Brittany's Costa Rican Birthday Bash

So did you miss me? I have been away awhile, escorting my long-time friend Brittany around the country. She decided she did NOT want to celebrate her 40th birthday in New York City so she hopped on a Jet Blue and spent nearly two weeks with Layne and me and our puppy Winston, who rather fell in love with her. In part, she was checking out Costa Rica as a possible place to relocate where life would be less stressful and less expensive than NYC. Although we spent one morning looking at apartments, mostly she and I made overnight trips to our favorite resorts, such as Bahia Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula and Finca Luna Nueva near La Fortuna.

But we started right here in Atenas with the El Toledo Coffee Tour, guided by our friend Gabriel who sells organic coffee at the feria each Friday. We were joined by part of the Santa Eulalia gang, Chris and Sue and Bonnie, along with Layne who handled wild dog Winston, for the long winding climb up the mountain to the El Toledo farm. Gabriel explained in detail the history of the farm and why and how they switched to organic permaculture farming some twenty years ago after his father realized that pesticides and chemicals were causing his health problems. It was a steep learning curve for them and not immediately profitable. In fact, even now they make less than before the change but as Gabriel said, "Our family's health and the health of the planet are priceless."

Gabriel explains coffee to Bonnie while Winston wanders

Beans fresh from the roaster

After Gabriel's educational talk and a delicious "coffee tasting" experience, we hiked along the steep trails through the farm, learning as we went and enjoying bites of the multitude of fruits that grow unaided among the coffee plants. Brittany really enjoyed the tour and we highly recommend it.

Next on our agenda was a sea kayaking trip to Bahia Rica, a rustic lodge near the Paquera ferry landing run by a friendly Norwegian couple, Vigdis and Thomas, offering tours of all kinds, from sport fishing to snorkeling to whale and dolphin watching. The kayak trip, however, almost did Brittany in as the vigorous paddling aggravated carpel tunnel and tendonitis in her right hand, causing so much pain that for the return trip, Thomas hitched her kayak to his and towed her back to the lodge. Even though Brittany was a bit discomfited to need the help, she did say it allowed her some leisurely sightseeing. And there was plenty to look at because the scenery among the islands there in the Gulf of Nicoya is stunning, although we were saddened to see how terribly polluted the Gulf has become.

On the Paquera Ferry... can she be 40??

Brittany on the porch at the lodge

Lucky for us, Thomas had just snagged a huge corvina or sea bass on a fishing trip the day before and the dinner he prepared with it was fabulous. We enjoyed lively conversation, much of it about food and cooking, with Deborah and Steven, a pleasant couple on vacation from Colorado. Since I had mentioned to Thomas and Vigdis that it was Brittany's birthday trip, he even baked a yummy chocolate cake and served it with ice cream and a candle on top!

Finca Luna Nueva pool

Finca Luna Nueva, a huge organic farm and conference center near La Fortuna, was our next outing and it allowed for some nice relaxation on the veranda of our spacious family bungalow. The afternoon of our arrival, I went for a swim in their big spring-fed, non-chlorine pool while Brittany opted for the hot tub. There she met Joseph who works for FLN as a microbiologist, studying ways to sequester carbon in the soil and plants. When I joined them after my swim, we all had a most fascinating conversation about soil biology and the principles of permaculture. For more information on the biodynamic systems used at FLN, visit Joseph's blog.

The next morning we were up bright and early for a horseback ride to Arenal Volcano.

View from my horse Luna

Brittany in control again

Brittany and Yours Truly enjoy the view

Brittany is not the experienced rider that I am so she had a few rather exciting moments as her mount had different ideas than she did on which way to go. But she managed to coax the beast along the steep and muddy trail to a high point beneath the volcano that offered us a splendid, if slightly cloudy view.

Hands-free! Brittany takes a picture of Cesar, our guide, volcano in the background

Finally, on Tuesday the 14th, it was Brittany's special day and along with Layne we headed to Jacó to celebrate her birthday. The weather cooperated with beautiful sunshine and a few drifting clouds. So with Mojitos and Margaritas in hand, we lazed around for the afternoon, wandering along the sandy beaches and taking a few dips into the powerful surf before heading home for her to pack.

All in all, it was a fun-filled holiday. We hope Brittany enjoyed it all as much as we did. Happy Birthday, honey! 

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Monkeying Around in the Jungle

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

         As promised in my last post, and before too much time elapses, let me continue the report on our trip to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, the beautiful organic farm and conference center we visited with our good friends Penny and Joel last week. Truly, every day brings an adventure here so that if I fail to post for more than a day or two, I have too many new stories to tell to return to the old ones.

