Our Costa Rica Gift Of Happiness: Open Letter To Costa Rica And Happy Videos

Deb and Barbara: As a sign-off to this blogging week and to our 8-day travel diary of our trip to Costa Rica, we want to take this chance to just say a few more words.

We said it many times during our visit, but we were honestly amazed at just how much effort was being put toward eco-sustainability by Costa Rica in general and the hotels we stayed at in particular: Arenal Springs Resort earning its 4-leaf status and El Silencio Lodge and Spa and The Harmony Hotel earning their 5-leaves. Costa Rica obviously prides itself on these efforts—and the efforts pay off in the abundant wildlife, epic scenery, and pristine beaches that adorn your magnificent country.

However—and this is a big however—please, please keep it up! It could be very easy to embrace eco-tourism as an economic boon, but then cater to the whims of the modern age by mowing down your beauty to make way for roads, hotels, condos, and gallerias. Please resist this common failing.

Because it is your wild and diverse eco-systems alongside your environmental triumphs that make your country so very appealing and unique to the very tourists you want to attract.

Believe us, we know it is and will be hard. We are pleading with our current Canadian government to understand and embrace this forward-thinking philosophy, but instead they try to convince us that tar sands are good and eco-consciousness is baaaaaad. We’re not good with absolutes, but we will say it here: they are wrong. And if they don’t realize that soon, they/we will keep destroying this fragile balance in our own beautiful and largely wild country.    

For Costa Rica, we hope endless dairy farms won’t replace your forest and jungle, that more medical problems will be solved by the healing secrets in your flora, that you will continue to enlighten and lead the world, that you will show us how it’s done. And continue to show us that it CAN be done.

On our trip, we met a journalist who told us that for new development in Costa Rica, the government often doesn’t spend the extra money necessary to insulate the overhead wires, which can then kill wildlife as a result. If your electrical wires are electrocuting the monkeys and sloths so characteristic of your wilds, then we hope you will make the short-term investment necessary to coat those wires that will protect those creatures and your long-term ecological growth (just like your efforts that saved the turtles). One of the ironic moments on our trip was watching the howler monkeys cavort in the trees just above a sign announcing a condo development. Of course, people need places to live and stay, but so do the native animals—and so far you seem to be serving both needs quite well. Don’t forget, you won’t need all those condos and hotels if you mess too much with the unique sites tourists come to see. And also, your people won’t be so happy (see the Happiness Index) if their pristine country is overrun (or run) by the superficial needs of outsiders.

We dearly hope you will continue to charm many many generations of indigenous, local, and international guests as you charmed us with your distinctive balance between nature and man. You humbled us already. We long to be humbled again and again and again by the courageous policies of your country and your heroic nature sentries. 

When tourists ask for “a view of the ocean”, what they really want in Costa Rica is to preserve “a view of the ocean”. A view of an ocean that is clean and pristine and untouched. That’s why we came. That’s why we will come back.

Yours very sincerely, Deb and Barbara

Videos!!!

This is from El Silencio Lodge and Spa where Andrey, the eco-concierge, took us on a tour of the grounds. We’re sampling organic herbs from their greenhouse garden.

This is from the 3-hour hike through the rainforest around El Silencio. Andrey showed us 3 waterfalls—this one being the largest: La Promesa Falls.

This is us during our visit with the Maleku tribe. We are discussing language with José, our gracious host.

Turtle Turtle

You can watch as many of these videos (or as few) as you like. The first 3 videos are short snippets (between 1 and 2.5 min long) of the turtles emerging from their sandy nest and trekking down to the sea. Notice how they need to rest along the way!

The last of these videos is the full journey from nest to sea and runs a cool 10+min. Reader’s choice.

You can still enter for your own Costa Rica Gift of Happiness here!


And a late PS: Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have about our experience. Now we might actually have some time to answer!

Our Costa Rica Gift Of Happiness: Pura Vida!

Deb and Barbara: “Pura Vida” literally translated means "pure life", but it swings many ways too. For example, "How are you?"..."Pura Vida!" It falls into the category of all things lovely in feeling and tone and greetings. It holds its own with the Jamaican "Irie", the Australian "No worries", or even the Italian "Dolce far niente", which of course means, "How sweet to do nothing”. So this is a tribute to Pura Vida, which was our experience and our heart in Costa Rica. We would like to share with you some wonderful random and not so random tidbits from our trip. Some fact, some funny, some silly. And, of course, more photos!

