When we reached Rancho Naturalista we came to a different side of Costa Rica. While we were still in the mountains, we had moved from the Pacific to the Caribbean side of the country. This was a somewhat wetter side, and we experienced a few showers, but nothing that got in the way of our trips or ever wear the raincoat that I had brought just in case.

This wonderful lodge sits just below 3,000 feet, 12 miles from the town of Turrialba, and just east of the Cordillera de Talamanca, the mountain range that includes Costa Rica’s highest peaks. An American family owns this small lodge, which is situated on 125 acres of protected rainforest. From the highway it’s a 10 minute drive up a steep, rough dirt road.

This is truly an ecolodge with wildlife, flowers, and trees all around. It has just 14 rooms, and for the first two of the three nights we stayed there we were the only guests. The main building is in the traditional Spanish colonial style. We ate all our meals in the outdoor dining area where we were out in nature as we ate. In fact, several times I jumped up from the table and grabbed my camera when I saw something special in the garden.

The manager of the lodge is Lisa Erb. Her father, John Erb, bought the land many years ago. When some of us visited his home, which is a few minutes below the lodge, I had a chance to discuss one of his biggest interests, hyperbaric oxygen therapy. He showed me his hyperbaric oxygen chamber and gave me a copy of us book about how to build one. He attributes his good health to his getting a minimum of one hour of this therapy per week. In fact, he proved to me what good shape he is in when I took this photograph of him, smiling no less. Unfortunately, I cut off the bottom of his feet (but only in this photo), but I can assure you that nothing but his arms held him up.

John Erb Demonstrates a Degree of Fitness That's Not Bad for an 82-year-old Man

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Lisa also lives near the lodge.

The View from Lisa's Home

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One of the Flowers Growing in Lisa's Garden

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One of the Flowers Growing near the Lodge

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A Flower in the Garden After a Shower

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I Had to Stop Eating Lunch When This Emerald Basilisk Lizard Appeared

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An Owl Moth -- Not an Eyeball

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Another Masterpiece of Moth Disguise

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This Guava Skipper Butterfly Feasted on Flowers in Lisa's Garden

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But where are the shots of birds? Their absence here doesn’t mean there weren’t any at Rancho Naturalista. They are coming next.