         But the Arenal Hanging Bridges tour that we took was too good not to mention and offer you a picture or two. Unfortunately, the photos I took with my older digital camera in no way capture the awesome rain forest canopy vistas that we enjoyed and Penny’s new camera ran out of battery halfway through our hike so her picture gallery is no doubt limited to the numerous shots she took of a monkey swinging through the trees above us before we even left the parking area. We were also greeted by a couple of magnificent macaws, their turquoise feathers shining in the light as we entered the park.

         As we crossed the first of 15 bridges over deep canyons filled with enormous trees and ferns and palms and other tropical plants, we spotted several monkeys in nearby trees. Suddenly, one of them jumped into the foliage just a few meters above Penny’s head! He eyed us curiously as we did him. Then as we began our walk, another monkey made a stupendous leap of some 30 feet or more from one tree to another, simply flying through open space and easily grabbing a limb as he landed. Now that’s something you won’t see in the zoo!

         I was most astounded at the size of the plants and feel at a loss to convey their magnitude. Again, the photos simply don’t do them justice. Individual fern leaves as big as a car; huge fronds on palms standing dozens of feet high; gigantic tree trunks, sprawling at the base of trees that soared upward into the canopy, their tops out of sight. The open suspension bridges allowed us to peer down into narrow rushing rivers below and view picturesque waterfalls streaming down the canyon walls. Birdcalls and cacophonous insect sounds were all around us and we would probably have seen more wildlife except for some noisy and rude Gringos behind us, laughing loudly and hollering out to each other. We finally asked them to lower their voices in accordance with park rules, only to have them respond with arrogance and nasty comments. We wondered exactly what their purpose was in coming to such a place of nature if all they wanted was to party.

         Back at FLN Lodge, we all had a chance to enjoy their non-chlorinated swimming pool, which is kept clean by an ozonator system, in accordance with their exacting organic standards. Never more than five feet deep, one could walk from one end of the pool to the other but I enjoyed more swimming than I had done in years. It was invigorating and just the right temperature, warmed slightly by the sun. While Penny and Joel went off for a horseback riding tour on our last day, Layne and I paddled around the pool then walked through the very magical Sacred Seeds Sanctuary, a garden area devoted to preserving the herbs and plants used by Costa Rican Indians for healing and health. It was there we encountered some enormous black spotted caterpillars, at least four inches long, marching along branches one behind another and clustered on leaves in the arbor. Then a climb up the lookout tower finished our morning just before Penny and Joel returned from their ride. (Below is a view of FLN from the tower.) But with clouds obscuring the summit, neither they nor we got a full view of Arenal Volcano. We truly hated to leave this wonderful resort and Layne and I hope to return to attend one of the educational conferences they offer where we will learn more about how to grow organic foods in a sustainable biodynamic garden.

         On another topic, I mentioned those two puppies we tried to help in my last post but I don’t think I’ll go into that drama too much. Suffice it to say, our efforts as Good Samaritans resulted in both of them being neutered - that’s the good news - but also an unfortunate misunderstanding with the folks who run the animal rescue operation near us. They somehow expected us to adopt the dogs when, of course, as temporary renters here we were in no position to do that. We are happy that the two pups got some medical attention, however, and we trust that they will be adopted as soon as their health allows.

         Finally, yesterday’s adventure went way beyond anything Layne or I had expected and we trust it won’t be repeated any time soon. We were riding back to Atenas from San Jose by bus, as we usually do, but fresh rains earlier in the day had made the roadway slick. It’s an extremely curving road, with steep downhill sections and hairpin turns. On one descent heading into a curve, our driver began braking hard, and then harder still, as the bus swerved and struggled for traction on the roadway. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and bump as the bus crashed into the dirt and rock embankment! Holy cow! Although several people were standing, fortunately no one seemed to be injured (and no one threatened a lawsuit as would undoubtedly happen in the USA).  There was considerable conversation in Spanish all around us as we all wondered what the damage was and we looked out the window to see what we could. The driver checked things over and within just a few minutes, we were on our way again, none the worse for the wear. But we noticed that the rest of the trip our driver took at a much slower pace, for which we were grateful. 

