!! Sacred Plant Medicine Journey La Cusinga, Uvita, Costa Rica!!!!
COURSE SCHEDULE & DAILY ITINERARY January 1 st January 8 th, 2014 Arrival Please arrive on January 1st, from 2pm 7pm at La Cusinga for check in. You can either stay in Uvita or a nearby town on the night of the 31 st, or take a bus from San Jose in the morning of the 1 st to Uvita. If you are arriving to Costa Rica on the 1 st, you need to either catch a flight that arrives in the morning of the 1 st in San Jose in order to take a bus to Uvita that day. If you are arriving in Costa Rica earlier than the first, you can stay the night on the 31 st in San Jose, or a town close to Uvita, so that you can take a bus or taxi to La Cusinga in the morning on the 1 st. Directions to La Cusinga located on next page. Itinerary The daily itinerary begins on the following page, and below is the outline of the start and end of the course. Course begins Wednesday, January 1st, 2 pm-7 pm for Check in. Course ends Thursday, January 9 th, at 2 pm for Check out. Departure Check out time of the dorms is around 11am on the 9 th, but you can stay on La Cusinga grounds in the early afternoon, then heading back to the bus station to return to the San Jose airport, or to continue on with travel in Costa Rica. La Cusinga Hidden in the hilltops overlooking the pristine beaches of Costa Rica's still-virgin south pacific, where the ocean crashes into the jungle sits La Cusinga. Tucked away in a private reserve of over 600 acres, this rainforest lodge provides guests with sweeping ocean views, sandy beaches, natural pools, and the chance to experience the burgeoning forests and astonishing wildlife of the country's most famous ecosystem - OSA. The hotel offers ten rustic cabins designed with sustainably-harvested wood and local materials to maximize comfort while minimizing impact on the environment. The open-air restaurant creates an ideal setting for couples and families alike to enjoy delicious tropical dishes made with fresh produce grown on our farm. In addition to the hundreds of acres of privately-owned primary and secondary forest, the lodge borders the Ballena Marine National Park, one of only two nationally-protected marine zones in the whole country. The lodge's genuine commitment to sustainable practices along with our first-hand experience in local and national conservation efforts enrich our guests' appreciation of these ecosystems and the importance of their continued preservation. This unique insight enhances the exploration of the natural surroundings while the beautiful location offers the tranquility of fresh ocean breezes and breathtaking sunsets that make for the perfect tropical escape.
Guests will enjoy observing the diversity of Costa Rican wildlife hiking along a variety of trails at the lodge. Winding through the ancient vegetation of our pristine rainforest or along beautiful isolated beaches, from three-hour treks to thirty minute walks, visitors can hope to see an abundance of flora and fauna, including morpho butterflies, tree frogs, hawks, parrots, toucans, howler monkeys, dolphins, turtles, and the great Humpback whale. DIRECTIONS By bus The bus from San José to San Isidro leaves from the TERMINAL MUSOC located on the Southern end of San Jose, on Calle Central/Ave. 22-24. Buses start to leave at 5:30am, from that time, one bus will leave every 30 minutes to an hour. This trip takes about 3-4 hours. To get to Uvita the same day you must leave no later than 11:30am. Once in San Isidro you must reach the Dominical terminal. Buses to Uvita/Palmar Sur leave at 9am and 4pm daily. The 9am bus makes it final stop in the town of Uvita, from there you will have to take a taxi to reach the lodge (about 4 km). If you are traveling in the 4pm bus, simply ask the driver to stop at La Cusinga. This trip takes about 2 hours. By car Take the Inter-American highway from San José towards San Isidro (3 hours max). Once in San Isidro, take the road to Dominical. This road will get you on the Southern coastal highway passing by Dominical and heading south towards Uvita. The lodge is 5km south of the Uvita bridge, between the kilometers 166 and 167. This trip takes about an hour to and hour and a half. *Please keep in mind that you are in Costa Rica. Things like weather, road conditions, public, political or religious activities can delay your trip. Off the Southern Coast Highway (Costanera Sur), we are located: 22 km South from Dominical (15-20 min) 35 km North from Palmar (50 min) 57 km Southwest from San Isidro de El General (80 min) 65 km South from Quepos (120 min)!
