Sebastien Armand, Canada is our Permaculturist (Master Gardener).  He has been hard at work developing structures to protect all of the seedlings from the heat, and last week’s unusual Guanacaste winds. Sebastein has developed an enormous area above our housing and yoga pavilion area for the main garden area.  He has had lots of volunteers helping who have been staying on the Finca to help get ready to feed all of our guests. 

He always welcomes visitors to help him water, transplant, build structures, mix soils and compost. He’s a great teacher and everyone leaves the garden full of more knowledge and inspiration to continue this gift at home. Sebastien is also an amazing chef and prepares so many different dishes for our guests with the organic veggies – and fabulous smoothies with the fruit.

This week he is transplanting 75 more papaya trees from the seeds of papayas that we have served our guests.  They grow amazingly fast and will produce within the year. I can’t count the amount of watermelon seeds – in addition to many already growing – and Passion fruit (Granadilla) seeds are also ready.  In fact, it is a daily occurrence here – we eat lots of fruit and vegetables and we save as many seeds as possible, dry them and plant them back in our gardens – a never-ending, constantly on-going process!!! Soon, I think we will be able to feed most of Nosara!

We also have a separate banana and pineapple area on the lower part of the Finca.  Sebastien and Darin have planted local root vegetables – yampi, which is similar to a potato, and tequisque, quite different than the yampi, but also similar to a potato.  The part of the tequisque that grows above the ground is a common houseplant that you will see in the U.S. and Canada!  And, here it is a wild root vegetable that is a common dish served every week here.  Every water basin for the baby banana trees has been planted with watermelons. The entrance to this area is lined in a variety of citrus trees, with a few mango and papaya trees thrown in.  We do our best to use as much of our available land to plant something that we can serve our guests.  We have well over 500 fruit and nut trees (including carob) on the Finca. Lots of incredible edibles!

Just picked up our local paper, The Voice of Nosara, and want to quote the Local Surf Conditions, “With an El Nino year in full swing, the pacific storm season has already been active early on, with big winter swells hitting Central America…. consistent head high plus south swells came through lighting up the whole coast, providing some excellent waves. The Papagayo winds set in around the same time.  Epic conditions ensued.  These are good indicators for a potentially active swell season over the next few months.  Hopefully we should see a higher than usual number of south swells hitting our coastline this dry season.”

Staff and guests here have all been enjoying some excellent surfing. No need to bring your boards. There are surfboard rentals available at Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada at Nosara Surf Academy, Nosara Surf Shop, Surfing Safari, Coconut Harry’s and a few other places in town. Surf lessons are also available here at Costa Rica Yoga Spa in Nosara, Costa Rica.

We have had artists from the Czek Republic living here for over a month doing artwork for the rooms in the Jungle Lodges.  There work is absoluting outstanding.  Chris and Hannah Atcheson and their children Micky (9) (Icky, ficky, sticky Micky, yo-yo-yo – yes there is a story to that – has to do with a rapper performance during a music night!) and Eva (12-almost) are all artists from the Czek Republic – the kids artwork is – well, almost incomprehensible, even when knowing both of their parents are artists.

Eva drew a whole cartoon series of our dog, Ruby.  Ruby doing yoga; Ruby as a secretary (with a tightly button-upped vest and heels); Ruby as a nun; Ruby surfing, and many more – we stashed these away, because someday…and Micky, drew maps with every person and store, river crossings, etc, like he’s been down that road a hundred times – this was after one trip!…we are still in disbelief of all of this talent that has surrounded us this month.  Hannah’s parents, also from Czek have been visiting, too. Julius, the grandfather is an excellent musician and often played guitar and he and Blanca (his wife) would sing songs in Czek.  It’s fun listening to them sing in Czek because the music was often good ole’ American rock ‘n roll!

Chris is a world-renown bronze metal sculptor.  Check out his website http://www.chrisatcheson.com.  His family is leaving for Czek soon as Hannah, who is a teacher and the children start school next week. Chris will stay on for another two months to finish some paintings and also to work on some sculptures for our resort and a very striking sign for our entrance. We are so honored to have them contribute such outstanding artwork for all of us to enjoy.

Thank you, Atcheson family.  It’s been our pleasure to have your family stay with us – our first guests in the new Jungle Lodge – and watch the wonderment of the children as they learned and experienced new things every day! We love your artwork you have so thoughtfully done for us and our guests to enjoy.

One of the first things guests notice when visiting us here in Nosara is how happy everyone is and how the locals (very affectionately called, Ticos) are so trim and fit. The happiness can be explained by the way of life here in Costa Rica. It’s pretty much a stress-free zone! Life is simple and uncluttered – and life is led without too many time constraints, especially here in our peaceful Nosara, which has become so well-known as one of the famous 4 Blue Zones of the world. Dan Buettner, an author for National Geographic magazine, explored and studied places all over the world to find where people lived the longest and healthiest. One of the contributing factors for the Nicoya Peninsula, where we are located, to be selected is the quality of our water. And, the artesian well here on our ranch at Costa Rica Yoga Spa has been tested and is of the highest quality around. No bottled water needed here!

Many of the Ticos still bicycle (and not the high-speed, our mountain-type) to work, church, soccer and fishing – or they walk. They also grow much of their own food organically. It is not unusual to see the locals at 80, 90 and even a 100 year-olds still working in their gardens and biking to town. They live their own weight loss program daily! And, the happiness is such a part of the culture here – neighbors help out neighbors, the sun shines almost every day most of the year, the surf is almost always great, the fishing is bountiful, fruit is so plentiful, and the vegetables are the best! And to make Nosara even more special is that we have become such a mecca for health and wellness.

There is yoga daily at so many places. Sometimes Monika or a visiting yoga instructor will have yoga on the beach – sunrise or sunset yoga is amazing. Yoga from our yoga pavilion overlooks the ocean and all during the days we have monkeys swinging from tree to tree right in front of you. Watching wildlife is a daily experience. You will find something new every day. Yes, this is a happy country with happy people – and it is infectious – you will come down with “happiness” while visiting here. We look forward to caring for you during your bout of “Happiness”.

We will serve you with great, home grown, organic foods and fruits and relax you with yoga, meditation and breathing sessions, red hibiscus tea and offer you relaxing massages and body treatments to soothe your soul. We will rejuvenate and detoxify your body with great elixirs (noni juice) and herbal teas and walks on the beach to relieve your body from the stress of daily life that you need to escape from occasionally. The peace and tranquility here is an experience that one needs from time to time to decompress and refuel.

We live a Pura Vida experience here. (Pura Vida – literally means Pure Life and is a common greeting among locals).