Rancho Armadillo :: Newsletter

 

Rancho Armadillo Newsletter
June 2009

July & August Specials
Stay 4 nights ~ receive 5th night free
Green Season Rates

We appreciate what the economic crunch is doing to everyone's plans for vacations so we decided that during the month's of July & August we will reduce our rates to Green Season prices and if you stay here for 4 nights you will get your 5th night's stay for free. Guests have been getting great rates for airlines by flying into San Jose and flying out of Liberia, some guests have gotten airfare for as low as $250 round trip. If you fly into San Jose I will set up an itinerary for you so that you will visit the La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano area before coming to the beach. Currently the Arenal Volcano has had a huge increase in activity, on Tuesday June 16th they had to close the Arenal National Park due to a large eruption, the park was reopened on Wednesday the 17th. July & August are the best months to visit the Guanacaste area, everything is a lush tropical green,the temps are in the mid to high 80's, the rain is pretty much limited to afternoon showers every couple of days and given the economy there are deals on tours and activities. Rent your car through my web site and receive the best rental car rates you will find in Costa Rica.

Win a Week's Stay at
Rancho Armadillo

We have a new addition at Rancho Armadillo, a 2 ton pool shower. It took eight men just to upright it. showers the guests with solar heated water before they enter the pool. We are trying to come up with a name for our chief with the monkey on his head; so if you have any ideas email us. If you come up with the chosen name we will give you one a one week stay for two at Rancho Armadillo. Repeat guests Charles & Jana from Boulder, Colorado volunteered to show how well the new shower works. We have been getting some good suggestions but not quite there yet. Below is a more detailed description and some historical facts that might be of help.......
The statue stands about 8 ft tall and is a statue of a cacique - an indigenous indian chief, with a monkey (called a Mo-no in Spanish) sitting atop his head, wrapped around the head of the monkey is a boa constrictor, the head of the boa showers the guests with solar heated water before they enter the pool. The cacique has a "trophy head" hanging around his neck. The indigenous indian's of Costa Rica decapitated their enemies and shrunk their heads and displayed the shrunken heads as trophy's, this practice has been seen in pottery, stone and jade carvings, petroglyphs and gold works.
Although pre columbian Costa Rica did not have large cities, it played a huge roll in trade between the Mayans & the Incas.
Pre-Columbian Costa Rica had eleven main tribes the Boruca, the Bribi, the Cabecar, the Chanuena, the Talamacas, the Corobici, the Dorasque, the Guastuso, the Guetar, the Teribe and the Chorotega. The Chorotega populated the Guanacaste province where Rancho Armadillo is located. The markings on the statue are common with the Chorotegas. The Talamaca & the Bribi were the only indigenous tribes in Central & South America to defeat the Spanish Conquistadors.
The names submitted that are in the running so far are:

Jolly Mon (reference to a Jimmy Buffett song) Santana. King Mot-mot King Armadillo Iguana Joe Pizote Pete Aquadillo Chief Jibboo Mr. Bananas Chunche (choon-chay - costa rican slang for thingamajig) Tico Chunche (Costa rican thingamabob) El Mae (My - CR slang for the dude) Chief Head Shrink The Psychologist (get it "shrink" ?) Chief Guanacaste

Chaparrón (heavy rain shower" in Spanish) Mono Congo Man Mighty Mot-Mot Monkey Man Pablo Pizote Monque Cacique Rey Choro-aguacero (Choro = Chorotega, & Aguacero = Downpour) Senor Mono Mae de la Selva (Dude of the jungle) Chief Nicoya ( believed to be the Chorotega's chief) Chief (Cacique) Tsantsa (shrunken head) Tico Tsantsa Chief Trophyhead Carlos Chief Vitamin G  Tutentico (like king tut)

Rancho Armadillo has been Chosen as One of the Top Honeymoons Destinations in the Most Popular Tourist Area of Costa Rica by Brides Magazine!!

