Alejandro, affectionately called “Pulpo,” spent some years in the US but returned in early 2006. Before leaving the country, Alejandro worked as a CRE Naturalist Guide for seven years. Now in Operations, he knows exactly what kind of logistics go into making even the most complicated trip run smoothly.
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“I enjoy sharing my country with visitors,” he says, “and making exceptional trips happen is what we do best. I am proud to work in a great company surrounded by friends who are not only hard-working professionals, but great people too.”
Alejandro graduated from the Univ. of Cartago in Costa Rica in 1992, with business and tourism degrees. He has a daughter, Maria Fernanda, 8, and enjoys spending free time listening to music, reading or traveling. His birthday is March 19, 1974.
Born on Feb 03, 1967, Alex was raised in the city of Barva, Heredia, one of the oldest settlements in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. He first worked for Costa Rica Expeditions starting in 1987 as a Transfer Guide and he then went on to work in key departments such as Operations and Sales. Finally he worked as the Executive Assistant to Founder and CEO, Michael Kaye, not an easy task. In 1994, Alex left Costa Rica Expeditions to pursue other interests and has come back 16 years later.
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As the new Operations Manager, Alex says, “I admire consistent teamwork and attitude. I like to keep it simple and find an attractive challenge in continuously simplifying processes as a way to support creativity and commitment within the department with quality of life. My mission at the Operations Team is to provide Legendary Service and Unforgettable Memories to guests who choose Costa Rica and Costa Rica Expeditions.”
When he’s not at the office, Alex is a supportive dad to his four children, Alexis 21, Andres 15, Pablo 12 and Fiorella 8 who likes to sing, draw, paint and also runs his Dad’s life.
Andres - or Andrew as his clients know him - started at Costa Rica Expeditions in 2004 with eight years of experience as a guide. He is very proud that he was given the title of Naturalist Guide, a dream - as he puts it - that finally came true.
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Besides being a passionate natural history buff, Andres recently took up a new hobby: cooking. It has turned into more than just a hobby; in fact, he went to cooking school and is now a Chef. Andres is an avid reader and also enjoys working with his hands, particularly with wood. He and his wife, Gabriela, have a four-year-old daughter, Fiorella, who loves dancing and singing.
Angelo was born on July 7, 1976. He was raised in the Town of Tortuguero by his grandparents, Don Alberto and Doña Ana Cristina. His grandfather planted crops and grew plaintain, cassava and coconuts. His grandmother worked at one of the lodges in Tortuguero as a cook.
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Memories of his childhood growing up in Tortuguero are of freedom, he remembers running around with his group of friends with the liberty to do whatever they wanted. Their favorite activities included swimming in the river, especially jumping off the dock into the River in front of the Paraiso Tropical Souvenir Shop in Tortuguero, playing soccer on the beach and marbles on one of their front porch.
Angelo has worked as a guide in Tortuguero for the last 10 years. He strives to lead his experiences in Tortuguero National Park with dedication and works so that each of his guests will have learned something new about the environment and its creatures.
When he’s not guiding in Tortuguero, Angelo likes to spend time with his wife Carmen and his daughters Selena and Naomi. He also enjoys his parents and his brothers and sisters.
Arelis was born and raised in the region of Monteverde on July 8, 1985. She has worked for Monteverde Lodge for five years. The first four years she worked at the Front Desk and for the last year she has been the Assistant Manager of the lodge.
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Arelis graduated from the Technical High School in the town of Santa Elena Monteverde this High School in known for its focus on the environment and sustainability. Arelis then went on to get what in Costa Rica is known as a Technical degree in Ecological Tourism. In order to get this degree, she first volunteered at the Monteverde Reserve and she then went on to work in their Customer Service Department.
What gives Arelis the greatest satisfaction as Assistant Manager of Monteverde Lodge is to participate in the process of Guest Delight and to send guests to their next adventure having expressed their joy with Monteverde Lodge, its service and food.
When she?s not working, Arelis enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports, her favorites are hiking, mountain biking and soccer. She also likes to listen to music, read and escape to the beach.
Arturo's passion and career is landscape architecture. He is a graduate of the Longwood Gardens Horticultural School's work-study program in Pennsylvania (1983-4) and also spent a year working at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis (1987-8). Arturo, who worked for Costa Rica National Parks for three years (1979-82), not only has a strong background in horticulture and conservation, but also has a strong knowledge of the country's native bird species.
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In 1996 Arturo completed Monteverde Lodge's gardens using mainly native species. His goal was to bring the forest and its wildlife right up to the Lodge's doorstep. Today's visitors enjoy the results of this work. During his twelve years as a guide for Costa Rica Expeditions, Arturo has led trips for the Nature Conservancy, Massachusetts Audubon Society and several horticultural organizations.
Through guiding he has realized a life-long dream of designing and managing a cloud forest reserve. His charisma, talent and love of nature caught the attention of a visitor from San Francisco in 1996 and she ended up financing a private reserve now managed by Arturo.
Born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1960, Bernal has been guiding in Costa Rica for over 25 years, he has been guiding for Costa Rica Expeditions since December of 2010, we are delighted to be able to offer the services of this talented Naturalist to our guests.
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Bernal.s grandfather, Eustaquio Jos, came to Costa Rica in the 1800.s from Spain. He built a new life selling encyclopedias and bibles. His business was so successful that he created a small fortune and even had the bragging right of being the first land owner in his region to buy an American car. Eustaquio fathered 22 children and had two wives which were sisters. After the passing of his first wife, the sister in law took over the care and feeding of the children and eventually she also took over the role of wife.
Bernal remembers his father as being fair and thoughtful, he fought nature and adversities to carve farm land out of the skirts of the Iraz volcano. In 1963 when the Iraz erupted, he ended up sacrificing everything he owned and moving his family to the region of Grecia, far from volcanoes, to start again. Bernal.s mother, was a grade school teacher, she supplemented the family income with egg laying hens and pigs. More importantly she was the source of family inspiration, a force of nature.
In thinking about where he got his yen for guiding, Bernal remembers a time when he and his younger brother dreamed of being explorers like Will Robinson from .Lost in Space.. At one point they build their very own space ship, his younger brother was the scientist and Bernal was always the ROBOT. The boys built their own Jupiter Spacecraft using wood scraps an old car tail light and various odds and ends from the shed, when finished they hauled their spaceship up into canopy of a Monkey Plum Tree, when all were aboard...ZAS. the branch broke and thankfully nobody was hurt.
After his Lost in Space stint, Bernal took to more terrestrial forms of exploration. Twenty-five years of guiding has contributed to a wealth of knowledge about birds, general rainforest ecology and history. His wit and spontaneity delight.s his guests with insight and bursts of laughter.
When he.s not guiding, Bernal loves to dive, play tennis and hike. He especially cherishes is him with his wife of 26 years, Diana and his three daughters Adriana a Biologist and the twins Tanya and architecture student and Tanya an artist.
Carlos, or as he is better known, Charlie, started his birding career working with Gary Stiles, the author of Birds of Costa Rica. He has guided birding and other natural history groups for Costa Rica Expeditions for two decades. Before that, he was Station Manager at the Organization for Tropical Studies' La Selva Biological Station. Called "legendary" in the Washington Post, groups he has led include Henderson Birding, Audubon Naturalist Society and Noble Proctor.
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"Birding is my number one love – after my family of course. Guiding lets me share my ideas about conservation with other people. Sometimes I think I am a frustrated professor, but my job as a guide is much better than sitting behind a desk, and it’s a great way to meet people and share my knowledge with them."