DAILY ITINERARY January Course, 2014 All classes are optional, morning circles everyone is asked to attend. Wednesday, January 1 st - ARRIVAL DAY ONE Earth 2pm 7pm Check in at La Cusinga * Explore beach, waterfall and swimming pools, hikes, gardens, & lodging. 7pm 8pm Dinner 8pm 9pm Optional Evening Circle & Restorative Yoga. Thursday, January 2 nd DAY TWO Muladhara Chakra (Root) 7 am 8 am Yoga Grounding & Centering 9:30 am 10:30 am - Welcome Circle, Introductions, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Root Chakra Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the root chakra. Vetiver & Gotu Kola 4 pm 6 pm Medicinal Plant & Rainforest Walk Medicinal plant identification, ethnobotanical history of rainforest plant species. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga Friday, January 3 rd DAY THREE Swadhisthana Chakra (Sacral) 7 am 8 am Yoga Sacral Chakra
9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Sacral Chakra Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the sacral chakra. Ylang ylang, Hibiscus & Galangal 4 pm 6 pm Ocean & Waterfall Rituals - Herbal bathing with Tropical flowers Healing rituals at the ocean and waterfall pools with rainforest flowers and plants. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga Saturday, January 4 th DAY FOUR Manipura Chakra (Solar Plexus) 7 am 8 am Yoga Solar Plexus 9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Solar Plexus Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the solar plexus. Hombre grande, Turmeric, Sorosi, Jackass bitters 4 pm 6 pm Fire & Purification Ritual Offering sacred plants to the fire, cleansing and purifying in blessing smoke. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga Sunday, January 5 th DAY FIVE Anahata Chakra (Heart) 7 am 8 am Yoga Heart Chakra
9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Heart Chakra Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the heart chakra. Cacao & Guanabana 4 pm 6 pm Medicine Making Harvesting, tincture making, oil making, preserving plants to take home. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga Monday, January 6 th DAY SIX Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra) 7 am 8 am Yoga Throat Chakra 9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Throat Chakra & Breath Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the breath, voice, and soul s expressions. Basil, Juanilama & Mints 4 pm 6 pm Medicine Making Harvesting, tincture making, oil making, preserving plants to take home. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga
Tuesday, January 7 th DAY SEVEN Anja Chakra (Third Eye) 7 am 8 am Yoga Third Eye 9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Healing & Balancing the Third Eye Plant medicines, guided meditation, and ritual to heal and nourish the third eye and nervous system. Tilo, Passionflower, Blue Vervain 4 pm 6 pm Shamanic Journeying Guided meditation and shamanic journeying with spirits of Central America, and gentle consciousness shifting plants. 7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Fire Circle Storytelling, Song, Dancing, Ritual, Fire offerings, Star gazing Wednesday, January 8 th DAY EIGHT Sahasrara Chakra (Crown) 7 am 8 am Yoga Crown Chakra 9:30 am 10:30 am Opening Circle, Meditation, and Blessing Herbs 11 am 1 pm Medicine for the Spirit & Earth Meditation, prayer, and offerings to heal and nourish our relationship to the earth. Blessing resins & sacred smokes. Copal & Palo Santo. 4 pm 6 pm Closing Circle & Prayers Blessing group ritual, gratitude prayers, and offerings to our sacred circle and spirits of the earth. Offerings to the ocean, rainforest, and La Cusinga.
7 pm 8 pm - Dinner 8 pm 9 pm Evening Restorative Yoga Thursday, January 9 th DAY NINE DEPARTURE 7 am 8 am Morning Yoga 9am 11 am Packing & Clearing out dorms 11 am - 2pm Departure from La Cusingha & Goodbyes TRAVEL INFORMATION TO LA CUSINGA WHAT TO BRING - Recommended to bring - * Passport & License * Sarongs or loose clothing. * Sandals & Hiking shoes * Bathing suit * Towel * Biodegradable shampoo, soap, etc. * All-natural bug repellent (All Terrain Herbal Armor Spray Insect Repellent is great!) * T-shirts and shorts * A couple pairs of long pants and long sleeve shirts. * One warm long sleeve shirt * Headlamp and/or flashlight * All-natural sunscreen Useful things, but not absolutely necessary: * All-natural candles Can be used but never left lit without your presence! * A lighter for candles * Beach towel * Books * Musical instruments! * Cameras / camera chargers * Travel Mug and Water Bottle * Sketch book & art supplies * ipad or iphone that you can Skype on * Jars to bring medicines back Though you can use iced tea bottles bought in CR.
AT THE AIRPORT Arriving at San Jose Airport At the airport before the exit you can exchange American money for colones, although you will get a better exchange rate outside of the airport. You can use ATMs all over San Jose, and use your regular ATM card. You will be given colones from any ATM at the current exchange rate. There are people at the airport exit who work for the airport to set you up with an official cab. They speak English, and you just need to tell them where you are heading. If you are going to a hotel in San Jose, they will take you there, or you can have them take you to the bus terminal. If you are renting a car, ask them where the shuttle is to your rental agency. Make sure you have the address to the hotel or bus station you want to go to in order to give it to the taxi person. They will have a running meter, and the cost for taxis is similar to the US. GETTING TO BUS STATION If you are traveling by bus, you will be going from the airport to the TERMINAL MUSOC located on the Southern end of San Jose, on Calle Central/Ave. 22-24. Tell the taxi this is where you are going. Buses leave from Terminal Musoc in San Jose to San Isidro every HALF HOUR, starting at 5:30am. The trip to San Isidro takes about 3-4 hours. They will stop at a bathroom. To get to Uvita the same day you must leave no later than 11:30am from San Jose. Once at the San Isidro bus station you must reach the Dominical terminal to buy a ticket to Uvita. Buses to Uvita/Palmar Sur leave at 9am and 4pm daily. The 9am bus makes it final stop in the town of Uvita, from there you will have to take a taxi to reach the lodge (about 4 km). If you are traveling in the 4pm bus, simply ask the driver to stop at La Cusinga. This trip takes about 2 hours. MONEY Colones to dollars 1,000 Colones = 2 American Dollars 500 Colones = 1 American Dollar 10,000 Colones = 20 American Dollars You can pay with dollars almost anywhere in Costa Rica, but you will sometimes be paying a little more, due to changing exchange rates. Exchanging Money at the San José Airport There is a counter to change money at the airport just before you exit the airport on the left. Nearly all businesses in Costa Rica accept dollars but it s always best to have local currency. You can exchange money at a much better exchange rate outside the airport.
