In Limon, we were guests at a dinner with members of the local civic organizations. They were overjoyed to have us come and share this evening. Each of us brought small gifts and gave them to someone sitting near us.

 The following day was the annual celebration of Black Heritage. Most of us went to Liberty Hall for the annual breakfast of the local chapter of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the international organization founded by Marcus Garvey in the 1920s. It is one of only two UNIA chapters worldwide that is still functioning. Now a National Heritage Site, Liberty Hall was the headquarters of the UNIA and the Black Star Line which promoted commerce worldwide among communities of African descent.

In the afternoon we gathered to march in the Black Heritage Parade, and were put up front. One professor from New York brought small gifts for the children. I assisted him giving them out along the parade route. The people of Limon are very religious and many of the organizations parading were religious-based.

In the evening we enjoyed an international show and dance that included the Garafundi National Dance Troupe of Honduras and a well- known Panamanian band. However, the highlight of the evening was the performance of the Mighty Sparrow. He stayed at our hotel, and we had the opportunity to take pictures with him. On our last night in San Jose, we attended a traditional Costa Rican dinner and show.

I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to know more about the African influence in Central America. I am a "seeing is believing" person. I had to see for myself what the tour was all about before recommending it to my clients. I was not disappointed.

The next Black Heritage Tour will be on August 27-September 2, 2010.  Since 2003, Costa Rica Tours, Ltd. has been the first and only tour operator to conduct tours in Costa Rica with a Black Heritage theme. In addition to the annual tour, the company arranges private Black Heritage or other themed tours for groups throughout the year on their selected dates.

For information, contact:
Costa Rica Tours, Ltd.
(704) 541-8680
email

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