Costa Rica, the Jewel of Latin America

Not a postcard!  Not a painting!  This photo was taken near the Blue Osa Resort

My neighbor George just returned from a fabulous trip to Costa Rica.  I really enjoyed hearing about his adventures there.  I didn't know much about Costa Rica before his visit.

The purpose of his visit was a peaceful, rejuvenating vacation at a Yoga Retreat called the Blue Osa Spa.  The Blue Osa Spa isn't a resort in the traditional sense, but it afforded my hard-working friend some real joy and relaxation.

The Blue Osa Spa

First of all, let me explain where Costa Rica is situated.  It's located in Central America, squished in between Nicaragua and Panama.  They have the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Costa Rica is often called the "Jewel of Latin America" because it has a stable government, happy citizens, and a growing economy.  In other words, it's perfectly safe to visit there.

Getting there meant flying from Los Angeles to the Capital City of San Jose.  You can see it on the map above, right smack dab in the middle of the small country.

From there it was a short plane flight south to the Peninsula de Osa.

The plane landed on the small airstrip at Puerto Jimenez, which you can see on the right side of the map above, off the Golfo Dulce (or Sweet Gulf).  It is called the Sweet Gulf, I believe, because it is a peaceful, beautiful place.  Dolphins and Humpback Whales spawn there and call it home.

From there it was still a long, bumpy ride in a car, on primitive roads, to the retreat.

When you got there, you knew you were far away from civilization!

Mother Nature at her most glorious

Don't you wish you could just go walking right into that picture?

The Tropical Rain Forest

The retreat featured great cuisine based on the local fresh fruits and vegetables grown at the resort.

Dinner by candle light

Yummy salads!

Marie, the French Chef (front right), and her crew

My friend raved about the meals and the staff.  He said he felt well taken care of during his entire stay.

John, one of several Yoga Instructors

The pristine pool

A typical room

One 'down side' to living or visiting here, well, to me, was that there are way too many critters in the rain forest!  You needed the mosquito nets!  I mean, it is the rain forest, after all.  There were also bats, tree frogs, lizards and other interesting things going bump in the night... and in the daytime, too.

The retreat has several dogs and cats roaming around.  One cat adopted my friend and would find his way into the room to hang out, and sometimes sleep with him.  That particular cat was very friendly and loved to visit with the guests.  I think he considered himself on staff.

As a cat lover, I must say, that is SERVICE.  I think every resort should have a set of "rent-a-cats and dogs" for people who miss their animals on vacation.

Another shot of the rooms

My friend commented on how simple the rooms are, but still very comfortable.  The temperature was always in the high 70s to low 80s and was pleasant the entire time.

Flowers from the garden

The brush

You could easily get lost in the countryside!

A Zip Line far above the forest floor

My friend went zip-lining through the trees.  He's braver than I am!  

Can I just say: Wow.

The pavilion

After more ambitious pursuits, it was nice to curl up on the comfy sofas at the pavilion.

Just seeing these photos, I can understand why people speak of "Tropical Paradise".

My friend said he loved the peace of this place and hated to leave.

To learn more about the Blue Osa Spa, visit:  http://www.blueosa.com/