Connect and enjoy with those you love most, all the while relaxing and connecting with nature.Casa Ramon features panoramic views and contemporary tropical architecture that encompasses a diverse, multilevel floor plan perfect for a large family or group of friends. There are six bedrooms, accommodating up to 14 people, where the prize Honeymoon Suite is whimsical and elegant, whereas Elan Elan feels like a true five star hotel room and features a full bathtub to soak in as well as private lounging area and TV in room to kick up your feet.

CASA RAMON HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

With two distinct cooking areas that are well equipped, and ample outdoor luxury lounging spaces with 2 look-out verandas, everyone will have their favourite place to be. The covered terrace with bbq and lots of seating is comfortable for gatherings, whereas the Koi fish pond is perfect for a moment of solitude and reflection. What is for sure, everyone enjoys the pool and jacuzzi! It is a dream home away from home – one with coastal views and mountain breezes.

Pamper yourself and sit back into luxury, you can enjoy air conditioning throughout the indoor spaces, Sky TV and their full service concierge – from grocery delivery to booking you a treatment in their private massage room. Centrally located along the coast it is easily accessible, 2 wheel drive suffices. Come enjoy and relax – it’s time to make memories.

We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us:

LOCATION	EMAIL	WEBSITE
Puerto Nuevo, Osa	sales@casaramoncr.com	www.casaramoncr.com

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Study Nature, love Nature, stay close to Nature. It will never fail you.

– Frank Lloyd Wright

In this moment of chaos across the globe, it helps everybody to be able to stop and find some stillness. Those who find themselves in Costa Rica are fortunate in so many ways, and it would benefit us to be aware of what our location does for us.  The peace of staying home in Costa Rica is loaded with benefits, Namely, we have sunshine providing Vitamin D. We have clean water and air. Locally, we have access to home delivery services for groceries, including the local organic growers and producers of wonderful artisanal products so your diet or lifestyle does not have to suffer. Those who are surrounded by nature receive from it much more then they may realize.

Research in a growing scientific field called Ecotherapy has shown a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. Studies have found that those who did a nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is active during rumination, defined as repetitive thoughts that focus on negative emotions. “When people are depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions, and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts,” says Dr. Jason Strauss, director of geriatric psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance. Digging a bit deeper, it appears that interacting with natural spaces offers other therapeutic benefits. For instance, calming nature sounds and even outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which calms the body’s fight-or-flight response. In the Southern Zone, silence means the absence of man made sound, yet it is not silent because the jungle always makes noise. Be it insects, birds, animals, water (streams, waves, rain), leaves in the trees. We are surrounded by Nature’s music. The visual aspects of nature can also have a soothing effect, according to Dr. Strauss. “Having something pleasant to focus on like trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry.”

In all, the right level of Vitamin D in the body helps us in the prevention of diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Besides, it also ensures the smooth functioning of the immune system. Don’t believe me, go for a brisk walk in the early morning sun and see how you feel after!

Sources
Scientific Reports, Health Benefits from Nature Experience Depend on a Dose, Danielle F. Shananhan, June 2016

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In Costa Rica we are fairly fortunate to be able to rely on the land and the green space that surrounds us. It doesn’t take the best green thumb to make a garden grow here. Combined with the number of sunny days a year, where solar can be implemented for energy sources at home and ample down pour where you can collect rain water, relying on natural resources becomes second nature to those of us who live here. And if you are taking any of these last steps towards your own self sufficiency, way to go! You are definitely ahead of the curve.

We can also look into smaller detail at our daily habits to help ourselves in the long run.  Offsetting our carbon travel footprint, one may decide to take up the hobby of tree planting. Waste management also definitely comes under the microscope. Looking at the incoming plastics from purchases and an effort to minimize single use plastics we can look at ways of using reusable containers wherever possible by buying in bulk, bringing our own take out containers when eating out, and choosing to buy local where big packaging is often forgone. IN the home, we can help Mother Earth out by using biodegradable cleaning solvents. Most people don’t realize cleaning detergents oftentimes are sent back into nature polluting streams and rivers nearby. Best to use natural from the get go as to be most symbiotic with the environment. The extra cost for these last products are surely well worth the health benefits they reap. And for those experts whom have gone the extra mile, where up-cycling clothes is not just a fashion statement it’s a way to reduce your impact, hats off, as often time clothing is the item most likely to find its self on its way to the garbage. 

