In most other countries, if a tree is in the way of a fence or house, it would immediately be removed, and that would be the end of it. But in Mexico--at least in San Miguel--it is different. I asked a neighbor about it, and he said it's because there are fines for cutting down trees...this is a desert after all. But I like to think that the people here simply recognize that a life without trees is no life at all.
Think of how you feel when you drive past a forest that has been clear-cut. It literally hurts me to look at it. Yet when I'm buying wood furniture, or looking at a new house being built, my mind doesn't automatically connect the two...
In addition to saving trees (for whatever reason), Mexicans are also keen on compact fluorescent light bulbs. As in many other parts of the world we visited, Mexicans put CF bulbs in almost all of their light fixtures--to the point that aesthetic beauty is compromised for energy efficiency. Take note of this light fixture from the church in San Miguel de Allende:
Not pretty to look at, but oh my, the energy they save! This "efficiency over aesthetics" is also quite typical in Egypt, India, China...all over the world, actually. A few times we have seen more attractive versions of the CF bulb, but the spiral is still #1 around the world, regardless of what fixture it is coming out of. I remember buying my first compact fluorescent in 1993. It was GIGANTIC, very expensive, and wouldn't fit in any of my light fixtures...so I put it in the bathroom where I had a pull chain fixture. It was my first attempt at being more energy conservative, and I was so proud of it. Now my whole condo has CF's--they are small now, and much less expensive.
Our stay at Lapa Rios was beyond fabulous, and aside from the spectacular wildlife and scenery, one thing I really loved and appreciated was how every detail at Lapa Rios included a focus on the environment. The entire lodge occupied only 5% of the total owned land, and there are no plans to add more structures. Plastic was virtually unseen, and there were very few disposable items. Our room even had two wastebaskets--one for recycled materials, one for trash. (Fat chance we'll ever see that at The Hilton Hotel!) It was encouraging to see a resort take such a stand, and the more I learned about our ecosystem, the more I felt like we as humans have a LONG way to go. But even with all that they do at Lapa Rios, I couldn't stop myself from having the gall to ask why the resort served meat, when studies have shown that many rainforest's are mowed down in order to graze cattle for meat production, and that water is polluted by pig farms. (There's nothing worse than an uppity vegetarian asking self-righteous questions!) They didn't need to answer me, however, because I already knew the answer: The typical tourist expects meat, and the whole operation would probably go under if they didn't offer meat. You gotta do what you can, I guess. Even some of my environmentalist friends have no problem eating meat, it being their guilty pleasure. And I have learned that it's best not to question what people put in their mouths...comfort, tradition, taste...they all work together to give a sense of well being and happiness. Who am I to mess with that? It took me five years to finally and fully become a vegetarian, and I did it in my own way, on my own time, for my own reasons...the environment being one of them.
I could also learn a lot from the Mexican people. They too are a humble lot, quietly going about their business, never in a rush, and never stressed. And I really am liking that siesta concept. A siesta under a tree...How great is that?
Because of the UNESCO classification, the city of SMA is currently in the process of burying all power lines in the city center, and all new construction must conform to building codes to retain the colonial look and feel of the city. It's quite charming, and we immediately took a liking to it. However, I soon realized that I was quite ignorant when it came to Mexican history, so to help me understand more about it, we went to see a locally made documentary called The History of Mexico, and I left the theater feeling so darn depressed. If Mexico wasn't being attacked and ruled from the outside by Spain and France, it was being attacked from the inside by corrupt politicians. And it didn't help to have good old America "rob" Mexico of most of its oil, plus take the territories of Texas, California, Utah, Arizona (and many other states) in the Mexican-American war--a war that many Americans at the time opposed, and it eventually fueled the origins of our own Civil War. (Let's hope that history doesn't totally repeat itself...but given our political climate these days, who knows.) When I think of the profound wisdom that has come from the Mayan and Aztec people, it's just a sad tragedy that colonialism, corruption and greed pretty much destroyed what appeared to be a bright future for Mexican Indians. If Mexico seems like a poor country today, lets just say that they had a lot of help getting there. Add to that the continued problem with corruption, and it's no wonder that so many Mexicans seek a better life in the United States.
