Lapa Rios Ecolodge

Lapathon 2012: A Race with a Purpose for Puerto Jimenez

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:01:00 +0000

Lapathon 2012

A Race with a Purpose

Running to promote and support Sports in Puerto Jimenez

As part of our annual commitment, and in its fourth edition, on May 6th we held our Lapathon 2012. As a follow up to the blog we posted earlier this week, we would like to take the opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the participants, sponsors and visitors of this unique event in the Osa Peninsula.

The main goal of this year´s event was to restore and equip the Recreations Field in Puerto Jimenez, a place to practice sports and recreation for the residents and visitors.

To bring the excitement of this big event to you, we would like to start with a quick overview of the work, activities, feelings and emotions that we enjoyed in preparation of this half-a-marathon.

At 8am on May 6^th, part of the LapaRios volunteers’ team and members of the community started getting ready at the Recreations Field in Puerto Jimenez, which was also the Finish line for the Runners.

Little by little all things started to get done, the organization of transportation, the installation of the awnings, decoration, the runner’s list, the inscription desk, the departure line.

By 10:00 am, the Sansa Regional and Solid Car Rental team joined us to help with more work.

By 1:00 pm more of the Lapa Rios volunteers started with the Departure preparations for the race. Like previous years, the Lapathon was set to depart from the Carbonera School, 18 kilometers away from Puerto Jimenez. It was a pleasant view to see a large crowd of runners and even some cyclists. As our partners were busy handing out the t-shirts and numbers to each runner, another team went over to set up the water stations distributed along the way. The children from the local Boy Scout Troop and a group of Lapa Rios staff helped distribute water to the runners; refreshing and cheering them as they came along.

At 2:00 pm, the sound of the bugle announced that the time of departure was near. The cheerful atmosphere reflected on the participants faces, some chatting, others flexing and stretching, all feelings ready for a jungle run.

At 2:30 pm, the bugle finally called all runners to departure, all of them in friendliness and good sportsmanship encouraging each other on those 18 km ahead, each one putting finally in practice those long hours of training, in preparation for this day.

By 3:30 pm the volunteers started organizing the departure of the Kids Lapathon. Kids Lapathon is a mini-marathon, where children participate and run it´s 3km. There is no inscription fee for the kids to motivate as many as possible to participate.

At 4:00 pm the Kids Lapathon started. For this year we had 2 categories, the A (children from 7 to 9 years old, male and female) and the B (children from 10 to 12 years old). It was amazing to see so many children running for the love of sports in the Osa Peninsula.

It was at 4:10 pm when we saw the first two participants approach the finish line, Adonay Quintero (member of the Lapa Rios housekeeping staff) and Lisanías Matarrita, both had taken the lead a long way back in the marathon. On an exciting tight race, just a few meters off the finish line, both sportsmen made their last effort and sprinted for the right to claim the first place, trilling the audience that cheer them to no end.

Adonay Quintero proved to be the fastest man with a time of 1:09:00, with Lisanías Matarrita right behind at 1:09:30. The third place was won by Noel Calderón at 01:17:00.

The first place of the female category was won by Merida Barbee at a time of 1:24:00, second place was claimed by Ana Catalina Martin at 1:27:00 and the third placed Ursula Jensen with a time of 1:33:00. All of them were received with much applause, cheering, and excitement from everyone in the crowd.

At 05:30 with the participation of Hans Pfister (co-owner of Cayuga, Lapa Rios' Management COmpany) and the representatives of Lapa Rios Eco Lodge, El Remanso Lodge y Bosque Del Cabo Lodge we acknowledged the winners of each category. But all together, all participants who made it that day to the finish line are true winners in their own right.

The assistance and participation of the visitors made the event a true party with people from all walks of life, as well as the craftmen/women, organizations like the Osa Conservation, Yaguara, the Police station and Sansa Regional. Also we had the participation of our sister hotels, Arenas del Mar Beach Front and Rainforest and Harmony Hotel whom participated and shared in this spectacular marathon.

The activity came to a close but not without music and smiles with the participation of all runners and audiences alike.