Tico and Tica

Barbara: This is how the Costa Ricans refer to themselves and each other (tico for males, tica for females). What I love about these words—which are used by everyone here, even officially (as we noted yesterday, the English newspaper is called The Tico Times)—is that this got its start because of the common use of the suffix-endearment “tico” (or “tica”) on every word. So, on the one hand, it’s kinda like “gentleman” or “woman”, but on the other, it’s a bit like saying “sweetie” all the time. This is a practice after my own heart, sweeties!

Packing for your trip to Costa Rica

Deb: As you all know I love clothes and I love a good pack. I think I bragged ad nauseam about my stellar Newfoundland packing. This time I was a tad off the mark. So you won't be when you go to Costa Rica, I will share the following tips.

1.    Rainforest, as shocking as it may seem, means rain. So make sure you are prepped with layers and rainproof clothing. We were. But ... we did not know that we would need it for the entire time in the rain/cloud forest. Now, this is not always the case, but ... be prepared. Check the weather! And take good waterproof walking shoes. We lucked out on our tour day, but we only had a drizzle. Others weren’t so lucky. Yet it is still delightful if you are prepped and dry.

2.    We OVERDRESSED. By that I mean too dressy. These were elegant dining rooms and top-of-the-line service and quality, but they were also ... Pura Vida ... whatevs! We could easily have shown up in khakis and a clean t-shirt and fit right in. So ... no pressure to pack dresses and fancy what-have-yous. Our last hotel, The Harmony Hotel, offered a wash, press, and delivery service for $1.50 a piece. WOW. Bargoon, I am thinking.

Barbara: These are the clothes I would most recommend for a multi-ecosystem Costa Rican stay: 2 light-weight sweaters (for layering), 1 hoodie-type sweatshirt, 1 light hooded raincoat, several t-shirts, several tank tops, 2 long pants, 1 pair casual shorts and 1 pair capris, 1 casual skirt, 1 sundress, 1 lightweight scarf, 1 or 2 sunhats, 1 pair comfy walking shoes that can be hosed off, 1 pair water sandals, 1 pair nice sandals, 1 travel shirt (for return trip), bathing suit(s) and cover-up. Of course, don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray! Many hotels in the rainforests will lend you wellies for your hiking, but these are only necessary if the rain is really heavy or the trail really muddy (the rain we had when we were at El Silencio was more of a mist and their trails very well maintained; we were fine with our rubber-soled Mary-Janes and running shoes).

Barbara insisted on this photo -- so impressed was she with the lack of mud on our shoes after the rainy hike! Never be afraid of a rainy hike. Magical.

Is Costa Rica safe?

Barbara: Don’t let people scare you into thinking Costa Rica is unsafe or scary. We saw no signs of crime nor did we hear any untoward stories. The people here are so very decent and proud. They are helpful to and respectful of each other. One example: we were stopped on a roadway because of construction and our driver rolled down his window and extended his bottle of water to the worker manning the stop-and-go. The worker—who was baking in the hot sun—gratefully accepted. It’s a small gesture, maybe, but typical in its gentle kindness. Of course there must be crime here—these are still people after all, with all our foibles and failings. But we never ever worried about our safety … because there was nothing to worry about. Consider also that Costa Rica is the leader on the Happiness Index and maybe you can understand that crime is less an issue here than elsewhere.

As for food and water: the water has been safe for a long time, but all of our resorts purified their water in ecological ways. We already described the water at El Silencio as being filtered for sediment and then purified with ultra-violet light. This is sound practice for destroying harmful microorganisms. We drank the tap water, baby, and never got sick (or felt even “off”). And I have a notoriously sensitive stomach.

Shopping in Costa Rica

Deb: Regards shopping. And this applies to our experience ONLY. We shopped at the Maleku tribe (without pressure) for tiny lovely handmade items! I bought one for me and one for the boy and his girl because I wanted them to have bracelets that were eco-friendly and authentic to the Maleku tribe, and to help the tribe out financially.

When we got to The Harmony Hotel, there were lovely, wonderful, chic, local handmade items in every shop in the minutes-away village. Our favourite shop was just outside the gates of our lovely Harmony Hotel. It is called BAZZAAR and it was so chic and bursting that we managed to pick up a few wonderful items that I already treasure. Barb and I fell in love with similar rings (different shapes and slightly different colours), but reflecting our own sizes and tastes. We love these rings because they symbolize our friendship and bond on this trip and will serve as a wonderful memory for us.

The areas we visited

Barbara: We realized too late that we didn’t really describe for you the specific areas where our hotels were located. El Silencio Lodge and Spa was located about 1 ½ hours north(ish) of Juan Santamaria International Airport (a very modern airport, btw) in the Central Volcanic Valley and is flanked by 2 national parks (and its own extensive reserve). The closest town is Sarchi.