Skype & Internet Access All around Costa Rica there are internet cafes where you can email and Skype your family. It is a good idea to set up a Skype account for yourself, and put $10 on your account. That should be plenty for you to call your friends and family from internet cafes using Skype. Wifi at La Cusinga: We have full time wifi at La Cusinga, for you to use your own computer, iphone, smartphone, etc. to communicate with your loved ones! You can Skype from an iphone, ipad, or your own computer. I travel with an ipad rather than a computer when I am in CR. Travel Tips 1. A good identifier of a legitimate cab is a red car with a yellow triangle on the side. The airport will easily set you up with a good cab to where you are heading. 2. Keep track of your bags. Have your money, passport and plane ticket securely stowed away. Keep a wallet in your pocket with the money you need for traveling and food. 4. Costa Rica is a very safe and friendly country but there are people who try and take advantage of tourists. Travel with a partner if you can, and plan your trip ahead of time so you know exactly where you re going. 5. Learn some Spanish words before you come! Most people in Costa Rica speak English due to so many tourists, but it s nice to know a little Spanish before you go. 6. Relax, have fun on your journey, and know there are many people there to help you along your way to us! DIRECTIONS TO LA CUSINGA By bus The bus from San José to San Isidro leaves from the TERMINAL MUSOC located on the Southern end of San Jose, on Calle Central/Ave. 22-24. Buses start to leave at 5:30am to San Isidro, from that time, one bus will leave every 30 minutes to an hour. This trip takes about 3-4 hours. To get to Uvita the same day you must leave no later than 11:30am. Once in San Isidro you must reach the Dominical terminal. Buses to Uvita/Palmar Sur leave at 9am and 4pm daily. The 9am bus makes it final stop in the town of Uvita, from there you will have to take a taxi to reach the lodge (about 4 km). If you are traveling in the 4pm bus, simply ask the driver to stop at La Cusinga. This trip takes about 2 hours. By car Take the Inter-American highway from San José towards San Isidro (3 hours max). Once in San
Isidro, take the road to Dominical. This road will get you on the Southern coastal highway passing by Dominical and heading south towards Uvita. The lodge is 5km south of the Uvita bridge, between the kilometers 166 and 167. This trip takes about an hour to and hour and a half. *Please keep in mind that you are in Costa Rica. Things like weather, road conditions, public, political or religious activities can delay your trip. Off the Southern Coast Highway (Costanera Sur), we are located: 22 km South from Dominical (15-20 min) 35 km North from Palmar (50 min) 57 km Southwest from San Isidro de El General (80 min) 65 km South from Quepos (120 min) SAN JOSE - Hostels - Close to airport in Alajuela Costa Rica Backpackers *** Sage has stayed here http://www.costaricabackpackers.com/ Places to stay in Costa Rica! Maleku Hostel *** Sage has stayed here http://www.malekuhostel.com/index.htm Hostel Pangea *** Sage has stayed here http://hostelpangea.com/ Cala Inn http://www.hotelcalacr.com/ Other places to stay around San Jose - Costa Rica Guesthouse http://www.costa-rica-guesthouse.com/ Hostel & Spa - Natura http://hostelrinconnatura.com/index.php Casa Colon Hostel http://www.hostelcasacolon.com/gallery.php Hostel Toruma http://www.hosteltoruma.com/
HOSTELS IN UVITA - By La Cusinga Tucan Lodge *** Sage and others will be staying here for the 30th & 31st http://www.tucanhotel.com/englishhome.html# Cascada Verde http://www.cascadaverde-costarica.com/pictures.html NORTH OF SAN JOSE - ARENAL HOT SPRINGS Arenal Backpackers *** Sage stays here http://arenalbackpackersresort.com/ NICOYA PENINSULA - North Pacific Side MONTEZUMA *** We love this town!! Chocolate Hostel http://www.thechocolatehostel.com/ Hostel Pura Vida - in Tamarindo http://www.puravidahostel.com/ Hostel Le Boletta - in Tamarindo http://www.labotelladeleche.com/ SANTA TERESA Cuesta Arriba http://www.cuestaarriba.com/rooms/ Casa Zen http://zencostarica.com/ Tranquilo Backpackers *** Sage stays here http://tranquilobackpackers.com/ PLAYA FLAMINGO Marine Inn http://www.marinerinn.com/index.html Las Tortugas http://www.lastortugashotel.com/index.html