Samantha Brown's Places to Love

-I'm in one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, exploring the emerald heart of a proudly green country known for its abundance of tropical forests, spirited waters, as well as anteaters, parrots, crocodiles, and adorable frogs.

But the true center of this country is its people, who, fierce in their advocacy of enviable resources, extend a pure joy and passion to bring you into their colorful world and experience it through their eyes.

Oh, and there will be sloths!

I'm in Northern Costa Rica!

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world, and I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my Places to love.

"Samantha Brown's Places to Love" is made possible by... -Oceana Cruises is a proud sponsor of public TV and "Samantha Brown's Places to Love."

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-Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

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We make the world our classroom.

-Costa Rica translates to "rich coast," and yet, for this trip, I'm focusing more inland and to the north, beginning in the very popular La Fortuna, moving on to Sarapiqui, and finally to Rio Celeste.

Wow!

-[ Laughs ] Ah!

We are -- We're 150 feet.

-Oh, my gosh.

We're, like, one with the trees!

Eye-level with them.

What a beautiful perspective!

And what is the elevation we're at right now?

-Around here is around 1,800 feet over the sea level.

-We are totally surrounded!

This is unbelievable!

Usually you only get to have this sort of interaction with, um, the top of a forest through a zip line.

-Yeah.

-And I don't want to zip through it.

-That's too fast.

-Right?

Too fast.

-Mistico Park is a third-generation, privately owned preserve.

Its trails are step-free, they have protective rails, and the surface material is non-slip concrete.

The park features 16 bridges, and 6 of them are hanging bridges.

I'm here in July during the rainy, or green, season, and so it began to rain.

But it doesn't, like, rain like this all day.

It just kind of comes in spurts.

-Yeah, it's come and gone.

-Yeah.

-But that's good because the rain helping the forest to make the clouds, and they repeat every day the same.

We don't have water, we don't have life.

-And just like that, the rain stops.

And my deep appreciation for the abundantly green life only grows.

How much of Costa Rica is actually protected like this?

-33%.

-33%.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-We used to cut trees for make different stuff.

We start to protect the forest.

The government also incentive the people take care of the forest.

Just imagine.

What are we doing if we cut the wood?

-Yeah.

-We get the money one time.

-And no woods means no animals.

Quickly into our walk, I get to see my first in Costa Rica -- the poison dart frog.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, is it just a little guy!

-He's there.

Yeah.

He's moving.

-Oh, my gosh.

He has blue legs?

-Yeah.

Blue legs.

That's why we call it blue jeans dart frog.

They're poison frogs.

-So what happens?

It, like, irritates your eyes?

-Yeah.

So, what's happening with this frog is the males, they try to call the female because the female, they choose the best singer.

-[ Laughs ] -Yeah?

It's romantic, the guy.

Yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah, they be like this.

[ Imitating frog call ] -Okay.

-Yeah.

-She's judging her males on vocals.

I like that.

At Mistico, the animals are not contained.

This is their environment, and you are walking through it or over it, and so you never know what you're going to encounter.

-Wow.

Look at how many monkeys we have here, huh?

-What do you call, like, a group of monkeys?

-Those are troops.

-It's a troop.

Okay.

We're surrounded.

Definitely.

Oh, my G-- Ohh!

[ Laughs ] -They're in the back looking.

-Wow!

-The white-faced monkey.

-Oh, my gosh!

-They're everywhere here, yeah?

You see?

-Wow!

They're not the kind of monkeys that, like, steal your glasses, right?

-No, no, no.

They like just the food.

Yeah.

-Okay.

Are they foraging?

-They try to eat everything, yeah.

Bugs, insects, fruit, seeds.

Yeah.

It's a big troop of the white-faced monkeys.

-So, here in Vida Campesina, we try to create a bridge from the old generations, passing down our culture, our traditions to our new generations.

I'm Rebecca Paniagua, and I'm a naturalist guide in Vida Campesina.

-Vida Campesina is an organic farm, learning center, and kitchen all in one.

Its purpose is to preserve a traditional Costa Rican identity while promoting the best relationship between man and the environment.

-And over here... -Yeah.

-...we have medicinal plants.

We have, like, a natural boutique around.

