sicca, with nothing to do and with discipline sliding from bad to worse, the mercenaries, money-hungry and violent by nature, began to murmur and tot up what was due to them. When told by Hanno the Great, the man responsible for military affairs in Africa, that Carthage could not pay, those who talked of taking matters into their own hands gained the upper hand. Polybios makes the shrewd observation that the Carthaginian practice of hiring troops of various ethnic origins (in this case the military mosaic was made up of Iberians, Celtiberians, Gauls, Ligurians, Balearic islanders, Campanians, a good many Greeks and, of course, a great number of Libyans) though it made it difficult for them to combine, also had its disadvantages. Since no Carthaginian could know all their languages and it was too laborious to address each group through a different interpreter, the only way to explain matters was through their own officers, and these frequently told them, either through misunderstanding or malice, something quite different. It also did not help that this great mixed army with its Babel of alien tongues had not served under Hanno, but under his political rival Hamilcar. Eventually, all 20,000 of them marched on Carthage, pitching camp at Tunis. Their purpose, however, was not revolution but retribution.\n\n'Such then was the origin and beginning of the war against the mercenaries', says Polybios, 'generally known as the Libyan War', clearly because, as he goes on to explain, 'nearly all the Libyans had agreed to join in the revolt against Carthage and willingly contributed troops and supplies'. The Greek soldier-historian strongly emphasized the implications of a conflict between an organized state on the one hand and an anarchic barbarian mass of mixed race, owing respect to neither gods nor men, on the other. Polybios cites this as the perfect example of a 'truceless war' and stresses that the savagery and monstrous cruelty on both sides clearly appalled even contemporaries. Ironically Carthage, which had always relied upon hired soldiery to one degree or another and was now reaping the consequences of such a dangerous policy, still had to enrol mercenaries so as to quash the mutiny. Though it won in the end (237 BC), due mainly to the military skills and inflexible determination of Hamilcar, it was not before it had been brought to the brink of destruction, and Polybios unequivocally asserts that its citizens, who were compelled to take up arms in order to snuff out the mutiny, came near to losing their liberty and land.\n\nThe intimate details of the obscure campaigns of the mutiny do not concern us here, suffice to say the mutiny was the result of Carthaginian arrogance, insensitivity, careless mismanagement and gross stupidity, and Hamilcar preferred a war of mobility and small-scale action rather than full-blown battles. However, the wider repercussions do, and chiefly the effects on Carthaginian relations with Rome. It was during these internal troubles for Carthage that Rome intervened in the valuable Carthaginian dependency of Sardinia, despatching its armies to the island, and later also to Corsica.\n\nSardinia had not been included in the recent peace treaty as due to be ceded to Rome, but the pretext was that if the island had continued to be in Carthaginian possession, it would have been a perpetual menace to the western seaboard of Italy. The means was handed to Rome on a plate, for in 238 BC, the mercenaries stationed in Sardinia, no less disaffected towards Carthage than their brethren in Africa, invited the Romans to take over the island. At first Rome refused, and we would not be too cynical in thinking that the Senate hesitated because poaching was a game that two could play. However, the situation in Sardinia turned from bad to worse. Having killed their officers, the mutineers there had been joined by another force shipped over to deal with them, and had proceeded to systematically cleanse the island of all Carthaginians. The mutineers, now in forcible possession of Sardinia, fell out with the locals only to be driven out by them to Italy. A second appeal was delivered, and Rome began to prepare an expeditionary force to sail to the island.\n\nIt was now that Rome acted as a swaggering bully set to run a blade through the vitals of any who opposed him. Indeed, Polybios pulls no punches when he says that the seizure of Sardinia was 'contrary to all justice'. Earlier he had related to his Greek readership how Rome lifted Sardinia from Carthage and acquired what would effectively become its second overseas possession:\n\nThe mercenaries waged war on the Carthaginians for three years and four months, a war that far exceeded any I have heard of in savagery and lawlessness. At this moment the Romans received an appeal from the mutinous mercenaries on Sardinia, and decided to sail against the island. When the Carthaginians objected that dominion over the Sardinians belonged to them rather than to the Romans and that they were making preparations to hunt down those who had been responsible for the rebellion of the island, the Romans took this as an excuse and voted for war against the Carthaginians, claiming that their preparations were against themselves and not the Sardinians. The Carthaginians, who had just survived the war [against the mercenaries] I have described against all expectation, were in no state at the time to take up hostilities again against the Romans, and, yielding to events, not only abandoned Sardinia, but agreed to pay an additional 1,200 talents to the Romans to avoid undertaking a war at this time. And this is how all these things happened.\n\nThe Roman occupation of Sardinia would cast a long shadow. While Roman arms were confined to Italy, the conquered became incorporated in some capacity into the Roman led confederation and acquired a share in the confederacy, subject to Rome but retaining a certain degree of autonomy, paying no tribute, but supplying men for the army. With Sardinia this all changed. The prolonged resistance of the warlike islanders required an almost continuous military presence, and this meant also the presence of a Roman magistrate with _imperium:_ one or both consuls in 238 BC and from 235 BC to 231 BC. As a result, in 227 BC the number of praetors was raised from two to four, one, in future, being assigned to Sicily, the western part of the island being the spoils of the First Punic War, and one to Sardinia. Power may preserve that possession, which justice cannot ratify, and from now on, the _provincia_ of these two praetors became not merely a 'sphere of duty', but a 'province' in the modern sense. Rome had its first extensions outside of Italy; its imperialism had truly begun.\n\n##### **T HE THREE MUTINEERS**\n\nThe ringleaders of the mercenary army were Spendios, a Campanian, a runaway slave and a deserter from the Romans whom he had perhaps served, because of his 'great physical strength and remarkable courage in war', by pulling an oar in their navy; a Libyan named Mathos; and a Gaulish gentleman whom we have already met, Autaritos the war chief of the 2,000 Gauls, a man who owed his influence to his excellent command of the Punic tongue, which many in the ranks of this polyglot, but long-serving army, seemed to understand. At this point Carthage came temporarily to its senses and arranged for one of the generals who had served in Sicily to act as a mediator. It seems Hamilcar Barca was not acceptable to the mercenaries as they felt he had handed over his command too precipitously and thus, in a way, was responsible for their present fate. Gesco, on the other hand, having handled their departure from Sicily with due care and consideration, was acceptable. Gesco sailed to Africa and, after explaining the straitened circumstances of their employer, he then appealed to their loyalty and started to hand out the money he had brought with him. The majority of the mercenaries would probably have called it a day there and then.\n\nBut it was Mathos who bred sedition amongst his fellow Libyans, and once the sedition broke out, it was the Libyans who persisted in carrying the affair to a decision of arms, for the obvious reason that, should a compromise be effected, the other mercenaries might depart in safety to their homes, but their own homes and persons would be at the mercy of the wrath of the Carthaginians. When they succeeded in preventing a reconciliation by way of a reign of terror, they had no difficulty in effecting a revolt of all the Libyan subject communities, who managed to put as many as 70,000 men into the field, though we have no real idea of their fighting value. As well as their menfolk, these Libyan communities, in the cause of their freedom, willingly donated their money, which more than made up the sum owed to the mercenaries by Carthage. In the meantime, poor honest Gesco and his cortege had been seized and clapped in irons. All hope of a compromise was at an end.\n\nNow firmly in control, Mathos and Spendios divided the renegade army between them: while maintaining their entrenched camp at Tunis, Mathos mounted assaults on Utica and Hippo Acra, and Spendios blockaded Carthage. As for the tragedy of the bloody events that came after, these may be best summarized by way of a quick pr\u00e9cis. Hanno's defeat at Utica; Hamilcar's recall and his victory over Spendios on the banks of the Macar (using his observation of a quirk of tide and wind to choose the time and place of fording an otherwise impassable obstacle); the false message sent to persuade the wavering mercenaries to fight on; their brutal butchering of Gesco and the other prisoners; tit-for-tat policy of no mercy; siege of Carthage; Hamilcar's ruse of luring the mercenaries into the defile of the Saw; their reduction to cannibalism and then starvation; dispatch of ten emissaries, among them Spendios and Autaritos, later to be crucified before Tunis, where Mathos and the remainder of the mercenaries were still holding out; the retaliatory crucifixion of the general Hannibal with thirty companions; and the final triumphal procession through the streets of Carthage, with Mathos suffering all kinds of horrendous torture at the hands of the jubilant people.\nC H A P T E R 6\n\n## **Hannibal's revenge**\n\nWars often have their origin and justification in earlier wars, and the very possibility of making wars stems from this archaic memory, from the awareness that it is an activity that has always existed. At the end of the First Punic War Carthage had lost Sicily, seapower and security. As we have seen, it was in this weakened condition that the once-proud Carthage would witness the unprincipled seizure by Rome of Sardinia and then be obliged to recognize the new state of affairs and forced to pay an added indemnity of 1,200 Euboian talents. After the loss of Sicily, Sardinia, woody and rich in warlike manpower, had acquired great significance in Carthaginian eyes, and so its loss weakened Carthage yet further, both militarily and economically. It goes without saying, and it is a smart lesson we should all mark, that a stinging iniquity imposed upon a defeated but resilient enemy bears the seeds of a further conflict.\n\nIt can be argued, therefore, that the Barca family (and Carthage) provoked the Second Punic War to reverse the decision of the first and its sordid aftermath and, by permanently weakening Rome, to make Carthage's western Mediterranean possessions safe. The activities of Hamilcar Barca and his successors in Iberia, whereby, building on the footholds Carthage already had in the mineral-rich peninsula, they created an empire based on the valley of the River Baetis (Guadalquivir) and the fertile territory of the Bastetani in what is now Murcia. 'He subdued mighty and warlike nations and enriched all Africa with horses, arms, men and money', writes Nepos. Iberia gave the Barca family and, depending on the view taken of the independence of their power, Carthage a formidable military force and the wealth to support it. Of course, with Nepos' assertion about the benefits to Africa out of mind, there was no such uncertainty amongst the rank and file of the army in Iberia. After Hasdrubal the Splendid was murdered in 221 BC, the soldiers, unanimously, acclaimed Hannibal Barca as their generalissimo in spite of his youth, 'owing to the shrewdness and courage he had evinced in their service'. Here may be seen a reflection of the fact that the Carthaginian leadership in Iberia was a kind of personal absolutism vested in the Barca family (Hannibal married a local 'princess'), with a large degree of independence from the Carthaginian establishment in distant Carthage, which accepted the _fait accompli_ of the army's choice.\n\nWhen the highly competent Polybios came to analyse the causes of the second war between Rome and Carthage, he was undoubtedly right to put first what he calls the 'wrath of Hamilcar', his anger at the end of the first war when he was forced to surrender despite remaining undefeated in Sicily. Polybios later justifies his view that Hamilcar's bitter attitude contributed towards the outbreak of a war, which only began ten years after his death, by telling the celebrated tale of Hannibal's oath. The oath, sworn at the temple of Baal Shamaim, the 'Lord of the Heavens', to his father before their departure to Iberia in 237 BC, was to 'never to show goodwill to the Romans'. At the time Hannibal was just 9 years old.\n\nThe story has inevitably been doubted, but Polybios says that Hannibal himself told it to Antiochos of Syria some forty years later when he was later serving the king, who was bogged down in a war with Rome, as a military advisor. The view that the Second Punic War was thus a war of revenge certainly gained widespread credence among the Romans, and revenge is part of war, as the Romans knew. This was the war the Romans, who were in no doubt as to its instigator, often referred to as 'Hannibal's War'. Yet this notion of revenge is, perhaps, most dramatically expressed by Virgil when he has the Carthaginian queen Dido, heartbroken and furious at her desertion by Aeneas, curse him and his whole race and calls upon an 'unknown avenger, and harry the race of Dardanus with fire and sword wherever they may settle, now and in the future'. She then fell on Aeneas' sword and killed herself. With such artistry did Virgil introduce Hannibal into his epic without naming him. Be that as it may, it would seem that all the leading officers swore the oath, not just Hannibal, and the oath they swore was not vengeance on Rome but a promise never to be 'a friend of Rome'. This is important phraseology: in those days the term 'a friend of Rome' implied a vassal of Rome, such as Hiero II of Syracuse.\n\nIt is true that neither Hamilcar himself, nor his immediate successor in Iberia, his son-in-law Hasdrubal the Splendid, made any overt move against Rome. The magnificent and charismatic Hasdrubal continued the policy of Hamilcar but with added flair, and largely increased the Punic influence in Iberia. In fact, Rome, probably after having been prodded by its Greek ally Massalia, eventually woke up to this new danger and in 226 BC signed the Iberus treaty with Hasdrubal, which defined spheres of influence in the Iberian peninsula by preventing the Carthaginians from crossing 'the Iber bearing arms'. Naturally it could be argued that this treaty was practical recognition of Hasdrubal's supreme position in Punic Iberia, and implicit Roman acceptance of further Punic expansion across most of the peninsula, though in the view of our sole source on this matter, namely Polybios, it was the return of the Gaulish peril that prompted Rome to act so. Yet we do not know how much Hamilcar and Hasdrubal influenced the young Hannibal, and it is his attitude that is important. Telling is his forthright attack upon Saguntum (219 BC), a town that he knew to be under Rome's protection less than two years after he succeeded to the supreme command of the Punic forces in Iberia. Here Polybios uses the Greek word _pistis_ , which corresponds (roughly) to the Latin _fides_ , good faith; under traditional Roman policy, if a community handed itself over completely to Roman _fides_ it entrusted itself to Rome absolutely, but without specific obligations (i.e. as most of Rome's allies had done).\n\nLocated on the eastern extremity of a narrow, high rocky plateau reaching out to the coast - at the time Polybios was writing, it was a little over a kilometre from the sea: Saguntum (Sagunto) was an Iberian town, perhaps with some Greek admixture, halfway between New Carthage (Cartagena) and the River Iberus. Certainly before 220 BC Hannibal had left the town untouched so as not to provoke the Romans before he was ready. Telling also is the bold and decisive way in which he matured his plans for the invasion of Italy (218 BC). Together, it at least suggests Hannibal was not too unwilling to have war with Rome. Alternatively, we can easily accuse the Romans of double-dealing as Saguntum lay far south of the Iberus. If the terms of the Iberus treaty prevented them from crossing the river under arms, as it did the Carthaginians, they could hardly come to the aid of Saguntum. Whatever, the Romans claimed that the alliance with this town overrode the treaty, and the Carthaginians claimed that the same agreement allowed them to attack Saguntum.\n\nAs usual Polybios pulls no punches, for he has an unambiguous view that the Saguntum episode was a mere pretext. As he had earlier pointed out to his Greek readers, those Roman historians who have tried to identify the causes of the war between Rome and Carthage with the Carthaginian action in laying siege to Saguntum and the subsequent crossing of the Iberus have got it all wrong. And still to this day the juridical controversy over the responsibility of the war is discussed, fruitlessly for the most part, by many scholars. What Polybios does concede, however, is that 'these events might be described as the _beginnings_ of the war'.(17) Thus our Greek soldier-historian has a clear view that the Saguntum episode was a mere pretext. Following the fall of the town, the Senate sent a five-man embassy to Carthage demanding that the Carthaginians hand over Hannibal for punishment or else accept war. They could not speak Punic but one of them was competent in the other language of Carthage's _sufetes_ , Greek. So, in a foreign tongue each side justified its case. Then Polybios says:\n\nThe Roman ambassadors spoke no words in reply, but the senior member of the delegation pointed to the bosom of his toga and declared to the [Carthaginian] senate that in its folds he carried both peace and war, and that he would let fall from it whatever they instructed him to leave. The Carthaginian _sufete_ answered that he should bring out whatever he thought best, and when the envoy replied that it would be war, many of the [Carthaginian] senators shouted at once, \"We accept it!\"\n\nIt matters little whether the senior ambassador's histrionic gesture was real or apocryphal; a war that could decide the fate of the Mediterranean world had been accepted by Carthage whether it desired it or not. On the other hand, with war officially declared, Hannibal's long-term objective was fairly straightforward, namely to turn Italy, rather than Iberia, into the 'field of blood'.\n\nFrom his father Hamilcar, he had learnt that is was inadvisable to be bogged down in a slogging match with Rome. If Polybios is to be believed, Rome and its confederate allies had a manpower resource of some 700,000 infantry and 70,000 cavalry. No matter how many times Hannibal knocked out a Roman army, Rome could delve into its human reserves in Italy and another would stubbornly take its place. He, on the contrary, knew that he must save men, for in a war of attrition he would have no hope. Hannibal, knowing that over half of Rome's forces were furnished by its allies, deliberately set out to strangle this supply of manpower by claiming Italy would be freed from the Roman yoke. It is for this reason that he had to invade Italy, as distant rumours of Punic victories would not convince Rome's allies to switch sides.\n\nThe execution of the objective was, on the other hand, far from simple. Hannibal could invade Italy from the sea, a much faster and easier task than marching there by land. However, without bases in Sicily, even southern Italy was at the limit of operational range for a fleet of oared warships operating from Africa, and Carthaginian naval power in Iberia was not great. Carthaginian naval capability had in fact never been fully restored after the shattering defeats suffered in the first war, either in numbers or morale, therefore another stumbling block to the maritime option was Rome's superior naval strength, 220 quinqueremes to Carthage's 105; 50 of them stationed in Iberia. And so, with Carthage outmatched, and perhaps outclassed, on the high seas, the risk of a seaborne invasion was too great a one for Hannibal to take. The next logical step, especially as he was based in Iberia, was to invade via Gaul, and thus Hannibal needed to march across the Alps.\n\nConfident in its command of the sea, the Senate's plan for the conduct of the war was simple and direct. The two consuls for the year were to operate separately and offensively; one was to go to Iberia to face Hannibal across the Iberus, whilst the other was to go to Sicily to prepare an invasion of Africa. Each would take with him the now-standard consular army of two legions, and two _alae_ from the Latin and Italian allies, the _socii;_ a further two legions, each under a praetor and supported by a Latin-Italian ala, would be stationed in Gallia Cisalpina, which was only half conquered and needed a garrison, but that was a local matter. The war would be fought aggressively and overseas.\n\nTo the utter surprise and consternation of the Romans, Hannibal crossed the Iberus and then proceeded to march over the Alps (his exact route is still a matter of fierce debate) during the late autumn of 218 BC. He then proceeded to defeat one Roman army after another in a series of three brilliant victories: the Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. All this should act as a salutary reminder to us that when embarking on a war no one knows exactly what is going to happen. As one of Euripides' characters remarks, 'whenever war comes to the vote of the people, no one reckons on his own death - that misfortune he thinks will happen to someone else'. In the dog days of August 216 BC, we can reckon, no one on the streets of Rome anticipated the carrion-field of Cannae.\n\nThe immediate result of these Roman disasters was that practically all of southern Italy, excepting the Latin colonies and Greek cities, came over to Hannibal. Following the time-honoured practice of rushing to the aid of the victor, this was a series of political events that begun with the defection of Capua (216 BC), the capital of Campania and second only to Rome itself in size and prosperity, and would finish with the capitulation of Tarentum (212 BC), the third largest city of Italy. Though Tarentum's citadel still remained in the hands of the small Roman garrison, possession of the city itself gave Hannibal access to a magnificent seaport. The capitulation of Tarentum was immediately followed by that of three other Greek cities, namely Metapontion, Thourioi and Herakleia, and so the whole coastline of the instep of Italy passed into Carthaginian control. Hannibal must have been fully convinced that he was now on the high road to success.\n\nIn the meantime the Carthaginian senate negotiated an alliance with Philip V of Macedon (215 BC), who hoped to recover Epeiros and seize Illyria, and the conflict spread into Sicily, where Syracuse broke its alliance with Rome and went over to Carthage (214 BC). This diplomatic coup was regarded as a real danger to Rome and the continued existence of its hegemony in Italy, as the Carthaginians could now use Sicily, which the Romans had so recently annexed, as a convenient stepping stone into the peninsula. Rome, therefore, rapidly mounted a major effort to recapture Syracuse, which, despite the fabulous mechanical and ballistic feats of the local genius Archimedes, was eventually achieved after treachery opened the gates to the Romans (212 BC). This event, combined with the surrender of Capua (211 BC) despite Hannibal's march on Rome itself to divert the besiegers, is seen by many as the decisive turning point in the Second Punic War.\n\nOf course it is all very well in hindsight to pinpoint a pivotal year when the course of events turned in favour of Rome. We must not forget that the year 211 BC saw the crushing defeat, by Hasdrubal Gisgo and the Barca brothers Hasdrubal and Mago, of the two Roman armies operating in Iberia; their commanders, Cnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Publius Cornelius Scipio, lost their lives to boot. It was the greatest victory in the field for Carthage since Cannae, and Punic Iberia was once more secured. The two Cornelii Scipiones had stalwartly maintained the struggle in the peninsula for eight long years, and when Cicero later refers to the brothers as the 'thunderbolts of our empire' he presumably is thinking of their brief glory, followed by sudden extinction. Though many senators were probably inclined to abandon Iberia, the Senate despatched a new commander to this distant theatre, the young Publius Cornelius Scipio, the son and nephew of the lately slain commanders, the future Scipio Africanus, who, after five years of hard fighting, would eventually drive the Carthaginians out of Iberia and invade Africa via Sicily.\n\nIn point of fact, contemporary opinion did not regard the war as going Rome's way after the carnage at Cannae. Reading Livy's grim portents and the discovery of coin hoards clearly support this. Even in 211 BC, with Syracuse already in Roman hands and Capua soon to follow suit, the two elder Cornelii Scipiones went to their doom and their armies perished wholesale. Two years later, utterly exhausted but not at all rebellious, twelve of the thirty Latin colonies, some of them very ancient, declared themselves incapable of providing further men and resources for the war effort, and so refused point blank to provide Rome with their annual contingents. In 207 BC the sudden arrival of Hasdrubal Barca in northern Italy caused panic and despair in Rome; we can only speculate at what would have happened if the two Barca brothers had combined forces. Hasdrubal himself was certainly no second-rate general by any stretch of the imagination, and it is one of the fascinating though unprofitable 'what ifs' of history to speculate what would have happened if they had united, even more so as this is one of those 'what ifs' that grab our attention because the 'might have been' seemed so nearly realized. 'What if' scenarios in history are in a sense pointless, but they can be fun, and they can help us appreciate the significance of an outcome. Thus, by contemporary standards, it was not Syracuse or Capua that saw the decisive turning point in the war, but the Battle of the Metaurus.\n\nAnd so the decisive year was 207 BC, the _annus mirabilis_ when Hasdrubal suffered defeat, and death, on the meandering banks of the Metaurus in Umbria. Having managed to extricate his treasure, his elephants and perhaps two-thirds of his army out of Iberia following the Scipionic drubbing he had received at Baecula (Bail\u00e9n), Hasdrubal decided 'to march to Italy to share the fortunes of his brother Hannibal'. Fortunately for Rome, however, its two consuls of that year, Marcus Livius Salinator and Caius Claudius Nero, joined forces and consequently crushed this audacious attempt to reach southern Italy. The first news that Hannibal received of the fate of his reinforcements was his brother's head, carefully preserved, thrown into his camp by the Romans. 'Now, at last, I see the destiny of Carthage plain', Hannibal is said to have mourned. According to Ovid, 'Hasdrubal fell by his own sword', and although Hasdrubal is not said to have committed suicide, it is quite clear that he deliberately sought death in battle when he realized that every last hope of victory had evaporated. Having done all that a good general should, as Polybios emphasizes, Hasdrubal died bang in the thick of the fighting, sword in hand.\n\nThis was the day that Ovid's fellow poet, the gentle Horace himself, describes as the first on which victory smiled at the Romans since the dreadful Hannibal had crashed through Italy like fire through a pine forest. We can well imagine that when he gazed upon the head of his brother, his tower of hopes came clattering down about him. The entire character of the war had changed. Gradually forced down toward the southernmost tip of Italy, Hannibal was finally bottled up near Kroton and his Italian peregrinations came to an end. The sands of Hannibal's career in Italy were fast running out. In the autumn of 203 BC, having received a summons to return to Carthage, Hannibal, along with his youngest brother Mago, finally abandoned the peninsula. He had maintained himself in a hostile land for nearly sixteen years, during which time he continued to shower defeats on one consular army after another. In addition to the disasters already mentioned, as the years rolled by the armies of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (212 BC), Marcus Centenius Paenula (212 BC), Cnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus (210 BC), and Marcus Claudius Marcellus (208 BC), went down like ninepins before Hannibal, and the Roman generals perished along with most of their men. He had won the battles, but like Pyrrhos before him, he could not win the war.\n\nFor Hannibal, however, there was one more Italian tragedy to be played out. Mago Barca, with the loss of Iberia, had sailed from Gadir to Liguria, collecting men and supplies from the Balearic Islands en route (206 BC). On reaching Genua (Genoa) the following summer, he landed with his mercenary army and marched westward (and therefore, away from his brother) and took the stronghold of Savo (Savona), where he stored his treasure. Some Ligurian tribes joined him and, incredible as it may seem, Carthage found it possible to send Mago, and not to Hannibal, a reinforcement of 7,000 men, 7 elephants, 25 ships, and money, with the preposterous directive to march on Rome and draw near to Hannibal. Never was there a worse example of too little, being sent too late, to the wrong location. Two Roman armies not only blocked the two routes by which Mago could ever hope to reach the south of Italy and his brother, but also prevented the Gaulish tribes from going to his aid. It was not until some two years had passed that he evidently felt strong enough to advance southwards. Nonetheless, on advancing into Gallia Cisalpina he was decisively defeated and himself seriously wounded in the thigh and had to be carried from the battlefield. The remnants of his army re-embarked, but Mago died at sea on the voyage back to Africa. Hannibal lost his last brother.\n\nHannibal had foreseen his own recall and taken steps to prepare for it. He embarked at Kroton, but Carthage had neglected to send him any transports to bring his army home. The upshot of this functionary negligence was that Hannibal had to slaughter his cavalry mounts, and their precious loss was to be crippling for Carthage in the next and last battle to be fought.\n\nWaiting for Hannibal was Scipio. After having demolished the Carthaginian empire in Iberia, the victorious general had returned to Rome and become consul (205 BC). When the Senate allocated provinces to the new consuls, Scipio received Sicily, the stepping-stone to Africa. This was a repetition of the situation in 218 BC, but in far more favourable conditions, and despite stiff opposition from certain powerful quarters holding up Regulus as a frightening object lesson, Scipio took the war into Africa. He was now impatient to measure his generalship against Hannibal. Still, with Scipio now operating in the Carthaginian homeland a peace treaty was tentatively agreed, but the negotiations were soon terminated and the final showdown between Hannibal and Scipio was played out at Zama (202 BC), as we shall see.\n\nThe man who had most wanted the war with Rome now resolved to favour as the lesser of two evils the acceptance of a very hard peace. Though Carthage still had the strength of its formidable walls and position, and Hannibal's own military genius to direct it, it was nevertheless altogether exhausted in men, materiel and money. The mineral wealth of Iberia was lost, the fertile hinterland of Africa cut off, and access to the sea closed. And so Carthage became a 'friend of Rome', which meant it lost all its remaining overseas possessions and most of its African lands, was required to surrender all its elephants (and promised never to train any more, Livy adds) and reduce its once-proud navy to the purely symbolic number of ten triremes, as well as agreeing to a war indemnity of 10,000 Euboian talents of silver to be paid in fifty yearly instalments. The time span of fifty years was obviously intended to prolong the period of subjection and prevent the paying-off of the indemnity in advance. In addition to this millstone around its neck, Carthage was not to make war on anyone outside Africa, and on none in Africa without the prior approval of Rome. Thus defensive wars on African soil were not forbidden, but Livy's account forbids war to be carried on within Africa against a Roman ally. If this second version of the clause is more reliable than that given by Polybios, the treaty was much harsher than he implied. This clause covered Carthaginian action, for example, against Masinissa. Moreover, another clause required that the Numidian king should recover from Carthage all lands and property once belonging to him and his ancestors. These two clauses, as we shall discover shortly, resulted in repeated provocations against Carthage, ticking time-bombs that finally led to the Third Punic War.\n\n##### ROME'S GREATEST ENEMY\n\nThe Carthaginians certainly have, in our eyes at least, the romantic glamour of the doomed. The Romans reduced their city to a heap of ashes and destroyed their culture at a time when republican Rome was the aggressive bully of the Mediterranean. Yet nothing is inevitable in history, and the Carthaginians put up far more resistance than any of the Hellenistic kingdoms, and came close, during the second in a series of three struggles, to destroying Roman power completely.\n\nTheir commander-in-chief during this titanic struggle was the cool, self-contained, locked-in hero Hannibal (247-183 BC), the eldest son of the charismatic general Hamilcar Barca (d. 229 BC), and, for my money at least, the greatest general of antiquity. Despite the notion that Hannibal supposedly rated himself as third after Alexander the Great and Pyrrhos of Epeiros, he was overly modest. His victories were certainly more impressive than those of Pyrrhos were, and his strategic focus was clearer. Although Alexander achieved spectacular conquests, he did so using the superb Macedonian army created by his father, Philip II of Macedon, whereas Hannibal achieved his continuous run of successes with an ad hoc assemblage of polyglot mercenaries.\n\nHannibal, who was born shortly before or after his father's departure for Sicily (247 BC), probably never saw him until he returned to Carthage after the First Punic War was over (241 BC). Nevertheless, the absentee parent apparently ensured his son had a good education that included a strong Greek element. Later on Hannibal was to take Greek historians with him on his expedition, including the Spartan Sosylos, his former tutor who had taught him Greek, and the Sicilian Silenos, though in what capacity he had taught the young Hannibal we do not know. He then spent his youth in Iberia learning the trades of war and politics by his father's side and serving under Hasdrubal the Splendid, his brother-in-law, as his second-in-command-cum-cavalry-commander.\n\nIn Sicily Hamilcar had successfully maintained a struggle against the Roman forces in the northwestern corner of the island until the crowning Roman victory at sea left him no alternative but to open negotiations, the Carthaginian government having given him full powers to handle the situation. During this twilight period of the conflict, Hamilcar, whom Polybios considered the ablest commander on either side 'both in daring and in genius' and even the elder Cato held in the highest regard, displayed his talent in low-level raiding, skirmishing and ambushing. He had the art, which he transmitted to his eldest son, of binding to himself the mercenary armies of the state by a close personal tie that was proof against all temptation.\n\nIt is of little surprise, therefore, that Hannibal had learnt his professionalism and confidence as a fighting soldier from his father, and there is more than a hint of Hamilcar, albeit on a grander scale, in his son's ability to maintain himself and his army in a foreign land for so many years. It is possible that he also inherited the plan for attacking Italy, just as Alexander inherited Philip's plan for invading Asia, for his father had once raided the southern Italian coast, 'devastating the territory of Locri and the Bruttii'. It was his father who, because of his swiftness in war, was the first to be given the surname Barca, _b\u00e2r\u00e2q_ , the Semitic word for a lightning flash, and his brilliant progeny was to certainly honour the new family moniker. It was the Roman Florus who justly, and poetically, compared Hannibal and his army to a thunderbolt, which 'burst its way through the midst of the Alps and swooped down upon Italy from those snows of fabulous heights like a missile hurled from the skies'. If Hannibal had learned his battle tactics from his father, as a strategist he was in a class all his own.\n\nModern commentators have been too quick to condemn Hannibal, criticizing his strategy for failing to comprehend the nature of the Roman-led confederation and to ensure that adequate reinforcements came either by sea from Africa or land from Iberia. Yet Hannibal himself could not be everywhere, and there is no doubt that this was the only way that Carthage could ever have defeated Rome. Whatever one's opinions, the audacity of the march from Iberia to Italy, crossing both the Pyrenees and the Alps, remains breathtaking, and we should not underestimate how near his strategy came to success. Hannibal's fifteen day march over the Alps in late October or early November 218 BC makes epic reading. Even in Livy's hostile narrative, the Carthaginian general emerges as its hero, rather like Satan in Milton's _Paradise Lost_ , though in part this was done to justify the defeats Rome suffered at his hands. Hannibal had done the unexpected and was now poised to bring Rome to its knees.\n\nFighting his first battle on Italian soil along the Trebbia, a meandering tributary of the Po near Placentia (Piacenza), in bitter winter conditions, Hannibal had cleverly used seemingly flat open country to mask an ambuscade. The Romans, having emerged from their tents on empty stomachs and waded across the swollen Trebbia that snowy, solstice forenoon, lost two-thirds of their half-starved and rheumatic army before nightfall. It is said fortune is fond of crafty men, but she also smiles upon those who thoroughly prepare themselves for her gift of victory. That morning Hannibal had ordered his men to enjoy a hearty breakfast and to rub their bodies with olive oil around their camp fires. The balance of fortune tipped in favour of the Punic invader.\n\nHannibal was a great exponent of ambush and Lake Trasimene, his next major engagement, was to be based on one giant snare. Marching along the northern shore of the lake, Hannibal very visibly pitched camp at the eastern end of the line of hills that ran parallel to, and overlooked, the lakeside. During the night he divided his troops into several columns and led them round behind the same hills, taking up positions parallel with the path the army had traversed earlier that day. Most, if not all, of the troops were positioned on the reverse slopes of the high ground, concealed from the enemy's view when the sun came up. As the first glimmerings of opalescent dawn dissolved the darkness, Caius Flaminius, the Roman consul, hurried his men with the expectation of closing with his quarry. The morning was misty, the line of hills mostly obscured by a clinging white veil, but it is possible that the straining eyes of Flaminius could just glimpse the Carthaginian camp at the far end of the narrow defile. While the consul sat upon his finely accoutred horse and dreamed of martial glory, those further down the pecking order shambled through the morning mist and dreamed mostly of more mundane things.\n\nDoubtless Hannibal had counted on this early morning mist to rise over the lake and its miry margins, it was around the time of the summer solstice, and from the moment that the ambush was sprung his victory was certain. The Roman soldiers could see little, since the heavy mist still blanketed the defile and visibility was limited. Instead they heard outlandish war cries and the clash of weapons from many different directions simultaneously. In its world of mistaken shadows and magnified sounds, the mist-blinded consular army was soon thrown into utter confusion. 'In the chaos that reigned,' records Livy, 'not a soldier could recognize his own standard or knew his place in the ranks - indeed, they were almost too bemused to get proper control over their swords and shields, while to some their very armour and weapons proved not a defence but fatal encumbrance'. By the time the sun was high enough to burn off the last wisps of mist, some 15,000 men had perished in battle, if that is what it can be called, and the consul himself had fallen heroically, dispatched by a Gaulish spear.\n\nHannibal, like his father before him, had been a soldier all his life, and by comparison the opposition were but babes in the wood. Not for the first or indeed the last time had an enemy underestimated his tactical brilliance, a brilliance that was to seem twisted and tricky to his less urbane opponents. Few commanders have been able to repeat Hannibal's feat of ambushing and effectively destroying an entire army. The carnage must have flooded the lakeside meadows with blood.\n\nIn truth Hannibal was a genius, not a general, and unsurprisingly his genius has seldom been questioned. It rested on a mixture of bluff and double bluff, and a truly remarkable ability to use all types of troops to their best advantage. His third battle, Cannae, remains a _chef d'oeuvre_ to which generations of subsequent generals have aspired but never surpassed nor even equalled. However, perhaps the clearest light on Hannibal's character is shown by the fact that although he maintained his mercenary raggle-taggle permanently on active service in what was often hostile territory for almost sixteen unbroken years, he kept it 'free from sedition towards him or among themselves... the ability of their commander forced men so radically different to give ear to a single word of command and yield obedience to a single will'. If this is how Polybios saw Hannibal, then his inspirational leadership and canny man-management must have been unsurpassed. As well as a great strategist he must also have been a great contriver, a practical expert who clearly knew how to compromise in order to accommodate the broad ethnic diversity of the assorted national and tribal contingents that constituted his mixed army of disinterested soldiers. As Colonel Ardent du Picq would later urge: 'A leader must combine resolute bravery and impetuosity with prudence and calmness, a difficult matter!'\n\nSome of the biographies and anecdotes that deal with those so-called great men of history should be viewed as romantic embellishments, anachronistic, or simply dubious. With Hannibal, as with any other signal historical figures, we should not depict the lives of millions being determined by the masterful will of a single actor. As the Greeks say, or used to say, like the chorus, one man may lead, but many play. Naturally, to do this, we have to sift the reality of Hannibal's life from the fable and fantasy, so removing him from the malleable domain of legend to the more resistant context of factual record. Take the Romans for instance, who tended to cast shadows on the Carthaginians by stressing their cruelty and perfidy and the like, and saw Hannibal as a fire-breathing warmonger indulging in a sadistic appetite for violence and revenge, a gun-for-hire approach that had some tendency towards that sort of barbaric adventure. Thus the lettered Seneca did not hesitate to relay one of those snippets that show the Carthaginian in the most odious light when, on the eve of battle, seeing a blood-filled ditch, Hannibal exclaimed 'Oh, what a lovely sight'. The Romans could never forgive Hannibal for having put himself, like a single-minded adventurer, at the head of a fantastic barbarian rabble, leading it from one victory to another. Thus Hannibal, Rome's predestined enemy, was already metamorphosing into the ogre of fairy tale, a bogeyman for little Roman children and the stuff of nightmares, and the foundation of future legends were being laid. In the collective consciousness of nations exceptional figures are invariably despised.\nC H A P T E R 7\n\n## **Zama, a lesson learnt**\n\nRoman strength lay in the set-piece battle, the decisive clash of opposing armies that settled the issue one way or another. In its crudest form, the two sides would deploy in close order, slowly advance, clash, and systematically set about butchering one another until one or the other could pay the butcher's bill no longer. And even success was dearly brought. Tellingly, Polybios saw the Romans as rather old-fashioned in their straightforward and open approach to warfare, commenting that as a race they tended to rely instinctively on 'brute force' _(b\u00ed a)_ when making war. Nothing illustrates his criticism better than Cannae, when Roman tactics subordinated the other arms very much to the heavy infantry, who were to carry the heat and burden of that terrible day. Indeed, there was all the delirium of amateur soldiering in them that midsummer morning as they ponderously rolled forward at a moderate rate in open terrain, their ranks unusually packed into a close and solid mass, a veritable steamroller in motion. And on they tramped, moving ever forward in a courageous manner, but courage does not always win battles and it was not to do so in this case. Hannibal was about to demonstrate to the Romans that there was more to the art of war than mere brute force.\n\nBeing faced by a vastly larger army, Hannibal decided, in effect, to use the very strength of the enemy infantry to defeat it, deliberately inviting it to press home its attack on the centre of his line, much like the lion-tamer who vanishes into the maw of his own lion. His now-Roman-equipped Libyans would serve as the two jaws of the trap, the Gauls and Iberians as the bait. Finally, Hannibal took equal care with the deployment of his cavalry; it too would play an integral part in the entrapment of the Romans. All too often, swept up in the hot pursuit of routing opponents, victorious horse disappeared from the actual field of battle, leaving their foot to battle on alone. Hannibal anticipated his to do otherwise. And so, instead of distributing his cavalry equally between the wings, he would place more on the left against the river there. This virtually guaranteed a breakthrough against the numerically far-inferior Roman cavalry, and it would then be available for further manoeuvres on the battleground. The smaller body of cavalry on the open flank, away from the river, where the more numerous Latin-Italian cavalry was stationed, would be expected to hold them in play for as long as possible. Not only was this a beautifully thought out, audacious scheme, but it showed Hannibal's absolute confidence in the fighting abilities of all the contingents of his mixed army. And so it came to pass.\n\nThe Romans were naturally horrified when the news reached them of the defeat at Cannae and its scale. Of the two consuls, one had fled from the field, and the other lay rotting upon it, along with those of the preceding year. First reports made no mention of survivors, and the Senate was told that the entire army had been simply exterminated. On that day the Roman army, the largest ever fielded by the Republic, suffered the highest casualty totals in its history; on that day a citizen army, and the society that had created it, were introduced to the full terrors of annihilation. Not until fourteen years later, when Roman troops were in Africa, was Rome to exact its revenge for this absolute catastrophe. Having invaded Africa, the brilliant young Scipio turned the tables and Hannibal, the invader of Italy and for sixteen years the undefeated antagonist of Rome, was decisively defeated near the small town of Zama. No battle of the Second Punic War had a more definite outcome, and it effectively sealed the fate of Carthage. Without the resources or willpower to continue the struggle, it sued for peace and the war was over.\n\nAccording to Livy the survivors of Cannae, after serving for several months in Campania, were transported to Sicily where they made up two legions, _legiones Cannenses_. Later reinforced by the fleet-of-foot survivors of the first Battle of Herdonea (212 BC), all these disgraced legionaries were not to be released from service and forbidden to return to Italy until the war was over. Ironically, as Livy remarks, these penal-soldiers became the most experienced men in the entire Roman army, and Scipio saw fit to formally identify their seasoned units as _legiones V and VI_ and make the pair the backbone of his African expeditionary army (204 BC). Livy adds that these were exceptionally strong legions, each of 6,200 legionaries but with the usual complement of citizen cavalry, and then, intriguingly says 'Scipio also chose Latin infantry and cavalry from the _Cannensis exercitus_ to accompany him'. Obviously what he calls the _Cannensis exercitus_ , the army of Cannae, consisted of survivors, Roman and _socii_ , of that slaughterhouse condemned to serve out the war with no prospect of discharge. Scipio, who had likely served with them at Cannae, knew that the day had not really been lost through any cowardice on their part.\n\nThe actual size of the invasion force Scipio finally took with him to Africa is difficult to say. Livy mentions three different totals given by unnamed sources, ranging from 10,000 foot and 2,200 horse, through 16,000 foot and 1,600 horse, to a maximum of 35,000 for both arms. Though Livy hesitates to opt for the largest figure, it is assumed here that the middle totals represent the number of infantry and cavalry furnished by the _socii_ , while the maximum seems most probable for an expedition of this magnitude.\n\nOn receiving orders from Carthage to return home, Hannibal, ever faithful to his country, duly abandoned Italy, taking with him those men who wished to leave; we have no record in the ancient sources of their number, but we suspect it does not seem to have been a very considerable force. Hannibal landed in the neighbourhood of Hadrumentum (Sousse) 120km south of Carthage, and from here he marched his army to a place Polybios calls Zama, 'a town which lies about five days' march to the west [i.e. southwest] of Carthage'. Of the two, three, if not four, places called Zama in the hinterland of ancient Tunisia, the one referred to here has been identified as the one that lay at present-day Seba Biar, some 13km east of Zanfour. Between the two camps the opposing commanders met for their famous parley, each with an interpreter although both spoke Greek, and it was on the second day, at dawn, that the armies deployed for battle. In keeping with his view of the importance of Zama in shaping the course of world history, Polybios says, with unaccustomed drama, that 'the Carthaginians were fighting for their very survival and the possession of Africa, the Romans for the empire and the sovereignty of the world'.\n\nOn the day Hannibal probably commanded some 36,000 infantry, supported by 4,000 cavalry, half of them valuable Numidian horsemen, and 80 elephants. Appian gives Scipio 23,000 Roman and Latin-Italian foot and 1,500 horse. His infantry included those two penal legions, the _legiones Cannenses_ now numbered as _legiones V_ and _VI_. Masinissa, a Numidian prince of great ability who had once fought for Carthage, brought with him a force of 6,000 foot and 4,000 horse. Hannibal was perhaps stronger in total, but weaker in cavalry.\n\nHannibal was in the unaccustomed position of having to rely on his infantry for the decision, and these he deployed in three lines, which was the standard formation for the Romans but unusual for the Carthaginians. The first line was composed of Ligurians, Gauls, Balearic slingers and some Moors, presumably lightly-armed warriors fighting with javelins, and appears to be the remnants of his brother's mercenaries brought back from Liguria. These were at any rate professionals and therefore troops of reasonable worth, and Polybios says there were 12,000 of them in this line. The second line consisted of Punic, Libyphoenician and Libyan levies hastily raised for the defence of Africa, and probably therefore with little preliminary training or previous experience. The third line, some distance behind the others and in reserve, consisted of Hannibal's own veterans, that is, the soldiers who had come with him from Italy. Livy and Appian make these men Italians, predominantly Bruttians, but they clearly included all the survivors of his Italian army, even some Libyans and Iberians who had marched with him from Iberia and the Gauls who had joined him in Gallia Cisalpina. Livy and Appian have blundered badly here because Polybios clearly says that Hannibal, in a pre-battle address, told these grizzled and lean men to remember above all the victories they had gained over the Romans at the Trebbia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae, and later Polybios emphasizes that they were 'the most warlike and the steadiest of his fighting troops'. The cavalry was positioned on either wing, the Carthaginians (Punic, Libyphoenician) on the right and the Numidians on the left, with the elephants and skirmishers screening Mago's mercenaries.\n\nWhat would the military connoisseur have made of Hannibal's army and his state of affairs? For the first time in his career, the Carthaginian general was fighting on ground not of his choosing. Up to now Hannibal had always made the terrain fight for him, choosing his battlefields with great care and refusing battle until the ground suited him. Moreover, the sharp-eyed observer could hardly fail to notice that Hannibal was also fighting with inferiority in the mounted arm, which had always played a large and decisive part in all his victories. What is more, not only was he rather deficient in this particular, but most of what he had was not much use.\n\nScipio had no such worries in this particular department. For it was during his campaign in Iberia that he had struck up a friendship with a most useful prince in Numidia, Masinissa, and now on African soil his brilliant horsemen would prove crucial allies. Scipio stationed Masinissa with his Numidian contingent on the right wing, and his friend and right-hand man, Caius Laelius, with the citizen and allied cavalry on the left wing. In the centre the Roman and Latin-Italian legionaries were drawn up in the standard _triplex acies_ , except that the maniples of _hastati, principes_ and _triarii_ , instead of deployed chequer-wise, were placed one behind the other, leaving clear lanes to accommodate the elephants. All his _velites_ were stationed in these lanes with orders to fall back in front of the beasts to the rear of the whole formation, or, if that proved difficult, to turn right and left between the lines, leaving the lanes clear for the elephants.\n\nIn the event, a large proportion of the elephants, being young and untrained, were frightened out to the wings where they did more harm to their own side than to Scipio's, thereby helping his cavalry to sweep their counterparts from the field. For Hannibal's elephants and cavalry the Battle of Zama was over.\n\nIt was now time for the main business to commence, and the opposing first lines, that is to say, the _hastati_ and the mercenaries, clashed and set to. In Livy's patriotic account the Romans sweep all before them, but Polybios more soberly says that at first the mercenaries, who were professionals after all, prevailed through their 'courage and skill'. Once the _hastati_ , now probably reinforced by some of the _principes_ , had eventually broken and scattered the second Carthaginian line, it too by all accounts having put up a desperate display of doggedness, Scipio redeployed his second and third lines on either wing of the first. If, as on previous occasions, Scipio planned to outflank the Carthaginian third line with his _principii_ and _triarii_ , this was not to be.