artful nomad

Off-the-beaten-path guidebooks and marketplace designed for the independent traveler

–––––––––––––––––––

Sensitive Cultural Artifacts: On Sale!

All museum reproductions are 20% off. Our featured artifact is a reproduction of the Mask of Death and Rebirth. The Maya belief in the never-ending cycle of life and afterlife is illustrated in this sculpture, with each layered face representing a specific stage of life. The original is from the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala and dates to about 900 AD.

–––––––––––––––––––

Artful Nomad Co. Names ShelliusMax "Best Person Ever"

“Assuming she is a real person,” says ANC Editor Dave Berg. Berg is referring to ShelliusMax’s recent blog on belizeforum.com, an excellent forum for info about traveling in Belize.

According to ShelliusMax (not her real name):

“Thanks Steve, the book came on Monday already. It looks fantastic! What I have read so far is very useful and your writing is also funny in places which is great. Terrific photos too. I’m really glad I ordered it.”

Shellius will retain the BPE title and accompanying notoriety until the ANC sees fit to award a new Best Person Ever at a future date.

–––––––––––––––––––

Costa Rica Traveler’s Map Announced!

— Staff Report

Project nicknamed “Operation Sucker Punch.”

“We believe this could be our Best Idea Yet,” announces Artful Nomad Company executive Steve Eide. Eide is referring to the company’s up and coming hand-illustrated traveler’s map detailing Costa Rica’s national parks and amazing natural attractions.

Eide explains that the map has excellent road and driving information, along with the locations and descriptions of all Costa Rica’s national parks and many other popular attractions, as well as inset maps of cities and and popular travel regions. Driving routes are color-coded to minimize wrong turns and wasted time. For example, if a traveler wants to drive from San Jose to Volcano Arenal, the map shows you the route and how long it will take to get there.

Inset maps include travelers’ favorites such as Volcano Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio National Park, Tortuguero National Park, Corcovado National Park, Mount Chirripo hiking trails, beach towns of Tamarindo, Montezuma, Samara, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Quepos and Jaco to name a few.

“If you’re traveling to Costa Rica to see wildlife, zip across a chasm or raft a crazy river or two, we’re not sure why you’d want a lot of drab data like state boundaries or Gross Domestic Product info on your map,” he adds. A busy map may distract people from reaching their destinations, as well as making night traveling more dangerous than it already is. “How many of you have plummeted into an inky black and bottomless reservoir while trying to discern a ‘Dam’ icon from an ‘Estuary’ icon using only dashboard light? Well, I have and it’s no picnic.”

By studying information from local maps collected during their travel guidebook research (Costa Rica: zip-line and sinker in 12 days), and combing national park websites and tourist bureaus for information, they believe the map will help solve travel questions and stave off possible vacation dilemmas for travelers. “We can’t predict where people will go of course, but we’re pretty sure more tourists would go to Volcan Poas before they’d go to a deserted airstrip on the Nicaraguan border.” Although they have included a few of those just because the icon looks cool says the map’s illustrator Steve Stratman.

“We also think of the map as a crafty “left cross” following our previous Best Idea Yet!” When asked what the company’s previous B.I.Y. was, Eide broke into a mirthy smile describing his daughter Anika’s idea to run for doughnuts before last week’s Saturday morning staff meeting. “I think the consensus was ‘sprinkles.’” Forgotten was the fact that the map is intended to complement the Costa Rica traveler’s guidebook. “Oh right, the book! That was probably better than the doughnut idea,” Eide concedes.

“We’re so fired up about this map we’re releasing a gob-full of them before releasing the map’s complementary book, Costa Rica: Zip-line and Sinker in 12 Days. “Imagine people all sitting around waiting for the book and BAM! Comes the map outta nowhere.” Hence the sobriquet ‘Sucker Punch’ according to Eide.

Click here and sign up to be notified when the map is available. Or check back soon to order one on-line.

Comment

  1. Steve,
    Greetings from CR!

    I anxiously await the project. I would like to buy a box of maps to resell here.
    Keep me informed.
    Phil

    — Phil Coleman · Oct 25, 10:22 AM · #

Commenting is closed for this article.