We were featured in the Sweet Spots Section of the July/August 2007edition of Brides magazine as one of (if not the) best honeymoon destinations in Costa Rica. (We also do great destination weddings). So whether it's your first, second or third honeymoon - stay at Rancho Armadillo and see why we are the #1 choice of all the major Guide Books, Trip Advisor and now Brides Magazine

"Low key couples who want a more authentic atmosphere choose centrally located inns like Rancho Armadillo, a Spanish-style estate, where the owner welcomes guests like family by dictating down to the mile marker directions to secret waterfalls, Places like this remind you that, despite the buzz, Costa Rica will never be a high-rise mecca. You can still find a hammock where the only sound will be a breeze rustling the trees. And if you listen closely, a howler monkey's screech. " Lexi Dwyer - Brides

 

 

We have been ranked the #1 TripAdvisor hotel in Coco, Ocotal & Hermosa for the past 6 years. Now Rancho Armadillo Estate has been recognized as a recommended hotel by millions of travelers who shared their opinions on TripAdvisor.

 

Rancho Armadillo has been included in

"SLEEPING WITH THE TOUCANS: 100 GREAT PLACES TO STAY IN COSTA RICA"

The guide book is available from internet booksellers (Amazon.com, etc) and from major bookstores in the U.S. For information and for ordering the book please contact the publishers at: www.sleepingwiththetoucans.co

"The Best Small Hotels in Costa Rica"

We have been invited to join a select group of hotels called "The Best Small Hotels in Costa Rica". This group of specialty hotels was put together by the authors of "Sleeping with the Toucans" Not all of the hotels featured in their book were invited to join this new group. We are honored to be included with these outstanding hotels. Please visit our Recommended Hotels page for more information

Adventure Hotels Of Costa Rica

Rancho Armadillo Estate is also a member of Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica a group of small and medium sized hotels located throughout Costa Rica. Although we have not been to all of the hotels in the association we are confident that all meet the standards that were required by the founders of this group. Please visit our Recommended Hotels page for more information

 

Wireless Internet & Golf Packages
now available at Rancho Armadillo

Last November Playas del Coco finally received high speed internet service so we installed wireless internet connection so that our guests can check their flight status, hotel reservations and mom's & dad's can keep tabs on the kids while they enjoy their second honeymoon. Some guests might even be tempted to check their work emails, but mixing up a batch of pina coladas usually quashes that temptation. No need to bring your lap top, we purchased a new HP lap top for our guests to use not only for the internet but also to down load pictures onto CD's or send pictures of the great time they are having in Paradise to all their friends. We are now hooked up with SKYPE, the internet VIOP phone service, so now our guests can make & receive international phone calls for free.

We have a membership to the Papagayo Gulf and Country Club just outside of Sardinal, about 10 minutes from here. The newly completed 18 hole course is set among rolling hills with views of 3 volcanoes. Hazards include howler monkeys loudly commenting on your swing and the occasional iguana sunning himself on the green.

For guests at Rancho Armadillo 18 holes with cart & club rental will cost $50 per person. Considering 18 holes at the Four Seasons runs $250, Pinilla $175 and at Conchal $225, this is a great deal. Tennis courts are to be added in the near future.

Music at Rancho Armadillo

We are now in the 21st century when it comes to pool side entertainment. Our Apple iPOD and loaded it up with over 7,000 songs covering almost every musical taste (we still won't allow Rap or Hip-Hop) So if you have an iPOD feel free to bring it along with you.

 

Renting a Car in Costa Rica is now a Breeze!

With so much to see and do with in a hours drive from the Estate that we highly recommend that you rent a car. In the long run it will be much cheaper than hiring a taxi or a guide to chauffeur you around plus you will be able to set your own schedule and not be confined to the schedule of tour guides. After doing extensive research I have found that Adobe Car Rentals have the best rates and great service with offices around the country should you encounter any problems. We have teamed up with Adobe to offer our guests direct on line booking, guaranteeing that you get the best rates possible. Please visit our Car Rental page for more information.

