Greetings!

Travelscope/Winter 2017
Page 8
Charmed in Costa Rica
Story and Photos by Barbara Beckley
made-to-order grouper and rock shrimp
ceviches I was eating were fantastic.
Pancho finds save haven at the Four Seasons Costa Rica
“Whoa! The butterfly.” I gasped as it fluttered out from
between the trees – and, as I stood breathlessly still – lit
on my shoulder! Then came another. And another.
I’d been hoping to see these creatures my entire trip –
Costa Rica’s gigantic Blue Morpho butterflies, with bright
turquoise wings the size of luncheon plates.
Now, on my trek back from the Rio Negro Hot Springs –
natural pools of warm mineral waters bubbling up in an
Eden-like setting at Hacienda Guachipelin inside Rincon
De La Vieja National Park – my wish came true.
I’d been exploring Costa Rica’s lush northwest
Guanacaste region for a few days and had already
experienced wonderful adventures. Or so I thought. Like
negotiating the long, narrow, swinging bridge to the hot
springs; sea kayaking around Monkey Head Rock in
the Gulf of Papagayo’s crystal waters, and climbing 700
hillside steps to enjoy beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean
on the vast grounds of the Four Seasons Costa Rica
Peninsula Papagayo, where I was staying.
But then came the butterflies. And then the monkey. And
then the snakes. And the school children.
Following my butterfly encounter, I was sipping a margarita
at the Four Seasons’ open-air Tico’s Lounge, when I saw
a movement high above me. A large Capuchin monkey
was inching his way across the wall some 30 feet up, just
beneath the open-air lobby balcony. He seemed ready to
jump down and join me. Good move, I thought, since the
Eventually, however, he disappeared into
the upstairs lobby – only to reappear and
cause a photo frenzy by snoozing in a
palm tree by the pool. I noticed his tail
was short and not prehensile like most
Capuchins. “He’s been ostracized by
the other monkeys in the forest,” Kristen
Thompson, director of marketing, told me.
“We’ve named him Pancho and we’re
pleased he lives here in peace.”
Thompson’s sentiment pretty much
reflects the way of life in Costa Rica. One
hears how friendly, caring and eco-centric the Costa
Ricans are. But you can’t imagine how true this is until
you visit.
At the Serpentarium and Frog Exhibit at Hacienda
Guachipelin, I was most impressed by the affection my
guide and serpentarium manager Diego Badilla had for
the animals. Costa Rica has 139 snake species and
at least 133 species of frogs and toads. “Look closely,
she’s gorgeous,” he said, pointing out Costa Rica’s
iconic green and red-eyed leaf frog. He was equally
complimentary of the poison dart frog, whose bodily
fluids once tipped arrows for an instant kill. Even with
its bright red body and iridescent blue legs, this teeny
weeny amphibian was hard to spot among the foliage.
And of the snakes. “She loves attention. Do you want
to hold her?” Badilla asked me a bit later, unlatching the
door to the boa constrictor enclosure. Costa Rican boas
are immense, and this girl was no exception. “Isn’t she
beautiful,” he enthused, pointing out the brown stripe on
her creamy colored head – a marking unique to Costa
Rican boas. She was. But I admired her from afar, and let
Badilla hold her.
The Costa Ricans’ love extends to their fellow man.
Paintbrush in hand at a local elementary school,
I experienced the satisfaction of giving back as a
participant in the Four Seasons’ Voluntourism program.
First, the students entertained us with a dance program
they’d choreographed themselves and been practicing
continued on page 9