\n\nTactical readjustments made, he then closed with Hannibal's veterans who were also probably now flanked by a substantial number of survivors from their first two lines as Polybios says the two forces were nearly equal in numbers. Up to this point of the battle, Scipio must have been acutely aware that Hannibal had never yet been defeated, but from the moment the citizen-allied cavalry and Numidian horse returned and fell on Hannibal's rear, his cause was lost. The surviving mercenaries and levies turned and fled, Hannibal escaped with a scanty band of horsemen, but his hard-nosed veterans, largely armed and equipped in the Roman style, fought bitterly to the death, pitted against those very legionaries that they had disgraced at Cannae. The military connoisseur can use a little licence to fill in the final, tragic detail, enabling us to envisage not so much as one single man of them asked quarter, or threw down his arms, but every last one fought without holding back and defended himself to the finish.\n\nPolybios concludes his account of the battle with the view that Hannibal had done all that a good general of long experience should had done, 'brave man as he was, he met another better', and left the tattered remains of his veterans to their self-elected doom. It seems on the field of Zama, much like Napoleon on that of Waterloo, Hannibal could not avoid defeat. Unlike his brother Hasdrubal, who in similar circumstances had died with sword in hand, Hannibal took the longer view. Very probably he would have preferred to exit alongside his faithful veterans, but thought of Carthage first: alive, he could still hope to have some influence on events and continue to serve his country in peace as he had in war. The less charitable view is that he lost his nerve and abandoned the field of disaster in fear of being taken by his enemies and bundled off to Rome (the recent fate of the Numidian king, Syphax). True, he could have stayed in a glorious attempt to rally the survivors, but his army virtually ceased to exist: Polybios assesses the Carthaginian casualties as 20,000 dead and 20,000 prisoners, figures repeated by Livy but not by Appian, who gives 25,000 dead and only 8,500 prisoners. Whichever is correct it demonstrates the ferocity of the fighting and the completeness of Hannibal's defeat. As to the Roman losses, Polybios' of no more than 1,500 killed seems ridiculously low. Appian, however, assesses the Roman loss at 2,500 and that of Masinissa still more.\n\nThe more we look at Zama, the more we can appreciate the real genius of Hannibal. Look at his third line, which was not only the best but very much the strongest of the three, and it becomes clear that Hannibal's order of battle represented not a plan of attack but an elaborate plan of defence, by which the Romans were to penetrate, and were expected to penetrate, a succession of screens. The first screen was the elephants, then the missiles (Balearic slingers, Moorish javelineers) with a stiffening of troops accustomed to mixing it at close quarters (Ligurians, Gauls), then close-order infantry (African levies), before they reached the third and final line, Hannibal's 'old guard', if you will, tough and intact. Moreover, this line was kept some way back so survivors from the first two lines had ground enough to rally on. When it came to the crunch, Hannibal did believe that his army, with its inexperienced levies and motley horse, could win. Hannibal's conscripts and cavalry were not brilliant, but they were not bad. Polybios' sober judgement on this particular matter says it all:\n\nHe [Hannibal] had massed that large force of elephants and stationed them in front with the express purpose of throwing the enemy into confusion and breaking their ranks. He had also drawn up the mercenaries in front with the Carthaginians [i.e. the levies] behind them in the hope that the enemy would become physically exhausted, and their swords lose their edge through the sheer volume of the carnage before the final engagement took place. Besides this, by keeping the Carthaginians hemmed in on both sides he compelled them to stand fast and fight, so that in Homer's words, \"Even those loth to fight should be forced to take part in the battle\" [ _Iliad_ 4.300]. Meanwhile, he kept the most warlike and the steadiest of his fighting troops at some distance in the rear. He intended that they should watch the battle from a distance, leaving their strength and their spirit unimpaired until he could draw upon their martial qualities at the critical moment.\n\nIn other words, Hannibal expected his veterans to deliver a _coup de gr\u00e2ce_ to the badly damaged Romans. The failure of the plan was due entirely to Hannibal's weakness on the two wings, for Scipio by the rapid victory of his cavalry had time to take stock and reform for the final showdown with the 'old guard', which was soon surrounded by the victorious horsemen returning from their hunt. Indeed, the return of Scipio's cavalry was decisive, for until it came the issue was doubtful, Polybios saying 'the contest for a long while hung in the balance until Masinissa and Laelius returned from the pursuit of the Carthaginian cavalry and arrived by a stroke of fortune at the critical moment'.\n\nScipio was to adopt the cognomen 'Africanus' by virtue of his achievement, apparently the first Roman general to be known by a name derived from the scene of his victories. This battle ended the Second Punic War, but Hannibal would continue to stalk like a gigantic shadow in the dimming light of recent events. He lived nineteen years after the battle at Zama, the last he had fought, the first he had lost. Rome never felt safe until his death.\n\n##### **T HE MAN WHO BEAT HANNIBAL**\n\nThe Carthaginians lost because Rome, with its huge reserves of high-quality manpower, refused to admit defeat even when it was down on its knees. Second, central Italy and its colonies did not revolt and the Gauls, as a nation, did not join Hannibal (or his brother Hasdrubal). Third, Carthage failed to gain the command of the sea and dissipated its war effort, and to no effect. Fourth, the Cornelii Scipiones confined Hasdrubal Barca to Iberia until 208 BC, and produced in the younger Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul in 205 BC and 194 BC), who would later celebrate a triumph and take the cognomen 'Africanus', a soldier whose tactical genius was at least an equal of Hannibal's.\n\nOf course we have to remember the Cornelii Scipiones were one of the most influential of Roman families, and very much a law unto themselves. We only have to think of the way the future Scipio Africanus secured the command in Iberia, vacant after the deaths of his father and uncle (211 BC), despite being a private citizen, _privatus_ , barely aged 25, and never having held any office higher than that of curule aedile. The aedile was a middle-ranking magistrate without military duties, being solely responsible for maintaining roads and aqueducts, supervising traffic and markets, and organizing public games and festivals. It was an essential preliminary for those higher offices in Rome, the praetorship and the consulship. He had seen action aplenty, however, in the sharp cavalry skirmish on the banks of the Ticinus (218 BC) when, according to one tradition, he had singlehandedly saved his father's life. Though there is no record of the part he played in the actual battle, he was also at Cannae (216 BC), where, from Livy's account, it seems he was among those who escaped across the Aufidus to the main Roman camp on the opposite bank. Then, rather than surrender, he was one of the unshaken 4,000 who managed to elude the prowling Carthaginian cavalry patrols and stagger into Canusium. There, in recognition of his leadership during this desperate time, Scipio was serving as military tribune with _legio II_ , he was elected by the fugitives to be one of their two commanders. Perhaps it was these deeds of derring-do in the face of defeatist machinations, which inspired the Roman people to invest him _imperium pro consule_ to conduct the war in Iberia (210 BC).\n\nScipio was an inspiring leader who could gain and keep the loyalty of his men. His charismatic character and judicious diplomacy won him many allies, without whom Rome might have not won the war. Seeing the deficiencies of the rather static traditional Roman tactics, Scipio experimented with small tactical units that could operate with greater flexibility. His tactics were inspired by Hannibal's and needed good legionary officers as well as generalship to implement. He thus saw the value of capable subordinates who could proceed on their own initiative. Nonetheless, his realistic tactic appraisal remade the Roman army under his command into a force that made better use of its inherent strengths.\n\nScipio's strategy of striking at Carthaginian forces in Iberia, and letting the conquest of ground take care of itself, was brilliant, and was in complete contrast to that of his predecessors. But although he has been extravagantly praised for his strategy in invading Africa, this had been the Roman plan since 218 BC, and appears pedestrian in comparison with Hannibal's daring invasion of Italy and rapid succession of victories. To utter an impertinent truth, the strategy Scipio pursued in Africa was by no means original, for he was merely following in the footsteps of Agathokles and Regulus. It is easy for us to be critical, however, and Scipio's methods paid off in the end, particularly in drawing Hannibal inland away from his secure base by the sea, or the ravaging of the fertile and populous Bagradas valley with fire and sword, which probably forced Hannibal into battle before he was ready.\n\nBoth men were fine tacticians but Ilipa (206 BC), Scipio's most tactically sophisticated battle, appears cumbersome when compared with Cannae. Hannibal himself is supposed to have said that, if he had won Zama, he would have rated himself even better than Alexander the Great, Pyrrhos of Epeiros and all the rest, thereby deliberately flattering them both. That is debatable, but few would agree with Suvorov (no doubt echoing Polybios, who is perhaps more generous than wise here) that Scipio was the better general, even though he won the battle, which in truth was little more than a traditional slogging match. It is always difficult to correctly assess the stature of a commander who was beaten in the end, and historians tend to assume that he is inevitably inferior to the commander who beat him, forgetting the circumstances that may have brought about that defeat. Much like Robert E. Lee, Hannibal was beaten, not by a better man, but by a better army. Great soldier as Scipio was, in almost every respect he falls short of the rank attained by Hannibal. Indeed, there was no one in that period who could match the Carthaginian's experience in war, the breadth of his strategic vision or tactical capabilities in all the configurations of land warfare.\n\n1. Marble head of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Rome, Musei Capitolini, inv. MC562). Scipio has been hailed as 'greater than Nepoleon', but many would rightly disagree with this cocksure judgement. As a general Scipio blended personal magnitism with careful planning based on good use of intelligence and attention to training.He was not afraid to use innovatory tactics to often based on the element of surprise. His tactics were obviously inspired by those of Hannibal, and required to good legionary officers as well as generalship to implement. Despite his success, however, Scipio would end his life in exile. _(Nic Fields)_.\n\n2. Marble state of Hannibal(Paris Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, inv. MR2093) by S\u00e9bastien Slodtz and Fran\u00e7ois Girardon (1704). We know next to nothing about the personal appearance of the man who is perhaps the most famous of all the enemies of Rome, aside from the fact that he became blind in one eye. Here he is portrayed counting gold rings. Apparently after his brilliant victory at Cannae, Hannibal gathered in bushel the rings torn from the lifeless fingers of more than fourscore consuls, ex-consuls, praetors, aedils, quaestors, military tribunes, and scores of the equestrain order. In other words most of Roman's military leadership and social elite lay on the battlefield. _(Esther carr\u00e9)_.\n\n3. Limestone relief (Madrid, Museo Arqueol\u00f3gico Nacional, inv. 38424) from Osuna, Seville, depicting two Iberian warriors. Each wears a short linen or woollen tunic, usually (sun bleached?) white with crimson (mixture of indigo and madder) borders, bears a flat, oval body shield, much like the Italic _scutum_ , hence the Latin name _scutarus_ , and wields a short, but deadly sword, the _falcata_. Like the Greek _kopis_ from which it was derived, the _falcata_ had a single-edged, curved blade (35-55cm long) that widened towards the point, there by increasing the kinetic energy of a blow. _(Esther carr\u00e9)_\n\n4. 'Wounded Gaul' (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre, inv. MR133), Roman copy of an earlier Greek bronze. In the _omnium gatherum_ that was his army, it would seem that Hannibal used his Celtic allies (mainly Gauls from northern Italy) as 'cannon fodder', suffering the casualties and receiving few rewards. Yet this wild, warlike race fought in an undisciplined throng, rushing and swinging long swords, and it would be altogether wrong to think that Hannibal rode to victory over the backs of his fallen 'barbarian' friends. Gauls normally fought stripped to the waist in just trousers, usually of plaid and tied at the ankles, though they might retain their _sagum_ , the trational Celtic cloak. _(Esther carr\u00e9)_\n\n5. Bronze equestrian figurine (London, British Museum) of a Numidian horseman. Rinding without either bridle or saddlecloth almost from infancy, Numidians rode small, swift horses that appeared scrawny and neglected but were capable of enduring where fleshier mounts could not. These horse warriors, lightly equipped and exceedingly mobile, were brilliant skirmishers, and on campaign were ideal for foraging, reconnaissance, raiding, and ambush. Under a first-class general, such as Hamilcar or Hannibal, Numidians made excellent irregular horse. Of course, under the slippery Iugurtha, they were to cause the Roman invaders no end of bother. _(Esther carr\u00e9)_\n\n6. This reconstruction depicts one of Xanthippos' Greek mercenaries on the morning of Tunis. He peacefully stands, feet slightly astride, leaning on his spear with his spear arm, and holding with his other hand a morsel of hard bread upon which he is chewing. By his feet lays his helmet, which is of the 'Phrygian' pattern. The pricipal tool of our mercenary's trade is a long thrusting spear, the _d\u00f3ru_. Fashioned out of polished ash wood and averaging 2-2.5m in length, his _d\u00f3ru_ is equipped with an iron spearhead and bronze butt-spike. As well as acting as a counterweight to the spearhead, the butt-spike allows the spear to be planted in the ground when not in use, or to fight with if his spear snaps in the m\u00eal\u00e9e. He also packs a sword, the _kopis_ , a heavy, one edged blade designed for slashing with an overhand stroke. The cutting edge is on the inside like a Gurkha _kukri_ , while the broad back of the blade curves forward in such a way to weight the weapon towards its tip. _(\u00a9 Graham Summer)_\n\n7. In this reconstruction we show a fully equiepped _caetratus_ (pl. _caetrati_ ), so named by our Graeco-Roman sources for the small round buckler, the _caetra_ , he bears. Our warrior is wearing a short woollen tunic, white (sun bleached?) with crimson (mixture of indigo and madder) borders, and wielding a short, but deadly sword, the _falcata_ , a curved single -bladed weapon derived from the Greek _kopis_. The _caetra_ was made of wood, anything from 30-60cm in diameter, with metal fittings and oranments on the face, and a large metal boss protecting a stout metal handgrip on the inside. Slung on a long carrying strap when not use, while in battle its lightness allowed the warrior not only to prry enemy blows, but to punch with the boss or chop with the rim of the _caetra_ too. _(\u00a9 Graham Summer)_\n\n8. Despite being a fresh-faced tyro, our young citizen in this reconstruction has equipped himself well. The great advantage of the linen corselet (Greek _linoth\u00f4rax_ ) was its confort, as it is more flexible and much cooler than bronze under an African sun. To complete his protection, he wears a 'Phyrygian' hemet, so-named because its shape resembled the 'Phrygian bonnet' worn during antiquity and borrowed during the french Revolution. This style commonly had a fairly substainal brim to provide some protection to the upper face, and long pointed cheek-pieces extending below the chin to provide some protection to the throat. These were usually plain, but could occasionally extend to cover the whole face, only leaving apertures for the eyes and mouth and frequently decorated with embossed facial hair. Once again our young citizen has spared no expense as the cheek-pieces of his helmet are superbly embossed with stylized curls to represent a luxuriant beard and moustache. (\u00a9 _Graham Summer_ )\n\n9. Though a peasent conscript, nature at least had designed our Numidian for a javelineer. As this reconstruction shows, he is light, athletic and lissome, with a good length of arms. He is armed with the cheif misssile of all north. African peoples, namely the broad-bladed javelin. Javelins could be equipped with a finger loop, a thin leather thong that provided leverage and acted like a sling to propel the javelin, and as it was launched the thong unwound, having the same effect as the riflinginside a rifling inside a rifle barrel:it spun the javelin, ensuring a steadier flight. The other personnal weapon of our Numidian is the arm dagger, which is housed in a leather sheath attached to the inner side of his left forearm by a leather loop. For quick extraction with the right hand the flat wooden hilt rests againest the inside of his left wrist. His hardy pony, able to thrive on the meagrest grazing, affords him unrivailled mobility in raiding and battle.(\u00a9 _GrahamSummer_ )\n\n10. A member of the Tarragona-based reenactment group _LEGIO PRIMA GERMANICA_ equipped as a veteran citizen-soldier, _a triarius_ , from the time of the war with Hannibal. He wears a superbly reconstructed mail shirt. Combining strength with flexibility, the Celtic innovation of mail consisted of a matrix of alternatively riveted and simple iron rings, each being linked through its four neighbours. With this complicated construction, the force of a sword blow was spread over a wide enough area for the wearer to be no more than bruised ( _Graham Sumner_ )\n\n11. Roman annalistic tradition has the penultimate king of Rome, Servillius Tullius ( _r. c_ 579 to _c_.534 BC) introduce a major reform of its socio-political and military organization. His first consideration was the creation of a citizen army, and the most important point was to induce the citizens to adequately arm themselves for the defence of the state. So a census of all adult male citizens recorded the value of their property and divided them accordingly into five classes. A clerk on the Altar of Domitius Abenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre, inv. Ma975) records names, either as a census or as part of the levying, _legio_ , of citizen-soldiers. ( _Esther carr\u00e9_ )\n\n12. Two legionaries and an _equites_ on the Altar of Domitius Abenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre, inv. Ma 975) equipped with the arms and armour of the last two centuries of the Republic. They wear iron mail shirts, thigh-length with shoulder doubling for extra protection against downward sword strokes. The belt around the waist would transfer some of the shirt's weight ( _c_.15kg) from the shoulders to the hips. While the foot soldiers wear Etrusco-Corinthian helmets, the horseman sports, a plumed Boiotian helmet, a popular style with Graeco-Roman cavalry of the period as it provided unimpaired vision and hearing. ( _Esther Carr\u00e9_ )\n\n13. Mars, god of war, on the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Loure, inv. Ma975) dressed in the uniform of a senior officer, most probably that of a _tribunus militum_ , military tribune. Looking more Greek than Roman, he wears a short muscled cuirass equipped with two rows of fringed _pteruges_ , which was necessary for those who rode a horse, greaves, and a crested Etrusco-Corinthian helmet. Developed from the Corinthian-type, this pattern commonly preserved the eyeholes for decoration. He also has a circular shield, a spear, and a sword, which he wears on the left side. The knotted sash around his waist probably denotes his rank. ( _Esther carr\u00e9_ )\nC H A P T E R 8\n\n## **A military superpower**\n\nLike Livy after him, Polybios' special concern was with Rome. Unlike the moralizing Roman Livy, however, his prime object was to explain to horrified fellow Greeks 'by what means and under what kind of constitution the Romans in less than fifty-three years succeeded in subjecting the whole inhabited world to their sole government'. Suffice to recall that for Polybios, Rome's victory at Zama was the turning point in its history. Perhaps he is right. Of the fifty-three year period (220-167 BC) he covers in his near-contemporary account of the unification of the known world under the guidance and control of Rome, the Second Punic War dominates a third. When, in 211 BC, Hannibal had stood outside the gates of Rome, such a terrifying moment was not to be trumped until the Visigoth Alaric penetrated and pillaged the 'eternal city' in AD 410, a time, some would argue, when Rome's martial fury had long waned and the love of ease and luxury had well and truly taken over. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that among its enemies Rome's chief _b\u00eate noire_ was beyond question Hannibal, and the proverb _'Hannibal ad portas'_ would retain its efficacy as a rallying cry for Romans in times of national crisis until the very end of the empire. The crux is, before the war with Hannibal Rome was predominately an Italian power, but now its armies had marched through Gaul, Iberia, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Africa, and Illyria. Rome's range and ambitions had been transformed.\n\nAfter the crushingly one-sided success at Cannae, says Livy, Maharbal boasted to his victorious commander-in-chief that he, at the head of the cavalry, could ride to Rome where Hannibal should be 'dining, in triumph, on the Capitol within five days'. Hannibal, although he commends his cavalry commander's zeal, demurs. Maharbal retorts by saying that Hannibal knew how to win a fight, but did not know how use the victory. 'This day's delay,' Livy piously concludes, 'is generally believed to have been the salvation of the city and the empire'.\n\nWith the hindsight we enjoy, which was already available to Livy, it would be easy for us to agree with him and find fault with Hannibal for not at once marching on Rome after Cannae and capturing the city by a _coup de main_. However, let us not judge him, as we are all too prone to judge, on insufficient knowledge, and see what his chances were. Rome was 480km away, a distance that would take at least three weeks to cover with the army marching at a forced rate of 20km a day, ample time for the Romans to organize the defence of the well-walled city. Moreover, Rome still had two legions sitting within the city itself, and a fleet stationed at Ostia, which raised a legion of marines after the appalling catastrophe of Cannae, while 8,000 able-bodied slaves were purchased and armed by the state. It must also be remembered that the Roman army was a citizen force; the population of Rome could be armed from any available source and by this means defend the walls of their city.\n\nIn truth, throughout antiquity very few cities fell to a direct assault and, in the main, they were captured either through treachery or by conducting a long-drawn-out siege. The hazard of direct assault actually involved the besieger finding a way over, through or under the fortifications of the besieged, and so what the besieger often did was to shut the besieged off, and let disease, hunger or thirst, usually all three, do his work for him. As Philip II of Macedon once said, the best way to take a city is with asses heavily laden with gold. Moreover, Hannibal may well have recalled what had happened to Pyrrhus some sixty years earlier when, having won a victory on the broad plains near Herakleia, he advanced to within 60km of Rome only to withdraw empty-handed. Anyway, having said all that, if Hannibal marched away from southern Italy he would have left an area that was offering him vital support in his war with Rome. No part of Hannibal's long-term strategy involved a march on Rome, and even in 211 BC when he came right up to its gates, he was tempting the Romans to lift their siege of Capua.\n\nThere is the criticism amongst modern observers and military pundits that Hannibal was unable to capture the cities of southern Italy. This is valid only to a point. Hannibal was clearly attempting to win allies to his cause, and the indiscriminate sacking of cities (the fate of two, Nuceria and Acerrae) would hardly endear him to the Italic peoples. It has also been said that Hannibal failed to capture cities because he lacked a siege train. A siege train was not the requirement of a successful general in ancient warfare, as he only had to construct his siege machinery _in situ_. Besides, Hannibal's idea of warfare was one of mobility, and he certainly did not envisage himself being strategically hampered through having to conduct lengthy sieges in southern Italy.\n\nYet another criticism levelled against Hannibal was his lack of understanding of the importance of seapower. This can be easily dismissed because he had certainly intended to rendezvous with the Carthaginian fleet at Pisae (Pisa) during the summer of 217 BC, but had missed the opportunity to do so as he was otherwise busy at Lake Trasimene, where he was demolishing the consular army of Caius Flaminius. Hannibal also captured a number of seaports in southern Italy, the greatest being that of Tarentum, but the Carthaginian navy failed in supporting him throughout the war; the notable exception to this was its successful landing of 4,000 Numidian reinforcements (including 40 elephants) at Locri in 215 BC.\n\nThe Second Punic War had revealed the latent power of Rome, that is, its hydralike capacity to produce men. Most of Rome's previous wars had been fought with two consular armies each of two legions and their usual complement of Latin- Italian _alae_ and, as Polybios emphasizes, when eight legions were mobilized for the Cannae campaign this had never before been done. But if Polybios is right in stating there were eight legions at Cannae, Rome had already mobilized a total of ten legions, since there were already two in Iberia, and by 211 BC there were to be twenty-five legions under arms in the different theatres of war, sixteen in Italy itself, which, taking the _alae_ and the men serving at sea into consideration, represented something like 250,000 men. As Kineas, the trusted diplomat of Pyrrhos, was said to have predicted, the many-headed monster could regenerate and struggle on.\n\nAt the killing fields of Cannae Rome lost, according to Livy (for once his figures are less sweeping than those of Polybios), nearly 50,000 troops or, to put it more bluntly, its army had suffered some 80 per cent casualties. The casualty rate suffered by Britain and its colonial allies on 1 July 1916, the date of the opening of the British offensive on the River Somme, does not compare with this shocking figure (19,240 killed, 35,493 wounded, 2,152 posted as missing and 585 captured). No other state in antiquity could have survived such a shattering defeat. At the time of the Gallic troubles, which flared up some seven years before Hannibal's arrival, Rome, according to Polybios, could mobilize 700,000 and 70,000 horse, whereas Hannibal invaded Italy with only 20,000 foot and 6,000 horse. This inexhaustible supply of manpower is one primary reason as to why Rome ultimately defeated Hannibal, while another is the steadfastness of the Roman people. They were placed into dire situations that would have produced, at the very least, treachery in any other ancient state. Look at, for example, Rome's blunt refusal to ransom its prisoners after the humiliation of Cannae. As the poet Ennius, who had reached manhood about this time, would write soon after in a memorable line: 'The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so'.\n\nWars are the sum of battles, battles the tally of individual human beings killing and dying, and though the individual comforts himself with the belief that death might come to the next man, but not to him, concrete realities ultimately decide whether soldiers return home in safety after doing their butchery or were left in several inhuman chunks scattered messily over the battlefield. It could be argued therefore that the inexperience of Roman soldiers and the rigidity of Roman tactics were responsible for such an aggravated casualty rate, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the essential philosophy behind the manipular legion was that of winning a straightforward, mass engagement with the opposition. A quick, decisive clash with the enemy was desired, and in this role the manipular legion performed remarkably well.\n\nAfter Cannae Hannibal would gather in a bushel the gold rings torn from the lifeless fingers of more than fourscore consuls, ex-consuls, praetors, aediles, quaestors, military tribunes, and scores of the equestrian order. In other words, most of Rome's military leadership lay on the battlefield. So another disadvantage of course was the limited ability of Rome's aristocratic generals, but there is no real proof that the employment of grim professional soldiers in command would have improved matters. Hannibal's obvious skill as a general inflicted this catastrophic defeat on this militia army, yet the same type of army, when better led and with higher morale, beat him in turn at Zama. As Polybios rightly points out, 'the defeats they suffered had nothing to do with weapons or formations, but were brought about by Hannibal's cleverness and military genius'.\n\nLikewise, the inclusion of Latin and Italian allies, the _socii_ , within the army of this period did not change the essential tactical doctrines behind it. Most if not all allied units, the _alae_ , were disciplined, organized and equipped as legions and thus acted in a similar fashion. The Roman military system was precisely that, a system. Rome did not need brilliant generals and rarely produced them, it just needed to replicate and reproduce its legions, which it did on an almost industrial basis, though apparently at the phenomenal cost of 10 per cent of its entire male population. War is not an intellectual activity but a brutally physical one, and the bloody reality is that all wars are won through fighting and most through attrition that is both moral and physical. By an ironic but saving paradox, Romans were at their very best only when in the most straitened circumstances: they knew that all wars with Rome would have a long run because Rome never gave up.\n\nAs well as having a relentless attitude to warfare, Rome also had a solid core of support amongst its closest dependencies, the Latin communities, despite a bout of war-weariness at Rome's endless calls on their manpower, and even those dozen that had refused to supply manpower never opted to side with Hannibal. With northern and central Italy refusing to back Hannibal, his long-term strategy was not going to be a success. In fact he overestimated the spirit of rebellion against Rome, and here he was perhaps fifty years too late, and to many Italic peoples there was more reason to identify with, rather than against, Rome. The evidence from negotiations between those who did defect (mainly Samnites, once fierce enemies of Rome) and Hannibal shows that what they really wanted was autonomy and the chance to determine their own fate. Defection to Hannibal, who was after all an outsider, was changing one master for another, or so many feared.\n\nThe Senate's overall handling of the war was first class; not to be confused with the tactical handling of Rome's forces in the field. When Hannibal, for instance, arrived in northern Italy, an army was being readied for Iberia. The consul in charge, Publius Cornelius Scipio senior, sent the army on and remained himself in Italy, picking up local forces to oppose Hannibal. In this fashion the Senate, which ratified Scipio's decision, kept a presence within the Iberian peninsula, a presence that was to last throughout the war regardless of any horrendous disasters in Italy. Likewise, when Carthage signed the treaty with Philip V of Macedon, the Senate simply checkmated its designs by despatching a fleet to the Adriatic to prevent any Macedonian aid reaching Hannibal in Italy.\n\nBy stark contrast, Carthage lacked such a body as the Roman Senate to direct its war aims. The Carthaginian generals tended to act on their own, as was customary, with only the threat of crucifixion for failure limiting their horizons. Carthage sent more than 78,000 troops to outlying areas of its empire during the war, and only 4,000 to Hannibal in Italy. This was in part because of appreciable political opposition. Moreover the Carthaginian senate deemed the protection of its territories in Iberia more important than the war in Italy. Seapower was also sadly neglected, the Roman navy commanding the seas throughout the conflict. In 212 BC, for example, the Carthaginian admiral Bomilcar, apparently married to the eldest daughter of Hamilcar Barca, attempted to relieve Syracuse but Marcellus, despite his numerical inferiority in ships, opposed him and the admiral with that scuttled off to Tarentum. Without the command of the sea, Syracuse was lost and any attempt by the Carthaginians at controlling Sicily doomed.\n\nAs we have already alluded to, it is almost certain that Hannibal did not envisage a final triumph amongst the smoking ruins of a sacked and gutted Rome. At the Trebbia and at Lake Trasimene Polybios clearly shows him courteously releasing his Latin and Italian prisoners-of-war without ransom money having been demanded of them, sending them home with the message that he had come to emancipate Italy from the yoke of Rome and to hand back the territories it had stolen. Livy also has Hannibal continuing this policy after Cannae, adding that Hannibal addressed his Roman prisoners and stressed that he was not fighting to destroy them, but 'for honour and hegemony.' Though he may have sworn eternal hatred of them, Hannibal was not planning to exterminate the Romans. Two facts support this hypothesis. First, Hannibal, after Cannae, attempted to open negotiations with Rome. Indeed, he had expected the Romans to send the overtures for peace, it being the obvious thing to do because if they fought on, he would defeat them again, and meanwhile more and more of their allies would be deserting them. Second, an article in the sworn treaty between Philip of Macedon and Carthage shows Rome being stripped of its allies but allowed to exist as a Latin state of little consequence and held in check by those who had just had their autonomy restored to them. Hannibal's aim was to disrupt Rome's confederacy and thereby drag it battered and shrunken to the negotiating table, where it would be then stripped of any remaining allies and burdened with a crippling war indemnity. With Rome reduced to the status of a second-rate power, Carthage would have been able to regain Sicily, Sardinia and its other lost territories, as well as having a free hand in mineral-rich Iberia. Everything that Hannibal did was subject to this principle, and undertaken with this objective, using military means only as an instrument, albeit a very powerful one, to achieve.\nC H A P T E R 9\n\n## **Hannibal's retreat**\n\nThere is no reliable evidence that Rome demanded Hannibal's surrender in 201 BC; this would come later. Returned to civilian life, Hannibal now had the opportunity to employ his great powers of statesmanship, no longer masked by his prestigious soldierly skills. There was plenty of scope for it, in his politically bankrupt and physically exhausted country.\n\nOne of his first tasks, after his appointment as one of the two _sufetes_ , was to have an investigation made of the resources left to Carthage. The situation in fact was far better than could be expected. The city was on the road to recovery with regards to its commercial prosperity, but before long a scandal broke out. The first instalment of the war indemnity due to Rome under the terms of the peace treaty was paid in 199 BC, but the silver was found to be of such poor quality that Carthage had to make up the deficiency by borrowing money in Rome. In looking into the scandal, Hannibal soon found himself up against 'the hundred'. He obtained a major revision of the constitution, and 'the hundred' was subject to annual elections with the proviso that no man should hold office for two consecutive years. By eradicating administrative corruption and functionary embezzlement, and collecting arrears of unpaid taxes, Hannibal showed how the heavy war indemnity could be paid without an increase in public taxation. Government putrescence and peculation were of course scarcely novel in Carthage, but his far-reaching reforms, which also embraced commerce and agriculture, were so successful that by 191 BC Carthage could offer to pay off the whole of the outstanding debt, forty years' instalments, in a lump sum (viz. 8,000 talents), while also supplying the Roman army currently at war in the eastern Mediterranean with large quantities of grain. The offer, either for reasons of spite or arrogance, was disdainfully declined.\n\nHannibal had another, and trickier, situation with which to deal. When his brother's army left Liguria, a Carthaginian officer with the name of Hamilcar stayed behind and placed himself at the head of a number of malcontent Ligurian and Gaulish tribes. The Latin colonies of Placentia and Cremona were attacked. Rome naturally complained to Carthage, demanding a recall and surrender of this freebooter, whose activities were a clear breach of the peace treaty. Suspicion, naturally, was laid on Hannibal of having taken some dastard part in these guerrilla operations in Gallia Cisalpina, but the senate in Carthage replied that it had no power to do anything beyond exiling this Hamilcar and confiscating his property.\n\nMeantime, in the aftermath of Hannibal's defeat, the Romans had turned their attention towards the east. Ostensibly in response to appeals from tiny but independent powers of Pergamon and Rhodes, Rome decided to intervene in Greece before Philip V of Macedon (r. 221-179 BC) and Antiochos III of Syria (r. 223-187 BC) had a chance to upset the balance of power in the east. This is an example of Rome's increasing propensity to regard other people's business as its own, viewing events in regions bordering on its sphere of influence as events upon which it was entitled, at the very least, to voice an opinion. The possession of irresistible power tends to lead to such arrogance. Of course, Rome had never forgiven Philip for his alliance with Hannibal, but Antiochos was a very different kettle of fish.\n\nOne of the greatest Hellenistic monarchs who, in conscious imitation of Alexander, bore the epithet 'the Great', Antiochos earned this title attempting to reconstitute the kingdom by bringing back into the fold the former outlying possessions. He thus managed to reassert the power of the Seleukid dynasty briefly in the upper satrapies and Anatolia (Asia Minor to the Romans), which effectively made him ruler of the eastern world from the Indus to the Aegean, but then inadvisably challenged Rome for control of Greece in 194 BC. Concerned first and foremost with maintaining in their entirety the territorial possessions he had inherited from his forefathers, having just retrieved them, what Antiochos wanted was for Rome to mind its own business and leave him free to do as he wished on his side of the Hellespont. It was not to be. Towards the end of 190 BC Rome, backed by Pergamon and Rhodes, won the final battle over Antiochos on the level plain of Magnesia-by-Sipylos in Lydia, driving that magnificent and ambitious king back across the Taurus Mountains and out of Anatolia.\n\nIt was suspected in Rome that Hannibal had been in touch with Antiochos. This would of course have been another breach of the peace treaty by which Carthage was bound not to partake in any hostilities without Rome's acquiescence, especially not when they appeared to be directed against Rome itself. Rome had another reason to be furious with Hannibal, for his skill in reorganizing the finances of Carthage had made the Roman plans miscarry; they had hoped that the war indemnity would cripple Carthage, and they were disappointed. Despite the reasonable objections of Scipio Africanus, who had been censor in 199 BC and _princeps senatus_ in 198 BC, a commission was sent to Carthage in 195 BC, the very year Marcus Porcius Cato, the elder Cato as he is known to history, was consul, alleging that Hannibal was aiding an enemy of Rome. In the senatorial debate, where Scipio Africanus brought his full weight to bear against those he saw lending a favourable ear to what he viewed as a baseless accusation, 'considering that it consorted ill with the dignity of the Roman people to associate themselves with the animosities of Hannibal's accusers, to add the support of official backing to the factions at Carthage'. Noble words, forsooth, which fell on deaf ears.\n\nBe that as it may, at this very moment Hannibal's position in Carthage was insecure. For not only had he made implacable enemies of all those functionaries whose peculations and perks he had stopped, but his year of office as _sufete_ had now expired. And so, with his keen sense of appreciation that the Roman commissioners could not fail to demand his surrender, and the probability that the Carthaginian senate would comply, he withdrew from their grasp by a series of characteristic tricks. Pretending to be going for a short ride with two trusted companions (Sosylos and Silenos?), he rode through the night, hell for leather, to his seaside estate near Thapsus, which was more than 150km as the crow flies. His treasure had already been embarked on a fully outfitted and crewed ship, and he sailed for Cercina (Kerkennah), an island just off the coast. There he was recognized by the crews of some Phoenician merchantmen, which was unwelcome to him as the news of his presence there could not fail to reach Carthage. In order to forestall them, Hannibal suggested to the ships' captains that they should dine with him on shore and bring their sails and yards with them to provide shelter from the midsummer sun, which they did, taking care to leave his own vessel fully rigged. What they did not realize was that by doing so, they had delayed the time of their departure next day.\n\nNaturally, Hannibal showed a clean pair of heels during the night while the revellers slept off their drink. Back in Carthage the Roman commissioners were naturally furious, and Hannibal's enemies in the Carthaginian senate placated them by formally declaring him to be an outlaw, confiscating his property (such as he had left behind him), and razing his property to the ground. So was Hannibal honoured in his own country.\n\nHannibal sailed away to Antiochos, who must have been an attractive host to him because he was soon to be engaged in fighting the Romans. By accusing him of plotting war with Antiochos, his enemies in Carthage and, in Rome, the senators determined on his downfall, had propelled him into the king's arms. Hannibal caught up with the busy king in Ephesos, and there, it is said, explained to him his grandiose plan for opposing Rome. If we are to believe Livy, it involved entrusting to Hannibal an army of 10,000 foot and 1,000 horse and a fleet of 100 warships, with which he would first sail to Africa to win over Carthage, and then on to Italy to raise war there against the Romans. At the same time Antiochos was to lead his main army into Greece, where he would take up a strong position to paralyse Rome's efforts. It seems the Romans got wind of Hannibal's war plan, and the combination of artful agents and covetous courtiers scuppered his chances to carry the upcoming war into Rome's backyard. As we have noted, Antiochos was eventually defeated at Magnesia, and Rome predictably demanded the surrender of their most implacable foe. When Hannibal had resumed the struggle against the Romans, the exile, in their eyes, had become a rebel. Semantics aside, it was too late anyway. For Hannibal had already embarked his treasure on a ship and sailed away again, this time for Crete.\n\nThough Crete had remained aloof from all the fighting in the eastern Mediterranean, Hannibal now ran the danger that the proverbially covetous Cretans knew how great the sum of money was that he had brought with him. He countered this by filling a number of large narrow-necked jars with lead and covering this with a shallow layer of gold and silver pieces at the top. These heavy jars he deposited in a local temple, where the Cretans jealously mounted guard over them, without troubling Hannibal. His real fortune he stuffed inside a pair of humdrum bronze statues, which he left carelessly lying around his garden, so that when he wanted to leave he was able to take his treasure with him without the Cretans suspecting it.\n\nThis story, of course, can be taken for what it is worth. Nevertheless, Hannibal lived quite comfortably on the island of Crete, but being one not fain to take life calmly as it comes, he was not likely to want to live there for too long. We next find him offering his services to Prusias I of Bithynia (r. 228-181 BC), who, from about 186 BC to 183 BC, was at war with his neighbour, Eumenes II of Pergamon (r. 197-158 BC), an ally of Rome who had fought at the Battle of Magnesia. This local spat gave Hannibal one last opportunity for showing his military genius. Prusias was defeated on land and transferred hostilities to the sea. Outnumbered in ships, Hannibal advised the king's marines to gather venomous snakes, stuff them in earthenware pots, and catapult them onto the enemy's ships. The sailors of Pergamon began by jeering at such ridiculous tactics of fighting with pots instead of swords. But when these pots crashed on board the Pergamene ships, which were soon crawling with snakes, the laugh was on the other side of their faces and, as Trogus Pompeius relates, 'they yielded the victory'.\n\nThere followed yet another demand for the surrender of Hannibal, whom the Romans pursued, as Plutarch says, 'like a bird that had grown too old to fly and had lost its tail feathers'. He was then 64 years old. Hannibal headed off his captors by taking poison, and in his final agony, or so said Livy, he cried out: 'Let us free the Roman people from their long-standing anxiety, seeing that they find it tedious to wait for an old man's death'. Thus perished Hannibal of unhappy memory. The year was 183 BC, and the Romans breathed freely for the first time since that day, some thirty-five years back, when Hannibal crossed the Alps, elephants and all. There was no room for forgiveness in the hearts of the Roman nation; they had been too frightened for that. There are some things which can never be forgiven, let alone forgotten.\nCHAPTER 10\n\n## **The final act**\n\nCarthage had scrupulously followed the terms of the peace treaty of 201 BC, which included the paying off of the massive war indemnity in the fifty year period as prescribed then by Rome. Yet its rapid recovery (together with Hannibal's dealings with the Syrian king, Antiochos) made the Romans apprehensive, and rekindled their bitter hatred and desire for vengeance. During this half century of uneasy peace with Rome, Carthage's Numidian neighbour, Masinissa, who, after going over to the Romans during the closing stages of the Second Punic War, had been awarded the kingdom he now ruled, tirelessly badgered Carthage.\n\nEven though Carthage offered, and gave, the Romans assistance in their imperial ventures, the Senate in Rome regularly countenanced Masinissa's annoying encroachments upon its remaining dominions in North Africa. The pro-Roman Numidian king was determined to turn Numidia into a modern state (of this more shall be said later) and in the course of doing so to expand his boundaries at the expense of Carthage. As a 'true and loyal friend', the king knew very well that in any dispute the Senate would always back him. In fact on seven separate occasions Carthage was forced to appeal to Rome for redress against Numidia, and though on some of these occasions the Senate did act to restrain its client king, on none of them was he forced to disgorge his ill-gotten gains. To Carthage, Masinissa seemed like a felonious bad hat on the make, a daylight robber given to the impertinent singeing of Carthaginian beards. The Carthaginians therefore began to build up military forces, but for defence against the Numidian king and not for a war with Rome. All the same, a more truculent Carthage emerged, which led to the reiterated demand of the elder Cato that the city must be destroyed. And so it was, after the Third Punic War. But that is to anticipate.\n\nA fresh dispute arose in 153 BC and the Senate responded by despatching an embassy to Africa, headed by Cato, in order to arbitrate. Masinissa was willing for Rome to settle the issue, but Carthage obviously declared there was no need. Naturally this aroused the Senate's suspicions, especially as Cato, veteran of the war with Hannibal, had seen signs of Carthage's military build up. From the time of his return to Rome, Cato argued for war, which led to a long-running dispute between him and those who opposed war, the Cornelii Scipiones faction led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica. A senator of considerable weight who had already been consul twice (162 BC, 155 BC), Scipio Nasica saw all this as an unjustified act of aggression by Rome, but Cato was impressed by the Carthaginian revival and saw the latest quarrel with Masinissa as just the start of an impending war with Rome. Plutarch continues the story by relating how Cato brought back a fresh fig from Carthage, robustly declaring in the Senate that he had only picked the fruit three days before. Many scholars have taken this anecdote as positive proof of Rome's jealousy of Carthage's economic revival, and the call for death which he repeated henceforth in the Senate merely jealous greed voicing itself. However, the message was loud and clear; Cato was only demonstrating to his fellow members of the Senate how close he thought the potential military threat was. Clever was Cato in the art of making the white look black.\n\nNotwithstanding Cato's blatant manipulation of his fellow senators' fears, Scipio Nasica put forward two arguments. First, Rome should make no rash move without justification, in other words war required a _iusta causa_. Second, _hostilis_ , that is the natural fear of a strong rival, was a salutary right by which the nobility kept ready and prepared for war. Without Carthage, in other words, Rome would have no worthy opponent and, as a consequence, the nobility would slowly slide into a moral decline. In matter of fact this is the celebrated argument put forward by writers of the Principate such as Livy and Tacitus, the year 146 BC and all that is seen as the pivotal date when the rot in Rome set in.\n\nLike a dripping tap, Cato steadily wore down his opponents. Moreover, the Carthaginians finally played right into the Senate's hands by attacking Masinissa and war was duly declared amid the raucous cries of _Punica fides_ , the stock charge of Punic ill faith. The words of Cato had become the policy of the Senate. According to Polybios, the Romans 'had long ago made up their minds to act thus, but they were looking for a suitable opportunity and a pretext that would appeal to foreign nations'. Legalistic pretext seized, the tragic end result would be the utter destruction of the hated city by Scipio Africanus' adopted grandson and Polybios' close friend, Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus who, 'with tears in his eyes', would carry out the brutal wishes of the Senate to root out Carthage like some old fig tree. A new Roman province, the sixth, would rise from the ashes of a once-proud metropolis: that of Africa.\n\nIt was back in 151 BC when a Carthaginian army under a hitherto-unknown Hasdrubal invaded Numidia, but was soundly beaten, and after being besieged in its camp was virtually wiped out through starvation and disease. Only Hasdrubal and a handful of survivors managed to escape back to Carthage, the remainder being butchered as soon as they laid down their arms to surrender. The attempt to check Masinissa's encroachments had thus proved abortive; it had merely established the ambitious king in more territory and had roused the anger of Rome. Indeed, that clear breach of the peace terms (Carthage was not allowed to go to war without Rome's permission), as well as Cato's acerbic oratory in the Senate, convinced the Roman government military action was necessary.\n\nIn the summer of 149 BC Rome despatched a fleet and army (probably a double-consular one) to Carthage under Manius Manilius and Lucius Marcius Censorinus. When the two consuls landed on the African shore at Utica (which surrendered without a fight) they were at once met by a Carthaginian delegation begging for peace at any price. The Carthaginians were promptly told that peace could be had, but that Carthage first must give up 300 noble hostages and hand over all arms of any kind within the city. Since resistance seemed futile, Carthage agreed. The hostages were punctually given up, and apparently some 200,000 panoplies were turned over to the Romans, as well as 2,000 catapults, and a huge quantity of weapons and ammunition. Then with Carthage, as they thought, completely helpless, the consuls delivered the final blow: the citizens must quit the city. Carthage was to be utterly destroyed, but the inhabitants could build a new dwelling place wherever they liked, provided it was no less than 10 Roman miles (14.8km) from the sea.\n\nNot for the first time, however, Rome had overplayed its hand. When the news reached the city, the people resorted to that age-old habit of peoples faced with an obstinate government: rebellion. When the populace erupted into violence, those who had counselled peace and complied with Rome's harsh terms were lynched on the streets by an angry mob. This aggressive response by the citizens of Carthage is a classic case of how people are beaten only when they understand they have lost, and the government was now forced into attempting the defence of the city. Thus empowered, and despite the earlier surrender of war gear, the citizens went to work with such good effect that they started turning out new swords, spears, shields, and catapults at a prodigious rate. The women of the city willingly cut the tresses of their hair to serve as torsion springs for the new catapults. Within an incredibly short time Carthage was put in a state of defence and messengers sent into the hinterland to raise a relief force. Hasdrubal, who had managed to escape from certain crucifixion after his Numidian fiasco, was pardoned and soon took command of a field army of around 20,000 troops near Nepheris (Bou-Beker), some 30km southeast of Carthage.\n\nNevertheless, the Romans hardly anticipated any serious resistance, fully expecting to cross the walls and kill, and they were quite unprepared for the fanatical fury with which the city was defended. Not only was the expeditionary force poorly led and badly trained, it also lacked siege engines, and all direct assaults against the landward walls were beaten back with bloody loss before the armed militia that had sprouted from the streets of Carthage. Flabbergasted, the Romans withdrew to lick their wounds and settle down to a prolonged siege. Not content to watch events, the defenders made constant damaging sallies, and the Romans were also faced with a new enemy, as disease decimated their ranks in the insalubrious surroundings of the lagoon. Meanwhile, a foray across the lagoon to secure timber ran into serious opposition from Hasdrubal's cavalry, under the very able command of one Himilco Phameas, but ultimately sufficient wood was gathered to construct two battering rams. These were brought up near a stretch of the fortifications near the lagoon, considered weaker here, and manned by one team supplied by the army and the other by the navy. Despite the competitive rivalry between the two services, spurred on by their respective officers, and two breaches being made, the defenders drove back all the assaulting parties. Worse still, under cover of darkness, a raiding party went out and managed to set fire to both of the Roman engines. As the summer heat intensified, the Roman camp was relocated away from the lagoon to the southern end of the city where the troops would benefit from the fresh sea breezes. Roman ships anchored there to provision the army, but they were almost completely destroyed by Carthaginian fire ships. The year drew to a close and Carthage remained unconquered.