Arenal Springs Resort and Spa (at posting time, I could not link to this hotel, stay tuned) is on the opposite side of the volcano from La Fortuna (the nearest town), but this is a mere 15-minute drive. There are many hotels in this ‘hood, but they are all discreetly hidden amid the forest.

And The Harmony Hotel is in the Nosara area—an area known for its amazing surfing and charming little towns and shops. Nosara is on the Pacific coast in the Guanacaste area (the warm, dry, golden coast) at about the halfway mark. Again, everything here is still pretty discreet, with no high-rises or massive condos. On the beach itself, you see virtually no sign of development. Hopefully, it stays this way! My husband is an avid diver, but it looks like you need the reef-filled waters of the Papagayo area (about 2-3 hours north of Nosara) for that. It might be partly due to the surfer ‘tude of the coastal towns or could be thanks to the Costa Rican traditional cooking around rice and beans, but Costa Rica is a perfect destination for vegetarians and vegans—tons of culinary choice for you!

Costa Rican Spanish

Deb: One of our favourite parts of the trip—which also became our running gag—stemmed from a book Barb gave me on Spanish language travel. When I got to the part about love and sex my day was made and the theme for our trip was established. The following is an excerpt from the book:

YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP! “DON'T WORRY, I'LL DO IT MYSELF”!!!!

We squealed and delighted and the theme of the trip became, "Easy, tiger!" We now wish we had executed it Spanish-style, a la "Suave, tigre” (swa-ve tee-gre), which we will henceforth adopt. We were searching for a replacement for, "That's what she said" and we think we have found it!!!!

Bugs

Barbara: Funny thing … yeah, there are mosquitoes and other bugs, but we had so little problem with them. We hiked the rainforest, wandered the herb garden, horseback rode through forest and along beach, and have little pain to show for it. We used bug spray at the Maleku reserve because José cautioned us it would be mosquito-filled. So we did. But we forgot to spray on our horseback ride. We did feel bites, but the mosquitoes here seem to take only tiny morsels and leave the teeniest spots, which do itch for about an hour and then … nothing. Weird. I would still recommend spray as a precaution, but we were shocked at how rarely we used it or needed to use it.

Driving times in Costa Rica

Deb: Another tip we can offer to those making plans to head to Costa Rica is about the drive times. Do not be fooled by the kilometer mileage. Keep in mind the 60mph restrictions, slow trucks, and winding roads. Give yourselves true time, sit back and enjoy the scenery and the ride. Our trips were made much easier by Barb's nut and chocolate-rosebud bag of goodness! Thank you, Barb. Of course, I sat on a rosebud and had chocolate bud-prints on arrival at Juan Santamaria airport. Barb joined me in the loo and scrubbed it off––"Suave, tigre!"––See how that works? Now you can play!

Recognizing Colin

Barbara: A few of you wondered if Colin was approached by many tourists on our trip. We told you some stories, but kinda forgot the funniest part—he was often (very often) recognized by local Costa Ricans! I had no idea they got Whose Line here. I will also add that—apart from a gaggle of giggling local teens who passed us during our horseback riding tour—the tico/tica fans were so discreet that we had NO idea they knew him … until after our tour or meeting when they offered him a gentle thank-you for the wonderful gift of laughter he gave them over the years. Colin, of course, was his usual gracious self during these encounters.

Thank you!

Deb: We were each given a "Gift of Happiness" water bottle when we arrived at El Silencio as part of our package, but we had no idea until we read the "fine print"—in this case, a good thing—what a gift it really is.

And to The Harmony Hotel where we ate such gorgeous meals (choosing to eat at the hotel every night because the food and service kept calling us back), and where we had wonderful bamboo massages, and front desk service with such elegant laidback style—thank you. You offered free Sustainability Tours of the hotel and the garden. Who does that? People who have nothing to hide, I guess. People who are proud of their job and their life and are eager to share it with the world.

That is what we saw and what we experienced. I should say at this point that NO ONE from the Costa Rica Tourism Board on down asked us for anything in return or had any mandate whatsoever. They did not ask us to blog or to censor ourselves in any way if we did choose to blog.

They gave us a gift. We accepted and now we are giving one back. I guess the biggest compliment we can give to our hosts is ... we will be back. And we will send likeminded souls to you. You will continue to do what you do ... Pura Vida.

Barbara: A huuuuuge thank you to all our hosts, to the hotels and staff, to the Costa Rica Gift of Happiness, and to all those involved in making our trip such a stunning success. 