There are many ways to help this worldwide issue of what it will take for us to be sustainable and seems to be the only thing we know for sure is it is going to take every individuals effort to help achieve it.

Pro-Tip!

Regrow Heady Edibles like Pineapple 

• Twist the crown of leaves off the top of the pineapple. Make sure the base, the very tip of the area where the leaves join together, stays intact. New roots will be sprouting from this, and without it the plant won’t grow. 
• Strip off some of the lower leaves and any pineapple to expose the core stem. This helps the stem sprout roots once it is planted.
• Let it dry a week. 
• Then place the crown in a bowl of water in a sunny spot. Roots will begin to grow within days and it will be ready for transplant when you see several roots growing out.

They say it takes about two years for a pineapple to come to fruition. What do you say, worth the wait? Or can’t wait to try!

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The recent pandemic is teaching us the best lesson to the entirety of the human race and we have to take the positive silver linings from it. Everyone is thinking how to survive and reinvent themselves, where only one thing is sure, we can not continue being the same way we were after this. Not only because of healthy restrictions, the situation is beyond that and I truly believe this is a call to reconnect consciously with ourselves, our relatives, friends and the most important with Mother Nature.

We have enough tools and information now to create a better world for our children and future generations but it’s a matter of stopping with greed and finding solidarity with everything around us. I am sure more people will come to this country to move, away from the big cities, and start new lives in the beautiful jungle of the Southern of Costa Rica and this is exactly why I am calling everyone to make a difference.

For several years I have been writing about the local situations that need to be addressed but we still need to do more (see online for archives). As you know the local Municipality has created a Zoning Map that does not include the environmental elements and therefore does not support sustainable building practices. This will have an enormous impact for the future development of the land.

In my personal opinion there are five main values that can be applied in order to make a difference for a correct and sustainable development:

1. LOVE: If we don’t love each one next to us, our land and our resources, we will be lost again. Like Mother Teresa once said: The greatest science in the world, in heaven and on earth is LOVE.
2. HUMBLE: If you are not humble you can not understand what life is giving you. This value is very important too because without it you will always feel empty and you won’t understand the abundance of Mother Nature.
3. SOLIDARITY: The Zoning Map requires analysis before it is approved – consider on your end the environmental elements and local communities and associations. before submissions as they too will need to approve.
4. MORAL ETHIC: Every developer or investor must be conscious for every new project, they have all the power to decide the path, of course with the help of professionals.
5. GRATITUDE: Programs of reforestation are to be mandatory by law, for every square meter that a developer will affect of the proposed land, they will have to reforest the same amount of area around in order to show gratitude to Earth.

If these FIVE values are all connected and local entities have control over them, I am sure the impact for our local environment will be positive and we can preserve a lot of wildlife and it’s diversity. I am not saying these are the only ways, I am sure there are many more ideas and many people can add more on, these last are just a humble opinion based on my experience of 12 years living and building down here.

If we educate our young kids and the new generations the integrity and the importance of these values, they will make a huge difference when they venture out into the world unknown and the world will be a better place. Remember that education is not only what you learn in school. Education is based on values and how a person behaves and treats others. No matter their position or title in the world, country of origin, color of their skin, or gender. No matter how rich or how poor, an educated person will treat the people and the earth with the same respect that is.

… Earth provides enough to satisfy every man´s needs, but not every man´s greed … – Mahatma Ghandi

Written by Adrián Coto

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And as certain as this uncertainty is we have no other option than to learn how to manage it and deal with it. But how do we do it? Some online research can provide you good and specialized materials on this subject. As a basic guide let’s review some basic points for this process.

First of all there are three points you need to interiorize:

1. You need to accept that change is happening and that you cannot stop it but rather need to be willing to deal with it;
2. You need to open your mind to be in an “always ready” mode, so you can adapt to change; and
3. You have to be willing to take action.