\n\nThe following year, only one of the new consuls went out to Africa. This was Lucius Calpurnius Piso, who brought with him Lucius Hostilius Mancinus to command the fleet. Six years earlier Piso had tasted defeat in Iberia, while Mancinus does not appear to have been any more gifted. In fact the pair made no progress, handling affairs with gross incompetence, and being saved from complete disaster only by the skilful efforts of Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, who was serving as military tribune with _legio IIII_. Rather than press the siege it was decided to attack the stronghold near Nepheris, where Hasdrubal's field army was ensconced. In a council of war Scipio Aemilianus advised against this operation but was overruled. When the Romans were on the verge of defeat at the hands of the Punic cavalry commander, Himilco Phameas, Scipio Aemilianus' timely arrival with reinforcements covered the Roman retreat. He then played a key diplomatic role. Masinissa's offer of assistance early in the siege had been brusquely rebuffed; now the Romans needed all the help they could get.\n\nThe king invited Scipio Aemilianus, as the grandson of his illustrious patron, Scipio Africanus, to join the Roman delegation visiting him. When they arrived, they found him dead (he was well into his eighties) and his three surviving legitimate sons awaiting Scipio Aemilianus, who was charged with choosing the successor. He chose all three: one to rule in the palace, one as minister of foreign affairs, one as minister of justice, each according to his talents. Scipio Aemilianus brought Gulussa, the most warlike of the three and the minister of foreign affairs, with him back to the Roman camp, along with a large cavalry force.\n\nThe arrival of Numidian reinforcements had a profound effect on Himilco Phameas, who perhaps sensed a change in the winds and defected to the Romans in exchange for a free pardon. Scipio Aemilianus, however, returned to Rome to seek office and was there nominated and elected consul by the people on account of his military record, though he was under the legal age and had not held the praetorship (he had intended to stand as a candidate for the more junior post of curule aedile). All opposition was swept aside and, as at the election of his adoptive grandfather, the constitution had to give way to the will of the people. It seemed the right thing to do, especially as his military record stood out in high relief against the recent military defeats, and intervention by one of the tribunes of the people then ensured that Scipio Aemilianus, rather than his colleague, was given Africa as his province.\n\nWith his return to Africa in the spring of 147 BC the whole aspect of affairs would be dramatically changed. Upon his arrival Scipio Aemilianus set about raising the morale and efficiency of the soldiers, expelling the swarm of prostitutes and traders and focussing the army on its task. He also ensued that from now on the soldiers were properly provisioned. In the meantime, Hasdrubal was recalled to take charge of the city's defences, leaving one Diogenes (probably a Greek _condottiere)_ in charge of the field army. Scipio Aemilianus pressed the siege with vigour, and an attack on the Megara quarter met with early success, but withdrew under pressure. Hasdrubal responded by concentrating his forces in the Byrsa, then for good measure tortured and mutilated his Roman prisoners on the walls. This was intended to stiffen the defenders' resolve, but instead motivated the besiegers. Scipio Aemilianus spent the rest of the summer building a contravallation to isolate Carthage from landward approaches: a series of palisaded ditches with sharpened stakes at the bottom, an earthwork facing the city with regularly spaced watchtowers, and a four-storey tower in the centre to serve as an observation post. These siegeworks dominated the peninsula and made access to the city from the landward side out of the question.\n\nScipio Aemilianus next began attempts to block off Carthage's seaward supplies. From its southern extremity the mercantile harbour was connected to the sea by a channel some 21m wide, and he began by building a mole running across its mouth. Concealed from sight behind the encircling harbour walls, the Carthaginians responded by cutting a new outlet to the sea due east from their naval harbour. They also secretly began constructing from scratch fifty triremes out of whatever material they could lay their hands on. When both fleet and outlet were complete they sailed out, but inexplicably did not attack the unmanned Roman ships. When they finally mounted an assault on the third day, the Romans were ready and drove them back. Unfortunately a bottleneck in the new outlet kept many Carthaginian ships exposed without, and the Roman ships hammered them. Scipio Aemilianus then assaulted the outer quay protecting the mercantile harbour, bringing in catapults and rams. This move suffered a setback when a night attack by the defenders destroyed most of them, but Scipio Aemilianus patiently rebuilt them and threw up defences too. Persevering with his attacks, Scipio Aemilianus eventually secured the harbour walls and took possession of the newly constructed harbour entrance. He spent the remainder of the year capturing what cities still remained loyal to Carthage, and defeated the field army near Nepheris. By the end of the year Carthage was entirely cut off from the outside world. This provoked an offer to negotiate from Hasdrubal, but he would not concede to Scipio Aemilianus' demand that the city be razed. The final agony of Carthage was at hand.\n\nIn the spring of 146 BC Scipio Aemilianus gave the orders for the final assault. By now, the shortage of food had taken its toll in the city, and when the Romans launched a savage and slaughterous assault from the harbour area, where they had established themselves the previous autumn, a stretch of the city wall fell after brief resistance. Thence he advanced without difficulty to the agora, while the defenders fled to the Byrsa, and here the last desperate, half-starved remnant held out. Tall houses along narrow lanes proved to be individual strongholds, and the fighting was house-to-house, floor-to-floor, room-to-room, hand-to-hand for six days. The account given by Appian, which gives a graphic description of the bitter fighting, was probably taken from Polybios, whose own eyewitness record has been largely lost:\n\nThe streets leading from the agora to the Byrsa were flanked by houses of six storeys from which the defenders poured a shower of missiles onto the Romans; when the attackers got inside the buildings the struggle continued on the roofs and on the planks covering the empty spaces; many were hurled to the ground or onto weapons of those fighting in the streets. Scipio ordered all the sector to be fired and the ruins cleared away to give a better passage to his troops, and as this was done there fell with the walls the bodies of those who had hidden in the upper storey and been burned to death, and others who were still alive, wounded and badly burnt. Scipio had sections of men ready to keep the streets clear for rapid movement of his men, and dead or living were thrown together in pits, and it often happens that those who were not yet dead were crushed by the cavalry horses as they passed, not deliberately but in the heat of the battle.\n\nMeanwhile the city below burnt and resounded to the shouts of the victors as they glutted themselves hideously upon the fruits of victory, looting, pillaging, and wiping out men, women, children, and even dogs indiscriminately. The blood lust of the Romans was such that they were still pulling victims out of the debris and butchering them as they cried in vain for quarter, hours after the streets had been won. Maybe they were just extremely brutal men. More likely they had been badly scared by the vicious street fighting, nerve-racking even for those trained in urban combat, and this was the only way to quench their fears. On the seventh day the citadel surrendered and supposedly 50,000 men and women, accompanied by their children and elderly parents, came forth to slavery.\n\nExpecting short shrift if taken alive, 900 deserters from the Roman army made a final stand in the enclosure surrounding the temple of Eshmun. Crowning the summit of the Byrsa, it was reputed to be the most beautiful temple in the city, and, as their numbers gradually shrank, it was in the building itself, then on the roof, the renegades fought before finally immolating themselves in the temple's blazing ruins. Here also the (unnamed) wife of Hasdrubal, with her two children, joined those who, unlike her husband, refused to give in and chose fire and death rather than captivity and slavery. The epic cycle was complete: a woman had presided over the birth of the city, and a woman witnessed its demise. For ten more days the fires of Carthage raged. The elder Pliny speaks of the 'pitch-covered roofs' of the tall many-storeyed houses, and therein lies the explanation for this terrible fire.\n\nFinally, the ruins were systematically razed, a plough was symbolically drawn over the site and the salt of sterility scattered over its smoking remains, and a solemn curse was pronounced against its future rebirth, lesson and punishment from the proud conqueror. With this arcane rite the three exhausting wars between Rome and Carthage had ended in the extermination of one of the two cities. A terrible ending, which illustrates that the fight for survival, far from being just a concept, and often a metaphor, is in many cases a real and violent fact. Carthage was beyond destroyed; it was void as though it had never been.\n\n##### A GREEK IN ROME\n\nIt is often said that the historian of antiquity soon has all his or her cards on the table, and the best card, sometimes the only one, is a reasonably well-informed Greek who wrote a narrative history of Roman expansion in our period of study, Polybios son of Lykortas (c. 200-118 BC). Sadly for us, his _Histories_ has not survived the ravages of time, only the first five of forty books survive intact, the remainder being cobbled together from shorter and longer fragments, so his coverage is at times patchy. Yet for us the account of the three-part struggle between Rome and Carthage is of inestimable value. Not least in that a contemporary writes the detailed description, himself a former cavalry commander, _hipparchos_ , in the Achaian League, who had seen the Roman army in action against his fellow-countrymen during the Third Macedonian War (172-168 BC) and had perhaps observed its levying and training during his internment in Rome (167-150 BC). Polybios wrote as a Greek, in Greek, and mainly (though not exclusively) for Greeks.\n\nAs a historian Polybios is almost unequalled not only because of his constant search for the causes of the events he critically describes, but also because of his own personal experiences. Not only was he fated to serve in the Achaian League, his father having spent the greater part of his life in its service, but his early interest in the profession of arms is demonstrated by the fact that he was chosen to carry the urn containing the ashes of Philopoimen, the last great soldier of Greece in decline, at his state funeral (182 BC). Stuck between Macedonian militarism and Roman imperialism, the Greeks at the time were living through very difficult times, especially those like Polybios and his father who had responsibilities in their homeland. The defeat of Perseus at Pydna (168 BC) and the collapse of Macedonian power resulted in a terrible purge in Achaia. A thousand hostages were deported to italy, Polybios among them. He was fortunate enough, as he himself recounts, to attract the attention of the young Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, grandson of the Lucius Aemilius Paullus killed at Cannae and grandson by adoption of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus victor at Zama. Scipio Aemilianus had first seen service as a teenager at Pydna.\n\nPolybios was no less passionate about geography. In this way he visited the theatres of operations that he describes and, as he himself tells us, he questioned veterans who had taken part in Hannibal's long march to Italy, and to have followed the same route over the Alps sixty-odd years after the event in order to satisfy himself about its details. Polybios witnessed the sieges of Carthage (149-146 BC) and Numantia (134-133 BC) at the side of his chief patron, Scipio Aemilianus. This Greek soldier and politician in fact became the young Roman's friend and advisor, almost his mentor. Exiled as he was, and in his convictions a sturdy Greek, Polybios became in his sympathies a great admirer of Rome, and, perhaps for that reason, of Rome's great rival. Yet his authorship was the product of his personal character, and was little modified by patronage.\n\nAs a man of action turned historian, Polybios felt the necessity of firsthand evidence wherever it was obtainable, and spared no pains to obtain it. Now convention decreed that a defender would normally only be permitted to surrender on terms if it did so before the first battering ram touched the wall, otherwise the city would be subject to a sack and its surviving inhabitants sold into slavery. It was the way a victorious besieger usually collected its reward, and the price the vanquished defender generally paid for resistance. Thus the main thing that enters a soldier's mind when gets into a city is the desire to loot, and most will go off in search of spoil. Having seized Akragas (261 BC), for instance, Polybios says the Romans comprehensively sacked the city, selling its Greek inhabitants, 25,000 according to Diodoros, into slavery. He actually tells us that he had witnessed the aftermath of a Roman sack of a city, in all likelihood when he had accompanied Scipio Aemilianus on campaign in Africa or Iberia, and had seen the dismembered bodies of men and even animals lying in the streets. Polybios believed that such atrocities were intended to inspire terror, both to overawe the population and prevent further resistance, but also to deter other cities from opposing a Roman army. The Roman disembowelment of a city was brutal even by the standards of the day, which assumed general massacre of men and rape of women.\n\nPolybios was a man of great intelligence, largely free from the inveterate disease of national prejudices, and who was anxious to take the broader view. In this respect he was keen to demonstrate that he had not become involved in the partisan interpretations of events between Carthage and Rome, and makes an explicit declaration of impartiality in describing these events and of objectivity with regard to the images of the contenders. He exposes the limitations of their respective sources, Philinos of Akragas and Quintus Fabius Pictor, who seem to him 'to have been much in the case of lovers; for owing to his convictions and constant partiality Philinos will have it the Carthaginians in every case acted wisely, well, and bravely, and the Romans otherwise, whilst Fabius takes the precisely opposite view'. Thus the image of the Carthaginians that emerges from the narrative of Polybios does not seem to be distorted by factious hostility or the hatred born of prejudice. So, for instance, we find ample testimony to the courage and skill of Carthaginian seamen.\n\nBut the point of view of Polybios, and his determination to adopt a position as objective as possible towards the Carthaginians, is best exemplified by the picture he has given us of the man who was in a sense their symbol, Hannibal. Take this Polybian anecdote, for example. In one council of war the question of logistics during the approaching march to Italy via the Alps was raised once again, and one of Hannibal's senior officers, Hannibal's unrelated namesake, nicknamed Monomachos, suggested that the problem could be eased by training the men to survive off human flesh. Hannibal appreciated the practical value of cannibalism but could not bring himself to consider it. That there was much injustice and brutality there can be little doubt, for that is how soldiers behave in a conquered land, but Polybios recognized that the reputation for ferocious cruelty, which the Romans attached to Hannibal, may in reality have been due to his having been confused for Hannibal Monomachos. Here we can pinpoint the trait of _inhumana crudelitas_ , enthusiastically sketched by Livy as one of the chief components in his moral portrait of Hannibal. Of course, as a good Roman, Livy had no liking for Hannibal.\n\nOn the whole Polybios is a remarkably sober historian, so much so that this inclines his readers to trust him. He calls his writing _pragmatik\u00ea historia_ , pragmatic history, based on written evidence, his own knowledge of events, the evidence of eyewitnesses, and so on. His own experiences as a soldier fighting Rome had led him to reflect in later life on the phenomenon of Roman expansion. For him, the triumph of Rome was somehow decreed by destiny, the result of a kind of law of nature. So instead of opposing it, it would be much more sensible to come on board and join the conquerors.\n\nPolybios, had no doubts that the Romans of his own and earlier times wanted to grow from a village by the Tiber to a world empire. And so when the Gauls withdrew from Rome in 390 BC, Polybios tells us, the Romans 'began from that time to enlarge their territory, and in the years that followed they waged a succession of wars against their neighbours'. After the conquest of the Latins, they went on to defeat the Etruscans, Gauls, and Samnites, and so when the Tarentines invited the intervention of Pyrrhos of Epeiros, Polybios continues, 'they now for the first time made war upon the rest of Italy, not as if its inhabitants were foreigners, but as if the country were already rightfully theirs'. Belief too can be a form of imperialism. In any case, in Roman eyes, the Greeks were no good at war. So much for the Greeks, whom the Romans regarded as people who talked too much and were too clever by half. They were double-tongued too.\n\nFor two years after the tragic events at Corinth, the once-great Greek city-state that suffered in the same year the same fate as Carthage, Polybios acted as an intermediary between the conquerors and the conquered. His services to Greece were widely recognized, and statues were erected in his honour in Megalopolis, his hometown, and in Mantineia, Tegea, Olympia and elsewhere. The peripatetic Pausanias saw one of them and quoted the inscription on its plinth: 'Greece would never have come to grief, had she obeyed Polybios in all things, and having come to grief, she found succour through him alone'. A man of action to the last, he met his death at 82 years old by an accidental fall from his horse as he was returning home from the countryside.\nCHAPTER 11\n\n## **The horse lords**\n\nThe Numidians (Greek _Nom\u00e1des_ , Latin _Numidae)_ were akin to the Berbers, the fair-skinned people who occupied large areas of the Maghreb before the Arab invasion of North Africa in the period AD 642 to AD 711. Originally nomadic herdsmen and hunters subsisting in small clans, the Numidians sometimes practised a mix of simple agriculture and transhumant pastoralism. Those on the coast came under the influence of Carthage, which enabled them to live in larger more sophisticated societies, and it is known that the princes of Numidia were allies of the Carthaginians at one time or another, and presumably their famed horsemen were, in theory at least, confederates rather than mercenaries. We know that in the war with the renegade mercenaries the Carthaginians were greatly helped by a friendly Numidian prince, Naravas, who offered to defect with his followers, and eventually fought for them with his troop of about 2,000 horsemen. He was rewarded by marriage to the third daughter of a man he much admired, none other than the daredevil commander of Eryx, Hamilcar Barca.\n\nBy the time of the Second Punic War their small clans, consisting of several agnatic kinship groups, had coalesced into two main tribal confederacies. One was the Masaesulii, under their king, Syphax, with his capital at Siga (Takembrit, Algeria) with a second one at Cirta (Constantine, Algeria), whose extensive kingdom, the more westerly of the two, occupied over two-thirds of present-day Algeria. The other was the Maesulii, under their kings, first Gaia and then his son Masinissa (r. 201-148 BC), whose much-smaller kingdom contained the inner mountains and plains of what is now Tunisia, with its principal town of Thugga (Dougga). There were also many minor tribes with their own chieftains and domains. The elder Pliny says in his day some 463 Numidian tribes gave allegiance to Rome.\n\nAs we might guess, these indigenous princes had not remained passive spectators of the struggle between Carthage and Rome. They had sided with one or the other, alternating their loyalties. Gaia had supplied Carthage with native contingents, which had been sent to Iberia under Masinissa, who was to fight alongside the Carthaginians from 212 BC and play a far-from-negligible role in the defeat of the elder Cornelii Scipiones. In particular, Numidian horsemen were formidable and well respected by the Carthaginians, but tribalism and disunion made them difficult allies politically. Their earlier relationship to Carthage resembled that of a protectorate, far removed from an alliance of independent states. To reinforce their influence, the Carthaginians had planted a number of fortresses on Numidian territory, including Sicca (El Kef, formerly La Kef, Tunisia), a town we are already familiar with from the war against the mercenaries. But generally Carthage, following the time-honoured tradition of using tribe against tribe, maintained its authority by diplomatic manoeuvring, playing off local tribal and kingdom rivalry.\n\nMasinissa had led a somewhat chequered career, and towards the end of the war with Hannibal he would do Rome the signal service of deserting his ally, Carthage. After the crushing defeat the Carthaginians suffered at Ilipa (206 BC), the prince, sensing a change in the wind, had escaped to Gadir from where he made his way back to Africa. On returning home he found that his father Gaia, who had ruled as a feudatory of Syphax, had died and the succession was caught up in a nasty little civil war, in which Masinissa's uncle (who had inherited the throne) and cousin were cut down at the hands of a brigand, Mazaetullus, who then placed on the throne a boy, Lacumazes, while he himself retained the power as guardian. The cunning brigand then married the old king's widow, who was the daughter of Hannibal's third sister, the one who had married Naravas, and by that means sought to ingratiate himself with Carthage.\n\nIn the mean time, finding that his claims were being ignored, Masinissa promptly raised an army, overthrew the puppet king and took possession of the kingdom, only to be driven out by Syphax, who was egged on by Hasdrubal Gisco, the latter rightly suspecting that Masinissa had thrown his lot in with Rome. A landless king, Masinissa sought refuge in the mountains of his homeland and survived by raiding the adjoining Carthaginian lands. Syphax sent a posse to hunt Masinissa down, and the latter barely escaped with his life, hiding in a cave, nursing his wounds, with only two companions. Livy has an exciting tale to tell here, whereby Masinissa was hunted down by an officer named Bucar, who finally drove him into a gully from which he escaped with only fifty horsemen. The little band was eventually cornered and its desperate members picked off in a running fight, only Masinissa, himself wounded, and four others getting away. In the hot pursuit that followed two were drowned in a raging torrent into which Bucar dared not venture. To save face, Bucar reported to Syphax with the news of the fugitive's demise. Of course, as soon as his wounds were sufficiently healed, Masinissa miraculously returned to seek his inheritance, announced his identity, and was immediately joined by supporters who constituted a new army with which he provoked Syphax, once again, to civil war. Between Cirta and Hippo Regius (Annaba, formerly B\u00f4ne, Algeria) a savage battle was fought in which Syphax won a complete victory. Masinissa just managed to escape with sixty horsemen to the shores in the Emporia region (Latin Syrtis Minor, modern Gulf of Gab\u00e8s, Tunisia) where he remained in hiding, and he was still at large when Publius Cornelius Scipio landed in Africa.\n\nWhen Scipio was winding down the war in Iberia and making his preparations for its inevitable sequel, a war in Africa, he had not only entered in negotiations with Masinissa but with Syphax too, the king thinking that Rome would aid him to free himself of Carthage's yoke. It appears that Syphax was of the wait-and-see nature, because as early as 213 BC the elder Cornelii Scipiones had sent envoys from Iberia charged with concluding a treaty of friendship. Three years later, it was Syphax's turn to send an embassy to Rome to assure the Senate that it had no trustier ally than himself, and Rome responded with gifts of a toga and purple tunic, an ivory curule chair and a golden goblet weighting no less than 5 Roman pounds.\n\nCarthage, knowing of these dealings with Scipio, sent Hasdrubal Gisgo to Syphax in order to win back the Numidian king. The Carthaginian general succeeded in doing so by marrying Syphax to his daughter Sophonisba, as famous for her beauty as for her intelligence and culture. To strengthen this bond before his passion had time to cool, Hasdrubal urged and Sophonisba persuaded Syphax to send envoys to Scipio warning him not to cross over to Africa and carry on the war there. His reasons were that he, Syphax, was now tied to Carthage by marriage and by treaty. Rome might fight Carthage outside of Africa, but if it invaded Africa, Syphax would be obliged to take sides. Whether or not we choose to believe that Syphax was enslaved by Sophonisba, we may well imagine that the wily king, though flattered by the attention of Rome, was not anxious to have Carthage on his back, as its intact presence in Africa was still something to be feared. Moreover, he had become its immediate neighbour since, profiting from Masinissa's difficulties with regard to the succession, he had annexed the kingdom of the Maesulii on Carthage's western flank.\n\nIn the spring of 204 BC Scipio set sail from Lilybaeum and stepped ashore with his invasion force near Utica at the Fair Promontory, today the Rass Sidi Ali el Mekki, Tunisia. In order to have use of a seaport he moved to besiege Utica. Carthage was in a fix as it had no proper army to hand, and anxiously awaited a band of Celtiberian mercenaries from Iberia. Masinissa, having survived his many adventures and escapes, had joined Scipio with 200 of his loyal horsemen, all the more readily, if we are to believe Diodoros, as he had been Syphax's rival for the hand of Sophonisba, and, as Livy unkindly remarks, 'Numidians surpass all other barbarian peoples in the violence of their appetites'. Hasdrubal, however, quickly raised an army, together with his son-in-law Syphax, although only a rabble of poor quality. Nonetheless, Hasdrubal marched towards Scipio, who raised the siege of Utica and established a fortified camp on a sea-girt peninsula just 3km to the east of the city, the _castra Cornelia_ , the name by which the site would still be known in Caesar's day, who would say that is was a particularly suitable place for a camp.\n\nHis first year's campaigning in Africa had been cautious and not too successful, and Scipio, entrenched and hunkered down on his promontory, was besieged in turn by the two armies of Hasdrubal and Syphax, who were encamped about a dozen or so kilometres away. So over the winter months Scipio used his time acquiring intelligence about the opposition. Pretending to open negotiations for peace, though he had no authority from the Senate to do so, he sent out envoys accompanied by experienced centurions disguised as servants, who soon snooped out every secret in the Carthaginian and Numidian camps. They found discipline lax and both camps badly guarded.\n\nThrowing off all semblance of negotiations, in the spring Scipio sent a small body of troops towards Utica equipped with a siege train. The ploy was to make the Carthaginians believe that he was about to reopen the siege. It worked, for the collective attentions of Hasdrubal and Syphax were fully occupied when Scipio made his night attack on their respective camps. Syphax's men were asleep in their huts of reeds and foliage, the famous _mapalia_ , and these Masinissa and Laelius torched. Syphax's men, believing that the fire was an accident, were either incinerated in their huts, trampled to death in the rush to escape the flames, or cut down as they tried to escape the camp. Meanwhile, Hasdrubal's men in the other camp, also thinking the fire was accidental, rushed out, some to assist their allies, some to simply goggle in growing alarm. Scipio then fell upon those who had come out, killing some and driving the other back into the camp, to which he immediately set fire, with horrifying results as their huts, made of wood and branches, went up in flames too. In this way the combined forces of Hasdrubal and Syphax perished, though the two leaders themselves managed to get away.\n\nAmazingly, Hasdrubal and Syphax then set about and succeeded in raising another ragtag army, in which the only reliable fighters were the Celtiberians, who had been recruited in central Iberia from one of the toughest of the peninsula's many warlike tribes. With this army, in the spring of 203 BC, they confronted Scipio at the Great Plains.\n\nIn the spring Scipio had marched with something like 20,000 men in light marching order to the Great Plains where, if Polybios is to be believed, an army of 30,000 Carthaginians, Numidians and Celtiberian troops had gathered. For two days the two sides skirmished, no doubt taking the measure of each other, discovering as much as they could about their respective strengths and weaknesses. On the third day, Hasdrubal Gisgo and Syphax deployed their combined forces, placing the Numidian horse on the left wing, the Carthaginian cavalry on the right, and the 4,000 Celtiberians in the centre along with the Numidian foot levies. Following the usual Roman practice, Scipio deployed his legions and _alae_ in _triplex acies_ , with the Roman and Latin-Italian cavalry, under Laelius, facing Syphax's Numidians on his right wing, and Masinissa's Numidians facing the Carthaginian cavalry on the left.\n\nAt the first charge the battle passed irredeemably out of Carthaginian hands, as both cavalry wings gave way, soon to be followed by the Numidian foot, so exposing the flanks of the Celtiberians in the centre. Though Polybios says no more than that these fierce warriors were then 'swiftly surrounded by the _principes_ and _triarii'_ , it would seem that Scipio replayed the tactics he had successfully employed at Ilipa. If this was indeed the case, he would have held the Celtiberians frontally, though this time probably engaging them directly with the _hastati_ , and then extended his fighting line, by bringing up the second and third lines, so that it could be wheeled in from the flanks to outflank their exposed flanks. Such an option was available to Scipio because of the tactical independence of the Roman system of the _triplex acies_. It is possible, though no means certain, that Scipio's envelopment was completed by the victorious cavalry. The Celtiberians died where they stood, fighting stubbornly to the finish. Polybios points out that their gallant last stand enabled Hasdrubal and Syphax to escape the field. Anyway, the consequences of this defeat were immediately apparent to the senate in Carthage, and the decision was taken to recall Hannibal and Mago from Italy.\n\nPosthaste, after this latest fiasco, Hasdrubal and Syphax escaped a second time, the Carthaginian general taking refuge in Carthage and the Numidian king in Cirta. As for scraping together another army, the highly-prized Celtiberians lay dead and the hastily-recruited Numidian peasants had probably run for their homes to help with the crops.\n\nEntrusting the blockade of Utica to the fleet, Scipio's next move was to march with the greater part of his army against Carthage, laying waste to the country as he went. In a state of near panic, the Carthaginian senate dispatched a delegation to Hannibal, armed with orders for his recall from Italy without further ado. In the meantime, a flying column under Masinissa and Laelius had pursued the fleeing Syphax into Numidia. Masinissa's own tribesmen at once rallied to him, but Syphax, acceding to the entreaties of his wife, was able to raise yet another army and turn at bay. In the ensuing action, however, his raw army was again utterly routed and he himself thrown from his badly wounded horse and taken prisoner. Cirta and Sophonisba fell into the hands of the Romans.\n\nCirta had been the eastern capital of Masinissa's bitter rival Syphax, and Masinissa was now installed there as the king of all Numidia. Consequently, he was to furnish much needed cavalry to Scipio at the Battle of Zama, which meant the Romans faced Hannibal with more cavalry than he, horsemen that had often fought for Carthage. No doubt the prince had gauged the Romans, more tenacious than the Carthaginians, would prevail, and when this happened he was rewarded, as he had doubtless hoped, with a good slice of Carthaginian territory, namely those towns and lands that he had lightsomely appropriated during the closing stages of the war.\n\nThe one thing Masinissa did not get, however, was the beautiful Sophonisba. Apparently, though this amatory interlude has been much doubted, upon her capture she presented herself before Masinissa, imploring him to save her from the only possible fate the Romans could have in store for her. Buckling under to her irresistible charms, Masinissa fell head over heels in love, promised to grant her request, and married her that same day so that she should be recognized as the consort of a Numidian king, and not be a prisoner of the Romans to adorn Scipio's forthcoming triumph. Critics tend to interpret the presence of women in the historical narrative as mere literary devices or cyphers, inserted at strategic places to titillate or to carry the story forward. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to be reminded of the one great truth that often escapes the (male) academic historian: half of the population are women.\n\nAnyway, Scipio saw things rather differently. Having congratulated Masinissa on his military prowess, he then castigated him for his inability to resist the temptations of sensuality. Syphax was a prisoner of Rome, and Sophonisba, who was Syphax's wife, was likewise a prisoner and must be sent to Rome. Having pledged not to hand her over to the Romans, yet unable to renounce his friendship with Scipio, Masinissa ordered a trusted servant to mix a cup of poison and take it to Sophonisba, with the injunction to remember her father was Hasdrubal Gisgo, a general of Carthage. Sophonisba took the hint and drained the cup. Her father's fate, however, is less certain. Though Hasdrubal escaped crucifixion in spite of being sentenced to death, it seems that he took his own life in 202 BC, driven so by his fellow citizens' hostility. At all events he disappears from the record. As for her lawful husband, he was bundled off to Italy in chains. Here the former all-powerful Numidian king languished and died in prison at the resort town of Tibur (Tivoli) before Scipio's triumph, thus sparing him being reduced to total degradation.\n\nSo, Syphax passes from history too. Not so Masinissa. Having sacrificed Sophonisba for reasons of state, the following day the ephemeral husband was paraded before the soldiers of Rome and hailed as a king. Scipio then presented him with the insignia, including an ivory sceptre: in Latin, _scipio_. It was to be a dawn of a brave, albeit rather brief, new era for Numidia.\n\nUnder Masinissa nomadism was largely abandoned, at least in the more placid eastern part of the kingdom, for mixed agriculture and urban life developed, while Punic was unhesitatingly adopted as the language of the ruling \u00e9lite, coins minted using the Semitic language and characters, and the worship of Baal Hammon became popular alongside indigenous cults. In many ways Numidia had been transformed into a kingdom of a large number of settled farming communities ruled by a bilingual, bicultural court. Under the superficial structure of the Numidian state, however, tribal social systems remained strong and skilled horsemen still abounded. This was particularly so in those communities situated in distant, wild and desert-like lands, with their worn, hardy, ill-clad people who relied on herding and hunting to survive and, therefore, were constantly fighting and foraying.\n\nWealth could be hoarded in several ways. Coins, silver naturally, were by Masinissa's day widely used, but many among those tribes in the more remote regions, where the nomadic lifestyle of the horse warrior still prevailed, the number of one's cattle still provided the simplest and most readily recognizable means of displaying wealth and status. Cattle, providing milk, meat and hide, were the measuring stick of worth; in that respect, and only in that sense, cattle were currency. Little wonder, therefore, that cattle rustling was endemic, as much a part of the pastoral scene as the spring sowing or autumn reaping. Raising cattle meant generously, if unwittingly, handing hostages to fortune. There is little that human predators can do to arable farming except destroy crops, an unprofitable proceeding for all concerned. Cattle, on the other hand, can be rustled with reasonable facility and become an asset to the rustler. Indeed, cattle were not only a measure of wealth, but also provided material evidence of a man's prestige. The successful warrior could build up a large herd by raiding and penetrating deep into a neighbour's territory and ranging widely, and driving off his cattle and horses, as well as taking precious salt.\n\nWorse could come in the form of a sudden raid on a settlement, plundering it, destroying its meagre crops, and herding the inhabitants into slavery. Pressing the point even further, we know that a brisk foray into an out-of-the-way settlement is hardly to be counted as one of the greatest events in the history of warfare, involving as it probably did a handful of Numidian horsemen who rushed into the village, launched their javelins, slashed around a bit and then rushed out again. But it was all very real for the occupants of the village. The first they learned of the arrival of a hostile band of horsemen was probably a cloud of dust, followed by the dull thud of hooves, followed by a rain of javelins. Life at the top of Numidian society may have changed for the better, but at the bottom of the pile it was very much a case of same old same.\nCHAPTER 12\n\n## **Mobile warfare**\n\nAt the outset, it should be stressed that the Numidian lifestyle was by no means one of peace and tranquillity. Intertribal conflicts flared; raids, ambushes, and theft were commonplace occurrences and hunger and disease constant companions in lean years. Whereas raiding was a matter of taking the enemy's property, war meant taking his life. In the latter, tribal troops followed their own chieftains, but it was terribly difficult for Numidian chieftains and princes to hold a large force together in the field for more than a few weeks. Used to mounting raids of short duration, raiding parties were small, for concealment was a prime consideration, and could be raised quickly, but the need to remain in the field for a protracted period was alien to them. After battle these 'armies' had the disquieting habit of melting away with the spoils, particularly at sowing or harvesting time. After all, the Numidian warrior was a hunter and a provider too; war was only one facet of his life.\n\nThough the best warriors were horsemen, especially those from the arid steppe areas of the Sahara were the nomadic cattle-rearing life still prevailed, the bulk of Numidian armies were composed of barefoot tribesmen with legs strong from the peripatetic life. Their weaponry was generally light, with javelins and bucklers much more common than spears or swords, though better-equipped (or wealthier) warriors could carry a sword, mostly taken from (or given by) the Romans. With helmets or body armour being virtually nonexistent, for battle warriors usually wore minimal clothing, consisting of a baggy tunic, probably of undyed wool, and very little else. Livy speaks of Numidian 'horsemen without armour [viz. unshielded], and without weapons [viz. sidearms], apart from the javelins they carried', Polybios also speaks of javelins, whereas Herodotos speaks of North African shields made of 'ostrich skin' and Strabo of rawhide, and what we can imagine here is a small, round, boss-less, hide shield, which was slightly convex with a narrow rim. All in all, the impression to be gained from the literary evidence confirms that it is highly unlikely that all Numidians were equipped in an identical manner.\n\nFor really close work, when their store of javelins should have been exhausted, and delivering the _coup de gr\u00e2ce_ to one's fallen enemy, the favoured weapon was the dagger. Generally, the blade of this shock weapon was short and double-edged, and was designed primarily for stabbing, rather than slashing, to penetrate deep into the body of an opponent, though only creating a narrow wound. Of course, a dagger was also useful for those more mundane chores in the field, such as skinning and butchering game, and was commonly regarded as a utilitarian tool as well as a personal weapon. The earliest daggers are made from a single sheet of flat metal, whilst later examples are made with a clearly defined mid-ridge to the blade, which gives additional strength. Handles were of organic materials, such as wood, bone or ivory, and scabbards of wood or leather were used to protect the blades when not in use. These early examples are small enough to be carried tucked into the belt of the warriors' tunic. Otherwise, they could be carried on a band around the arm. The arm dagger is a weapon habitually worn by peoples of Saharan and Sudanic Africa, amongst them the Tuareg, a branch of the Berber race. The style here is to keep it in a sheath attached to the inner side of the left forearm by a loop, the sheath and loop usually of leather but sometimes of metal, such as decoratively engraved brass. The blade points to the elbow and the flat hilt rests against the inside of the wrist, from which position it can be quickly drawn with the right hand.\n\nTheir confrontations with the mail-coated soldiers of Rome who finally destroyed their independent existence occupied only six or seven decades, and was not typical of the Numidian experience. True, the most powerful kings of Numidia, such as Syphax and Iugurtha, also raised \u00e9lite units of slaves, freedmen and mercenaries paid through taxation. These infantry formations were based upon the Roman model, with some of the best-equipped troops in the world, and even abided Roman training and discipline. Little is known of their origins, though those levied by Iugurtha included Thracians and Ligurians, and Sallust specifically talks of deserters fighting for the king, in other words Roman and\/or Italian legionaries.\n\nOrdinarily, in the more limited primitive encounters that characterized small-scale warfare between tribes and smaller groups, the two sides encamped opposite one another for several days. A local decision, however, was produced speedily. Either the attacker was repulsed and allowed to withdraw, or he broke through the defender's formation, killed those still inclined to offer active resistance, pursued the flying remnants for a kilometre or so slaughtering the hindmost freely, picked up anything of value, and returned triumphant to his camp. Victory in the scientific sense was rarely exploited: limited operations were undertaken to achieve limited objectives. In this way, for instance, hunting grounds were not won through pitched battles, but through constant harassment.\n\nThe greatest tool, and the focal point for all warfare in their society, was the horse. Often ignored, and frequently abused, it was the horse that offered the Numidian the obvious advantages of speed, mobility, and freedom of targeting. As he was unarmoured, and it was never his intention to arm himself to fight pitched battles but rather for the dash of hit-and-run tactics, his defence lay in his horse too. This is not to say that the Numidian was lacking in courage. Being lighter-armed and equipped, he was able to move with greater speed and agility than his opponents. If things were going well, he would stand his ground, but if any time the foe began to gain an advantage then he would fade from the scene, prepared to take up the fight again when the advantage should lay with him.\n\nThough obviously he was one with his mount, it seems more likely that the Numidian horseman rode bareback, rather than upon the four-horned rigid saddle employed by contemporary Celtic and Roman cavalry. His only tack was a simple neck strap of leather or rope and he guided his mount with voice and legs. One thing the Graeco-Roman sources do have in common, however, is praise for the Numidians' mastery of their desert horses, so much so that these sources make much of Numidian 'bareback horsemen', who rode 'without bridles'. They also appear as such on the later Trajan's Column in Rome, and the unique 'Rastafarian' hairstyle of these horse warriors may be artistic licence and not necessarily dependent on autopsy, an instance, if you will, of 'Burnt Cork Zulus'.\n\nThe Numidians seem to have been frequent victims of negative stereotyping, a veritable carnival sideshow of human oddities viewed from a distance. For though their power of endurance were often remarked upon, their greatest accomplishment, as Polybios will have us believe, was self-preservation, for if beaten in battle they had a habit of fleeing for up to three days. Livy, on the other hand, scorns them as untrustworthy, undisciplined, hot-tempered, and with more violent appetites than any other so-called barbarians. Aelian, while praising their ability to endure fatigue, denigrates the care that Numidians gave their horses, saying 'they neither rub them down, roll them, clean their hooves, comb manes, plait forelocks, nor wash them when tired, but when dismounted turn them loose to graze'. Lazy or not, turning a horse loose to graze immediately after a tough ride is the best treatment he can have and often prevents muscle and limb ailments. Numidian horses appear to have been small, hardy animals. Livy depicts both horses and riders as 'tiny and lean' in a passage that praises Numidian horsemanship but ridicules their appearance. Strabo comments on the size and speed of African horses in general, and they are prominent in the chariot-racing inscriptions at Rome.\n\nThe use of big, barley-fed horses made Roman cavalry dependent on supply lines, especially when grass was scarce. However, the Numidians' grass-fed animals were incapable of sustained winter use, which did not hamper the Roman animals, provided supplies of grains were available of course. Even when stripped down to bare essentials, carrying limited rations and fodder, as Metellus was to do when he marched on Thala, a train of pack mules was still an essential requirement. The Athenian _condottiere_ , Xenophon, an expert horseman himself, emphasizes the importance of sufficient fodder for horses so that they would be able to perform as well as required, 'since horses unfit for their work can neither overtake nor escape'. A horse in its natural habitat, living on grass, would eat most of the time. As a grazing animal the horse requires food in small amounts frequently, thus it is better to feed a stabled horse about three or four times a day rather than only once or twice. Grass alone, even when supplemented by hay in the winter months, is not sufficient for stabled horses (e.g. Roman cavalry mounts) since it will not keep them in hard condition. To achieve this, extra food, usually hard fodder in the form of cereals, must be given.\n\nThe quantity of fodder necessary to sustain each managed horse depends upon its size and amount of work it has to perform. The ratio of cereals to hay can be varied, provided the horse always receives adequate food-value to sustain the amount of work it is doing. Modern horses are generally fed more hay and less cereal when they are not working. When in work, on the other hand, horses require less roughage, so the quantities of hay can be reduced, but require more protein so the cereal ration is accordingly increased. Oats, barley and maize are the most commonly used modern cereals, but barley is fattening, and usually slightly less barley or maize is given compared to oats. Modern barley has approximately 11 per cent protein, as do oats and maize, but varieties grown today differ very much from ancient ones and, in the main, have far less nutritional content than ancient strains.\n\nAs ancient grains would have given much better nutrition than the modern feedstuffs, a smaller quantity could be fed and still achieve good results. At the turn of the twentieth century, British army cavalry horses were given a daily forage ration of 5.4kg of hay, 4.5kg of oats and 3.6kg of straw, divided into three or four feeds. In addition, chaff was mixed with feeds, and bran mash, sometimes with linseed cake, was given once a week. In AD 187 a Roman cavalry unit stationed at Coptos, Egypt, received 20,000 _artabai_ of barley as the year's supply for its mounts. Using this evidence, Davies estimates that a single Roman cavalry unit (i.e. an _ala quingenaria)_ , which usually mustered 560 horses in this period, would eat its way through 625 tons of barley in a year.\n\nVarro, Columella and the elder Pliny all mention a mixed crop of barley, vetch and legumes, called _farrago_ , Varro adding that it is good for purging horses at the beginning of spring, which is also the beginning of the campaigning season for the military. However, the evidence for cereal rations issued to the cavalry is not abundant. Polybios confirms the men were issued with wheat and the horses were fed on a ration that was about 1kg dry weight of barley a day, though the latter could be used as punishment rations for the men too. Papyri from Doura-Europos confirm that barley still formed the basis of the cereal ration for the cavalry horses of the Principate, while papyri from Egypt show them receiving regular supplies of hay. In truth barley is not very suitable for horses as it is apt to induce short-windedness and sweating until digestive tolerance is achieved, but it is universal in recorded antiquity until the adoption of the northern fodder-grain oats in early medieval Europe.\n\nThe hay and green fodder mentioned most often and favourably in Roman agricultural literature is what we know as lucerne or alfalfa. The Romans called it _medica_ as it originated from the lush Median plain where the famed Nisaean horses were raised. Good grass hays have a protein content ranging from 7-10 per cent, whereas lucerne cut at the optimum time has almost double that. Columella enumerates all its splendid qualities, ending with the statement that the yield from one _iugerum_ (0.25 ha) of it provides enough to feed three horses for a year.\n\nBy comparison, the Numidian keepers of horses did not stable them or give them special food and, therefore, had no incentive to breed a horse unfit for its environment. Generally, desert breeds can feed on virtually any quality of pasturage, fending for themselves in the very severe conditions of a desert environment. Coping well and gaining sustenance in a poorer country would give critical advantage to horse warriors on extended raids, as their mounts would not require the cartage of fodder but were simply let loose at the end of a day's riding to fend for themselves on the available vegetation. Such horses offered a definite advantage to anyone intent on a quick raid over any distance at any time of the year. The Numidians thus had a mount that was not only universally resilient but also low maintenance, and these qualities were not lost on the Romans.\n\nIt was under Masinissa that Numidian horsemen became the prime military resource of the state, and by the early second century BC Numidian mercenaries were being employed, especially in Iberia, as Roman auxiliaries. According to Strabo the kings were 'much occupied with the breeding of horses thus 100,000 foals in a year have been counted with a census'. True, these horses were of a hardy though 'ungroomed' breed, but what must be remembered is that here the Graeco-Roman authors, Aelian, Strabo et cetera, are subconsciously comparing the pasture-fed horse of the Numidians with the stall-fed horse of the Romans. It was very graceful and fast. It was surefooted and strong. It was far better at climbing, jumping and swimming than Roman horses, and the main equine characteristics looked for being a flat back for ease of riding and the long slender neck of a good jumper.\n\nThe Numidians were strong in the use of horses, and horses were an advantage in a fast-moving, swirling clash. On the other hand, their enemy, the Romans, were strong in the use of heavy infantry, and heavy infantry were an advantage in a slow-paced, slogging match. In this each of them naturally relied upon their strengths. Initially the Numidians faced the Romans in open battle, but soon resorted to the art of ambushing the enemy in terrain of their own choosing. After all, the ground of their own country was their ally and they had an instinctive ability in the use of cover. As we can well appreciate, this meant the Roman army was forced to fight a form of irregular warfare at which it did not excel, for which its soldiers were untrained and its equipment unsuited. The Numidian aim was not to wage set-piece battles and win big victories, but to nibble at the pedestrian Roman, taunt and harass him in such a way that he could neither eat nor sleep in peace, to give him no respite, to wear him out physically and mentally, and finally to annihilate him.\n\nThe Romans were strangers in a strange land. As Napoleon would later write, of all the obstacles to impede an army, 'the most difficult to overcome is the desert'. Whereas rich, fertile regions offer to the invader a thousand necessary supplies, while in barren or desert regions huts and straw are about the only resources. Roman commands, so long accustomed to the relative comforts of the Iberian and Balkan peninsulas, would almost perish in the arid wastes of Numidia, whereas the Numidians were extremely effective on terrain that was intrinsically hostile to any form of wheeled transport. Indeed, their uncanny speed and mobility were enormously enhanced by the minimal supply lines required. Perhaps four or five days' provisions in the shape of cereal stuffed inside gunny sacks, and a herd of cattle proportional to the distance to be traversed accompanied each native army. The Numidians faced annihilation by superior arms if they challenged Roman supremacy, but elusively mobile they could strike viciously and recoil swiftly, using their ancient skills to evade pursuit.\n\nNumidian horsemen were what we moderns would recognize as light irregular horse, excellent for skirmishing, harassing, terrifying by their unearthly war whoops and their unbridled gallop. Instability incarnate, they were unable to hold their own against steady, bridled horse, that is to say, the spear- and sword-carrying cavalry favoured by the Romans. Yet they were men who had been on their mounts since childhood, who could launch javelins with deadly accuracy at a gallop, and slash and hack away with daggers at close quarters as easily mounted as on foot. They were but a swarm of desert flies that always plagues and kills at the least mistake; elusive and perfect for a long pursuit and the massacre of the vanquished to whom the Numidians gave neither respite nor quarter. With the Numidian, war remained a matter of agility and cunning, and in the actual moment of violence their battleline was right on the heels of the enemy. Hunting was his principal pastime and the pursuit of game taught him the pursuit of man. The mature and seasoned hunter was as keen, cunning and hardy as the prey he sought, and he knew the peculiarities of nature. The Numidians, savage but skilful horsemen, inspired a veritable terror by the incessant alarms they caused. They fatigued without fighting and slaughtered by stealth.