Colourful ox-cart at Espiritu Santo Coffee Mill.

Plantains (which are fried and featured in every tipico meal).

More great goodies thanks to Costa Rica Gift of Happiness and El Silencio Lodge and Spa.

Hiking tour of El Silencio -- and staring in wonder at a Jurassic era fern.

Colin helping with the tree planting at El Silencio.

Yup, we totally represented those ubiquitous tech geeks who spend their holiday on their computers. We did it for you!

José of the Maleku tribe pointing out the iguana skin on the tribal drum.

Rigoberto, tribal chief, showing us how they wrap the fish in leaves for cooking (and which we later ate).

Deb best capturing just how bitter this herb was that Rigoberto had us sample.

Pretty shoes in the mud!

Meilyn showing us the red stain on her hands.

All of us on our wonderful day.

Interesting signage at Arenal Springs Resort and Spa.

And fun signage. The first regulation had us tittering for a while...

...And prompted flagrant rule-breakers Barbara and Phil from playing out a little under-water "love scene".

Yup, happy.

Yup, her too.

Beautiful gardens at The Harmony Hotel.

Beautiful flowers.

Fun at dinner at El Silencio.

Fun at lunch with the Maleku.

All of us driving from Arenal to the Harmony. Our most excellent driver, José, gamely put up with our antics.

Anniversary night!

The pristine beach near The Harmony Hotel in one direction...

...And the other.

Deb, Barbara, and Phil just really liked this shot.

Happy setter clearing the beach of birds.

We could never decide which of the two adorable shots we had of little Lucerno to post.  Pic #2.

Another delicious breakfast at The Harmony Hotel.

And lunch (soft chicken tacos and grilled fish wrap. Those gorgeous beverages? Healthful -- and virgin -- elixirs at the Harmony. Soooo yummy.

This is fried red snapper, sautéed kale and carrots, and boiled yucca with roasted garlic at the Harmony. It was divine.

Barbara's gentle friend, Marta.

Getting into the mood right before our bamboo massages at the Harmony.

Wet but happy. (... Suave, tigre.)

Our Costa Rica Gift Of Happiness: Day 4, Arenal Springs Resort And The Maleku Tribe

Barbara: Today we had a most extraordinary experience. We were picked up at our hotel by José, a charming and dignified member of the Maleku tribe. He promptly drove us an hour from our hotel to a small enclave populated by his indigenous people.

As tourists being hosted by the Costa Rica Tourism Board, you can imagine that we expected a possibly slanted, “tourist-friendly” (by that I mean possibly cheesy or pandering to tourists) experience, but this was as authentic an experience as we have ever had in our extensive traveling lives. We actually now bow even deeper to our gracious hosts, the Costa Rica Tourism Board, who had the great ideal of sharing with us not just a “fun” adventure, but something truly spiritual and meaningful. Something—there’s no better word for it, even though I said it already—authentic.  

This Maleku tribe, 400-strong in this region, but populating Costa Rica in several areas and among 7 other indigenous tribes, lives in a small, re-naturalized area in Central Costa Rica. We were honoured to be welcomed by one of their chiefs, Rigoberto Lacayolipy, by our driver and host, José Moralos Martinez, and by his wife, Jenny Lacayo Elrzondo, and their young son and niece, Hanzel and Meilyn consecutively. Jose offered us Maleku-style hot chocolate—which is cocoa steeped in hot water, no sweeteners. It is completely different from anything we’re used to, and yet utterly delicious. Bitter and deep like coffee, but not as bitter and more complex. José told us that the young tribal members have rejected this ancestral beverage in favour of the over-sweetened and artificial drinks we find in every supermarket around the world. But they are trying to bring this traditional drink back. And I’m telling you, it deserves its hallowed place.

José’s wife, Jenny, then brought us yucca pancakes fried in salt and oil and drizzled with homemade honey, presented on handmade plates lined with banana leaves. Soooo delicious! José explained that the Maleku like their hot chocolate unsweetened while they eat a sweet treat with it. I will not soon forget this culinary delight!

While we enjoyed this treat, we were joined by a young Peace Corps volunteer, Biiftu Aba-Jebel (native to New York and one of the most beautiful, radiant young women we’ve ever met), who acted as our translator. José sat with us and we engaged in a lengthy, in-depth discussion of the Maleku and indigenous experience in Costa Rica, and how the tribes and the local governments are now trying to work together to increase the environmental responsibility that is so cherished by the Costa Ricans, balanced by the cultural retribution necessary to the native people. This was an intelligent, thoughtful and low-key sharing of a personal experience. We were awed and humbled by these amazing people. And by the courtesy of the Costa Rican people for sharing it with us.