This one, you can smell it.

-Okay.

Ooh, lemony!

Verbena?

-Ooh, yes!

-S.

-S.

-Good!

I got that one right, but Rebecca had a stumper.

Oh, my gosh.

It's sweet!

-This is stevia.

-Sure!

The substitute, right?

-Exactly.

-The next one, I knew.

One of my favorites -- starfruit.

[ Chuckles ] -Would you like to try it?

-Oh, yeah!

-Yeah?

Muy bien.

We can cut a little bit with my small machete.

-[ Laughs ] I have so much respect for you right now.

-Everybody likes to have one of these...trees at home.

-And you just have them all the time.

-Yes.

Every flower of this is gonna be a fruit.

-Oh, it's so beautiful.

-Every small family farm would have a sugar-cane crop.

Oh!

I can have Rebecca's machete.

-You just let it go.

-Ooh, boy!

Got it!

Not a clean cut.

-This is your first harvest.

-Alright!

The sugar cane is taken to the troja, a storage room for fruits, vegetables, and kitchen tools.

First, I pound to break down the stalk so it's easier to pass through the press.

And now I'm crankin'.

-When we squeeze all of it and we don't use the fibers anymore, we can chop it and give it to the cows, so it's part of their diet, too.

-The cows get sugar cane?

-Yes!

[ Laughs ] -And now we do our toast in espaol.

-S.

-Alright?

-We say arriba.

-Arriba.

-Abajo.

-Abajo.

-Al centro.

-Al centro.

-Al dentro.

-Al dentro.

-Salud.

-Salud.

[ Laughter ] -Moo!

-[ Laughs ] -A meal is included with any visit cooked over a wood stove.

Hand-pressed tortillas are placed directly on the stove to cook perfectly.

This would be an authentic Costa Rican meal that I'm having right here?

-Yes, we are having some delicious gallo pinto, the rice and the beans.

Add some chicken and sauce, as well.

Papaya root hash with potato.

We use the trunk, the main trunk of the papaya tree.

We use everything.

-Oh!

-But we can use the trunk, as well.

On homemade tortillas.

So we can actually grab and put some hash in it.

-Oh, yeah!

To make a gallo we call in Costa Rica.

Gallo, it's like when you can wrap up something in the tortilla.

-Sure.

-You fill it in, and you just have it.

That is what what campesino for us means.

For some people, it means that it is just people who work in the field, but actually for us, it is living in the field.

-Costa Rica may mean "rich coast," but don't tell that to all its beautiful rivers.

I've made my way east to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui to enjoy a gentle boat tour with my guide, Daniel Ramirez.

-Many of the animals, they're going to spend around the edge of a river because there's more food.

Right here we see caimans, crocodiles.

-Crocodiles?!

-Crocodiles here.

-There are crocodiles in Costa Rica?!

-American crocodile and spectacled caiman.

No alligators.

-I had no idea Costa Rica had crocodiles.

-Mm-hmm.

-Are they that tiny?

Is that, like, a tiny -- Is that, like, how big -- That's how big they get here in Costa Rica?

Please tell me.

-They could get, like... -Ohh.

-...maybe twice or three of... -I thought you said you could swim in this river.

-We can, we can, but we know usually where they are.

[ Birds singing ] -I love listening to the birds.

We were able to see so many birds along the river.

How many different types of birds are just here?

-Around Sarapiqui, we have almost 500 different species of birds.

[ Animal howls ] -What kind of bird is that?

-[ Chuckles ] That's a...dog bird.

-[ Laughs ] It's actually a howler monkey, but I like Daniel's answer, too.

Nearby Rio Sarapiqui is the La Selva campus of the Organization for Tropical Studies, a non-profit consortium of close to 50 universities, colleges, and research institutions worldwide.

Its 60-year mission is clear -- to sustain tropical ecosystems.

-More than 100 courses.

They come to see and learn about these forests.

More than 150 scientists doing science at this field site.

I am Orlando Vargas Ramirez, and I am the head of scientific operations at this research field site, La Selva.

-La Selva may be a world-renowned research facility, but it also welcomes visitors and tourists for daily nature walks, and you can stay overnight on the property, too.