The whole process of managing uncertainty has to be understood as an strategic foresight exercise to figure out how to think about the future and its uncertainties. Here are some ideas about this process:

• Know your factual situation. You have to identify the factual points of your situation so that you know which are the factors on which your actions will need to take place.
• Identify as many possible scenarios as you can. While you cannot know what is going to happen you can think about the different situations that you may be facing regarding your personal situation, business or investment.
• Think possible solutions. Analyze your possible scenarios and think about the actions you would take to face them. Keep in mind that in some cases bailing out or taking actions to minimize loses may be part of the solutions to take.
• Eliminate obstacles. As a consequence of the three previous steps, define those actions that you can take to make your possible solutions more feasible. For instance, if you are in the process of selling a property, make sure you have at hand the corresponding zoning certificate, water availability letter, taxes compliance document and all of those items that will ease up your possible solutions.

Most of all, be always monitoring your situation and your environment so that you can constantly update your possible scenarios and solutions.

Written by Randall Sanchez

Randall Sanchez is an Attorney and Notary Public, founder and managing partner of the Sanchez and Associates Law Firm, based in the Southern Pacific Zone of Costa Rica. His practice is focused in real estate transactions and development and corporate law, to which he has been dedicated for 32 years.

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That said, it takes some understanding and a bit of planning, to sort out both personal and professional needs, and make it work. Add kids, pets, housework and spouses to the mix, and things get complicated. Working from home, if you’re not set up for it, suddenly seems daunting. I left the frantic pace of big agency life to work freelance and build my own design business, a few years ago, so I have learned to see “work” and “life” as interchangeable.

There is a wonderful rhythm to home life that can feed into work and creativity, if you go with that flow, not against it. We can be open to the change of energy, the ebb and flow of daily living. Rather than expect hours and hours of work focus, I am open and flexible to domestic chores, talks with friends, research, cooking, and these mental shifts boost my creativity when I come back to my desk. Plus the laundry is done!

Before I work again I use breathing, yoga, music or quick exercise to build positive energy and shift to work mode. Work for a few hours, play with the kids, laugh, stretch, walk the dog – then work again. See these things as mutually supportive, part of the whole of life, not compartmentalized. Making a home, being with your family, talking to your friends is healthy, positive and is the cornerstone of productivity.

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For some, a simple 2 bedroom home near the beach or on a hillside is the dream home, or a 4 bedroom estate with acreage for others. But once the purchase is complete, you’ll want to find your tribe.

Once my clients tell me their wish list – number of bedrooms, an ocean view versus a valley or beach view, in town, or up on a mountainside – I’m surprised at how many I then have to ask about hobbies, the physical activities they enjoy, and how social they plan to be once settled in.

It’s human nature to be attracted to others with similar interests. Back home in Canada I never thought I would be moving to Costa Rica at 47 years of age, and after picking up a surf board for the first time I would soon become friends with such a broad age demographic. From 25 to 75! Although I felt like I’d discovered something secret, I quickly realized it was more like, “the last one to know.”

Is cooking your passion? Several local and expat chefs immediately come to mind in the Costa Ballena area. Rancho Cielo Alto in Playa Hermosa is one excellent example. Chef Jasmin’s food is a stunning surprise to the palate, made with local ingredients, many of which are grown on the family farm. The experience includes an introduction to each course that creates an anticipation that is quickly rewarded with the first bite. Chef Jasmin is just one of the area chefs that also provides cooking classes. It may seem intimidating at first. Where do I meet people? Is there a hiking club? Does anyone else like to paint rocks or make jewelry? How will my kids make friends? Well, with a little effort on your part it’s actually pretty simple. For starters, just talk to people – total strangers! In the grocery line, at the hardware store, a simple smile and “hello.” Volunteer with a local charity to walk rescue dogs, or at a local wildlife sanctuary, and don’t forget Facebook! Most communities have facebook pages for information – a forum to ask questions. There’s a Bulletin Board page, a Yard Sale page, an LGBTQ Social Networking group page, and many more. All right here in the jungle! So rest assured, even before you sign the closing documents you can easily search out several events and activities that will have you being social before your bags are even unpacked!

Written by Ben Rutherford

Ben Rutherford is a Senior Sales Associate with Blue Zone Realty International. He and his husband moved to the Costa Ballena area in 2013 and quickly started to enjoy a social lifestyle volunteering, playing beach volleyball, enjoying a good pot-luck, and hosting new friends at their home!

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With the closure of airports indefinitely, the arrival of international volunteers, unfortunately, has been postponed. However, the work that the Reserva Playa Tortuga has carried out for a long time in the community is bearing fruit; much success has been achieved to engrain a message of conservation and protection of natural resources into the people of our region.