Deb: This conversation was very much a give-and-take of the environmental responsibilities that our own North American countries lack (and/or take for granted). Environmental issues are so at the forefront of the Costa Rican thinking—and we were pretty embarrassed that our own country only scratches the surface in this regard, never mind taking a serious stance. At this point, we should remind you that Costa Rica is third in the WORLD for environmental responsibility.

After the snacks and discussion, Rigoberto, the tribal chief and José’s father-in-law, took us on a tour of the extensive gardens. He asked us as a group to decide who would take the ceremonial walking stick through the gardens. We all looked at each other, not wanting to jump at it because, after all, we’re all polite Canadians. Colin suggested that it might mean the most to me. Everyone agreed. I picked it up, thrilled to have the honour, daunted for a second by the weight of it, and then, humbled, I carried on. Proudly.

The garden is intermingled with the local rainforest, replete with every kind of healing herb and plant indigenous to this region: lemon verbena, ginger, oregano, anise, an anesthetic herb we don’t know the English name of, stevia, lemon grass, a bark that helps diabetes, cat’s claw, etc. He gave us a sample of each plant, encouraging us to taste it, smell it, feel it.

Near the end of our walk, he showed us a vine that cured his asthma. After years of suffering and trying every medicine available to no avail, he was told by doctors that he would have to live with asthma for the rest of his life. Then his son brought him this vine after finding it on a mountaintop. Rigoberto steeped the leaves to make a strong tea and drank the tea 3 times a day for 8 days. His asthma was cured. And this was 11 years ago. He offered this herbal remedy to fellow villagers who were also suffering from asthma. They asked him what payment was required. He said all he wanted was to know if the remedy worked for them. To date, 7 asthma sufferers have been cured.

During this walk, we were told there was a sloth in the vicinity, but sadly it was an elusive sloth. However, we did see the tracks of a small wild cat—and its abandoned kill of a wild bird right in the middle of our path. So our pursuit of the sloth falls under the category of Where’s Waldo, and we remain undaunted in our pursuit.

Barbara: After this amazing walk, we returned to the main hut and were offered a truly delicious meal of fresh-water fish steamed in banana (and other) leaves and several different root vegetables. Wow, just soooo delicious and satisfying. To quench our thirst, they gave us a sweet local iced lemonade that was to-die.

Colin: This day was lovely in its simplicity—the entire day. It was one culture learning about another culture. And being incredibly jealous that they’re better than us.

Phil: I had no real expectations of what the day was going to be like, and perhaps went in with my mind completely open as a result, and despite the tremendous language barrier throughout the one-hour plus drive, and the initial hour prior to Biiftu arriving, (and while I can decipher some basic Spanish, you have to know that the Maleku tribal dialect is completely different than Costa Rican Spanish) we were all able to communicate with each other as equals and as friends. Perhaps our leaders can learn something from this.

Deb and Barbara: For anyone interested in visiting the Maleku tribe, we encourage this experience for several reasons: it is an authentic experience, it’s fascinating, and it opens our eyes to other people’s way of living. If you want to study and investigate the area and local medicinal plants, the tribe will help you do this. As well, José tells us there are several other indigenous tribes who will welcome and inform you—you can contact the Costa Rica Tourism Board or local travel agencies. Or we suggest you cut out the middleman by contacting José’s community directly: José Morales Martinez email: jmjulio115@yahoo.com; or phone: 8731-4997.

Kisses and hugs to the children, Meilyn and Hanzel and Winky the dog, our sweet puppy companion.

As a farewell to us, Rigoberto said that they loved having us and were sad to see us go. We responded by saying that it was not only one of the great days of our trip, but one of the great days of our lives.

Driving to the Maleku reserve

The meeting hut

A young pup took a shine to Phil--left his doggy tattoo on Phil's shirt!

Beverage cups made from fruit husks.

Yucca pancakes! Mmmmm.

Sipping hot chocolate. Mmmm.

The venerable walking stick.

Rigoberto, tribal chief and "medicine man".

Tasting and smelling the beneficial herbs.

The cocoa pod.

Lunch. Mmmm.

Mmmm.

Winky, the 6-month old pup (and Phil's new best friend).

Meilyn and Hanzel

With Biiftu and José (in red shirt).

In the end, we decided to gift our 6 soccer balls and school supplies to the Maleku tribe. We found ourselves with a chance to not only give them to a community that need them, but to one with whom we had an amazing personal connection. It's still Packing For a Purpose. And we still support and encourage their organization and affiliates!