 

Introducing Escuela de Coco
Girls Soccer Team

In conjunction with Projecto de Luz, Rancho Armadillo with a generous donation from a guest who wishes to remain anonymous, has purchased complete uniforms and equipment for the first Coco Elementary School girls soccer team. There is no Title IX in Costa Rica and the girls are often left on the sidelines when it comes to extracurricular activities. Having raised 2 daughters who participated in sports as children and one receiving a full scholarship to college under Title IX for soccer. I realize the importance of learning team work at an early age. The girls first game came at a 2 day tournament sponsored by Projecto de Luz in conjunction with the annual Sandfest / beach clean-up festivities. The participants at the tournament were local area schools from Filadelfia, Guardia and Paso Tempisque. The 1st round had the girls playing Paso Tempisque and not only did they look good but they shut out Paso Tempisque 5-0. The following day they played Filadelfia for the championship of the Canton. The girls were the underdogs against the much larger school but once again dominated the filed and shut out the favorite 4 -0. Not only were they the best looking team but they are now champions of the Canton Filadelfia in the Province of Guanacaste. Not bad for their first team effort.

Soccer Balls

Ben & Jasmun donated to the the School in Coco 5 new soccer balls.

Ben & Jasmun from Fort Collins CO. donated to the the School in Coco 5 new soccer balls.

 

Basketball Court

Rancho Armadillo donated and installed new basketball hoops to the elementary school. Although basketball will never replace soccer in Costa Rica, basketball is great exercise for the phys ed class.

 

Recent Guests

The month of March saw guests escaping to paradise from as far away as Charlottesville VA, Brooklyn NY,
Alexandria VA, Albuquerque NM, Cleveland OH, San Jose CR, London UK, Washington DC, San Francisco CA and Las Vegas NV.

                         

Water Testing

Every six months we have our pool water tested and the latest results were spectacular! Our pool water is cleaner than the Crystal brand bottled water sold here in Costa Rica. We use the ionizing method of cleaning our water and have cut the chlorine level to less than 1/8 of the chlorine that is generally used in a pool our size.

Spotlight on Tours

More Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys

A must do favorite of all of our guests is The Congo Trail Canopy Tour, one of the original canopy tours in Costa Rica, about a 20 minute drive from here. You have to understand that canopy tours are intended as an amusement ride not a study in nature, but that does not mean that you won't be able to view nature in it's purist form. We recommend that our guests go in the late afternoon, leaving here around 3:30, that way you will have missed all of the tour busses and you stand a great chance of being in the trees with monkeys, as they travel though there on their way to bed down for the night.

The tour has 11 platforms and has one line that is 800 yards long. After the tour stop by and visit the Congo Trail serpent display, containing a variety of snakes and frogs local to the area. After a visit with the snakes you can easily convince the guides to let you play with the resident white face and howler monkeys. The monkeys can get a bit inquisitive, searching pockets, purses and even climbing down your shirt. Guests of Rancho Armadillo pay only $25 for the tour instead of the normal $35, a bargain considering most other canopy tours run from $45 to $85. Having been on over 15 canopy tours around Costa Rica, this is definitely one of the best, the guides are the key that makes it one of the best.

 

 

Water Tours

A water tour that our guests have given a big thumbs up to is the tour boat Almaco, a 27ft, 8 passenger custom designed skiff that will take you to secluded beaches comfortably. They will customize the tour to fit your needs. The Almaco offers complete diving packages, snorkeling, reef fishing, water skiing and tubing. They will even include a gourmet beach BBQ complete with linens, china and silverware. The tours are private, meaning you and yours will be the only ones on the boat. The Almaco is just one of many options for diving and snorkeling the world famous Gulf of Papagayo.

