Hey, this wasn’t in the tour guide

Published 11:42 pm Friday, January 16, 2009

Try the termite tostada: Rick Steves has made himself quite a name advising people what to see and do in Europe. But what happens when his family wants to get away?

“Honey,” The Buzz can hear Mrs. Rick warn, “You are NOT taking us to Amsterdam’s red light district and those ‘tobacco’ shops again!”

Rick’s answer: Costa Rica, to a spot so remote even the Great Edmonds Travel Guru can’t locate it on a map. Curious about this mysterious Mother Nature he’s heard people discuss, Steves bravely ventures forth from their lodge to check out mouthy monkeys, breathtaking butterflies, giant rodents and ravenous termites — edible, he discovers, but “bitter.”

Travelers would do well to stick with legal eco-tourist attractions: “Penalties for possession (and) use … (of) illegal drugs in Costa Rica are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines,” the U.S. State Department says.

As for any Costa Rican termite tasting penalties, the act itself is probably punishment enough.

Low miles! One owner! Want a car with some history? Bust open your piggy bank and head to eBay Motors to bid on the 2005 Chrysler 300C once owned by President-elect Barack Obama, D-“Yeah, It’s Got a Hemi,” before he went green with a Ford Escape hybrid.

The big 300C comes with the balance of the factory warranty, but you have to wonder: Will Chrysler still be in business when Obama takes the oath on Tuesday?

— Kurt Batdorf, Herald staff