You could´ve said, Wow! So much work! But if you were behind the scenes of this marathon you could see that there was a lot of support and collaboration from people and companies that made this activity a successful event.

We must give thanks to the 95 runners, the volunteers, and the people from the community and the sponsors that made this Lapathon happen and are responsible for the first steps towards restoring and equipping the Recreational Field in Puerto Jimenez. This year we collected the total of $3,840 to start the first stage of this project.

We would like to thank to all the sponsors for their support to this Lapathon 2012:

Sansa Regional, Solid Car Rental, Hoteles Cayuga, El Remanso Lodge, Bosque del Cabo Lodge, Aventuras Tropicales, Cerro Oro (La Palma), La Bomba de Osa, Farmacia Hidalgo, Tienda Estilos, Diego Mora, Ferretería Materiales de La Costa, Corcovado BM, Banco de Costa Rica, Marisquería Corcovado, Cancha Sintetica Arzaca, Almacen La Palma, Canopy Bosque Mar, Pura Vida Charters, Almentour Sport Fishing, Colosal Estero, ASO Gestión de Riesgos, Agencia de Viajes Travel Excellence y Travel Agency Costa Rican Trails

Lapathon 2012 benefits local Puerto Jimenez community

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:12:00 +0000

The results are in and our 4th Annual Lapathon was a success! Not only did everyone, runners and onlookers alike, have a great time but we also raised over $4,000 dollars for our local community in Puerto Jimenez!

Men Runners Category Winners:

1^st place Adonay Quintero (he works at Lapa Rios). Time 1 hour 9 minutes.

2^nd place Lisanias Matarrita. Time 1 hour 9 minutes 30 seconds.

3^rd place Noel Calderon. Time 1 hour 17 minute.

Female Runners Category Winners:

1^st place. Melida Barbee. Time 1 hour 24 minutes.

2^nd place Ana Catalina Martin Vásquez. Time 1 hour 27 minutes.

3^rd place Ursula Jensen. Time 1 hour 33 minutes.

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

Tamarind Fruit at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Tamarind is the name of a tropical tree native to eastern Africa, but very common in Asia and Latin America. The tree produces a fruit resembling brown bags. In some Latin American countries, it´s sold as a sweet treat but in Costa Rica, it is found in concentrates and pulp for the preparation of drinks.

At our Brisa Azulrestaurant, we have some plates made with tamarind, one example is the Pork Ribs with a delicious tamarind sauce. It´s a very interesting combination of flavors.

We share a picture of our delicious “Tamarind Ribs”

Enjoy with us !!!

Team Profile: Eusebio "Chevito" Martinez

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Name: Eusebio “Chevito” Martínez

Occupation: Front desk

Treasurer for ASOLAPAS

What is ASOLAPAS?

ASOLAPAS is the Association of employees of Lapa Ríos Ecolodge. Formed in 2001 by the employees with the purpose of having an organized system where they can have access to loans and also where they can save their money.

Also, ASOLAPAS have been involved in charity. Chevito tells us about the time they gave food to a poor family from the Puerto Jiménez community.

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

Just a Simple Thought

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Just a simple thought

Author: Estíbaliz Hidalgo Castro

Have you ever seen one of those videos on youtube that become viral? Recently, I saw a video that one of my “facebook friends” put on his wall, it was about a dog helping another dog that was injured in the street because a car ran over him.

I noticed that he got a lot of comments and “likes”; but what really caught my attention was the content of the comments, mainly because everyone talked about how amazing and special the act was.

The thing about the video that made me curious is that I think that it draws people attention not only because of the act itself, but also because it reminds us of the humanity and kindness that we –as individuals and society- have lost.

Sometimes we forget who we are. We forget why we came into this world, we forget our mission in life and we forget why we should be kind; we forget that we should seek for greatness not only for us, but also for everyone that lives among us, even those who we have never met before.

Simple acts of nature often remind us that beyond the material things we have accumulated over the years, what really matters in life is our capacity to do some good for this planet.

A lot of people live their lives and die without noticing this at all. They lived for themselves and maybe for their family, but for the rest of the world, what good did they leave behind?

