Have you spent the last three weeks watching I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here, the wildly popular (and absurd) reality show which took place in the rainforests of Costa Rica? I admit that curiosity got the better of me and even I watched a handful of episodes (I recorded the whole series) finding it to be quite hilarious and entertaining at times.

At the beginning of the show, most of the celebrities were complete strangers to each other – as time went on, they developed into a somewhat cohesive clan/tribe forming friendships and relationships. Lou Diamond Philips and John Salley showed their alpha male qualities by asserting themselves as the leaders.

The young celebrity couple of Heidi and Spencer proved themselves to be total primadonnas, wearing out their welcome only 2-3 days into the show before they dropped out altogether. I guess someone had to step up and play the role as the villain initially to draw in the viewers. The different competitions and games that the producers put them through were kind of fun (and ridiculous) and the show had its moments of drama especially with the feistiness of former model, Janice Dickerson. I was really impressed with the production values - the visuals of the wildlife, in particular the close-up shots of various insects, frogs, lizards and monkeys were outstanding.

After watching this show, many people are probably thinking how wonderful it would be to experience the rainforests of Costa Rica (or anywhere for that matter). While the rainforests are teeming with exotic colorful birds and wildlife, most of the creatures remain hidden or camouflaged in the dense green vegetation and towering rainforest canopy.

Walking along nature trails, you’ll probably be pestered by a variety of bugs – namely flies, mosquitoes and the occasional wasp and if you look carefully on the ground, you’ll most likely encounter several giant centipedes as well as colonies of leafcutter ants crossing the trail. Just be careful where you sit, as the ants can be very nasty! Snakes, you may ask? I have never stumbled across a snake in the rainforest, but there is always a first time, just be sure to watch your step and don’t stray off the marked trail.

As someone who has spent some time in the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Amazon basin, I know how difficult it is go birding unless you’re with a trained naturalist. Many tourists who have stayed at a nature lodge in the rainforest have remarked that the only birds they saw during their entire trip were at the propped up birdfeeders set up by the management.

Can you imagine, even though the series ended last night, I haven’t watched the final show. I am wondering who the winner is!

Coming up on NBC in early June is the new reality show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here”. The show will be filmed in the lowland rainforests of Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui region. Contestants confirmed to participate include actor Stephen Baldwin, former NBA Star John Salley, American Idol contestant Sanjaya and Speidi. There has been some controversy already with this production as the former Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich was rejected as a participant due to some legal issues, although his wife is antsy to be on the show and take his place. Costa Rica’s Tourism Industry will surely benefit from this TV show as more foreigners will be encouraged to visit and experience Costa Rica.

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/4/24/13157/9357/hotels/Costa_Rica_Braces_For_The_Speidi_Moon

“So ballsy former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich won’t be living the pura vida in Costa Rica after all. That pesky indictment has quashed Blago’s plans to continue his fifteen minutes with a stint on the NBC reality show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” (He won’t be getting the rumored $80K a week that some news outlets reported he’d earn from NBC either.) Instead, reality leeches and newlyweds Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt will get to unleash their egos and suck any camera time dry all while calling Costa Rica home. (Can they move there for good, please?!)

The temporary home appears to be set on location in the Sarapiquí region and potentially at Selva Verde Rainforest Lodge. NBC is in negotiations with the hotel to house most of the cast and crew while the nearby Hotel Sueño Azul Resort may serve as the headquarters for production.

While the judge on Blagojevich’s case overpowered the good/bad television gods by nixing any travel abroad, it is rumored that Mrs. Blagojevich may take to the jungle if she can stomach eating bugs and other unsavory challenges.

If she goes for the unsophisticated but legit dough, she’ll be battling it out with contestants besides Speidi that might include: talk show host Geraldo Rivera, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, former “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar and Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman for the title of “King of Queen of the Jungle.” How kind of NBC to give these people a chance at being a winner.

Personally, we’d much rather watch the howler and spider monkeys swing from the canopies. Hopefully the toxic cast doesn’t destroy the ecosystem.”

The answer is very simple actually - there are more bird species in COSTA RICA per square mile than any other country in the world. According to Mongabay.com, there are 838 bird species in Costa Rica, a small country of only 19,800 square miles. This translates to .42 species of birds per square mile. The runner up in this category would be Panama, Costa Rica’s neighbor to the south, which overall has a recorded 904 species (more total species than Costa Rica) but with a total area of 29,762 square miles, so the bird species density in Panama would be .3 per square mile. These figures really shouldn’t surprise anybody!

