Innovative hotel in Costa Rica offers holidays for music lovers

Meet a Norwegian jazz pianist, an austrian blues bassist and a Costa Rican flamenco guitarist. Where this may well be? No, at the scene of events it is by no means an international music festival or a crowded concert hall. This takes place in a small hotel in Costa Rica, right on the Pacific coast that for years is the meeting place for professionals and music lovers from all over the world. This is because the owners of the Hotel Paraiso del Cocodrilo, Rainer (here called Rana), is regularly organizing jam sessions, and hence leads together professional musicians and amateur musicians from all over the world.

In every music session invited musicians meet friends, acquaintances, and of course the guests of the hotel, the hotel which are especially invited to enrich the evening with their musical contributions. That possibility is excitedly accepted. The conglomeration of instruments that the hotel manager has accumulated over the years is available for the guests. So a unforeseeable and individual live concert experience evolves in each session where the participants spontaneously make music together, improvise and play solos. This interesting and attractive mix of styles is represented also by the unique hotel ambience with its proximity to the beach of Buena Vista and the beautiful hotel garden. Thus, holiday feeling and enjoying music is perfectly combined at the hotel near Samara and makes the stay especially for guests with fun and joy for music memorable.

Over the years many top musicians were welcomed at the hotel. In particular George Weghofer, former bassist of the successful Mojo Blues Band, Svein Olav Herstad, jazz musician and pianist of the eponymous trio from Norway, and David, a studied flamenco guitarist from Germany are to name. The local music scene is often represented by the resident guitarist Oldrie and also the hotel manager himself does, of course, like to play the guitar and saxophone.

The Paraiso del Cocodrilo is an individual hotel in the sunny province of Guanacaste, near the white sand beaches Buena Vista, Samara and Barrigona. At this beach you can even see Mel Gibson at some days, because he owns a property not far away. Besides the music performances as highlights, the hotel offers also various adventure trips. You can hike through the near national parks, get a boat trip on which you can see dolphins and whales in their natural environment, climb the active volcanoes of Costa Rica or marvel at a drive through the mangroves, where you see crocodiles, monkeys and rare birds. Also there is the opportunity to visit nearby spanish courses to refresh your language or to learn it from qualified teachers.

But also in the hotel itself you can enjoy your holidays completely relaxed. Besides the hotel restaurant with international and Costa Rican dishes, the pool, the surrounding garden and the many wild animals to observe invite one to stay. Offside from busy tourist routes the hotel in Costa Rica presents a natural idyll for individual tourists, in which however you need not dispense with amenities such as WiFi, AC or TV.

More information about the Music  Hotel Costa Rica near the white sand Pacific beach Buena Vista. Tel 0506 26568055

My internship in Costa Rica, Part V

Costa Rica is nothing like Germany. You will see some noticeable differences ranging from its physical geography to the society itself. The culture of this country is so warm, friendly and inviting. The work ethic is totally different from ours: In Germany everything is laid out to a 15 minute break and half an hour for lunch. In their view of time things just happen when they happen. You take a break when you’re tired, and lunch is an hour or more. They are not lazy, but they work to live and not live to work. In Germany it is more the other way around, I think. I have the impression that the people in Costa Rica are happier: They always have a smile on their face.

For me, the first weeks have been great, and I’m very excited to see more of this beautiful country. So far I have really enjoyed my time here. The Ticos are really nice and welcoming and I am very happy that I’ve chosen this small country – 10,000 km away from home. I have gained a lot of new experiences and insights, I have seen a unique landscape and have met wonderful people. However, I am looking forward to my flight back home in one month, when I will return to my familiy and friends and will be able to tell them many stories about this exciting journey that has given me so many unforgettable moments. But at first, I will be taking a closer look at this beautiful country in the next few weeks I hope I can add to my store of wonderful moments. I have taken this country and its people to my heart and I will definitely return at some time!

Kathi Mayer

My internship in Costa Rica, Part IV

My working hours here are flexible, Rainer said. I start every day at 7 a.m. and work usually until 12 a.m. or 1 p.m., after that I have a 4 to 5 hours break before working again in the evenings. I spend my free time in the hammock (to catch up on some missed sleep), on the internet and at the beach or pool, after all, I would like to be as tanned as possible before flying back home to Germany.