A great Sail/Snorkel tour is the 65ft sail yacht the "Don Bosco". The crew of the Don Bosco will take you up to Huevos Beach, a secluded cove with caves to explore and great snorkeling. While you are enjoying the beach the crew is busy preparing a fantastic gourmet BBQ lunch for you with all the trimmings. The tour includes all equipment, beach toys, an open bar featuring the Don Bosco's world famous Fruit Punch.

Jungle Waterfalls, Volcanos and Jaguars

Llanas de Cortez or locally known as the Bagaces waterfall, one of our favorite tours. The waterfall is 60 ft high and 40 ft wide and empties into a white sand pool around 5 ft deep. Swim up to and under the waterfall.
	Combine a trip to the waterfall with a stop at the oldest wild cat rescue center in Costa Rica and an optional river float trip down the Corobice river to see crocs, monkeys and lots of birds.

 

Horseback Riding & Pre-Columbian Pottery

We have recently added a new horseback riding tour to our list of "non touristy" tours and our guests love it. This tour will take small groups to hidden waterfalls and natural springs, up mountain trails for some incredible vistas. At the end of the trail you will be invited into the home of the owners for some Costa Rican snacks, giving you a glimpse of Costa Rican ranch life.
	We combine the horseback tour with stops at the indigenous village of Guatil to observe pottery making by the ancestors of the Chortega's, who still make pottery as they have for hundreds of years.

Miravalles Volcano

Even though it has been here for thousands of years it's new to us. We recently visited the area near the Miravalles Volcano. More specifically the Hornillas Crater, about a 1 & 1/2 hour drive from here. This crater is unique in the world, it is an active crater on the side of the 5000 meter high volcano featuring boiling mud pits, emerald green springs and fumaroles that emit steam and other gases. Here you can follow a path that will allow you to get up close and personal with these natural wonders.

At one spot along the way you can stop and actually hear the "heartbeat" of the volcano.

After the short hike you sit in a natural sauna and get your pores open before you lather yourself up with the mud from the mud pits, once the mud has dried you shower it off in a hot shower with water taken directly from the boiling hot springs. Makes your skin feel 10 years younger. Then relax in any of the three hot spring pools.

Playas del Coco & Guanacaste News

Weather Report

The rainy season is in full swing, I've had to cut the front lawn three times and it is only the first week in June. We are getting evening showers on a regular basis but the mornings and afternoons are all blue sky's and sunshine with temps still in the low 90's. Last October brought devastating rains to our area, the rising waters of the Tempisque River flooded over the bridge. The Tempisque River is normally a good 100 feet below the bridge. The picture was taken about an hour before the bridge was submerged. Note the huge concrete slabs being lifted to almost a 45 degree angle.

Coco Happenings

Playas del Coco is growing by leaps and bounds, we now have 3 brand new super markets, the AutoMercado, Mega Super and CoopeCompro, a division of Walmart, all are big chain stores here in Costa Rica. We also have new upscale clothing stores, a new florist, 2 new banks, Banco San Jose and Banco de Costa Rica, both with ATM's and at Banco de Costa Rica you can purchase the exit stamp prior to going to the airport. We also have POPS, a premium ice cream parlor famous in Costa Rica and an optical store with an optometrist, they also carry brand name sun glasses ( a bit more expensive than the knock off's you can buy on the street but much safer for your eyes) and another pharmacy, bringing the number of pharmacies in Coco to 5, in Costa Rica pharmacies have a doctor on hand for consultations and advice on medicines.

Proyecto de Luz

Proyecto de Luz (Project of Light), the local charity that Debbie works with, is always looking for donations of either money or school items. If you would like to contribute please contact us. We will be happy to let you know what is needed. Currently we are looking to fund another girls soccer team, this will be for the 4th & 5th grade boys. The cost to purchase the uniforms, shoes and balls is around $2,500. We will gladly accept donation on behalf of Proyecto de Luz. The average cost of sponsoring a child in the public school is $260 this covers