In Costa Rica (and in Panama) you will find many bird species that are found in either North America or South America, as Central America is a land bridge that connects North America to South America. In fact, over 200 species of birds from North American can be found in Costa Rica during North America’s cold winter months, only to return to their North American homes sometime during the Spring. These birds are called migrants. It is not surprising, that there only 4 bird species endemic to mainland Costa Rica.

While Costa Rica has the most species of bird per square mile, the countries which have the greatest number of bird species are primarily in South America – Colombia is the leader with 1821, followed closely by Peru with 1781 and by Brazil, the South American Giant, with 1712 species. After Brazil, the the rankings continue with Indonesia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela. Now if you take into consideration that Colombia’s total area is 440,000 square miles, that would make the bird species density .04 square mile (compared to Costa Rica’s .4 per square mile). That is a significant difference! Considering that Colombia is 22 times the size of Costa Rica, you will realize why – all things being equal - Costa Rica is considered the best (and most practical) destination for birders in the world!

Other factors which contribute to Costa Rica’s popularity among birders are:

1. It’s a very safe destination
2. Many of the popular birding spots are within 90 minutes – 2 hour radius of the capital, San Jose which is located in the Central Highlands
3. There are many dedicated ecoresorts in the most popular birding areas, many of which cater to birding enthusiasts
4. Ecotourism infrastructure is very advanced

PURA VIDA!

Curiously enough, of the 888 bird species recorded in the USA, more than 1/3 are in Hawaii

What is there to see in Costa Rica? Close encounters with nature and wildlife!

I have produced a short video on the exotic wildlife of Costa Rica. To make this video, I mixed together a variety of short video clips and digital pictures from my most recent trip. Most of the footage is from Turrialba Valley, Ostional Beach and San Jose’s Culture Plaza. In Turrialba Valley, you’ll observe wasps pollinating a Heliconia at Guayabo Lodge, a sloth foraging in the tree and leafcutter ants on the march at Guayabo National Monument as well as a variety of flycatchers and an unusual hopping black bird by the roadside. In Ostional/Nosara Beach (Nicoya Peninsula), you’ll see a Black Iguana, a Marine Toad and a Great White Heron. The final segment of the video features scenes from San Jose’s popular Culture Plaza which are reminiscent of The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock’s famous thriller. PURA VIDA!

Note: The young bird guide from Guayabo National Monument identified the black hopping bird along the roadside as a Variable Seedeater (see video between 1:40.20 - 2:07). I’m not too sure about this! In any case, the bird’s hopping behavior is either uncovering seeds or exposing small insects for him to eat. The Black Iguana (who I affectionately named Jesus) and the toad were residents of Luna Azul, my hotel in Ostional.

Birdwatching and sighting exotic tropical butterflies are two of the most popular pastimes of the many Natural History enthusiasts who visit Costa Rica. From my experience, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample the rich diversity of the tropics including the wildlife from the comfort of your own hotel, especially if you’re staying out in the countryside. From your own verandah, chances are you’ll see many species of birds and colorful butterflies, iguanas and the like, and if your hotel is located in a heavily wooded area, you may even be visited by a howler monkey troop. Whoop, whoop…

At night, if you listen carefully you may even hear the chirping of the resident gecko (or two) who lives in your room. Don’t be afraid, they won’t harm you. They earn their room and board by keeping the room free of small insects.

Now if you’re into exotic insects (of the non butterfly variety), you’ll be in “Seventh Heaven” as many of the ‘little buggers’ will be crawling around the hotel grounds doing their thing - sight unseen of course. It was just the other day that I was leisurely enjoying some hot Costa Rican coffee on the veranda of the Guayabo Lodge in Turrialba Valley, when I had an encounter with a large, rather ferocious looking beetle. The creature was making his journey across a small table; unfortunately it didn’t see the table edge and the poor beetle took a dive overboard, landing unceremoniously upside down of the floor. With a little prodding, I flipped the bug over allowing it to continue it’s daily rounds. Strange but true!

