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Big Wave Dave and the Butterfly Paradise

August 28, 2012 | Comments Off

By Mitchell Geller

When I first met Big Wave Dave he was stripped down to his shorts, hard at work in the mid-day sun hand-shaving the bark off the logs he would later use to build his vision: The Butterfly Paradise. A long-hair leftover from his surf and party days of old, he looked the picture of health. Brown, narrow-waisted, ripped in the abs… He pushed the hair out of his face, straightened his thick glasses and said to me, “Wow, I thought I was the oldest guy here!”

Not quite, amigo, but thanks all the same.

Anyway, that was a year and a half ago and now he’s got something to show for all his hard work. Not only did he build a licensed butterfly paradise and breeding ground that’s in full swing, he’s in the process of creating a garden around the Paradise filled with colorful foliage meant to attract specific birds, bugs and butterflies. The path leading to the door is drawn with stacks of large-to-small rocks piled on top of each other. I imagine it’s either Zen-like or Japanese in flavor, but not sure which. It doesn’t matter because it has a calming effect on me. Rocks are so patient. To be stacked so is to say: I am here now, and that’s that. Let it rain, let it shine, I don’t care which because I remain the same regardless. Rocks are so wise.

Everything about the Butterfly Paradise looks new, probably because it is new. The door, the netting around the entire structure, all look clean and fresh. But the first things you see upon entering are flashes of color that catch the periphery of your eye, demanding attention. It may be a fluorescent blue, or bright orange, or (my favorite), a bright red swatch on a matte-black background. And all is silent. The air is heavy, humid and warm. Thousands of host plants are protected from any wind or even a slight breeze. Butterflies make no noise or sound of any kind—at least none that I can hear. Harmony prevails, even though the butterflies move as if they have a severe case of hiccups.

Big Wave Dave will be your tour guide. He knows a lot about the stuff he’s got inside the round, netted structure that houses his collection of beautifully marked butterflies. I wouldn’t know the difference between a pupa (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pupa?s=t) and a poop (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poop?s=t) so it’s good to have him along. I know I’ll get the whole story about whatever he’s fascinated with. If there’s related issues I’ll get that, too. Slightly unrelated? That makes it equally slightly related so it counts.

“Oh, wait, come here,” he’ll say to you. “This is interesting. See that?” pointing to the underside of a big “host plant” leaf where there’s a green thing hanging from a short, silky thread. Looks like edamame, I thought when I first saw one, suddenly hungry for Japanese appetizers. No, it’s a pupa (poop-ah). He may even pet the thing. “Hi, baby…” and just like that he wants to show you the butterfly that will eventually emerge from this dangling soy bean. After that he may run off somewhere to find the caterpillar that makes the pupa that births the butterfly.

And through the entire process, Dave is their man-god. He spends hours each day crawling through the plants pulling weeds. Wielding a small hand vacuum, “I use this for pests,” he tells me while sneaking up on a small, black spider. “Then I let them loose outside.” I’ve never seen him kill any living thing. He may inspect a bug, nudge it even, to get to know it, then “Vroom!” (which he actually articulates while in the process) into the vacuum it goes to be set free outdoors.

“This caterpillar will curl into a flower-like state to fend off predators.” Or, “Watch this as I poke its belly,” and the thing will pick up its spines—again, to ward off predators. “This over here is an egg,” he tells me, pointing to a microscopic dot on a leaf.

“Is that a pupa, too?” I ask, spotting a similar dot.

“No, that’s just poop.”

“Oh. Never mind.” There’s no such thing as “too much information” with Dave.

“I have to inspect every plant,” he says. “I’m looking for eggs, which I have to control, and bugs, which can be either benign or malevolent, and, of course, random pupae and [some long word I can’t remember] and [another long word I can’t remember] and…” on and on about all the bio-security he has to be on top of, file reports about with the associated biologist, and still maintain an active schedule of improving the grounds to include such places as a hummingbird garden and bird-watching blind and future areas for orchids and benches along trails from where the ocean can be seen and… Whew, slow down, dude!

Everything he handles is with kid gloves. I’m not one for bugs of any kind being on my person. When a bright orange butterfly landed on my flowery aloha shirt I asked him kindly to remove the thing.

“Come here, mama,” he said as he gently lifted it from my body and cradled it in two hands. This is a way of life for Big Wave Dave. We have played pool together on many occasions and the conversation will invariably turn to experiences he’s had on the waves. He may tell you about the tsunami he surfed, or the people he saved from drowning, or the dog he pulled off the rocks of a jetty. In a pensive mood he may tell you about his artistic endeavors and the flower gardens he’s grown, or about the soup kitchen he wants to open in Cortés—a small, poor town near the coast. Tea-totaling his way through a game of 8-Ball, you realize he’s just beaten you with one hand, the bastard. (I asked him once, “Why do you play with only one hand?” He just smiled and said, “I used to be much better.”)

Back in the States he created a surfer museum stocked with old boards, wet suits and associated surfing paraphernalia. He has even put on a dress and surfed for charity as Big Wave Betty.

Okay that’s kinky, but saintly.