So, let´s make a promise and try to ask ourselves everyday what good we have done.

Located near Corcovado National Park, you will be in the heart of the rainforest at Lapa Rios Ecolodge!

Celebrating Earth Day at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Seeing the realities in our society, behaviors, hopes and dreams is one of the biggest inspirations toward a better future and a part of what we are. Many of us look for a home, others to have children, while others seek to get a personal goal or just a reason to be or exist.

But what do we have in common and what makes us unique in the world?. There are an infinite number of answers and possibilities but maybe the most shared reason is our home, “the Earth”, that lodges life and all the right conditions to have the means of living wtih a number of shapes, colors, landscapes and many inexplicable situations. Our Earth, that one that we call home, where we stay without paying and our unique possibility to live on.

Even so, a home that has suffered unavoidable changes provoking for the actions that we as tenants do not control or do without knowing can lead to our home falling down. That without giving proper maintenance to it, it can deteriorate.

That´s why in honor of Earth day, we encourage everyone to think about the importance of the our planet and urge you to make a conscious difference, because each of us makes a difference when we take the time to pick trash up, separate solid waste, reuse and reduce, use a minimal amount of water and energy resources, reduce/eliminate our chemicals, among other actions.

As part of the activities and actions, at Lapa Rios we built a sign using solid waste. This sign had a special meaning “The importance of our home for the Human being”. This sign was made for the staff as a symbol of humans supporting the Earth. This sign is a symbol that we are responsible for the Earth and the immense biodiversity that the planet supports.

Additionally, we celebrated today through fun games and collaboration: Soccer games, 22 trees donated , craftsmen workshops reusing solid waste, a parade in Puerto Jimenez down town.

We share a small thought of Mahatma Gandhi “you must be the change that you wish to see in this world”.

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

Baby Spectacled Owl at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:18:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks, we had the pleasure of observing this baby spectacled owl on the bird watching tours. Actually, the parents were found first and it was not until after a few days of spotting them at the same place that somebody discovered the baby high up, hidden away in the palm trees.

While the baby grew, it became a habit for our drivers that bring our guests to the lodge to make a quick stop and show the baby owl and its parents watching over it.

A few weeks after birth, the baby decided to try out its wings and fly. Unfortunately, this didn´t really work well and one of our guides, Edwin, found the baby owl sitting on the ground trying to get back up in the tree, and the parents flying around preoccupied with their young.

So he took a branch and carefully lifted the chick back up into the trees for as high he could and it stayed there for three more days until it was finally strong enough to fly.

It has been a unique experience for many people in the lodge to get to know this big owl and its young from close up and there even are people that have been doing our bird watching tours for several days in a row to check on the little ones progress.

Located near Corcovado National Park, you will be in the heart of the rainforest at Lapa Rios Ecolodge!

Wildlife at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:06:00 +0000

Wildlife at Lapa Rios is simply stunning. It amazes me every day, every moment. Yesterday morning I was walking from one of the rooms to my office and started back when in the trail I found a boa constrictor struggling to suffocate an agouti. The aguti is a big rodent, like a guinea pig, however the snake managed to trap, kill and swallow very fast the poor animal. It was a incredible way to start the morning.

However when I had just overcome the excitment of the snake swallowing the agouti, the wild Osa Peninsula amazed me again, but this time with a very nice event. We found a woolly opossum asleep inside one of the rooms (we don't have an inkling how it got there!). It is not just a gorgeous creature, it is also an animal that loves to sleep very pleasantly and that's why he chose one of our cozy and comfortable bungalows.

-Arnay Garcia

Operations Manager

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

Weaving palm leaf grasshoppers

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Learning how to weave a palm leaf grasshopper

Up, down, do a twist and make it tight!

Make your own coconut palm leaf Grasshopper!

Who does not know the famous grasshoppers or crickets, their shapes, techniques of camouflage and their incessant song that goes deep in our forests as a real concert to Mother Nature? Famous to many, fear by some, these interesting insects can be found all over our territory.

But how interesting it is to be able to reproduce the shape of this insect using coconut palm leafs and learn how to make your own weaved cricket as a part of our children and guest activities.