books, supplies and uniforms. This cost is prohibitive for many family's, without uniforms the children cannot attend school. This past February, as the school children returned from their summer vacation, Proyecto de Luz, passed out 65 uniforms and over $4,000 worth of supplies for the children and for the teachers. The Coco Club is passing out piggy banks to business's and hotels around town for tourists to get rid of their loose change. Donations - large or small are needed and welcomed. There is so much we can do to improve the educational lives of these children, but funds are limited. We at Rancho Armadillo are sponsoring 4 children at the private bilingual school and former guests Galen & Vicki are sponsoring 2 children from Sardinal and are sending them to a better school in Liberia, Galen & Vicki have decided to sponsor these children throughout their entire education, kindergarten through College.

Recent Weddings at Rancho Armadillo Estate

With Costa Rica becoming the #1 vacation destination it makes sense that we are also seeing an increase in couples who want to start their lives together in an exotic tropical location, and what better place to hold their nuptials than Rancho Armadillo.

          

Buying Real Estate in Costa Rican and Avoiding the Pitfalls

For years we have been assisting our guests in their pursuit of purchasing property in Costa Rica. We do not sell real estate, are not real estate agents nor do we collect any commissions from those who sell real estate. Our goal was to help our guests avoid the pitfalls of purchasing property in Costa Rica. Our first caution was that Costa Rica is governed under Spanish Common Law. The difference between Spanish Common Law and English Common Law is that Spanish Law does not protect you from you. You must do your own due diligence. We strongly recommend that that before you make an offer that you have a competent Costa Rican attorney (many have decide to use our attorney for this process). The biggest thing to be aware of is that water is in limited supply here. We are a desert for 6 months of the year. As many have unfortunately found out, just because the real estate agent / developer say that they have water, doesn't mean that you will have water. Evidence of this is in Playa Hermosa where there are over 300 houses/condos that have been bought only to find out that they never had any water rights and the developer is long gone. Years of unregulated development have destroyed such areas as Tamarindo and Playa Hermosa. The government here has strong laws covering the environment and construction but the sudden onslaught of construction 6 years ago found them understaffed to deal with it. Consequentially developers ran rampant and if they got caught they paid the fine as "part of doing business", but now the government is cracking down, making the fines cost prohibitive, closing projects and tearing down illegally constructed projects. Recent presidential decrees have limited the height of projects with in the beach areas. Current projects in Playas del Coco have been counting on water from the Sardinal Aquifer to supply them water. The developers put together a consortium to finance the aqueduct, unfortunately the permits they were issued relied on faulty data and questionable payments to local officials. Once the people of Sardinal found out about the transfer of their water they rose up and stopped the project. This did not deter the developers, they figured the government officials would resolve the problems with the residents of Sardinal so the continued to lay the pipes for the aqueduct from Ocotal to near Sardinal. Once the project got national press attention things changed rapidly. The project has been stopped with little hope of being revived. The government officials involved in the deal are under criminal investigation for approving the project and the government has recently ordered that any water permits granted (over 4,000 so far) based on the aqueduct are to be cancelled. The 2 articles below describe the actions the government have taken. To help you under stand the articles you need to know what each of the government agencies are.
Comptroller General - They oversee all government agencies and their rulings have the effect of law, the only appeal that can be made on a ruling from the Comptroller General is to the Supreme Court and the Comptroller General's rulings have seldom been overturned
AyA - the government department in charge of all water and sewage treatments in the country. Each area has a local administrative office. The office in Coco was closed when all of its officers were found to be driving cars provided by one of the developers.
MINEA - the government agency in charge of the land and the natural resources such as trees, plants, animals, ect.
SENERA - Government agency in charge of over site of all development and over site of MINEA & AyA

For those who have invested in or purchased property in any of the larger developments in the Coco/ Ocotal area I would strongly advise you to get legal representation and find out where you stand.

  We hope you have enjoyed this month's Newsletter

The Staff at Rancho Armadillo Estate
Debbie, Rick, Marisol, Melissa, Teo, Minor, Arnoldo & Mongo