An excellent naturalist and avid birder with a B.S. in biology from the University of Costa Rica, Charlie's tireless enthusiasm on the job has made him our most requested naturalist guide. He is often asked by our clients to guide their trips in other countries. Charlie was born on Dec. 29, 1955. When he's not guiding, Charlie works in his garden, making it a haven for birds, and relaxes with his family. He and his wife, Vicky, have three adult children: Laura, Sergio, and Silvia.
Carlos was born in the city of Quepos, on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. His love of the outdoors was transmitted to him by his parents. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of looking for crab and shrimp the forests of Mangrove forests of Quepos and then back at home, his mother's delicious soup.
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Carlos's father was a truck driver and for a time Carlos thought he wanted to follow in his footsteps. He then thought of becoming a doctor, but finally as an adult he realized that his true passion is conservation. Although Carlos does not have a formal degree, he has 18 years of experience as a Naturalist Guide and countless hours in the forests of Costa Rica. After his family his love is nature and conservation. Guiding has given Carlos the opportunity to get to know guests from all over the world and all walks of life. Not only does he enjoy interpreting the forest, tracking creatures and explaining he environmental phenomena that the world faces today, he also likes to hear of guests lives in other parts of the world and learn about what they are interested in, what they do and what made them decide to visit Monteverde. When he's not delighting guests on the trails of Monteverde, Carlos enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his wife Martha and their baby girl Jimena.
Carlos was born in the city of Quepos, on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. His love of the outdoors was transmitted to him by his parents. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of looking for crab and shrimp the forests of Mangrove forests of Quepos and then back at home, his mother’s delicious soup.
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Carlos’ father was a truck driver and for a time Carlos thought he wanted to follow in his footsteps. He then thought of becoming a doctor, but finally as an adult he realized that his true passion is conservation. Although Carlos does not have a formal degree, he has 18 years of experience as a Naturalist Guide and countless hours in the forests of Costa Rica. After his family his love is nature and conservation.
Guiding has given Carlos the opportunity to get to know guests from all over the world and all walks of life. Not only does he enjoy interpreting the forest, tracking creatures and explaining he environmental phenomena that the world faces today, he also likes to hear of guests lives in other parts of the world and learn about what they are interested in, what they do and what made them decide to visit Monteverde.
When he’s not delighting guests on the trails of Monteverde, Carlos enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his wife Martha and their baby girl Jimena.
Cindy was born and raised in Monteverde, she graduated from the Santa Elena High School and is now taking general courses at the UNED (National University at a Distance)
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She has only worked for Monteverde Lodge & Gardens for a short time; and says that what has impressed her most is the level of service that is offered to guests. Her experience living and working in Monteverde has come in very handy and she is happy when she is able to give clients advice about how to wisely spend their time here.
Cindy is especially fond of the children that stay at the lodge and remembers one little girl that accompanied her in the reception for an entire morning. "She will be a great receptionist someday".
When she's not at the lodge Cindy loves to bake and her co-workers think she makes delicious brownies. She also enjoys spending time with her mother and her brothers and sister and she reads books on how to be a better person.
Her message to people considering a visit to Monteverde Lodge & Gardens: .
Although he was born and raised in San Jose, Clarence has spent a lot of time traveling inside and out of Costa Rica. He did all his studies in Costa Rica, mostly focusing on the tourism industry, but also completed a year of medicine.
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He grew up enjoying the outdoors with his family and considers himself a true nature lover. “While I was still a kid, my parents would take us camping and we would explore places all over the country. I have always loved taking friends and clients to the country’s remote and beautiful places. When I discovered guiding as a career, it was a dream come true.”
Clarence has been guiding travelers from all over the world since 1989 and relishes sharing his knowledge, built on years of experience, of the native flora, animals and insects. Clarence is married and has a 17-year-old daughter, Nicole. He comes from a very large family of Sephardic Jews, originally from Spain.
Diego, 26, was raised in Ciudad Quesada, a rural town located next to a National Park and studied Tropical Biology at the Univ. of Costa Rica. “My backyard was full of birds, bugs and even snakes,” he says. “As a kid I observed all these creatures with interest and developed a love of the outdoors and the wildlife of Costa Rica.”
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Diego began guiding Costa Rica Expeditions’ Multisport and Naturalist trips in Sept. 2006. He is an avid mountain biker and after a decade with his home town’s swim team he swam for the National Team for two years. Diego spent a year in Belgium as a high school exchange student and later worked in Florida for six months in 2003.
Recently Diego began a Masters Degree correspondence program in Wildlife Management at the State University. When he's not guiding, Diego likes to read, bike and spend time with his girlfriend and his family. His birthday is Nov. 3, 1981.
Diego, 29, has been on Costa Rica Expeditions’ white water team since 2005, and has been guiding rafting trips for 9 years. He enjoys his career for the thrills and for the opportunity to meet new people from around the world. “I have also been able to travel a lot - to Italy, Norway, Nepal, Chile and Argentina - thanks to rafting,” he says. Diego speaks Spanish, English and Italian and is an excellent surfer. He is married to Betsy Chaves and his birthday is March 6, 1979.
Diego was born on November 3, 1981 in the city of Ciudad Quesada; a rural town
in the San Carlos region of Costa Rica. He grew up working on his father’s farms with his brothers and sisters.
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His love of the outdoors led Diego to
study Tropical Biology at the University of Costa Rica. "My backyard was full of birds, bugs and even snakes," he says: "As a kid I observed all these creatures
with interest and developed a love of the outdoors and the wildlife of Costa Rica."
Diego began his career with Costa Rica Expeditions in 2006 leading
Multisport and Natural History vacations. After four years of guiding, we asked him if he would be interested in using his talents in the position of General
Manager for Costa Rica Expeditions’ Lodges, and he accepted. His perspective as guide has proven invaluable to Guest Delight at our lodges. So much so that
he still guides one or two trips a year.
Diego is an avid mountain biker and after a decade with his home town’s swim team he swam for the National
Team for two years. Diego spent a year in Belgium as a high school exchange student and later worked in Florida for six months in 2003.
When he is
not guiding, Diego likes to read, bike and spend time with his girlfriend, Jeanina and his family.
After working for Costa Rica Expeditions for three years, Douglas left the company in 2000, due in part to the long commute to his hometown, Atenas. It was understandable that he sought a job closer to home - according to National Geographic, Atenas has "the best climate in the world." Still, a new work schedule and faster transportation lured Douglas back in Nov. 2004. Today Douglas manages upscale and special interest and affinity group vacations. He also plans natural history and nature photography trips.
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Famous for his equanimity and sense of humour, Douglas enjoys spending time with his sons Jason and Steve playing soccer, surfing the Web or, his newest hobby, raising Brown quails for eggs. Douglas' birthday is Sep. 28, 1968.
Eduardo "Novoa" joined our rafting staff in 1998. Born on May 31, 1977, and raised near Turrialba, Eduardo first became interested in the river while working for a wooden paddle factory in town. A local rafting company warehoused their equipment next door and, interested in using the paddles he constructed, Eduardo began begging river trips with the guides. He also learned his English from his river friends. Eduardo is a keen birder and enjoys playing basketball and kayaking in his free time. He has a son, Dixon, 7.
Born July 13, 1975, Elena is from San Marcos de Tarrazu, a mountainous region in the Costa Rica central highlands that is renowned for its award winning coffee.
As a child, Elena spent most of her summers working with her family on their coffee plantation. To this day, she says that she is passionate about all things coffee and one of the things she most enjoys is spending her summer weekends with her Dad, brother, nieces and nephews picking coffee.
It was in the coffee fields that Elena learned to interact from people of all walks of life, from the hard working labors to buyers.
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Elena's second passion is languages. Aside from her native Spanish, Elena speaks English, French, some Italian and basic German.