\n\nAs an ideal warrior society, whatever that may be, the Numidians simply do not come up to scratch. A military nation and a warlike nation are not necessarily the same. The Romans were warlike from organization and instinct, and many of their mawkish accounts of the Numidians fit the conventional racially-biased characterization of barbarians as argumentative, stupid, volatile and with little intelligence, except animal cunning. They lie, break their oaths and, in battle, they are cacophonic and prefer ambush and long-distance fighting to the good old, honest hand-to-hand combat for which Rome's armoured and disciplined soldiers were specially trained. It is said that real bravery is that inspired by devotion to duty, yet the bravery sprung from hot blood pleased the wild desert nomad more. He understood it, and it appealed to his vanity; it was the characteristic of his nature. But such bravery was fleeting; it failed him at times when he sensed the ripples of hesitation through the masses around him. By comparison the Romans were not mighty men, but men of tough discipline and hardheaded stubbornness.\n\nThe Battle of the Great Plains has already been touched upon, and it was here that the Numidians on the Carthaginian side broke at first contact. The reason for such a poor showing when hard-pressed lies in the fact that Syphax's men were recently recruited peasants, sketchily trained and conspicuously erratic, with little or no experience as horsemen. The means to attain a disciplined, effective fighting force are quite simple (at least on paper): organize properly, train extensively, and motivate thoroughly. Thus repetitive training furnishes the means for co-ordinated, articulated movement on the battlefield, whereas disorder dooms one's battle tactics and turns the conflict into an utter shambles. A small, well-disciplined force can usually overcome a numerically superior one if the latter lacks cohesion and direction. The legionary might be individually less impressive as a fighting man, but his dogged, plodding legions did not dwindle and drift apart as warriors became bored, tired, disheartened, or worried about their crops, herds and families. The legionary was a tool, in theory, and usually in practice, of a single overall command with a unified plan of campaign.\n\nCaesar's legate in Africa, Caius Scribonius Curio, would lead his small army to disaster in a waterless wasteland against the Numidians. Curio with two legions and 500 cavalry, partly worn out by campaigning, pursued a Numidian force of 3,000 horsemen and 10,000 foot levies across a dust-filled barren plain. True to form, the Numidians swirled like smoke around Curio, shooting and yelling and avoiding contact until his troops were exhausted, then, when he tried to retreat, cut him off from the safety of high ground and destroyed his army at leisure by smothering it with missiles. Disdaining to flee, Curio paid the price for his impetuosity, dying alongside his breathless men, who, it was said, perished packed so tightly around him that their corpses were left standing like sheaves of corn in a field. According to Appian, 'Curio's head was cut off and brought to Iuba'. Ironically, the previous year, as a tribune of the people, Curio had proposed a bill making the king's territory a Roman province.\n\nA year or so later, Caesar's legionaries were to experience the same frustrating tactics that had led to Curio's catastrophic defeat. According to the unidentified historian of the _Bellum Africum_ , perhaps a serving Caesarian tribune, the 'enemy troops were Numidians and light-armed infantry, endowed with remarkable quickness and used to fighting alongside the horsemen and keeping pace with them as they advanced or retreated'. Battles are damn dangerous affairs and foot-soldiers, even to this day, are heavily dependent on agility and foot speed for both their survival and aggressiveness. Yet the legionary, like all professional foot-soldiers before his day and after, was grossly overloaded with kit. Often, in the heaviest hours, when the legionaries were drowsily advancing over the plains weighed down by war gear, a great line of dust would suddenly arise on the horizon; hordes of centaur-like Numidians would appear, and out of a cloud full of terrifying flashing eyes a hail of missiles would rain down. Thus during the Thapsus operation, so our anonymous author tells us, Caesar issued 'instructions that three hundred men out of each legion should be in light order', so that they might co-operate with the cavalry and thus match the enemy horsemen with their supporting light-armed infantry. Since the dawn of warfare, 'civilized' armies bogged down in foreign lands have tended to ape the tactics of the 'uncivilized' locals, an affectation declaring both supremacy and respect, possibly, an expediency seeking both victory and conquest, certainly. So it was with Caesar (though not Curio) in Africa.\n\n##### HORSE SENSE\n\nAs we know, Numidian horsemen preferred to fight in a loose formation, continually harassing their quarry with deadly barrages of missiles and avoiding hand-to-hand combat, which made them difficult opponents to handle on the battlefield. They would also take every opportunity to enhance their terrifying image, attacking with much disorderly movement while making savage noises. But what of the opposition, the steady, bridled cavalry favoured by the Romans?\n\nGenerally, as cavalry was unsuitable to holding ground because of its tendency to advance and retreat rapidly, the tactical principles were: the use of cavalry for flank attacks and encirclement; the placing of a force in reserve; the deployment of a combat line that could maintain contact, readiness to counterattack, flexibility in the face of unexpected enemy manoeuvres. As Napoleon succinctly puts it, 'charges of cavalry are equally useful at the beginning, the middle, and the end of a battle'. When the army deployed for battle it was the infantry who were expected to form up in the centre to fight the main action and deliver the crushing blow. However, the success of the cavalry in protecting the flanks and defeating the enemy cavalry could decide the outcome.\n\nWalls of galloping horseflesh rushing like battering-rams to smash the enemy lines with so-called shock attacks, this is an image more suited to the Hollywood screen fantasy or the pages of historical fiction. In encounters at full tilt, men and mounts would be mashed, a matter of mutual extermination, and neither men nor mounts wished such an encounter. More often than not, one or the other side would panic and dissolve. Colonel Ardant du Picq, the French military theorist, now takes up the story:\n\nAnd if ever they met, the encounter was so weakened by the hands of the men, the rearing of the horses, the swinging of heads, that is was a face to face stop. Some blows were exchanged with the sword or the lance, but the equilibrium was too unstable, mutual support too uncertain for real sword play. Man felt himself too isolated. The moral pressure was too strong.\n\nThe shock at suicidal speed is a myth, the reasoning of our shrewd infantry colonel being that so-called shock in battle is in actual fact moral or psychological rather than physical. Always before the encounter, the weaker runs away, if there is not a face to face check. These hurricanes of horsemen would halt face to face, abreast, to fight man to man; or each passes the other, thrusting with spear or sword. But as each was trying to strike the other, he thought of keeping out of harm's way himself.\n\nAs horses refuse to collide into an oncoming line of horsemen, encounters between opposing cavalry forces would have been very fluid, fast-moving affairs. When combats occurred, it was because either the two lines had opened their files, allowing them to gallop through each other's formation, or they had halted just before contact, at which point individuals would walk their mounts forward to get within weapon's reach of the enemy.\n\nSimilarly, the offensive use of cavalry against infantry was far less common than the defensive use. Cavalry were not normally expected to charge well-ordered infantry, as the results would have been mutually catastrophic to the opposing front ranks. Besides a horse, especially one being ridden, will not in normal circumstances collide with a solid object if it can stop or go around it. As Keegan rightly stresses, 'a horse, in the normal course of events, will not gallop at an obstacle it cannot jump or see a way through, and it cannot jump or see a way through a solid line of men... for the 'shock' which cavalry seek to inflict is really moral, not physical in character'. In other words, cavalry cannot charge into an infantry formation and shatter it by brute force, but rather cause the formation to flinch or flee before the point of contact is made. Cavalry, therefore, would employ typical skirmishing tactics, that is, riding up, shooting, wheeling away, and then rallying ready to try again.\n\nThe object of shooting at an enemy infantry unit was to weaken it, so that it would be unable to stand up to a mounted charge. Having said all that, it is difficult to hit a stationary target, let alone a moving one, when the shooter is shooting from a moving horse. Thus, whilst the speed of his mount made a firing horseman a difficult target hit, its irregular motion made his own aim uncertain. Thus, as Napoleon says, 'it is the business of the cavalry to follow up the victory, and to prevent the enemy from rallying'. Hence when the battle had been won, the cavalry naturally came to the fore, pursuing and harrying the broken foe.\nCHAPTER 13\n\n## **Iugurtha's gamble**\n\nThe long-lived Masinissa was succeeded upon his death in 148 BC by his three sons Mastanabal, Gulussa and Micipsa. It should come as little surprise to find that the first two soon disappeared from the scene, leaving the last brother as the sole ruler of the kingdom. Mastanabal, however, had a son by a concubine who, because of his mother's low status, remained a commoner. Nonetheless, he seems to have grown up with all conventionally desired princely traits: an outstanding physique, good looks, intelligence, bravery, skill-at-arms and an all-round athlete. And he was popular with the people too. The illegitimate boy was Iugurtha.\n\nAll of this presented Micipsa with some difficulties. He himself had two sons, Adherbal and Hiempsal, who he naturally wished to see succeed him. He had, however, raised Iugurtha in his royal menage with the two younger boys, making little distinction between their status. Sallust, writing years later and with the benefit of hindsight, suggests that Iugurtha's princely qualities began to trouble the king, who saw the young man as a threat to his own beloved offspring, particularly in view of his popularity. Yet it was this popularity with the masses, continues Sallust, which protected him from his uncle, who feared rebellion if he discreetly disposed of the young man. Sallust again takes up the story, telling us that Micipsa hit upon the idea of making Iugurtha the commander of a Numidian contingent he was about to send to Iberia. Once there, the contingent would serve alongside the Roman forces under Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (the destroyer of Carthage) during what would turn out to be the closing stages of the Third Celtiberian War (143-133 BC). Overseas, and out of the public eye, there would always be a chance that the impetuous young man, who seems to have found an outlet for his personal frustrations in battlefield aggression, would be killed in action.\n\nThe habitually reckless, gallant Iugurtha not only survived but served with individualistic distinction (as did a fellow officer, one Caius Marius). It was indeed during the siege of Numantia (134-133 BC) that he was to earn Scipio Aemilianus' approval by his soldierly qualities, but it also encouraged a Roman belief that their most dangerous opponents were men whom they themselves had taught how to fight. This deep-rooted attitude of racial superiority, coupled with a deficiency in practical application where Numidians were concerned, reveals a Roman disregard for Numidian fighting potential, a pretermission that would come back to haunt the Romans. For the time being, though, Iugurtha was to learn in Iberia the venality of many of the Romans. Flamboyant, ambitious and unscrupulous, Iugurtha became involved, or so says Sallust, with other less savoury Romans, men who saw opportunities as cronies of Iugurtha if he ever became master of Numidia. These men, Sallust continues, pointed out to Iugurtha that he was already preeminent in Numidia, while 'at Rome money could buy anything'. Now all this was probably largely anti-senatorial carping on the part of a historian who himself fell foul of the Senate and engaged in the ever-popular Roman historical pose of denigrating the current age as one of lost virtue. However, it is certainly true that Iugurtha's later conduct was extremely egregious.\n\nWith the destruction of Numantia, Iugurtha was mustered out. He returned home with his reputation greatly enhanced through his successful military service. On top of this, he had operated as part of the Roman army itself, and he had gained a very good understanding of the Roman character. He had even mastered Latin. He was altogether more fit to rule than his younger cousins and certainly more than willing to take the kingdom from them when the time came.\n\nAnd so it was, after the death of Micipsa in 118 BC, Iugurtha put to death first one then the other of his less aggressive cousins, Hiempsal and Adherbal, and made himself master of Numidia (r. 112-106 BC). The old king had in fact adopted Iugurtha and put him on a level with his own sons three years before his death, his intention being to bequeath his realm to the three men in common, an extremely bad idea in any case, particularly in a kingdom which, despite its veneer of urbanism, was still very much tribal in its makeup. Anyway, a senatorial commission from Rome, headed by the notorious Lucius Opimius _(cos_. 121 BC), of hated memory for his part in achieving the murder of Caius Gracchus, had been sent to settle Numidian affairs after the murder of Hiempsal, Numidia having been divided into two warring camps. Sallust implies the delegation fell under the spell of Iugurtha, yet the outcome was to be a division of the kingdom between him and Adherbal. Whether cash actually changed hands, and the theme of venality of senators is a commonplace, the Senate as a whole could see little more in Numidia's situation than a sanguinary and squalid succession struggle, hence the compromise.\n\nNotwithstanding this, three years later Iugurtha began raiding Adherbal's half of the kingdom, which bordered on the province of Africa (viz. the former territory of Carthage and roughly coextensive with modern Tunisia), 'taking many prisoners as well as cattle and other plunder'. The hope was to provoke Adherbal into counterattacks and thus provide Iugurtha with a suitable excuse for making open war upon him. But Adherbal would not be provoked. He put his faith in Roman power and sent envoys to Rome. He also sent envoys to remonstrate with his cousin, but to no effect. Iugurtha took this parleying as a sign of weakness and began war in earnest. With little or no option, Adherbal raised forces and met Iugurtha outside his royal capital, the hilltop fortress of Cirta. The two armies approached each other but as it was late in the day did not engage. During the small hours of the following morning, however, while it was still fairly dark, Iugurtha attacked Adherbal's camp and routed his sleepy army completely. Adherbal escaped in the confusion with a small mounted force and fled to Cirta, where he was saved from capture by resident Italians, traders _(negotiatores Italici)_ to be exact. They obstructed the pursuit from the walls, probably with missile weapons, and had it not been for this, 'a single day would have seen the beginning and the end of the war between the two kings'.\n\nIugurtha thus settled into a siege and assaulted the fortress, which squatted upon a ravine-girt promontory, with mantlet, tower and ram. This approach showed his army was more technologically sophisticated than might be expected from an out-of-the-way desert kingdom. Nonetheless, the siege was to drag on for some five months, during which time a pantomime of negotiations were conducted between Iugurtha and Rome, the king blatantly ignoring instructions from two Roman missions to disarm. Eventually, fearing for their own safety, the Italians defending Cirta prevailed upon Adherbal to surrender his capital on the terms that he would be spared and that the Senate would then sort the mess out. Adherbal was rightly dubious, but submitted to the Italians' pressure. Adherbal's assessment of the situation was more astute than that of the Italians. Upon surrender, Iugurtha tortured Adherbal to death and slaughtered all Italians that were found bearing arms. With their massacre Rome declared war.\n\nIn spite of Iugurtha's lavish use of bribery (according to Sallust - how fair this accusation is we cannot say, but it is probably exaggerated), the Senate decided to crush him. After two unsuccessful attempts (111-110 BC), it despatched the quixotic but capable Quintus Caecilius Metellus against him. The Caecilii Metelli were the most prominent family in Rome at this time (six consulates in fifteen years), having risen past the Cornelli Scipiones, who had held this position since the war with Hannibal. On his arrival in Africa, Metellus had to knock the army into proper shape; the troops were in poor condition after the command of the two Postumii Albini, who had allowed the campaigning army to rot and decay. They had abandoned military routine to spend weeks in ill-disciplined idleness, not bothering to fortify or lay out their camp as per regulations, and shifting it only when forced to by lack of locally available forage or because the stench of their own waste became unbearable. Soldiers and camp followers marauded and plundered at will. This was the army in Africa when Metellus assumed command in the summer of 109 BC.\n\nMetellus' response was a traditional one, namely to put the men back under the tight, all-embracing discipline that the Roman army was famed for. Traders, sutlers and other unscrupulous parasites were expelled, and soldiers forbidden to buy food; many had been in the habit of selling their rations of grain to purchase ready-baked civilian bread rather than eating the coarse camp bread they had to prepare and cook themselves, which was often a recipe for gastronomic disaster. Ordinary ranks were barred from keeping their own servants or pack animals. Metellus ordered gruelling daily drills to reintroduce the men swiftly to the intricacies of military life, as well as to improve battle skill and endurance. From now on the army broke camp every morning, and marched fully equipped to a new position where it constructed a marching camp as if in hostile territory. 'By these methods he was able to prevent breaches of discipline, and without having to inflict many punishments he soon restored the army's morale'.\n\nObviously no martinet, Metellus understood that when a commander leads his soldiers into battle, they must follow without hesitation. He works hard to earn this loyalty by knowing and caring for his men. He is what we would call a good commander. With natural inquisitiveness about how people function, the good commander connects to his soldiers in an intimate and personal way. Loyalty above all is based on appreciation. It develops when people appreciate what they are involved in and when appreciation is expressed for them. The good commander earns the loyalty of the soldiers by first genuinely expressing loyalty to them in even the smallest gestures. He does not miss the opportunity to win someone's trust and never gives up on anyone. In this way he creates a unified entity where before was an assembly of individuals and gains an army that follows him through extreme conditions and conflict. Metellus was of this stamp.\n\nWhen the commander does not command, the army cannot obey. All becomes confusion. Yet united in profound kinship with their commander, the soldiers respond with uncompromising loyalty. They will obey every order. They will accompany him far and wide, into grave danger, into death. When soldiers face death, the structures of military life become irrelevant. At the same time, creating certainty and fostering commitment are paramount because when the good commander exudes confidence and his commands and orders are clear and simple, when doubts have no chance to arise, the men will be confident and assured in their actions. Enthusiastic, unquestioned commitment will dispel doubt, carry men through battle and rob the enemy of his spirit, thus causing fear, consternation and confusion in his ranks. Orders must never be issued lightly, nor should they be rescinded; otherwise, they lose their power and impact. The fearsomeness of a commander in the midst of battle depends on the acceptance and execution of his orders and this execution depends on the fear, respect, and willing allegiance of the men. In particular, their respect is hard to win and could be snatched away in a single moment of cowardice or indecision. 'You should know that while success wins for commanders the goodwill of their men,' the Caesarian legate Curio explains to his war council, 'failure earns their hatred'. Clearly, the most extensive efforts must be taken to preserve this interrelationship because once a crack such as doubt appears, the collapse of authority is imminent. Paradoxically, a man is not born a commander. He must become one through experience.\n\nBut back to Metellus. Invading Numidia, he occupied Vaga (Beja, Tunisia). Marching southwestwards, he soon had to fight a major battle. The site of this confused whirling fight was beside the Muthul (Oued Mellag), a tributary on the right bank of the Bagradas, not far to the north of Sicca, which city then came over to the Romans.\n\n##### THE BATTLE OF THE MUTHUL RIVER, 109 BC\n\nHaving left a small detachment in Vaga to guard a supply dump he had established there and to protect its resident Italians, Metellus pulled out. In the meantime, Iugurtha assembled his forces, horsemen of course, foot levies and elephants. The latter, forty-four in number, along with part of the infantry, he placed under his old friend Bomilcar. He then got his troops ahead of the Roman column and decided to fight among the barren hills near the Muthul River. The king placed his troops in a thin line along the top of a hill overlooking the route he knew the column would pass along. He hid his men as best he could among the scrub trees on the hill and concealed his banners and flags so as not to advertise his whereabouts. He then waited for the moment of ambush.\n\nDescending from a height, the Roman column was slowly uncoiling and heading towards the Muthul when Metellus spotted the ambush against the browns, greys and greens of the landscape. He immediately halted the column and turned to face the nearby scrubby hill now bristling with glistening, war-caparisoned warriors, thereby putting his army into battle formation. He bolstered the right wing, which was closest to the hostiles above, with three more lines of maniples and distributed archers and slingers between them. He then divided his cavalry and set them on the wings. Iugurtha did not attack at once, probably he had to rethink his tactics and reorder his men accordingly, and Metellus, concerned that his men might be worn down by thirst, sent one of his two legates, Publius Rutilius Rufus, with a body of horse and some lightly-equipped cohorts down into the plain to establish a camp besides the Muthul. As this detachment passed below the Numidians, Bomilcar proceeded after it with his infantry and elephants.\n\nThen, with quiet steadiness, the Roman army faced left and became a column once more. With Metellus and cavalry acting as vanguard, and his other legate, Caius Marius, and more cavalry acting as rearguard, the army descended slowly but surely into the plain below. As the rear of the column reached level ground, Iugurtha sent some 2,000 men to occupy the route through which they had passed, apparently with the intention to trap them in the plain, which, excluding the herders subsisting along the Muthul, was deserted owing to the lack of water.\n\nIugurtha then began to attack the column's flanks with his horsemen, which dashed hither and thither casting javelins. When pursued they simply melted away, fleeing in all directions and trying to cut off any isolated Roman cavalrymen they could find. Sallust says that these shoot-and-scoot assaults disordered all the ranks, which suggests the column was caught off-guard before it could properly deploy into battle formation. Nonetheless, there was a good deal of hot fighting at close quarters, and a final successful charge by, as Sallust makes plain, 'four legionary cohorts' towards some of the Numidian infantry that had pulled back upon high ground put an end to the engagement in this quarter. M ost of these Numidians slipped silently away into the surrounding bush, and only their dead and badly wounded were left with the Romans.\n\nIn the meantime, Rutilius and his command had found a suitable camping site, had marked out a camp and begun to entrench, when a great cloud of dust appeared before them. The Romans guessed at first that it was merely dust that had been carried up by the wind, the plain was broken country covered with thick scrub, and it was difficult to see that it was really a sign of the approaching enemy. There was no sense of urgency yet. The Romans continued with their labour. But when they saw the dust cloud was not dispersing but getting nearer, they grabbed their arms and, pouncing upon the Numidians, the rest was quickly over. To return to Sallust's account, 'The Numidians stood their ground only as long as they thought they could rely on the elephants for protection'. They took to their heels, however, when the Romans slaughtered all but four of the beasts, which had got themselves entangled in branches of trees. The sudden African fall of night meant that the cavalry of the divided Roman force met in the dark. Luckily they recognized each other, which thus enabled the fagged column to reach the camp. All told, Metellus had just managed to win a confused and hard-fought and expensive victory.\n\nApart from the forty-four elephants, Sallust gives no figures for either side. In fact, the historian eschews any estimate of numbers (along with chronology) in the _Bellum Iugurthine_ War, even on the Roman side. Metellus presumably had a standard consular army of two _legiones_ and two _alae_ , say some 20,000 men. It may have been smaller; he must have left troops to garrison various points, such as Vaga, and also to protect the province of Africa, but then he had brought some additional manpower with him when he took up his command, so 20,000 men seems a good guess. As for Iugurtha, it is impossible to say.\n\nIugurtha got away, and thereafter Metellus, wary of heavy losses in pitched battles against an unencumbered and highly mobile enemy, would settle down to a piecemeal conquest. Nonetheless, Metellus would fail to bring the war to a conclusion; the problem was physically capturing Iugurtha. Metellus, therefore, resorted to bribery coupled with a policy of reducing the urban communities in Numidia so as to deprive Iugurtha logistically. As we shall see, Marius was to employ the same strategy against Iugurtha, thus we should be wary of criticism of Metellus' conduct in Africa. That said, there was a senatorial tradition glorifying Metellus, asserting that he had broken the back of Iugurtha's resistance when for reasons of (unjust) home politics he was replaced by Marius.\n\n##### THE COMING OF MARIUS\n\nAfter the battle, Metellus went on into the richest part of Numidia, taking and torching many settlements. The final episode of the campaign was a vain attempt to capture Zama Regia and, Iugurtha having put together another army, a fierce battle in the vicinity. Then Metellus retreated, taking up winter quarters in the province of Africa, but near its border with Numidia. The Senate, meantime, prorogued his command.\n\nThe winter saw the sudden loss (through treachery) and swift recapture (through trickery) of Vaga. Then followed Metellus' intrigue with Iugurtha's old confidant Bomilcar. This was an attempt to put Iugurtha out of the way. It failed. After that Metellus took the field again. There was a battle in which Iugurtha was defeated. The king thereupon retired into the desert and took asylum at Thala (not identified), where his children and much of his treasure were stashed. Undaunted, Metellus marched across the sun-parched waste to Thala and captured the place, but Iugurtha slipped away with his children and most of his treasure and fled into the country of the Gaetulians. After a time he induced Bocchus, the king of Mauretania and his father-in-law, to intervene and lend a hand. Things gathered apace, and the two kings appeared in force near Cirta, which had come into Roman possession. Negotiations followed and warfare lapsed. Metellus meanwhile had received news from Rome not only that Marius, his erstwhile legate, had been elected to the consulship, but that Numidia had been assigned to him.\n\nSo far in the campaigns of 109 BC and 108 BC Metellus had repeatedly defeated his enemy (he was to gain the cognomen 'Numidicus' for his efforts) but had found it impossible to bring Iugurtha to heel, who remained at large in the dusty, snake infested land. Metellus had learnt to adapt his tactics to find and fight an elusive cunning foe, but Iugurtha, who was sufficiently wise not to mass his peasant levies for battle in open country, would only skirmish with the Roman forces or fight them on his own terms. With the eye of a hawk and the stealth of a wolf, he had the kind of bravery - the most effective kind - that derived from playing only when one is assured of victory. With their emphasis on fitness and fleetness, the Numidians had three societal diversions, and of Iugurtha it was said 'he took part in the national pursuits of riding, javelin throwing and competed with other young men in running', and 'also devoted much time to hunting'. Of prime importance would be the ability to ride and fight well. Worked on until they became proficient in all, these athletic pursuits undoubtedly steeled the Numidians for the style of war they preferred. Armed with a handful of javelins, the Numidian horseman was the master of skirmish-type warfare, depending on baffling their opponents by their almost hallucinatory speed and bird-like agility, alternating between headlong flight and snapping-at-the-heel pursuit. Like Syphax and Masinissa before him, Iugurtha would combine the military skills he had learned while fighting under the Romans with the classical Numidian use of irregular cavalry and slippery guerrilla tactics.\n\nLike many dynamic rulers, the wily Iugurtha appears to have been a heady blend of contradictions, at once conscientious and cutthroat, capricious and careful, cruel and compassionate. Of course, this may be a case of history being construed by the victors, but Iugurtha does seem to have been the stuff of a dark fairytale. Sallust sees the constant failure to overcome the Numidian king was in part due to Roman incompetence, with a deeper reason down to the corruption of the Roman aristocracy, an accusation we shall examine in more depth later. Somewhat naively perhaps, Sallust also represents Iugurtha both as the 'noble savage', immune against the corruption of Roman civilization, and as the 'ignoble barbarian', a paradigm of 'Punic' perfidy. Of those who doubted the danger of Iugurtha, Sallust saw that their attitude could only be accounted for by the sort of toleration a man extends to his pet wolf who, living in the house like a dog, only eats his neighbours' sheep and occasionally their children too. It is easy to assert with 20:20 historical hindsight that Iugurtha was of such nature.\n\nNext Marius in 107 BC. Despite being bitter, Metellus accepted the change in command. In fact, Marius did not bring with him any fresh ideas on how to conduct or even win a war conducted in country favouring the enemy, but he did, on the other hand, realize that the anti-insurgent war against Iugurtha required more troops on the ground. Rome, however, was suffering a long-standing manpower shortage, and its army had yet to become the formidable empire commuter in hobnailed sandals that was well used to victory over 'barbarian' enemies in Europe and elsewhere. But Marius took a bold step and opened the ranks to all who wished to volunteer, including the _capite censi_ or 'head count', those citizens listed in the census simply as numbers because they lacked significant property. And so volunteers from the _proletarii_ flocked to join the legions, 'imagining that they would make a fortune out of the spoils', and the Senate, despite assuming that he would raise the soldiers by means of the usual selection process based on the census, the _dilectus_ , raised no protest. It was a simple step, revolutionary only in that Marius created, without realizing it, a new type of client army, bound to its commander as its patron because, as Plutarch lets on, 'contrary to law and custom he enrolled in his army poor men with no property qualifications'.\n\nBred lean and resilient in the vicissitudes of survival at subsistence level, most of the men recruited undoubtedly were members of the rural population; they were considered to be better material than their urban counterparts, at best a rough undernourished lot. The desire for a life free of routine drudgery, the chance of adventure into the unknown and adrenalin-fuelled excitement all played their part, but want was the prime cause for their abandonment of civilian life. Only too grateful to have escaped the filth and fickleness of civilian life, on their demobilization at the end of a campaign they naturally looked to their general for rewards, namely a grant of land.\n\nWith that Marius, as consul in 102 BC, had to propose a land bill, which was passed for him by the unscrupulous and brilliant tribune of the people, Lucius Appuleius Saturninus. It is a common argument that from now on the armies of Rome looked to their aristocratic generals and not the oligarchic Senate, the oft-quoted example being that when Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the future dictator, got his legions to march on Rome in 88 BC. This view, however, is too pessimistic as not all soldiers would follow their general. It is probably true that throughout Rome's history soldiers exhibited more loyalty towards a charismatic and competent commander. Therefore, what we really witness with Marius is not a change in the attitude of the soldiers but a change in the attitude of the generals. Let us, for instance, take Scipio Africanus. If he had held revolutionary ideas, he could have easily marched on Rome at the head of his victorious army after Zama. Similarly, if we return to Sulla, his soldiers did not follow him come what may as he had to convince them that he had right on his side. According to Appian, when envoys met Sulla on the road and asked him why he was marching on Rome, he replied, 'to free it from the tyrants'. Tyranny, alongside monarchy, being an anathema to all proper Romans.\n\nAnyway, this is another story, so let us return to Marius. He was by nature a soldier, much in his later life would show it, and he had begun his long military career as a cavalry officer, serving with distinction under Scipio Aemilianus at Numantia. Marius (much like Iugurtha) had enhanced his reputation there when he killed an enemy warrior in single combat, and in full view of his general. For a man of relatively humble origins it must have looked as if the future belonged to him. And so, some twenty-six years later, the new consul took command in Africa and began his campaign.\n\nHis army was obviously an interesting mixture of veterans and novice soldiers. Much of the army was now experienced, having been put under discipline by Metellus and led by him with constant, if moderate, success, and they had been hardened to soldiering under an African sun. This was not the case with Marius' poor volunteers. Lacking the same stamina and steadfastness as those who had already faced the Numidians, he knew he had to break them into the African war slowly. Accordingly he exposed his soldiers, war-worn and greenhorns alike, to small fights until they were confident of themselves and the new and old hands grew easy with each other. After these preliminary preparations and opening operations, which involved largely fluid short-lived skirmishes, a spirit of teamwork henceforth prevailed among his soldiers. He was ready for a new effort against Iugurtha, who he was able to defeat in an engagement near Cirta.\n\nHowever, finding that it is not so easy to end the war (with half the forces) as he had claimed, events now took an ugly turn with Marius adopting a policy of plunder and terrorism, burning fields, villages and towns and massacring the civilian population. After which, Marius conceived and planned a daring venture, a long march to surpass his predecessor's exploit at Thala and to continue to spread terror of the Roman arms deep in the very heart of the hostile Numidian country. His goal was Capsa (Gafsa, Tunisia). Achieving a complete surprise, Marius captured the place, burnt it, massacred the adult males, sold the rest into slavery, and divided the booty among his soldiers. The destruction was complete. Sallust himself calls the treatment of Capsa a 'violation of the usages of war', but feebly excuses it as necessary since 'the place was important to Iugurtha and hard for the Romans to reach'. This act of calculated cruelty certainly intimidated the Numidians into evacuating many settlements, and those few that foolishly resisted were captured by assault and razed to the ground.\n\nThe expedition to Capsa belongs late in the summer of 107 BC. Sallust is for once explicit. But then we find Marius and his army assaulting a fortress of Iugurtha perched upon a precipitous rock not far from the River Muluccha (Moulouya). Sallust describes (here and in two other places) this river as the boundary dividing the realms of Iugurtha and of Bocchus, which means that Marius is now far to the west of Cirta (about 800km as the crow flies) and not far from what is now Melilla in Spanish Morocco. However that may be, and it suggests an efficient commissariat and an endless ability to march, it was here that he came ever so close to losing the war. The long, hot march to the Muluccha was an act of folly, which only fortune corrected. It is curious to note that whilst Sallust sees Marius as the living embodiment of the just qualities most precious to him, he does hint that it was Marius' quaestor, the patrician Sulla, who saved the day, the fortress being captured and with it the largest treasury of Iugurtha.\n\nWe next see Marius in retreat: even Sallust's hero was fallible. He had to fight two engagements towards the end of his march, the first 'more like a fight with bandits than a proper battle', and the second a sharp encounter near Cirta, the goal of his march. Here we should point out that Marius turned out to be an able commander who, though lacking the brilliance of his nephew Caesar, understood the basic requirements for a good army were training, discipline and leadership. More a common soldier than an aristocratic general, it was in Africa that he 'won the affection of the soldiers by showing he could live as hard as they did and endure as much'. As a tactician Marius relied mainly on surprise and always showed a reluctance to engage in a traditional, set-piece fight. He preferred to determine the time and place and would not be hurried.\n\nThe following winter and spring were a time of long parleys, the upshot being the eloquent Sulla befriending Bocchus and skilfully playing on the king's ambitions and fears. What followed was Sulla's spectacular desert crossing, culminating in Iugurtha's betrayal and capture (105 BC). This bit of family treachery, proving that popular saying 'it requires an Indian to catch an Indian', thus terminated a conflict full of betrayals, skirmishes and sieges. Sulla had the incident engraved on his signet ring, thus provoking Marius' jealousy. Nevertheless, Marius was the hero of the hour. He triumphed on 1 January 104 BC, entering on the same day his second consulship, and Iugurtha was publicly executed. In antiquity as today, tyrants tend to slip on the blood they have shed. The war with Iugurtha had been a rather pointless, dirty affair, a campaign of annihilation, obliteration and destruction. Yet it had made Marius' reputation and begun Sulla's career. Worse than that, it saw Marius and Sulla fall out over who was responsible for the successful conclusion to the hostilities, an acrimonious quarrel that was to cast a long sanguinary shadow on Rome.\n\nThe Senate, however, did not annexe Numidia, giving instead half of its territory to Bocchus, as a reward of his treachery, and half to Gauda, the weak-minded half-brother of Iugurtha. This should not be seen as evidence of the Senate's pacifism but of its sound military and political sense. As Harris points out, there was no particular Roman reluctance to annex territory in this period, quite the contrary in fact, but it seems that Numidia was 'an exceptionally unattractive prospect as a province'. In other words, the Senate, seeing only a wasteland good for very little except subsistence farming and grazing, but would have to be defended nonetheless, refused to annex it (there may be a lesson here for us today). Subsequently two Mauretanian kingdoms emerge, separated by the Muluccha,(50) and at the time of Caesar's campaign in Africa, eastern Mauretania was ruled by a second Bocchus, who, along with the Campanian _condottiere_ , Publius Sittius, invaded Numidia (now markedly reduced in size) and captured Cirta (46 BC).(51)\nCHAPTER 14\n\n## **Sallust on Iugurtha**\n\nThe _Bellum Iugurthinum_ , the second of Sallust's historical monographs, explores the intertwined themes of Rome's dirty war in Africa and the concomitant political upheavals in Rome (118-105 BC). The monograph appears to be built up around the character and vicissitudes of one person, the Numidian prince: manic energy and criminal ambition, ending all so miserably. Yet the _Bellum Iugurthinum_ is more than a biography. It is a narration of an international war that impinges on the internal politics of Rome, with dire and distant repercussions. Before we finish with Numidian affairs, therefore, we must examine the opinion of Sallust (Caius Sallustius Crispus, b. 86 BC) that failure in the war against Iugurtha in Africa was primarily down to corruption in Rome.\n\nIt was commonplace among Roman historians to contrast the vitality of early Rome with the degenerate, self-destructive Rome of their own age. In the preface to his _Bellum Catilinae_ , his first historical monograph, Sallust has much to say of the contrast between the virtuous Romans of yore and the depravity of their successors. No doubt he exaggerates it, like other sermonizers on similar themes. Yet for Sallust, the decisive turning point in Rome's fortunes was the final destruction of its arch-rival, Carthage and the consequent removal of what Sallust gloomily labels 'fear of the enemy'. This was the pessimism that domestic tranquillity depended on the fear of a strong external threat, that is to say, the Romans, nobility and people alike, would remain united in self-defence and their civil affairs would remain peaceful as a result. The alternative was obvious; the citizens would turn their energies to unrestrained and violently destructive rivalries among themselves. The idea that loyalty to Rome in the face of a foreign enemy takes precedence over domestic rivalries recurs prominently throughout the first pentad of Livy's magisterial work. We should note too that external pressures stimulated military skills, organizational abilities, and tactical thought simultaneously. It kept the Romans on their mettle.\n\nThe political geography of North Africa at the end of Micipsa's reign was essentially quadripartite. In 146 BC, at the end of the third war with Carthage, Rome had annexed Carthage's territories, creating _provincia Africa_ , the province of Africa, with its capital at Utica. This left to the Numidian king much of the land his father, Masinissa, had appropriated from the Carthaginians as well as his own kingdom. To the west was found the kingdom of the Moor Bocchus. Moors (Greek _Maurousiai_ , Latin _Mauri)_ had served with Hannibal in Italy, both horse and foot, and as a race they inhabited the most westerly part of North Africa, what the Romans knew as Mauretania and we recognize as Morocco today. Though their eastern frontier was bounded by the River Muluccha (Moulouya), they had been remote and independent of Carthage; we know of an alliance in the fourth century BC and again around 150 BC. Ethnically speaking they were of the same racial stock as the Numidians, and Polybios evidently regarded these ancestral cousins as one and the same. In fact, during the Second Punic War the Moorish tribes formed a confederacy under a king called Baga, and appear not to have had any formal relationship with Carthage at this time. As we well know, the Moors deployed in Hannibal's first line at Zama were mercenaries, having been initially recruited by his brother Mago. Moorish foot levies appear to have been lightly armed, as indicated by the statement of Livy that in 216 BC Hiero of Syracuse sent a force of foreign archers and slingers, 1,000 strong, to serve for Rome so as to aid the Romans against the threat posed by Hannibal's missile troops, notably the slingers from the Balearic Islands and the Moorish javelineers.\n\nThe fourth and final part of our African jigsaw consisted of a long band along the pre-desert, on and south to the Atlas Mountains. Here, in what was a rugged hostile territory of climate extremes, the Gaetulians (Latin _Gaetuli)_ eked out a contented if challenging existence, a cluster of tribes who lay outside the two kingdoms of Numidia and Mauretania and resisted any attempts to tax or control them. The Gaetulians, like the Moors, were of the same racial stock as the Numidians, and the elder Pliny, obviously simplifying matters, says there were three tribes: the Autoteles in the west, the Baniurae in the east, and the Nesimi in the desert south of the Atlas Mountains. Our first reference to them comes from Livy, who talks of Hannibal sending an advance party of Gaetulian horsemen under an officer named Isalcas to Casilinum in 216 BC. Later references to them suggest Gaetulian horsemen, like their Numidian cousins, lacked bridles. It is assumed they were armed and fought in the same fashion too, which would explain why Polybios, for instance, never mentions them. In a barbed comment, Sallust describes them as savage nomads, living on grass and raw flesh.\n\nIn 116 BC, after the murder of Hiempsal, Adherbal came before the Senate to plea his case. Iugurtha, meantime, acted through the agency of envoys. There followed a senatorial debate in which Sallust says the flatterers of Iugurtha, apparently bribed, and the majority of the house praised him and derided Adherbal. Ten senatorial envoys next went to Numidia and divided the kingdom. Before following Sallust too closely here, so jumping to indiscreet conclusions, we may wish to pause a while and consider the following relevant points:\n\n\u2022 As these upheavals are occurring on the border of the province of Africa this issue is a matter for the Senate.\n\n\u2022 The Senate, therefore, must investigate, and this is what it does.\n\n\u2022 The outcome of the investigation is perfectly logical, and there was no room for flagrant bribery in the settlement.\n\nThe settlement was achieved, according to Sallust, through Iugurtha winning over the senatorial commission. Stories of senatorial corruption, dreadful in truth and much exaggerated in the telling, had been circulating for some time. But was this in fact the case? To answer this, let us look at the following key points:\n\n\u2022 For Sallust to make sense the division of Numidia should be in favour of Iugurtha: 'the more fertile and more thickly populated part' - but this is Roman propaganda as Adherbal receives the major cities and ports of the kingdom, including Cirta.\n\n\u2022 In truth, Iugurtha's share is much less valuable in terms of real-estate and, besides, he is shoved over to the west towards Mauretania. This implies Rome sees him as a troublemaker, and thus establishes him furthest from the province of Africa. In effect, Adherbal's territory is to act as a buffer state.\n\n\u2022 There was no reason for Rome to directly intervene in Numidia, and for this reason the Senate achieves a workable settlement through diplomacy. The sensible course seems to be to leave the princes to stew in their own juice.\n\nIn 112 BC Iugurtha invaded Adherbal's territory and the Senate responds by despatching two delegations. Sallust claims that both these delegations were 'soft' on Iugurtha, and his explanation is simple: bribery. That, of course, suits Sallust's purpose. Again, however, let us look at the facts behind the larger issues facing the Senate at the time:\n\n\u2022 With regard to his claim that the delegates are young and inexperienced, we should appreciate that such men are invariably the sons of senators, many of whom are gaining valuable political experience for the first time.\n\n\u2022 Marcus Aemilius Scaurus (cos. 115 BC), the _princeps senates_ 'chief of the Senate' or what we would call the Father of the House, who advocates going to war on behalf of Adherbal, is in the minority. However, the supporters of Iugurtha, for whatever motive, prevent it. Interestingly, for Cicero, Scaurus is the paramount statesman and master of civic wisdom, never named except for praise, but Sallust has much to say of pretence and inconsistency in politics, and seems to have disliked Scaurus, as he evidently disliked Cicero, because he was prepared to change his policies and adapt himself to circumstances. As Sallust sees him, Scaurus was cunning and unscrupulous, making sure he was never associated with a losing cause. Surely, the willingness to compromise is essential to successful statesmanship.\n\n\u2022 A Roman expeditionary army in Macedonia, under Caius Porcius Cato _(cos_. 114 BC), has just been whipped by the Thracian Sordisci, and thus Rome could hardly get itself embroiled in another ground war. Indeed, Rome has to face a grave emergency on the northern frontiers provoked by the recent migrations of the Cimbri and Teutones, a Roman consul having crossed the Julian Alps only to be routed by the Cimbri (113 BC). So the Numidian situation was the least of the Senate's cares, and some senators probably would have liked to have ignored the problems of Numidia in the hope that they would solve themselves.\n\nDynastic squabbles of this nature had never been uncommon amongst the Numidians, and as we well know it was just such a quarrel that had first prompted Masinissa to see aid from Scipio. However, with the slaughter of Italian traders at Cirta the Senate has no option but to accept the _fait accompli_ and so take direct action against Iugurtha. Not only had this African massacre knocked away the prop on which the peace of Numidia rested, but also, as the tendrils of empire, it must have confirmed for all the Italians (and Romans) in Africa that they depended on the credibility of Rome's reach to intervene. With that one of the consuls for 111 BC, Lucius Calpurnius Bestia, has Numidia allotted as his province (i.e. area of military operation) and after a single campaign drags Iugurtha to the peace table. Sallust, again, smells graft and degeneracy: Bestia had energy, a keen intelligence and skill in warfare, but all these noble qualities of his were hampered by his greed for profit. That, for Sallust at least, is sufficient to condemn Bestia. But let us consider the following points before we do the same:\n\n\u2022 Bestia could have clobbered Iugurtha in a short sharp campaign, or so say the armchair strategists. Sallust, to his credit, knew Africa and knew warfare.\n\n\u2022 Bestia's objective, however, is to placate Iugurtha while Rome deals with the Sordisci who had invaded Macedonia, and it is hard to dissent from the Senate's determination to try and deal with this particular threat. 'War', remarked James Wolfe, before storming the heights of Abraham, 'is an option of difficulties', and the Senate certainly has its fair share of troubles to choose from.\n\n\u2022 The articles of the surrender, whereby Iugurtha accepts _in fidem populi Romani se dare(deditio)_ , makes perfect sense. As a consequence, the king surrenders thirty war elephants, a good deal of cattle and horses, and some silver.\n\nOf course, from the standpoint of Bestia, it was better to bring the Numidian campaign to a profitable conclusion while he remained in office, in spite of Iugurtha's continued freedom. The Senate, seeing no reason to fight Iugurtha to the death, seem to have acquiesced. Pandemonium breaks loose, however, when a tribune-designate and a dogged enemy of the ruling oligarchy, Caius Memmius, turns the war into a political issue and thus uses it as a weapon with which to attack the Senate. Given the fact that the 'villain' was still at large, somebody must be fixed for the blame. So, assuming we are in the business of making moral judgements of this kind, who are we going to point the finger at?\n\n\u2022 All the men currently at the top are those who had opposed the Gracchi brothers and were involved in the cruel repression of their reforms and supporters.\n\n\u2022 Memmius, whether or not there was corruption, sees a small chink in the armour of the Senate.\n\nIugurtha gets his elephants back.\n\nIn 109 BC a tribune of the people, Caius Mamilius Limetanus, proposes to the _concilium plebis_ that a court of inquiry, the _quaestio Mamiliana_ , should be set up in order to investigate various kinds of corrupt practices in relation to Numidian affairs. In consequence, Sallust, a careful contriver, concerns himself with those senators who had either 'accepted presents of money' from Iugurtha or made terms with him. Undoubtedly much to the discomfiture of the Senate, five prominent men, four of consular rank and one holder of the priesthood, were subsequently convicted thereby paying the penalty for what they had done (or not done) in Numidia. It was not a happy time to be a senator, especially if you happened to be one of the following:\n\n\u2022 Lucius Opimius (cos. 121 BC), as an archenemy of the Gracchi, is a prime target; as Sallust tells us, he was the leader of the commission that divided Numidia between Iugurtha and Adherbal.\n\n\u2022 Lucius Calpurnius Bestia _(cos_. 111 BC), as a tribune of the people back in 120 BC, had proposed that Publius Popilius Laenas (cos. 132 BC) be recalled from exile - he had tried the supporters of Tiberius Gracchus and was subsequently exiled by Caius Gracchus.\n\n\u2022 Unfortunately, we do not know the connection of the Gracchi with the other three convicted men named by Cicero, viz. Caius Porcius Cato (cos. 114 BC), Spurius Postumius Albinus (cos. 110 BC), and Caius Sulpicius Galba, a patrician and holder of a priesthood.\n\nOne senator who did escape the witch hunt was Scaurus. Obviously sensing how the wind was blowing, he took the appropriate steps and got himself appointed as the one of the three members of the court of inquiry. Anyway, whether or not the tribune's purpose was well meaning, the intention behind it was the classic conjurer's misdirection. As the magisterial Syme puts it, 'It is strange that Sallust now neglected this signal act of justice and revenge'. Strange, it may be, but Sallust saw, albeit with a more than slightly jaundiced eye, the Iugurthine War as marking a fundamental phase in the decline of the senatorial oligarchy and the organization of the attack upon it. As has been indicated, this attack is first mounted by the tribune Memmius, and then maintained by the tribune Mamilius with the setting up of his _quaestio_. Indeed, to be fair to Sallust, we should appreciate that the main source for his _Bellum Iugurthinum_ were the forensic speeches from the judicial examinations of those five nobles. Sallust, therefore, did not provide the gloss himself. Leastways, to illustrate his notion concerning the decline of the senatorial oligarchy, Sallust's large issue, we can mention one example from the pages of his African monograph.