and added six new ones and one apartment,all air-conditioned. The hotel has alsoenlarged its dining room. High-seasonrates range from $40 for a single to $100for five people, including breakfast.Children stay for free.Jordan Klow is a man with an MBAand aesthetic sensibilities. He has added athird beautiful, air-conditioned room to hisJordan’s Jacuzzi Suites (750-0232) in thegarden behind the Lotus GardenRestaurant, just east of Puerto Viejo. Hisway of combining wood from the area, fabric,color, statuary and plants creates anatmosphere of comfort, serenity andromance. High-season rates are $70-80.NOW that you have eaten and sleptwell, you can enjoy new ways of pamperingyourself in and around Puerto Viejo.Casa Mariposa (750-0378) is a yoga schoolin Playa Chiquita. Edgar Mesquita andLaura Maciera are serious students ofswasthya yoga and are both certified inBrazil and Portugal. They teach an eightpartsystem of yoga that includes physicalpostures, chanting, devotional practicesand deep relaxation.“It’s a strong yoga, but still suitable forbeginners,” Edgar said.Classes are held at 10 a.m. onMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 8a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays andThursdays, and by appointment. The yogarancho (open-air structure) is also availablefor other community activities.Currently, music and dance lessons andpilates classes are held there.Barry Monk and Vilma Henríquez haveopened Harmonía, a natural health centeron the main street next door to Hard RockCafé. Vilma offers therapeutic massageand facials. She uses fresh fruits and vegetablesand fango de oro, golden mud,from Barcelona, to revitalize your skin.Barry is a naturopath and psychoanalystwho has been studying Chinese, Ayurvedicand Arabian medicine for many years. Heoffers consultations and spinal-manipulationservices. At Harmonía, you can alsopurchase a number of natural productsVilma and Barry have developed.ONE more new thing is going on inPuerto Viejo that fits in none of the abovecategories. Starting at the end of March,director Kevin Brodie will be making amovie there. His last film, “Dog ofFlanders,” which he directed for WarnerBrothers, won the Good Housekeepingaward for best family movie in 1999, inaddition to awards at five European filmfestivals. Kevin grew up in Hollywood andwas a child actor. His father, John Brodie,came to Hollywood with Robert Mitchumand played a bad guy in many movies,alongside Kirk Douglas, James Cagneyand others.“The film is called ‘Chasing the Devil,’”Kevin explained. “It’s about a burned-outfilmmaker on retreat who must confrontboth himself and his choices in life.”Kevin will be returning to California inFebruary to cast the lead; he’s looking ateither Sean Penn or Jeff Bridges. Rightnow he is working as an undercover bartenderat a place he prefers not to name.The reason? He is planning to use many ofPuerto Viejo’s colorful residents in thefilm; bartending allows him to check themout without their being nervous or on theirbest behavior, as they might be at a formalaudition.Filming will start at the end of March.
Today in Costa Rica