They were celebrating the time when Mexican Indians accepted Christ as their savior. I read that some of the difficulty Mexico has had over the years has been the integration of tribal culture with colonial culture, and possibly such celebrations are an attempt at reconciling that...At any rate, it was encouraging to see such happy people in the town square, even though their history has been anything but uplifting.
looking at the beautiful architecture, peeking in shops, and sampling pastries--or ice cream in my case. There are many street venders here that sell unusual flavors of ice cream like Pine nut, Rose petal, and Cheese. Yes, cheese ice cream, and of course I had to try them all! As my co-workers from OHSU can attest, I love strange flavors of ice cream, so I've loved that about Mexico. We've attended a few lectures, concerts, and even seen a few movies at the nearby mall. (We were even welcomed into town with a showing of Groundhog Day--but we were the only people to show up to see it!) We've visited the Botanical Gardens, and taken a Home and Garden Tour too, but really, most of our time has been spent learning Spanish, and studying for several hours a day. While both of us can read Spanish fairly well now, and understand it if spoken slowly, it is still difficult for us to say very much. Allan's recent post on Verbos Irregulares was no joke--smoke really has come out of his ears! For those of you that know Allan well, you know that he is always in command, always in control. So it was quite a sight to see him struggle. It was the first time in our relationship that I have seen Allan struggle with anything...and also the first time I have been a little bit better at something than he is. Before I met Allan, I thought I was neat, clean, disciplined, organized, and that I could cook a fairly decent dinner. But after being with Allan these past five years, I've realized how delusional I was. He can make Martha Stewart look sloppy and tasteless, so I shouldn't take it too personal, but still, it's hard to constantly be inadequate in his presence. So I took with much delight those days in class when I could form a sentence in Spanish a few seconds faster than he could. So forgive me if I milk this ego moment...based on past experience, it probably won't last for long...
The rest of what we saw of San Jose, well, was not visually appealing unless you were in the ornamental iron and security fencing business, not that there was any business to be had as virtually everything was behind bars and gates often accented with a run of barbed wire across the top...need I say more?
In deciding just where to go in Costa Rica, we asked several friends who had traveled to Costa Rica for their thoughts on what they enjoyed and what we might enjoy. It was Lindsey and Alycia that recommended Lapa Rios to us in the context of several suggestions, but bottom line their final suggestion, "Lapa Rios, Lapa Rios, Lapa Rios". Lapa Rios translates to River of Macaw (Scarlet Macaws or Lapa Roja in Spanish). The birds are native to the area and often times can be spotted on the property, hence the resort name, Lapa Rios.
Travelling from San Jose to the Osa Peninsula, where Lapa Rios was nestled in the rainforest atop a hill near the Corcovado National Park was a trip like no other.
We took a small domestic airline carrier to Puerta Jimenez, the main, but small town on the peninsula. This was one of the smallest commercial planes I have flown on and I have been on a lot of planes in my life. The seating capacity was 12, including the pilot and co-pilot! Single seats to each side of the 'aisle' if you could call it that, more like a large crack between the seats that would normally be filled with loose coins and used chewing gum. One could not stand, the height being about 4 feet inside the cabin. When I saw the plane, I threw away the notion of having a freshly brewed cup of Costa Rican Coffee on board as I gazed out the window as we flew from the San Jose valley over the surrounding cloudforest mountains to the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica. Also, went the idea of using the bathroom on board, as one did not exist.
On take off, I momentarily recalled the children's book, "The Little Engine that Could", but in this case, "The Little Plane that Could" with it's propeller going as fast as it could so we could get off the ground while the plane was repeating it's motto: "I-think-I-can, I-think-I can...". Like the little Train Engine that could in the story, we did make it 'over the hill'.
It, in part, was probably due to passenger weight restrictions, and I'm not just talking about baggage! At the Flight Check-in each passenger was allowed one checked bag of 20 pounds and a total weight of 250 pounds or you had to purchase an additional seat. Yes, you had to stand on the baggage scale next to the check-in counter with your bag to confirm your total weight...interesting. Can you imagine the overly self concious woman getting on the scale, saying 'Don't Look' to her fellow travelling campanions and miscellaneous airline crew in view of the scale weight reading. I wonder how many domestic trips in Costa Rica have been cancelled, in lou of over land transportation, due to this process requirement for the very self conscious.
Upon arrival to Puerto Jimenez we were met by a representative of Lapa Rios with our transfer service by car ready to go. We were told that the trip to Lapa Rios was about 45 minutes and over a bumpy, unpaved road. Trust me, this was nothing compared to our trip in to Ranquilco, we were in a 4 wheel drive jeep, on comfortable seats and we were there in what seemed like minutes, I guess it's all relative...
When we arrived Lapa Rios, we were greeted by the hotel staff and were offered a refreshing moist towel and a tropical drink of Passion Fruit and Sour Guava, yum! Our reception was nothing less of how Mr. Roarke would greet guests on the 1978 TV Series, "Fantasy Island", short of Tattoo (no pun intended).
The main lodge was an open air, woven palm thatched roof structure with a look out perched above the dining room with views of Dulce Bay and the horizon of the Pacific Ocean.
We arrived just in time for lunch, and this is when the beginning became the end (more on this later). Following lunch we headed to our 'bungalow'. It was a small resort, 16 bungalows in total, very intimate in feel and a beautiful setting within the rainforest. We were in 'bungalow' 5, think Four Seasons Hotel meets Gilligan's and the Skipper's hut on "Gilligan's Island". If you've got that image in your head, then you can visualize our beautiful bungalow; open to the rainforest, coastal breezes and the sunsets on Dulce Bay. The furniture was that of bamboo (like Gilligan's, but a bit more refined), off set by the white bug net bed canopies and sumptuous linens.