Most of the time I’m working in the hotel-restaurant. With the other intern, I take the orders of our guests, serve and chat to them. The hotel is mainly visited by Germans and Americans, who are mostly aged from 40, who want to escape the stress of everyday life at home.

Moreover, Ticos rent apartments for their whole family (about 10 people). The apartments are also ideal for self-catering holidays. This makes it very easy for us to serve them. Sometimes they want to have breakfast or dinner at the restaurant, this means for us non-stop preparation of Gallo Pinto, café Negro, frutas, etc. Gallo Pinto is the national dish of Costa Rica, black beans and rice, and they will eat it for nearly every meal. It’s really delicious, despite the lack of variety!

more information about internship in hotel Costa Rica Samara

My working hours here are flexible, Rainer said. I start every day at 7 a.m. and work usually until 12 a.m. or 1 p.m., after that I have a 4 to 5 hours break before working again in the evenings. I spend my free time in the hammock (to catch up on some missed sleep), on the internet and at the beach or pool, after all, I would like to be as tanned as possible before flying back home to Germany.
Most of the time I'm working in the hotel-restaurant. With the other intern, I take the orders of our guests, serve and chat to them. The hotel is mainly visited by Germans and Americans, who are mostly aged from 40, who want to escape the stress of everyday life at home.
Moreover, Ticos rent apartments for their whole family (about 10 people). The apartments are also ideal for self-catering holidays. This makes it very easy for us to serve them. Sometimes they want to have breakfast or dinner at the restaurant, this means for us non-stop preparation of gallo pinto, café negro, frutas, etc. Gallo pinto is the national dish of Costa Rica, black beans and rice, and they will eat it for nearly every meal. It's really delicious, despite the lack of variety!

My internship in Costa Rica, Part III

After more than two exhausting days, including seven hours’ time difference, I finally arrived at the bus stop Barco Quebrado, where Rainer, the hotel owner, had promised to pick me up. But he didn’t.

After the bus driver assured me that I was at the right stop, I stood there all alone, heavily loaded, in the middle of nowhere. Thousands of thoughts came into my mind: Now what? What am I going to do if he has forgotten to pick me up and won’t come? How do I get out of here? Fortunately, these thoughts were a waste of time because Rainer arrived about 15 minutes later and brought me to my future home and workplace. The Hotel Paraiso del Cocodrilo, a small oasis in a natural paradise.

My first day was relaxed, after I was shown my room and I had eaten a snack, Rainer took me and his Golden Retriever Benny Evangélico to the Playa Barrigona. The beautiful beach is located about eight miles north of Sámara, and can only be reached on dirt roads with huge potholes. On the trip, I saw the incredible landscape with unique trees, such as the national tree of Costa Rica, the Guanacaste (the province of Guanacaste in the north-west of the country is named after it), and I saw animals such as howler monkeys and iguanas.

Once there, it was a breathtaking and awe-inspiring panorama: turquoise, crystal clear blue water and a crisp white fine sandy beach -  an amazing view. The natural beach was fringed by coconut trees and wooded hills. It’s the perfect place to relax and tan. I loved the beach and the salty water on my skin, and it smells so good.

In the hinterland of Playa Barrigona the property of actor and director Mel Gibson is located: A huge cattle farm and some houses. Rainer assured me Mr. Gibson has already been seen on Playa Barrigona. But unfortunately, despite several beach visits, I haven’t seen the Hollywood star yet. Later, I was told, he was supposed to have been there about two weeks ago. What a pity!

<!–[if gte mso 10]>  

After more than two exhausting days, including seven hours’ time difference, I finally arrived at the bus stop Barco Quebrado, where Rainer, the hotel owner, had promised to pick me up. But he didn’t.

After the bus driver assured me that I was at the right stop, I stood there all alone, heavily loaded, in the middle of nowhere. Thousands of thoughts came into my mind: Now what? What am I going to do if he has forgotten to pick me up and won’t come? How do I get out of here? Fortunately, these thoughts were a waste of time because Rainer arrived about 15 minutes later and brought me to my future home and workplace. The Hotel Paraiso del Cocodrilo, a small oasis in a natural paradise.

My first day was relaxed, after I was shown my room and I had eaten a snack, Rainer took me and his Golden Retriever Benny Evangélico to the Playa Barrigona. The beautiful beach is located about eight miles north of Sámara, and can only be reached on dirt roads with huge potholes. On the trip, I saw the incredible landscape with unique trees, such as the national tree of Costa Rica, the Guanacaste (the province of Guanacaste in the north-west of the country is named after it), and I saw animals such as howler monkeys and iguanas.