\n\nIn 118 BC, as we well know, the dying Micipsa had bequeathed his kingdom to his two legitimate sons, Hiempsal and Adherbal, and, going on an earlier recommendation of Scipio Aemilianus, to the illegitimate son of his younger brother, Iugurtha. Iugurtha had another cousin, Massiva, a son of Gulussa, who had fled to Rome after the fall of Cirta and murder of Adherbal. This prince had fallen in with Spurius Postumius Albinus, one of the consuls for 110 BC, who had drawn Numidia as his province. Spurius Albinus, 'eager', as Sallust says, 'to conduct a war', persuaded Massiva, who, after all, was a grandson of Masinissa, to claim Iugurtha's throne from the Senate. When he took office Spurius Albinus would replace Bestia in command of the army in Africa and if he could place Massiva on the Numidian throne, he would practically have a client running the kingdom. It must have seemed a very sweet proposition. Iugurtha was duly alarmed at the possibility so he turned to the usual Iugurthine solution: murder. With characteristic rashness, he ordered his confidant, Bomilcar, to hire out Massiva's murder. It was to be done secretly, if possible, but any case it was to be done, and done quickly. The wishes of the unscrupulous prince were duly obeyed and Massiva was duly liquidated. The murder itself, however, was bungled in that one of the assassins was caught and persuaded to confess all. The war was renewed.\n\nThe ignominious surrender of the consul's brother, Aulus Postumius Albinus, whom he had left in command while he returned to Rome to hold the elections, was inevitably repudiated by the Senate. And thereby hangs a miserable tale. The brother had indulged himself in a rather rash foray, his objective Suthul (not identified), the city where Iugurtha kept his treasury. He found the city on heights above a plain turned into a lake by the winter rains. Nonetheless, he set about reducing the place. Meantime, Iugurtha turned to the most useful tool in his armoury: trickery. And so the Roman was lured into a trap by the Numidian, and with his army in a desperate situation, he was forced to capitulate. Iugurtha was ready to let him go after Aulus Albinus and his men passed under the yoke and agreed to quit Numidia within ten days. The very symbol of defeat, the yoke was a frame made from two spears stuck in the ground with a third one lashed across horizontally at a height that compelled the soldiers of Rome, who were disarmed and clad only in a tunic, to crouch down underneath. The alternative was simple: 'starvation or the sword'. To be trounced by a pack of 'naked unqualified savages' made this humiliation all the greater.\n\nIt is enough for us to point out that imputations of bribery, gladly taken up by Sallust do not have to be invoked to explain Aulus Albinus' incompetent and catastrophic behaviour. The general was just that, incompetent and, possibly, greedy. The folly of Aulus Albinus abolished all hopes of an accommodation between Iugurtha and Rome: the knavish king was to be taken dead or alive. Hence Metellus and Marius were to devote efforts not so much to the conquest of territory as to the pursuit of an individual.\n_EPILOGUE_\n\n## **Rome alone**\n\nThe most decisive year in Roman history: which year most deserves this description? If a date had to be set for this event, then the year of the destruction of Carthage, 146 BC, would be as good a one as any. But was the year 146 BC really as pivotal as all that? Virgil's _Aeneid_ contains pre-echoes of the death of Carthage. We sense the dramatic irony as Aeneas describes in such detail the building of Carthage \u2013' _Their_ walls are already rising!' he cries enviously. We, the passive readers, know that his descendants were to destroy them.\n\nThese tragic events in Africa certainly mark a turning point in Roman imperialism and political affairs. In less than a century, with the acquisition of six extra-Italian provinces, Rome had gained control of the entire Mediterranean basin. It had also become the greatest of imperial powers. This was also recognized by the ancient writers, although they analyse it rather differently. The Greek Polybios records the divergent opinions in Greece about the treatment of Macedon and Carthage:\n\nThere were some that approved the action of the Romans, saying that they had taken wise and statesmanlike measures in defence of their empire... Others took the opposite view, saying that far from maintaining the principles by which they had won their supremacy, they were little by little deserting it for a lust of dominion. For at first they had made war with every nation until they were victorious and until their adversaries had confessed that they must obey them and execute their orders. But now they had struck the first note of their new policy by their treatment of Perseus, in utterly exterminating the kingdom of Macedon, and they had now completely revealed it by their decision concerning Carthage. For the Carthaginians had been guilty of no immediate offence to Rome, but the Romans treated them with irremediable severity, although they had accepted all their conditions and consented to obey all their orders.\n\nPolybios himself follows a traditional Greek view that is clearly presented in Herodotos' treatment of the Persians, and can be found in Plato and Aristotle too -that power inevitably corrupts. Polybios links this theory to the general rule that constitutions tend to decay once they are free from external threats. Indeed, the Greek idea that warfare is good for the citizen body was known to aristocratic Romans, many of whom feared foreign contact was not only putting an intolerable strain upon their political, social and economic institutions, but rotting the moral fibre of Rome too. Around 40 BC the Roman historian Sallust took the same viewpoint as Polybios, except he believed the decline began with the destruction of Carthage rather than the liquidation of Macedon. Before 146 BC, Rome had enjoyed domestic harmony but, after the removal of Carthage, fell into civil strife:\n\nBefore the destruction of Carthage, the Roman people and Senate managed the affairs of the state between themselves in a peaceful and restrained fashion, and there was no struggle for glory or domination between citizens: fear of the enemy kept the citizen body in good ways of behaving _[metus hostilis in bonis artibus civitatem retinebat]_. But when that fear left their minds, those things that go with success, self-indulgence and pride, replaced it. So it happened that the quiet that they had longed for in times of trouble became, once they had got it, only too harsh and bitter. For the nobility began to turn their privilege and the common people their liberty into licence, everyone trying to take and drag a snatch for himself. Thus all things were divided into two factions, and the business of the nation, which was in the midst of all this, was torn asunder. But the nobles were stronger, being a clique, while the forcefulness of the common people, dissolved and dispersed through a large number of people, was less powerful. Decisions about warfare and about domestic matters were left at the beck and call of the few, and the same people controlled the treasury, the provinces, the magistracies, the glories and the triumphs. The populace was afflicted by military service and by poverty; the generals shared the spoils of war with a few. In the meantime the parents and children of the soldiers, if any had a more powerful neighbour, were driven from their homes. So greed and power ran riot without check or limit and polluted and devastated everything, and held nothing to be of worth, nothing to be sacred, until they had plunged to the depths of their own destruction. As soon as men could be found from among the nobility who preferred true glory to power unjustly gained, then the state began to be convulsed and civil strife began to rise, as though the earth were being torn apart. For after Tiberius and Caius Gracchus, whose forebears had added so greatly to the state in the Punic and other wars, began to champion the liberty of the common people and expose the crimes of the few, the nobility, wounded and shaken by this, tried to prevent the work of the Gracchi, first by means of the allies and the Latins and then through the equestrian order, who had been separated from the common people by hope of association with the nobles. And they cut down first Tiberius, and then Caius, coming a few years after him, and one a tribune and the other a triumvir for the establishment of colonies, and with him, M. Fulvius Flaccus.\n\nSallust, who instead of a chronological record gives a continuous story, endeavours to explain in his two historical monographs the causes of political events and the motives of men's actions. In moralizing about the degeneracy of the recent past, albeit in a rather terse and dramatic style, Sallust has put forward a convincing case that fear was essential for national well-being. With the destruction of Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War, Rome had removed the last rival 'superpower' in the Mediterranean and was thus left without reason to fear, much like the United States of America with the breakup of the Soviet Union at the end of the so-called capitalist-communist Cold War. Once again the world is dominated by the military power of one state. Fear has been and is the dominant emotion in war fighting, and should be for war preparation too. As Florus ruefully puts it, 'the imminent threat of our Carthaginian foes kept alive the ancient discipline'.\nAPPENDIX 1\n\n## **Roman politics**\n\nIn most (perhaps all) city states in the Graeco-Roman worlds (and Rome to begin with can be described as a city-state), there were three primary elements in the body politic: the assembly of citizens, the council, and the magistrates. The powers that constitutions gave to each of these three elements determined whether a state could be described as a democracy, an oligarchy, or as something else in between. If a lot of power was given to the citizens' assembly (e.g. to debate and vote on legislation, to elect magistrates, and to uphold justice) then the state would be described as a democracy, as in fifth-century BC Athens, which gave power to the people, _demos_. If most power lay with the council and magistrates, then it would be an oligarchy (from the Greek: 'rule by the few').\n\nThe form of government adopted by the Romans after the end of the monarchy was, by these criteria, definitely oligarchic. Real power lay with the magistrates supported by the council, with powers remaining to the people being minimal. Furthermore, like all classical city states, Rome was devoted to the principle of amateur leadership, as rotation in office was essential to its notion of citizenship, coupled with the belief that a Roman aristocrat could handle anything in war or peace.\n\nUnder the Republic, Rome was ruled by pairs of annual magistrates called consuls, who were invested with authority, _imperium_ , for one year only. Lesser magistrates were also annual and in pairs, an expedient to allow them to veto each other and thereby prevent the concentration of power in one man's hands (cf. monarchy or tyranny). This principal of collegiality was basic to the Roman constitution. A council of 300, the Senate, advised the consuls.\n\nIn the days of the early Republic there was no fixed order or set ages for holding magistracies. However, from the later third century BC onwards a legal career structure developed. Known as the _cursus honorum_ (from the Latin: 'the course of honours'), the rungs of office that ambitious aristocratic young Romans climbed on their way to political power, this socio-political construction was constitutionally formalized by a law of 180 BC, the _lex Villia annalis_ of Lucius Villius. For our purposes, the ladder of public advancement can be best summarized as follows:\n\n##### **1.E ARLY YEARS**\n\nFrom the age of 17 a young aristocrat commenced his military service, perhaps first as a junior cavalry officer followed by a spell as a military tribune; he could also undertake some legal work, perhaps a minor post such as a circuit judge or supervisor for street cleaning; thence by gradually building up his curriculum vitae, a hopeful young man was exposed to the public eye.\n\n##### **2.Q UAESTORSHIP**\n\nA minimum of ten years' military service was a necessary qualification for the quaestorship. (From the Latin: _quaestor:_ 'investigator' and reflects the pre-Republican origins of this magistracy.)\n\nPower: without _imperium_ but did hold _potestas_ , the legal sanction to allow discharge of duties.\n\nDuties: aided consuls and provincial governors, especially with financial matters; controlled the state treasury, _aerarium Saturni_ , which was not only a store for public money but also for copies of statutes and other state documents.\n\nNumber: originally two, but more created as the complexity of running a world empire increased, to eventually number twenty under Sulla. Two of them served in Rome _(quaestores urbani)_ and were responsible for the _aerarium Saturni;_ one accompanied each holder of _imperium_ to his province to act as financial officer; attached to a consular army, a quaestor was responsible for the military chest and had to see to the collection and listing of booty, the selling of captives, etc.; others performed administrative functions in Italy, one being in charge, for instance, of the grain supply coming to Rome from Ostia.\n\n##### **3.A EDILESHIP**\n\nIt was necessary to have served as a quaestor before becoming an aedile.\n\nPower: without _imperium_ but did hold _potestas_ greater than that of quaestor.\n\nDuties: maintained roads and water supply; supervised traffic and markets; organized public games and festivals.\n\nNumber: four, consisting of two plebeian aediles elected in the _concilium plebis_ , and two curule, that is, patrician aediles elected in the _comitia tributa_ and representing the whole people.\n\nPrivileges: _ius imaginum_ , the right to display wax death masks of famous ancestors in the atrium of the house; curule aediles could use the curule seat, _sella curialis_ , a special folding chair made of ivory.\n\n##### **4.T RIBUNATE**\n\nAfter the quaestorship, a plebeian could be elected a tribune of the people (sometimes written as tribune of the plebs).\n\nPower: without _imperium_ but did hold _potestas_ greater than that of quaestor; had power of _intercessio_ (veto over decisions of the Senate or any magistrate, however senior) and _ius auxilii_ (right to help), thereby able to prevent arbitrary (and aristocratic) attacks on the plebeians; could summon the _concilium plebis_ and there pass resolutions called _plebiscita_.\n\nDuties: to look after the interests of the people; to protect their lives and property; to be always accessible to the people (but we should note they were normally young senators at the early stage of their _cursus honorum)_.\n\nNumber: ten.\n\nPrivileges: tribunes were not magistrates, and the tribunate was technically outside the _cursus honorum;_ but they were protected by a religious taboo against any attacks _(sacrosanctitas)_ , that is to say, they were considered sacrosanct, _sacer_ , which made them inviolate and anyone injuring or killing a tribune could be killed with impunity. Potentially, the powers of this office were considerable.\n\n##### **5.P RAETORSHIP**\n\nThe minimum age for the praetorship was 39, and a man also had to have been aedile before becoming a praetor.\n\nPower: held _imperium_ (sovereign power in war and peace); the holder of _imperium_ could compel obedience except from someone with greater _imperium;_ power of life and death in battle, which was symbolized by an axe _(securis)_ enclosed in a tied bundle of rods _(fasces)_ carried by the lictors, their bodyguard attendants, who walked in front; in peace only _fasces_ carried by their lictors, while _intercessio_ and _provocatio_ (right of appeal against arbitrary treatment by a magistrate) limited _imperium_.\n\nDuties: running civil and criminal courts; could summon assemblies and propose legislation if the consuls were busy (or dead); governing smaller provinces; leading armies (technically, of one Roman _legio_ and one Latin-Italian _ala_ only); had right to consult the gods _(auspicium)_ through the auspices _(auspicia)_. The antiquarian Messalla, writing in the late Republic, appropriately describes them as 'colleagues of the consuls'.\n\nNumber: originally one, then two (242 BC), later four, two of which normally administering the extra-Italian provinces of Sicily and Sardinia (227 BC), then six (196 BC), and eventually Sulla would make the total up to eight, the senior being the urban praetor _(praetor urbanus)_ who was responsible for the administration of justice in cases between Roman citizens.\n\nPrivileges: accompanied by six lictors; could use a curule seat; worthy of a triumph (200 BC onwards).\n\n##### **6. C ONSULSHIP**\n\nFrom 150 BC, or thereabouts, 42 years of age was the minimum age for the consulship.\n\nPower: _imperium_ superior to everyone else except a dictator.\n\nDuties: summon and chair the Senate and assemblies in peace; propose bills _(rogationes)_ to create legislation; had right of _auspicium;_ see to the common good of the Republic; lead armies in times of war (technically, each commanded a consular army of just two Roman _legiones_ and two Latin-Italian alae). 'In the elections for consuls', Cicero said in a speech when he was consul, 'it is generals that are chosen, not legal experts'.\n\nNumber: two\n\nPrivileges: accompanied by twelve lictors; could use a curule seat; wear purple-fringed _toga praetexta;_ worthy of a triumph; gave their name to the year.\n\n##### **7. C ENSORSHIP**\n\nAfter having held the consulship, one could be elected a censor, a magistrate who was normally appointed once every five years.\n\nPower: without _imperium_ but did hold _potestas_ greater than that of aedile.\n\nDuties: no military duties, the primary job being, as the title implies, is to conduct the five-yearly census, which gave information on property and wealth and thus determined military obligations, tax obligations and corresponding political rights; revising the list of the Senate to include ex-magistrates of previous five years; control of public morals (could place a mark of disgrace against anyone and expel members of the senatorial or equestrian orders for conduct unbecoming; supervise state lands _(ager publicus)_ and let public contracts; had right of _auspicium_.\n\nNumber: two.\n\nPrivileges: use a curule seat; wear _toga praetexta_.\n\n##### **8. D ICTATORSHIP**\n\nThe dictatorship, by its very nature, was an irregular office, and often the duties were quite trivial, though the appointment was a high honour. Thus when no consul had been elected, an _interrex_ would normally be appointed, for five days at a time, until the elections had been held. However, in times of a dire emergency the consuls themselves could appoint a dictator (full title: _dictator rei gerundae causa_ , 'dictator for the purpose of carrying on the business of the state') with the other magistrates acting as his subordinates.\n\nPower: held double-consular _imperium_.\n\nDuties: running all military and domestic affairs in time of crisis; office lasted six months; assisted by a _magister equitum_ , master of horse.\n\nNumber: One.\n\nPrivileges: accompanied by twenty-four lictors and _fasces_ always included the _securis_ , even within Rome.\n\nAs we can now appreciate, these magistracies were of differing importance, and an ambitious Roman aristocrat had to seek them in ascending order (quaestorship, aedileship, praetorship, consulship, censorship). There had to be a gap of at least a year between magistracies, so that a magistrate could be called to account after his term of office.\n\nCandidates for public office rarely stood for election on the basis of particular policies, instead relying on their reputation for ability. It was system that heavily favoured a small clique of wealthy aristocratic families who were skilled at promoting the virtues and successes of former generations and implying as much or more could be expected from younger members of the family. Thus the government of Rome was to a large extent in the hands the _nobiles_ , which consisted of men who had held the consulship or were descendants of consuls. It was difficult for men outside this charmed circle to win their way to office: those who succeeded were called _novi homines_ , new men (e.g. Marius, Cicero). With only two posts for the consulship per annum, competition for this high honour was fierce, especially since a mixture of law and tradition prevented anyone attaining this rank before his early forties, and was supposed to prevent it being held twice within ten years. In reality, it was unusual for a man to hold the consulship more than once, and highly exceptional more than twice.\n\nSometimes, however, it was found desirable to keep a man in office for a longer period, especially in wartime, when it might be disastrous to supercede an efficient commander at the end of one year. So as early as 326 BC, the device was adopted of prolonging commands _(Prorogare imperium)_ for a year, or even longer. In point of fact, it was the _imperium_ , and not the magistracy, that was prolonged: a man was invested with the powers of a consul or praetor without holding the office, and so was called a proconsul or propraetor. This sensible practice met a further need: in a large-scale conflict fought in many theatres, as where the first two Punic wars, Rome might not have enough higher magistrates to command the various armies, so the custom was adopted of prolonging the _imperium_ of a magistrate beyond the annual limit of his magistracy, or even conferring _imperium_ on a private citizen, _privatus cum imperio_ , as on Scipio in 210 BC for the Iberian campaign.\n\nHowever, as stressed before, the fundamental principle of Roman government was that no one individual should hold supreme power and that all power should be of a limited duration, normally a year of office. This was intended to prevent the emergence of a tyrant or king. Therefore there were two consuls in each year, whose power was absolutely equal. Only rarely was this canon abandoned for a short time and the extraordinary expedient taken of appointing a dictator with supreme authority to direct the state. The dictator held office for six months and had not a colleague but a junior assistant, the _magister equitum_. When the office of dictator had been created in an earlier period, it was considered important that he should fight on foot with the warriors of the phalanx, the yeoman-farmers who were the heart of the military system of the early Republic. So the dictator was prohibited from riding a horse, leaving his deputy to command the cavalry. Such a restriction was no longer appropriate for the task of commanding the much larger and more sophisticated armies of the middle Republic. Despite this however, with the Romans being obsessed with the culture and traditions of their ancestors, _mos maiorum_ , a newly appointed dictator still had to gain special permission from the Senate to ride a horse.\n\nTo Romans in general fresh innovations were a simple return to the past, with new ideas being rediscovered for use again. In a sense this helps to explain why the Romans padded their traditional history with these innovations. For example, the warlike Romulus was attributed with establishing the trappings of a magistrate (robes, chair, etc.) and the pious and peaceful Numa Pompilius with those of religion and forming the office of the Vestal Virgins. There are no concrete reasons to disbelieve the existence of the early kings of Rome and by tradition a monarch was surrounded by a group of elder-advisors. These advisors were drawn from the heads of the leading families, _patres_ , and thereby constituted the Senate.\n\nThe word Senate is connected with the Latin for old man, _senex_ , and it reflects the fact that senators were appointed for life, and that many of them were aged by the standards of the ancient world. The Senate existed already under the monarchy, although we know very little about it at the time. Under the kings and for much of the Republic it consisted of about 300 members. A broad purple strip, _latus clavus_ , on their togas distinguished its members. In the early Republic it probably did not have any effective functions, but its importance increased enormously during the time of the Samnite Wars when it acquired greater authority.\n\nFestus, a Roman grammarian writing in the late second century AD but quoting an earlier grammarian of the time of Augustus, defines the Senate thus:\n\nThere was a time when it was considered disgraceful for senators to be passed over, because, just as kings by themselves used to choose men who would serve them as public advisers, so under the Republic the consuls used to choose for themselves their closest friends from among the patricians and then from among the plebeians. This practice continued until the law of the tribune Ovinus put an end to it. Ovinus' law [lex _Ovinia]_ bound the censors by oath to enrol in the Senate the best men from all ranks. The enforcement of this law had the consequence that senators who were passed over and thus lost their place were held in dishonour.\n\nThe _lex Ovinia_ had been passed sometime between 339 BC and 318 BC. Theoretically, the Senate had no constitutional powers. Its decrees, passed on a majority vote, were not law but merely advisory. It functioned, therefore, as a _concilium_ or advisory council, advising the magistrates. It discussed a whole gamut of political and religious business, but came to be particularly important in foreign affairs. It met only when summoned by a consul or tribune of the plebs, often in a temple (the first meeting of the year was in the Temple of Iuppiter on the Capitol). When it debated, the presiding consul would invite speakers to express their opinions in order of their personal standing. Consequently, lower status members might never speak. After some debate the consul might invite members to express proposal in the form of a _sententia_. There might be several of these. The house then divided, the members moving across the floor to stand by the proposer whose _sententia_ they approved. If there was a majority, that _sententia_ became a _Senatus consultum_. Or, to put it more simply, the Senate was a body made up of anybody who was anybody in Rome.\n\nThough the republican machinery of government was not democratic in any proper sense of that term, there were three main assemblies where the Roman people expressed its collective. The _comitia centuriata_ , 'assembly of centuries', voted to declare war or accept a peace treaty, elected consuls, praetors, censors, and curule aediles, the senior magistrates of Rome, and tried capital cases. The _comitia tributa_ , 'tribal assembly', elected most of the junior magistrates and could pass legislation. The _concilium plebis_ , 'gathering of plebeians', was very similar, but excluded members of the numerically smaller patrician order. There was another assembly, the _comitia curiata_ , 'assembly of wards', but by the middle Republic this organ was a mere rubber stamp where the thirty wards, _curiae_ , were represented by lictors. And so by the time of Augustus it was said by the poet Ovid that most Romans did not know which _curia_ they belonged to. It should be understood that these assemblies did not debate issues and were summoned only when required to vote for or against a proposal.\n\nThe 'timocratic principle', the common idea whereby the property-owning classes lived in a 'stakeholder' society, where political rights are defined by military obligations, which in turn spring from the need to defend property; property itself gives the financial means to engage in that defence. Those who have property, and thus a stake and a role in the defence of society are considered more likely to take sensible decisions about how the state is run. The richer you are, the truer this becomes, and conversely, having nothing to lose will make you irresponsible. Anyway, the three assemblies can be summarized as follows:\n\n##### **1. _C OMITIA CENTURIATA_**\n\nThis assembly operates on a 'timocratic principle', and Edward Gibbon describes it well: 'In the purer ages of the commonwealth, the use of arms was reserved for those ranks of citizens who had a country to love, a property to defend, and some share in enacting those laws, which it was their interest, as well as a duty, to maintain'. The 'timocratic principle' meant that only those who could afford arms could vote; so the _comitia centuriata_ was an assembly of property owners, and thus of soldiers. The _comitia centuriata_ transformed from the people voting under arms to a main assembly, where voting groups were still called centuries _(centuriae:_ originally a military unit of 100 men), though now much larger. As a former military institution the _comitia centuriata_ met mainly on the _campus Martius_ , Field of Mars, an open area outside the city. Here we should note that it was forbidden to carry arms inside the city because of the (obsessive) fear of armed tyranny, and even provincial governors must lay aside military _imperium_ if they cross the _pomoerium_ , the sacred boundary of the city. The one exception to this rule was for triumphs, which are in essence religious festivals.\n\nServius Tullius, the penultimate king, had instituted the _comitia centuriata_ originally. A constitutional reform later known still as the 'Servian system' divided the centuries up between classes _(classes)_ based on landed wealth. This probably happened in 406 BC, and seems to be related to introduction of military pay _(stipendium)_ and taxation _(tributum)_. The censors registered Romans in classes, and this registration formed the basis of tax assessment, military obligations and political rights. Thus, the 'Servian system' had 193 centuries; some were for younger men _(iuniores)_ , and others were for older men _(seniores)_. More important was the subdivision of these five classes into centuries, _centuriae:_ in each class half the centuries were made up of the elder men _(seniores_ , those from age 47 to 60), and half of younger men _(iuniores_ , those from age 17 to 46). The centuries in each class were unequal in number, as the state naturally drew more heavily upon the well-equipped wealthier men than on those lower down the property ladder. Thus class I contained eighty _centuriae;_ classes II, III and IV twenty each; and class V thirty. Below them were five _centuriae_ of unarmed men, four of artisans and one of _proletarii_ , whose property was too little to justify enrolment in class V. Known as _capite censi_ , 'counted by heads', these men were simply counted and had no military obligations, no political rights and were not taxed. In other words poverty, curiously perhaps to us moderns, freed men from conscription. At the other extreme were those who served on horseback, the sons of the well-to-do making up eighteen _centuriae_ , which took precedence over the _centuriae_ of the other five classes.\n\nThe _comitia centuriata_ voted from the top down with decisions reached by a simple majority of ninety-seven centuries. Thus, if the top classes were pretty much agreeing about a particular candidate (i.e. for magisterial post with _imperium)_ a decision might be reached with just the votes of the _equites_ and class I (i.e. ninety-eight centuries). This often happened, and showed how the conservative timocratic values of Rome weighted the exercise of political rights in favour of the rich. In about 241 BC the 'Servian system' was reformed, at a time when the number of tribes was increased from thirty-three to thirty-five (see below). The five classes were retained, but the 193 centuries were rearranged. Class I was reduced from eighty to seventy, two to a tribe, one of seniors and one of juniors (thirty-five in each). The other, now redundant, ten centuries of class I were redistributed among some or all of the other four, although the method of redistribution remains uncertain. The century which voted first, _praerogativa_ , and generally had considerable influence on those that followed, was chosen by lot from class I; then the _equites_ and the five classes voted in order until a majority of the centuries' votes was obtained. As before the _capite censi_ remained outside the system. Under this system a majority could be reached with the votes of the class II, whereas hitherto the _equites_ and class I had had a clear majority. This represented a minor democratization of the process compared to the original 'Servian system'.\n\n##### **2. _C OMITIA TRIBUTA_**\n\nPerhaps from the time of Servius Tullius new 'regional' tribes were instituted, probably to speed up military organization and recruitment. Originally there had been four tribes covering the area of the city, later these were the 'urban' tribes (often mostly freedmen and city plebs) but with Rome's gradual conquest of the Italian peninsula the _ager Romanus_ , Roman land, expanded and 'rural' tribes were subsequently added. By the beginning of the First Punic War, in 264 BC, there were thirty-three tribes (four urban, twenty-nine rural), with two more rural tribes being added by its end in 241 BC, but they were the last.\n\nEvery Roman, rich or poor, belonged to a tribe, denoting where he lived or at least where his family came from. A man's tribe stayed the same, unless he was demoted (into an urban tribe) by the censors, or took over a better tribe as a result of a prosecution (i.e. taking the guilty party's tribe). The _comitia tributa_ voted by tribes, in order determined by lot. As soon as a candidate (i.e. for magisterial post with _potestas)_ has a majority of the tribes (i.e., eighteen) he is declared elected. The next candidate to pass the majority is next elected and so on. More than one go might be necessary. As for passing legislation, this was done on a simple majority in the tribes, for or against. When this assembly elected magistrates, it met on the _campus Martius_. For voting on legislation, the venue was the _Comitium_ in the _forum Romanum_.\n\n##### **3. _C ONCILIUM PLEBIS_**\n\nThe plebs, originally all who were not patricians, formed a 'state within a state' in the fifth century BC to put pressure on the patrician aristocracy. Through this institution they elected their own officers (tribunes of the people and plebeian aediles). Its resolutions were called _plebiscita_ , 'decrees of the plebs'. The _lex Hortensia_ of 287 BC enacted that all _plebiscita_ should be legally binding and equivalent to _leges_ passed in the _comitia_. This law marked the formal end of the 'Struggle of the orders', which had effectively been lost to the patricians with _leges Liciniae Sextiae_ in 367 BC, which effectively opened the consulship to plebeians. The _concilium plebis_ votes, in elections and legislation, by tribes, but only plebeians are eligible. Procedure and place as per _comitia tributa_.\n\nAlthough the number of Roman citizens steadily increased, and by the third century BC many lived long distances from Rome, the political life of the state was still entirely conducted in the city. only when physically present in Rome might a citizen vote or stand for office. Nevertheless, as stressed before, in these assemblies the People could only vote for or against a proposal, and there was no opportunity, unlike in the Senate, for debate or for a citizen to present a counter proposal. in all three the opinion of the wealthier citizens tended to predominate. This was especially so in the _comitia centuriata_ , where the voting system, even after its 'democratization', was based upon archaic military organization. The  more prosperous citizens voted first and had fewer members in each century, in the same way that they had once provided the cavalry and the most heavily armed infantry, who had the most prominent role in wartime.\n\nLest we forget the _equites_ and class I combined fell not far short of a majority out of the 193 centuries composing the assembly. It is also important to remember that popular support, most of all in the consular elections, always meant that a man had the favour of the bulk of the prosperous citizens at Rome and not simply the poor. Even the ten tribunes of the people, who had originally been created to defend the plebeians against aristocratic and especially patrician oppression, by this time were normally young senators at an early phase in their career.\n\nAs a final, yet important point, candidates for political office were not elected for membership of a political party (for such things did not exist), and only rarely for espousing a particular policy. A man was elected on the basis of his former achievements or those of his family. The Romans believed very strongly that characteristics and ability were passed on from one generation to the next. If a man's father or grandfather had won the consulship and led Roman armies to victory in battle, then there was every reason to believe that he would prove equally competent. The noble families took care to advertise the achievements of former generations, and those men who achieved high office were the kind of nobles who flourished on long lineages, brave deeds, broad acres and patronage.\nAPPENDIX 2\n\n## **Roman army**\n\nBy the time Rome was no longer the hilltop village on the bank of the Tiber, Roman warfare had become an adaptation of Greek warfare and the hoplite ideology of the decisive battle. Yet when Rome was no longer the humble city of the seven hills, but plundering Rome at the time of Hannibal, the army had assumed the more familiar form of the manipular legion. In both these instances, the model is that of the disciplined infantry formation in a set piece battle, first with the rigid phalanx and then with the more flexible legion, but both with an excellence in, and a preference for, the head-to-head encounter that seeks to destroy the enemy. In this decisive clash of opposing armies, which tended to settle the issue one way or another, the Roman legion usually performed very well, returning any blows vigorously and viciously. The Roman citizen soldier, like his Greek counterpart, excelled at close quarter combat, but his legion could be manoeuvred more readily than the phalanx. In contrast to the one solid block of the Greeks, the legion was now divided into several small blocks, with spaces between them. The Romans, in other words, gave the phalanx 'joints' in order to secure flexibility, and what is more, each soldier had twice as much elbow room for individual action, which, as we shall discover, involved swordplay.\n\nWe have two accounts of the manipular legion's organization. First, the Roman historian Livy, writing more than three centuries after the event, describes the legion of the mid-fourth century BC. Second, the Greek historian Polybios, living and writing in Rome at the time, describes the legion of the mid-second century BC. The transition between the Livian and Polybian legion is somewhat obscure, but for the sake of brevity and clarity, we shall just concern ourselves with the Polybian legion. Indeed, for the actual organization of the Republican legion _terra firma_ is reached only with Polybios himself, who breaks off his narrative of the Second Punic War at the nadir of Rome's fortunes, following the three defeats of the Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, and turns to an extended digression on the Roman constitution and the Roman army.\n\n##### **P OLYBIAN LEGION**\n\nIn our chosen period of study, the Roman army was based on the principle of personal service by the citizens defending their state. It was not yet a professional army. The term _legio_ , 'levy', obviously referred to the entire citizen force raised by Rome in any one year, but by at least the fourth century BC it had come to denote the most significant subdivision of the army. Then, as Rome's territory and population increased, it was found necessary to levy two consular armies, each of two legions, _legiones_. Yet accompanying each Roman legion were soldiers provided by Rome's Latin and Italian allies, the _socii._ 3Their principal unit was known as the ala, wing, which deployed the same number of infantry as the Roman legion. By the time of Hannibal, if not before, in a standard consular army the two Roman _legiones_ would form the centre with two Latin-Italian _alae_ deployed on their flanks. They were known as the 'ala of the left' and the 'ala of the right', a positioning obviously reflecting the term ala, wing.\n\nAll citizens between 17 and 46 years of age who satisfied the property criteria, namely those who owned property above the value of 11,000 _asses_ , were required by the Senate to attend a selection process, the _dilectus_ , on the Capitol. Although Polybios' passage is slightly defective here, citizens were liable for sixteen years' service as a legionary, _miles_ , or ten for a horseman, _eques. 5_ These figures represent the maximum that a man could be called upon to serve. In the second century BC, for instance, a man was normally expected to serve up to six years in a continuous posting, after which he expected to be released from his military oath. Thereafter he was liable for enlistment, as an _evocatus_ , up to the maximum of sixteen campaigns or years. Some men might serve for a single year at a time, and be obliged to come forward again at the next _dilectus_ , until their full six-year period was completed.\n\nAt the _dilectus_ , height and age arranged the citizens into some semblance of soldierly order. They were then brought forward four at a time to be selected for service in one of the four consular legions being raised that year. The junior military tribunes of each legion took it in turns to have first choice, thus ensuring an even distribution of experience and quality throughout the four units. They then ordered the soldiers to take a formal oath. Though the exact text of the oath is not given by Polybios, he does say a soldier swore 'he would obey his officers and carry out their commands to the best of his ability'. To speed up the process the oath was sworn in full by one man, and each of the rest swore that he would do the same as the first, perhaps using the phrase _idem in me_ , 'the same for me'. They were given a date and muster point, and then dismissed to their homes.\n\nThe standard complement of the Polybian legion was 4,200 foot and 300 horse, in theory if not practice, and consisted of five elements: the heavy infantry _hastati, principes_ , and _triarii_ , the light infantry _velites (grosphomachoi_ in Polybios' Greek), and the cavalry _equites_ , each equipped differently and having specific places in the legion's tactical formation. Its principal strength was the thirty maniples of its heavy infantry, the _velites_ and _equites_ acting in support of these. Its organization allowed it only one standard formation, the _triplex acies_ with three successive, relatively shallow lines of ten maniples each, these fighting units supporting each other to apply maximum pressure on an enemy to the front.\n\nHence, the legion was divided horizontally into three lines, and vertically into maniples _(manipuli)_ , with the first line containing 1,200 _hastati_ in ten maniples of 120, the second line 1,200 _principes_ organized in the same way, and the third line of 600 _triarii_ also in ten maniples. The _hastati_ ('spearmen') were men in the flower of youth, the _principes_ ('chief men') in the prime of manhood, and the _triarii_ ('third-rank men') the oldest and more mature men. Of the 4,200 legionaries in a legion, while 3,000 served as heavy infantry, the remaining 1,200 men, the youngest and poorest, were serving as light infantry. Known as _velites_ or 'cloak-wearers', that is to say, they lacked any form of body armour, they were divided for administrative purpose among the heavy infantry of the maniples, each maniple being allocated the same number of _velites. 9_ Finally, accompanying the legionaries were 300 fellow citizens on horseback.\n\n##### **P OLYBIAN LEGIONARY**\n\nThe Romans attached a great deal of importance to training, and it is this that largely explains the formidable success of their army. 'And what can I say about the training of legions?' is the rhetorical question aired by Cicero. 'Put an equally brave, but untrained soldier in the front line and he will look like a woman'. The basic aim of this training was to give the legions superiority over the 'barbarian' in battle, and even as late as the fourth century AD, Vegetius attributed 'the conquest of the world by the Roman people' to their training methods, camp discipline, and military skills. Having said all that, the Romans took great pride in their ability to learn from their enemies too, copying weaponry (and tactics) from successive opponents and often improving upon them. This was one of their strong points and, as Polybios rightly says, 'no people are more willing to adopt new customs and to emulate what they see is better done by others'.\n\nThe _hastati_ and _principes_ carried the Italic oval, semi-cylindrical body shield, conventionally known as the _scutum_ , the famous Iberian cut-and-thrust sword _(gladius Hispaniensis)_ , and two sorts of _pila_ , heavy and light. The _triarii_ were similarly equipped, except they carried a long thrusting spear _(hasta)_ instead of the _pilum. 13_ This 2m weapon survived from the era when the Roman army was a hoplite militia. The _hasta_ was perhaps obsolete in Polybios' day, though probably still in use during the Gallic _tumultus_ of 223 BC, when they are, for the only time, mentioned in action, while the annalistic tradition does not notice it at all. The close-quarter, battering power of the legion was thus provided by the legionary wielding _pilum_ and _gladius_ , and the combination of _pilum_ shower and blade-work rendered the Roman army so deadly.\n\nIn the Livian legion there is no reference to the _pilum_ , which, if Livy's account is accepted, may not yet have been introduced. The earliest reference to the _pilum_ belongs to 293 BC during the Third Samnite War, though the earliest authentic use of this weapon may belong to 251 BC. The _pilum_ , therefore, was probably adopted from Iberian mercenaries fighting for Carthage in the First Punic War.\n\nPolybios distinguishes two types of _pilum (hyssos_ in his Greek), 'thick' and 'thin', saying each man had both types. Surviving examples from Numantia (near Burgos, Spain), the site of a Roman siege (134-133 BC), confirm two basics types of construction. Both have a small pyramid-shaped point at the end of a narrow soft-iron shank, fitted to a wooden shaft some 1.4m in length. One type has the shank socketed, while the other has a wide flat iron tang riveted to a thickened section of the wooden shaft. The last type is probably Polybios' 'thick' _pilum_ , referring to the broad joint of iron and wood. This broad section can be either square or round in section, and is strengthened by a small iron ferrule. The iron shank varies in length, with many examples averaging around 70cm.\n\nAll of the weapon's weight was concentrated behind the small pyramidal tip, giving it great penetrative power. The length of the iron shank gave it the reach to punch through an enemy's shield and still go on to wound his body, but even if it failed to do so and merely stuck in the shield it was very difficult to pull free and might force the man to discard his weighted-down shield and fight unprotected. A useful side effect of this 'armour piercing' weapon was that the narrow shank would often bend on impact, ensuring that the enemy would not throw it back. The maximum range of the _pilum_ was some 30m, but its effective range something like half that. Throwing a _pilum_ at close range would have improved both accuracy and armour penetration.\n\nA later lexicographer, possibly following Polybios' lost account of the Iberian war, says the _gladius Hispaniensis_ was adopted from the Iberians (or Celtiberians) at the time of the war with Hannibal, but it is possible that this weapon, along with _pilum_ , was adopted from Iberian mercenaries serving Carthage during the First Punic War. It was certainly in use by 197 BC, when Livy describes the Macedonians' shock at the terrible wounds it inflicted. The Iberians used a relatively short, but deadly sword. This was either the _falcata_ , an elegant curved single-bladed weapon derived from the Greek _kopis_ , most common in the south and southeast of Iberia, or the cut-and-thrust sword, straight bladed weapon from which the _gladius_ was derived. The earliest Roman specimens date to the turn of the first century BC ('Mainz' type), but a fourth century BC sword of similar shape has been found in Spain at the cemetery of Los Cogotes (Avila), as is an earlier Iberian example from Atienza some 100km northeast of Madrid. The Roman blade could be as much as 64 to 69cm in length and 4.8 to 6cm wide and waisted in the centre. It was a fine piece of 'blister steel' with a triangular point between 9.6 and 20cm long and honed down razor-sharp edges and was designed to puncture armour. It had a comfortable bone handgrip grooved to fit the fingers, and a large spherical pommel, usually of wood or ivory, to help with counterbalance. Extant examples weigh between 1.2 and 1.6kg. The story of the _gladius_ is an object lesson in the Roman way of taking the best of what others have learned and making it their own.\n\nThe legionary also carried a dagger, _pugio_. The dagger, a short, edged, stabbing weapon, was the ultimate weapon of last resort. However, it was probably more often employed in the day-to-day tasks of living on campaign. Like the _gladius_ , the Roman dagger was borrowed from the Iberians and then developed.\n\nPolybios says all soldiers wore a bronze pectoral, a span (223mm square), to protect the heart and chest, although those who could afford it would wear instead an iron mail shirt _(lorica hamata). 21_ He also adds that a bronze helmet was worn, without describing it, but the Attic, Montefortino, and Etrusco-Corinthian styles were all popular in Italy at this time and were probably all used, as they certainly all were by later Roman troops. He does say helmets were crested with a circlet of feathers and three upright black or crimson feathers a cubit (444mm) tall, so exaggerating the wearer's height. Interestingly, Polybios clearly refers to only one greave being worn, and Arrian, writing more or less three centuries later, confirms this, saying the ancient Romans used to wear one greave only, on the leading leg, the left. No doubt many of those who could afford it would actually have a pair of bronze greaves covering their legs from ankle to knee.\n\nTo complete his defensive equipment, each soldier carried the _scutum_ , an Italic body shield probably derived from the Samnites. Polybios describes the _scutum_ in detail, and his account is confirmed by the remarkable discovery in 1900 of a shield of this type at Kasr-el-Harit in the Fay\u00fb, Egypt. It is midway between a rectangle and an oval in shape, and is 1.28m in length and 63.5cm in width with a slight concavity. It is constructed from three layers of birch laths, each layer laid at right angles to the next, and originally covered with lamb's wool felt. This was likely fitted damp in one piece, which, when dry, had shrunk and strengthened the whole artefact. The shield board is thicker in the centre and flexible at the edges, making it very resilient to blows, and the top and bottom edges may have been reinforced with bronze or iron edging to prevent splitting. Nailed to the front and running vertically from top to bottom is a wooden spine _(spina)_. Good protection came at a price, for the _scutum_ was heavy, around 10kg, and in battle its entire weight was borne by the left arm as the soldier held the horizontal handgrip behind the bronze or iron boss _(umbo)_ , which reinforced the central spine of the shield.\n\nFinally, lest we forget, these short-term citizen soldiers provided their own equipment and therefore we should expect considerably more variation in clothing, armour and weapons than the legionaries of the later professional legions. There is no good reason to believe, for instance, that they wore tunics of the same hue or that shields were adorned with unit insignia. In fact, Polybios makes no mention of shield decoration, despite his detailed description of legionary equipment down to the colour of their plumes. This seems to be supported by sculptural evidence, such as the Aemilius Paullus monument or the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus, which show _scuta_ left plain.\n\n##### **L IGHT INFANTRY**\n\nThe _velites_ were armed with a sword, the _gladius Hispaniensis_ according to Livy,and a bundle of javelins, with long thin iron heads a span in length, which bent at the first impact. For protection they wore a helmet without a crest and carried a round shield _(parma)_ but wore no armour. In order to be distinguished from a distance, some _velites_ would cover their plain helmets with a wolf's skin or something similar. As for the number of javelins carried, Polybios does not specify. Livy, on the other hand, says _velites_ had seven javelins apiece, whilst the second-century BC Roman satirist Lucilius has them carrying five each.\n\n##### **C AVALRY**\n\nEach legion had a small cavalry force of 300 organized in ten _turmae_ of thirty troopers each. The military tribunes appointed three _decuriones_ to each _turma_ , of whom the senior commanded with the rank of _praefectus_. Each _decurio_ chose an _optio_ as his second-in-command and rear-rank officer. This organization suggests that the _turma_ was divided into three files of ten, each led by a _decurio_ ('leader of ten') and closed by an _optio_. These files were obviously not independent tactical subunits, for the _turma_ was evidently intended to operate as a single entity, as indicated by the seniority of one _decurio_ over his two colleagues.\n\nThe cavalry or _equites_ formed the most prestigious element of the legion, and were recruited from the wealthiest citizens able to afford a horse and its trappings. By our period these included the top eighteen centuries _(centuriae)_ of the voting assembly, the _comitia centuriata_ , who were rated _equites equo publico_ , the equestrian \u00e9lite, obliging the state to provide them with the cost of a remount should their horse be killed on active service. Cato was later to boast that his grandfather had five horses killed under him in battle and subsequently replaced by the state. Being young aristocrats, the _equites_ were enthusiastic and brave, but better at making a headlong charge on the battlefield than patrolling or scouting. This was a reflection of the lack of a real cavalry tradition in Rome, as well as the fact that the _equites_ included the sons of many senators, eager to make a name for courage and so help their future political careers. Before being eligible for political office in Rome a man had to have served for ten campaigns with the army.\n\nThe allied cavalry force was generally two or three times larger than that of the citizens. These horsemen were organized in _turmae_ probably the same strength as the Roman, and were presumably also from the wealthiest strata of society. This is certainly suggested by Livy's references to 300 young men of the noblest Campanian families serving in Sicily, and to the young noblemen from Tarentum who served at the battles of Lake Trasimene and Cannae. The cavalry were commanded, at least from the second century BC, by Roman _praefecti equitum_ , presumably with local _decuriones_ and _optiones_ at _turma_ level. Like their citizen counterparts, as well as having a higher social status, allied horsemen were much better paid than those serving as foot soldiers.\n\nPolybios discusses the changes in the Roman cavalry in some detail, emphasizing that the _equites_ were now armed in 'the Greek fashion', namelybronze helmet, stiff linen corselet, strong circular shield, long spear, complete with a butt-spike, and sword, but he observes that formerly (perhaps up to the Pyrrhic War) they had lacked body armour and had carried only a short spear and a small ox-hide shield, which was too light for adequate protection at close quarters and tended to rot in the rain. Polybios actually compares its shape to a type of round-bossed cake, namely those that are commonly used in sacrifices. This earlier shield may be the type shown on the Tarentine 'horsemen' coins of the early fourth century BC, with a flat rim and convex centre. For what it is worth, Livy mentions 'little round cavalry shields' in use as early as 499 BC, but this may be anachronistic.