It was my last morning at GUAYABO LODGE. After packing my bags, I went downstairs to have breakfast and settle my bill with Don Pedro as I still owed the lodge for two dinners. The dinners had been very tasty and healthfully prepared and included three courses - salad or soup, the main course and dessert. As I am vegetarian, the kitchen prepared special dishes for me – e.g. on the 2nd night, they gave me a vegetarian quiche. Don Pedro’s wife, Rossana, has trained the Costa Rican kitchen staff to be able to prepare gourmet European cuisine. I really didn’t know how much they were going to charge for me the dinners, but I caught a glance at the posted menu prices near the office on my 3rd day there - the fixed price for the three course dinner was listed at $17USD - a little steep for the vegetarian meals that I had, but not totally outrageous. As a result of these prices, I had my dinners in the town of Turrialba on my 3rd and 4th night there.

When I approached Don Pedro to pay my bill, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to pay him $34.00 (19,380 colones). Needless to say, I was pleasantly shocked when he told me “For two dinners, that will be $20USD - if you’re paying in colones, $10,000 would be fine.” When I confided in Don Pedro that I thought I would have to pay $17 per dinner, he smiled and said “Normally dinner includes a special meat entree, a chicken dish or a grilled trout and the cost is $17USD but for a vegetarian it is less of course. Our prices are very reasonable considering our meals are of a gourmet quality and not average restaurant fare.” I agreed with Don Pedro that the dinner tariff was indeed very reasonable. I told him, “Now that the issue of my dinner bill was cleared up, I really I have nothing really negative to say about Guayabo Lodge.” He smiled upon hearing this and said “We try as much as possible to be reasonable and fair to our guests.”

Don Pedro Ferreira is an extraordinary gentleman, a man of integrity as well as a very congenial host. He knows how to make his guests feel at ease.

Whenever I travel, I typically take many pictures – panoramas, landscapes, portraits, flowers and nature as well as candid shots of people and of the local color. Below are eight of my better photographs from my recent trip to COSTA RICA – as you can see, they are sort of a mixed bag. Right now, I am taking a poll to determine which two photographs are the best. Please some time out to scrutinize my photos and submit your vote!

***Hint: Click for larger image***

[poll id=”8”]

Want to see more? View my entire Costa Rica ‘09 Photo Gallery!

On my last trip to Costa Rica, I had the pleasure of staying at Guayabo Lodge. One of the best eco-lodges/bed and breakfast hotels in Costa Rica, Guayabo Lodge is located near the small village of Santa Cruz about ½ hour from the city of Turrialba and 90 minutes from San José. Surrounded by pastures of a dairy farm, the lodge is perched on the slopes of the Turrialba Volcano about 1500 meters above sea level. Nearby is Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica’s most important archaeological site.

With 25 guestrooms, Guayabo Lodge is the largest hotel in the Turrialba area. From the outside, the lodge looks a lot smaller than that. All the rooms are simply but tastefully decorated with paintings or watercolor prints from Costa Rica. With views of either the surrounding countryside, pasturelands or of Turrialba Volcano, most of the rooms are relatively large and airy - no two rooms are exactly alike.

The owners, Don Pedro Ferreira and his wife Rossana, are distinguished academicians and educators. They come from totally different backgrounds - Don Pedro, a native of Uruguay, has a PHD in Statistics, while Rossana is Dutch and is a Cultural Anthropologist, having received her doctorate in her native Holland. They met by chance in the late 1980’s while both were professors at nearby CATIE, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center located in nearby Turrialba. During their many years at CATIE, they developed a strong environmental ethos and an appreciation of natural history. After leaving CATIE, they seamlessly have made the transition from educators to small hoteliers. Their environmental ethos is reflected in their hotel management style - they’ve installed solar panels as an alternative energy source, compost waste food, recycle whenever possible and are active in promoting conservation and environmentally friendly practices in the community.

Rosanna has quite a passion for cooking, as evidenced in the tasty haute cuisine meals that are prepared by her staff. She also has quite an aptitude for home décor and design – sprinkled throughout the lodge are the many paintings, arts and crafts that Don Pedro has collected during his many years of travel throughout the Americas and Caribbean. The ambiance at the lodge is indeed quite cheery and tropical. When I was there, they were in the process of expanding the outdoor gardens. In addition, Rossana has plans to enlarge the kitchen to accommodate her hotel guests and visitors as well as opening up a cooking school onsite. What about Don Pedro? I found him to be an especially amiable host, and I enjoyed hearing his many travel stories.

