Costa Rica

[Mark_NoVA]

The following day was my only completely free day, and I was planning on going to Manuel Antonio Park......but I was tired, and had this place to laze around all day:

[Mark_NoVA]

Even though it's the dry season, we had a big storm with lightning for a long period of time. Here I braved the open door of my hotel room to take a couple of photos. I assume this is a Christmas Palm, and see how it got its name:

[Mark_NoVA]

Met Jeff for breakfast the next morning, and walked through the grounds of the Bali House. It's already spectacular there, but will be even more so once the big variety of palms Jeff has planted there mature. First pic is a spiny Pigafetta and 2nd is a Livistona rotundifolia [?]. There are lots more that I don't have photos of.

[Mark_NoVA]

He has planted a variety of Heliconias and other flowers, too. (Smart choice!)

[Mark_NoVA]

More beautiful flowers there:

[Mark_NoVA]

So then we go out the beach gate, take a walk down the beach and go to a good, cheap breakfast place in a spectacular location. Just more perfection!

[Mark_NoVA]

We walked by this place, which is kind of interesting. Supposedly in pretty bad shape, just surviving, but on one of the best beachfront locations:

[Mark_NoVA]

Also on a prime beachfront location, Katreena and Pauleen have set up a 4-hands massage business. They've planted a few palms around and have location, location, location. Jeff, say hi to them for me!

[Mark_NoVA]

Back at school, that big rainstorm during the dry season caused a massive tree to fall down and crush one of the pavilions. It knocked down 3 other trees and damaged 2 more pavilions.

[Mark_NoVA]

Time to finish up the trip with a couple of sunset photos over the pool and ocean.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

[Jeff in St Pete]

Mark, great photos and videos! I'm glad you got to meet some of my friends and attend the Palm Meeting with us. Everyone enjoyed your visit.

The palm in post 42 looks like a Ptychosperma. Christmas palms have much fatter trunks and more recurved leaves. There are a lot of Ptychospermas growing at Costa Verde. The owner of that hotel used to be in the nursery business in FL back in the 70's or 80's and he introduced a lot of palms and plants to this area.

[realarch]

The Hotel Costa Verde looks like a great place. Hmmmm.....might have to look into staying there on a trip to CR

in August. Jeff, you up for giving us some local travel tips?

Tim

[Jeff in St Pete]

Of course Tim. I look forward to your visit!

Mark, I drove by the school today and the new pavilions have already been built. This is right in the middle of our High Season and I bet they have a lot of students booked over the next couple of months. They had to get it done quickly!

[amazondk]

Mark,

Thanks for the pictures. We stayed at the same hotel when we were there in Dec. 08. It is a great place and we enjoyed our stay a lot.

dk

It's beautiful there but probably very expensive. You guys are very wealthy, I'd imagine!

God bless your good finacial fortunes!

Paul

Paul,

I hope that some day I can see some financial good fortune. If I am wealthy I would sure hate to see the poor people, even by Brazilian standards. My wife and I went there to get married in reality, a long story, and Jeff was a witness. We got married at the Bali House on a rainy day. It was a nice place to do such a thing. We were at the Costa Verde just before high season in early December and I think we paid 430 USD for a week. Which is not too bad. That is why I picked the place. It is cheap by Brazil standards. We had a nice apartment near the main office. It had a view of the forest which was just fine. It was a kitchenette and we made most of our meals. It was a very relaxing week at the beach. Since we live in about as tropical a place as one can find what was great was the ocean. The forest we have plenty of here. I would recommend the place to all. And, Jeff is a great host.

dk

[Mark_NoVA]

Mark,

Thanks for the pictures. We stayed at the same hotel when we were there in Dec. 08. It is a great place and we enjoyed our stay a lot.

dk

Don, thanks for your pictures, too! I think your thread was the first I had heard about this hotel.

Mark, I drove by the school today and the new pavilions have already been built. This is right in the middle of our High Season and I bet they have a lot of students booked over the next couple of months. They had to get it done quickly!

Already built! Wow, those are some good workers. I was actually looking at those pavilions...for my yard project, I need to build something for protection under tall Tulip Poplars (Liriodendron tulipfera), as they regularly shed limbs from 30-60 feet up.

I bet you're right about the students coming in.

[paulgila]

i really enjoyed your trip pix,mark,thanks for posting!

[ariscott]

Very nice place... but too far and too expensive for us on this side of the world. I always want to go to South America though and actually thought about working there at some stage, but never got around to it. And then the kids arrived...

Oh well, I just stick with South East Asia for now... a bit more affordable for us.

Regards, Ari

[palmcurry]

Thanks for the pics Mark. A breath of fresh air

[Al in Kona]

Mark, "muchas gracias" for the pics you posted of your study-trip to Manuel Antonio / Quepos area of Costa Rica. My wife and I included a visit to that area two years ago when we went to C.R. to attend the IPS Biennial 2008. Jeff was so kind to help us out, show us around and experience the beauty of that part of Costa Rica.