TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD
A Restorative Journey into Nature ( Sprinkled with Moments of Terror )
In March 2022 , my husband and I , along with another couple , took a trip to Costa Rica and visited the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge . It ’ s an ecotourism lodge surrounded by a national park on the waters of Golfo Dulce , a gulf adjacent to the Pacific Ocean . It is only accessible by boat and is a perfect destination for those looking to unplug by combining ecotourism , nature , outdoor activities and pitifully slow Wi-Fi .
Costa Rica is a country with a strong focus on the environment and education . I felt very safe traveling there . Its people exert pride in sharing their beautiful country with visitors . Education in Costa Rica is very important . They dedicate a lot of resources to the education of their children , with a special focus on environmental preservation . The country as a whole seems very ecologically minded .
6 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE by STACEY WARING , MD
Our journey started with a flight to San Jose , the capital of Costa Rica , where we spent a nice evening relaxing and having a meal . The next day we took a flight in a small two-propeller plane to Puerto Jimenez , the launch point for our eventual boat ride to the lodge .
I must admit that I ’ m not the best flyer . Still , I forced myself onto the small plane where two very professional-looking pilots took nine other passengers and me on the 45-minute flight to the Puerto Jimenez airport . The flight took us over the rainforest and provided beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean on one side and mountains and the occasional volcano on the other . Unfortunately , I had made the mistake of looking up the tiny airport on Google Maps prior to departing . It did not inspire confidence . The single runway there is about as wide as a Chick-fil-A drive-thru and is bordered by tin shacks on one side and a cemetery on the other . Happily , our flight landed safely and , as a bonus , I got to learn the Spanish phrase for “ Stop screaming , lady !”