\n\nIntriguingly the sword now carried by the _equites_ appears to have been the _gladius Hispaniensis_ , for when Livy describes the horror felt by Macedonian troops on seeing the hideous wounds inflicted upon their comrades, the perpetrators were Roman cavalrymen. If true, then the _gladius_ used by the _equites_ may well have been a little longer than that of the infantry. Livy refers to 'arms torn away, shoulders and all, heads separated from bodies with the necks completely severed, and stomachs ripped open'.\n\nContrary to popular belief, the lack of stirrups was not a major handicap to ancient horsemen, especially those 'born in the saddle' like the Numidians. Moreover, Roman cavalry of the time were perhaps already using the Celtic four-horned saddle, which provides an admirably firm seat. When a rider's weight was lowered onto this type of saddle the four tall horns _(cornicule)_ closed around and gripped his thighs, but they did not inhibit free movement to the same extent as a modern pommel and cantle designed for rider comfort and safety. This was especially important to spear- and sword-carrying cavalry favoured by the Romans, whose drill called for some almost acrobatic changes of position. In an age that did not have the stirrup, the adoption of the four-horned saddle, as experimental work has shown, allowed the horseman to effectively launch a missile while skirmishing, or confidently use both hands to wield his shield and spear (or sword) in a whirling m\u00eal\u00e9e. The main function of its wooden frame was to protect the horse's spine from shock during a charge, and its design transferred the rider's weight to the animal's flanks. The saddle was secured with breast strap, haunch straps and breeching, and a girth that passed through a woollen saddlecloth under which a smaller cloth of fur may have been placed to give the horse greater protection from chafing.\n\n##### **B ATTLE TACTICS**\n\nPolybios does not offer his readers an account of the legion in battle, but there are a number of combat descriptions both in his own work and that of Livy. However, very few accounts describe tactics in detail; a contemporary Roman (or Greek) audience would take much for granted. Even so, the legion would usually approach the enemy in its standard battle formation, the _triplex acies_ , which was basedaround the triple line of _hastati, principes_ , and _triarii_ , with the _velites_ forming a light screen in front. As we know, each of these three lines consisted of ten maniples. When deployed, each maniple may have been separated from its lateral neighbour by the width of its own frontage (approximately 18m), though this is still a matter of some debate. Livy tells us that the maniples were 'a small distance apart', which does not really help us a great deal. Moreover, the maniples of _hastati, principes_ and _triarii_ were staggered, with the more seasoned _principes_ covering the gaps of the _hastati_ in front, and likewise the veteran _triarii_ covering those of the _princeps_. This battle formation is conveniently called by modern commentators the _quincunx_ , from the five dots on a dice cube.\n\nBattle would be opened by the _velites_ who attempted to disorganize and unsettle enemy formations with a hail of javelins. This done, they retired through the gaps in the maniples of the _hastati_ and made their way to the rear. The maniples of the _hastati_ now reformed to close the gaps, either by each maniple extending its frontage, thus giving individuals more room in which to handle their weapons, or, if the maniple was drawn up two centuries deep, the _centurio posterior_ would move his _centuria_ to the left and forward, thus running out and forming up alongside the _centuria_ of the _centurio prior_ in the line itself.\n\nThe _hastati_ would discharge their _pila_ , throwing first their light and then their heavyweight _pila_ , some 15m, the effective range of a _pilum_ , from the enemy. The term _hastati_ , spearmen, should be taken to mean armed with throwing spears, namely _pila_ , instead of thrusting ones. This is after all the sense it bears out in our earliest surviving example of it, in Ennius' line _hastati spargunt hasti, 'hastati_ who hurl _hasti'_ , and their name probably reflects a time when they alone used _pila. 43_ If the _pila_ did not actually hit the enemy, they would often become embedded in their shields, their barbed points making them difficult to withdraw. Handicapped by a _pilum_ the shield became useless. Additionally, the thin metal shaft bent or buckled on impact thus preventing the weapon being thrown back.\n\nDuring the confusion caused by this hail of _pila_ , which could be devastating, the _hastati_ drew their swords and, said Polybios, 'charged the enemy yelling their war cry and clashing their weapons against their shields as is their custom'. He also says the Romans formed up in a much looser formation than other heavy infantry, adding this was necessary to use the sword and for the soldier to defend himself all round with his shield. This implies the legionary was essentially an individual fighter, a swordsman. Yet Cato, who served during the Second Punic War as an _eques_ and a quaestor, always maintained that a soldier's bearing, confidence and the ferociousness of his war cry were more important than his actual skill with a blade.\n\nIn his brief description of the _gladius Hispaniensis_ , Polybios evidently says the sword _(iberik\u00f3s_ in his Greek) was 'worn high on the right thigh' so as to be clear of the legs (a vertically-held scabbard would normally be impractical for walking let alone for fighting) adding that it was an excellent weapon 'for thrusting, and  both of its edges cut effectually, as the blade is very strong and firm'. The wearing of the sword on the right side goes back to the Iberians, and before them, to the Celts. The sword was the weapon of the high status warrior, and to carry one was to display a symbol of rank and prestige. It was probably for cultural reasons alone, therefore, that the Celts carried the long slashing sword on the right side. Usually a sword was worn on the left, the side covered by the shield, which meant the weapon was hidden from view.\n\nIf, at this early date, the legionary already carried his sword on the right-hand side suspended by a sword (waist) belt, it would not be for any cultural reason. As opposed to a scabbard-slide, the four-ring suspension system on his scabbard enabled the legionary to draw his weapon quickly with the right hand, an asset in close-quarter combat. In view of its relatively short blade, inverting the hand to grasp the hilt and pushing the pommel forward drew the _gladius_ with ease. With its sharp point and four-ring suspension arrangement, the Delos sword, firmly dated to 69 BC, shows all the characteristics of the _gladius_ described a century earlier by Polybios. Another such example is the Mouri\u00e9s sword, found in a tomb in association with a group of pottery and metal artefacts, notably a bronze washing-kit with an Italic jug and _patera_. This assembly can be dated to around the turn of the first century BC.\n\nPolybios, in an excursion dedicated to the comparison between Roman and Macedonian military equipment and tactical formations, says the following:\n\nAccording to the Roman methods of fighting each man makes his movements individually: not only does he defend his body with his long shield, constantly moving it to meet a threatened blow, but he uses his sword both for cutting and for thrusting.\n\nWhat we are witnessing here is the intelligent use, by a swordsman, of the sword. It appears, therefore, that the tactical doctrine commonly associated with the Roman legion of the Principate was already in place during Polybios' day. We know from the archaeological record that the _gladius_ of the Principate ('Pompeii' type) was an amazingly light and well-balanced weapon that was capable of making blindingly fast attacks, and was suitable for both cuts and thrusts. However, Tacitus (b. c. AD 56) and Vegetius (fl. c. AD 385) lay great stress on the _gladius_ being employed by the legionary for thrusting rather than slashing. As Vegetius rightly says, 'a slash-cut, whatever its force, seldom kills', and thus a thrust was certainly more likely to deliver the fatal wound. Having thrown the _pilum_ and charged into contact, the standard drill for the legionary of the Principate was to punch the enemy in the face with the shield-boss and then jab him in the belly with the razor-sharp point of the sword.\n\nIn his near-contemporary account of the Battle of Telamon (225 BC), Polybios tells us that 'Roman shields were far better designed for defence, and so were their swords for attack, since the Gallic sword can only be used for cutting and not for thrusting'. Soon after, when he covers the Gallic _tumultus_ of 223 BC, it is  disclosed that legionaries 'made no attempt to slash and used only the thrust, kept their swords straight and relied on their sharp points inflicting one wound after another on the breast or the face'. In a much later passage he hints that they were trained to take the first whirling blow of the Celtic slashing sword on the rim of the _scutum_ , which was suitably bound with iron. The principal weakness of a wooden shield was that it could be split in two with a well-aimed sword blow, leaving a soldier virtually defenceless.\n\nThe use of the thrust also meant the legionary kept most of his torso well covered, and thus protected, by his _scutum_. The latter, having absorbed the attack of his antagonist, was now punched into the face of the opponent as the legionary stepped forward to jab with his _gladius_. Much like the riot-shield of a modern policeman, the _scutum_ was used both defensively and offensively to defects blows and hammer into the opponent's shield or body to create openings. As he stood with his left foot forward, a legionary could get much of his body weight behind this punch. Added to this was the considerable weight of the _scutum_ itself.\n\nIdeally, the _hastati_ fought the main enemy line to a standstill, but if they were rebuffed, or lost momentum, the _principes_ advanced into the combat zone and the process was repeated. Hand-to-hand fighting was physically strenuous and emotionally draining, and the skill of a Roman commander lay in committing his second and third lines at the right time. Obviously the survivors of the _hastati_ and the _principes_ now reinforced the _triarii_ if it came down to a final trial of strength. The phrase _inde rem ad triarios redisse_ , 'the last resource is in the _triarii'_ , passed into the Latin tongue as a description of a desperate situation. Victory would eventually go to the side that endured the stress of staying so close to the enemy for the longest and was still able to urge enough of its men forward to renew the fighting. It was the inherent flexibility of the manipular system that made the legion a formidable battlefield opponent. In Polybios' measured analysis:\n\nThe order of battle used by the Roman army is very difficult to break through, since it allows every man to fight both individually and collectively; the effect is to offer a formation that can present a front in any direction, since the maniples that are nearest to the point where danger threatens wheels in order to meet it. The arms they carry both give protection and also instil great confidence into the men, because of the size of the shields and the strength of the swords, which can withstand repeated blows. All these factors make the Romans formidable antagonists in battle and very hard to overcome.\n\nHellenistic armies, for instance, preferred to deepen their phalanx rather than form troops into a second line, and made little use of reserves, as the commander's role was usually to charge at the head of his cavalry in the manner of Alexander the Great. The deepening of the pike-armed phalanx gave it so much stamina in the m\u00eal\u00e9e, but even the men in the rear ranks were affected by stress and exhaustion of prolonged combat. The Roman system, on the other hand, allowed fresh men to befed into the fighting line, renewing its impetus and leading a surge forward, which might well have been enough to break a wearying enemy.\n\nIn battle, physical endurance is of the utmost importance and all soldiers in close contact with danger become emotionally if not physically exhausted as the battle proceeds. When writing of ancient warfare, Colonel Ardent du Picq notes the great value of the Roman system was that it kept only those units that were necessary at the point of combat and the rest 'outside the immediate sphere of moral tension'. The legion, organized into separate battle lines, was able to hold one-half to two-thirds of its men outside the danger zone (the zone of demoralization) in which the remaining half or third was engaged. Obviously the skill of a Roman commander lay not in sharing the dangers with his men but in committing his second and third lines at the right moments. Left too late then the fighting line might buckle and break. Too soon and the value of adding fresh soldiers to the m\u00eal\u00e9e might be wasted.\n\n## **Notes**\n\n###### PROLOGUE\n\n1. E.g. Hoyos (2003), p.203. However, it appears that Hannibal was not present at Magnesia-by-Sipylos, the battle in question, Grainger (2002), p. 320. Indeed, our ancient sources are extremely silent on any part played by him on that day, where his presence could hardly have gone unnoticed, unless we opt to believe that he was as passive and discrete as Fabrice del Dongo on the field of Waterloo. Anyway, it appears this particular Hannibalic anecdote was jotted down by one Aulus Gellius _(Noctes Atticae_ 5.5), a learned Roman gentleman who was ever fond of collecting anecdotes but, unfortunately for us moderns, he did not give their origins.\n\n2. In Latin: _imperium sine fine_ , Virgil, _Aeneid_ 1.279.\n\n3. In Latin: _hmmensa Romanae pacis maiestate_ , Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 27.1.3.\n\n4. Ibid. 15.30.102. Cultivated around Kerasous on the southern shores of the Black Sea, tradition has it that this former Greek colony gave its name to the word that many peoples would adopt for the tree's red, tart fruit: Latin _cerasus_ , Turkish _kiraz_ , French _cerise_ , English cherry.\n\n5. Edward Gibbon, _The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_ (Penguin Abridged Edition), ch. III, p.83.\n\n6. Cicero, _de re publica_ 2.10, cf. _Philippics_ 6.19.\n\n7. Livy, 1.16.7.\n\n8. Varro, _On Agriculture_ 1.2.3-7, Cato, _On Agriculture_ preface 4.\n\n9. Virgil, _Georgics_ 2.136-76.\n\n10. Vitruvius, _de architectura_ 6.1.10,11.\n\n11. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 3.5.39.\n\n12. In Latin: _ultimos terrarum fines_ , e.g. Livy 38.60.5. Of course there was another great empire of the world at this time, the Han dynasty of China (206 BC - AD 220). By the end of the second century BC, the Han had included within their empire part of Vietnam in the south, part of Korea in the northeast, and in the northwest a strip of land just above the line of the Himalayas, which would soon make possible the movement of the precious caravans along the Silk Road. Between these two giants sat Parthia of the Arsacid dynasty (247 BC - AD 224), which by the early first century BC stretched from the Euphrates to the Indus. It is evident that the Romans considered the Parthian state as a worthy imperial rival, but neither side trusted the other: the Parthians remember the double-dealing of Pompey (66 BC), and the Romans remembered the standards lost at Carrhae (53 BC). And so the tug of war between the two rivals continued off and on until they worked out a _modus vivendi_ with the Romano-Parthian border stabilized on the banks of the Euphrates. Still, Parthia was often able to project its political power beyond this boundary and into the Roman province of Syria. So conflict was always a threat and though Rome mounted six major campaigns between 53 BC and AD 217, Parthia was never conquered. Anyway, the first caravan to travel along the string of oases right through to Parthia left China in 106 BC, and from then onwards the development of the Silk Road was rapid. By the time of Caesar the Romans had established a silk market in the _vicus Tuscus_ in Rome.\n\n13. Tacitus, _Germania_ 33.1, Virgil, _Aeneid_ 1.278-9 West, cf. 286-90, 3.714-18, 6.791-800, 7.601-15.\n\n14. Horace, _Odes_ 4.15.14-16, 21-24.\n\n15. _Res Gestae Divi Augusti_ preface.\n\n16. The empire statistics in the second century AD are conventionally estimated at 46,000,000 souls who inhabited an area of nearly 5,000,000 km2. Subsequently numbers started to decline, so that by the end of the next century the population has dropped to 39,000,000. See McEvedy (2002), p.108.\n\n17. In Latin: _caput orbis terrarum_ , Livy, 21.30.14.\n\n18. G. Vidal, 'Robert Graves and the Twelve Caesars', in _Rocking the Boat_ (1962), p.214.\n\n19. Ibid. 213.\n\n20. Agrippa II, in Josephus, _Bellum Iudaiacum_ 2.363.\n\n21. Cicero, _de re publica_ 3.24.\n\n22. In Latin: _parta victoriis pax, Res Gestae Divi Augusti_ 13.\n\n23. Virgil, _Aeneid_ 6.852-3 West.\n\n24. Tacitus, _Annales_ 1.9.\n\n25. In Latin: _non modo ut liberi essent, sed etiam ut impera rent_ , Cicero, _Philippics_ 8.4.12.\n\n26. In Latin: _oderint dum metuant_ , ibid. 1.14.\n\n27. Cicero, _pro lege Manilia_ 14.41, cf. 2.6.\n\n28. Umbricius, in Juvenal, _Satires_ 3.60-5 Green. The Orontes (Nahr el-Asi) was the largest river in ancient Syria; it rose in the hills near Damascus and flowed northwards by Epiphania and Apamea, turning sharply southwest by Antioch to the Mediterranean Sea. The name Umbricius is Etruscan, and much has been written about this (in every sense) shadowy character (Umbricius, _umbra):_ real person or fictional _alter ego?_ Most scholarship has leaned towards an Umbricius who was probably real, though not, as formerly suggested, the official soothsayer, _haruspex_ , mentioned by the elder Pliny _(Historia Naturalis_ 10.6.19), Tacitus _(Historiae_ 1.27.1), and Plutarch _(Galba_ 24.2).\n\n29. In Latin: _Graeculi_ , Juvenal, _Satires_ 3.77 Green.\n\n30. From the second century BC onwards, the ideal of _mos maiorum:_ 'customs of our ancestors', became a statement of the key virtues of the Roman citizen, which included valour _(virtus)_ , prestige _(gloria)_ , greatness of spirit _(magnitudo animi)_ , praiseworthiness _(dignitas)_ , authority _(auctoritas)_ , seriousness _(gravitas)_ , standing _(honos)_ , and nobility _(nobilitas)_. The literati of Rome, it seems, were keen to reconstruct the glories of a semi-mythical past, those good old days of uncorrupted simplicity, the tug of heroic nostalgia set against the harsh realities of the present. See Lind (1979), p.28-41.\n\n31. In Latin: _Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit_ , Horace, _Epistulae_ 2.1.156. This clever play on words is frequently found in the speeches and writings of the elder Cato (e.g. Livy 33.4.3).\n\n32. Trajan to the younger Pliny, in Pliny, _Epistulae_ 10.40.2.\n\n33. Clotho to Mercury, in Seneca _Apocolocyntosis_ 3.3 Rouse.The English title of this wicked satire is _Pumpkinification of the Divine Claudius_. Clotho is one of the Moirae or Three Fates who determine the destiny of mortals, her sisters being Lachesis and Atropos. They were the daughters of the supreme god Zeus (Roman = Iuppiter) and the goddess Themis, the personification of orderliness. Usually portrayed as three forbidding old spinsters, Clotho (the Spinner) spun the web of life of humans, Lachesis (the Apportioner) decided how long each human was to live, and Atropos (the Inevitable) cut the thread of life when someone's time had come.\n\n34. Virgil, _Aeneid_ 1.282 (right), Suetonius, _Divus Augustus_ 40.5 (duty).\n\n35. Tacitus, _Annales_ 11.25.8. This total, like the figure of 4,937,000 recorded by Augustus in AD 14 (Res _Gestae Divi Augusti_ 8.4), probably includes all citizens, their spouses and children; at the last census held under the Republic, that of 70 BC, only 910,000 citizens were registered. Nonetheless, if we assume that a million of them were males of military age, a 15 per cent call-up would be sufficient to sustain the army's twenty-five legions (there had been twenty-eight before the Varian disaster of AD 9).\n\n36. Lyon Tablet, _CIL_ 13.1668 col. 2. This bronze tablet from Lyon, discovered in November 1528, immortalizes a _verbatim_ copy of the speech the emperor made before his fellow senators in AD 48. The speech, an argument in favour of enlarging the Senate by opening its hallowed portals to foreigners', is also recorded by Tacitus _(Annales_ 11.24), who does not reproduce it exactly or faithfully but brings out the main points. As a point of interest, Claudius himself was born at Lugdunum, present-day Lyon, capital of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis and main focus for the cult of the deified emperors in Gaul. Occupying the portion of Europe that now forms France and parts of Belgium and Germany, Gaul was divided into three provinces know as the Three Gauls: Gallia Aquitania in the west, Gallia Lugdunensis to the north and east, and Gallia Belgica in the northeast. There was also a further Gallic province in the south, Gallia Narbonensis, which had come under permanent Roman control in the second century BC. Roman Gaul was, _tout ensemble_ , an important agricultural region, producing grain and wine, and with perhaps thrice the population of Italy it supplied valuable manpower for the army. The last benefit was especially important for an imperial power, and by the time of Vespasianus nearly 40 per cent of the legionaries serving on the Rhine frontier would be from Gallia Narbonensis (Forni, 1953).\n\n37. Seneca was typical in this reactionary attitude, and it is no accident that the words in both Greek and Latin for 'make a revolution' (Greek: _neoter\u00edsein_ , Latin: _res novare)_ simply mean 'innovate', 'do something new'. Indeed, the term _novus_ implied disturbances in the normal cycles of civic life, thence the disparaging tag _novus homo_ , new man, for a senator without consular ancestors in the male line, like Marius, Cicero or indeed Augustus.\n\n38. C.J. Rhodes, November 1893. Remarkable as it may seem, his 'English-speaking man' included the American too. Like his good friend Rudyard Kipling, Rhodes continued to hope that the United States of America would re-federate with the British Empire and rule the world.\n\n39. In the 10 December 1892 edition of _Punch_ , Rhodes is shown in a visual pun as the Colossus of Rhodes, one of seven wonders of the ancient world. He measures with the telegraph line the mileage from Cape Town (at his right boot) to Cairo (at his left boot) illustrating his 'Cape to Cairo' concept for British dominion of Africa.\n\n40. In 1922, the year Alexander Graham Bell passed away, about 458,000,000 people, one-quarter of the human race, lived under the Union Jack in a geophysical conglomerate of nearly 34,000,000 km2. The big difference, of course, was that Rome took centuries to crumble, while for the British Empire it was almost overnight.\n\n41. Cf. Kipling's picturesque verse line 'Dominion over palm and pine' in 'Recessional' (1.4), composed on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Born in British India, Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) travelled all over the British Empire and came to think of himself as its bard, thence 'White Man's Burden' and other songs of empire. He is recognised as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English language writer to receive this prestigious prize and, to date, its youngest recipient. Later in life he came to be recognized (by George Orwell, at least) as a 'sedentary apostle of violence' ('An American Critic', _Observer_ , 10 May 1942) and many saw prejudice and militarism in his works. And yet Orwell, an Anglo-Indian himself, could still balance his regret at Kipling's 'jingo imperialist' tendencies with an awareness of the profound effect his work had on Orwell's boyhood. In a strange sideways glint ('Rudyard Kipling', _Horizon_ , February 1942), he argues that Kipling's 'Recessional' is an denunciation of British (and German) power politics, and indeed the poem, while expressing obvious pride in the British Empire, does find fault with jingoism. From opposite ends of the political spectrum, Orwell (internationalist) and Kipling (imperialist) were true prophets of globalism in the sense they both had the universal eye for the whole picture.\n\n42. Strabo, the geographer from Amaseia (Amasya) near the southern shore of the Black Sea, wrote the finest work we possess on the political geography of the Roman Empire. In a passage (4.5.3) concerning distant Britannia, he explains why it was useless to conquer lands with poor resources, that is to say, keeping them would soon outstrip any economic benefits. Strabo was writing in the age of Augustus and of course we are faced with the ironic fact that the Claudian invasion of AD 43, and the campaigns that followed, meant the Romans nevertheless occupied a large chunk of the island.\n\n43. Herakleitos fr. 44.\n\n44. Caratacus, in Tacitus, _Annales_ 12.36.\n\n45. Caratacus is probably better know as Shakespeare's Caractacus, the pugnacious son of Cymbeline.\n\n46. Cassius Dio 61.33.3.\n\n47. Calgacus, in Tacitus, _Agricola_ 30.4, 5.\n\n48. Speeches before battle were a fact of ancient life and a convention of ancient historiography. However, the good ancient writers (e.g. Herodotos, Thucydides, Sallust, Tacitus) were also students of humankind, and so employed these dramatic speeches as a vehicle of interpreting the story they were relating, to make a point for their readers, not to display their own rhetorical skill.\n\n49. Cassius Dio 62.5.5.\n\n50. E.g. in what is now western Libya, Roman olive presses are found 80km south of the present-day limit of olive cultivation (Barker-Jones, 1980-1981).\n\n51. Diodoros, 20.8.4.\n\n52. E.g. in the civil war of AD 69, Vespasianus planned first to seize Africa so as to cut off the grain supply of Rome (Tacitus, _Historiae_ 3.48.3, cf. 8.2). By this date the province of Africa supplied at least two-thirds of Italy's grain imports, the other third coming from Egypt.\n\n53. Dido, in Virgil, _Aeneid_ 4.625-9 West.\n\n###### CHAPTER 1\n\n1. There are three versions of Scipio Aemilianus' reflections at Carthage: Polybios 38.21.1; Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 132 (included in Polybios, 38.22.1-3) and Diodoros 32.24. Polybios, who was with him at the end, heard him cite from the _Iliad_ the lines in which Hector foretells the destruction of Troy: 'there will come a day when sacred Ilion shall perish | and Priam, and the people of Priam of the strong ash spear' (6.448-9 Lattimore). Of course, Scipio Aemilianus' fatalistic fears were not realized until centuries later the Vandal Gaiseric brought the 'eternal city' to its knees. The western Roman world had just twenty-one more years to live. Kipling, in his 'Recessional', had likewise brooded over the possibility that the day would come when the British Empire would end and 'Lo, all our pomp of yesterday | Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!' (3.3-4). For Scipio Aemilianus' reflections, see Astin (1967), p.282-7.\n\n2. Polybios 18.35.9.For the wealth of Carthage, see Lancel (1995), p.401-9.\n\n3. _Qart Hadasht_ , 'New City', as the Carthaginians called it, _Karched\u00f4n_ to the Greeks, _Carthago_ to the Romans, and hence Carthage to us. These fledgling sites were invariably located on rocky promontories or offshore islets, at points where it was easy to berth and find protection from the winds and currents. Some would remain no more than hutted camps.\n\n4. Timaios, _FGrHist_ 566 F 60. The Sicilian-Greek Timaios lived in the third century BC, a time when it was still possible to draw directly on Punic sources for information, but little of his work remains. According to the Roman historian Velleius Paterculus _(Historiae Romanae_ 1.2.3) Utica was founded by the Phoenicians in 1101 BC, though it must be said that excavations in the countries of North Africa have not touched strata earlier than the eighth century BC. Though today, as a result of the Oued Medjerda having changed its course and it mouth having silted up, Utica lies some 8km inland, at the time the site lay on the northern end of the long Djebel Menzel Roul ridge, which runs southwest to northeast before projecting well into the sea.\n\n5. Around the beginning of the fifth century BC a divine couple, Tanit and Baal Hammon, gained a position of supremacy within the Carthaginian pantheon, a phenomenon probably connected with the political upheavals following the complete destruction of the Carthaginian forces at Himera (480 BC); in some text the goddess, who usually had supremacy over Baal Hammon in Carthage, is addressed as 'mother', but she is more frequently referred to as 'Mistress' or 'Face'. For the first material attestations at Carthage, see Lancel (1995), p.32-4.\n\n6. Though the Annals of Tyre are an original source, recording the history of that city in two periods, tenth to eighth and sixth centuries BC, they have come down to us through a Graeco-Roman meditation-alteration in two of the works of Joseph ben Mathias, or Flavius Josephus, to give him his Roman name. One is the _Antiquitates Iudaicae_ (8.144-6, 324, 9.283-7), a history of the Jews from Adam to the Jewish revolt of AD 66, the other is _In Apionem_ (1.116-25, 155-8), an impassioned but well-written and well-argued comprehensive _apologia_ for the Jews and Judaism.\n\n7. Justin, _Epitome_ 18.4-6 _passim_. Justin's work is in fact an epitome of a world history written under Augustus by Pompeius Trogus, a Roman citizen of Gaulish origin. His _Philippic Historiae_ is lost. Justin _(Epitome_ 43.5.11) informs us that before turning his hand to history, Trogus had been a confidential secretary of Caesar.\n\n8. Kition (biblical Chittim, modern L\u00e0rnaka), besides its lagoon and salt flats, was a Phoenician settlement. Originally colonized by the Mycenaeans in the thirteenth century BC, it had declined by about 1000 BC. It again emerged two centuries later, reestablished by the Phoenicians, and resumed its role as a port exporting copper from the Tr\u00f3\u00f6dhos Mountains.\n\n9. Justin, _Epitome_ 18.5.8. Apparently, the same trick was performed by the two Jutish warrior brothers, Hengest and Horsa, when they were given a grant of land from the Romano-British warlord, Vortigern. Traditionally the first amongst the Germanic mercenaries to land in Britain, they are said to have arrived in AD 449, a date derived from the Venerable Bede _(Historia Ecclesiastica_ 1.15), and both appear in the _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_ (with notable economy of detail) in the years AD 449-488, with Horsa being slain in AD 455. Cryptic references to a certain Hengest in the Old English poem _Beowulf_ (1069-1108) and a fragmentary Old English lay called _The Fight at Finnsburg_ may be the same man. The archaeological record tells us the earliest Germanic settlements, beginning as early as AD 410-420, are found in eastern Britain north of the Thames, and are represented by cremation cemeteries in the Saxon and Anglian tradition, with a different group from Jutland settling in what is now Kent.\n\n10. _Poeni_ , a Latin adaptation of the Greek word _Pho\u00eenlk\u00eaios_ , from which has come 'Punic'. The Greeks called the Canaanites 'Phoenicians' probably because of their monopoly of the only colourfast dye in antiquity, the purple-red _(pho\u00ednikeos)_ extract from the molluscs of the _Murex_ genus. This superb dye, which ranged from dark red to violet hues, went to colour the 'purple cloths' mentioned in Ezekiel 27:24. These fabrics were enormously popular for many centuries all over the Mediterranean, becoming, as we would say today, a status symbol, a sure sign of solid wealth and refined taste. The elder Pliny relates that in the days of Cicero 'double-dyed Tyrian purple fabric was impossible to buy for less than 1,000 _denarii_ a pound' _(Historia Naturalis_ 9.63.137), an outrageous price. At the time Caesar's legionaries were earning 225 _denarii_ per annum.\n\n11. Virgil's _Aeneid_ is the story of Aeneas of Troy. Troy was besieged and sacked by the Greeks. After a series of adventures, Aeneas met and loved Dido, but obeyed the call of duty to his gods, his people and his family, particularly to his beloved son Ascanius (who was also called Iulus, which is why the Iulii attributed their ancestry to him), and left her to her death. Then, after long years of wandering the seas, he reached Latium, fought a bitter war against the locals and in the end formed an alliance with them, which enabled him to found his city of Lavinium, named for his new Latin wife, Lavinia. From these beginnings, 333 years later, in 753 BC, the city of Rome was to be founded by Romulus. The Romans had arrived in Italy. While Virgil allowed himself to be strongly inspired by Homer and included so many references and allusions to the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_ that his epic poem almost seems to mirror them, the atmosphere of the _Aeneid_ is completely different. Aeneas too, whose role in the _Iliad_ is rather modest, has a diametrically opposed character from the rorty-snorty Greek heroes with their hotheaded zest for fame and favour. Virgil often refers to him as 'pious Aeneas' _(sum pius Aeneas)_ , and indeed he is a godfearing, disciplined figure who, with his strong sense of duty and obedience, has a one-dimensional attachment to the task in hand, and the personality of breadmould.\n\n12. According to the elder Pliny, Mago's agricultural manual was held to be of fundamental importance to the Romans, so much so the Senate issued a decree to this effect: 'with a single exception it laid down that his twenty-eight books should be translated into Latin, in spite of the fact that the elder Cato had already written his treatise; and that the task should be undertaken by persons instructed in the Punic language; the person who got the best part was D. Silanus, a personage of noble origins' _(Historia Naturalis_ 18.5.22). The treatise of Cato mentioned here was, of course, his plain talking no nonsense _On Agriculture_ , a work written in his old age _(c_. 165-160 BC). In his handbook on agricultural practices, likewise entitled _On Agriculture_ in English, Varro says he took 'from Mago's writings an amount equivalent to eight books' _(On Agriculture_ 1.1.10, cf. 2.1.27, 5.18, 3.2.13). With the exception of such surviving passages, this work unfortunately shared the oblivion that was the fate of the libraries of Carthage. As for slaves, in 310 BC, when Agathokles of Syracuse overran the Carthaginian camp near Tunis, he found thousands of shackles intended for the prisoners of war that the Carthaginians expected to capture. Indeed, three years later, when the tables of war had been turned, the Greek soldiers who had been taken captive were put to work to restore to cultivation lands that had been laid waste during the invasion (Diodoros 20.13.2, 69.5).\n\n13. If we are to believe Diodoros, the planting of fruit trees in North Africa was a fairly recent event, for at the end of the fifth century BC Carthage, or so he claims (13.81.4-5, cf. 4.17.4), was still importing olives from Sicily. Maybe the change came with the agronomist Mago and his 'agricultural revolution'.\n\n14. The Greek version of the Byrsa, _bursa_ , literally means 'the skin stripped off'. See especially, Virgil, _Aeneid_ 1.369.\n\n15. Diodoros 32 fr. 13 (Cothon), Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 128, Diodoros 20.44.4-5 (buildings).\n\n16. Diodoros 32 fr. 14, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 95 (landward defences). A cubit (Greek _pechys_ , Latin _cubitus)_ being the distance from the point of the elbow to the tip of the little finger, a unit of distance equivalent to 444mm. Polybios says (1.73.5) the promontory neck was about 25 stades in width, a stade _(stadion_ , pl. _stadia_ , whence our word 'stadium') being a Greek unit of distance that varied from place to place, and it is for this reason that we generally consider it to be roughly equivalent to 200m. But according to Strabo (7.7.4), however, Polybios counted 8.5 stades to the Roman mile, which gives his stade a length of 177.5m. It appears the Greek stade was rationalized to a length of one-eighth of a Roman mile by Artemidoros half a century after the Roman conquest of Greece. As a point of interest, the stade race was of great antiquity, being the distance the 'superman' of Greek mythology, Herakles, ran flat out in a single breath at Olympia (Pindar, _Olympian Odes_ 10.43). For the archaeological evidence concerning the fortifications see Lancel (1995), p.415-19.\n\n17. Livy, _Periochae_ 51. Livy (59 BC - AD 17) devoted his long life to writing his _Ab urbe condita libri, History of Rome_ , which comprised 142 books (35 are still extant, with books 21 to 30 covering the Second Punic War) from the foundation of Rome down to 9 BC. The _Periochae_ ('Tables of Contents', brief summaries of each book's contents added to the mediaeval manuscripts of his work), are all that survive of the lost books, including those dealing with the First and Third Punic wars. Livy had no personal experience in politics and warfare, and seems neither to have visited the places he wrote about nor consulted any documentary evidence, but apparently relied entirely on literary evidence to chronicle and glorify the story of Rome.\n\n18. Some idea of the productivity of the Carthaginian hinterland can be gained from Livy's references to Carthage's prosperity immediately after the Second Punic War. In 200 BC, 200,000 _modii_ of wheat, the _modius_ being a Roman unit measure equivalent to 8.62 litres, were exported to Rome, and the same amount to Macedonia for the Roman expeditionary force operating there (31.19.2). In 191 BC, much larger quantities, including 300,000 _modii of_ barley destined for the Roman army, were supplied by Carthage (36.4.9). In 170 BC, again, a similar supply of barley, plus 1,000,000 _modii_ of wheat, were shipped to Macedonia to feed yet another Roman expeditionary force (43.6.11, 14). These were mass supplies, to say the least, and post-war Carthage thus appears to be an astonishingly prosperous city.\n\n19. At the time of Saint Augustine of Hippo Regius (AD 354-430), when the Roman Empire was crumbling in the west, the Punic tongue was still spoken in his native North Africa and his compatriots were still calling themselves _Kena'ani_ , Canaanites _(Epistulae ad Romanos 13)_. The bishop lived long enough to see the Vandals effectively walk into his fair province, with their women, baggage and dependents, but he was spared the destruction of Hippo Regius, dying a year before the city was evacuated and partly burnt. Their king, Gaiseric (r. AD 428-477), a crippled son of a slave, was a proud ruthless leader, a gifted conspirator with a genius for political intrigue. In AD 429 Gaiseric had ferried his people across the Pillars of Hercules and led them east along the North African coast. One by one the Roman cities with their well-stocked granaries fell to the spear of the Vandal. After the fall of Roman Carthage in AD 439 the Vandals ruled as a quasi-independent state in Africa. The Vandals (Latin _Vandilii)_ were thought by the Romans to be Germanic peoples, originating in lands to the east of the Rhine (e.g. Tacitus, _Germanica_ 2.4).\n\n20. E.g. Curtius (4.2.10, cf. 3.19) records a delegation of Carthaginians arriving just at the moment Alexander was about to besiege the island city (323 BC). _Melek Qart_ , 'King of the City', whose name is to be found in those of Hamilcar and Bomilcar, was originally regarded as the founder and lord of Tyre, but later he became its protector and also the god of Phoenician colonization. Understandably, he was very early on identified with the Greek rover Herakles (Roman = Hercules), the eponymous hero of all the major routes in the Graeco-Roman world, and much of the information we have on this god and his worship has come down to us with that name (e.g. Diodoros 20.14.1-2, Arrian, _Anabasis_ 2.16.1-6). As a point of interest, Hannibal visited the temple of Melqarth at Gadir (Cadiz before his invasion of Italy, 'and swore to express further obligations to that god, should his affairs prosper' (Livy 21.21.9, cf. 41.7).We also know that while serving as quaestor in Hispania Ulterior (69 BC) Caesar visited the same temple. It was there, according to Suetonius, Caesar gazed upon a statue of Alexander and sighed that at his age 'Alexander had already conquered the whole world' _(Divus Iulius_ 7).\n\n21. _Odyssey_ 15.415 Lattimore.\n\n22. Diodoros 5.20.1.\n\n23. E.g. both Strabo (3.5.11) and Velleius Paterculus _(Historiae Romanae_ 1.2.3) date the Phoenician foundation of Gadir (Greek Gadeira, Latin Gades, modern C\u00e1diz) to circa 1100 BC. This means as one of the colonies of Tyre, Gadir was among the early centres of Phoenician expansion in the Mediterranean. However, excavations have not been possible in the original settlement since it lies under the modern conurbation, while the archaeological material found in the vicinity of the city suggests that Phoenician influence did not appear in C\u00e1diz before 770-760 BC.\n\n24. Herodotos 4.196.1.\n\n25. Ibid. 196.2.\n\n26. Consider only Cicero, _de re publica_ 2.4.9 (piratical); Plautus, _Poenulus_ 112-13, Cicero, _pro Scauro_ 19.42, _de lege agrarian_ 2.35.95, Valerius Maximus 7.4.4, Silius Italicus, _Punica_ 3.233-4, Horace, _Odes_ 4.4.52 (deceitful); Diodoros 20.14.4-6, Livy 23.5.12, Plutarch, _de superstitone_ 13, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 62 (cruel); _Odyssey_ 15.415-16, Cicero, _de re publica_ 3 fr. 3 (greedy); Livy 21.4.9, 22.6.11-12, 42.47.7, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 62-4 (perfidious). What we are witnessing here, of course, is the construction, invariably through fear, of the idea of the 'Other' as an enemy. And so, ethnic, racial or national identities are defined via a system of differentiation that may or may not give rise to conflicts. It must be said, however, that before the Punic wars began, as far as we know, there was no racial hatred between the two peoples, though there certainly was by the end. The demonization of the Carthaginians in this way raises the question about what happens when we call someone 'bad' or 'evil' without taking a moment to consider that, in some cases, we might be wrong. To take a well-known example from English history, there are those who claim that Richard III, never a popular monarch admittedly, was not the personification of evil portrayed by that archpropagandist of the Tudors, William Shakespeare.\n\n27. Livy 21.22.3.\n\n28. Walbank (1957), p.363, Lancel (1995), p.288.\n\n29. Polybios 7.9.5, Diodoros 20.55.4.\n\n30. E.g. Polybios 3.33.15.\n\n31. During the First Punic War, according to Polybios, Carthage 'exacted from the peasantry, without exception, half of their crops, and had doubled the taxation of the townsmen without allowing exemption from any tax or even a partial abatement to the poor' (1.72.2). As the age-old adage goes 'death and taxes' are the dual constants of human existence.\n\n32. E.g. Agathokles of Syracuse receives active support form the Libyans, who 'hated the Carthaginians with a special bitterness because of the weight of their overlordship'. (Diodoros 20.55.4).\n\n33. Justin, _Epitome_ 18.7-19.2, Orosius 4.6.\n\n34. Piracy is as old as the maritime trade on which it preys. The economics of shipping, even in the ancient world, meant that merchant ships carried a relatively small crew, and this attention to profit naturally made such vessels vulnerable to predators.\n\n35. Polybios 3.22.3.\n\n36. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthium_ 19.2 (Altars off the Philaeni); Polybios, 3.3.9.1 (Pillars of Hercules).\n\n###### CHAPTER 2\n\n1. Aristotle, _Politics_ 1273a2, cf. Polybios 6.51-56. By 'mixed', Aristotle means the Carthaginian constitution, like that of Sparta, 'partakes of oligarchy and of monarchy and of democracy'. The 'mixed constitution', the ideal of Greek political theory, was considered the natural condition for a civilised state.\n\n2. Greek _basile\u00fas\/basilels_ , Aristotle, _Politics_ 1272b35. Punic _?ptm_ , cf. the Hebrew _shophet\/shophetim_ , judge.\n\n3. Aristotle, _Politics_ 1272b35, 1273a15.\n\n4. Ibid.1272b35.\n\n5. The epigram is Voltaire's _(Candide ou l'optimisme_ , ch. XXIII), referring of course to the fate of the unfortunate Admiral John Byng, shot on his own quarterdeck after the sea battle off Minorca in 1757. Compare, for example, the 'fate' of Caius Terentius Varro, the consul who fled from the field of Cannae (216 BC). On arriving at the gates of Rome he was met by senators who publicly thanked him in front of a great crowd for not having despaired of the Republic. As the Roman Livy sagely remarks, a 'Carthaginian general in such circumstances would have been punished with the utmost rigour of the law' (22.61.14). The lucky Varro was then appointed to the command of a legion at Picenum. Meanwhile, the unlucky survivors of the Cannae army, the common soldiers, were banished in utter disgrace to Sicily.\n\n6. Diodoros 20.44.1-6.\n\n7. Justin, _Epitome_ 19.2.5.\n\n8. Aristotle, _Politics_ 1324b10.\n\n9. E.g. Livy 21.18.3 (senate), Aristotle, _Politics_ 1272b37, Diodoros 20.59.1 _(gerousia)_.\n\n10. Cf. Polybios 3.13.4, the popular election of Hannibal Barca.\n\n11. Aristotle, _Politics_ 1273a7, Polybios 6.56.3-8.\n\n12. Cicero, _de re publica_ 1 fr. 3.\n\n13. Latin: _quinqueremis_ , Greek: _pent\u00ear\u00eas_ ('five-fitted'). Larger and smaller were also used, for example, _tri\u00ear\u00eas_ , triremes (e.g. Polybios 1.20.14), the two _hexereis_ ('six-fitted') that served as the consuls' flagships at Ecnomus (ibid. 26.11), and the _hept\u00ear\u00eas_ ('seven-fitted'), which once belonged to Pyrrhos and served as the Carthaginian flagship at Mylae (ibid. 23.4). All these terms seem properly to refer to the number of files of oarsmen from bow to stern, on each side of the vessel, rather than to the number of banks of oars. In all likelihood no warship ever had more than three banks of oars, and so larger numbers of oarsmen were accommodated by doubling up on some or all of the oars. Thus a _hex\u00ear\u00eas_ could be rowed in the same fashion as a bireme, with three men per oar, or as a trireme, with two men per oar.\n\n14. Morrison (1995), p.68. Here Morrison, a leading light in the _Olympias_ trireme project, also points out that the quadrireme _(tetr\u00ear\u00eas_ , 'four-fitted') was invented after the quinquereme, and was developed by double-manning from a two-level penteconter (i.e. warship with fifty oars, twenty-five per side in two banks). According to Aristotle (fr. 600 Rose) the Carthaginians built the first quadrireme, and there is no reason to doubt his authority. Most probably the invention was made after the middle of the fourth century BC. Ironically, quadriremes make their first historical debut at Alexander's siege of Tyre in 332 BC, both among the Tyrian ships (Arrian, _Anabasis_ 2.21.9, 22.5) and in his own fleet (Curtius 4.3.14) largely supplied by his Phoenician allies (Arrian, _Anabasis_ 2.20.1).\n\n15. Polybios 1.26.7. In Herodotos' day a trireme consisted of a crew of 200, that is, 170 oarsmen and 30 marines and deck crew, the latter to handle the sails and rigging (3.14.4-5, 7.184.1, 185.1, 8.17).\n\n16. Morrison (1995), p.68. In a trireme each oarsmen rowed one oar, casually confirmed by Thucydides' comment 'the oarsmen were each to take their oar, cushion, and rowlock thong' (2.93.2).\n\n17. Cf. Morrison (1995), p.69, who says 90 oars a side, basing his calculation on an oar crew of 300.\n\n18. It is easy to forget that though the bronze-sheathed ram could smash a hole in an enemy warship and so cripple her, it could not literally sink her. Ancient sources use terms meaning 'sink', but it is evident that ships so 'sunk' could still be towed away. For instance, the Greek word _kataduein_ , which is almost invariably translated as 'sink', in fact means no more than 'dip' or 'lower'. So, when warships were holed in a sea fight, though they had become absolutely useless as fighting vessels, the combatants went to great lengths and some risk to recover the waterlogged wrecks. These could be towed home as prizes; after being repaired, equipped and re-named, they became part of the navy. According to Coates, a retired naval architect and the technical say-so behind the _Olympias_ trireme project, for a warship to sink she needed to be burdened with sufficient freight to weigh in water enough to overcome the buoyancy of the hull structure and its furniture, 'roughly 40 per cent of the weight of the complete hull in air, assuming that its density is 0.6 tonnes per cubic metre', Morrison (1995), p.133.\n\n19. Polybios 1.46.4-47.10.\n\n20. Ibid. 51.4-9.\n\n21. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 96.\n\n22. For the naval harbour see especially, Hurst (1979), p.19-49, (1993), p.42-51, Lancel (1995), p.172-8.\n\n23. Theophrastos, _History of Plants_ 5.7.1-5. Of course, since the earliest of times the Phoenician shipbuilders had easy access to these cedar supplies, for instance a bas-relief from the palace of Sargon II (r. 722-705 BC) at Khorsabad (now in the mus\u00e9e du Louvre) clearly depicts Phoenician merchantmen transporting cedar wood. Theophrastos himself was aware of this, saying elsewhere in his treaties that in 'Syria and Phoenicia triremes are made of cedar because pine is... in short supply' (ibid. 4.4).\n\n24. Theophrastos, _History of Plants_ 5.1.5.\n\n25. Ibid. 4.4, cf. _Iliad_ 13.389-91, 16.482-4.\n\n26. Greek _ter\u00ead\u00f4n_ , or _teredo navalis_ as the Romans called it, and marine biologists still call it.\n\n27. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 16.79.\n\n28. Athenaios 5.207b.\n\n29. Theophrastos, _History of Plants_ 5.4.4.\n\n30. Ibid. 9.2, Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 16.56. The most common epithet for a warship in the Homeric epics after 'swift' is 'black' (e.g. _Iliad_ 1.141, 2.524, 5.551, 15.424, _Odyssey_ 3.365, 6.268, etc.), presumably a black coloured hull being the result of the pitch applied externally.\n\n31. Polybios 1.51.8.\n\n32. Ibid. 51.9.\n\n33. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 29.4.\n\n34. Ibid. 27.6, Diodoros 16.80.4.\n\n35. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 28.9.\n\n36. Thucydides 6.90.3.\n\n37. It comes as no great surprise that in our classical sources Hamilcar is one of the commonest of Punic names, representing as it does 'Servant of Melqarth', the great god of Tyre and divine patron of Phoenician expansion in the west. Having said that, it is all too easy for us to get confused over our Carthaginian commanders, since the same names tend to pop up over and over again. Thus we will find the Carthaginian ranks crammed not only with Hamilcars, but also Hannos, Himilcos, Hasdrubals, and even a few Hannibals.\n\n38. Herodotos 7.165, Diodoros 11.1.5 (480 BC), 13.44.1, 54.1 (409 BC), 80.2-4 (406 BC), 14.55.4 (397 BC), 95.1 (393 BC), 16.73.3 (341 BC), 19.106.2, 5 (311 BC).\n\n39. Ibid. 20.29.6, cf. 31.1.\n\n40. For an analysis of Timoleon's army at the Krimisos, see Parke (1933), p.173 n. 4. It is impossible to accept as literally true the estimates given by our sources for the numbers of the Carthaginians, but it remains sufficiently clear that the total of Timoleon's bantam-sized army was still much below that of the Carthaginian (cf. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 25.3).\n\n41. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 30.3, Diodoros 16.81.4. Sicilian Greeks had in fact served in Carthaginian armies previously, but as allies not as mercenaries (e.g. Diodoros 13.54.6, 58.1).\n\n42. E.g. Dareios III reckoned that 100,000 men should be enough to conduct his forthcoming fight with Alexander the Great as long as 'one third were Greek mercenaries' (Diodoros 17.30.3).\n\n43. In Cicero's words: 'The sinews of war, unlimited money' _(Philippics_ 5.2.5).\n\n44. Diodoros 5.38.2. Of course, the downside of this policy, as Diodoros himself points out, is that the mercenaries employed by Carthage caused no end of trouble for the city by making it a habit to 'cause many and serious mutinies' (5.11.1).\n\n45. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 28.6, Diodoros 16.81.3, 4.\n\n46. Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 27.3, 28.1, 3, Diodoros 16.80.3, 6. For the stelae, see Head (1982), p.140-2.\n\n47. Pausanias 6.19.7.\n\n48. Diodoros 16.80.2, Plutarch, _Timoleon_ 28.2.\n\n49. Diodoros 20.10.5-6 (310 BC), Polybios 15.11.2, Livy 30.33.5 (202 BC).\n\n50. Polybios 15.33.3 (Hannibal's view), 31.21.3 (Polybios' view).\n\n51. Diodoros 20.12.3, 7 (Sacred Band).\n\n52. Ibid. 16.9, 38.6, 39.4-5.\n\n53. Ibid. 69.3. More than 200 of Agathokles' mercenaries had previously deserted to Carthage (ibid.34.7).\n\n54. Xenophon, _Hellenika_ 6.4.28.\n\n55. Ibid. 1.5.\n\n56. Polybios 3.109.6-7, 111.8-10, cf. 6.52.3-8, 11.28.7.\n\n57. Ibid. 1.43.\n\n58. Ibid. 2.7.6-10.\n\n59. Ibid. 1.19.12.\n\n60. Ibid. 2.5.4, 7.11.\n\n61. Ibid. 1.77.4-5, 78.12, 86.4. Frontinus _(Strategemata_ 3.16.2, 3) gives two other examples from the First Punic War of treacherous Gaulish mercenaries, the second of which is confirmed by Diodoros (23.8.3) and Zonaras (8.10), albeit involving a Carthaginian general named Hamilcar instead of Hanno.\n\n62. Polybios 1.17.4, 19.2, 43.4, 48.3 (First Punic War), 67.7 (Mercenary War), 3.33.11, 16, 72.7, 83.3,\n\n113.6, 11.1.2, 3.1, 19.5, 14.7.5, 15.11.1, etc. (Second Punic War).\n\n63. Strabo 3.5.1, Diodoros 5.18.3-4, Florus, _Epitome_ 1.43.5, Vegetius 1.16.\n\n64. Diodoros 19.106.2 (310 BC), Polybios 3.56.4 (218 BC).\n\n65. Griffith (1984), p. 232.\n\n66. Polybios 3.87.3, 114.1, Livy 22.46.4.\n\n67. Lazenby (1978), p.14, cf. Bagnall (1999), p.170.\n\n68. Plutarch _Marcellus_ 12.8. Of course Plutarch uses the term 'javelin' _(ak\u00f3ntion_ in his Greek), but probably said with _pilum_ in mind. Also, for 'Carthaginians' read 'Libyan spearmen', because in the same breath Plutarch talks of Iberians and Numidians deserting to Marcellus, and we know from the much more reliable Polybios that Libyans and Iberians made up the bulk of Hannibal's infantry force (e.g. 3.56.1).\n\n69. Daly (2002), p.90. However, here he does argue for the notion that Hannibal's Libyans took the full Roman panoply, _pilum_ as well as _gladius_. For the _gladius_ , etc. see Appendix 2.\n\n70. Frontinus _Strategemata_ 2.3.7.\n\n71. Envelop, from the French _envelopper_ , to wrap.\n\n72. For the British the most notable example of this phenomenon must be Kitchener's Armies, the mass citizen force of volunteers who answered his personal appeal for recruits, boldly transmitted by billboards that carried his glaring face, its unflinching gaze emphasising his battle cry, 'Your Country Needs You'. On the first bloody day of the Somme, which turned out to be the most disastrous day in British military history, they were fated to be cut down in swathes: more than 19,000 killed and 35,000 wounded.\n\n73. The mercenary (Latin: _mercenarius_ , 'hired, paid', from _merces_ , 'hire, pay, wages') is a professional soldier whose behaviour is dictated not by his membership of a socio-political community, but his desire for personal gain, viz. he owes no allegiance beyond the cash nexus. Here, the thorny questions of motive (money) and status (serving a foreign flag) are extraordinarily complex to decipher. Larousse, for instance, simply defines a mercenary as a _'soldat qui sert \u00e0 prix d' argent un gouvernement \u00e9tranger'_. Though much more verbose, even the official United Nations interpretation of a mercenary follows the neutral dictionary definition by classifying him as a person who 'is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar rank and functions in the armed forces of that part' (UN Mercenary Convention, Article 1.1.b). In brief, therefore, the mercenary is commonly defined by three basic qualities: being a specialist, being stateless, and getting paid. Here the etymology and use of the word 'soldier' is worth a thought. When _La Marseillaise_ speaks of _'ces f\u00e9roces soldats'_ (1.6), it must mean mercenaries taking the shilling of the various 'conspiratorial monarchies', as opposed to the citizens being called to arms: _'tout fran\u00e7ais est soldat'_ , the civic ideal of the French Revolution.\n\n74. Isokrates (436-338 BC), an Athenian orator and pamphleteer, was tireless in his vilification of mercenaries, 'the common enemies of all mankind' _(Pax_ 46) who are 'better off dead than alive' _(To Philip_ 55). In his day Isokrates was sleekiest sarcasm, but such sentiments about hired professionals are still voiced to this day. Take, for instance, the banner headline from the 7 December 1981 edition of _The Nation_ , the leading newspaper of the Seychelles, ran as follows: 'The only good mercenary is a dead mercenary. Let us make them all good ones'.