Andrew Evans has been traveling on board the National Geographic Sea Lion , from Costa Rica to Panama, on his journey to Antarctica. Today he discusses the many definitions of Pura Vida. Cruise ships are often the worst places to experience local culture. They’re often impersonal and far removed from the destination they are supposedly “visiting.” On the contrary, my expedition on Lindblad’s Costa Rica & Panama Canal cruise has been a rich cultural experience that focuses on everything local. For starters, nearly all the guides and naturalists on board are Tico (Costa Rican) and know each destination like their own backyard (which it is). I’ve also noticed a real effort to connect with the local people and institutions that we pass along the way and encourage guests to “be” in Costa Rica, from setting up picnics next to Costa Rican families on the beach to having language lists on board for obscure-yet-local geographical terms. It also helps that we can have never had to use an actual cruise ship dock but can rely on quick and easy access on Lindblad’s Zodiacs. And while foreigners often deride Costa Rican cuisine, the Lindblad ship featured an evening of all-Costa Rican cooking (which I loved): black beans and rice, roasted chicken doused in Linzano salsa, carne mechada, tortillas, queso fresco, fried plantains, and rice pudding. The staff and crew all wore hats with Costa Rican flags and a few kept blurting out, “¡Pura Vida!” Pura vida means “pure life” in Spanish, but in Costa Rica it means so much more. It’s kind of like a cheer that celebrates life, defines something as “cool” or merely exclaims, “isn’t that great?”