Step by step, the children, parents and guests of the hotel learned how to weave their own grasshopper with palm leafs. Amid smiles and surprises the tiny works of art started to spring. Up, down, twist and tighten! Some of the new steps were suggested by the children themselves.

This experience was lived by our guests in an evening gathering at Lapa Rios. A part of our many children´s activities that promote the interaction between the children and nature.

Whether honeymooning or taking a family vacation, Lapa Rios Eco Resort is an ideal setting for your next vacation in Costa Rica.

Lapa Rios Team Member Story: Faith & Teaching

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Faith & Teaching

Author: Estíbaliz Hidalgo Castro

You see, I come from a family of educators. My mom is a teacher, my aunts are teachers and my sister is also involved in education. Because of this, in my family ,education is a priority and teachers –as professionals- are highly respected.

A few weeks ago I gave my first English class to kids of different grades who attend La Carbonera School (located near Lapa Rios). It was amazing, we had a great time and the kids really enjoyed the class, I was proud of myself not only because I was experimenting with something so different in my professional life, but also because I had the opportunity to do what the people I love the most have been doing for years.

The owners of the hotel had a vision many years ago, they wanted to build a hotel that helped the community by giving people a job where they can have the opportunity to overcome obstacles and achieve greater things. At the same time, they founded La Carbonera School, so the children of those employees and of the people from the local area could have a place to learn.

Teaching is one of the most important professions in our society; teachers have the power to change someone´s life, to make it better. Every day, teachers gave their heart out just to help their students and their families.

Teachers believe in a better world; they have faith in people and they show their faith by taking care of their students.

If you come to Lapa Ríos, you should visit the school. Meet the teacher, don Carlos, talk to him and ask him about how he manages to give a class to nine students from different grades; probably he´ll tell you that it isn´t that hard, but it´s just because he loves what he does.

He may not have a great paycheck, he may not have the commodities of the modern life, but he still has the humanity that some people already have lost, he has faith in his students and he works really hard every day in order to see them succeed.

Located near Corcovado National Park, you will be in the heart of the rainforest at Lapa Rios Ecolodge!

Our sister hotels, part 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Here's another EcoSalsa contest for our Lapa Rios blog subscribers - just be the first to comment (with your name, please) and correctly answer which hotel we're describing below and you will win an EcoSalsa CD!
Here are the clues:

This hotel is located on the Nicoya Peninsula in the Puntarenas Province
It is a beachfront property and their beach was recently named the #1 beach in all of Central and South America by TripAdvisor travelers
The bungalows are unique in that they are open-air style
There is a wild Tiger Heron who loves to hang out around the pool area

Whether honeymooning or taking a family vacation, Lapa Rios Eco Resort is an ideal setting for your next vacation in Costa Rica.

Celebrating Earth Hour at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Earth Hour at Lapa Rios We had many activities planned for this year's Earth Hour and both staff and guests were eager to get involved!

Last week, Estibaliz made lanterns with the kids from the Carbonera School and children from our staff to motivate them to turn their lights off and use their own handmade lanterns!

Saturday afternoon, Estibaliz and Adrian (HR and Sustainability coordinators) gave a powerpoint presentation about the lanterns and their significance and history in CR. Afterwards all the children and adults made their own creative lantern or “faroles” out of milk carton boxes. And at 8pm we turned off the generator completely for a full hour where we enjoyed dinner by just candle light and the light of the self-made lanterns. It was a lovely experience and all our guests were enthusiastic about participating and having their family picture taken.

How did you celebrate Earth Hour? We'd love to hear your stories!

Our Sister Hotels

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +0000

We have a special surprise for our blog subscribers this week! We'll be giving away an "EcoSalsa CD" to the first person who comments and correctly tells us the name of the hotel where the photos below were taken. Here are a few hints:

This is one of our sister hotels, located in the capital of Costa Rica
It offers exceptional food at its lovely restaurant and is walking distance to many wonderful attractions such as good restaurants, museums and our National Theatre

Even if you're not the first to comment, some of our other sister hotels will be offering a similar contest this week so be sure to subscribe to their blogs and get ready to play!