It was gorgeous, simple but elegant. Just outside our room was a private deck for our pleasure; chaise lounges, a small table and chairs, an outdoor shower (in addition to the one indoors) within a small tropical garden.
After we settled in we took a walk around the grounds, I really appreciated the harmony between the built environment and that of the rainforest. Lapa Rios is an Ecolodge set in a private nature reserve of 1,000+/- acres, in one of Central America's last remaining lowland tropical rainforests in Costa Rica. Although a Sustainable Resort, it was not lacking in the amenties I would enjoy such as an attentive staff, a swimming pool, coffee service delivery to our bungalow each morning and an outstanding restaurant in which we enjoyed all of our meals. I also enjoyed not having internet, phones or phone service and TV (not that I watch TV, but one of the many things I've learned about David on this trip is that he is a Channel Surfer...I'm sure there is a support group out there for people like him).
Over the next several days in between relaxing, reading by the pool, late afternoon coffees accompanied with sunset views, we partook in several guided tours; Sunset Bird Watching, Local Medicine Walk, Osa Trail Hike,
Wild Water Falls Hike...also taking a dip in the falls pool,
Early Bird Tour (early it was, we left at 5:15 AM).
David and I also each planted a tree in the rainforest as part of a larger effort to sustain the Primary and Secondary Rainforests.
In addition to the organized tours, we walked a couple of beaches along the Dulce Bay and hiked a self guided tour through the rainforest. Of course, we choose not to go on the Overnight Jungle Tour, I was just fine in my canopied bed with two pillows in my screened bungalow all sung, safe and sound.
The rainforest was dense, tropical trees and plants filtering the light only allowing a ray or two to reach the forest floor,
providing a home for an abundance of wildlife. Monkeys were everywhere, and if not seen, they were heard especially the Howler Monkeys. You would swear you were dropped into a scene from "Jurassic Park", the dinosaurs and raptors just over the hill from you, I'm serious, this is no exaggeration.
Howler Monkeys are the loudest land animal and can be heard up to 3 miles away; based on what we experienced, I can't disagree. It's only the Male monkeys that make the loud sounds (of course, the boys are the noisy ones!) in order to let other monkeys know that this is their territory and to stay away, again, a male thing, apparently independent of species...
Of course we saw many other animals; Two and Three Toed Sloths,
a Gulfo Dulce Poison Frog, Green Iguanas-of all sizes, Snakes,
White Capuchin Monkeys or White Faced Monkeys with a baby (not pictured),
Squirrel Monkeys, etc.
The first couple of days at Lapa Rios, I would only wear shoes (vs sandals) when I left the bungalow, even to walk up to lunch or afternoon coffee, in fear that a lizard would run over my foot. By the third day, after seeing so many Iguanas and snakes, I started wearing my open toe sandals out and about the resort, as I was only concerned about the Iguanas that were over a foot or so long!
The bird watching was also incredible, absolutely incredible. We saw several species, of note were the Chestnut Mandible Toucans
(like the one pictured on a box of Froot Loops but yellow, yes, I liked them as a kid, surprised I'm gay!),
and of course the signature bird of the resort, Lapa Roja or Scarlet Macaw, always in pairs as they mate for life. I don't know where David and I are headed in life, but we have been acting like a pair of Macaws these last 13 months. I wonder if they have separate nests...
And bugs, where were all the bugs I thought we would see, hear and swat away from our faces, exposed arms and legs? Short of a few larger than life crawly bugs,
they were not to be found...but we brought two kinds of Insect Repellent (one natural and one 'Full Strength' with all the bad stuff in it), Insect nets for our hats and mosquito netting just in case, you can't say we weren't prepared!
Well, back to our first day, after our lovely afternoon, it was dinner time. As I mentioned earlier, although it was a relatively small resort, guests were able to choose their meals from an extensive menu everyday, dinner being the only limited menu with your choice of 2 soups, 2 salads and 3 entrees and your choice of dessert. You preselected your dinner choice in the morning, usually after breakfast, so they could prepare only what was going to be ordered and not waste anything. The selection was wonderful, especially as vegetarians we had so many options and there was always a vegetarian option for dinner. We were there for one week and never had a repeat dinner, each entree was completely different and creative. Breakfast was served between 7:00-9:00 AM, Lunch 11:30 AM-2:00 PM and Dinner 6:00-8:30 PM, and therein lies the problem. The food was exceptional and the meals were included in the total cost of our stay, so of course we had to take advantage of it. Needless to say, we ate far too much the entire week and following our arrival lunch we were never hungry again our entire stay, and weren't for a couple of days following our departure. In chatting with other guests, we all wished we were hungry for the meal before us. Half portions were available, but that wouldn't be any fun...Of course we had a full breakfast, followed by a full lunch with dessert (homemade Crisp Ginger Cookies made with fresh Ginger for me and a homemade rich and dark Chocolate Brownie topped with roasted macadamia nuts for David, usually with Ice cream I might add) then to be followed by coffee in the late afternoon, sometimes requesting more ginger cookies to accompany our Costa Rican brew,
and of course, then dinner...One thing was certian after our week at Lapa Rios or 'Comida Rios' as I've renamed it (meaning River of Food) is that the scale reading at our Puerto Jimenez Flight Check-in would read just a little higher than when we departed San Jose, and it's not because David cleaned out the room toiletries before we left...as he often does!