Thanks to this connection between the Reserve and the community, in these difficult times, help was immediate: our good neighbors have jumped on the scene and selflessly offered their time and energy so that the Reserve continued to carry out its monitoring.

Thus, several neighbors have joined the monitoring of monkeys, reforestation and morning walks while waiting for the arrival of the first turtles to Playa Tortuga.

This support from our friends is the main objective of our organization, what we call “participatory science”. Our vision of creating science at the service of the community made the community serve science. We are proud of our community that once again has risen to the occasion.

If you want to be part of our local volunteer team write to rptojochal@gmail.com. Our upcoming Turtle hatching season has just begun! 

Ciencia participativa

 Con el cierre de los aeropuertos de manera indefinida la llegada de voluntarios internacionales, lamentablemente, se ha visto pospuesta. Sin embargo el trabajo que durante largo tiempo ha llevado a cabo la Reserva Playa Tortuga en la comunidad está dando frutos; con mucho éxito se ha logrado inculcar un mensaje de conservación y protección de los recursos naturales en las personas de nuestra región. 

Gracias a esta conexión entre la Reserva y la comunidad, en estos díficiles tiempos, la ayuda no se hizo esperar: nuestros buenos vecinos han saltado a la escena y de manera desinteresada ofrecieron su tiempo y energía para que la Reserva siguiera ejecutando sus monitoreos.

Así, varios vecinos se han unido a los monitoreos de monos, reforestación y en las caminatas matutinas a la espera del arribo de las primeras tortugas a Playa Tortuga. 

Este apoyo de nuestros amigos es el objetivo principal de nuestra organización, lo que llamamos “ciencia participativa”. Nuestra visión de crear ciencia al servicio de la comunidad hizo que la comunidad esté al servicio de la ciencia. 

Si deseas ser parte de nuestro equipo de voluntarios locales escribe a rptojochal@gmail.com

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See you next time! Nos vemos la próxima!

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In spite of all this, we should try to embrace the true Pura Vida spirit of it all, because just like a pancake has two sides no matter how flat you make it, every situation, no matter how unexpected and weird, has its pros and cons. So for those of us lucky enough to be ‘stranded’ in Costa Rica during this time, here’s a few good and bad aspects we can all relate to.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE QUARANTINE 

• Weekend Whimsy: Remember the days when we could drive Saturday and Sunday, no matter what number our license plate ended with? Those were wild times, right? Remember to savour the right, when restrictions end.
• Beach Bans: Yellow police tape has never been in such high demand and oh so prevalent, as well as anticlimactic as we see beach fronts taped off from North to South end. Whoever invested in that stock option, good for you! 
• Minimal Intimacy: Surely we can all agree that life isn’t nearly as fulfilling without those tropically induced moist handshakes and sweaty faux cheek’n’kiss greetings for all your friends and friends-of-friends and that one guy you don’t really know or like. Just a wave will now suffice.

ADVANTAGES OF THE QUARANTINE

• Less Traffic: Don’t you fondly remember that super dangerous ten-way intersection that involved heavily used conflicting dual turn lanes and stop signs to cross the Costanera highway that had weekly lethal accidents? No. No one misses that.
• New Hobbies: You can finally learn how to roast those potentially poisonous cashews at home, and if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can attempt to make your own chicha (fermented booze) from the remaining fruit. And while you’re flouting your green thumb, you can finally appreciate, harvest and eat that pineapple growing in your yard, which, lo and behold, don’t come from trees (who knew?!).
• Extended Visas: For those not fortunate enough to have residency, 90-day visa trips are a common occurrence. However, due to border closures the Costa Rica government has graciously extended immigrant visa requirements. While we might reminisce about the highly discounted duty free liquor, it never sucks being allowed to be ‘stuck’ in paradise.  
• Different Norms: Smelling like guaro isn’t just for benders, holidays or Tuesday anymore; that cheap alcohol aroma is the new ‘eau de corona’ disinfectant and it’s not going anywhere soon. 

So with all this in mind, let’s drink up, live it up, wash up and don’t judge that guy sleeping a little too soundly in the ditch in the middle of the day – we all social distance in our own way.

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”

– Elbert Hubbard

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