No Shoes required

No shoes required | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA


There are far more scarlet macaws in captivity than exist in the wild,
but you can see the beautiful, endangered bird in its natural habitat
at Peace Lodge in Vara Blanca.

The five waterfalls of La Paz Waterfall Gardens were once almost
completely obscured by the mountains and rainforest growth. Now,
platforms for each waterfall provide breathtaking views.

Costa Rica's varied terrain and climate, along with
its tropical location only 10 degrees north of the equator, contribute
to the diversity of plant and animal life.

No shoes required

By JAN BUTSCH SCHRODER ; travelgirl

Published: August 27th, 2008 04:33 PM | Updated: August 27th, 2008 04:34 PM

As I was hanging hundreds of feet above firm ground, dangling by two pieces of steel and preparing to plunge myself into the treetops of a Costa Rican rainforest, I thought of a former co-worker. During a company retreat, I had been stunned to discover that this New York City bred guy had never walked in the woods, or even stepped outdoors without shoes.

Although I was raised in the city of Atlanta, our neighborhood had plenty of creature-filled woods and creeks for catching tadpoles, and shoe-clad feet were a rarity in the summer. But the truth is that in our car-obsessed, air-conditioned, skyscraper-covered society, it is possible to live your entire life with feet that never touch the earth.

But for many of us, a close relationship with the natural wonders of our planet is a craving that must be satisfied. And that is why places like Costa Rica are adult playgrounds, spawning a tremendous boost in eco-tourism. A trip to Costa Rica brings a heartfelt reminder of why we should focus on saving this amazing planet. Other worthy destinations have surely risen in the eco-tourism ranks, but Costa Rica is one of the "original" spots, and despite huge growth during the last 20 years - from 329,000 visitors in 1988 to 2.1 million in 2008 - it still maintains its role as a leading example of a place where nature and tourism have found a happy marriage.

My first-ever trip to Costa Rica turned me into a devoted eco-tourist, as I flew through trees, covered my entire body in warm, drippy mud, watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis, visited an active inner crater volcano, and smelled fresh-picked coffee beans on a plantation. But let's start with the leather diaper.

BLAST OF SPRING WATER AND A SMEARING OF MUD

Blessed with a wacky sense of humor and a possibly overblown willingness to embarrass myself, I willingly donned a leather diaper, a close-fitting inner tube and a helmet for a ride down the mountain water slide at Buena Vista Hot Springs in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica.

After a hike up a wooded mountain trail in our fashion-violating attire, we were instructed to take a seat, one by one. When my turn came, I was hyper-propelled down the mountain by a blast of cold water on my back. Just as I was imagining that this is what an ice cube must feel like when it comes out of the chute in the refrigerator, I hit the water at the bottom, where I simultaneously tried to snort the water from my nose and yank my bathing suit bottom out of where it had become firmly wedged.

No time for fashion readjustment, however, it was time for our next adventure - the thermal springs and mud bath, one of the more popular attractions at Buena Vista. After taking a leisurely horse-drawn tractor ride over hilly, rocky road we disembarked and walked a short way down to the thermal springs. First we were instructed to enter a small sauna and bake our bodies - this was apparently the proper preparation for the messy business to follow. Next, we gathered around large vats of warm, oozing brownish mud, which we were then instructed to scoop up in our hands and apply to ourselves. It felt a little naughty, this blatant violation of all those childhood instructions to "Stay away from that mud!"

After piling the mud on every exposed surface of skin, we walked to a small platform where we pleaded with the sun to make its way through the canopy of trees to warm up our now chilling bodies while we watched the dark wet mud slowly turn pale as it dried. After washing off our mud-caked bodies in freezing cold showers, we made a beeline for the nearby stone-lined pools of warm springs. Although there are no proven health benefits of mud baths, a "therapy" that dates back to the days of Cleopatra, the experience is relaxing and my skin did feel smoother.

We had traveled to Buena Vista from the luxurious Hilton Papagayo Resort, located in Guanacaste, a province in the northwest section of Costa Rica, on the Pacific Ocean. The Papagayo Peninsula is the home to a collection of luxury hotels and condominiums, with more being added to handle the rapid rise of tourism. Travel has gotten easier with the recent renovation of the nearby Liberia International Airport.

THE DAY I DISCOVER VOLCANOES HAVE "INNIES"

Our Costa Rican adventure kicked off with a night in San Jose, the economic, cultural and geographic center of Costa Rica. We spent our first evening in the Doubletree Cariari, where we enjoyed an hour or so of lounging by the pool followed by a decadent steak and martini dinner at Curime Restaurant. The next day we headed to one of Costa Rica's favorite tourist attractions - an active volcano. There are eight that are classified as active, and Poas Volcano National Park has one of the most accessible ones, making it a favorite for tourists. (Note: Don't expect to dodge rivers of molten lava! The definition of an active volcano is one that is currently erupting, has a record of having erupted, and is likely to erupt again.)