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

First Aid Training at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

First Aid at Lapa Rios

No, this is not a real emergency...it is the Lapa Rios brigade team (First Aid) training last week. Our team takes the responsibility of helping people in an emergency very seriously. Our team members are trained by professionals to learn how to handle urgent situations, reacting quickly and efficiently.

Whether honeymooning or taking a family vacation, Lapa Rios is an ideal setting for your next vacation in Costa Rica.

Lapa Rios Green Season Specials!

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Lapa Rios Specials

Want to know what these people are all looking at? Come experience Lapa Rios for yourself and find out! Our green season is fast approaching and we're happy to extend to our guests great vacation values for your upcoming summer vacation or romantic getaway! Email us at info@laparios.com to make your reservation!

Honeymoon & Romantic Escape
April 20th through December 14th 2012
Buy our 4 nights all inclusive honeymoon package & receive an additional free night package.

Preferred Family Promotion
April 20th through August 25th & November 27th through
December 14th, 2012
Your kids (12 and below, max. 2 kids per room) stay and eat for free,
*sharing the room with parents and ordering from children's menu.

Green Season Special
April 20th through August 25th & November 27th through
December 14th, 2012
Buy our 4 nights all inclusive Lapa Rios Package & receive an additional free night package.

Special Value Offer
August 26th through November 19th 2012
Stay three nights & receive an additional free night package.

Restrictions: * promotions cannot be combined and do not apply to existing reservations

How early do I need to make my reservation at Lapa Rios?

Our space tends to fill up 2 - 6 months in advance and for some periods even earlier than that. We would recommend that you investigate space availability now and if you think you would like to come and stay with us make a reservation now to guarantee the dates that you want.

We do not recommend less than 4 nights at Lapa Rios for anyone who is arriving or leaving by plane. It is too short a time for most people given the experience encountered here and the variety of things to do and see!

Located near Corcovado National Park, you will be in the heart of the rainforest at Lapa Rios!

Video of the Lapa Rios Puma!

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Puma at Lapa Rios We've had another puma sighting at Lapa Rios! This time, she was seen coming out of the bushes near the path that leads to the beach and the green gate. And one of our guides, Guillermo, happened to be there with his camera! While we don't recommend approaching wild animals, this natural event took both the animal and Guillermo by surprise!

This puma has been monitored and spotted for a while now in other nearby properties and last year she had a baby.

Watch the video of this beautiful big cat here:

An Ecolodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios offers a rainforest vacation you will never forget.

Cooking classes at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

We recently held a cooking class for our guests, given by Dayana, one of our chefs, at the swimming pool. Our guests learned how to make costarican ceviche and patacones that day. Delicioso!

Matapalo Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Abducted? No, this is Andres, our Sustainability Manager enjoying the King Lui waterfall located in Matapalo, close to Lapa Rios. It's a beautiful place where you can fully merge yourself with nature and feel it breathing when a breeze of water droplets softly hits and cool your body.

Also, Rodrigo our Food & Beverage Manager, joined the expedition and took advantage of the goodness of Mother Earth, enjoying a relaxing massage at the hands of the crystalline water that comes from the heart of the forest.

The fauna was present as well and this beautiful Bare-hearted Glass Frog jumped out from the bush to delight us.

Meet Our Team: Rodrigo Hernández

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:20:00 +0000

What you feel before getting to Lapa Rios

By: Rodrigo Hernández

Food & Beverage Manager

It's 3 am. My heart beats fast wishing the plane takes off soon. I just ate a light breakfast because my anxiety did not allow me anything else. 20 pound luggage, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, a fresh white shirt, multifunctional pants to be prepared for everything (rain or heat).

Everything’s there, time to go to the airport in Pavas. At the airport I went through the check-in process while I had this feeling that something great and wonderful was ahead of me.

