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Punta Banco Baby Turtle Release 2021

Punta Banco is a village in Costa Rica where most people in the town are part of a turtle conservation project.

The turtles lay eggs on the beach and the eggs are subject to poaching and natural disaster. The conservation project takes the eggs off the beach and keeps them in a nursery. Once the eggs hatch, they put the baby turtles in buckets and return them to the ocean.

I like to take the new surf friends I meet down to Punta Banco so they can be a part of releasing the baby turtles to the ocean.

This morning we released 81 baby turtles into the Pacific Ocean. Here’s a clip:

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Ian Robinson (@independentian)

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Is Chris Hughes the Coolest Digital Nomad Alive Today?

If you flew to Panama with a lot of debt, a little cash, no experience and nothing but a plan to make money online, would you still play it cool?

A common theme of this podcast is to explore transition. No one gives permission to do this stuff. It takes a leap of faith to make it happen. I love to ask how the most successful people made it happen.

My guest today is Chris Hughes (@whosChrisHughes). We met at KoHub one night. I dive into that story in the podcast.

Lots of people say that building a business is like jumping off a cliff and building an airplane before you hit the ground. For Chris, that plane was a Duck Dynasty Facebook fan page. Duck Dynasty caught him before he hit the dirt. He’s still flying. It’s a crazy story.

“Do the stuff you’re supposed too, before you do the stuff you want too.” – Chris Hughes

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Travel Topics:

  • How Chris almost killed his friend [02:20]
  • Starting a life of travel [02:40]
  • The viral power of Duck Dynasty [03:35]
  • Using a Facebook Fan Page to buy a margarita [06:50]
  • Valet-parking cars for Orlando Magic [10:45]
  • Refusing job opportunities to keep your freedom [14:10]
  • Learning how to make money online [16:05]
  • On completing college for your parents [18:03]
  • Burning your ships and making the leap [22:38]
  • Being smart with your money [23:20]
  • Juggling for video games [25:20]
  • The benefits of Capitalism [29:05]
  • Leaving the surfing haven of Costa Rica [30:35]
  • Building systems for your business [33:30]
  • Making business work on Facebook [35:50]

Chris Hughes Talking Points:

Facebook | WhosChrisHughes

Music Credit:

Take Action:

What was your last important life transition?

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John Blomquist: Climbing Expert Regales Travels to Central America

Host of Chalk Talk, a Climbing Industry Podcast.

John Blomquist remembers his travels to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Running through the jungle, sometimes in pouring rain.

Host Ian Robinson made a great travel buddy.

John loved Costa Rica so much he got married there years later.

Introducing the champ, John Blomquist.

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“Punta Mona, it’s kind of like this Garden of Eden & you’re greeted by people with the biggest smiles on their faces, because they’re living in heaven.” – John Blomquist (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • Recently started a climbing podcast, Chalk Talk
  • Traveled to Costa Rica with host Ian Robinson in 2007
  • Went to Puerta Viejo en route to Punta Mona
  • Punta Mona is a center for Regenerative Design and Botanical studies, founded by Stephen Brooks
  • How he got lost in the jungle by himself, nearly killed by a coconut
  • Ran through the jungle in the pouring rain with Ian
  • Got married on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
  • How the unfortunate growth of Costa Rica has lead to it loosing it’s charm
  • After Costa Rica, went to Nicaragua, to Ometepe Island
  • stayed at El Zopilote on Ometepe
  • Traveled to San Juan del Sur
  • More tales of his travels to come on the Love Affair Travel podcast

“Nicaragua still has that developing country charm & it’s such a treat.” – John Blomquist (Tweet It)

Lovely Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Chalk Talk

Music Credits:

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Stephen Brooks: Costa Rican Chemical Spray Awakens Environmental Entrepreneurship

While adventuring in Costa Rica our next guest was appalled.

He witnessed big agribusiness spraying pesticides.

On Costa Rican farmers.

Since then, he’s been on a path to make it right.

Welcome to the 20th episode with, Stephen Brooks.

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“Permaculture – how can we meet our goals and use less energy?” -Stephen Brooks  (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • Eco villages in Costa Rica
  • About the suffering of the people on banana plantations
  • Environmental Entrepreneurship, tour companies and eco-tourism
  • Plant based sustainability
  • Eradication of malnutrition via local resources
  • Why blending in with the locals is so powerful
  • How design affects the community
  • Living where our food comes from
  • All the other lovely stuff

Lovely Links:

Music Credit:

Take Action:

What is your take on this? Should we be preoccupied with where our food comes from?

