In my previous column, I explored the powerful impact the physical environment has on mood, outlook, and attitude. With my recent travel writing excursion still fresh in my mind, I have enjoyed delving into the powerful dynamics of person-environment interaction by comparing and contrasting various hotels and resorts in small towns scattered along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Costa Rica. . My ongoing travel article, Notes from the Jungle, encompassed three of my greatest passions in life: travel, creative writing, and psychological exploration. The five-week journey took me across two coasts, through five different towns and eight hotels, each with such unique defining characteristics that it might as well have been crossing national borders.
My trip ended in Tamarindo, on the country’s northern Pacific coast, where I spent four nights at Hotel Capitan Suizo, a jungle beach paradise, followed by five nights at Los Altos de Eros, a small boutique hotel perched high above from the mountains. overlooking the Pacific. Los Altos de Eros is ranked the number one small hotel in the world by Trip Advisor. Reflecting on the time we spent there, I can easily understand why. At Los Altos de Eros my attention flowed inward as I embraced the beauty of stillness, silence and solitude. At the Hotel Capitán Suizo I felt myself expanding outwards in harmony with the rhythm of the jungle and the vast expanse of sea that surrounded me. I fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore and was amazed at the wild nature of the jungle. I rose early with the sun and mingled with the many creatures that shared my environment.
Hotel Captain Suizo recalled the lyrics to Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata, favorite songs from the Broadway hit Lion King. Here I reflected on our fragile and beautiful planet where all living creatures are linked through an intricate exchange of natural resources. Entering the lobby of Capitan Suizo, I immediately received a warm welcome from Francisco, babies Alice and Sophie in tow. In addition to his many other important duties, one of Francisco’s main duties at the hotel is to feed, care for and protect the two resident baby monkeys. Sophie rested on her head, her tiny human fingers grasping her thick mountain of curly black hair, while Alice, the more shy of the two, slept peacefully in her arms, comfortably ensconced on a blanket. .
Alice was found without a tail; these are the unfortunate consequences of her mother’s premature electrocution, a very common phenomenon in Tamarindo when howler monkeys climb electrical cables. A baby monkey without a tail faces a cruel obstacle, as the tail is an integral instrument used for climbing and moving. The Swiss Captain rescued Alice during her childhood. She practices her climbing with Sophie, and the two grow stronger and more confident with each passing day. Sophie was found struggling alone in downtown Tamarindo. Thin and malnourished, Sophie provided a good example of howler monkeys’ plight when separated from their herd. Sophie and Alice have developed a lasting bond and rely heavily on each other for play and companionship.
Such was my welcome at Capitan Suizo, where raccoons lounge on lobby couches, squirrels dine on bananas, and iguanas lounge by the pool. The Swiss Captain welcomes all wild creatures, large and small, healthy and sick, into his protective folds. Indeed, this was the intention of the Swiss owners, whose vision involved an environmentally friendly beach hotel, where humans and animals can live together in harmony. I have never seen a raccoon sitting on a human’s lap, a monkey with a full-time babysitter, or a cat playing with a raccoon. That is, not until I entered the enchanted world of Captain Swiss.
The owners of Capitan Suizo live under the following philosophy: “we do not inherit the planet from our parents but we borrow it from our children”. When a tree fell by surprise in front of the hotel in April 2006, the monkeys lost their natural bridge that allowed them to enter the hotel area, forcing them to cross the dangerous road. It took four tries, but the owners eventually managed to build a replacement bridge that the monkeys use today. The first man-made monkey bridge was born. This is the spirit of the Swiss Captain.
There’s always something going on in the open-air lobby of the Swiss Captain. Maybe it’s feeding time for Alice and Sophie, friendly raccoons enjoying a late-night snack, or Missy, the apricot-colored cat also known as the “queen” lounging on the reception desk while Sibu, the handsome stud cat, chase the geckos and grasshoppers. . The grounds of Capitan Suizo are teeming with wildlife and the sounds of the jungle are vibrant and captivating. It’s clear that the owners have carefully chosen his staff to reflect his love of nature; each and every member of staff has a fondness for animals and a story to tell about the many creatures that have passed through the hotel’s doors. There is the story of Brocholina, the chef’s tricolor cat affectionately called Garfield because she loves to eat and sleep, and Coco, the beloved raccoon who was friendlier than any cat and mysteriously disappeared one day. Legend has it that Coco was coveted by many due to her outgoing nature, which is why she was stolen from the hotel grounds.
After my stay at Hotel Capitan Suizo, I moved to Los Altos de Eros for the final stretch of my trip. The owner of Los Altos de Eros clearly possesses a special kind of talent; the man has created pure magic through a service philosophy that leaves guests wondering if the staff is clairvoyant. At Los Altos de Eros, staff members anticipate and meet guests’ needs and wants before guests even realize those needs exist. Perhaps this is because the owner considers and treats his 28 full-time staff like family and the staff, in turn, treat guests the same way.
The five-bedroom, horseshoe-shaped villa surrounds a gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the Pacific and surrounding jungle, where verdant mountains fade into a smoky sky. There are howler monkeys in the trees, frogs and lizards roaming the grounds, hummingbirds, and clusters of lush tropical flowers. A soothing sense of stillness permeates the facility, relaxing the mind, body, and soul. Imagine a five-bedroom hotel with 28 full-time employees! The staff-to-guest ratio allows for a highly personalized and attentive service that leaves guests feeling incredibly pampered and satisfied.
There’s an impressive open-air yoga studio and a world-class spa. Osa, the resident dog, enjoys barking at the monkeys and accompanying guests on the famous one-hour walking loop around the hotel’s picturesque, mountainous grounds. It is best to do this hike early in the morning, before the sun gets too strong and Osa retires for a mid-morning nap. During our five-night stay at Los Altos de Eros, we never felt as if we were staying in a hotel, but rather in the private estate of a wealthy friend. Meals are shared at a large communal table in the open-air dining room overlooking the pool, allowing guests to interact and develop lasting bonds.
It’s truly amazing how a travel experience can change so dramatically based on the vibe of a particular hotel, the personalities of staff members and guests, and the pace and pulse of the surrounding town. My experiences in Costa Rica were deeply enriching and soul-strengthening. Like ships passing in the night, I passed so many wonderful souls during my journey, people I will always remember but will probably never see again.
There was Francisco, the monkey keeper at Hotel Capitan Suizo, whose smile melted my heart, and Jesse, the waitress at Almonds and Corals Resort with dark, soulful eyes and an appreciation for life’s simpler pleasures. There was José, the driver of Rosa Blanca who spoke of family values, and Elizabeth, the diminutive Australian who suffered a harsh relationship with her only daughter and traveled the world alone, reminding me of myself in her precious solitude. Kitty, the stray cat who sat next to me on a rainy day in Playa Guiones, offered me company when I finally wrote the first chapter of my first novel. There was Valerie, the New York City dance choreographer searching for answers about life and love, and Chantal, the divorced woman from France who taught me that sharing the same language is not a prerequisite for friendship. David was a humble London psychologist who put others first and himself second, offering compliments and praise while he downplayed his own impressive achievements. These unique and colorful souls formed the tapestry of my journey and my memories of the time we shared will live forever within my heart.