Some of our favorites:
Breakfast:
Pañuelos; A homemade flaky, buttery Danish filled with cream cheese and guava jelly. Pañuelo (a handkerchief) best describes this pastry’s folds.
Central America Corn Cakes; Rich, small cakes made with whole corn, diced sweet peppers and onions. Served with a light yogurt-chili sauce, scrambled eggs and Pico de Gallo. Pico de Gallo is their homemade fresh salsa (Pictured above).
LapaPupusa; Two homemade corn tortillas sandwiched with black beans and cheddar cheese. Topped with a fried egg (we like scrambled) and avocado. Served with red salsa ranchera. Pupusa is a Salvadorian favorite food, traditionally filled with beans, cheese and chicharrones (fried pork rinds)...we prefer the Lapa Rios interpretation...
Lunch:
Tica Tostada; A crisp wheat flour tortilla filled with mixed greens, black beans, grated cheddar cheese, Pico de Gallo salsa, a dollop of sour cream and avocado slices.
OK, OK, enough about the food, but it all was absolutely wonderful... I'll move on with the post!
Lapa Rios was a unique and wonderful experience, I enjoyed everything, even the Howler Monkeys once I saw their size. I also learned a great deal about the Rainforest, Primary and Secondary, and how humans have impacted the delicate balance of natural habitats. Some of the most interesting things I learned follow:
Termites build nests in trees, counter intuitive to me, but they only eat dead wood.
There are animals named Sloths and they really are sloths, not in name only, physically inactive anyway.
There is a tree with sap that is highly flammable.
There is a living animal that sounds like a dinosaur (to me), the Howler Monkey.
There are rainforest trees that host on other tree species and ultimately strangle the host tree, called Stranglers. As the host tree dies, it leaves a hollow core to the erect Strangler tree.
Leaf-cutter Ants are a very well organized group and I'm sure very obedient.
Virtually every house plant you have or have had exists in it's natural environment, the rainforest...and you wonder why you can't get some to stay alive.
There is a tree with sap like that of human blood; in color, consistency and opaqueness/transparency.
There are many 'sensitive plants', when touched they immediately close.
Following our adventure at Lapa Rios, we returned to San Jose (...and the scale did read higher...) for 3 days, staying at an Inn on an Organic Coffee Plantation nestled in the base hills of the cloudforest just outside of the city. I can't think of a more fitting place for me and final place to visit in Costa Rica as I do love my cup of Joe.
The Inn was lovely, with a view of San Jose, the visual unpleasantness lost in the distance. The Inn was inspired by Antonio Gaudi's work and his Catalan Modernismo Movement of the late nineteenth century, an extension of the International Art Nouveau Movement. Organic lines and shapes dominated the building design, window openings and gardens; sophisticated with a mere suggestion of whimsy.
One day we had the opportunity to tour the Coffee Plantation with the head of the farm, Leo. It was fascinating to understand what goes into creating an Organic Coffee Plantation, the certification requirements and process, sustaining an Organic Coffee Plantation and the economics of the Coffee and Organic Coffee Trade.
We ended our tour with a walk through the Coffee Roasting Room, filled with the aromatic essence of coffee, and then on to a coffee 'cupping' session, not unlike sampling a group of wines via a flight. We topped off the afternoon tour with a Cappuccino, of course, it was perfect.
The next day we took a trip to the Poas Volcano National Forest, a Cloudforest, quite different than the lowland tropical forest of Lapa Rios. The vegetation is so different as you ascend the mountains, over 8000 feet above sea level. The highlight of the national park is the volcano crater of Poas, most often ensconced in clouds. We did have the opportunity to see the crater, be it a few seconds (literally) with the help of the mountain breezes sweeping the clouds to one side of the crater. It was quite magical being of the mountain and the clouds.
All in all, Costa Rica was a memorable experience on so many levels, but again, I realize we may not have seen the Costa Rica that many have seen.
Click here to see more pictures of Costa Rica.
...although it has been fun. We'll be getting caught up on the blog, more to come!
