So my mid-January weekend escape to Hollywood, Florida where temperatures in the ’60’s immediately killed the momentary dream of sun, surf and beach bars posed a problem. How to entertain myself without too much pouting. I chose the Margaritaville Resort to further my research. In honor of Jimmy Buffett’s recent passing,this massive memorial to Beach Vibe, License to Chill, and Welcome to Paradise ambiance helped to lift my spirits. Okay, maybe it was more the plentiful margaritas – and the ever-present Jimmy Buffet serenade — that did that but I found my way to two intriguing outings. While always keeping in mind that it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere…. (assuming you all know that that is one of Buffett’s many legacies).

So I was ready to move on from his sonorous tones to the more live-band atmosphere at the Yellow Green Farmer’s Market. Over 300 booths all promoting sustainability through all kinds of artisanal products created by local artists and craftsmen didn’t disappoint.

The outside food court presented offerings from Mexico, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador. Notice a pattern? At one point I saw someone with a sweatshirt from a U.S. city and got excited – until I realized we were NOT in a foreign country despite the ubiquitous South American ambiance. Think of it as a mini-Epcot Center.

The expansive table area is surrounded by a large herd of life-size black and white cow sculptures for which I could see little purpose other than to re-enforce the idea of the farm part of the farmer’s market. Worked for me.

And we hadn’t even entered the huge barn containing all the afore-mentioned stalls proffering fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, cheese and chocolates, plants and more varieties of nuts and dried fruits than you ever knew existed. Also clothes, backpacks, jewelry, African handicrafts, tropical oils, bath products and too many other items to even contemplate. If there’s anything you could possibly want, I promise you it’s there – you just need the patience to seek it out.

And, of course, there are even more food and drink options scattered throughout. Did I mention the free samples? And if you hadn’t already had enough Margaritas, they’re here too — along with Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Mojitos. And dogs – lots and lots of dogs – so indeed there are also lots of designated watering holes for them, as well.

Just when I thought I had found my way to the final aisle, I discovered multiple other arteries with multiple other interesting offerings. And just when I thought I had seen all of them, there was a fooz-ball game and a billiards table. I know dozens of towns and villages boast Farmer’s Markets of their own – and I’ve been to many – but the diversity of products, food items, entertainment — and for me, especially dogs – made this a most welcome diversion from Margaritaville.

If perhaps live animals and wild flowers appeal more than cow statues and bouquets for sale, the Flamingo Botanical Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary heartily beckon. The first offers 3000 species of rare and exotic native tropical plants; the second, home to over 90 species of rescued birds and animals. On the way to the tram, I saw about a dozen cats and was hoping there was more to the wildlife. By the time I got to the Black Bear and the Panther, I was well reassured.

Just walking along the paths enveloped by green canopies, you are engulfed in foliage, small, large, low, high and enormous, with leaves the size of surfboards that make you stop and stare. Plants are light, dark, thin, thick, mottled, marbled. Birds – tall, short, multi-colored are everywhere – flocks of flamingoes, prancing peacocks and so many Ibises that they almost form a white blanket over the entire property.

The tram expands the journey into vast varieties of trees, plants, shrubs and lush vegetation where I felt mesmerized by the sheer green overload. I became one with the forest as the constant chatter of the guide faded into background noise. I was actually disappointed when we came back into sunlight.

My favorite enclosure was the cactus and succulent garden housing bizarre shapes, grotesque creations and other-worldly forms promoting nature at its most imaginative.

Other highlights included Wildlife Encounters with animals who have been injured or rescued. Okay, a lot more information than I cared to know but still interesting. Feeding frenzies of playful otters and majestic flamingoes and visits to bobcats, tortoises and other wildlife further delight.

Did I still miss going to the beach? Yes. Was I somewhat placated? Also, yes. For more information go to: Hollywood, Florida.

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Dozens of millions of years ago (mas o menos), at the bottom of the western Pacific Ocean, the Nazca plate insinuated itself under the South American continent and began to drift east at the rate of 80 millimeters a year. The continent began to buckle upwards, in the same way a yogi’s mat buckles up when the yogi pulls hands toward feet during her downward dog.

Over eons, all that buckling produced the Andes Cordilleras, the world’s longest continental mountain range. It spans much of South America, from Venezuela to Argentina.

I live on the northern end of the Andes, in a tiny pueblo called Mindo, one of the world’s hotspots for endemic biodiversity. That is, much of the animal and plant life surrounding me evolved here and cannot be found anywhere else. Mindo is completely surrounded by cloud forests. Over time, when warm water vapor from the Pacific hit up against the cool Andes mountains, clouds formed. Mindo became a perfect spot for epiphytes-plants like moss, fern, orchids, and bromeliad that have evolved the ability to pull moisture out of the atmosphere.

Orchids grow wild on the trees that line the road leading up to the cascades in the mountains. As one walks up this road, one is invariably startled by blurred flashes of orange, blue, yellow, and red feathers. Based on my study, there are more than 300 species of birds in Mindo’s forests, an area about one third the size of Washington, DC.

Despite its small size, Mindo is host to an eclectic group of individuals. People from all over the world live here, including those who migrated from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Germany, Canada, the U.S., Poland, and France.

Without a doubt, most people from North America and Europe visit Mindo because they read that it is one of the world’s top sites of biodiversity for bird species.

This includes a wide variety of hummingbirds and a species of Andean cock-in-the-rocks found only in Mindo.

The central role that ecotourism plays in Mindo can be observed in the pueblo’s central plaza. In the plaza, you can see the stone statue of a hummingbird. Sitting on one of the benches, you can look around and see the famed cloud forests of Mindo in the mountains around you.

If, after sitting a while in the plaza, you begin to crave some of the local food, there is no shortage of food choices around you.

For example, Gladys will happily serve you a delicious mix of grilled chorizo (sausage), chicken, pork, and octopus.

Or perhaps, you would prefer pizza prepared in a brick oven? Antonio can help you out.

Maybe your tastes run toward vegetarian or vegan? In that case, swing by Mechi’s place. Mechi serves these dishes using quinoa and other local vegetables, cooked in the style of her native coastal village. You’ll find her family helping her out.

After lunch, you’ll probably want some desert. Flor’s yogurt ice-cream place is just across from the plaza. Many tourists and digital nomads come here to have ice cream, drink coffee, or down some artisanal beer while they engage in people watching.

You may now feel like walking off some of those calories. Along Mindo’s streets, you’ll find artists from all of South America-from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru-showing off the art that they’ve made.

If you decide to stay a while, you’ll soon discover the charming community and landscape that have prompted people from all over the world to make Mindo a place they call “home.”

On weekends, you’ll see indigenous farmers from around the town who drive in to Mindo to sell their produce.

You’ll meet people like the two sisters who left their home in Venezuela and who have carved out a new life in Mindo selling arepas, cornmeal cakes filled with beans, avocado, spices, and optionally, meat. Their small restaurant is beside a river lined with flowers and fruit trees; as you wait for your meal, you can keep your camera ready for the birds that hover by.

Mindo’s beauty has attracted an international community, including Edyta, an artist who has lived and worked in Europe, the United States, and all over South America.

If you choose to visit Mindo, you’ll find a place that abounds with nature, art, music, and a feeling of community.

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