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​Days 1 (Dec. 29) and 2.  An early morning eparture from San Jose will take us west on the Pan American Highway to the Pacific coast city of Puntarenas and, from there, by ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula and the tropical dry forest of Curu Wildlife Reserve.  Upon disembarking at the Paquera dock, we will finish our travel for the day with a short drive through the dry forest countryside to Curu.  While Curu is a National Wildlife Refuge, it integrates in a sustainable manner a working ranch owned by the Shutt family. 

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With much of the tropical dry forest of Central America having been cleared, Curu remains an exceptional example of intact dry forest with a great diversity of plant and animal species.  While there, we may see three species of monkeys, kinkajou, coatimundi, many of the 115 species of birds including blue-browed motmot, crested caracara and others, ​crocodiles, and perhaps spotted skunks (from a distance).  Included in the refuge's wildlife are scarlet macaws and spider monkeys that have been re-established through release programs.​ 

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While all of this will capture our attention and imagination, we also will find the beach to be scenic, secluded, serene, and satisfying!  And with the rustic cabins under the beach's coconut palms, Curu will make an exceptional setting to begin our exploration of self and Nature.  The first evening, after la cena (dinner) and getting settled in in the cabinas, we will take time of an introduction to the trip and then set off to see what we can see (​in the dark--sometimes even without flashlights!).  While there are no "lions, tiger, and bears, oh my!", would a crocodile, or kinkajou, or fishing bat do? 

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After sleeping off our day of travel, we will arise at least in time for the sunrise (no one sleeps late with the howler monkey alarm clocks) and launch off into a day filled with yoga on the beach (what a perfect place for sunrise salutations!), exploration of the dry forest, communing with monkeys after lunch, then a boat tour or hike, late afternoon swim and special activity, and as we loose steam, dinner, and for those who want it, another visit to the cocodrilos (no interpretation into English is  likely needed here).  The hushed rhythm of the waves then send everyone off to sleep.

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Days 3 and 4.  Following one last early morning self-immersion in the dry forest or beach, we will retrace our steps, tire tracks, and ferry wake from Curu back to Puntarenas.  Once there, we will travel north on the Pan American Highway through a patchwork of dry forest and pasture, paralleling the western flank of the Tilaran Mountain Range.

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Shortly, we will leave the dry forest and begin the long ascent to the moist, cool cloud forests of Santa Elena and Monteverde.  These exceptional cloud forests are world-renowned for their avian fauna--home to the resplendant quetzal, three-wattled bellbird, emerald toucanet, and others; birds that more than live up to their names.  We will not only be looking for these birds, but also at the cloud forest with trunks and branches of mist-bathed trees hidden under a green coat of mosses, ferns, vines, bromeliads, orchids (over 300 species), and even other trees such as strangler figs.  After lunch, we will have the opportunity to get a bird's-eye view of the cloud forest.  The adventurous among us can be harnessed to zip lines, while the rest of us who prefer our feet on solid ground can visit the butterfly garden or enjoy a leisure stroll on one of the trails..

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​On our second day, our exploration of the cloud forest continues, but now slow and focused, and not zipping and breathless.  We will spend the next morning at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve focusing our observations on the vegetation and, with a tuned-eye (and ear), on the birds.  Weather permitting, we may see clouds from the Caribbean lowlands evaporate as they pass right above our heads during our walk along the Mirador ("lookout") Trail through the elfin forest that tops the continental divide.  Depending upon the time of the year, butterflies pass over the divide during their migration from the rainforests of the east to the dry forests of the west and back again.

Initially we will be struck by the many ways that the Monteverde cloud forest differs from Curu's dry forest.  Through our developing "ecological perspective" in combination with our Mindfulness skills of patience and beginner's mind, however, the commonalities between the forests will become apparent—the forests more understandable and amazing. 

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Day 5.  We will begin our travel to Arenal Volcano and later, the rainforest, with a descent of the western slope of the Tilaran Range, passing initially though countryside coffee plantations and dairy cattle pastures.  We then head north to the city of Tilaran, and from there, eastward up and over the low continental divide to Lake Arenal and our transition to the humid Caribbean lowlands.  Low relative humidity will now be in our past.

As we follow the eastern shore of the lake, the change from dry zone vegetation to that of the moist forest will become obvious as we get our initial exposure to plants of the rain forest.  Perhaps our initial exposure to coatimundis as well—the troupes make such engaging roadside panhandlers.  Our first significant stop of the day will be for a hike in Arenal Volcano National Park.  The thunder you may hear during the hike is actually not thunder at all—Arenal is the most active volcano in the Western Hemisphere.  We will hike to a 50 year-old lava flow for a closer (but not too-close) view of Arenal plus observe colonization of the flow by plants as well as get an introduction to volcanoes. A second nature-based exploration will be included in the itinerary a bit later in the day, and the day will close with a late-afternoon visit to one of the area's hot springs for a long soak.  Can you say "aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"?  ​

Day 6.  Following an early-morning departure, we will drive east along the north side of the Cordillera Central, seeing the backside of the volcanoes that we saw leaving San Jose—Porvenir, Platinar, Poas, Congo, and Barva.  This region of Costa Rica is a mix of pasture, agriculture, and smaller towns.  Upon our arrival at the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui area we will be in the area of the lowland tropical rain forest.

There, we will be met by a myriad of new species—leaf cutter ants, army ants, toucans, parrots, Montezuma's oropendula, the great currasow, the great tinamou, sloths, giant figs and lecythus (the monkey pot tree), heliconia (the plants) and heliconius (the butterflies), caiman, katydids that look like chewed leaves, a "bird dropping?—no—a butterfly chrysalis", iridescent blue morpho butterflies, and all sorts of things that go buzz (or slither) in the night—and be sure not to stand directly under a spider monkey! 

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What could be more exotic and fantastic than the life of the rain forest?  But common ecological themes of spatial and temporal variation, species interactions, and form and function will be further reinforced by what we observe.  The actors change, but the roles and the patterns remain—new stories, but Nature's same themes.  And by now through our developing Mindfulness and focused observations of Nature and our selves, our increased awareness of each and the relationship between both become more apparent.

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The afternoon will find us touring the rainforest--hot, humid, very big trees, so many shades of green.  Don't step on the leaf-cutter ants, nor the army ants--perhaps we will see ant birds looking for insects scared up by the ants.  Our ears will also get a treat--parrots, Montezuma's oropendula (also a treat for the eyes), and countless other birds.  If there are peccaries in the area, our noses will likewise be treated (although a "treat" might not be the appropriate description). 

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​After dinner with our flashlights focusing our vision, we will see what there is to see after the sun has set.  The Night Shift is now on duty--perhaps a sleeping bird, a vine snake, no doubt katydids, crickets--what long antennae you have!  And when we turn our lights off the rainforest symphony really becomes apparent--frogs, insects, and . . . wait a minute . . WHAT was that?!   Likely some sound magnified by our imagination.  And if conditions are just right, it won't be our imagination when we see the light glow of a decomposing stick or log--bioluminescent fungi!  Just another one of the many Wonders of the Tropical Rainforest!



Day 7.  Morning walk in the rainforest.  Travel to San Jose.  Visit Poas Volcano National Park on way to San Jose.



Day 8.  Departure for U.S.







The following will be available as an add-on to the above-described trip following the group's return to San Jose.