This organization is all about sustaining the rainforest.

All I see is abundance.

It feels like there's no deficit here.

What are the challenges of maintaining something that, to me, just from the naked eye, looks phenomenally healthy?

-So, here at this field site, this research site, we have been studying the frogs for a while.

-The frogs.

-For the last 40 years or so.

Our frogs have declined in density 75%, so that's an indicator that something is wrong.

Even though it looks beautiful and healthy, there is something that we humans or somebody is using to the wildlife.

-So that's something that's happening here right now?

-Yes.

-The studying of frogs is taking place both in the lab and in the field.

Tab Henry has an ongoing experiment testing the intelligence and instincts of poison frogs like this one.

-This high side is pointed towards its home direction.

And this low side that's a lot easier for it to get out of, is pointed away from.

-Ohh!

Okay.

-So these frogs can either take the harder route and go straight towards their home or they could take the easier route, hop out on that side, and then take a little detour back towards their home.

-How would your studies and what you've found help that population?

-A lot of what impacts them is then deforestation and habitat loss.

It gives us better arguing points for... -Exactly!

-..."We need to save this much because they need this much."

-Meanwhile, Claire Pringle is exploring the personality traits of the native frogs in a laboratory setting.

-I like to explore how frogs like to see new environments, how willing they are to embrace them.

And that's how I investigate personality traits -- exploration and boldness.

This frog has to figure out how to exit because this environment is warm and bright and it wants to get to a cool environment.

-Okay.

-Now, since he's done that, he has the option to go into a cool, dark setting, which he prefers.

-Do you take that frog, let the frog rest, and then bring them back to see if now it's a learned response?

-Yes.

Exactly.

-Okay.

-Yes.

-The goal is education, research, and the wise use of the natural resources.

This is a way of involving tourism... science, and the local community is what makes a big difference.

-Costa Rica produces 75% of the world's pineapples and just about 100% of the world's organic pineapples.

Finca Paraiso Organico is an eco-friendly family endeavor born 20 years ago with the simple belief that organic farming is the future.

-We compare, like, conventional pineapple plantations and organic pineapple plantations.

Organic ones are, like, rare, actually.

-Extremely rare.

-Mm-hmm.

To produce one hectare of organic pineapples, we have to invest like $24,000 per hectare.

-Oh, my goodness!

-So that's why when we go to the supermarket, the organic pineapples are, like, more expensive, you know?

The rejection in organic pineapple plantations is higher -- like 40%.

-That's amazing!

-Because we cannot use chemicals.

We cannot use pesticides.

So the only thing that we can use here is garlic and chili as a kind of homemade recipe.

You know?

We spray garlic and chili with water in the field to get away the insects.

-So I am looking at a perfect, beautiful, certified organic pineapple.

I would not have chosen this in the supermarket because it's too green.

You're telling me, no, there are other things to check.

So what do I need to check the next time I'm in the supermarket?

-Well, the first one is the weight.

If your pineapple is heavy, it means that your pineapple is juicy.

That is a good way to identify a good pineapple.

-This one's heavy.

-You avoid the smelly ones because the smelly pineapples are fermented pineapples.

-Okay.

-And also you have to avoid the yellow ones.

Yellow pineapples are fermented pineapples.

-I'm changing my ways.

-Also checking the size of the eyes.

The size of the eyes should be the same here... -The eyes?

-...then here.

Exactly.

-You're calling these the eyes?

-We call it eyes.

Every single spot, every single eye is a fruit growing individually.

-And so they're all very consistent, and that means it's good.

-Exactly.

-Ah!

-Uh-huh.

-Yeah, but how does it taste?

Well done, sir.

-There's kind of a special ritual to eat pineapple.

-Oh, yeah?

-Mm-hmm.

-Am I doing it?

-Let me show you.

-You have to take the pineapple like this.

Don't forget to put the pinky finger like this.

-Uh-huh.

-Uh-huh.

And now you have to smell the pineapple and you have to say arriba... -Arriba.

-Abajo.

-Abajo.

-Al centro.

-Al centro.

-Y al dentro.

-Y al dentro.

-Mm-hmm.

-I'm beginning to see a pattern here in Costa Rica.