\n\n75. For some two centuries or so the unwritten rule that forbids the deployment of mercenaries in a European theatre of operations has come to be thought of, without any real justification, as almost a moral law. In their colonial and post-colonial skirmishes the European powers used, and still use, mercenaries: the much feared Gurkha regiments still employed by Britain and currently fighting in Afghanistan, or the legendary _L\u00e9gion \u00e9trang\u00e8re_ still deployed by France in Chad. Incidentally we may remark that when quizzed why they swear allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen (Nepal, by the way, had its own monarchy until its abolition on 27 December 2007) Gurkhas will invariably reply in the following way: 'We have eaten your rations and taken your salt'.\n\n76. Polybios 11.13.\n\n77. _Mah\u00e2bh\u00e2rata_ 5.152.13-15.\n\n78. Megasthenes, _Indika_ fr. 35 ap. Aelian, _de natura animalium_ 13.10.\n\n79. Arrian, _Anabasis_ 3.8.6, 15.6 (Gaugamela), 5.15.5, Curtius 8.13.6 (the Hydaspes).\n\n80. Strabo 16.4.4, 7. Cut off from India by the Seleukid kingdom, the Ptolemies had to look closer to home for their pachyderms. According to the Adulis Inscription of Ptolemaios III Euergetes (r. 246-222 BC), originally set up in Adulis (Massawa, Ethiopia), elephants were hunted in the coastal belt of the Red Sea and in the interior of what is now the Sudan (Burstein 99). They were still to be found in those regions at the time of General Sir Robert Napier's punitive expedition to Magdala in 1868. Ironically, as they laboured across the plateau of Abyssinia, the British and Indian soldiers were aided by the 44 elephants shipped over with them from India.\n\n81. E.g. at Paraitakene (317 BC) Antigonos Monophthalmos fielded 65 elephants against the 114 of Eumenes of Kardia, whilst at Ipsos (301 BC) he and his son, Demetrios, had 75 against the reputed 400 mustered by the Ptolemaic-Seleukid coalition (Diodoros 19.27.1, 28.4, Plutarch, _Demetrios_ 28.3).\n\n82. Beyond our geographical limits, of course, the armies of the Mogul emperors of India continued to employ elephants in a big way. Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), for example, used at least 300 of them, their crews armed with bows as well as firearms. Indeed, it was _de rigeur_ for Mogul generals to be mounted on elephants; while largely for prestige reasons, this also made the general visible to his army, provided a good vantage point, and raised the great man above the vulgar brawl going on below. In the same period, war elephants were used by other Indian states, Muslim and Hindu alike, as well as in Burma, Siam, Cambodia and Java.\n\n83. Herodotos 4.191.\n\n84. Hasdrubal Gisgo was to obtain elephants from Mauretania in 205 BC (Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 9, cf. Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.7.18), and we last hear of them in that area when Caius Suetonius Paulinus, the future governor of Britannia and vanquisher of Boudica, campaigned there in AD 41 (Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 5.1.14). Its disappearance forms part of the Arab legend concerning Sidi Tayeb. This holy man was bitten by a deadly snake and, as he lay dying, called upon the animals in the name of Allah to leave the forested valley of Guir, which they did six days later: de Beer (1967), p.134.\n\n85. Polybios 5.84.2-7.\n\n86. Scullard (1974), p.240-5.\n\n87. In our Greek sources drivers are invariably referred to as _Ind\u00f3i_ , Indians (e.g. Polybios 1.40.15, 3.46.7, Diodoros 19.84.1).\n\n88. Polybios 11.1.3.\n\n89. Livy 27.49.1. Contemplating upon elephantine mayhem, Lucretius (c. 95-55 BC), a learned Epicurean, surmises that perhaps other wild animals were 'once enlisted in the service of war', with similar catastrophic results. The brute beasts, 'inflamed by the gory carnage of battle', must have slashed, snapped and stabbed their own masters with talons, teeth and tusks, 'just as in our own times war elephants sometimes stampede over their own associates' _(de rerum natura_ 5.1298-1349). In this philosophical poem, which ran to six books no less, Lucretius was aiming to convert his fellow Romans to the philosophy of peace of mind; he was not a major influence in his life time.\n\n90. Diodoros 16.80.2, 20.10.5.\n\n91. Polybios 1.19.9-10.\n\n92. Normally an elephant will walk at a speed of 6.4km\/h (4mph), while at full tilt it can reach a speed of some 40km\/h (25mph).\n\n93. Polybios 1.34.1-8, 39.11-12, 40.3-15, cf. 38.2.\n\n94. Livy 22.55.4-56.2, cf. Polybios 3.72.8, 74.7. According to Appian _(Hannibalica_ 1.4), Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees with 37 elephants, and Polybios (3.42.10) has the same number being rafted across the Rh\u00f4ne, but unfortunately no source records how many survived the crossing of the Alps, though clearly he had enough left to play a significant part at the Trebbia.\n\n95. Livy 30.33.4, 13-15, Polybios 15.12.1-4.\n\n96. Diodoros (23.21) claims that a total of 60 were killed or taken, whereas Zonaras (8.14) has 120 being rounded up, while the elder Pliny _(Historia Naturalis_ 8.16) gives the larger figures of 140 to 142.\n\n###### CHAPTER 3\n\n1. Though the Greeks with their 60 ships defeated the 120 of their enemies, their casualties were heavy: 40 vessels lost and the rest no longer battle worthy with their 'rams so badly bent as to render them unfit for service' (Herodotos 1.166.2).\n\n2. Polybios 3.22.3. The Polybian date of 508 BC is hotly disputed, some scholars placing the treaty in 348 BC (i.e. Polybios' second treaty).\n\n3. Ibid. 23.1.\n\n4. Ibid. 24. Livy (7.27.2) and Diodoros (16.69.1) both date this treaty to 348 BC, but regard it as the first one between the two states. This second treaty was perhaps renewed, or at least informally reaffirmed, in 343 BC, since Livy (7.38.2) has Carthaginian envoys congratulating the Romans on their recent victory over the Samnites and offering a gold crown to their chief god, Iuppiter Capitolinus.\n\n5. Polybios 3.25.2, cf. Livy, _Periochae_ 13. After discussing this treaty, Polybios (3.26) goes on to condemn the Sicilian-Greek historian Philinos for saying that there was also a treaty that obliged the Romans not to interfere anywhere in Sicily, and likewise the Carthaginians anywhere in Italy. This is often equated with the treaty mentioned by Livy under the year 306 BC, but all he actually says is that 'the treaty with Carthage was renewed for a third time' (9.43.26, cf. _Periochae_ 14). See Lazenby (1996), p.32-3.\n\n6. Justin, _Epitome_ 18.2, Valerius Maximus 3.7.10.\n\n7. Lazenby (1996), p.33.\n\n8. Thucydides 6.2.6\n\n9. Known to the Greeks as _Trinakria_ (lit. 'three-pointed'), one of the most dramatic phases of Sicily's multi-faceted history came in the eighth century BC with the arrival of the Greeks. Bronze Age evidence shows the earlier existence of trade routes with mainland Greece, and in 735 BC the first colony was established at Naxos (below modern Taormina) by Greeks keen to exploit the island's agricultural potential; the olive and the vine were introduced. Sicily's fertility ensured the successful growth of this and subsequent colonies, which, along with those of southern Italy, came to rival the city states of the Greek mainland. Syracuse (Siracusa), the greatest and wealthiest of Sicily's Greek city states, became a significant power in the Mediterranean, although Greek Sicily was riven by inter-state warfare (the phenomenon of tyranny was strong here) and a century of antagonism between Greeks and Carthaginians.\n\n10. Herodotos 7.167, cf. Diodoros 11.21-22. The Sicilian-Greek tradition that Gelon's victory took place on the same day as the sea battle of Salamis, as recorded here by Herodotos, thus places the victories of the Greeks over the 'barbarians' of the east (the Persians) and over those of the west (the Carthaginians) on the same level. As a final point here, we do not know the Punic name for Palermo, Panormus (signifying 'all port') being the name later given to it by the Greeks.\n\n11. In Herodotos' version, Hamilcar commits suicide by throwing himself on the funeral pyre of his dead soldiers, having ordered that his ships be burned, while Diodoros says (11.25-26 _passim)_ the survivors were used as slave-labour in a major building programme at Akragas, then ruled by Gelon's father-in-law and fellow tyrant, Theron.\n\n12. It is interesting to note that there was no Bronze Age in sub-Saharan Africa. Apart from some limited copper smelting in West Africa, the earliest evidence of metal working is in iron. Smelting furnaces in Rwanda excavated by archaeologists have been dated to 800 BC, well before such technology was established in the British Isles and only marginally later than Greece or Italy.\n\n13. Diodoros 13.85.1-91.1 (Akragas), 108.2-111.2 (Gela), 114.1-2 (peace treaty).\n\n14. The non-torsion catapult _(katapelt\u00e9s_ , 'shield-piercer') was first deployed in the form of a simple _gastraphetes_ , 'belly-shooter' (Diodoros 14.50.4, cf. 41.4). In essence an over-large crossbow, it acquired this seemingly homely and unthreatening name because a concavity at the rear of the wooden stock was placed against the stomach and the weight of the body was used to force back the bowstring to its maximum extension (Heron, _Belopoiika_ 81). The revolutionary development of this mechanical propulsive device, which essentially accumulated and stored human strength, would eventually threaten fortifications by the sheer amount of force it could produce. Along with warships, catapults would come to epitomize the acme of ancient military technology.\n\n15. It was probably during this war with Dionysios that the Carthaginians first became acquainted with the quinquereme. According to Diodoros (14.41.2) Dionysios' highly-paid military engineers built, along with the catapult, the first quinquereme. As for Motya, alas it never rose again. It was replaced by a new city, Lilybaeum, which was planted just to the south and across the water on the headland of present-day Capo Boeo, the western extremity of Sicily.\n\n16. Diodoros 14.45-64 _passim_ , 70-75 _passim_ , 77. To identify this 'plague' with precision, along with the one that devastated the Carthaginian army in 405 BC, is impossible. Diodoros (14.70.4-71) at least offers a grim and graphic description of the symptoms of the appalling epidemic.\n\n17. Justin, _Epitome_ 4.2.\n\n18. Diodoros 19.106-110 _passim_. To the unconstitutional or oppressive ruler the mercenary was especially profitable as the two fostered each other. It was mostly by the lavish use of mercenaries, for instance, that the Greek tyrants of Sicily held sway in their domains. Generally speaking, however, the early tyrants employed mercenaries as a personal bodyguard, while it was the later military tyrants who used them for territorial expansion, as well as for private protection. Nonetheless, despotism could only begin when a ruler was able to surround himself with a strong force of aggressive men whose desires and feelings were alien to those of the ruled. When the latter show signs of resistance, they are removed as a danger and, accordingly, a tyrant, says the ex-mercenary Xenophon, 'delights to make the mercenaries more formidable than the citizens, and these he employs as bodyguards' _(Hiero_ 5.3). A military tyrant, and Agathokles is a prime exemplar, found his natural support in foreign, hired soldiery. Agathokles had served a stormy apprenticeship in the twin arts of tyranny and war. In the course of his early struggles he was twice exiled from Syracuse, the first occasion serving as a soldier of fortune in the pay of Taras, and the second recruiting his own private army of fellow exiles and mercenaries with a more immediate view to returning home by force (Diodoros 19.4-9 _passim)_.\n\n19. Ibid. 20.3-18 _passim_.\n\n20. In 306 BC Agathokles assumed the title of king _(basile\u00fas_ in Greek), comparing his rule to that of the Hellenistic (non-royal) princes who, in those same years, bickered among themselves for the kingdoms born of the carving up of the empire of Alexander the Great. In the course of one life he had been a soldier, captain, tyrant, and finally king.\n\n21. In fact Pyrrhos was the last in a succession of soldiers of fortune invited by the Tarentines, intruders on Italian soil, to help them in their wars against the Italic peoples, whose history had taken them into mountainous regions of the peninsula instead of the plains, with consequent disadvantages and advantages to themselves. Agathokles, at the time banished from his native Syracuse, had served as a mercenary in Taras around 320 BC. By turning gold into iron Taras was hoping to contain and control the mounting pressure from a wide coalition of the indigenous populations, Lucanians, Bruttians and Messapians. Besides the larger-than-life Agathokles, these _condottieri_ included Archidamos, Kleonymos and Akrotatos, all Spartan princes of royal blood, and Alexander of Molossia who, like Pyrrhos, was a blood relation of Alexander the Great. See Fields (2008C), p.10-14.\n\n22. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 19.7.\n\n23. There is a painted plate from Capena, Campania, now in the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome, showing a war elephant and calf. Unmistakably an Indian elephant _(Elephas maximus)_ , and possibly one of those brought to Italy by Pyrrhos: Florus describes _(Epitome_ 1.13.12) how a cow-elephant, anxious for her offspring's safety, spread havoc among Pyrrhos' army. Some 3m high at the shoulders, this breed is large enough to carry a howdah, the Campanian plate showing a fine example complete with crenellations and containing two soldiers armed with javelins. These howdahs were wooden, that shown on the plate suggesting light slats over a heavier frame, and equipped with a large round shield hung outside (each side presumably) for additional protection. According to the great antiquarian Varro, 'the elephants with Pyrrhos shone _(relucebant)_ with gilt shields attached to the howdahs on their backs' _(de lingua Latina_ 7.40). Alternatively, the howdah was already in service in India. Megasthenes, who visited the court of Chandragupta shortly before 300 BC, describes the three-man fighting crew of a war elephant being carried 'either in what is called the tower, or on his bare back' _(Indika_ fr. 35 ap. Aelian, _de natura animalium_ 13.10).\n\n24. Florus, _Epitome_ 1.13.9. Not only were the legionaries unfamiliar with the tactics of the Macedonian phalanx, but they had never clapped eyes on war elephants before and with good soldierly humour, they called them _Luca bos_ , 'Lucanian oxen' (Naevius, _Bellum Punicum_ frs. 65-6 ap. Varro, _lingua Latina_ 7.39). See Scullard (1974), p.104-5.\n\n25. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 21.9, cf. Diodoros 22.6.3. The phrase 'Pyrrhic victory' is a much later development, appearing in English for the first time in an edition of _The Daily Telegraph_ dated 17 December 1885. See Graeme (2008), p.221.\n\n26. After separating from Pyrrhos, Lanassa went on to marry Demetrios, the son and successor of the great Antigonos Monophthalmos (d. 301 BC). Ever flamboyant and impetuous, Demetrios would earn for himself the grand appellation 'Taker of Cities', Poliorketes.\n\n27. After this victory, Malventum was happily renamed Beneventum.\n\n28. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 23.8.\n\n29. Florus, _Epitome_ 1.13.25-28.\n\n30. Ibid. 14.1.\n\n31. E.g. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 1, 7.12, Pausanias 1.11.1.\n\n32. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 24.8-12.\n\n33. Ibid. 8.1.\n\n34. Mentioned in passing by Plutarch (ibid. 21.8), Pyrrhos wrote his autobiography, of which a fragment survives _(FGrHist_ 229), drawing upon his own official archives.\n\n35. Juvenal, _Satires_ 10.158 Green.\n\n36. Livy 35.14.5-9.\n\n37. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 8.5. Antigonos II Gonatas (r. 276-239 BC) was the grandson of Antigonos Monophthalmos and the son of Demetrios Poliorketes.\n\n38. Justin, _Epitome_ 25.4.5.\n\n39. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 26.7, 9.\n\n40. For Pyrrhos' actions at Sparta and Argos, see ibid. 27-34 _passim_ , Pausanias 1.13.3-8, Justin,\n\n_Epitome_ 25.4.6-5.2.\n\n###### CHAPTER 4\n\n1. Polybios 1.7.1-5.\n\n2. Ibid. 7.6. As a subgroup of the Roman citizen body, 'citizens without the vote' _(cives sine suffragio)_ had the same rights and duties as those with full Roman citizenship apart from not being allowed to vote in Rome assemblies or hold Roman office. The Campanians themselves were descended from Oscan-speaking highlanders who, during the course of the fifth and fourth centuries BC, harried the rich coastal settlements of Campania, many of them founded by Greeks. In this way they seized Greek Cumae and Etruscan Capua, merging with the existing inhabitants of Campania to give rise to the Campanians (Latin: _Campani)_.\n\n3. Polybios 1.9.7-9, cf. Diodoros 22.13.6.\n\n4. Polybios 1.10.2.\n\n5. Ibid. 10.9.\n\n6. Livy, _Periochae_ 14, Cassius Dio fr. 43 Boissevain, Zonaras 8.6, Orosius 4.3.1-2, Ampelius 46.2, cf. Livy 21.10.8, where Hannibal's rival, Hanno 'the Great' (still alive), refers to the incident when attempting to dissuade the Carthaginian senate from going to war in 218 BC.\n\n7. Polybios 1.10.5-9, Cassius Dio 11.1-4, Zonaras 8.8. Polybios says (1.11.2) when the consuls came to persuade the people to vote for war, they used, in addition to this argument, the prospect of booty to be won. The actual profits in plunder from this war cannot be measured, but some idea of its scale can be inferred from the size of the enslavements made by the Romans: 25,000 at Akragas in 261 BC (Diodoros 23.9.1), 20,000 in Africa in 256 BC (Polybios 1.29.7), 13,000 at Panormus in 254 BC plus 14,000 who purchased their freedom at 2 _minae_ (=200 _denarii)_ each (Diodoros 23.18.3), nearly 10,000 at the Aegates Islands in 241 BC, just to mention the extreme cases.\n\n8. Polybios 1.63.4.\n\n9. Now known as the Isole Egadi (Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo), the Greeks called the three islands the Aegusae and the Romans the Aegates.\n\n10. Polybios 1.20.8.\n\n11. Ibid. 20.13-14. These borrowed ships were penteconters and triremes.\n\n12. Ibid. 11.9-12.3. Cassius Dio (11.11-15), Zonaras (8.9), and Orosius (4.7.2-3) all agree with Polybios, whereas Diodoros (23.3) has Hiero hotfooting it to Syracuse believing he had been  betrayed by the Carthaginians, and Appius Claudius suffering a heavy reverse at a place he calls 'Aigesta'.\n\n13. Polybios 1.17.4-6.\n\n14. Ibid. 20.1-2.\n\n15. Ibid. 20.7.\n\n16. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 16.192 (60 days), Polybios 1.20.15 (model).\n\n17. Frost (1973), p.229-30; (1974), p.35-54; (1982), p.42-50. Discovered by Honor Frost in 1971 off the Isola Longa in the shallow lagoon known as Lo Stagnone. The well-preserved stern was lifted from the seabed and the rest of the hull, 35m in length, was reconstructed in 1980. Manned by sixty-eight oarsmen, it is thought to have floundered on its maiden voyage sometime during the Third Punic War. The wreck is housed in the Museo Archeologico di Baglio Anselmi, Marsala.\n\n18. Odyssey 5.244-8, 361.\n\n19. In northern Europe, and here we just have to think of the Gokstad Ship, most wooden hulls have been made by a method called 'skeleton-first' or 'clinker-built'. The keel is first laid down, with a heavy, shaped beam ('keelson') on top of it, and the stem- and sternpost joined to it. Then vertical frames are attached at intervals, which determine the eventual shape of the hull. The outside shell of planks is then put on, starting with one either side of the keelson ('garboards'), each overlapping the one below by a small amount.\n\n20. Polybios 1.21.1-2. This land-based nautical training has its parallels in Polyainos 3.11.7, Ennius, _Annales_ frs. 227-31 Vahlen, Cassius Dio 48.51.5. As for the 300-strong crews for these ships, Polybios says (6.19.3) those Roman citizens who rated at less than 4,000 _asses_ (400 _drachmae_ in Polybios' Greek) worth of property (i.e. the _proletarii)_ were liable for service in the navy. It has been argued that this meant as marines: Thiel (1954), p.77-8, but a more straightforward interpretation of Polybios'words is that he meant service in the crews. Of course, additional crews could be supplied by the _socii navales_ , and we even hear of those fierce highlanders, the Samnites, being called up for a stint in the navy (Zonaras 8.11).\n\n21. Polybios 1.22.3-8\n\n22. Described in Latin as _manus ferreas_ (lit. 'iron hands'), which derives from the Greek word _h\u00e1rpagones_ meaning 'snatchers': Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 2.3.24, Florus, _Epitome_ 1.18.9, Zonaras 8.11, Anon. _de viribus illustribus_ 38.1.\n\n23. Wallinga 1956, cf. Thiel (1954), p.101-28. The real uncertainty with Polybios' description is whether the gangplank was hinged where it intersected with the pole. But Polybios does not mention hinges, which would have been a structural weakness anyway, and if it was so there would have been no point in having a groove when a simple round hole would have done. In constructing his working model, Wallinga faithfully followed Polybios.\n\n24. Polybios says 'with the loss of fifty ships' (1.23.10), which might be a case of round reckoning as the secondary sources give 31 captured and 13 crippled (Orosius 4.7.10), or 31 captured and 14 crippled (Eutropius 2.20), or 30 captured and 13 crippled (Anon. _de viribus illustribus_ 38).\n\n25. _CIL_ 12.2.25 (abridged).\n\n26. Polybios 1.23.4. The _columnarostrata was_ adorned with the beaks _(rostra)_ of captured Carthaginian ships and originally set up in the Forum. Ironically, the monument was destroyed by lightning during the interval between the Second and Third Punic wars. A new column was erected by Claudius and an inscription placed upon it. Some would argue that either the original column had no inscription at all, or else a short and simple one; some of the verb forms contained in it are too antique, while others are too modern, for the age in which it professes to have been written; curiously, the emperor was known as somewhat of an antiquarian. Also the inscription records, unlike the Polybian narrative, the land operation first and the sea battle second. Anyway, a portion of the _columna rostra_ is now in the Musei Capitolini, Palazzo di Conservatori, Rome.\n\n27. Though it is often claimed that Leyte Gulf (October 1944) deserves the title 'the largest naval engagement in history', fewer than 200,000 men took part (compared with over 285,000 at Cape Ecnomus), manning only 282 American, Japanese and Australian ships.\n\n28. Polybios 1.25.7, 9 (fleet sizes), 26.7 (marines), 28.14 (losses). The figures for the losses are repeated, with slight variations, in the secondary sources (Orosius 4.8.6, Eutropius 2.21.1, Anon. _de viribus illustribus_ 40.1).\n\n29. In Greek: _pr\u00f4ton strat\u00f3pedon_ , Polybios 1.30.11. We know for certain that by the time of the Second Punic War a standard consular army consisted of two Roman legions, plus two _alae_ from the Latin and Italian allies, the _socii_.\n\n30. Ibid. 29.\n\n31. Ibid. 31.4-6. The other sources, however, are unanimous that it was the Carthaginians who took the initiative (Diodoros 23.12, Livy, _Periochae_ 18, Eutropius 2.21.4, Orosius 4.9.1, Zonaras 8.13), with some saying Regulus' command was prolonged against his wishes (Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.3.3, Valerius Maximus 4.4.6). As Lazenby (1996), p.101 points out, unless he was terribly ill, it seems somewhat irregular for a Roman general to surrender his command willingly. To date Regulus' career had been a series of unbroken success, and surely he wanted to finish his current command with yet another. He had already served as consul back in 267 BC, when he defeated the Salentines and captured Brundisium (Florus, _Epitome_ 1.15).\n\n32. Polybios 1.32.1, cf. Diodoros 23.16.1.\n\n33. A much later story (Cicero, _de re publica_ 3.29, Livy, _Periochae_ 18, Horace, _Odes_ 3.5, Florus, _Epitome_ 1.18.23-26, Eutropius 2.25, Orosius 4.10.1, cf. Diodoros 23.16) tells how Regulus, having been captured in battle, was sent by his captors to Rome to negotiate, but instead of trying to persuade the Senate to accept the Carthaginian peace terms, he urged them to continue the struggle. True to the oath he had sworn, the honourable proconsul then returned to Carthage to face hideous torture and horrendous death. Since Polybios makes no mention of this incident, it appears to have been an attempt by the Romans to whitewash what in truth was a humiliating beating, and it seems Regulus was a victim of his own puffed-up ambition and not one of the greatest of generals.\n\n34. Polybios 1.37.2. According to Diodoros (28.18.1), Hiero of Syracuse looked after the survivors, providing them with food, clothing and other essentials, before assisting them on their way to Messana.\n\n35. It has been estimated that 100,000 souls may have been lost at sea, though Thiel (1954), p.235-6, without quoting any figures, implies that it could have been considerably less as the ships were undermanned. Whatever the true figures, and it is still hard to think of a greater maritime disaster, the Roman loses for the entire African _d\u00e9b\u00e2cle_ must have been horrendous.\n\n36. Polybios 1.38.6.\n\n37. Ibid. 38.7 (fleet), 9-10 (siege).\n\n38. Ibid. 39.1-7. Polybios does not give us a precise location, but Orosius says (4.9.11) the storm hit the fleet off Cape Palinurus (Capo Palinuro), in Lucania.\n\n39. According to Polybios (1.44.2) this relief force amounted to 10,000 men, while Diodoros (24.1.2, cf. Zonaras 8.15) reduces the number to 4,000 and has it under the command of a general named Adherbal. Probably, as Lazenby (1996), p.126 suggests, there were two relief expeditions, the first being commanded by Adherbal and the second by Hannibal, who was, as Polybios says, a 'most intimate friend of Adherbal' (1.44.1). As Polybios (1.46.1) has Adherbal stationed just up the coast in Drepana, all this hangs together nicely.\n\n40. The modern visitor to Marsala will find that the harbour lies to the south of the town, but the ancient one was to the north. It was here one encountered, as Virgil so elegantly writes, 'the dangerous shoals and hidden rocks of Lilybaeum' _(Aeneid_ 3.708 West).\n\n41. Polybios 1.46.4-47.10. Such nicknames were not uncommon among the Carthaginians, who, after all, were a cosmopolitan lot. Thus we hear later of Mago 'the Samnite' and Mago 'the Bruttian' from Polybios (9.25.4, 36.5.1). Lazenby (1996), p.129 suggests that Hannibal's moniker may have been given in recognition of superlative seamanlike skills, for the Rhodians at this time were regarded as being among the finest seafarers in the Mediterranean.\n\n42. Publius Claudius, the first to bear the cognomen 'Pulcher', meaning 'good looking', has not been kindly dealt with by history. Polybios himself says (1.52.2-3) the consul was held personally to blame for the disaster, while Diodoros (24.3) describes him as a man of choleric temperament and mental instability, who denounced his predecessors as drunken amateurs, and looked down on everyone with patrician disdain. Neither Polybios nor Diodoros, however, says anything about the infamous story concerning the sacred chickens. Apparently, when they refused to eat, Publius, with true Claudian arrogance, snapped 'Well, let them drink!' The unfortunate birds were tossed overboard, an act of gross impiety, and the battle fought and lost. (Cicero, _de natura deorum_ 2.7, _de divinatione_ 1.29.2, 20, 71, Livy, _Periochae_ 19, Valerius Maximus 1.4.3, 8.1.6, Suetonius, _Tiberius_ 2.2, Florus, _Epitome_ 1.18.29, Eutropius 2.26).\n\n43. Polybios 1.51.4-9.\n\n44. Ibid. 52.5-54.8.\n\n45. Orosius 4.4.9.\n\n46. Appian, _Iberica_ 4 (moniker), Diodoros 24.10, Polybios 1.73.1 (Hekatompylos). For Hanno's capture of Hekatompylos and the consequences, see Lancel (1995), p.259.\n\n47. Polybios 1.74.7.\n\n48. Ibid. 67.1, 72.3.\n\n49. Hanno, victor of Hekatompylos and unscrupulous rival of Hamilcar, is the sizeable antihero in Flaubert's exotic novel _Salammb\u00f4_ (1862).\n\n50. Polybios 1.56.3. Monte Castellaccio, some 10km northwest of Palermo, is an escarpment overhanging the coast with a flattop summit that is crowned by a kind of natural keep (cf. the Greek _heirkt\u00ea_ , a prison). Another possibility for Mount Heirkte is Monte Pecoraro, west of Monte Castellaccio, were traces of a camp, with pottery of the first half of the third century BC, have been found. Nearby, at Terrasina, was also found a merchantman with amphorae and two swords of Roman type, dated to the mid-third century BC. See especially, Giustolisi 1975.\n\n51. Polybios 1.56.10.\n\n52. Ibid. 58.1-2. Though the Romans had troops both on the summit at an ancient temple there, and at the foot of the hill facing towards Drepana, Hamilcar took the town in between the two. The temple was dedicated to the goddess the Romans knew as Venus Erycina, supposedly founded by her son, Aeneas (Virgil, _Aeneid_ 5.760-1). But the ritual prostitution practised there suggests a Punic origin, and the Carthaginians venerated the goddess as Astarte.\n\n53. Hamilcar's name was given to a Second World War British glider, appropriately first deployed during Operation Husky (10 July 1943), the Allied invasion of Sicily. Constructed of wood and metal, it was designed to carry heavy loads: 17-pounder anti-tank gun and tractor; 25-pounder field gun and tractor; a light tank; or two Bren carriers.\n\n54. Polybios 1.59.7-8.\n\n55. Ibid. 59.9-12.\n\n56. Ibid. 60.3.\n\n57. Ibid. 60.4-9.\n\n58. Ibid. 61.2. Polybios does not say how many Carthaginian warships there were, but Diodoros says (24.11.1) that there were 250, and there is no real reason to doubt him.\n\n59. Polybios 1.61.6.\n\n60. Diodoros 24.11.1.\n\n61. Zonaras 8.17 (Hanno), Polybios 1.62.3 (Hamilcar). Incidentally, Zonaras says in his account that just before the fleets engaged 'a meteor had appeared above the Romans, and after rising high on the left of the Carthaginians plunged into their ranks'.\n\n62. Polybios 1.63.1-3, cf. 62.8-9, Zonaras 8.17. The talent, a Greek monetary unit of international worth, was a fixed weight of silver equivalent to 60 _minae_ (Attic or Euboian _t\u00e2lanton_ = 26.2kg, Aiginetan _t\u00e1lanton_ = 43.6kg). The _mina_ was a unit of weight equivalent to 100 Attic _drachmae_ or 70 Aiginetan _drachmae_ , a Greek _drachma_ being more or less the same as a Roman _denarius_. Thus 3,200 Euboian talents were more than 80 tons of silver or 12 million _denarii_ , which was equivalent to the total annual expenditure of the Roman state.\n\n63. Polybios 1.63.6.\n\n64. Ibid. 32.2-9. Lazenby (1996), p.103 suggests that Xanthippos may have seen elephants in action when Pyrrhos invaded the Peloponnese and attacked Sparta (272 BC). It is, of course, possible.\n\n65. Polybios 1.33.1.\n\n66. Ibid. 30.15. See Lazenby (1996), p.104 for a discussion on the possible location of the battle.\n\n67. Polybios 1.33.9.\n\n68. See Fields (2007), p.44-5.\n\n69. Polybios 1.33.10.\n\n70. Ibid. 34.2-3.\n\n71. Ibid. 34.3-6.\n\n72. Ibid. 34.9-10.\n\n73. Ibid. 35.4. This was a line from Euripides' _Antiope_ , of which only fragments survive.\n\n74. Polybios (1.36.2-3) thought that Xanthippos sailed for Sparta soon after his victory rather than incur the jealousy that, as a foreigner, was likely to become his lot. But he adds that there was another story to be told, which he would 'endeavour to put forth on an occasion more suitable than the present' (1.36.4). The other story was presumably the rather dubious one told by many other sources; the Carthaginians had him drowned on his way home (Diodoros 23.16, Zonaras 8.13, Valerius Maximus 9.6.1, Silius Italicus, _Punica_ 6.682, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 4). On the other hand, Ptolemaios III is said (Hieronymus _in Daniel_ 11:7-9) to have appointed a Xanthippos as governor of a newly won territory, in 245 BC, and if this is our man, Polybios may have told the other story in a lost part of his work, in the context of something to do with Egypt, perhaps the events of the Third Syrian War (246-241 BC) when Ptolemaios invaded Anatolia hoping to secure the Seleukid throne for his nephew.\n\n###### CHAPTER 5\n\n1. The fact that most of the German army was allowed to march back across the Rhine without being disarmed gave rise to _Dolchsta\u00dflegende_ (lit. 'Dagger-stab-legend'). This was the social theory that attributed Germany's defeat in the Great War not to the Allies but to the German public's failure to respond to its patriotic calling at the most crucial of times, and to intentional sabotaging of the war effort, particularly by Jews, Socialists and Bolsheviks. The legend had been popularized almost five decades before in Wagner's _G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung_ where the invincible Teutonic dragon-slaying hero, Siegfried, is fatally stabbed in the back by Hagen, the sinister son of the arch-villain, Alberich. And that is the twist, of course, the hero cannot be overcome by fair means or external forces, but only by someone close to him resorting to treachery (e.g. Samson, Herakles, Agamemnon, Jesus). Wagner, like any good bard, had himself cherry-picked his plot device from the most famous of German medieval epics, the _Nibelungenlied_ , created circa 1200 by some anonymous Homer-like tale-teller from the many current Germanic and Norse tales; he thus manages to combine into a single complex of events the Ostrogoth Theodoric, king of Italy from AD 493 to 526, Attila the Hun, who invaded Italy in AD 452 and died the following year, twoscore years before the accession of Theodoric, and a certain Pilgrim, who was Bishop of Passow from AD 971 to 979.\n\n2. Polybios 1.66.1-6.\n\n3. Ibid. 67.4. Polybios describes the Greeks as 'half-breeds, mostly deserters and slaves' (1.67.7). Incidentally, he uses a rare term here, _mixh\u00e9llen\u00eas_ (lit. 'mix-Greeks').\n\n4. Ibid. 67.13.\n\n5. Ibid. 70.7, 9. Griffith (1984), p.219-20 moots the possibility that the Libyans to be counted amongst the mutineers were mercenaries as opposed to subject levies.\n\n6. In Greek: _aspondos pol\u00e9mos_ (lit. 'a war that admits no truce'), Polybios 1.65.6, 88.7.\n\n7. Ibid. 73.1. Polybios says (1.75.2) that when Hamilcar Barca was appointed to the command, the Carthaginian army was no stronger than 10,000, consisting of citizens, both horse and foot, and of the mercenaries they had recruited, and deserters from the enemy. There were also 70 elephants. Later, as Polybios also says (1.78.13), Hamilcar armed with weapons taken from the enemy those of the prisoners of war who volunteered - some 4,000 of them - to join his own army.\n\n8. Ibid. 79.\n\n9. Ibid. 3.28.2.\n\n10. Ibid. 1.88.7-12.\n\n11. Ibid. 69.4-5 (Spendios), 6 (Mathos), 77.1, 5, 80.5-7 (Autaritos). Frontinus makes a similar point with regards to Hannibal's army in Italy, which contained soldiers who had picked up the Latin tongue 'as a result of long experience in the war' _(Strategemata_ 3.2.3). On the other hand, interpreters certainly seem to have been part and parcel of a Carthaginian army, and there are occasional scattered references to them in our sources (e.g. Diodoros 23.16.1, Polybios 1.67.9, 3.44.5, 15.6.3, Livy 30.30.1, 33.12).\n\n12. Ibid. 69.6-7.\n\n13. Ibid. 1.70.8-9, 73.3.\n\n14. Ibid. 72.5-6.\n\n###### CHAPTER 6\n\n1. Ibid. 2.1.5-9, 13.1-7, 36.3, 3.10.5-6, 39.3-4.\n\n2. Nepos, _Hamilcar_ 4.1.\n\n3. Polybios 2.36.3, cf. 3.13.3. According to Diodoros, Hasdrubal too had been 'acclaimed as general by the army and by the Carthaginians alike' (25.12.1).\n\n4. Livy 24.41.7, Silius Italicus, _Punica_ 3.97-105. Silius names the bride as Imilce, a Punic name, and gives her a royal pedigree. Hannibal's brother-in-law, Hasdrubal the Splendid, after the death of his first wife, the second daughter of Hamilcar Barca, had married a local girl too.\n\n5. Polybios, in his detailed analysis of the root causes of the Second Punic War, identifies three salient reasons for the conflict: first, 'the wrath _(thymds)_ of Hamilcar, surnamed Barca, the father of Hannibal' (3.9.6); 'the second and greatest cause of the war', the 'bitterness' _(orge)_ of their fellow Carthaginians at Rome's villainous behaviour during the mutiny of mercenaries, the 'truceless war', which broke out after the end of the First Punic War (3.10.4); and third, the 'success' _(e\u00fcroia)_ of the activities of Hamilcar Barca and his successors in Iberia (3.10.6).\n\n6. Ibid. 11.7. Being Greek, of course, Polybios (3.11.5) has Hamilcar performing a sacrificial ceremony devoted to Zeus (Roman = Iuppiter).\n\n7. E.g. Livy 21.1.4-5, 5.1, Nepos, _Hannibal_ 2.3-6, Valerius Maximus 9.3.2. Though later, Livy (35.19) does supply the Polybian version of the boyhood oath, which does not, of course, automatically imply active enmity between Carthage and Rome.\n\n8. Virgil, _Aeneid_ 4.626-7 West.\n\n9. Polybios 2.13.7, cf. 3.30.3. Greek Iber, Latin Iberus, nowadays the Ebro.\n\n10. Ibid. 2.22.9-11.\n\n11. Ibid. 3.30.1, cf. Livy 21.2.7.\n\n12. In the territory controlled by Rome there were essentially two broad groups of people, Roman citizens and their allies, _socii_. Of the latter around one-quarter were 'Allies of the Latin Name' _(socii nominis Latini)_ , made up of a handful of old Latin states that had not been incorporated into the Roman state after the war with Rome (Latin War, 340-338 BC), and thirty Latin colonies planted at strategic points throughout Italy. All these communities enjoyed special rights, such as the rights of intermarriage and commerce with Roman citizens, and their citizens could even become Roman citizens by migrating to Rome. The other broad group was made up of the ordinary allies of Rome, what we call the Italians. Some of these had joined the Roman confederacy more or less voluntarily, others only after lengthy and often-bitter conflict. The main obligation of both Latins and Italians was to furnish Rome with troops.\n\n13. According to Livy (21.7.2) Saguntum was regarded as a Greek colony founded by citizens of Zakynthos (Zante), but this appears to be a fable born of the resemblance of the two place-names.\n\n14. Some 400km south from the mouth of the Iberus and sitting on a peninsula commanding one of the best harbours in the Mediterranean, New Carthage (presumably called _Qart-Hadasht_ by the Carthaginians like their home city) had recently been founded by Hasdrubal the Splendid to serve as a military and naval base. The Romans called it Carthago Nova (lit. 'New New-City'), whence our name, but Polybios says (2.13.1) it was either known as _Karched\u00f4n_ (i.e. Carthage) or _Kaine Polis_ (i.e. New City), and in fact uses both names himself (e.g. 3.13.7, 10.6.8). Another attraction of the site was the rich silver mines that lay in the immediate vicinity of the city. Polybios says (34.9.8-11) in his day 40,000 slaves were working there to the benefit of the Roman state, bringing in a revenue of 25,000 _drachmae_ per day, the Polybian _drachma_ being the equivalent of the _denarius_. By way of a comparison, we know from Polybios (6.39.12) that the Roman legionary received an allowance of 1 _denarius_ every three days (120 _denarii_ per annum), while his centurion received double this amount.\n\n15. Ibid. 3.14.10.\n\n16. Ibid. 21.1, 29.1-3, 30.3.\n\n17. Ibid. 6.2.\n\n18. See ch. 6 n.5 for his three 'greatest causes'.\n\n19. Polybios 3.33.1\n\n20. Ibid. 2.24.16.\n\n21. Ibid. 3.33.4, 41.2, Livy 21.17.3, 22.4, 49.2, 4.\n\n22. Polybios 3.40.2, 41.2, Livy 21.17.5, 8.\n\n23. As you can well imagine, the modern literature on this particular Hannibalic hot potato is voluminous, and the ink continues to flow from the pens of professional historians, amateur buffs, and erudite locals alike. Do look at, however, de Lavis-Traffort 1956, de Beer 1967, (1974), p.120-82, Procter 1971, Lazenby (1978), p.34-48. For what Polybios calls 'the ascent towards the Alps' (3.50.1, cf. 39.9) there are two main contenders for the honour of having been Hannibal's route from the basin of the Rh\u00f4ne to the watershed pass: by marching up the valley of the Is\u00e8re in the north he used an 'Is\u00e8re Pass', viz. Col du Petit St. Bernard (2,188m), Col du Mont-Cenis (2,083m), or Col de Clapier (2,482m); or by marching up the middle reaches of the valley of the Durance in the south he used a 'Durance Pass', viz. Col de Montgen\u00e8vre (1,854m), Col de la Traversette (2,947m), Col de Mary (2,654m), Col de Roure (2,829m), or Col de Larche, sometimes Col de l' Argenti\u00e8re (1,991m). As a point of interest, the Col du Mont-Cenis is the pass Napol\u00e9on thought Hannibal used, the Col de Montgen\u00e8vre is the pass Pompey used making his way to Iberia in 77 BC (Sallust, _Historiae_ 2.98) and Caesar used hotfooting it to Gaul in 58 BC (Caesar, _Bellum Gallicum_ 1.10.3-5), while the Col de l'Argenti\u00e8re is the pass Fran\u00e7ois I crossed, in June 1515, with horse, foot, artillery and baggage train en route to his bloody victory over the Swiss at Marignano (now known as Melignano), on the Milan-Lodi road. On 20 May 1800, the First Consul himself swept over the Alps into Italy, astride a mule, using the Col du Grand St. Bernard (2,469m).\n\n24. Polybios 3.70-74, Livy 21.54-56 (Trebbia), Polybios 3.82-84, Livy 22.4-6 (Trasimene), Polybios 3.111-117, Livy 22.46-49 (Cannae). The historic battlefield of Cannae was to be the scene of a number of battles: here in AD 861 the Lombards fought the Salernese, and a decade later the Arabs; in 1018 the Byzantines defeated the hopelessly outnumbered Lombard rebels and their Norman allies, who took their revenge under William de Hauteville, the Iron-Arm, some 23 years later; while in 1083 Robert de Hauteville, known to history as Guiscard, captured and destroyed the town of Cannae after it had rebelled against his rule.\n\n25. Euripides, _Supplicant Women_ 481-3.\n\n26. Capua had been founded about the late sixth century BC by the Etruscans just south of the Volturnus (Volturno), on the site of present-day Santa Maria di Capua Vetere, then a century later subdued by the Samnites of the highlands to its east, who turned it into a city to rival Rome. It came into Rome's orbit soon after the middle of the fourth century BC, during the upheavals of the Latin War. Since 334 BC every Capuan had enjoyed the right of full Roman citizenship, and, as well as its official language, Oscan, the city had preserved its municipal magistrates. Even if, on the right bank of the Volturnus, it had lost the _ager Falernus_ and its celebrated vineyards, annexed by Rome, the city soon became the western capital of copiousness and opulence through the industries of gladiators, prostitutes and perfumers. Before Capua's senate, according to Livy, Hannibal deliberately flattered its members by promising that the city would soon be 'the capital of Italy, whence Rome, like every other Italian community, would seek her laws' (23.10.2). During the winter following Cannae' Hannibal's soldiers took up quarters in Capua and, according to Livy (23.18.10-15), the Carthaginian army lost its body and soul in those steamy delights the city had to offer. Later the Roman historian would put into the mouth of Marcellus the famous, but false, adage, 'Capua was Hannibal's Cannae' (23.45.4).\n\n27. Tarentum was established in an exceptionally fine location, on a slender promontory stretching from east to west between an outer bay (mare Grande) and an inner lagoon (mare Piccolo). Between the western extremity and the mainland opposite was a channel, which overlooked by the citadel as it ran north into the lagoon. This magnificent body of water was some 26km in circumference and provided the best harbour in southern Italy. Tarentum was thus surrounded by water on three sides: the circular lagoon in the north, by the narrow sound in the west, and by the deep bay and open sea to the south. It was understandably small, covering an area of about 16ha.\n\n28. Livy 25.15.7, Appian, _Hannibalica_ 35.\n\n29. The elderly mastermind developed an array of formidable weapons, from catapults that hurled fireballs to gargantuan cranes that dropped heavy stones onto Roman ships or even lifted them bow first out of the water. Byzantine tradition (e.g. Zonaras 9.4) would later ascribe to Archimedes the installation of batteries of parabolic mirrors on the heights of Syracuse capable of frying the Roman ships below by focussing the sun's rays onto their rigging. Like burning paper with a magnifying glass, the intense heat of the concentrated rays caused the sails and ropes to catch fire instantaneously. The Roman fleet was reduced to ashes. Legend, perhaps, but one which the wizardry of the man who discovered spheroids, as well as the cone and Archimedes' screw pump, does not render totally improbable. He was, of course, destined to die amid the noise and fury created by the sacking of the city. Completely engrossed in the figures he had traced in the dust, Archimedes was cut down by a soldier who did not recognize the man (Livy 25.31.9).\n\n30. Livy 25.32-36 _passim_.\n\n31. Cicero, _pro Balbo_ 34.\n\n32. Livy 27.9.1-6, 10.3-4. According to Polybios (2.24.10) in 225 BC the Latins could furnish 80,000 foot and 5,000 horse. The twelve dissenters were Ardea, Nepete, Sutrium, Alba, Carseoli, Sora, Suessa, Circeii, Setia, Cales, Narnia, and Interamna. Apart from Carseoli, Suessa and Cales, the others were remote from the fighting. The eighteen loyalists, all remoter colonies and staunch in their support, were Signia, Norba, Saticula, Fregellae, Luceria, Venusia, Brundisium, Hadria, Firmum, Ariminum, Pontiae, Paestum, Cosa, Beneventum, Aesernia, Spoletium, Plancentia, and Cremona. One reason for this may be the fact that the manpower of the inner colonies was employed for overseas campaigns, which was one of their main complaints, whereas the manpower of the remoter colonies was retained to defend the colonies themselves.\n\n33. Polybios 11.1-3 _passim_ , Livy 27.47-49 _passim_.\n\n34. Polybios 10.37.5. According to Livy (27.36.2) and Appian _(Hannibalica_ 52), Hasdrubal followed his brother's footsteps over the Alps. However, nothing obliged Hasdrubal to make the detours that cost Hannibal and his army such suffering, and it is believed that he took the shorter Durance route and crossed via the Col de Montgen\u00e9vre, e.g. de Sanctis (1968), p.561. He reached Gallia Cisalpina in fine weather and with a much fitter army.\n\n35. Hannibal, on the other hand, invariably showed the utmost respect for the bodies of dead enemy commanders. For example, the bodies of Aemilius Paullus, Gracchus, and Marcellus were all recovered and cremated with due ceremony, the ashes of Marcellus being sent to Marcellus' son in a silver urn (Livy 22.52.6, 25.17.5, 27.28.2, Plutarch, _Marcellus_ 30.1-4, cf. Livy 22.7.5).\n\n36. Livy 27.51.12, Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 2.9.2, Zonaras 9.9.\n\n37. Ovid, _Fasti_ 6.770.\n\n38. Polybios 11.2.1.\n\n39. Horace, _Odes_ 4.4.41-44.\n\n40. Appian, _Hannibalica_ 59.\n\n41. Polybios 15.9-14 _passim_ , Livy 30.32-35 _passim_.\n\n42. Polybios 15.18.4-10, Livy 30.37.2-6, cf. 42.23.3, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 54. According to one secondary account (Cassius Dio 17 fr. 57.82 Boissevain), there was a clause in this treaty forbidding the recruiting in future of any mercenaries whatever (though this clause is not mentioned by either Polybios or Livy).\n\n43. Livy 35.14.5-8, cf. Plutarch, _Flamininus_ 21.4.\n\n44. Nepos, _Hannibal_ 13.3, cf. Cicero, _de oratore_ 2.18.75.\n\n45. Zonaras 8.21, Livy 21.4.3-5, 8, Nepos, _Hannibal_ 3.1, Appian, _Iberica_ 6.\n\n46. Polybios 1.64.6, Plutarch, _Cato major_ 8.14.\n\n47. Polybios 1.56.3.\n\n48. Florus, _Epitome_ 1.22.9.\n\n49. Polybios 3.71.6.\n\n50. Livy 22.5.5.\n\n51. Polybios 11.19.3, 5. During the time that Hannibal was in Italy, as far as we know, there were two occasions only when he lost men through desertion. The first occasion was in 215 BC when 272 Numidian and Iberian horsemen went over to the Romans three days after Hannibal suffered a reverse outside Nola (Livy 23.46.6). The second occasion was in 213 BC when 1,000 Iberians of the Carthaginian garrison deserted after the Romans recaptured Arpi in Apulia (ibid. 24.47.8-9). As Lazenby (1978), p.106 points out, these two desertions are a sign of the times, the virtual deadlock in Italy offering few chances of booty for Hannibal's men.\n\n52. du Picq (1946), p.165.\n\n53. In Latin: _O formosum spectaculum!:_ Seneca, _de ira_ 2.5.4.\n\n###### CHAPTER 7\n\n1. Polybios 1.37.7.\n\n2. Livy 23.25.7, 31.2-4, 24.18.9, 26.1.9-10, 28.10, 27.7.12-13, 22.9, 28.10.13, 29.13.6. We also know from Livy (22.50.3, 54.1, 4) that these survivors amounted to some 14,550 men.\n\n3. Ibid. 29.24.13, 14.\n\n4. Ibid. 25.1-4.\n\n5. Before he left, Hannibal put on record what he and his army had achieved since setting out from Iberia well-nigh sixteen years ago. The record, written in Punic and in Greek, the international language of Hannibal's day, and either in the form of an inscribed column or a bronze tablet (or both?), was set up at the temple of Hera Lacinia (Roman = Iuno Lacinia) on the cliff edge of the Lacinian promontory (Capo Colonne) 12km south of Kroton, his final headquarters. A generation later the inscription was seen and read by the Greek soldier-historian Polybios (3.56.4, cf. 2.24.17, 3.33.18, Livy 21.38.2, 28.46.16, 30.20.6), who took from it the figures for the strength of Hannibal's army when it first entered Italy - 20,000 foot (12,000 Libyans, 8,000 Iberian) and 6,000 horse. There is no mention of elephants, the thing Hannibal's march is remembered for today, but Appian says _(Hannibalica_ 1.4) that he set out with thirty-seven, and Polybios (3.42.10) has the same number being rafted across the Rh\u00f4ne, but unfortunately no source records how many survived the crossing of the Alps.\n\n6. Polybios 15.5.3, summarised by Livy 30.29.2.\n\n7. Scullard (1970), p.142-55, Walbank (1970), p.445-51, Lazenby (1978), p. 218, Lancel (1999), p.173-4, Hoyos (2008), p.107-8. The other locations bearing the name Zama are: one perhaps at Sidi Abd el Djedidi, some 45km northwest of Kairouan; one or possibly two more at Jama. Of course, it is important for us to remember that though Zama now gives its name to the battle, it was only an encampment on Hannibal's march. The mistake was Nepos', who said the subsequent battle was fought 'at Zama' _(apud Zamam, Hannibal_ 6.3). It is clear from Polybios' narrative that the battle was not fought there, but some distance away, and within 5km of Scipio's camp. Polybios locates this at a site he calls 'Margaron' (15.5.4) but Livy calls 'Naraggara' (30.29.9). The latter is thought to be near modern Sakhiet Sidi Youssef on the Tunisian-Algerian frontier. The most widely held view is that the actual battle was fought on a plain some 25km to southeast of Sakhiet Sidi Youssef and not far from the site of today's El Kef airport.\n\n8. Polybios 15.6.1-8.14, Livy 30.29.9-31.10, cf. Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 1.1.3, 6.2.1, 2.\n\n9. Polybios 15.9.2.\n\n10. Ibid. 3.6, 11.1, 14.9.\n\n11. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 41.\n\n12. Polybios 15.5.12, Livy 30.29.4.\n\n13. Polybios 15.11.1.\n\n14. Livy says the second line also included 'the one legion from Macedonia' (30.33.5), presumably the 4,000 men under the command of Sopater he mentions earlier (30.26.3), and whom he later alleges were rounded up by the Romans and clapped in irons (30.42.4-5). Frontinus also has 'Macedonians' _(Strategemata_ 2.3.16) deployed in the second line, but in view of Polybios' silence, we can dismiss them as their presence at Zama probably derives from Roman annalistic propaganda against Philip V of Macedon. The First Macedonian War between Rome and Hannibal's ally Philip had ended in 205 BC, but the Second War was due to commence two years after Zama and it appears that the annalists wished to show that Rome's hostile attitude to the king was justified. See especially, Lazenby (1978), p.222.\n\n15. Polybios 15.11.2.\n\n16. Livy 30.33.6, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 40.\n\n17. Polybios 15.11.7-9, 16.4. Frontinus, on the other hand, says these men were 'Italians, whose loyalty he [Hannibal] distrusted and whose indifference he feared, inasmuch as he had dragged most of them from Italy against their will' _(Strategemata_ 2.3.16). Frontinus, in all likelihood, has used Livy as his source here. Livy, believing Hannibal's third line was composed of unenthusiastic Italians, has him place them there 'since their doubtful loyalty might prove them either friend or foe' (30.35.9). It seems safest to follow Polybios' account.\n\n18. Polybios 15.11.1.\n\n19. As Polybios himself once explained, 'for the cavalry was the arm on which he [Hannibal] relied above all others' (3.101.8).\n\n20. Ibid 15.9.7-10.\n\n21. Ibid. 12.2-5.\n\n22. Livy 30.34.3, Polybios 15.13.1.\n\n23. Polybios 15.14.6.\n\n24. Ibid. 6.6, quoting _Iliad_ 4.300.\n\n25. Polybios 15.14.9, Livy 30.35.3, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 48.\n\n26. Polybios 15.16.2-4\n\n27. Ibid. 15.14.7. Here Polybios uses the term _daimon\u00edos_ (lit. 'marvellously [time]'), but Livy omits the qualifying adjective. Naturally, our Roman historian patriotically overlooks the extreme uncertainty of the final stages of the contest.\n\n28. Though Livy, our authority here, says he was unable 'to find out how it became current - through the army's devotion to their general, or from popular favour; or it may have started with the flattery of his close friends, in the way, in our fathers' time, Sulla was called 'Felix' and Pompey 'Magnus'. What is certain is that Scipio was the first general to be celebrated by the name of the people he conquered' (30.45.6-7). Seneca, however, states (de _brevitate vitae_ 13.5) that the consul Marcus Valerius Maximus, who captured Messana (263 BC), adopted the name 'Messana', which was afterwards changed to 'Messala'. As for Sulla and Pompey, the first solemnly adopted the name Felix, which his many flatterers had for some time applied to him, when he heard of the defeat of Marius minor at Sacriportus (82 BC), while the second, on returning to Italy after having defeated the Marians in Sicily and Africa (80 BC), was greeted by Sulla, perhaps half in jest, as Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus. The title stuck.\n\n29. Polybios 10.4.5, cf. Livy 25.2.6-8. However, Polybios was incorrect with the date of Scipio's aedileship, it being 213 BC not 217 BC as he implies.\n\n30. Polybios 10.3.3-7, Livy 21.46.7-8.\n\n31. Livy 22.52.4, 53.1, cf. Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.7.39, Valerius Maximus 5.6.7, Silius Italicus, _Punica_ 10.426-8.\n\n32. Livy 26.18.9.\n\n33. Ibid. 35.14.9, cf. Plutarch, _Flamininus_ 21.3-4.\n\n###### CHAPTER 8\n\n1. Polybios 1.1.5. It must be said, however, there was a great historian in Livy. With his flypaper mind, he had the right imagination that knew just how far it was safe to stray from the truth and just how far to colour it so as to change its shape for his own purposes.\n\n2. Ibid. 1.3.7, 15.9.2-4, cf. 5.104.4-10.\n\n3. E.g. Cicero, _de finnibus_ 4.9.22, _Philippics_ 1.5.11, Juvenal, _Satires_ 6.290, cf. 10.156.\n\n4. Livy 22.51.5,6. Three centuries later Juvenal _(Satires_ 7.160-4) would write satirically of schoolboys doomed to discuss as rhetorical exercises whether Hannibal ought to have followed his victory at Cannae by a march on Rome. Hoyos, intriguingly perhaps, floats the suggestion that the Maharbal story does not belong to the aftermath of Cannae, it having been displaced from Trasimene, 'a battlefield 85 miles, four days' march, from Rome, not 300 miles like Cannae' (2008), p.53, cf. 60.\n\n5. The so-called Servian wall, which actually belongs to the period immediately after the occupation of Rome by the Gaul Brennos (390 BC), ran for some 11km and enclosed an area of roughly 426ha. See Fields (2008A), p.6-11.\n\n6. Livy 22.57.7-8.\n\n7. Cf. Demosthenes, _On the Crown_ 246-7.\n\n8. Cf. Livy 26.7-8, 11 _passim_ , Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 3.18.2-3, Valerius Maximus 3.7.10.\n\n9. Livy 23.15.1-6, Cassius Dio 15.37.30, 34, Zonaras 9.2.\n\n10. Cf. Livy 29.6, the siege of Locri.\n\n11. Polybios 3.96.9.\n\n12. Livy 23.13.7, 41.10, 43.6.\n\n13. Polybios 3.107.9, cf. Livy 22.36.2-4. See Fields (2007), p.65.\n\n14. Brunt (1971), p.419-22.\n\n15. Plutarch _Pyrrhos_ 19.7.