Everyone knows that Costa Rica is a paradise. But how does one find one's way around when streets have no names and houses have no numbers? When does one shake hands, and when does one kiss ne's friends? Part travelogue, part memoir, part cultural primer, Tropical Immersion is the wry account of one Gringo's year in Costa Rica and the overland journey there and back, with side trips to Nicaragua and Ecuador. br> "Tropical Immersion: A Year in Costa Rica" and Beyond details one North American's year in Costa Rica, the overland journey there and back, and side trips to Nicaragua and Ecuador. It offers a snapshot of life inside Costa Rica that illustrates a world that few travelers get to see. It is part travelogue, part romance, part ethnography, part cultural primer, and part memoir. The story of a journey for those who seek more from travel than the sights; who want meaty, insightful anecdotes, full of detailed observation and perspective that guidebooks can't offer.