Her love of people and languages combined perfectly for her career in the travel business. Although she has only been with Costa Rica Expeditions since August of 2010, Elena has been a Travel Planner since 2000.
When not following up with guests that are in Costa Rica, designing itineraries or surveying the coffee plantation with her Dad, Elena enjoys music, catching up with friends and dancing.
Born on May 10th 1979, in the city of Puntarenas, Elier is one of four brothers and sisters.
As a little boy, it was his dream to work outdoors, he was sure that he didn’t want to work in an office. Elier was one of those boys that his mother asked to empty his pockets at the back door because she knew that insects, reptiles and seeds were sure to be stashed there. He didn’t walk around whistling, he walked around imitating bird calls.
After graduating from the Universidad Estatal de Puntarenas, Elier was an exchange student in Ellensburg, Washington. Here he had the opportunity to polish his English while working at a ski resort, he says this made a tremendous difference in his understanding of guests and greatly improved his English.
Elier has been guiding for 9 years, his special passion is tracking a specific species his guests want to see, but he loves the forest and its plants and creatures in general. His biggest thrill while roaming the forests of Monteverde was finding an ocelot with guests, an extremely rare sighting.
When he’s not interpreting the Cloud Forest with his guests, Elier enjoys playing soccer, swimming and spending time with his wife Alicia and his children Christian and Kendra.
Erick planned to become an electrical engineer, but his career path took a different turn when he started working for a tour operator a decade ago as an accountant.
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He came to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2000 and his talent for numbers was recognized quickly. He is now the Finance Department’s second in command. “Although I didn’t plan to go into accounting, I found that I liked working with numbers and creating reports that track how business decisions affect the company's bottom line.”
Besides keeping the books at Costa Rica Expeditions, Erick is currently working on two bachelor degrees in accounting and systems engineering. His birthday is July 4, 1975.
Federico was born on April 11, 1971, in Costa Rica, but has lived all over the world, including Jerusalem, Madrid and New York. He speaks perfect English and can also understand Hebrew. He has worked at Costa Rica Expeditions for 9 years and particularly enjoys guiding Multisport and Naturalist trips, which combine his love for nature with biking and other outdoor sports.
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Federico first became interested in guiding while working with young adults. He was the group leader for a 5-month program with Youth Challenge International and later went on to work for Fundacion D.A., a foundation that works with children with ADD.
Federico is currently taking his last courses at the Universidad Estatal a Distancia for a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management. He also undertook two years of courses in Agricultural Engineering and four years of Industrial Design. Realizing how important environmental education is to the planet, Federico has taken numerous courses on the Natural History of Costa Rica. His goal is to impress on guests the value and beauty of nature.
Federico shares most of his free time with his wife Karol and his three-year-old son, Santiago. When not with them, he is usually riding his mountain bike or photographing wildlife, two of his favorite pastimes.
Born on November 15, 1976 in San Jose, Costa Rica, Federico ?Fico? Chacon has been guiding for 12 years.
His training comes from the University of Costa Rica, the National Institute of Learning. He has completed various courses in natural history including Birds, Herpetology and Botany. He has also studied Social Sciences and Psychology.
His greatest teacher has been his experience in the field, having guided in Costa Rica, Panamá, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. Federico particularly enjoys guiding for families with kids and teenagers.
One of the many wonderful things that he has gotten from guiding is travel, Federico has been all over the world visiting the USA, England, Norway, Central America, Cuba, México and Galápagos..
Fico is known for sharing his knowledge with a great sense of humor. When he?s not guiding, he enjoys hiking, reading and playing ultimate Frisbee.
Fernando, best known as "Don," was born on May 30, 1954, in Bluefields, Nicaragua. He is one of 12 siblings. He has worked for Costa Rica Expeditions since 1989. As a child, his grandparents, originally from Jamaica, taught him to speak Jamaican English. When he moved to Tortuguero, at age 18, he learned American English from the scientists and tourists he met there. Don worked for 14 years for the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) before coming to work as a guide at Tortuga Lodge.
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He’s an excellent boatman and has also guided and worked as an assistant manager at Corcovado Lodge. Don and his wife, Pastora, have four children: Jimmy, twins Maribel and Maricela, and Katherine. What Don likes best about guiding is getting to talk to all kinds of people, being outside and observing the more than 100 bird species found in Tortuguero. He is known for his booming laugh, which can be heard for some distance.
Born on January 31, 1990, Francine was raised in the Monteverde region.
She went to High School in the town of Abangares. After High School she wisely went on to study English at the Boston College in San Jose and then she further polished her English at the INA, Costa Rica?s National Institute of Learning. Francine also has a technical degree in computer operation from INA.
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What Francine enjoys the most about working at the Front Desk of Monteverde Lodge is the opportunity to interact with people for all different walks of life which has allowed her to learn about different cultures and customs.
She strives to help in every way she can so that guests have the best possible experience while they are in Monteverde and she especially wants guests to experience the very best of Costa Rica while they are at Monteverde Lodge.
In her free time Francine enjoys doing line drawings in pencil, playing soccer, running and listening to music or watching movies.
Gabriel, 27, is from San Jose and has been working as a guide in Costa Rica for several years. Gabriel grew up on a family ranch, where he learned to love the outdoors and nature. He earned a degree in agro-ecotourism from the Central American School of Cattle Raising and later studied at the National Institute of Biodiversity.
“I was drawn to guiding because I like being with people,” he says. “I’m also very proud of my country and it’s great to show off Costa Rica’s natural treasures to visitors.” In his free time, Gabriel likes to spend time with his son Fabian. He also enjoys body surfing and horseback riding when he’s back on the ranch.
Gerardo, also known as "Cola," was born on October 20th, 1949. Although he has only been with Costa Rica Expeditions since 2004, Gerardo has been guiding since 1969, when he started as a sport-fishing guide in Barra de Colorado. He learned to speak English just by hearing his guests talk and then decided to complement his newly acquired skill with more formal studies in tourism, choosing courses in “Attention and Guiding” and “Ethics in Tourism.” He has won the respect and friendship of many guests at Tortuga Lodge and is known for his permanent smile, hard work and flashy silver necklaces. Gerardo is originally from Barra del Colorado and enjoys reading in his spare time. He has four adult children.
Born in San Jose on October 15, 1964, Gerardo, also known as "Siau," has been guiding whitewater rafting expeditions since 1986. He grew up on his father’s farm in Turrialba where he spent most of his time outdoors riding horses and playing in the rivers and fields.
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His river career started by coincidence, when 17 years ago, he decided to go for a morning run and a pickup truck drove by with a raft on the roof. They stopped and asked him if he would go to the river with them, as they needed another paddler that day. He agreed to go, and he’s been on the river ever since. Siau has participated and organized a number of rafting expeditions and competitions starting in 1991, when he was a member of the Costa Rican team for the world championship, Project Raft. Since then, he has been team captain for the Camel White Water Challenge team and the Foto Linda Rafting National Championship.
When not on the river, which isn’t very often, Siau spends his time working on his photography, horseback riding, camping in the mountains and reading. He is an accomplished cook.
Michael Kaye first met Gordon when he was toiling away for long-time Costa Rica Expeditions’ client, International Expeditions in Helena, Ala. When International Expeditions became part of Grandexpeditions.com, Michael quickly snatched Gordon for a temporary assignment in Costa Rica. The “temporary” assignment that began in early 2002 continues to this day.
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Gordon, who has degrees in both economics and political science, uses his talents to observe the economic rhythms of Costa Rica Expeditions, converting those rhythms into understandable information for managing the business and predicting the future. When not observing rhythms in the office, he enjoys a state of bliss with his partner, Javier, 6 cats, 5 chickens, a happy rooster, and a dog named Bryce, on their farm halfway up the side of a dormant volcano overlooking the Central Valley and San Jose. Gordon has lived all over the US, but most recently is from Boca Raton, Florida. His birthday is Aug. 15, 1948.