\n\n16. Livy 22.49.15. As for the size of the Roman army at Cannae, Livy (22.36.2-4) reports that it was made up of 8 beefed-up legions, each of 5,000 foot and 300 horse (instead of 4,000 and 200 respectively), supported by an equal number of Latin-Italian _alae_ , each of 5,000 foot and 600 horse. Thus, by Livy's reckoning, there would have been 80,000 foot and 7,200 horse. According to Polybios (3.113.5, 117.8), there were 80,000 foot, 10,000 of whom served as the garrison of the main camp, perhaps one legion and its corresponding allied _ala_ , and over 6,000 horse. Like Livy, Polybios says (3.107.9-15, cf. 6.20.6-7) the army was organised into 8 legions and 8 _alae_ , each of 5,000 foot supported by 300 and 900 horse respectively. Appian _(Hannibalica_ 17) and Plutarch _(Fabius Maximus_ 14.2) support these figures, the former claiming there were 70,000 foot and 6,000 horse excluding camp garrisons, while the latter notes that the combined force amounted to 88,000 men. These estimates are generally favoured by Walbank (1957), p.439-40, Lazenby (1978), p.75-6, 79-80, Goldsworthy (2001), p.95-6, Daley (2002), p.25-9, but are disputed by de Sanctis (1968), p.131-5, Brunt (1971), p.419 n.2, 672.\n\n17. Polybios 2.24.16-17, cf. 3.33.17-18, 56.4.\n\n18. Livy 22.58, cf. 26.11.\n\n19. In Latin: _Qui vincit non est victor nisi victur fatetur_ , Ennius, _Annales_ fr. 493 Vahlen.\n\n20. Livy 22.49.16, 23.12.1-2. Later, in a dramatic scene, Hannibal's brother, Mago, was to pour out on the floor of the Carthaginian senate house these aureate bands, 'and that long war, whose spoil was heaped so high with rings of gold, as Livy tells, who errs not' (Dante, _Inferno_ 28.10 Sayers).\n\n21. Polybios 18.28.7.\n\n22. Brunt (1971), p.28.\n\n23. Polybios 3.77.3-7, 85.1-4, cf. Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.7.25.\n\n24. In Latin: _de dignitate atque imperio_ , Livy 22.58.1-2, 3. Compare here the Roman anecdote, as related by Valerius Maximus, in which Hamilcar Barca, watching his three sons playing, exclaimed: 'These are the lion cubs I am rearing for the destruction of Rome!' (9.3.2).\n\n25. Polybios 7.9.12-15. The text of the treaty as reproduced by Polybios is a Greek translation, made in Hannibal's chancellery, of the Punic original; it contains turns of phrases that jar with Polybios' customary Greek, and was probably captured by the Romans from Philip's chief envoy Xenophanes. The version of the treaty given by Livy (23.33.11) in a not very credible r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is distorted and misleading.\n\n###### CHAPTER 9\n\n1. Livy 32.2.1.\n\n2. Ibid. 33.46.1-47.2.\n\n3. Ibid. 36.4.7. According to Aurelius Victor, a fourth century AD writer from Roman Africa, Hannibal had even turned his soldiers to agriculture. He writes Hannibal 'replanted much of Africa with olive trees, using his soldiers, whose idleness he considered problematic for Carthage and its leaders' _(Liber de Caesaribus_ 37.3).\n\n4. According to Livy (37.1.7-10, cf. Cicero, _Philippics_ 11.17), a public announcement by Scipio Africanus that he was going to serve as his brother's legate secured the Asian command for Lucius Cornelius Scipio _(cos_. 190 BC), particularly as it was widely known in Rome that Hannibal was in Antiochos' court. This highly organized man, of rare precocity, comes over as an all-time manipulator of public opinion. In fact the old adversaries did not encounter each other again in battle, nor was Scipio Africanus present at Magnesia. See Scullard (1970), p.210-44.\n\n5. Livy 33.47.4. Here Livy summarizes the speech delivered in the Senate by Scipio Africanus and here apparently follows Polybios, whose text is unfortunately missing for the years 196-192 BC.\n\n6. Nepos, _Hannibal_ 7.6-7, Livy 33.45.6-7, 47.3-49.8.\n\n7. According to Cicero, when in Ephesos Hannibal was once invited to attend a lecture by one Phormio, and after being treated to a lengthy discourse on the art of generalship, was asked by his friends what he thought of it. 'I have seen many old drivellers', he replied, 'on more than one occasion, but I have seen no one who drivelled more than Phormio' (de _oratore_ 2.18.75). Of course the story may be apocryphal, but it should certainly cause those of us who pose as experts in matters military to pause for thought. As Polybios (12.25e.1-25h.6) himself explained, the good historian, above all, must have personal experience of political life (which in his day included warfare).\n\n8. Livy 34.60.3-6, cf. Appian, _Syrica_ 7, Justin, _Epitome_ 31.3.7-10.\n\n9. Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 1.8.7, cf. Livy 35.14.1-2, Nepos, _Hannibal 2.2_.\n\n10. There is another tradition, not recorded by Nepos in his mini-biography of Hannibal; that the footloose military genius went to the newly independent kingdom of Armenia before going on to Crete. Here, according to both Strabo (11.14.6) and Plutarch _(Lucullus_ 31.4-5) the satrap-turned-king, Artaxias, having no military tasks for Hannibal, had him survey a site for his new capital on the River Araxes, the soon-to-be Artaxata (present-day Artashat, 32km of Yerevan).\n\n11. Nepos, _Hannibal_ 9.\n\n12. Cf. Nepos, _Hannibal_ 10-11 _passim_ , Justin, _Epitome_ 32.4. Frontinus _(Strategemata_ 4.7.10) has Hannibal suggesting this diabolical stratagem to Antiochos. Please yourself.\n\n13. Plutarch, _Flamininus_ 21.1.\n\n14. Livy 39.51.9, cf. Plutarch, _Flamininus_ 20.5, Nepos, _Hannibal_ 12.\n\n###### CHAPTER 10\n\n1. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 5.4-5.\n\n2. Livy, _Periochae_ 47, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 69, Plutarch, _Cato major_ 27.2. Whatever the subject, be that the grain supply, or the coinage, or citizenship, Cato always managed to relate it to Carthage and end his speech with the same idiomatic expression (in indirect speech of course): _'Censeo etiam delendam esse Carthaginem'_ ; 'It is my firm opinion that Carthage must be destroyed', though we have the habit of writing this Catonian phrase as _delenda Carthago_. Marcus Porcius Cato (237-149 BC) is known also as the Orator, the Censor, Cato major, or the Elder, to distinguish him from his great-grandson Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (aka Cato minor, or the Younger), the steadfast, stoic opponent of Caesar.\n\n3. Entering upon his military service at the age of 17, Cato served with distinction in the Second Punic War, and devoted the following 26 years of his life to military affairs. In 204 BC, despite his opposition to the African adventure, he served as quaestor in Sicily and Africa under Publius Cornelius Scipio, and as praetor, in 198 BC, he governed Sardinia. As a military tribune he was to see action against Antiochos III at Thermopylae in 191 BC, even though the tribunate was on the bottom rung of the _cursus honorum_ , it was a prestigious post that was indeed sometimes filled by established senators like Cato here. In the field of literary composition Cato was prolific. This output not only included his well-known agricultural manual, but also an account on the Second Punic War, in which he apparently sung the praises of a certain Surus, 'the Syrian', bravest elephant of the Carthaginian army who had lost a tusk, presumably in combat (Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 8.5.11). It is almost certain that Surus was an Indian elephant, and very possible that he came to Carthage from Syria via Egypt. Hannibal's elephants, therefore, included at least one Indian. Moreover, after the Trebbia, the weather was so inclement that all his elephants died except one, on which Hannibal rode when he led his army across the floodwaters of the upper Arno (Polybios 3.74.11, 79.12, Livy 21.58.11, 22.2.2, Zonaras 8.24). Was this sole survivor Surus, the bravest of the brave? Later it seems the Romans captured Surus, who set him out to pasture on an estate near Rome. He was famous in his day and his name was the source of puns by Ennius in _Annales_ (fr. 234 Vahlen, with _surus_ 'stake', since he had but one tusk) and Plautus in _Pseudolus_ (1215, 1218, with _Surus_ 'Syrian' and _sura_ 'ankle'). See especially, Scullard (1974), p.174-7.\n\n4. Plutarch, _Cato major_ 27.1, cf. Florus, _Epitome_ 1.31.5.\n\n5. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 69, cf. Augustine, _City of God_ 1.30.\n\n6. Cf. Cicero, who would write Scipio Aemilianus 'overthrew two cities, both extremely hostile to this empire, and thus extinguished not only present but also future wars' _(de amicitia_ 3). The two cities, of course, were Carthage and Numantia.\n\n7. Polybios 36.2.1.\n\n8. Ibid. 38.21.1.\n\n9. The first two provinces were prizes of the First Punic War, Sicily and Sardinia-with-Corsica, Citerior Iberia and Ulterior Iberia of the Second, and Africa (meaning the bit we know as Tunisia) of the Third. Eastward expansion began with Macedonia, taken over the year before Carthage fell. The province of Africa, as we shall discover, would serve as the base of operations in the war with Iugurtha.\n\n10. Polybios 36.6.7, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 80.\n\n11. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 97-8.\n\n12. Cicero, _de re publica_ 6.9.\n\n13. Of this turncoat, Polybios has kind words, saying 'the Carthaginian general was in the prime of life, of great valour, and what is most important in a soldier, a good and bold rider' (36.8.1).\n\n14. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 112.\n\n15. Ibid. 121. Lacking Iberian broom for making cordage, the admirals of the fleet, or so says Frontinus _(Strategemata_ 1.7.3), employed the hair of their women as a substitute. Having earlier furnished the springs for the city's catapult, we might wonder how much hair the poor ladies of Carthage had left to give.\n\n16. Excavations in this area have revealed such large apartment buildings, many with central courtyards, built on a regular grid pattern of streets in the Hellenistic manner. Finds of human bones amongst the ruins of this area suggest that Appian's lurid account of the street fighting is not all that farfetched. For the archaeology of this area see Lancel (1995), p.156-72, 425-6.\n\n17. Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 128.\n\n18. For the Third Punic War we have to almost totally rely on Appian's account, supported by the few snippets of Polybios.\n\n19. Eshmun is portrayed in our Graeco-Roman sources, all of which identify him with the healing divinity Asklepios, as a god who dies and then returns to life: e.g. Pausanias (7.23.6), who quotes a Sidonian source, describes the Phoenician Asklepios as the son of a sun god and an immortal woman and has a specific health-giving nature.\n\n20. Polybios (38.7.1-8.15) offers us an unflattering sketch of Hasdrubal, whom he considered a poltroon.\n\n21. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_. The archaeologists discovered 'little plaques' of bitumen in the thick layer of ashes covering Punic Carthage.\n\n22. Polybios was concerned above all with the aetiology of events, making careful distinction between true causality _(ait\u00eda)_ , pretexts _(prosphaseis)_ , and beginnings _(archai)_. In 3.6, for the benefit of his readership, he dwells upon this subject at some length.\n\n23. Plutarch, _Philopoimen_ 21.5. As the leading soldier and statesman of the Achaian League, which include Achaia proper and much of Polybios' mountainous homeland of Arcadia, along with the city states of Corinth, Argos and Sikyon, Philopoimen saw fit to transform the cavalry of the coalition forces from a worthless body into an impressive fighting arm (ibid. 7.2-5). The corps was clearly blue-blooded and better-off as Plutarch describes its members as 'the most esteemed of citizens' (ibid. 18.4). It was probably with this corps that Polybios earned his spurs.\n\n24. Polybios 31.23.4.\n\n25. Thus Scipio Aemilianus was not a Cornelii by blood but by adoption. Born in 184 BC (or 185 BC), he was the second son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus (viz. minor), the victor of Pydna. When his father remarried, the two sons by his first marriage had been given away in adoption to the Fabii (Fabius Maximus Aemilianus) and the Scipiones (Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus). Such adoptions were not uncommon among the Roman nobility.\n\n26. Polybios 3.48.12.\n\n27. According to Cicero _(Epistulae ad familiares_ 5.12.2) Polybios wrote a monograph on the Numantine War.\n\n28. Polybios 1.19.14-15, Diodoros 23.9.1. According to Tacitus, the Roman custom was that 'when a city was stormed, its booty fell to the troops; when surrendered, to the commanders' _(Historiae_ 3.19.2, cf. Caesar _Bellum civile_ 1.21.2).\n\n29. Polybios 10.15.5-6.\n\n30. Ibid. 1.14.3-4. Philinos was probably contemporary with the first war: indeed, Polybios' account of the siege of Lilybaeum is so graphic (1.41.4-48.11) that it is thought to be based on an eyewitness account by Philinos, while Fabius Pictor was a contemporary of the second.\n\n31. Polybios 1.27.7-11, 20.12, 6.52.1.\n\n32. Ibid. 9.22.8-10, 24-26 _passim_.\n\n33. Ibid. 24.5-8.\n\n34. Livy 21.4.\n\n35. E.g. Polybios 3.26.1-2 (treaties preserved on bronze tablets in Rome), 12.4c.4-5 (importance of personal investigation).\n\n36. Ibid. 1.6.3.\n\n37. Ibid. 6.6.\n\n38. A Greek of this period referred to himself as a _Hellene_. The Romans, intolerant at the best of times, did not extend that simple courtesy. Instead, a Roman would call a Greek a _Graecus_ (whence our modern term), which was known to be belittling. Far more belittling was _Graeculus_ , 'Greekling' (a Carthaginian likewise could be branded a _Poenulus)_.\n\n39. Pausanias 8.37.2.\n\n40. Pseudo-Lucian, _Macrobioi_ 23.\n\n###### CHAPTER 11\n\n1. In its literal sense _l-Maghrib_ means 'the west', viz. the lands to the west of _Misr_ , Egypt. During the first half of the second millennium AD Arab armies gradually drove the Berbers from the fertile lowlands to the rugged mountain valleys and desert regions where they live today, scattered across North Africa in isolated groups from Siwa Oasis, close to the Egyptian-Libyan border, to the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, some 3,000km to the west. It must be said that modern Berbers are a very diverse group of peoples whose main connections are linguistic. See Brett-Fentress (1996), p.3-4, 81-7.\n\n2. Polybios 1.78.1-11. This unnamed daughter of our historical sources is indebted to Flaubert for having come down the centuries under the esteemed adopted name of Salammb\u00f4, springing fully ornamented from the novelist's head.\n\n3. Gsell (1928), p.362, Brett-Fentress (1996), p.24-5, Lancel (1998), p.158-9. Also, Law (1978), p.176-7 notes that the Graeco-Roman sources refer to Numidian leaders as 'king' (Greek _basile\u00fas_ , Latin rex) or 'prince' (Greek _dun\u00e1stes_ Latin _dynastes)_ , in an effort to render the indigenous title gld.\n\n4. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 5.1.\n\n5. Livy 29.32-33 _passim_.\n\n6. Ibid. 28.35.\n\n7. Ibid. 27.4.5-9. A Roman pound, _libra_ , equates to 323 grams or thereabouts.\n\n8. More correctly Sophoniba, but she is better known as Sophonisba, a form found in fifteenth century MSS and early printed editions. The name is not uncommon in Punic inscriptions where it appears as the equivalent of _Safonbaal_ (= 'she whom Baal has protected'). After praising her beauty and musical and literary gifts, Cassius Dio adds that 'she was so charming that the mere sight of her or even the sound of her voice sufficed to vanquish every one, even the most indifferent' (34 fr. 61). Such a lulu sounds as unquestionably irresistible as that _femme fatale sans pareil_ , Helen of Troy, whose dreadful beauty and adulterous flight with Paris started the Trojan War.\n\n9. Livy 29.23.\n\n10. It is around this time, according to Livy (30.21.3), that Carthaginian recruiting officers, loaded with money, were arrested in Saguntum.\n\n11. Ibid. 29.23.4. Diodoros (27.7) believed that Hasdrubal, before he gave preference to the marriage with Syphax, had first promised his daughter to Masinissa, although he had never seen her. This version, of which Livy is ignorant, is questioned by some.\n\n12. Caesar, _Bellum civile_ 2.24.\n\n13. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 18.7 _(mapalia)_.\n\n14. Polybios 14.4-5 _passim_ , Livy 30.5-6 _passim_ , Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 2.5.29. Polybios (14.5.15) does not hesitate to say that, of all the acts of war undertaken by Scipio, this was the finest and most daring.\n\n15. This has been tentatively identified as the plain of Souk el Kremis, near Bou Salem and beside the upper reaches of the Oued Medjerda (the ancient Bagradas) about 110km southwest of what was once the city of Utica.\n\n16. The tribal chief Tychaios, a kinsman of the fallen Syphax, would rally to Hannibal with 2,000 horsemen, reputed to be the best in Africa (Polybios 15.3.5-7, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 33), while Masinissa rode into the Roman camp with double that number (Polybios 15.5.12, Livy 30.29.4).\n\n17. Livy's narrative concerning the Great Plains and its immediate aftermath derives from Polybios, but then the surviving manuscript breaks off. Modern commentators are divided on the question whether the romantic episode of Sophonisba's marriage and death (Livy 30.12.11-15.10) is also Polybian or from the later annalists such as Claudius Quadrigarius, Valerius Antias or Quintus Fabius Pictor. Plays have been written on her tragic story by Trissino (1515), John Marston (1606), Nathaniel Lee (1676), Pierre Corneille (1663), and James Thomson (1730). Of the latter playwright, one line at least of his play survives: 'Oh! Sophonisba! Sophonisba! Oh!' A wall painting at Pompeii probably depicts her death, and much later she would become the heroine of so many paintings of the European classical age.\n\n18. _Amore captivae victor captus_ , as Livy (30.12.18) charmingly puts it.\n\n19. On receiving the cup, according to Livy, she said, 'I accept this bridal gift - a gift not unwelcome if my husband has been unable to offer a greater one to his wife. But tell him this: that I should have died a better death had not my marriage bed stood so near my grave' (30.15.7). Like Cleopatra after her, Sophonisba preferred death to being taken to Rome where she would be forced to walk in Scipio's triumphal parade. Doubtless the fall of the Queen of the Nile, which had occurred in Livy's lifetime, was vivid in his memory as he composed this account of Sophonisba. As a complete contrast, we can mention the example of Septimia Zenobia, the fallen queen of conquered Palmyra, who lived to walk in Aurelian's triumph (autumn AD 274) and ended her life as a very fashionable Roman hostess with a pension and a villa _(SHA_ Aurelian 30.27).\n\n20. Or so believed Livy, though he does report that 'Polybios, an authority by no means to be despised, relates that Syphax was led in the triumph' (30.45.5, cf. Polybios 16.23.6, Tacitus, _Annales_ 12.38). This is Livy's sole reference to his great Greek predecessor, and his cavalier acknowledgment of his great debt to him is somewhat shabby to say the very least.\n\n21. Strabo 17.3.15 (agriculture). It is interesting to note that these Numidian coins usually show (obverse) Syphax and Masinissa (bearded profiles) wearing a diadem, the Hellenistic symbol of kingship, tied round the head, and (reverse) a cantering Numidian horse or horseman.\n\n22. Polybios 14.7.9.\n\n23. Ibid. 8.11.\n\n24. Ibid. 8.13.\n\n###### CHAPTER 12\n\n1. The chief missile of all North African peoples was unquestionably the broad-bladed javelin rather than the bow, although the Numidian contingent sent to support the Romans during their siege of Numantia (134-133 BC) included a dozen elephants (African forest) 'and a body of archers and slingers who usually accompanied them in war' (Appian, _Iberica_ 16.89). According to Caesar _(Bellum Gallicum_ 2.7, 10), Numidian archers and slingers served under him in Gaul. However, though he employed archers in his tactical armoury, he rarely used them in large numbers. In Africa, at Ruspina, he mustered just 150 bowmen alongside 30 cohorts of legionaries (Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 12). Some weeks later, at the Cercina islands, he received reinforcements from Italy, which included two more legions, 800 Gallic horsemen and 1,000 slingers and archers (ibid.34).\n\n2. A second-century BC prince's tomb at Es Soum\u00e2a near El Khroub, Algeria, contained, along with some iron javelin heads and pointed iron butt-spikes, a sword with a blade approximately 60cm long: Connolly (1998), p.150. According to Feug\u00e9re (1993), p.79-81 the sword was originally 70.5cm long (now actually 67cm) and should perhaps be included among the group of known Roman republican swords, viz. the classic legionary sword, _gladius Hispaniensis_. Perhaps it was taken in battle, thus providing its new owner with a trophy of war. The tomb, which also contained an iron conical helmet, with ears embossed at the sides, and an iron mail shirt, dates from between 130-110 BC, close to the time of Iugurtha and Marius.\n\n3. Livy 35.11.7, Polybios 3.71.11, Herodotos 4.175, Strabo 17.3.7.\n\n4. Spring (1993), p.30, 43.\n\n5. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 80.2 (training discipline), 38.6, Appian, _Numidica_ fr. 3 (Thracians, Ligurians), Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 56.2, cf. 38.6, 62.6 (deserters).\n\n6. Livy 21.46.5, 35.11.7, Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 48.1, 61.1, Silius Italicus, _Punica_ 1.215-19, Lucan, _Pharsalia_ 4.685.\n\n7. Polybios 3.71.10, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 2.11, 10.71.\n\n8. Polybios 1.47.7, cf. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 54.4, 74.3, Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 2.1.13.\n\n9. Livy 25.41.4, 28.44.5, 29.23.4, 30.12.18.\n\n10. Aelian, _de natura animalium_ 3.2.\n\n11. For a description of the small Barbary horse common in North Africa before the arrival of the Muslim Arabs and their horses, see Hyland (1990), p.12.\n\n12. Livy 35.11.7. Note here too an appliqu\u00e9 terracotta plaque of south Italian origin, circa mid-third century BC, depicting a Numidian horseman (Paris, mus\u00e9e du Louvre, inv. 5223), and a series of pre-Roman stelae from Algeria showing bearded men on horseback armed with two or three javelins and a small, round, boss-less shield _(Encyclop\u00e9die Berb\u00e8re_ 1: sv 'Abizar').\n\n13. Strabo 17.3.7, _CIL_ 4.10047, 10053.\n\n14. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 75.3. Use of a pack train was the most mobile logistical method, but it was still slow and unwieldy. It was also of limited duration, a pack mule would eat all the grain it could carry in around twenty days.\n\n15. Xenophon, _Hipparchikos_ 1.3.\n\n16. Ewer (1982), p.118.\n\n17. Hyland (1990), p.40.\n\n18. Dixon-Southern (1992), p.209.\n\n19. _P. Amh_. 107.\n\n20. Davies (1989), p.187.\n\n21. Varro, _On Agriculture_ 1.31.4-5, Columella, _On Agriculture_ 2.10.31, Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 18.142.\n\n22. Polybios 6.39.13 with Hyland (1990): 90, cf. Roth (1999), p.64.\n\n23. E.g. Suetonius, _Divus Augustus_ 24.2, Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.1.37, Plutarch, _Antony_ 39.7, Vegetius 1.13.\n\n24. Fink 1, 2 (Doura-Europos), 70, 80 (Egypt).\n\n25. Strabo 11.13.7.\n\n26. Hyland (1990), p.41.\n\n27. Columella, _On Agriculture_ 2.10.25.\n\n28. Strabo 17.3.19.\n\n29. Napol\u00e9on, _Military Maxims_ I.\n\n30. Cf. Xenophon, _Kynegetikos_ 12.\n\n31. Livy 30.7.11, 8.8.\n\n32. Appian, _Bellum civilia_ 2.45\n\n33. Caesar, _Bellum civile_ 2.25.4\n\n34. Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 69.5\n\n35. Ibid.78.2\n\n36. Napol\u00e9on, _Military Maxims_ L.\n\n37. du Picq (1946), p.92.\n\n38. Keegan (1988), p.83.\n\n39. Napol\u00e9on, _Military Maxims_ LI.\n\n###### CHAPTER 13\n\n1. Sallust says the two brothers 'died of disease' _(Bellum Iugurthinum_ 6.1).\n\n2. Ibid. 8.1. This theme is repeated again by Sallust, viz:'everything at Rome had its price' (ibid. 20.1).\n\n3. Ibid. 11.6, cf. 9.3.\n\n4. Ibid. 20.3.\n\n5. Ibid. 21.5.\n\n6. Ibid. 23.1.\n\n7. Cf. the notice in Livy, _Periochae_ 64 makes the killing of Adherbal the reason for war, there being no mention of the slaughtered Italians. Cirta was an important centre for the grain trade, hence the number of Italians resident there.\n\n8. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 35.10: 'A city for sale and doomed to speedy destruction if it finds a purchaser', repeated almost verbatim by both Appian _(Numidica_ fr. 1) and Florus _(Epitome_ 1.36.18).\n\n9. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 44.\n\n10. Ibid. 45.6.\n\n11. Caesar, _Bellum civile_ 2.31.6.\n\n12. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 48-53 _passim_.\n\n13. Ibid. 56.3.\n\n14. As Sallust make clear, 'many Italians used to settle there for purposes of trade' _(Bellum Iugurthinum_ 47.1). Direct beneficiaries of the exploitation of the growing empire were those bankers and commercial entrepreneurs who took advantage of the fact that it was impossible for members of the senatorial order overtly to obtain money by usury or commercial speculation. Such activity in fact contradicted the system of aristocratic standards on which their prestige and authority relied. It was certainly not due to lack of keenness on their part. But since they were unable to get rich (or richer) directly by these means, they were obliged to deal through associates who represented them in all matters, even the shadiest, in which they had interests. Thus the bankers, usurers, shipowners, large and small commercial entrepreneurs who dealt in wheat, olive oil, wine or slaves, the _negotiators_ (sing. _negotiator)_ whose numbers and importance always increased, who spread through the provinces as early as the second century BC. These individuals did not need any specific civic qualifications as they looked after functions that had no direct relationship with the management of the state's interests. They might or might not be Roman citizens, viz. equestrians (e.g. ibid. 65.4), and there were many Italians among them. Thus we find in the pages of Sallust Italian traders not only in Cirta and Vaga, but in Utica too (ibid. 64.5). See Badian (1972) chapters 3 & 5.\n\n15. Rutilius was very much interested in the science of warfare, and was to gain a well deserved reputation as a military theorist and author; the excellent narration _(Bellum Iugurthinum_ 48-53 _passim)_ of the Muthul battle strongly suggests Sallust used him as the source here, though sadly for us Rutilius' memoirs have been extinguished by the malevolence of time. Rutilius, as one of the consuls for 105 BC, was to introduce the methods of the gladiatorial schools into military training (Valerius Maximus 2.3.2). The following year, while he was busy making preparations for the war against the Cimbri and Teutones, Marius was so impressed by the soldiers trained by Rutilius that he preferred them to his own, choosing 'the army of Rutilius, though it was the smaller of the two, because he thought it was the better trained' (Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.2.2). Of course it should not be forgotten that Rutilius had seen service in the field, beginning, like so many who come into the story of Iugurtha, at Numantia (Appian, _Iberica_ 88). Apart from Marius, Caius Memmius _(tr. pl_. 111 BC) was also there (Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 4.1.1), and, perhaps, Marcus Aemilius Scaurus _(cos_. 115 BC) too (cf. Anon. _de viris illustribus_ 72.3).\n\n16. Here Sallust _(Bellum Iugurthinum_ 50.2) actually uses the term _cohortes_ and not _manipuli_. Whether or not this is an inconsistency on Sallust's part, for Marius is supposed to have introduced this change after the Iugurthine War, not during it.\n\n17. Ibid 51.3. Cohorts of legionaries are referred to once more by Sallust (ibid. 100.4), this time during Marius' second campaign.\n\n18. Ibid. 53.1.\n\n19. Ibid. 53.4.\n\n20. Livy, _Periochae_ 65, Velleius Paterculus, _Historiae Romanae_ 2.11.2, Florus, _Epitome_ 1.36.10-12, Eutropius 4.27.2.\n\n21. Ibid. 56-60 _passim_. Iugurtha had strengthened the garrisoned at Zama with deserters from the Roman army, desperadoes who dare not fail in their mission to defend the place knowing full well the terrible punishment meted out to those who forsake Rome.\n\n22. Ibid. 61.2.\n\n23. Ibid. 62.10.\n\n24. Ibid. 70-72 _passim_. In fact, Metellus had begun his African campaign with an attempt to ensnare or to liquidate Iugurtha, tampering with envoys of the king before he took the field (ibid. 46.4). He tried again after the occupation of Vaga (ibid. 47.4). According to Frontinus _(Strategemata_ 1.8.8), Metellus urged the envoys sent to him by Iugurtha to deliver their master prisoner to him, and for the same purpose kept up a correspondance with them after they had left him until Iugurtha, discovering it, grew so suspicious of them that he put them to death - on one pretence or another.\n\n25. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 73.1.\n\n26. Ibid. 81.2.\n\n27. Ibid. 82.2. Of course, little did the horrified Metellus realize at the time that this consulship proved to be the first of seven, more than any man, let alone a _novus homo_ , had ever held before. What is even more startling is that five were held in consecutive years between 104 BC and 100 BC, whilst the seventh he seized, along with Rome, with armed force in 86 BC. In many ways the spectacular career of Marius was to provide a model for the great warlords of the last decades of the Republic. He came from the local aristocracy, _domi nobiles_ , of the central Italian hill-town of Arpinum (Arpino), which had received Roman citizenship only thirty-one years before his birth. See Fields (2008B), p.37-40, 50.\n\n28. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 6.1.\n\n29. Polybios 3.116.5, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 11, Caesar, _Bellum civile_ 2.41, Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 14-15 _passim_ , 70.2, 71.2, Frontinus, _Strategemata_ 1.5.16.\n\n30. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 48.2-50.6, 54.9-10, 55.8.\n\n31. Ibid. 84.4.\n\n32. Plutarch, _Marius_ 9.1, cf. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 86.4, Aulus Gellius, _Noctes Atticae_ 16.10.10.\n\n33. Appian, _Bellum civilia_ 1.57. See Fields (2008B), p.48-52.\n\n34. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 88.3.\n\n35. Ibid. 91.6-7, 92.3 cf. 54.6, 55.4-6.\n\n36. Ibid. 89-91 _passim_.\n\n37. Ibid. 92.1.\n\n38. Ibid. 90.1.\n\n39. Ibid. 92.5, also at 19.7, 110.8. With the geography of North Africa, Sallust, erstwhile Caesarian governor of Africa Nova (former eastern Numidia), is economical, specifying only three rivers and seven settlements in the theatre of operations covered by the marches and battles of Metellus and Marius. We assume this was all for brevity and not wishing to overburden the narration. The Moulouya forms the frontier between Algeria and Morocco.\n\n40. Ibid. 94.7.\n\n41. Ibid. 95.1.\n\n42. Ibid. 97.5.\n\n43. Ibid. 101.1, 102.1.\n\n44. Plutarch, _Marius_ 7.5.\n\n45. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 37.1.9, Plutarch, _Marius_ 10.4.\n\n46. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 113.6.\n\n47. Whereas Marius prided himself on being provincial, his now bitterest foe Sulla was a patrician, not merely an aristocrat or a noble. However, his branch of the Cornelii had long fallen into obscurity and straitened circumstances. Sulla had thus entered politics relatively late in his life, indeed first seeing action as Marius' quaestor in Africa.\n\n48. Gsell (1930), p.264.\n\n49. Harris (1986), p.151.\n\n50. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 5.19.\n\n51. Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 25.2. Having rendered signal service to him, Caesar was to give Cirta to Sittius, who then ruled there like a native vassal. Sittius was to be killed by a Numidian princeling soon after the Ides of March (Cicero, _Epistulae ad Atticum_ 15.17.1).\n\n###### CHAPTER 14\n\n1. In Latin: _metus hostilis_ , Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 41.2.\n\n2. Harris (1986), p.127-8, 266-7.\n\n3. E.g. Livy 1.9.4, 2.32.6, 39.7, 54.2, 3.9.1, etc.\n\n4. Ibid. 22.37.8, 24.15.3, 20.16.\n\n5. Justin, _Epitome_ 21.4.7, Polybios 38.7.9, Appian, _Bellum Punicum_ 111. We also know that back in 406 BC the Carthaginian army that landed in Sicily had included Moors (and Numidians) 'who were their allies' (Diodoros 13.80.3).\n\n6. Law (1978), p.188.\n\n7. Polybios 15.11.1.\n\n8. Livy 22.37.8-9. Polybios says (3.75.7) the Senate actually appealed to Hiero for these mercenaries, and adds they amounted to 500 Cretan archers and 1,000 javelineers. The patriotic Livy obviously prefers to overlook what he considered an abase act.\n\n9. Strabo 17.3.9, cf. Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 25.2, Appuleius, _Apologia_ 24.1.\n\n10. Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 5.17, cf. Law (1978), p.143, Brett-Fentress (1996), p.42.\n\n11. Livy 23.18.1.\n\n12. E.g. Anon. _Bellum Africum_ 32, 56, 61.\n\n13. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 18.1-2, cf. Cassius Dio 53.26.2.\n\n14. E.g. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 13.5-8, 15.1, 3, 15.5-16.1, 3-4, 20.1.\n\n15. Ibid. 25.4, Pliny, _Historia Naturalis_ 8.223.\n\n16. E.g. Cicero, _pro Murena_ 16, 36, _Brutus_ 112.\n\n17. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 28.5.\n\n18. Ibid. 40.\n\n19. Ibid. 65.5. The five are named in Cicero, _Brutus_ 128.\n\n20. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 40.4.\n\n21. Syme (2002), p.168.\n\n22. Sallust announces this, his main theme, in _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 5.1.\n\n23. In Latin: _avidus belli gerundi_ , ibid. 35.3.\n\n24. Livy, _Periochae_ 64.\n\n25. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 38.\n\n26. Sallust, amongst other crimes, talks of Iugurtha's 'skilful agents who worked night and day to corrupt the Roman army, bribing _centuriones_ and _decuriones_ either to desert or to abandon their posts at a given signal' (ibid. 38.3).\n\n###### EPILOGUE\n\n1. Virgil, _Aeneid_ 1.437 West.\n\n2. Polybios 36.9.\n\n3. Plato, _Laws_ 3.698b-c, Aristotle, _Politics_ 1334a. Of course, we are all familiar with the famous dictum of Lord Acton: 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely', letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 3 April 1887.\n\n4. Sallust, _Bellum Iugurthinum_ 41.2-42.2\n\n5. Sallust was called the Roman Thucydides (Velleius Paterculus, _Historiae Romanae_ 2.36.2, Quintilian 10.1.101), and his style is certainly Thucydidean, with its pessimism, satire, and subversion. With Rome replacing Athens, it was a style fit for a story of imperial decline. However, as we have already touched upon, this decline for Sallust is moral not political, the corruption of virtue by ambition and greed.\n\n6. Sallust first airs this, one of his pet themes, in _Bellum Catilinae_ 10.\n\n7. Florus, _Epitome_ 1.47.2.\n\n###### APPENDIX 1: ROMAN POLITICS\n\n1. Messalla, _ap_. Aulus Gellius, _Noctes Atticae_ 13.15.4.\n\n2. Cicero, _pro Murena_ 38. For the function of a consul, see especially, Polybios 6.12. Cicero was consul in 63 BC, the year of the so-called conspiracy of Catiline. See Fields (2008B), p.72-6.\n\n3. Festus 290 Lindsay.\n\n4. Cf. Polybios 6.13-14 _passim_.\n\n5. In Latin: _Senatus consultum_ , and abbreviated as _SC_ , as on coinage from the mint at Rome under the Senate's control.\n\n6. Gibbon, _Decline & Fall_, vol. I, p. 23.\n\n###### APPENDIX 2: THE ROMAN ARMY\n\n1. It was the doyen of modern military historians, Hans Delbr\u00fcck (1975: 275), who first characterised the Roman legion as a phalanx with joints.\n\n2. Polybios 6.11-18 _passim_ (constitution), 19-42 _passim_ (army).\n\n3. Polybios 6.26.7.\n\n4. Ibid. 26.9. According to Livy (9.30.3), the latest possible date for the regular number of legions to double to four was 311 BC. Polybios (3.109.12) has Rome levying and supporting four active legions each year for annual service, which were supplemented by an equal number of soldiers provided by the _socii_.\n\n5. Polybios 6.19.2.\n\n6. Ibid. 21.1.\n\n7. Ibid. 20.8-9. Elsewhere Polybios refers to the standard complement of 4,000 infantry and 300 cavalry (1.16.2) and of 4,000 infantry and 200 cavalry (3.107.10), and does suggest that there were sometimes fewer than 4,000 infantry per legion (6.21.10).\n\n8. Ibid. 21.7.The same order for the three lines appears elsewhere in Polybios' narrative (14.8.5, 15.9.7), and in Livy's also (30.8.5, 32.11, 34.10) as well as in other antiquarian sources (e.g. Varro, _de lingua Latina_ 5.89).\n\n9 Polybios 6.21.7, 24.4\n\n10. Cicero, _Tusculanae disputationes_ 2.16.37.\n\n11. Vegetius 1.1.\n\n12. Polybios 6.25.10.\n\n13. Ibid. 23.6.\n\n14. Cf. Dionysios of Halikarnassos says 'cavalry spears' (20.11.2), viz. hoplite spears, were still being employed in battle by the _principes_ during the war with Pyrrhos (280-275 BC).\n\n15. Polybios 2.33.4.\n\n16. Livy 10.39.12, cf. Plutarch, _Pyrrhos_ 21.9, Polybios 1.40.12\n\n17. Ibid. 6.23.9-11.\n\n18. Polybios fr. 179 with Walbank (1957), p.704.\n\n19. Livy 31.34.4.\n\n20. Polybios 3.114.2-4, Livy 22.46.6.\n\n21. Polybios 6.23.14-15.\n\n22. Ibid. 23.12-13.\n\n23. Ibid. 23.8, Arrian, _Ars Tactica_ 3.5.\n\n24. Walbank (1957), p.703-4, Cornell (1995), p.170.\n\n25. Polybios 6.23.2-5, Connolly (1998), p.132.\n\n26. Livy 38.21.15.\n\n27. Polybios 6.22.1-3.\n\n28. Livy 26.4.4, Lucilius, _Satires_ 7.290.\n\n29. Polybios 6.20.8-9, 25.1, cf. 2.24.13, Livy 3.62.\n\n30. Polybios 6.25.1-2.\n\n31. Ibid. 20.9.\n\n32. Plutarch, _Cato major_ 1.3.\n\n33. Livy 23.7.2, 24.13.1.\n\n34. Polybios 6.39.14-15.\n\n35. Ibid. 25.3-8.\n\n36. In Latin: _equestris parma_ , Livy 2.20.10, cf. 4.28.\n\n37. Ibid. 31.34.4.\n\n38. The saddle was certainly a part of Roman cavalry equipment in the time of Caesar, a concession, so he says _(Bellum Gallicum_ 4.4.2), considered effete by the Germans. The padded saddle with four horns made by internal bronze stiffeners appears for the first time on Roman sculptures (Arc d' Orange, Mausoleum at Saint-R\u00e9my-de-Provence) of the early Principate. Like most equestrian equipment, it was almost certainly of Celtic origin as it is depicted on the Gundestrop cauldron (which probably pre-dates the first century BC).\n\n39. Hyland (1990), p.130-4.\n\n40. Livy 8.8.5.\n\n41. E.g. Adcock (1940), p.9, Keppie (1998), p.39, Goldsworthy (2000A), p.44.\n\n42. Keppie (1998), p.38-9.\n\n43. Ennius, _Annales_ fr. 284 Vahlen.\n\n44. Polybios 15.12.8, cf. 1.34.2.\n\n45. Ibid. 18.30.6-8.\n\n46. Plutarch, _Cato major_ 1.4.\n\n47. Polybios 6.23.6-7.\n\n48. Bishop-Coulston (1993), p.53, Feug\u00e8re (1993), p.79.\n\n49. Polybios 18.30.6.\n\n50. Vegetius 1.12.\n\n51. Tacitus, _Annales_ 2.14, 21, 14.36, _Historiae_ 2.42, _Agricola_ 36.2.\n\n52. Polybios 2.30.9.\n\n53. Ibid. 33.6.\n\n54. Ibid. 6.23.4.\n\n55. Livy 8.8.9.\n\n56. 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Wolters, 1956)\n\nWarry, J., _Warfare in the Classical World_ (London: Salamander, 1980)\n\nWiedemann, T.E.J., 'Sallust's _Jugurtha:_ Concord, Discord, and the Digressions', _Greece & Rome_ 40.1 (1993), pp.48-57\n\nWise, T. & Healy, M., (repr. 2002) _Hannibal's War with Rome: The Armies and Campaigns 216 BC_ (Oxford: Osprey, 1999)\n\nZhmodikov, A., 'Roman Republican Heavy Infantryman in Battle (IV-II centuries BC)', _Historia_ 49 (2000), pp.67-78\n\n## **Index**\n\nAdherbal (Carthaginian admiral) ,  n.\n\nAdherbal (son of Micipsa) , \u2013, , ,\n\nAegates Islands , ,  n.\n\nbattle of (241 BC) , ,  n.\n\nAelian ,\n\nAemilius\n\nLucius Aemilius Paullus (cos. 218 BC) ,  n.\n\nLucius Aemilius Paullus minor ,  n.\n\nMarcus Aemilius Scaurus (cos. 115 BC) ,  n.\n\nAeneas xix, xxv-xxvi, , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\n_Aeneid_ , the xvii, xxv, ,  n.\n\nAfrica _passim_\n\nAgathokles of Syracuse xxv, , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn. ,  &\n\n_ager Falernus_  n.\n\nAhenobarbus, Domitius, Altar of\n\nAkragas (Agrigentum) , , ,  n.\n\nsiege of (262-261 BC) , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nAkrotatos of Sparta  n.\n\n_ala\/alae_ , \u2013, , , , , , ,  n.\n\nAlalia (Aleria) ,\n\nAlaric (the Visigoth)\n\nAlbinus\n\nAlbinus, Aulus Postumius (brother of below)\u2013\n\nAlbinus, Spurius Postumius (cos. 110 BC) ,\n\nAlexander the Great , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nAlexander of Molossia  n.\n\nAlexon (Greek mercenary)\n\nAlps , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nAltars of the Philaeni (Arae Philaenorum) ,  n.\n\nAntigonos I ('Monophthalmos')  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nAntigonos II of Macedon ('Gonatas') \u2013,  n.\n\nAntiochos III of Syria ('the Great') xv, , , , ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nApamea ,  n.\n\nAppian , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nApulians\n\nArchimedes ,  n.\n\nArchidamos (Spartan king)  n.\n\nArdent du Picq, Charles , ,\n\nAristotle \u2013, , ,  nn.  &\n\nArno, river  n.\n\nArtaxata  n.\n\nArtaxias (Armenian king)  n.\n\nAsculum, battle of (279 BC) ,\n\nAspis (Clupea, Kelibia) ,\n\nAtilius\n\nMarcus Atilius Regulus (cos. 255) , \u2013, , \u2013, , ,  nn.  & ,\n\nAufidus, river\n\nAugustus (Octavianus) xvi, xvii, xxi, xxiii, xxv-xxvi, , ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nAutaritos , , ,  n.\n\nBaal Hammon ,  n. ,\n\nBaal Shamaim, temple of\n\nBaecula, battle of (208 BC)\n\nBaetis (Guadalquivir), river\n\nBagradas (Medjerda), river\/valley\/plain , , , , , ,  n.\n\nBalearic Islands, slingers , , ,\n\nBocchus , \u2013,\n\nBomilcar (renegade general)\n\nBomilcar (admiral, Second Punic War)\n\nBomilcar (friend of Iugurtha) , ,\n\nBon, Cap (Hermaia Promontory, Rass Adder)\n\nBoudica, Queen xxv,  n.\n\nBritons xxi, xxii, xxv\n\nBritish Empire xxii,  nn. ,  & ,  n.\n\nBruttians , ,  n.\n\nBurning of the Camps (203 BC), the \u2013\n\nByrsa, the , , ,  n.\n\nCaesar xxii, , \u2013, , ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nCaecilius\n\nLucius Caecilius Metellus (cos. 251 BC) ,\n\nQuintus Caecilius Metellus ('Numidicus') , \u2013, , ,  nn. ,  &\n\nCalgacus xxiv, xxv\n\nCampanians , , , , , ,  n.\n\n_campus Martius_ ,\n\nCannae, battle of (216 BC) , , , , , \u2013, , , , , \u2013, , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nCapsa (Gafsa)\n\nCapua , , ,  n. , \u2013 n.\n\nCaratacus (Caractacus) xxiv,  xxv,  n.\n\nCarthage, Carthaginians\n\npassim army \u2013, \u2013,  n.\n\ncity \u2013, \u2013, , \u2013\n\nconstitution \u2013, ,  n.\n\nempire \u2013, , \u2013\n\nfoundation \u2013, , \u2013 n.\n\nnavy \u2013, \u2013, , , \u2013, , ,\n\ntreaties with Rome , , \u2013, , , , \u2013, , , ,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  n. ,  n. ,\n\nsenate , , , , \u2013, , ,  n. ,  n.\n\ncarvel construction \u2013\n\n_castra Cornelia_\n\ncavalry tactics \u2013\n\nCeltiberians , , , \u2013,\n\nCelts , , , , ,\n\nCentenius\n\nMarcus Centenius Paenula\n\nCercina, island (Kerkennah) ,  n.\n\nClaudius\n\nAppius Claudius Caudex (cos. 264 BC) ,  n.\n\nMarcus Claudius Marcellus (cos. 222 BC etc.)\n\nCaius Claudius Nero (cos. 207 BC)\n\nPublius Claudius Pulcher (cos. 249 BC) , \u2013 n.\n\nClaudius, emperor xxi-xxii, xxiv,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nCicero xvi, xviii, xix, xx, , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. , S4 n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nCirta (Constantine) , , , \u2013, , , , , , , ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nClapier, Col du  n.\n\nColumella \u2013\n\nCornelius\n\nCnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus (cos. 221 BC) \u2013, , ,\n\nPublius Cornelius Scipio (cos. 218 BC) \u2013, , , ,\n\nPublius Cornelius Scipio ('Africanus')\n\nearly career , \u2013\n\nlater career ,  nn.  &\n\nin Africa \u2013, \u2013\n\nat Great Plains \u2013\n\nat Zama \u2013,\n\nLucius Cornelius Scipio (cos. 190 BC)  n.\n\nPublius Cornelius Scipio Nasica (cos. 162 BC etc.) \u2013\n\nPublius Cornelius Aemilianus Scipio (cos. 147 BC etc.)\n\nadoption ,  n.\n\nin Africa , \u2013, , \u2013, \u2013, ,  n. ,  n.\n\nin Iberia , , ,  n.\n\nLucius Cornelius Sulla ('Felix') \u2013, , , , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nCorsica , , , , , ,  n.\n\n_corvus_ \u2013, , ,  n.\n\nCumae ,  n.\n\nCyprus\n\nDemetrios I of Macedon ('Poliorketes')  n. ,  nn.  & ,\n\nDiodoros xxv, , , , , \u2013, , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  nn.  & ,  nn. ,  & , \u2013 n. ,  nn.  & , \u2013 n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nDionysios of Syracuse ,  n.\n\nDionysios of Halikarnassos  n.\n\n_Dolchsta\u00dflegende_ ('Dagger-stab-legend')  n.\n\nDido xxv-xxvi, , ,  n. ,  n.\n\n_diekplous_ , the , \u2013,\n\nDrepana (Trapani) , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nbattle of (249 BC) , , , ,\n\nDuilius, Caius (cos. 260 BC) \u2013\n\nDurance, river  n. ,  n.\n\nEcnomus, battle of (256 BC) , ,  n.13,  n.\n\nEgesta (Segesta)\n\nelephants\n\nuse in war \u2013,  nn.  & ,  nn. ,  &\n\nof Carthage , \u2013, , , , \u2013, , ,  nn.  & ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nof Iugurtha , , , ,  n.1\n\nof Pyrrhos , , , ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nEryx (Monte San Giuliano) , ,\n\nEshmun ,  n.\n\nEtruscans , , , ,  n.\n\n_equites_\n\nServian class ,\n\ncitizen cavalry , \\-\n\nEumenes II of Pergamon\n\nFabius\n\nQuintus Fabius Pictor (historian) ,  n. ,  n.\n\nFair Promontory _(Pulchri Promontorium_ ,\n\nRass Sidi Ali el Mekki) ,\n\nFlaminius, Caius (cos. 223 BC etc.) ,\n\nFlaubert, Gustave  n. ,  n.\n\nFlorus \u2013, , ,  n.\n\nFulvius\n\nCnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus\n\nMarcus Fulvius Flaccus\n\nGadir (Gades, C\u00e1diz) xviii, , , ,  nn.  &\n\nGaia (Maesulii king) ,\n\nGallia Cisalpina , , , ,  n.\n\nGallia Narbonensis \u2013 n.\n\nGauls xx, xxi, xxii, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nGaetulians xx, ,\n\nGelon of Syracuse , , ,  nn.  &\n\nGesco (general, First Punic War) , \u2013\n\nGibbon, Edward xvi,\n\nGreat Plains, battle of (203 BC) \u2013, ,  n.\n\nGreeks xx,  xxi, xxiv, , , , , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nmercenaries \u2013, , , ,  n.\n\nof Italy , , ,  n.\n\nof Sicily , , , , ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nGulussa (son of Masinissa) , ,\n\nHadrumentum (Sousse)\n\nHamilcar (son of Hanno) , ,  n.\n\nHamilcar (general in Sicily) ,\n\nHamilcar (general, First Punic War) ,  n.\n\nHamilcar Barca (father of Hannibal) , , \u2013, , , \u2013, \u2013, , , , , ,  nn. ,  & , \u2013 n. ,  nn. ,  & ,  n.\n\nHamilcar (general, Second Punic War) \u2013\n\nHannibal (Barca) _Passim_\n\nas general \u2013\n\nHannibal's oath ,  n.\n\n_'Hannibal ad portas_ '\n\nHannibal (grandson of Hamilcar [son of Hanno]) , \u2013\n\nHannibal (son of Hamilcar [general, First Punic War])\n\nHannibal 'the Rhodian' , , ,  n.\n\nHannibal Monomachos\n\nHanno (admiral, First Punic War) \u2013,  n.\n\nHanno ('the Great') , , ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nHasdrubal (son of Mago)\n\nHasdrubal the Splendid , , ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nHasdrubal Barca , , , , ,  n.\n\nHasdrubal Gisgo (general, Second Punic War) , , \u2013, ,  n. ,  n.\n\nHasdrubal (general, Third Punic War) , , , , ,  n.\n\n_hastati_ , , \u2013, ,\n\nHeirkte (Monte Castellachio) ,  n.\n\nHekatompylos (T\u00e9bessa) ,  n.\n\n_hept\u00ear\u00eas_,  n.\n\nHera Lacinia, temple of  n.5\n\nHerakleia ,\n\nbattle of (280 BC) ,\n\nHerdonea, battle of (212 BC)\n\nHerodotos , ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\n_hex\u00ear\u00eais_  n.\n\nHiempsal (son of Micipsa) , , ,\n\nHiero II of Syracuse , , , , , \u2013 n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nHimera, battle of (480 BC) , ,  n.\n\nHimilco (son of Hanno) ,\n\nHimilco Phameas , ,  n.\n\nHippo Acra (Bizerta)\n\nHippo Regius (B\u00f4ne, Annaba) ,\n\nhoplites \u2013, , , ,  n.\n\nHorace xvii, xxi,\n\nIarbas, king\n\nIberia , , , , , , , , ,\n\nIberians xx, xxi, , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  nn.  &\n\nIberus (Iber, Ebro), river , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\ntreaty (226 BC) ,\n\nIbiza\n\nIugurtha , \u2013, \u2013, \u2013, , , \u2013,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nIlipa, battle of (206 BC) , , \u2013\n\nImilce  n.\n\nIs\u00e8re, river  n.\n\nItalians\n\nallies _(socii)_ , , \u2013, , , ,126, , ,  n. , ,  n.\n\ntraders , , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nIuppiter xvii, xxvi, ,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nJason of Pherai\n\nJosephus, Flavius xviii, , \u2013 n.\n\nJustin , , , ,  n.\n\nJuvenal , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nKleonymos of Sparta \u2013,  n.\n\nKipling, Rudyard xxii,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nKition (L\u00e1rnaka)  n.\n\nKrimisos, battle of the (341 BC)\n\nKroton , ,  n.\n\nLacinian promontory (Capo Colonne)  n.\n\nLacumazes\n\nLaelius, Caius , , ,\n\nLarche (l' Argenti\u00e8re), col de  n.\n\nLatins , , , \u2013, , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nLee, Robert E.\n\nlegionaries , , , , \u2013, , , , , \u2013, \u2013,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nlegions\n\n_legions Cannenses (legions V et VI)_ ,\n\nconsular _(legiones_ I-IIII) , , , \u2013, , , , ,  n.\n\npay  n. ,  n.\n\nPolybian\u2013\n\nLeyte Gulf, battle of (1944)  n.\n\nLibyan War (240-237 BC) \u2013\n\nLibyans\n\nlevies\/mercenaries , \u2013, , , , ,  nn.  & ,  n. ,  n.\n\npeople , , , , , , ,  n.\n\nLibyphoenicians , ,\n\nLigurians , , , , , ,\n\nLilybaeum (Marsala) , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nsiege of (250-241 BC) , \u2013,  n.\n\nLivius\n\nMarcus Livius Salinator (cos. 219 BC etc.)\n\nLivy _passim_\n\nLocri , , ,  n.\n\n'Lucanian oxen'  n.\n\nLucanians , ,  n.\n\nLutatius\n\nCaius Lutatius Catulus (cos. 242 BC) \u2013\n\nMacedonian War, Second (200-197 BC)  n.\n\nMacedonian War, Third (172-168 BC)\n\nMacedonians , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nMaesulii ,\n\nMago (tyrant)\n\nMago (agronomist) , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nMago (general)\n\nMago (admiral)\n\nMago Barca , , , , , ,  n.\n\nMagnesia, battle of (190 BC) , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nMaharbal ,  n.\n\nMalchus (tyrant) \u2013\n\nMalventum, battle of (275 BC) , ,  n.\n\nMamertini , \u2013,\n\nMarius, Caius (cos. I 107 BC)\n\narmy reforms ,  nn. ,  &\n\nearly career , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nhis consulships  n.\n\nin Africa , , , \u2013,\n\nMarius, Caius minor (son of above)  n.\n\nMars\n\nMarsala wreck, the \u2013,  n.\n\nMary, col de  n.\n\nMasaesulii\n\nMasinissa\n\nMassalia (Massilia, Marseille) ,\n\nMassiva (son of Gulussa)\n\nMastanabal (son of Masinissa)\n\nMathos \u2013,  n.\n\nMazaetullus\n\nMelqarth , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nmercenaries\n\nmodern \u2013,  nn. ,  &\n\nnature of, \u2013,\n\nMessana (Messina) , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nMetapontion\n\nMetaurus, battle of the (207 BC) ,\n\nMicipsa (son of Masinissa) , , ,\n\nMont-Cenis, col du  n.\n\nMontgen\u00e8vre, col de  n.\n\nMoors , , , \u2013,  n.\n\nMotya (Mozia) , ,  n.\n\nMuluccha, battle of the (106 BC)\n\nriver ,\n\nMylae, battle of (260 BC) , ,  n.\n\nNapol\u00e9on , , , ,  n.\n\nNaraggara (Margaron, Sakhiet Sidi Youssef)  n.\n\nNaravas (Numidian prince) ,\n\nNepheris (Bou-Beker) , ,\n\nNew Carthage (Cartagena) ,  n.\n\nNola  n.\n\nNumantia, siege of (134-133 BC) , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nNumidians horse \u2013,\n\nhorsemen , , , , , \u2013, , , , , , ,  n.\n\nallies\/levies , , , , , \u2013, , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\npeople , , \u2013, \u2013, ,\n\nwarfare \u2013, \u2013, ,\n\n_Olympias_ , the  n. ,  n.\n\nOrwell, George  n.\n\nOscans , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nOvid ,\n\nPachynon (Passero), Cape\n\nPalinurus (Palinuro), Cape  n.\n\nPanormus (Palermo) , ,  n.\n\nsiege of (254 BC) ,  n.\n\nbattle of (250 BC) ,\n\nPausanias , ,  n.\n\n_pax romana_  xv-xvi, xvii-xviii, xix, xxii\n\npenteconter  n. ,  n.\n\nPergamon ,\n\n_periplous_ , the , \u2013,\n\nPetit St. Bernard, col du  n.\n\nPhilinos of Akragas (historian) ,  n. ,  n.\n\nPhilip II of Macedon , ,\n\nPhilip V of Macedon , , , ,168 n. ,  n.\n\nPhilopoimen ,  n.\n\nPhoenicians \u2013, , , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  nn.  &\n\nPillars of Hercules (Straits of Gibraltar) xxiii, , , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nPlancentia (Piacenza) ,\n\nPlato\n\nPliny (the elder) xv-xvi, xvii, xxi, , , , , ,  n. ,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nPlutarch , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nPo, river\n\n_Poeni_  n.\n\nPolybios passim\n\non elephants\n\non _gladii_\n\non Hannibal\n\non mercenaries ,\n\non _pila_\n\non Rome's rise\n\non Second Punic War \u2013\n\non Zama , ,\n\nPopilius\n\nPublius Popilius Laenas (cos. 132 BC)\n\nPorcius\n\nMarcus Porcius Cato (the elder) xvi\\- xvii, xxi, , , \u2013, , ,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  nn.  &\n\nCaius Porcius Cato (cos. 114 BC) ,\n\n_Principes_ , , \u2013, ,\n\n_proletarii_ , ,  n.\n\nPrusias I of Bithynia\n\nPyrenees ,  n.\n\n'Pyrrhic victory'  n.\n\nPyrrhic War (280-275 BC) , ,  n.\n\nPyrrhos of Epeiros , , \u2013, \u2013, , , , , ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nquadrireme , \u2013 n.\n\nquinquereme \u2013, \u2013, , \u2013, , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nRhegion (Reggio di Calabria) ,\n\nRhodes, Cecil John xxii,  nn.  &\n\nRhodes (island)\n\nRome, Romans passim\n\narmy , , \u2013,  n.\n\nconstitution \u2013\n\nmanpower , \u2013, ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nSenate xxii, , , \u2013, , , \u2013, , , , , \u2013, , , , , , , \u2013, \u2013, , , , , \u2013, , , \u2013 n. , \u2013 n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nRh\u00f4ne, river  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nRoures, col de  n.\n\nRutilius\n\nPublius Rutilius Rufus \u2013,  n.\n\nSacred Band (of Carthage) , ,\n\nsaddle, Celtic , ,  n.\n\nSaguntum (Sagunto) \u2013,  n. ,  n.\n\nSalammb\u00f4  n.\n\nSallust passim Samnites , , , , , \u2013 n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nSardinia\n\nPunic \u2013, , , , , , \u2013,\n\nRoman xxv, , , , ,  nn.  &\n\nScribonius\n\nCaius Scribonius Curio , ,\n\n_scutum\/scuta_ , , ,\n\nSempronius\n\nTiberius Sempronius Gracchus\n\nSeneca xxi-xxii, ,  n. ,  n.\n\n'Servian system' \u2013\n\n'Servian wall'  n.\n\nServius Tullius, king ,\n\nSicca (La Kef, El Kef) , ,\n\nSicily _passim_\n\nSiga (Takembrit)\n\nSilenos \u2013,\n\nSophonisba , \u2013,  n. , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nSosylos ,\n\nSouk el Kremis, plain  n.\n\nSpendios ,\n\nStrabo (geographer) , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nSurus, 'the Syrian'  n.\n\nSyphax (Masaesulii king)\n\ncampaign against Scipio \u2013\n\nclash with Masinissa , ,  n.\n\ndealings with Rome\n\nfate , ,  n.\n\nkingdom of\n\nmarries Sophonisba\n\nSyracuse (Siracusa) , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nsiege of (213-212 BC) ,\n\nSyrtis, Minor (Gulf of Gab\u00e8s)\n\nswords\n\nCeltic\n\n_falcata_ 19,\n\n_gladius_ , , , \u2013, , , \u2013,  n. ,  n.\n\n_kopis_\n\nTacitus\n\non the Lyon Tablet  n.\n\non imperialism xvii, xix, xxii, xxiv-xxv, xxvi,\n\non swords\n\nTanit ,  n.\n\nTaras (Tarentum, Taranto) , \u2013, , , , , ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\nTerentius\n\nCaius Terentius Varro (cos. 216 BC)  n.\n\nCaius Terentius Varro (antiquarian) xvi, , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nTeuta, Queen\n\nThapsus (Rass Dimasse) ,\n\nThourioi\n\nThugga (Dougga)\n\nTimaios of Tauromenion (historian) , ,  n.\n\nTimoleon , , , , ,  n.\n\nTrasimene, battle of Lake (217 BC) , \\- , , , , ,\n\nTraversette, col de la  n.\n\nTrebbia, battle of the (218 BC) , , , , \u2013, , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\n_triarii_ , , \u2013, ,\n\n_triplex acies_ , , , , \u2013,\n\ntrireme , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nTunis , , ,  n.\n\nbattle of (255 BC) , \u2013, \u2013\n\n_turma\/turmae_\n\nTyndaris, battle of (257 BC)\n\nTyre \u2013, , ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  & , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nUtica , , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  n.\n\nVegetius ,\n\n_velites_ , , , , , ,\n\nVespasianus, emperor xviii, \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nVidal, Gore xviii\n\nVirgil xv, xvi-xvii, xix, xxii, xxv, , , ,  n. ,  n.\n\nVitruvius xvii\n\nVoltaire  n.\n\nWeapons\n\ncatapults , , ,  n. ,  n.29\n\ndaggers \u2013,\n\njavelins , , , , , , , , , ,  n. ,  n. ,  nn.  & ,  n.\n\n_pilum\/pila_ \u2013, \u2013, , ,  nn.  &\n\nspears , , , , , , ,  n.\n\n_see also swords_\n\nXanthippos , , \u2013,  nn.  &\n\nXenophanes  n.\n\nXenophon ,  n.\n\nXerxes ,\n\nZama, battle of (202 BC) , , , , \u2013, , , , , , , \u2013 n. ,  n.\n\nZama Regia 188,  n.\n\nZanfour\n\nZonaras  n. ,  n. ,  n. ,  n. \n","meta":{"redpajama_set_name":"RedPajamaBook"}}