Once there, it was a breathtaking and awe-inspiring panorama: turquoise, crystal clear blue water and a crisp white fine sandy beach -  an amazing view. The natural beach was fringed by coconut trees and wooded hills. It’s the perfect place to relax and tan. I loved the beach and the salty water on my skin, and it smells so good.

In the hinterland of Playa Barrigona the property of actor and director Mel Gibson is located: A huge cattle farm and some houses. Rainer assured me Mr. Gibson has already been seen on Playa Barrigona. But unfortunately, despite several beach visits, I haven’t seen the Hollywood star yet. Later, I was told, he was supposed to have been there about two weeks ago. What a pity!

My internship in Costa Rica, Part II

The following weeks, I was spending my time on planning and preparing my trip. I read about Costa Rica with focus on climate, culture, language, geography and social peculiarities. This tropical country is characterized by its rainy and dry seasons. My two-month stay from mid January to mid March at the Pacific coast in the province of Guanacaste extends into the dry season, i.e. the average daily temperature is about 28 degrees Celsius, rain falls rarely. This has an impact on the many varieties of flora and fauna in this country. Furthermore, Costa Rica sets a lot of store by eco-tourism and therefore, protection of the environment is a great priority. It has established many national parks, some of them are on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. In addition, the two beautiful coasts at the Pacific and the Caribbean invite the visitor to surf and swim. More and more this predominantly agricultural country is developing other economic sectors.  The tourist industry tops the list, followed by the export goods bananas, pineapples and coffee.

I’m having a great time here in Costa Rica. When I arrived at the airport in San José, I was simply blown away by the weather. It was actually 10 o’clock at night, but you could feel the summer in this place and it felt so good. No comparison to the bitter cold and snowy Germany, where I came from.

In San José, I first tried to communicate in English. But my efforts failed miserably. Unfortunately English skills are very rare amongst the Costa Ricans. So I tried my very rough Spanish, and I was successful: I made it from San José to the hotel and the next day by bus to Sámara to my future job.

by Kathi Mayer

Hotel Costa Rica Samara

My internship in Costa Rica

The idea of spending time abroad in Costa Rica occurred during my studies. During the last three years, almost all of my fellow students had spent at least one term abroad and had come back with happy memories, diverse impressions and amazing experiences. That’s why I decided that I wanted to do the same. This decision raised many questions: Should I study abroad, take part in a language course or do an internship? What country should I choose? Many of my fellow students preferred anglophone countries. But I wanted to do something different and unusual. During my studies I’d already learned some Spanish and for a long time I’d been interested in Central and South America, that’s why I chose this country. Costa Rica, Spanish for “rich coast”, is one of the safest countries in South and Central America. This fact reassured my family and friends. Next, I was looking for a suitable activity that enabled me to realize my dream. Through internet research I found an unique hotel, named Paraíso del Cocodrilo, that’s located near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, which was looking for interns. The German owner Rainer responded positively to my application. We arranged period and duration of the  internship and after that, I booked my flights: 9 hours to New York and afterwards 5.5 hours to San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
That’s when I became fully aware of how far away from home I would be for the next few  months: 10,000 km!

Pool party at the Hotel Costa Rica Samara

On the 18th of November at the Hotel Costa Rica, Paraiso del Cocodrilo, a pool party and breakfast by the sea were in our plans. We had picked the perfect day for it, since we already received the first sunbeams in the morning. The day started with a special breakfast at the fantastic white sand beach Barrigona. Accompanied by the sounds of the ocean and inspired by the fresh air, the food was simply fabulous. We had everything what the heart desires: Starting with ham, eggs and bread to pineapple jam, all was there. Also fresh exotic fruits like papaya and pineapple were on the menu. To drink there was the wonderful aromatic coffee from Costa Rica and freshly squeezed fruit juices. We spent the whole morning on the beach where we refueled a lot of energy. The afternoon was then spent by the pool or in the many hammocks which are scattered in the idyllic garden. In the hammocks, one could observe coatis and various birds but also monkeys, or just listen to the sounds of nature. In the evening all started with a wonderful dinner by moonlight and Latin American music. The table stood beside the pool and we had roast beef, chicken, baked potatoes, fresh salad and and and… for dinner. And for sure we had a lot of Cocktails too. After dinner we danced, sang and lauged a lot. There was also a Life Performance: A music performance of Rainer, the chief of the hotels and a few friends and hotel guests. Ultimately, the party was moved into the pool when the first people, including clothes, jumped into the water. Next pool party is on the wey…….
more infos: http://twitter.com/#!/cocodrilo
Costa Rica Tour Video 2011

Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja

El 12 de noviembre, tomamos un tour al Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja. El parque fue establecido en 1973 y tiene su nombre del volcán Rincón de la Vieja, que tiene una altura de 1895m.
El parque nacional es hogar de más de 257 especies diferentes de aves. Desde 1999, el Parque Nacional es UNESCO Patrimonio de la Humanidad.
A las 7 de la mañana nos fuimos con dos coches al Parque Nacional. En Liberia, hicimos una breve parada, donde comimos un desayuno muy delicioso. Cuando fuimos a la entrada del parque vimos un pizote. El camino nos condujo a través de un bosque de los bellos árboles, piscinas de barro burbujeando y aguas termales con 100 grados. Por otra parte, llegamos a un catarata en el que algunos de nosotros se dio un baño.
Una mirada sobre muchos animales también vimos monos amarillos, un jabalí, una colonia de hormigas gigantes y diversas mariposas, como el Morpho azul.
Después de una caminata de 3 horas, todos regresaron a nuestros carros y se dirigió hacia el Hotel Costa Rica a la playa Buena Vista, Samara. En definitiva un día muy exitoso y lleno de acontecimientos.

Hoteltour Nationalpark Rincon de la Vieja

Am 12. November, unternahmen wir von unserem Hotel Costa Rica am Pazifikstrand Buena Vista, nahe Samara, eine Tour zum Nationalpark Rincon de la Vieja. Übersetzt heißt der Nationalpark: Die Ecke der alten Dame. Gegründet wurde dieser Park 1973 und er trägt diesen Namen aufgrund des, sich dort befindenden, Vulkan Rincon de la Vieja. Die Höhe des Vulkans beträgt 1895 m. Seit 1999 gilt der Park als UNESO Weltkulturerbe.
Um 7 Uhr fuhren wir mit zwei Autos los. In Liberia machten wir dann eine kurzen Zwischenstopp, wo ausgiebig gefrühstückt wurde. Danach ging es noch ein Stück über eine Schotterpiste zum Eingang des Nationalparks, wo wir auch prompt von einem kleinen Nasenbären begrüßt wurden.
Der Wanderweg führte uns durch einen Wald mit wunderschönen Bäumen zu 100 Grad heißen Schwefelquellen und blubbernden Schlammlöchern. Weiters kamen wir zu einem Wasserfall bei dem einige von uns auch ein Bad nahmen. Einen Einblick in die Tierwelt bekamen wir ebenfalls. Wir sahen gelbe Capucina Affen, ein Wildschwein, eine riesige Ameisenkolonie bei der Arbeit und viele verschieden Schmetterlinge, wie z.B. den blauen Morpho.
Nach einer 3 stündigen Wanderung kamen wir alle wieder wohlbehalten bei unseren Autos an und fuhren dann schließlich Richtung Hotel zurück. Alles in allem ein sehr gelungener und erlebnisreicher Tag.

Hotel Tour Rincon de la Vieja National Park

On the 12th of November, we took a tour to the National Park Rincon de la Vieja from our hotel Paraiso del Cocodrilo in Costa Rica. Translated means the National Park: the corner of the old lady. Established in 1973 the park is named after the volcano Rincon de la Vieja which is 1895 m high and located there.  The park is home for about 257 different species of birds. Since 1999 the national park is UNESCO World Heritage Sight.

At 7 clock we drove off with two cars. In Liberia, we made a brief stop, where we had a delicious breakfast. Then it went up a notch on a gravel road to the park entrance where we were greeted promptly by a small nose bear. The trail led us through a forest of beautiful trees to 100 degree sulfur hot springs and bubbling mud pools. Furthermore, we came to a waterfall in which some of us took a bath.
An insight into the animal world, we got as well. We saw yellow Capucina monkey, a boar, a giant ant colony at work and many different kinds of butterflies, such as the blue Morpho.
After a 3 hour hike, we all came back safely to our cars and drove back toward our Hotel Costa Rica on the beach Buena Vista, near Samara. All in all a very successful and eventful day.