Born in San Jose, Costa Rica on July 9, 1974, Gustavo grew up in the suburb of Guadalupe. He has 2 brothers and 4 sisters.
Although Gustavo has only been with Costa Rica Expeditions since 2010, he is not new to Travel Planning, he has been in the business for the last 15 years. He especially enjoys designing vacations for families with children of all ages and honeymoons.
Gustavo's passion for travel planning stems from the satisfaction that it gives him when a guest tells him of the wonderful memories that they have of their experience in Costa Rica. Over the years he has made friends with guests from many different countries.
Gustavo has a BA in Business & Tourism from the ULACIT University and a Master's in Marketing from the San Marcos University, both private Costa Rican Universities. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and informal French.
When he's not designing itineraries for guests Gustavo enjoys hiking, listening to music and especially spending time with his wife Jill and his sons Isaac 10 and Julian 6.
Isabel joined Costa Rica Expeditions in 1988. After nearly 20 years at Costa Rica Expeditions, she is the staff’s problem solver and everyone’s confidant. Isa is finishing a university degree in Psychology and has already begun applying her new knowledge of theory with her innate people skills, much to the company’s benefit.
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In her spare time, Isa enjoys being at home, in the hills above San Jose. She is married to Costa Rica Expeditions’ River Guide, Ricardo Jiménez. They have two children, Renan, 15, and Marcela, 13.
Ivan, 27, is from Moravia, outside San Jose. He has worked in tourism for three years, the first two-and-a-half at a local outfitter, concentrating in reservations, sales and operations. "I like being at the controls, making sure our customers tours, transfers and flights are executed perfectly," he says. "Also being part of a supportive and professional team is great." Ivan enjoys playing sports and listening to music when he is off. His birthday is Aug. 27, 1980.
Jeanina, 25, was born outside San Jose, the oldest of five siblings. Put in charge of watching her younger brother and sisters (and often her cousins too), she grew into a leader, a guide and caretaker - exactly the skills needed to manage and organize groups. At Costa Rica Expeditions Jeanina is in charge of coordinating the various activities of some of our visiting groups, including rafting, hiking and diving. This year Jeanina graduated from the Univ. of Costa Rica with a degree in industrial engineering. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking Costa Rican dishes for friends and giving talks on the country’s natural history. Her birthday is Feb. 1, 1983.
Jonathan was born on the Atlantic slope in the town of Siquirres where his parents grew coffee until 1990. They then moved to San Jose and his father started a business offering ground transportation to travelers and travel companies.
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Over 10 years his father built a business with a total of 10 vans and 5 employees. Jonathan and his sister worked in the field and in the office on reservations and logistics.
Born in Alajuela on January 24, 1981, Jonathan says he carries the travel industry in his blood. He gets it from his father who works in the Hotel business.
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After starting his University degree in Hotel Administration at the Universidad Latina, Jonathan took a break to roll up his sleeves and experience the real thing. He worked at the Real Intercontinental and at the Four Seasons Resort before joining our team in early 2011.
What he enjoys most about working in the travel business is the opportunity to get to know Costa Rica in depth and the satisfaction that he gets from delighting guests. "Knowing that they are taking a lifetime memory home with them makes me feel really good" he says.
When he's not working, Jonathan's passions keep him in what he calls his "Zen Point"; those passions are soccer and music. These activities give him stamina, comfort and time to be with himself. He also confesses that he?s addicted to pastry.
Born on May 29, 1988, Jonathan Vargas was born on the Caribbean slope in the town of Guapiles. His childhood was spent in large part playing outdoors, swimming in rivers and stream and climbing fruit trees with his friends.
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As a young boy Jonathan remembers watching the buses with tourists pass through his town on their way to the attractions on the Caribbean slope. He started to dream about being a tour guide and showing guests the wildlife, forests and culture of his country. As a teenager, he convinced his class in high school to study tourism as an elective instead of some of the more traditional subjects.
Today, Jonathan has four years of experience guiding in Costa Rica. What he enjoys the most about guiding is the opportunity to meet new people and understand their way of seeing the world. He also enjoys the privilege of observing nature and the way it changes season to season, always offering something new.
When he's not guiding, Jonathan enjoys extreme sports such as mountain biking and rappelling.
First guided for IE and CRE from 1989 to 1992. He then went to the Denver, Colorado to get his Masters Degree in International Politics, returned to Costa Rica, and started guiding again several years later.
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Born in San José, Jorge has been working as a guide for a decade. He is an avid reader and autodidact and, to enjoy and improve his career as a naturalist, Jorge moved to the mountains of Heredia to be closer to nature. On his farm he grows different kinds of ornamental and medicinal plants as well as cut flowers.
Jorge has a BS in marine biology and Masters Degrees in tropical biology and international politics. With a diverse education and interests, it's not surprising that he has guided groups such as the National Geographic Board of Directors, Sierra Club Board of Directors, and many more. In fact, he remembers all of his groups fondly and always learns something new from each guiding experience.
When he guided Michael Collins, the astronaut, Jorge could not resist asking him what it was like to be on a spaceship looking down at the Earth. He never forgot Collins' reply: "It feels lonely, Jorge. Mostly you feel loneliness."
After various school and family visits to some of Costa Rica's protected areas, Jorge became interested in the environment in high school. He decided that he would pursue environmental studies on his own while learning English at Columbus State University in Georgia. Today Jorge is well versed in many areas of nature; he has done courses on ornithology, medicinal plants, sea turtles, general natural history and others. He is currently finishing his degree in Management and Protection of Natural Resources at Cost Rica's National State University.
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Jorge feels that guiding, which has been his profession since 1997, is his calling. It allows him to educate a large number of people about the importance of protecting the planet. A lot of his clients are "already converted" he says, but he's especially proud when he has successfully taught his guests about the urgency and importance of sustainable development.
When he's not guiding or working on his university degree, Jorge is either playing basketball or reading. He was born on May 31, 1977, and grew up in San Jose.
Jose, also known as "Macho," was born and raised in the small rural town of La Suiza, 30 mins. from Turrialba, the heart of river rafting county in Costa Rica. He went to a high school that focus on conservation of natural resources, which marked him for life with a deep respect for nature and wildlife, and a love of the outdoors. Jose began guiding river trips in Costa Rica several years ago and more recently in California for Mariah Wilderness Expeditions.
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Currently Jose is in training to become a Naturalist Guide. “River guiding will always be very special to me,” he says, “but I’m ready to move up and widen my range of skills and capabilities. Now, in preparation to be a Naturalist Guide, I’m also studying geography, history, biology, flora, fauna and even current affairs.”
Jose, 32, is an amateur photographer, who owns several SLR digital cameras and spends some of his free time shooting outdoors. He also likes to play soccer and basketball, or just relax at home watching TV or surfing the web. “As a bachelor I also do my fair share of cooking,” he adds, “although I prefer doing it for guests and not just myself.” Jose’s birthday is on Sep. 20, 1975.
Juan Jose, 24, was born in the mountainous province of Turrialba, near the same rivers on which he now leads rafting trips. Before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions he worked as the safety kayak for different rafting companies. His first job was on the river with his cousins, who were guides themselves.
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“After school I would head to the Reventazon River to help my cousins,” he recalls. “We would pull the boats out of the water and store the equipment. But before putting everything away, my cousin would teach me how to use the kayak. I learned to roll and also began to run rapids.” Not long after, Juan Jose entered a kayak school and took up the sport seriously. He was selected for the national team and competed in slalom at the Panamerican Games in Chile in 2001. Juan Jose's birthday is June 5, 1983.