Finally I hear they’re calling the flight to Puerto Jimenez to start boarding. Once in the air we enjoy an urban landscape that dramatically changes to a combination of stunning green mountains…. WOW!!! All passenger’s faces express awe when the Pacific Ocean with all its stunningly turquoise colors lay in front of us. At this moment all our eyes and the sounds of cameras come in action. Once over the pacific coast we can see “Bahia Ballena” and looking at all this beauty I only become more anxious to arrive to the Osa.

After a 45 minute flight, the plane begins to descend towards a small airstrip…. Hahaha next to the local cemetery!! We arrived at Puerto Jimenez.

There, Vilma, one of my co-workers greets me and takes me to the Lapa Rios reservation office where a cold "Pipa"(Coconuts) refreshes me. After talking to the people in the office, I was told there was still 18 more km to go. Driving on a bumpy road, crossing rivers which in winter can be quite an experience, and under tunnels made of the canopy of trees… After 30 minutes we finally reach our destination. A majestic Eco Lodge surrounded by everything we know as Jungle is in front of me, warm people greeted us with a welcome juice and a refreshing wet towel. This incredible forest was something I had never imagined…..

Celebrating Leynor's 15 Years at Lapa Rios!

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

February 26, 1997 was the day Leynor Ortiz, a 20-year old boy, set foot in Lapa Rios for the first time. He had just come back after working 3 years on banana plantations on the Caribbean coast. He went by the Puerto Jimenez office to see if they had work and met don John. Completely unexpected, John Lewis offered him a job that was available in the kitchen. Leynor answered he wouldn´t know what to do there except for washing dishes and maybe prepare some burnt rice. Don John answered “We´ll teach you all of that, the only ingredient you need is interest in learning how to do things differently."

Now 15 years later, Leynor is a wonderful cook who prepares fabulous delicious meals. He says his biggest challenge has been to be consistently good at what is asked from him and never guessed he would be with us for such a long time. But now that he´s here, he hopes to be here another 15 years more! So do we!! As a celebration, he had lunch at our breezy restaurant and our staff prepared a cake and sang to him.

Felicidades Leynor!

Meet Our Team: Estíbaliz Hidalgo Castro

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Back to basics

Author: Estíbaliz Hidalgo Castro
Date: February 12, 2012

Last year I reached my boiling point. The life I had back home was beautiful but unfulfilling. You see, I´m from San José and as much I love the city where I was born and raised, it is impossible to hide the fact that as small as it may seem, San José has all the social madness and paranoid feelings of any big city… I needed a change.

Eventually the chance came; the opportunity of a lifetime was knocking at my door and I was ready to invite it in. I was offered a job, a “steady – 8 hours long – deal with work partners” kind of job, but it has a condition: I had to move and live by the beach (WHERE DO I SIGN?!).

And so I packed my things, said goodbye to my family and friends and took a 50 minute plane ride (because it is a ten hours long drive) and came to live at Matapalo, Puntarenas. A place where I have never visited before, where I knew no one and that is many, many kilometers away from what I know as my home (and I didn´t brought my red shiny shoes).

The first week I was exited, everything was so new! The sounds of the monkeys climbing up and down the trees, the different animals I saw walking to the hotel, the beach –OMG the beach! – it was perfect, I changed the cars and the “bad city elements” for exotic animals and sandy afternoons.

Then, loneliness came; the nights were long, especially when I had to eat alone, I missed my family, my friends and my hugs before sleeping time… Inevitably, I suffered a meltdown, something really small and insignificant that happened hit me like a thousands punches, and as the tears and the screaming came, I couldn´t calm myself, I just needed to cry my feelings out and the worst part, the thing that made my cried even harder, was that I thought I had no one to rely on.

But I was so blind. I didn’t allow myself to see that in between the sand and the waves, there were people surrounding me, human beings made of bone and flesh, that from day one always offered me their smile and support.

Most of the people in here didntt finish school, they didn’t had the same access to education and health that I had growing up in San José, in a household where money wasn´t a real problem. From afar, it may seem like we don’t have much in common…

In San José, people often are aggressive and have too many emotional issues, but in here everything is simpler, the persons are real, they are humble and honest. They respect you for what you are and not for what you have; so they test you, they want to see the real you.