On my most recent trip to Costa Rica, I asked my tour operator, Costa Rican Trails to book me a room for my final 2 nights before returning to the USA, at what they felt was the best budget hotel in downtown San Jose . My objective was to sample some budget accommodations for prospective frugal minded customers who have limited funds. Keep in mind that I usually stay at Hotel Bougainvillea, a moderate lowrise property located just outside the city in the province of Heredia. The Bougainvillea is not a luxury hotel by any standards but it is very comfortable and proper with some very beautiful gardens. My rating - 3.5 stars.

The Hotel they selected for me was Palm House Inn. The pictures on the website looked pretty good but I know from experience not to put much credence on pictures in hotel websites or in travel brochures, because they are always way too flattering. I would have to reserve judgment until I actually stayed at the hotel.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I checked into the Palm House Inn, but after staying there for 2 nights, I have to say that it exceeded my expectations. Located on the edge of the downtown area in a quiet neighborhood, this small cheerful hotel of only 12 rooms or so is walking distance of Plaza de La Cultura, the National Theatre, museums and other attractions. Across the street is a community playhouse that features comedies and theatrical productions and nearby is a theatre which was currently featuring a Gay Musical.

The rooms, while a little on the small side are immaculately clean, simply decorated and are equipped with Cable TV, safe deposit box and phone. The only negative - the bathrooms are very petite and somewhat cramped. The people at the front desk seem to be University Students (or recently graduated from school) – they are very friendly, helpful and speak pretty good English. The hotel is very secure and safe; in order to get in you have to ring the bell at the security gate outside. This no real hindrance, as there is always somebody at the front desk 24 hours to buzz you in. Downstairs there is free WIFI and small eating area for breakfast. Rates are very affordable $45 single/$55 double with breakfast included. I give Palm House Inn a big thumbs up (highly recommended) and I plan to use this hotel for in my Costa Rica Program for travelers on a budget!

Dining expenses for tourists in COSTA RICA shouldn’t be that costly so long as you avoid the overly commercialized tourist restaurants, which can be a little on the expensive side. If you really want to spend as little money as possible, I suggest you eat at the local sodas (cafés), places where the working class Tico dines. You could spend as little as $10 per day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To get some idea on what the average tourist might spend on meals, I was pouring through my receipts on my recent 17-day/16-night trip to Costa Rica. The results are very illuminating:

DINNER – I had dinner 13 of the 16 nights I was in Costa Rica (I abstained the remaining 3 nights). The total expense was $155USD, so it averaged out to approximately $12.00 per dinner. Of the 13 dinners, 8 were partaken at my hotels and 5 at restaurants which cater to tourists or well-heeled locals. The most expensive dinner I had was at Luna Azul in Ostional (Nosara) for $22.50, where I had an exquisite gnocchi pasta dish and a very tasty green salad. The least expensive dinner I had was at a tourist restaurant in Turrialba where I spent $5.80USD.

BREAKFAST - My sample size is very small, because breakfast was included in my room rate for the duration of my stay (excluding my first 3 nights in San Jose at Hotel Bougainvillea). On my first morning there, I had the breakfast buffet thinking it was included in my room rate - but I was mistaken. The cost was $13 - kind of expensive but in line with what other first class hotels in San Jose charge for a buffet breakfast. Keep in mind that breakfast is included in the room rate at most hotels in Costa Rica.

The two days that I paid out of pocket for breakfast, the cost was less than $4.00 per breakfast including coffee. Of the breakfasts provided by the hotels, I thought that Luna Azul in Ostional had the best overall – in terms of presentation and selection. Kudos to Rolf for preparing egg white omelets for me everyday.

LUNCH - my sample size is even smaller as I had lunch on only two days – once was at a dedicated vegetarian restaurant, Comida Sentir near the University of Costa Rica, total damage was $6.85 for the plate of the day, tea and a pastry; my 2nd lunch was at El Mapache, a small Middle Eastern roadside cafe near Playa Negra, where I had delicious falafel sandwich for about $4.00.

In summary, for the average tourist in COSTA RICA, dining out is not really cheap, but not expensive either if one avoids the crass tourist venues. On the other had, If you dine at local places exclusively, breakfast will cost you as little as $2.50-3.00, lunch $3.00-4.00 and dinner for as little as $5.00-6.00 and up! MUY BARATO!

Note: All prices are in USD (converted from the local currency which is colones, where 570 colones = $1.00SD