Jude, as we call her, started at CRE in 1990 and has the monumental task of distributing our email, which can easily be more than 500 pieces of correspondence in the high season. She is Michael's right hand, organizing his impossible schedule and keeping him generally in the right place at the right time - while somehow remaining serene and centered. If that were not enough to do, Jude has three children: two teenagers, Kenneth and Hillary, and her "baby," Ashley, 10.
Julian came to CRE in Sept. 2006, after working at the Ministry of Education. Although he had no previous experience in tourism or hotel management, he quickly adapted to the job and the challenges of running a hotel in a remote area. “I was always interested in tourism and jumped at the opportunity to change careers when I saw an ad in the local newspaper for a job opening at Costa Rica Expeditions that didn’t require experience,” he recounts.
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"After more than two years at Tortuga Lodge I still enjoy seeing the look of surprise and happiness our guests have when they arrive at the dock,” he says. “It’s satisfying knowing that many of our clients’ expectations have been exceeded after staying with us and experiencing Tortuguero’s rainforests.” Julian, one of 11 siblings, was born on May 22, 1970, in San Jose. He has three boys, Julian, 11, Emiliano, 7, and Angel, 2.
Born in Limon on January 28, 1978, Karla has been guiding for Costa Rica Expeditions for 11 years. Karla was raised in the village of Tortuguero, her mother, Miss Junie Martinez, is one of the founding members of the Tortuguero community and is well loved in the area. She owns the well known hotel and restaurant, Miss Junie.s, in the Tortuguero Village. .She.s my hero. says Karla.
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Before guiding, Karla worked for the INBIO, the National Institute for Biodiversity. She is especially grateful for the time spent with the famed scientist, Daniel Janzen, who was her supervisor while collecting specimens for INBIO in the Guanacaste Conservation areas. She is proud of the fact that a new species of nocturnal butterfly in the Geometridae family was named after her,
Nemoria Karlae
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Karla is particularly interested in medicinal plants, as well as bird watching and identifying insects. While in the field with guests, Karla.s goal is to use what the forest has to offer in that moment to create lifetime memories for her guests. Her future plans include becoming a Master Naturalist Guide.
When not guiding Karla is a full time mother, she has a 12 year old daughter, Abril, a 9 year old daughter, Eva Luna and a 3 year old son, Ian.
Kenya, 27, perfected her English in Burlington, Vermont, where she spent a year and a half in a student exchange program. After returning to Costa Rica she began studying biology and has nearly completed her degree at Costa Rica’s Latin University. She has been with Costa Rica Expeditions since Nov. 1998, when she started as a Transfer Guide and later moved up to Naturalist Guide. Recently Kenya took up the challenge of managing Corcovado Lodge & Tent Camp on the Osa Peninsula.
Kenya has studied miniature orchids - particularly their insect pollination – as well as the ecology of the Tropical Dry Forest and worked extensively at Santa Rosa National Park with Dr. Daniel Janzen. She was a volunteer at the National Institute for Biodiversity at Maritza Station where she collected plants and insects that pollinate orchids in the Dry Tropical Forest environment. When she's not working, Kenya, born on Sept. 23, 1978, spends her time with her younger brother and sister, and is dedicated to poetry and painting. She also likes to hike and surf.
Since 1994 Larry has guided and managed tours all over Europe, Northern Africa, Asia Minor, North and South America, the Caribbean Islands, and of course his native country, Costa Rica. He has a B.A. in Tourism from Central American Autonomous University in Costa Rica and is certified by the International Tour Management Institute in San Francisco.
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Larry grew up in an isolated, rural district in the rainforest near the Nicaraguan border. “At that time, and even today,” he says, “there were no roads, electricity or even running water on our farm – nowhere better for a kid to develop a passion for nature.”
Apart from Spanish, Larry speaks English fluently, French and Portuguese, and has a good knowledge of Italian. His multi-cultural experiences allow him to better share his passion for nature with people of all backgrounds. Those who have traveled with him say his love and enthusiasm for nature is contagious. When Larry is not guiding a tour, you might run into him birding in Guatemala, scuba diving in Malaysia, hiking volcanoes in Tanzania, or visiting art museums and galleries in Argentina (another of his passions).
Luis was born and raised in Tortuguero, he is a second generation guide. His father, also named Luis Torres worked for Tortuga Lodge first as a gardener, then as a local guide and finally as a Naturalist Guide leading trips all over Costa Rica.
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Young Luis has been guiding for one year. Before guiding Luis worked as a boat captain for Naturalist Guides leading groups in Tortuguero, he says he made a conscious effort to learn as much as he could from them and from his guests.
Although many of the people in Tortuguero speak Jamaican English, Luis never learned as a child. He taught himself by asking other guides and his guests to help with pronunciation and by going into the forest to lead tours in English by himself. His hard work and determination has paid off, his guests are delighted when they return from and excursion into the park with him.
Luis and his wife Maria have a daughter, Delyne 5 and are expecting a baby boy any day now.
Luis has a tourism degree from Alajuela Community College (2002) and is currently finishing a graduate program in Managment and Protection of Natural Resources while working as a Naturalist Guide. Originally from Heredia, Luis has always appreciated and enjoyed being close to nature. At Costa Rica Expeditions, he has moved from post to post, first as a transport provider, then in Corcovado as a Tree Platform Guide, more recently in Operations and now as a Naturalist Guide. No longer behind a desk in Ops, Luis is enjoying spending his time outdoors with his guests. He is one of six siblings and has four nephews, of whom he says, “I love as if they were my own.” His birthday is Jan. 14, 1979.
After working several years as a geographer, Luis has an intimate knowledge of Costa Rica’s most remote areas from the central mountain ranges to the coastal lowlands. This knowledge gives him a unique perspective when designing trips for guests. “Geographers are travelers by nature,” he says. “We like to explore places and cultures and we are lovers of the outdoors. As a travel planner I’m in contact with people from around the world who share my interest in learning about and exploring this marvelous country.”
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Luis has been with Costa Rica Expeditions since Oct. 2006. He specializes in upscale, family and active vacations. He holds a geography degree from Costa Rica University (2002) and is an avid reader of National Geographic and other books and magazines. In his spare time Luis also enjoys listening to world music, Internet radio and playing Beatles tunes on his guitar.
His birthday is July 4, 1980.
Luis Gamboa, Born March 10th, 1981. Luis lives in San Jose and loves it. He formerly worked as a dealer in Casinos and put himself through The Central University where he earned his Bachelors? degree in Business Administration.
Luis then worked for 6 years in the travel business in Costa Rica before joining our Operations Team in early 2010. Luis has full command of Spanish and English and when not at the office coordinating the timely and accurate delivery of services, he enjoys staying home, watching TV and spending time with his family and friends. Luis is married to Mrs. Mipsy Li and has one son, Luis Alejandro born in 2002.
Luz Elena has been with us since 1992. She is responsible for many things but, most importantly, for keeping track of every room reservation Costa Rica Expeditions makes. Her other role is to keep our guides in line: juggling their schedules, organizing jobs and often acting as surrogate mother. When she is not working, Luz Elena dedicates time to her son Alejandro, 11. She also enjoys swim class, running in the morning and decorating her house.
Marco or "Luk," as his friends call him, studied business administration and tourism at Cartago University and has worked in the tourism business for more than ten years. He is familiar with nearly every valley and beach in the country and uses that knowledge to specialize in planning natural history and active vacations. He also manages trips that feature celebrations and other occasions.