-In Costa Rica, we have eight indigenous groups dividing in 24 territories.

That represents 1.7% of the national population.

-Wow.

-Actually we have between 63,000 to 70,000 indigenous people in this country.

-That's not a lot.

-It's very small.

-Mm-hmm.

And we are in the north of Costa Rica.

And this is the home of the Maleku.

-Exactly.

My name is Ulises Alvarez Elizondo.

I am Maleku, 100%.

Maleku is a small tribe in Costa Rica and Central America.

I'm belong from them.

I am here keeping my culture, my tradition.

-This is beautiful.

Now, is this a -- is this a home?

-This is our typical house.

-Now, would you always be having a fire going even in July?

-Oh.

Wow.

Without the fire, that means nobody living here.

So this means this is the symbol of the life.

So that's why the fire have to be on all the time, because that's representing that life is here.

-Ah.

So what is a greeting in Maleku?

How could I introduce myself?

-You can say, "Kapi kapi."

-Oh.

Kapi kapi.

Hello.

How are you?

[ Laughs ] And, so, coming up here as a visitor, we get a sense of life, what, 50 years ago, 70 years ago?

-Ooh.

More than that.

-150 years ago?

-More than 100 years ago, you know.

-This has always been a part of the culture, the creativity?

-It is a part of the culture.

-What are they carving into?

-So, this is a type of fruit.

So, she's doing the wildlife.

The toucan, boar, fish.

And she's trying to teach the kids because after she do that you have to write the name of the wildlife in my dialect.

-Oh.

Okay.

-And this is how we teach the kids.

-Wow.

And that's pretty serious right there.

-This is a type of -- It's a type of tree that we call balsa tree.

-Okay.

-And he's working making a mask.

We believe that each person have an animal spirit inside.

So you can represent your meaning with different mask.

-What is most important to the Maleku people?

-The forest.

The nature.

-The forest.

Ah.

Without the forest, then you don't have the trees.

That doesn't attract the animals, right?

Everything leaves with the forest.

-A characteristic that we have is a conservation.

It's protect.

No hand.

-Mm-hmm.

-A strong part of the Maleku culture is the drinking of chocolate and a blessing that precedes it.

-[ Speaking Maleku ] -In Costa Rica, my culture are disappearing.

And exactly the dialect in Costa Rica, some tribe are disappearing, you know, especially the dialect.

And I feel happy when I teach the kids.

I speak 100% my dialect, you know?

And I introduce this for my kids, I'm an example for my generation, you know, that I say, "I made it, and you can do it."

-Ohh.

Kapi kapi.

-I've traveled further north to Rio Celeste, an area known for its adventure and luxury.

The Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel is the kind of place where it's not unusual to see a sloth hanging out, literally, outside your room.

One major advantage to coming to Costa Rica in the green season is that there are fewer people to share it with.

Tour prices and eco-lodge stays are more affordable.

I'm planning to go tubing down the river rapids tomorrow, but tonight there's something very special awaiting me.

I'm nearing the end of my trip to Costa Rica and have already seen so many animals during the day, I thought, what could I see at night?

-I prefer mostly night hikes, night walks because 74% of the wildlife that we have in Costa Rica are nocturnal.

-74% did you say?

Wow!

-Mm-hmm.

-Oh!

Look at that at the top of the tree.

So we have an amazing anteater.

So we are very lucky today to see this creature.

-I don't see it.

I don't see it.

-So just look in the -- at that palm in the back of the tree.

-Ohh!

-And it's taking a nap.

So that is something crazy.

I think it's my first time to see an anteater sleeping.

-Really?!

And it was with me?

-Yeah.

That's true.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-Wonderful!

I'm sorry.

So anteaters are nocturnal or they're not nocturnal?

-Actually are mostly nocturnal, but also it's possible to see during the day.

-Okay.

-But in this case, they're probably taking a rest just for a while.

Oh.

Look at that.

Let me show you right over here.

-What is -- Oh!

Are those mushrooms?!

-Here in Costa Rica we call "cup of wine" mushrooms.

-"Cup of wine" mushroom?

-You see it has, like, the same shape.

Mm-hmm.

-Phenomenal.

[ Animals calling ] I just love the night sounds.