A Chicken of the Tree and some Happy Hogs!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

(Note: click on photos to enlarge)

What a week! Our friends Penny and Joel returned from Guanacaste on Monday night and the next morning we left for our trip to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge (FLN), a sustainable rainforest estate and eco-lodge up the road near Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. I’d been told that the Arenal area was quite beautiful but I was unprepared for the magnificent landscapes and jungle-scapes that we encountered along the way. Talk about the tropics! This had it all: dense, lush, verdant woodlands covering sheer mountainsides in every color of green imaginable; coconut palms, banana trees, orchids and bromeliads of every size and description; huge ferns, impenetrable bamboo groves, hanging vines and ivy, one-lane bridges that traversed rivers flowing over tumbled rocks and boulders; rolling emerald pastures high in the cloud forest, dotted with white humped-back cattle with enormous drooping ears and gentle eyes. We passed through occasional towns with colorful Tico houses and small schoolyards full of kids in their navy and white uniforms playing soccer or having sack races. We also drove past areas of agriculture with fields of yucca plants, coffee plantations or rows of pineapple with their jade and yellow spiked leaves.

         The last 2.5 kilometers of our journey to FLN was over an extremely rugged rock-filled road but our 4-wheel drive Mitsubishi was up to the task, bouncing us along in relative comfort. We arrived before check-in time but fortunately the friendly staff had our 2-bedroom family bungalow ready for us. The large comfortable cottage overlooked a broad gulch filled with banana plants and ferns interspersed among tall vine-covered trees. Soon after our arrival, Penny commented that she didn’t want to leave until she had seen a Toucan, the large and colorful birds for which Costa Rica is known. Although Layne and I have enjoyed a few visits from the big-beaked flyers at our house, none had come around while Penny and Joel were there. But within minutes of her comment, we looked up to see not one, but two of the gorgeous creatures landing in the branches above our patio, then dropping down into the banana foliage. And indeed, for the rest of our visit, we had front-row seats at Toucan Theater, as the beautiful birds flew from branch to branch and glided across the open space in front of our terrace.

         FLN Lodge is situated on a 200-acre certified organic, biodynamic farm producing ginger and turmeric along with hundreds of tropical fruits, herbs and vegetables. Some 90% of the food they offer guests comes directly from what they grow, so we had high expectations for some delicious meals during our stay and we were not disappointed. The salads were amazing with leafy greens of all descriptions, ripe red tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and other goodies. Plus, the fresh salad dressings were superb, one using their organic turmeric and another based on balsamic vinegar and herbs. Our lunch that first day was a baked yucca pie with black beans and cheese topping along with sautéed veggies. Delicious! The yucca was so smooth and creamy it reminded me of perfect mashed potatoes. Our other meals were equally tasty and healthy, other than one night when the sushi was poorly done and the miso soup had no taste. We later decided the primary chef was off that night because the next day when he was in charge, our lunch of smothered pork chops, rice, mustard greens and guacamole was outstanding and the Corvina (fish) that evening for dinner was also excellent. Breakfast was consistently first-rate, with homemade bread, gallo pinto, scrambled eggs and plates of tropical fruits from the farm.

         The FLN website describes a number of tours, most of them arranged through outside tour companies, but the “farm tour” is free to guests and it is truly an extraordinary experience. We had expressed particular interest in their organic farming systems so we were fortunate to have the Farm Manager Harold join our small group to give us a detailed account of the complex soil preparations and meticulous timing involved in their organic processes, which they even gear to certain mystical elements such as the position of the moon or stars. Harold assured us that such considerations actually play a big part in a successful crop.

         As we walked through the vast estate following our guide Roy, we found ourselves in a tropical paradise filled with exotic plants and animals. At one point, Roy stopped us and pointed way up a tall tree to a dark blob on a branch. “There’s a three-toed sloth!” he exclaimed. “It’s the laziest animal in the jungle!” Using his binoculars against our cameras, Roy managed to get a few shots of the creature, which watched us with scant interest from his perch. At another point, some workers called to Roy that there was a “chicken of the tree” resting nearby. We all walked over quickly to see what this was but there was no bird around. Then Roy pointed to an Iguana sunning itself on a log and laughingly told us it’s called a “chicken” partly for the taste of the meat. That’s one dish I think I’ll pass on!

         Further along, we observed aspects of their crop rotation system in practice. First, they let the land revive itself naturally with free-growing native plants, then they introduce goats to eat down that foliage; chickens are then put in to fertilize and stir up the soil and finally, they allow hogs to root and loosen the earth in preparation for the next planting. Those were some happy hogs, a wonderful contrast to the evils of factory farms where the pigs are caged and mistreated.

         In my next post, I’ll tell you about the Hanging Bridges Tour, the wonderful FLN swimming pool and what ever happened to those two little puppies we rescued. For now, contemplate the enormous benefits of organic farming and sustainable agriculture, both to your health and to the health of our planet. And when you have some time, I encourage you to plan a trip to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge where you can learn first-hand why organic really does matter.