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After hours, Marco has an alter ego. He is the singer and songwriter for one of Costa Rica’s best-known rock bands, “Xpunkha”. They have been playing together for an entire decade, headlining in the country’s best concerts and music festivals, and have opened shows for some renowned international bands. When he’s not practicing with his band, you can find Marco watching a New York Yankees game and sharing his time with his wife Marilyn and his two daughters: Valeria and Victoria. His birthday is March 24, 1979.
Originally from Limon Province on the Caribbean coast, Marcos learned to swim and fish at a young age. As a child he spent most of his time in the outdoors and developed a deep love and appreciation of the tropical rainforest and its fauna.
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Marcos, 33, worked in cruise ships until he decided to come ashore and work as a guide in 2001. Since then, he has worked on the Osa Peninsula and more recently, leading biking trips. Marcos has two children, Fernando, 9, and Kemsy, 4. His birthday is Aug. 22, 1974.
Martha, who worked at Costa Rica Expeditions for 15 years from 1982 to 1998, recently returned to take up the position of receptionist. She will be handling the dozens of calls, solicitations and deliveries we receive daily in our downtown San Jose office. In the last several years Martha has worked in a restaurant and two local hotels.
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“I am a ‘nice’ and ‘service-with-a-smile specialist,’” she says (with a smile). “With so many years in the restaurant and hospitality industries, this skill has served me well.” Martha, 54, has 11 siblings, so there is no shortage of family events to keep her busy during her off hours. She and her husband, Luis, have two grown up children and three grandchildren. Her birthday is on Nov. 23, 1953.
Born December 11, 1941, a river guide for many years, Michael was the first to run Costa Rica's white water rivers. Michael and his wife, Yolanda started Costa Rica Expeditions as a white water rafting company in the fall of 1978.
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Although the company has grown considerably since, the original vision which Michael expressed in a June 1981 brochure has not changed:
"Our goal is to create unique travel experiences that transcend conventional sightseeing and travel. Our dream is to promote the type of tourism which is mutually beneficial and nourishing to both the visitor and the visited."
Known as an iconoclast Kaye’s stands against what he calls "dubious carbon offset and sustainability certification schemes have been stirred up controversy in industry circles.
A self-professed workaholic, he puts everything he has into whatever he does. As well as continuing to actively manage Costa Rica Expeditions, his current passion is a blog Vacation Time is Precious, which he started on December 14, 2009.
In October 2007 Michael was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Adventure Travel Trade Association.
Michael and Yolanda live in a suburb of San Jose Costa Rica. They travel fairly often, always with their tandem bicycle and Michael’s laptop. They spend at least a month each year in Manhattan, which Michael calls "the greatest secret bicycle destination in the world.”
They have two adult children, Brenda and Hilton, and three grandchildren.
Miguel was born Nov. 15, 1966, and has guided for nearly two decades, 17 of them with Costa Rica Expeditions. He discovered guiding after a false career start in business administration, which he studied for 2-1/2 years.
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Mammals are Miguel’s special area of interest, but he also is knowledgeable about birds, flower identification, and the natural history of many areas in Costa Rica. Miguel has taught guiding techniques to students specializing in tourism at the Universidad Latina.
Miguel is a walker and also enjoys traveling. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Americas. In Costa Rica he travels on public buses and is an expert on the best and most scenic bus routes in the country.
Born Aug. 21, 1963, Nadya first started working for Costa Rica Expeditions as a bilingual secretary in 1991. In 1994 we reluctantly let her go due to a restructuring. Nadya was quickly hired by one of our competitors. Hoping to get her back, we kept an eye on her and in Aug. 2003, were able to offer her a position in the trip planning department. We haven't been sorry. Today Nadya handles some of our most upscale trips as well as family, honeymoon and other special occasions vacations. Her five children, Kevin, Jason, Ruji, Alexsha and Jared, more than take up her free time.
After 13 years as chief operating officer Natalie has stepped back to become Chief Marketing and Client Satisfaction Officer.
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She is in charge of communicating the companies vision of creating unique travel experiences that transcend conventional travel, and then following up to make sure that what we say and what we do coincide. Since she began working at CRE in 1986, Natalie has managed most of the company's departments before becoming COO. This makes her uniquely qualified for her present position. Born in the United States on Dec. 12, 1966, Natalie moved to Costa Rica when she was four. After elementary and junior high school in Costa Rica, and high school in the United States, Natalie began her advanced degree at Costa Rica Expeditions U in March 1986. Outside of her demanding work schedule, Natalie spends free time with her teenagers, Shamielle and Shawn, hiking, cooking and enjoying friends.
Norton, better known as “Putut,” was born on March 10, 1964, in Rio Maíz, Nicaragua, and is one of nine siblings. He began working for Costa Rica Expeditions in 2005, and since then has gained his coworker’s and guest’s affection because of his good humor and sweet character.
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Norton worked many years in fishing, but eventually moved to the Limón Province to be with his family. Once settled, he took up guiding. After so many years working on the ocean and living in coastal areas similar to Limón, Norton had become an expert birder and knowledgeable on the tropical flora surrounding him. “I especially enjoy helping guests spot a particular bird or animal they’ve never seen before or are keen to see,” he says. In his spare time, Norton can be found fishing, listening to music, playing dominoes with friends or watching tv.
Omar has worked as a Naturalist Guide for Costa Rica Expeditions for many years, but recently decided to give up the vagabond lifestyle of a guide for the very detailed-oriented transport programmer job in the company's Operations Department. “I’m looking forward to learning about the bigger picture of the company,” he says. “Coordinating a trip-of-a-lifetime requires careful orchestration of not only transport and lodging, but a whole chain of services.”
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Born to Costa Rican parents on July 14, 1964, in Los Angeles, Omar graduated from high school in Costa Rica in the 80s, earning a degree in precision mechanics. Since then he has earned two degrees from National Learning Institute in general mechanics and guiding. Omar is a dedicated father to his five children and enjoys spending his free time with them. He likes all kinds of sports and, whenever possible, surfing the Web.
Pablo was born on September 14, 1976 just outside of Paris, France. His parents are Chilean, but moved to Paris to get their doctorates at La Sorbonne.
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When Pablo was 8 years old, he and his family moved to Costa Rica. His mother is a psychologist and worked for many years with the United Nations, and his father is a theologist and philosopher who has spent most of his career researching the historical and social aspects of the bible. As a teenager, Pablo was often in trouble and not too interested in his grades. Eventually, though, he began to think about a University degree and took several vocational tests to help him figure out what subject would suit him best. They all suggested that he work in the outdoors. Looking back, Pablo thinks his interest in the environment must have originated from trips he would take with his parents to remote areas of Costa Rica and from time spent on their 70-hectare family farm in Guanacaste. After deciding to work in the outdoors, Pablo went on to get a degree in Biology with an Emphasis on Ecology and Sustainable Development from the Universidad Latina in Costa Rica. He is currently enrolled in a Master’s program at the United Nations Mandated University for Peace, where he will earn an M.A. in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development. He is planning on doing his thesis on the current format of sustainable certification of travel companies. Like many guides, Pablo ended up guiding by circumstances. Largely because of his fluency in Spanish, French, and English, he was called by a company in Costa Rica to help with an urgent situation and ended up guiding full-time for a number of years. Today, Pablo is the Chief Logistics for Academic Affairs with the Vice Rector of the University for Peace and, on his free time, we are lucky enough to have him on our guiding staff. When he is not at the University for Peace, working on his thesis or guiding for Costa Rica Expeditions, Pablo loves to mountain bike and spend time with his wife Yesenia (Director of Travel Planning for Costa Rica Expeditions) and their daughter Pamela.