-The night sounds?

-These are sounds that I'm usually sleeping, no matter if I'm here or, you know, where I live.

And so to hear, you know, the sounds at night, it just feels so special.

-And it's very mystical, the forest.

And then everything that we have inside that is completely so absolutely beautiful for me.

-I agree.

Until I see snakes.

Then I'm gonna scream at the top of my lungs, hit the high road, turn around, and this guide hike is done.

[ Both laugh ] -In Costa Rica, the sun sets year round at 6:30 p.m., which means these night hikes happen at 7:00 p.m. -Oh, Sam, look at that!

-Ooh!

-We have one of the most beautiful frogs that we have in Costa Rica.

-It's the one on all the posters!

-The red eye slit tree frog.

They are one of the most emblematic frogs that we have in Costa Rica.

Oh.

What do we have here?

Take a look here.

[ Laughs ] -Whoa!

-That is something amazing.

-It's a snakeskin!

-[ Laughs ] Yeah.

That is one of viper that we have in Costa Rica.

-Vipers are... -Venomous one.

-...are very poisonous, right?

-Venomous.

-Venomous.

That's right.

Venomous.

-Exactly.

This is from a few hours ago.

-[ Laughs ] Really?

-Probably the snake will be around the area, so we never know.

Ha ha ha.

Be careful.

That is around 4 or 5 feet, but they can grow around 7 or 8 feet.

-Ooh, boy.

-Yeah.

That's a big snake.

-Um I love the fact that we saw the skin.

And, to me, I saw a snake.

In the best way possible.

-The best way possible.

-I say we walk fast back to the car.

-Back to the car.

-[ Laughs ] -So beautiful!

What gets it that blue?

-Up in the mountains, those two rivers that combine, they bring different minerals together.

-Tubing on Rio Celeste is a 4-kilometer trip that lasts two euphoric hours.

Odir Rojas will be traveling alongside me.

What makes the Rio Celeste such a wonderful river to tube on?

-Well, it's very safe.

As you can see, it's not, like, a big river.

And then the beautiful color.

-How many rapids are we gonna go through?

Is it gonna be rapids the entire time?

-Yes, we have count -- we have count like 25 pools all the way down.

Every rapid finish in a pool, so 25 rapids.

Most of the rapids here are class 1 or maximum 2.

And this is great because it's a good combination between adrenaline a little bit and then also relax.

We used to do this when we were kids, using inner tube.

We used to go every single day to the river with my friends.

And then, years after, when I became a tourist guide, I thought this could be a good idea for tourists.

-Aah!

Odir was right!

[ Shrieks ] [ Laughs ] Tubing down Rio Celeste is less "lazy river" and more of an expedition of adventure and adrenaline.

Oh, my gosh!

Whoo!

-Visiting the tropical rainforest in Costa Rica, you're going to be able to experience nature in a closer view, things that people don't know that they just look like, yes, nice flowers, nice plants, nice animals, but they are so much more for us.

-We have great protected areas.

We're producing oxygen.

We're the lungs.

Without biodiversity, it will be hard to have visitors, so we need to have and keep our wildlife in great shape.

But without having these NGOs and initiatives, we wouldn't be able to survive.

-When you visit Costa Rica, make sure to respect the forest, enjoy the wildlife, enjoy the vegetation, enjoy the forest, but respect the forest, please.

-Whoo!

[ Laughs ] When a destination puts you in the thick of nature which allows you to be in touch with Earth's marvelous animals... when its people are determined to protect and preserve both... that is when we share a love of travel.

And that's why Costa Rica is a Place to Love.

For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

"Samantha Brown's Places to Love" was made possible by... -Oceana Cruises is a proud sponsor of public TV and "Samantha Brown's Places to Love."

Sailing to more than 600 destinations around the globe, from Europe to Asia and Alaska to the South Pacific, Oceana Cruises offers gourmet dining and curated travel experiences aboard boutique hotel-style ships that carry no more than 1,250 guests.

Oceana Cruises.

Your world.

Your way.

-Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

From exploring our national parks to learning about art and culture in Italy, we've introduced adults to places, ideas, and friends.

We are Road Scholar.

We make the world our classroom.