Holis Wellness Center

Connection with Nature

Costa Rica changed everything for me. I was a suburban London girl whose closest experience to wilderness had been the placid, ambling hills of the English countryside. They are quite charming but at 23 I wasn’t looking for charming, I was looking for great adventures in far-flung lands, challenges and discoveries.

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Tey ArceTiti Conservation Alliance

A must for 2011

Last Nov 19, more than 120 persons toasted for the titis while enjoying an incredible evening at Gaia Hotel & Reserve. Beyond a local sustainability investment, it was a special gathering for professional and personal networking between like-minded, community-oriented businesses and individuals. Everyone was invited, and even guests staying in various local hotels had a great community bonding time. May Manuel Antonio continue hosting more events like this one. Thanks to Titi Conservation Alliance for going beyond a cocktail party and reminding us that we are part of the solution, and that is possible to contribute for a good cause that will last in the destination that we all love.

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Fishing ReportLuna Tours

Fishing Report January 2011

Happy New Year, and bienvenidos to Quepos and Manuel Antonio.December began the prime fishing season for our fishing fleet and we’re all geared up and ready to take you fishing. The Sailfish bite is good and should begin to get better each week, with Mahi Mahi fishing still very hot, some being in the 40 to 50 pound range. The Marlin bite is fantastic, the Ojaran III with Captain Junior and mate Alex have released (9) Marlin in the last 4 days. Yellow Fin Tuna are being boated some 80 pounders. Rooster fish are also being boated on our inshore trips, with two to five fish being released. Fishing in Quepos is always good year round.

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Jim Parisi

The Sky Is Burning!

The alarms sounded some decades past about diminishing rainforests and the worlwide implications, but dry rainforests were overlooked. In his new documentary “Se Quema El Cielo”, Luciano Capelli waves the banner for all to see. The film focuses on the plight of the Guanacaste tropical dry forest, documenting the struggle to preserve over three hundred thousand species of life. One method is to recreate the natural habitat in the area, from the Pacific coastline to the chain of volcanoes Rincon de la Vieja and Orosi, covering lowlands and highlands. Much of this area was pastureland for centuries. One major problem rose when the cattle were removed around 1977 leaving non-indigenous grasses that were planted as feed to squeeze out local plant life. This is how a downhill chain begins because once the native plants disappear, so does the wildlife that depends on them. Without natural enemies, the grasses took over, dried out and became kindling for natural fires due to lightning, controlled fires, mismanaged campfires and even fires set as arson. Historic winds also play a major role.

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Colleen SmithKids Saving the Rainforest

KSTR and ICE Partner to Save the Monkeys

You see them every day parading across monkey bridges and electrical lines, but the recent electrocution of six titi monkeys in Pocares reminds us that there is still a need for a better balance between our modern world and the surrounding eco-community. While we need electrical lines to power our needs, the trouble for wildlife starts when the wires—either two primary or a primary and secondary—make contact with a grounded object, such as a tree or land, or with each other. When this occurs, the wires become electrified, creating a dangerous situation for monkeys accustomed to using them as a means of passage.

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Cooking Corner

Cornmeal Pizza with the Works

In the gourmet pizza world, the key to creating a great pizza is limiting yourself to 2 or 3 delicious key ingredients. In my pizza world, the key to a great pizza is small amounts of lots of ingredients so every bite is unique little explosion of different flavour combinations. In addition, this crunchy, flavourful cornmeal crust is strong enough to hold it all without dumping it in your lap.

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Pat CheekQué Pasa en Quepos

¿Qué Pasa en Quepos? – December 2010

Bienvenidos- Feliz Navidad – Welcome to Quepos & Manuel Antonio!………we hope you are having a wonderful vacation………there is much to do, see and great food to eat so you should be well taken care of. At the time of this writing we have just experienced one of the worst weeks of rain in history….there was much damage to roads, flooded homes, landslides that caused a tremendous loss of life and just about everything that is our life here in Paradise was affected………but at this very moment the roads are being repaired, people in shelters are being helped and we are working hard to have everything ready for you – our visitors to enjoy……As you travel around our area drop in on our advertisers for great food & drink ..or take an awesome tour…and please mention that you found them in Quepolandia…………we would like to thank Manuel Cabalceta for our great cover shot! The Oropel – also known as an Eyelash Viper is a beautiful color but very poisonous!

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Health is WealthTodd Pequeen

Quite the Contrary

I expand my possibilities by cultivating the opposite in myself. When I was young I did not have much choice. As an adult I do, so I use my free will to be the antagonist from within. I understand that no matter how correct I think my decisions are, or how black and white a situation seems, there are always shades of grey or layers of circumstance that I may be unaware of. This requires humility beyond the four decades of lessons I have learned. A set frame of mind can be my own worst enemy. Cultivating the opposite moves my life towards the pursuit of liberation. Freedom from all lesser pursuits (that often revolve around money, food, sex, and power) can be greatly empowering. The value of seeking change and enlightenment enriches my days beyond what I have previously dreamed.

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Donna PorterIt's a Wonderful World of Plants

Renewing Respect for Red Hibiscus

My heart goes out to the Red Hibiscus; a plant that seems as though here in Costa Rica has lost respect and gained un-popularity through overuse and abuse. It is machete- massacred probably worse than any other plant around, and can no longer lay claim to even its very own spot in a garden or landscape other than being shoved into an overcrowded hedge. Sadly, it appears as though its only purpose here in Costa Rica is to provide a living screen between neighbors or other unsightly nuisances. This world- renowned, sacred to some, plant has been belittled, de-throned and Insulted and I would like to shed some light upon the Red Hibiscus in hopes that it will spark a new found awareness and appreciation for this unsung beauty.

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Jack EwingNature and Local History Stories

Hocus and Pocus – Strange Creeper Cats

When I first laid eyes on the two black kittens a quote from a Robert Heinlein novel popped into my mind,. It has been so many years ago since I read it that I can’t even remember which one is was, but I remember the quote. In referring to a complex subject Heinlein said that making sense of it was “… like searching in a dark cellar at midnight on a moonless night for a black cat that isn’t there.” These two kittens were that black without a hint of any other color. Even their eyes were black. In addition to their extreme blackness there was always an air of mysteriousness about them. They didn’t walk like ordinary cats, rather they walked all crouched down, more of a creep than a walk, like they were constantly stalking something. They never made any noises other than purring; they never clawed the furniture; they were never underfoot and never got into trouble of any kind. There was always something strange about them. We named them Hocus and Pocus.

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