Priscilla started working for us in Nov. 1997, when she first came to CRE as an intern from a local university. We were so impressed with her ability to learn quickly, her dedication to “Legendary Service and Unforgettable Memories,” as well as her ability to get things done, that we offered her a position as sales assistant. In 1998 she became a Travel Planner. Today Priscilla is a Senior Travel Planner handling the most upscale of our clientele. She has come to specialize in designing natural history and special interest and affinity group trips. She also plans honeymoons, anniversaries, and other vacations featuring celebrations.
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Tortuguero is her favorite place to visit—for the wildlife, the people and the town—and she loves to share the wonders of that wilderness with her sons Randy and Santiago. Born on Oct. 31, 1976, Priscilla loves dancing and music. She has recently ventured into the world of theater and claims there is no better way to forget the hustle and bustle of the office than to show up for rehearsal.
Rafa was born and raised in Costa Rica; his love for nature and outdoor activities began as a child, when he accompanied his father to the far corners of Costa Rica.
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His father worked with a government organization which offered incentives to rural communities for developing land. Rafa remembers traveling on the narrow gauge train to Limon and entering the most remote jungles and beaches of Costa Rica by 4x4 jeep or on horseback. Family vacations also contributed to his passion for the outdoors. He tells of camping on deserted beaches for two weeks without ever seeing another group of travelers.
As a young man, Rafa got a full university scholarship from the Mexican government; he has a college degree in Biology from the University of Veracruz. After 8 years of being away from home, he says he came back to re-discover and fall in love with Costa Rica.
Rafa brings an excellent academic background and a wide range of experience in the field of natural history interpretation, education, conservation and sustainable development to his guiding. He has guided groups for the Nature Conservancy and National Geographic.
A botanist by profession, he has written a number of publications including a Manual of the Flora of Costa Rica (a project of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the National Museum of Costa Rica), annotated checklists and interpretive trail guides for lodges and reserves.
In addition to his expertise, an outgoing personality and genuine love of working with people have contributed greatly to Rafa´s long and successful guiding career, which began in 1989.
Rafa and his wife, Claire, who is French-Canadian, have a 19 year old daughter, Andrea, she is in the University studying psychology they also have a son, Fabian, still in middle school. When he's not guiding, Rafa enjoys mountain biking, bird watching and growing avocados and edible mushrooms on his farm.
Ricardo, known as "Caro" in Tortuguero, was born on October 13, 1959, in Limon Province. He is one of five siblings. Before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2004, Ricardo worked 14 years as a pile loader operator for Plywood Costa Rica in the town of Moin. After that, he started doing boat transfers between Moin and Tortuguero. Watching the local guides with their guests on Tortuguero’s creeks, led him to consider guiding as a profession. Ricardo improved his English and began guiding before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions. Ricardo enjoys talking to visitors and takes special pride in pleasing the guests on his tours by spotting hard-to-find wildife and getting them close enough for a good picture. In his spare time he enjoys playing soccer and playing “Caribbean” dominoes.
Ricardo, called Robalo by his fellow guides, has led a very interesting and diverse career at Costa Rica Expeditions. In 1989, he started as a bus driver for group trips. Then he decided that he wanted to become a river guide. Not speaking a word of English, he signed up for classes at the University and was conversing before the year was up. Working his way through the ranks, Ricardo became one of our head river guides in 1993.
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Seven years later, in January 1999, he decided to come ashore to work in the San Jose offices as Operations Manager. Recently, however, he decided to return to the river and has started guiding rafting trips once again. Ricardo, whose birthday is July 2, 1963, is married to Isabel Garbanzo, the company’s Director of Human Resources. They have been married for 17 years and have two children, Renan, 15, and Marcela, 13.
Rufilio, or "Fillo" as everyone knows him, came to Costa Rica Expeditions in late 2003 with more than a decade of guiding experience. He is particularly interested in the plant life of the rainforest. Rufilio, 46, once worked in fishing and, for many years, in hotels. He is from Puerto Jimenez, Puntarenas, and has two children, William and Yessica. His birthday is April 23, 1962.
Born in the port city of Puntarenas on September 25, 1968, Samuel grew up in the Monteverde region. He is the last of 14 brothers and sisters.
Samuels is a descendant of one of the oldest Monteverde Families. His father, Don Felipe, was a farmer and grew beans and vegetables and then he sold them to a Chinese Restaurant in the Las Juntas de Abangares. At that time, the trip from Monteverde to Las Juntas took 3 days.
Samuel’s mother, Doña Adelaida, stayed at home and took care of the family, cooking, washing, milking their 3 cows, making sour cream and cheese and cleaning. She did this with the help of his sisters. Sometimes, Don Felipe took longer than expected returning to Monteverde after selling their produce and Doña Adelaida would have to hunt for food. The Paca was the favorite animal to hunt because of its soft and tasty meat.
When Samuel was growing up it was unusual for kids to go to school given the need for hands in the field. In spite of this, Samuel completed 9th grade in high school which is a testament to his and his parent’s dedication.
As a child, Samuel wanted to be a Traffic Officer but today he says he’s really grateful that his dream never came true. In 1991 he did a field course with the Monteverde Reserve and fell in love with conservation. Today, Samuel has 18 years of experience in the field dedicating his days and nights to exploring the Santa Elena and Monteverde Reserves with guests, he believes that the outdoors is the best class room of all.
When he’s not setting up the spotting scope for guests or calling a tiny bird out of the forest by imitating its call, Samuel enjoys spending time with his wife, Yorleny and his kids Jeffrey, Angelica and Anthony.
Born on September 28th, 1975, Silvia was born and raised in the region of Tortuguro. Before coming to work for Tortuga Lodge in December of 2009, Silvia had always heard good things about Tortuga Lodge. She tells us that she set a goal of coming to work for us one day. After many years working at a different lodge her dream came true and we are extremely lucky to have her extraordinary smile greet our guests every morning. Our dream came true too!
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What she most likes about her role at Tortuga Lodge is to see how excited and happy guests are to arrive and then how sad they are to leave. She especially likes meeting guests and learning about them.
When she?s not delighting guests at Tortuga Lodge, Silvia enjoys dancing (she?ll give you a lesson at the lodge), reading and going to the movies with her children Everly 17 and Elian 6.
Born December 20, 1979, Sofía was raised in Heredia, Costa Rica. From the ages of 6 to 10 she lived in England, which accounts for her very good command of the English language. Both her love for nature and her country, comes from memories of her childhood when her parents took her to the many of the National Parks of Costa Rica.These trips were a major factor in her decision to study Biology at the University of Costa Rica.
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Sofia began working with us as a Naturalist Guide in November of 2003. What she liked the most about guiding was the opportunity help her guests reflect on the complicated relationship between man and nature. "I am not an extremist," she says. "Many conservationists see only one side of the story. I like to give a balanced picture."
When Sofia was in training as a guide, here is what legendary biology teacher from Nolan High School in Dallas, Dr. Joe Kuban, had to say about her: "She was absolutely wonderful. The students were amazed that she was just a naturalist guide-in-training. I think she is mature beyond her years. Clearly, she has a grasp of ecology and natural history of organisms in Costa Rica...I would highly recommend her for any group visiting Costa Rica. She has the right passion and motivation/work ethic to be a fabulous guide."
After 7 years as a Naturalist Guide, Sofia and her husband Luis Alonso have started family. Their son, Gael, was born November 23, 2010. As a result, Sofia has decided to apply her knowledge in the field to designing itineraries for Guests as a Travel Planner. When not working or taking care of Gael, Sofia enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities with her husband, Luis Alonso, and playing with her four Labradors, Lucca, Scott, Nico and Mia.
