City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 53)

with excitement that we must try one of the apples, which have a characteristic sour bite. Jumping up high, hands outstretched and trying for minutes to grab an apple, Carlos finally takes hold of a large red-yellow Anna apple. Biting into the crispy, slightly tart fruit, we continue to walk, hoping to see our little bird once again. We weave through the trees and Carlos explains that Quetzals don’t venture too far (especially from a prominent food source), and so, would probably stay close by. Making our way along a path, we follow Carlos to some of the deluxe cabins available for guests. The wooden cabins look cozy and invite comparisons, again, to the log-cabins of B.C. A central fireplace and huge windows make the cabins complete. A lady and little girl with long blond hair walk by and we see Carlos darting forward to kiss both. He introduces the two as his mother and sister. He tells us that he has an older sister studying agriculture in Guapiles in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. When we ask Carlos if he has plans to attend University, Carlos explains that he used to go to high school in Cartago but we can see that his home is in the peaceful mountains surrounded by nature and far away from the city. “I took special courses by correspondence for three years. I was unhappy and I was homesick in Cartago. My place is here.” Our gaze gravitates toward some long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers building a nest in the ground. All of a sudden Carlos jolts upward, a smile creeping upon his face. He yelps, “Good news. I see a Quetzal.” As he looks through his binoculars, Carlos quickly sets up the tripod, and looking through the lens, we see a male Quetzal perching high above an aguacatillo tree virtually waiting for us to gawk at him. We are mesmerized, as the little Quetzal remains for us to take in his regal beauty. For twenty minutes we observe his charm and grace, and then suddenly the bird takes flight once more. Carlos keeps repeating, “you guys are so lucky.” We continue to walk around the Savegre Mountain Hotel, and come upon the apple orchard, delightfully and surprisingly growing on an inclined slope. A former President of Costa Rica, José Figueres, had stayed at the hotel to go sport fishing (the hotel is renowned for a great catch, and 500 kilograms of trout are taken to restaurants in San Jose every week) and had suggested planting temperate fruits rather than the subtropical crops like cocoa and coffee that grow rampant in most other parts of Costa Rica. Carlos tells us As we look through the binoculars for a second time, we are enamored, as we spot another Quetzal. Now, chewing up and spitting up some food, Quetzals, we learn, swallow the aguacatillo whole and then regurgitate it. We are in a little garden behind the kitchen and Carlos begins to show us what a female Resplendent Quetzal looks like for reference. As if on cue, a female flies onto the branch and stays just in time for us to get a quick look. “You can’t get it any better than that because they were on the same tree,” Carlos says. A staff member runs out of the kitchen, and Carlos lends him his binoculars. The staff member had never seen a Quetzal before. Carlos tells us again and again, that we have had amazing luck to have seen so many Quetzals. As we stand outside the kitchen, we laugh until we all have stitches, naming our avian friends Peter, Paul, Carlos Jr. and Angela. When we return home, we learned that Quetzals will perish in captivity; they need the freedom of the open air to survive. Savegre Hotel de la Montana was the breath of fresh air we needed. Though, not much changed in our work situations, we felt utterly recharged. Call it luck, or just plain perspective, it just so happened that having the autonomy to do as we please was liberating. CSL WES HANSON The Quetzal Education Research Center, QERC, (www.snu.edu/qerc) seeks to promote biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability in global and local communities. QERC involves students and researchers from around the world, engaging them in dialogue and research focused on the montane tropical cloud forest and its floral and faunal community for the purpose of enhancing its sustainability with a special emphasis on the resplendent quetzal. A 16-week spring semester available for undergraduate students to come to QERC and study and a variety of short courses are offered at other times of the year. Contact: QERC@snu.edu citystyleandliving.com | WINTER 2007/2008 | 53 THE QUETZAL EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTER http://www.snu.edu/qerc http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 Contents Editor’s Note Website Behind the Cover Contributors The District Calgary’s Holiday Storefront Windows: Through the Looking Glass Need it Want it Fusion Culinary Adventure Champagne 101: Tiny Bubbles Covet Prêt-à-porter Fashion Adventure Resort Wear Enchanted Evening Passport 24 Hours in Paris Anatomy of... Costa Rica: In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal Final Thought

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

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