Located about an hour north of San Jose, the park has an inner crater volcano that can be viewed from a platform high above after a short hike. Blessed with an unusually clear day, we had a glorious view of the volcano, which looked like a large green lake. Even though our lookout post was several hundred feet above the steaming pool of lava, a few people nervously asked about eruptions. We were assured we were at one of the safest volcanoes, with the last eruption 10 years ago. My only previous experience with a volcano was biking down Mount Haleakala in Hawaii, so this was my first experience with an inner crater volcano.

From our perch high in the mountains we could see the equally amazing view of both Costa Rican coasts: the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.

In addition to being beautiful and powerful displays of nature, Costa Rica's more than 200 volcanoes contribute to the variety of birds and wildlife species. Volcanic eruptions create fertile soil, which supports the approximately 500,000 to 1 million plant and animal species found in this country that's roughly the size of West Virginia!

Another Costa Rican natural standout is the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where many of those species are viewable. There are 27 types of hummingbirds, a snake house, parrots, monkeys, tamarinds, toucans, a butterfly house and a frog exhibit. I could have spent a week nestled deep down in this rainforest garden, just communing with the wildlife and watching the waterfalls.

Lined up like colorful jewelry in a market, the thousands of chrysalises in the butterfly house were in various stages of rebirth. Fascinated, we watched as butterflies slowly emerged from their milky-white translucent cocoons. They hang 10,000 chrysalises a week, of which 5,000 hatch to fly around the house, representing 20 species.

Lucky guests at the Peace Lodge located inside the gardens can view the wildlife at their leisure. We got a peek at one of the rooms, all of which feature Jacuzzi tubs with seven-foot waterfall showers. Picture Thurston Howell III with his own suite on Gilligan's Island. Rates start at $265 per night.

MORE MONKEYSHINES AND TREE FLYING

"When we saw crazy gringos taking photos of monkeys, we knew we could boost our tourism," joked our guide Adrian, who took us around the Puntarenas section of Costa Rica, providing a sure hand behind the wheel and a humorous look at life in his country. He told us that the adventure in Costa Rica begins with the ride. "On these rocky roads you get a bus massage. My butt is like an aspirin from these roads - flat with a line down the middle."

When someone asked if one of the many single-lane bridges we were crossing was safe, he responded, "Sometimes."

Puntarenas is the largest of the country's seven provinces, and is located on the Pacific Ocean. Our first stop here was Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park, where I'd fulfill one of my life goals: to soar through the trees on a zip-line. If you think 4-year-old kids ask a lot of questions, try going with a group of women who are zip-lining for the first time. Our ever-patient guides didn't let on, but I'm sure we set records for most questions asked. They answered every query, demonstrated how the zip-line works and even let us each try a test on the short level version before we entered the forest for our first leap off a platform.

I have no fear of heights and once they told us that each of our two cables could support 1,000 pounds, I was even more confident. So, helmeted, harnessed in, gloved and psyched for an adventure, I climbed to the platform to confront my first surprise - the space between platforms was way longer than I expected. I had pictured a short little leap, and "poof!" you're on the next platform. Instead, each slice of jungle stretched dozens of yards, and the last one was a half-mile long.

But I made it through the course and happily checked one more item off my personal things-to-do-before-I'm-too-decrepit list. After riding the tram back to the main entrance, we were taken to a spring-fed pool (available for group rental), where we were entertained by local school children in colorful outfits, performing a native dance.

Like these dancing children, it seems almost everyone in this country of 4.3 million wears a smile. Perhaps one reason is that Costa Rica has a lot going for it as a place to live. It has the highest literacy rate in Latin America, with a school in even the tiniest village. Funding is helped by the fact that the army was abolished in 1948, giving it the nickname Switzerland of the South and making it one of the safest countries in South America. Compared to its neighbors, it has a relatively high standard of living and low unemployment rate. And in case you're wondering, you can even drink the water.

At one time, the economy relied primarily on the exporting of pineapples and coffee. Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, president from 1986 to 1990, and president again since 2006, saw the potential of his native land to attract people and began the tourism effort during his first presidency. By the late 1990s, tourism was the country's number one source of income.

Sanchez is also credited with attracting investment from foreign companies. Hewlett Packard and Intel both have large offices in San Jose. Ever the visionary, this Nobel Peace Prize-winning president announced in 2007 that Costa Rica will be carbon neutral by 2021 - possibly making it the first country in the world to reach that benchmark. It may have a head start, as one-fourth of the land is government-protected.

There is so much more to do in this beautiful country - take a tour of a coffee plantation, hang glide, snorkel and explore the reefs. Tourists looking for a beach experience primarily visit the Pacific side, although there are some lovely beaches on the Caribbean side, as well.

In Costa Rica you can get in touch with the sky, the earth and thousands of species of wildlife. The experience is a reminder that the Earth is an incredible stomping ground. And for many of the activities, no shoes are required.

(For more savvy travel info, pick up the latest issue of travelgirl magazine or visit www.travelgirlinc.com.)