When you see a short, long-haired guy with glasses and a thick moustache walking around OMV carrying a net you’ll know that’s Big Wave Dave on the prowl. I’ve seen him catch all manner of flying things, as well as colorful frogs and small, usually injured mammals. Wounded kinkajous and stray armadillos are all within his purview. He has no fear and I believe the creatures know that. Ask him what he’s after, then be prepared for a lesson on whatever he has in his sights. Chances are you’ll learn something about Nature and some of Her most fascinating and beautiful creations.

Walk-ins are welcome to the Butterfly Paradise at Osa Mountain Village Eco Resort, or you can reserve a tour here: http://osamountainadventures

All Inclusive Costa Rica Resorts

August 21, 2012 | Comments Off

Vacationing in Costa Rica your first time will be an amazing experience. The type of traveling you do will largely depend on the type of person you are. Are you the hitchhiker type that throws a backpack on and just goes with the flow? If you are, this post probably won’t appeal to you as much as it will someone that wants to have their vacation a bit more planned out. Do a search on the internet and you’ll find loads of all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica. They are located all over the country. Some are new and some are old. Some are luxurious and others more rustic and simple. Some will serve you Mackeral with broccoli, carrots and cauliflower or similar everyday you stay with them while others will prepare gourmet meals fit for a king. As you can imagine the price differences between these various all inclusive resorts can vary greatly.

On the high end, you’ll find resorts that run in the neighborhood of $200 to $300 per night, per person which covers your lodging and food. Most establishments charge additional for drinks of all kinds, tours you take and spa activities. On the low end, there are all inclusive deals for under $85 per night, per person. In most cases you do get what you pay for and most of the lower priced resorts are older and offer much simpler accommodations. Don’t be fooled by pictures on websites either. Most of them were taken when the resort was first built and show it at its finest moment.

The great thing about all inclusive resorts and vacation packages that include everything, is that they allow you to budget out the whole trip ahead of time leaving no surprises once you are in the country. In that way you get the most for your money since packages usually come with a discount off the individual prices of everything being included in the package. At Osa Mountain Village Resort we offer packages for 2 nights to 6 nights that include lodging, 3 gourmet meals a day, a variety of popular tours and attractions plus use of all the resort amenities starting at around $163 per day per person (price for a five night standard package in green season). Transportation is extra if needed and we can help you with renting a car which is what we usually recommend. Prices increase across the country for high and holiday season.

If you would like help with laying out an itinery for a trip, regardless of the length of your stay, please let us know as we have partnerships with many resorts in other areas of Costa Rica and can schedule your car or shuttle service and anything else you require to make your trip an amazing one. We can even create a custom package for you that includes everything you want and nothing you don’t want for your trip. Use the form below to inquire about this service.

Get Living In Costa Rica- Make Your Vacation Dreams Come True

June 14, 2012 | Comments Off

This great, short video will show you a glimpse of what makes a vacation in Costa Rica such a special adventure. With more biodiversity than all of North America in an area the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica is jam packed with things to do. From the volcanos to the beaches there is something for everyone. In the southern pacific zone you’ll find some of the most untouched rainforest left in the country. It is some of the most biodiverse landscape on the planet and offers amazing adventures for animal and nature loving people. Take a zipline tour of the rainforest canopy with Osa Canopy Tour or go whitewater rafting on one of the 3 rivers in the area that offer good rafting. If you are into seeing monkeys and other animals schedule a hiking tour of Corcovado National Park or in our own private rainforest reserve. Bird watchers will be blown away by the number of birds they will see in the area. The Osa area is a birding paradise and our resident guide, Carlos Salas, will show you the birds, plants and animals that you would probably walk right by without a trained guide.

There is also kayaking on the ocean, surfing, horseback riding, river tubing, canyoning, cultural tours of the local indigenous people known as the Boruca Indians, and many other tours in the area to enjoy. Our goal is to help you get the most for your money while you are visiting Costa Rica. We know many of the best places in the country to visit and the lodging and tours that are the best in the area. At Osa Mountain Village Eco Resort we have relationships with other resorts, boutique hotels and tour operators all over the country and can help you plan a trip that will be remembered for years to come. Use the contact form at the bottom of this page to inquire about our packages and country wide tours.

Costa Rica: Get Living from Patrick Pierson on Vimeo. The video was filmed in many parts of the country.

Sport fishing in Costa Rica at Osa Mountain Village Resort

September 8, 2011 | Comments Off

Explore the mangroves and the Pacific Ocean aboard our very own boat from your vacation villa at Osa Mountain Village Resort

*Mangrove Tours
*Snorkeling
*Deep Sea & River Sport Fishing
*Sightseeing
*Sierpe River Cruising
*Whale & Dolphin Watching

Start your day out at the little town of Sierpe, Costa Rica. . .get some snacks, a few bottles of water and head to the dock, where you will see the “Osa Mountain Lady”. She’s a proud girl, waiting for you and your group to board!

Get settled in the boat, start up the engine and off we go up the
Sierpe River, making our way out to sea. . .

We’re almost at the mouth of the river.
Look at the scenery. . .amazing.

Cano Island is in the distance. . .
let’s go there and find some
whales and dolphins!

Beautiful sites to see!
Bring your camera!

A day you will never forget!
We promise!

More information can be found online at http://www.osamountainlady.homestead.com