Urbano, 61, has guided for Corcovado Lodge since it opened and has many years of experience with horses and rural living on the Osa Peninsula. His sharp eyes find crocodiles, macaw feathers and more as he leads horseback trips along the beautiful coastline of the southern Pacific coast to the Río Oro Lagoon.
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Miraculously cured of a serious illness by an herbalist at the age of three, Urbano has been interested in herbs and their medicinal uses ever since. He is a storyteller and a giver of good luck; he enjoys planting medicinal plants and caring for Corcovado Lodge’s horses.
Even if you don’t speak Spanish, with a little patience and perseverance, you can learn a lot about this remote and wondrous area from this quiet man. Born March 25, 1946, Urbano has three adult daughters: Zinia, Guiselle and Elena.
Chef Valentin is from Valencia, Spain, and came to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2005 with nearly 20 years cooking experience in his
native country and France. His talent in the kitchen, however, doesn't stop at the dining room door. In the last couple of years he
has revolutionized the menus at all three of our lodges, managed inventory and staff, streamlined the supply chain, and made other
general improvements – outside the kitchen - at each of our lodges.
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Valentin's efforts led us to promote him to General Manager of our lodges in early 2007. For someone who has been dedicated to haute cuisine and the study of enology (wine making), hotel management has proven to be a challenge, but one worth undertaking, according to him. “New challenges are exciting,” he says. “Essentially I'm a
creative person who enjoys experimenting and trying new directions. Life isn’t static and since arriving in this beautiful country I
haven't stopped growing, learning and being creative in and out of the kitchen.”
Before pursuing a career as chef, Valentin worked in the ready-to-wear fashion industry for Cristian Lacroix Paris. He speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and a bit of Japanese, and loves the opera
and art films. Valentin, born on March 30, 1964, is single.
Born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, Victor is a single father of 3 with 22 years of guiding experience.
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As a boy Victor had two passions, firemen and bugs. He loved to inspect different insects and bring them home to add to his collection. After high school, he gave up on being a fire fighter and went to school to study engineering.
After three years of math, physics and field work, he decided that he enjoyed bugs, plants and natural history far more than building projects and he began learning about Costa Rican’s natural environments.
Through the years, Victors says that his drive to learn more has been inspired by Daniel Janzen, who has almost single handedly saved the Tropical Dry Forests of Costa Rica, Julio Sanchez who was the Director of Ornithology at the National Museum and Luis Poveda, renowned botanist of Costa Rica.
Victor likes to share all aspects of Costa Rica with his guests, starting of course with conservation, our forests and it’s creatures but careful not to leave out the Costa Rican culture, traditions and food.
When he’s not guiding, Victor loves to play basketball and spend time with his children Ashley 19, Kristel 17 and Daniel 15.
We are delighted to have Victor Julio back as Manager of Monteverde Lodge after a 3 year absence. We have a long history of service with Victor Julio; he started working at the lodge almost 20 years ago.
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Born and raised in the town of San Rafael, Victor Julio and his nine brothers and sisters grew up on a coffee farm. Life was defined by coffee it's seasons and the land.
When he first came to work at the lodge his wife Myra was pregnant with their first son and he urgently needed a job. He started helping out in the dining room serving water and busing tables, he also had the responsibility of keeping all of the public areas neat and clean.
Victor Julio worked for over 10 years in the Bar & Restaurant serving drinks, wine and meals often playing his guitar and singing to our guests either for their birthdays or offering a deep voiced serenade of Costa Rican songs around the fireplace.
He then went on to be the Administrative Assistant for two years and when he left 3 years ago; he had been Manager for 2 years. Victor Julio left with the dream of opening a new business, a small restaurant and bar in the community of San Rafael where he lives. He says that the time spent with his wife and sons has been fantastic. He's thoroughly enjoyed teaching the boys to mix drinks, cook and wait tables. Just about the time that he decided it was time to leave the new business to the boys and his wife Mayra, we called him and asked him if he would be interested in coming back. We are delighted that he accepted.
His message to people considering a visit to Monteverde Lodge & Gardens:
"When you visit Monteverde, not only will you experience an extraordinary natural environment, you will experience the service of a very talented team of individuals who will go above and beyond to give you a fantastic vacation"
“I really enjoy meeting people from different places with different customs and being on the river with the other guides,” says Walter, 21, about his job as a Costa Rica Expeditions guide. He started out kayaking on weekends and after school and then looked for a job on the river after graduating from high school.
Walter, known as Pate, was born on Nov. 15, 1985. He has emergency first aid training is now studying at the Colegio Tecnica Profesional La Suiza in Turrialba. When he’s not guiding or studying, he volunteers with the Red Cross. He enjoys listening to music or watching TV, and honing his kayak freestyle skills.
Born in San Ramon de Alajuela, surrounded by nature, William’s first jobs were in local coffee farms and mills with his brothers. He also worked as a forest guide and trail designer. Later he moved to San Jose and, in 1992, began working with Costa Rica Expeditions as an emergency substitute managing the Transportation and Procurement Department.
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Over the years he has studied Agricultural Engineering, Natural History and Vulcanology, Hospitality, and Tourism Management. His love of the outdoors makes him perfectly suited for guiding, which he now does full time. “I really enjoy introducing visitors to my native land and revel in showing off the real Costa Rica. Along the way, I always look for fun and unique learning opportunities.” Weekends, he says, are spent with his family: “We may take a country drive or go bird-watching. I also like to cook or spend time reading.”
From San Jose, Yesenia has been working in tourism her entire career. She came to Costa Rica Expeditions from a local operator, where she was the Tour & Travel Sales Manager. As Director of Travel Planning, Yesenia focuses principally on sales and client relations. She has a Business Degree from Costa Rica’s Latina University, where she concentrated on Sales and Marketing (2005).
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Yesenia is the second of five siblings and is married to Pablo Richard. They have a five-year-old daughter, Pamela. In her spare time, she loves to take weekend trips with her family and also plays for the Belen town volleyball team. Her birthday is Nov. 28, 1977.
Yolanda Kaye, born in 1951, in rural El Salvador, is the woman wise enough to be Michael's wife and survive. Really she has done more than survive; she is thriving. Doña Yoly as we all affectionately call her, is truly the great woman who is not only behind a great man but also behind a great organization. Her wise words, observations and willingness to listen to gardeners, cooks, account executives and executive team staff alike has provided many of us with a sound "put your feet on the ground and count your blessings" perspective. She is a world-class cook.
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One of Michael's and Yolanda's adventures was "Bike New York." They peddled a tandem bicycle 42 miles through the five boros of New York City. "I haven't seen a bicycle built for two in years," an old gentleman remarked. "Is it an antique?
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"The bicycle is new," Doña Yoly replied in her accented English. "We’re antiques."
As you search for your ideal trip in the custom itineraries section of our web site, you may wish to create a list of favorite trips. To do so, click on the link above each itinerary, “Add to My Favorites.” Each itinerary you chose will be added to a personalized list of trips. You can add as many trips as you want to your list and refer back to them by clicking on the link, "See My Favorites," which will appear in the right column once you have selected a favorite.
Your list of favorites will follow you as you surf the site, allowing you to refer back to selected itineraries at any time. On your next visit to our web site, the list will reappear by clicking the link, “See My Favorites.”
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As you search for your ideal trip in the custom itineraries section of our web site, you may wish to create a list of favorite trips. To do so, click on the link above each itinerary, “Add to My Favorites.” Each itinerary you chose will be added to a personalized list of trips. You can add as many trips as you want to your list and refer back to them by clicking on the link, "See My Favorites," which will appear in the right column once you have selected a favorite.
Your list of favorites will follow you as you surf the site, allowing you to refer back to selected itineraries at any time. On your next visit to our web site, the list will reappear by clicking the link, “See My Favorites.” 