And I´m also like that, back home I felt asphyxiated because all the fakeness that surrounds me, but here everything turns back to basics: “show me who you are, and I´ll show you my respect”. It’s simple, its easier and it’s beautiful.

So I recommend to you, if you decide to come to Lapa Ríos, to enjoy the wildlife and the adventures, but also talk to the staff, learn about them, listen to their amazing stories of how they overcome obstacles and achieve more of what they could ever dream of. Especially, take a mental photograph of their smile and always try to remember that even in the hardest time a smile can change your life and the life of the person that is next to you.

They know that, they do that…why don't we?

Another Puma Sighting!

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:29:00 +0000

Two of our recent guests, Julia and Janet, took this photo while on our self-guided trail at Lapa Rios!

To quote Julia, "We're back in the U.S. and missing Lapa Rios. We had a fabulous time! Here is the photo of the puma Janice and I saw on the self-guided trail. I am still very excited that I was able to get one photo before he turned and walked away. It was definitely a sighting of a lifetime."

Thank you Julia for sharing your incredible experience with us!

Waterfall Rappelling Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Our last post from Teresa, our intern...On one of my last days at Lapa Rios, I went on the waterfall rappelling tour . It was very close to the Ecolodge and the guides quickly outfitted us in harnesses. There were four waterfalls total. The first three were definitely shorter while the last one was seemed crazy long. (But then again, I have a fear of heights and having the guide yell at you to lean back while gallons of water is crashing down next to you can take things out of proportion…just a bit.) It was crazy watching the guides as they seem to just jump down in two seconds, but when it was your turn, the idea that a rope was holding your weight and that you were in control of that rope was terrifying. I tried not to look down, but somehow I would always turn my head and see which rocks I could possibly fall to my death on. But it was definitely very exciting and fun overall. It was a warm day and getting wet in the waterfall and some pools were definitely a plus.

The last waterfall was definitely the highlight though. There were two options: the wet option or the “get soaked” option! You first started down the side of the waterfall and at midpoint, the guides would hold onto the rope for you so you could let go completely and jump directly into the waterfall and get a great “Look Ma! No hands!” picture. One of the highlights was also the fact that you ended at the beach. It was one of the most gorgeous beaches ever with the most beautiful shades of blue and turquoise and very fine sand. Overall, this tour was a lot of fun and excitement and I’m glad I got to go on it before I left Lapa Rios!

Three Toed Sloth

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:55:00 +0000

The three toed sloth is one of the few animals that never rush anything they do, not even crossing the road. We observed this sloth slowly moving across the road just before the entrance of the waterfall trail. This mammal, even though it´s fairly common, is seen only occasionally in the forest because of his stunning ability to hide and blend in with their surroundings. But when we find one, many people get to see it since it will sometimes sit in the same perch for several days in a row. This is a male three toed sloth but on several other occasions lately we have been observing female three toed sloths with baby´s in trees surrounding the Lapa Rios property.

Dental Health Campaign at Lapa Rios

noreply@blogger.com (Lapa Rios Ecolodge) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:25:00 +0000

With great joy, we want to share with you that last September we held, with great success, the Dental Health Campaign Carbonera - Carate.

This is the first campaign of its kind organized by Lapa Rios Ecolodge and we are proud to tell you that its impact was greater than we expected.

This campaign directly impacted the children in all three schools in the area: La Carbonera, Río Oro and Río Piro and people in general from neighboring communities from Carbonera (where Lapa Rios Ecolodge is located) to Carate (one of the Corcovado National Park boundaries).

The operation was carried out by professionals in the area from the University of Costa Rica who for three days donated their talents and time, working nonstop to try to take care as many people as possible. Thank you very much, Dr. Sonia Stradi, Dr. Jorge Soto and students Carolina, Itzel and Jose David.

We setup a mobile clinic near the Staff Area at Lapa Rios for the services. A total of 67 people, children and adults, were attended to and who underwent a total of 221 different dental services.

Undoubtedly, this was possible thanks to the union and support of various companies in the area to whom we send a special thanks: El Remanso Rainforest Wildlife Lodge, Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge, Nature Air and SANSA.