What have you done to address your ecological footprint?

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Ian Cooley: Solo Driving from Nevada, USA to Costa Rica in a Van

This is my philosopher friend.

We met deep in the jungles of Costa Rica.

I took a plane to get there.

He drove all the way from Nevada.

It’s time to go deep with, Ian Cooley.

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“It was good to be alive and it still is.” – Ian Cooley (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • On overcoming the failure of convincing friends to join in your travels
  • An insight into the Mayan Ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula
  • Why Ian wanted to drive from the USA to Costa Rica
  • Core insights for anyone planning a roadtrip through Central America
  • Spending the night in a Jaguar Preserve
  • How often you are searched by the police when driving from California to Costa Rica
  • Why Lago Atitland reminds Ian of Lake Tahoe
  • About the Beauty of Grananda, Nicaragua
  • Why Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica is a great place to see American bands
  • How his journey cost about $500 a month
  • Plus much more lovely stuff

Lovely Links:

Music Credits:

Take Action:

If you could wave a magic wand and have the Love Affair Travel team help you out TODAY in YOUR LIFE, what would you want us to do for you? Who would you want to see on the show?

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Luke Metelerkamp: Global Sustainability, Travel and a Purpose Driven Business

Image Property of Luke Metelerkamp

Luke Metelerkamp and I met on the farthest southern island of New Zealand. It’s called Stewart Island. This is pretty much the farthest point into the middle of nowhere a person can go without doing a trip to the Arctic or Antartica. That’s the kind of guy that Luke is.

We went our separate ways after meeting at a lodge on this remote island. I think he went back to South Africa where he is from. That was when I went to Australia. We exchanged Facebook friendship while chilling at the lodge.

I knew I was headed to Cape Town for the FIFA World Cup and he was certain to be there wrapping up his studies. He said he would take me surfing and I thought that would be great.

If I knew then what I know now, that invitation should have been viewed with a comfortable level of trepidation. Luke likes to surf big waves in frigid Cape Town water during the nastiest parts of the winter. He’s a machine.

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“Travel gets you outside of your comfort zone & open to new ways of thinking & being.” – Luke Metelerkamp  (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • How Luke was inspired by his 5 year journey to start a Purpose Driven Business – An education program
  • On the sustainable practices of the Nepalese and how they inspired Luke to build his program
  • Contrasting the effects of pit mining in India with Nevada and Australia
  • The story of Luke’s treks around far west Nepal
  • Costa Rica: The Environment, Ecology, Surf and Permaculture
  • How to hack a month of snowboarding in Kashmir for about $700

Lovely Links:

Website | Facebook

Music Credit:

Take Action:

What do you think about Luke’s take on sustainability? Could Costa Rica really be the most developed country in the world?

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6 Step Costa Rican Organic Farm Adventure

This adventure is one of my favorite on earth. Attack this adventure like a buddhist. Define the goal (Goal= reach Punta Mona) and focus on the process (Process=Getting there).  It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.  Along the way enjoy great surf, great parties, afro-caribbean culture, jungle hikes, heaps of wildlife and real adventure. If your looking for the quintessential “The Beach” type adventure this is for you. Punta Mona is an awesome, isolated jungle community.

  1. Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica. Either take a taxi to a hostel or book a hotel for the night that has airport pick ups. San Jose is a interesting place full of sin and booze. Avoid this if you can.
  2. Take a bus to Puerto Viejo. To get to Puerto Viejo you must take a bus towards Limon. It’s a stunning bus ride and an adventure in itself.
  3. Stay at Rockin J’s Hammock Hotel in Puerto Viejo. Travel east or west along the beach and you have great surf spots.  Rockin J’s is walking distance from the Salsa Brava (Salsa Brava is dangerous so don’t get too confident). Stay here a few nights.  Drink a lot and get all the partying out of your system. J’s does all sorts of fun stuff. This is the greatest hostel in the history of hostels, or greatness.
  4. Wake up early and hitchhike down south to Manzanillo (take a bus if all else fails). This is the most southern town on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Have a smoothie and a feed at Maxi’s Restaurant.
  5. Once you get to Manzanillo, choose between these 2 Options:
    1. Find “Baco”: Baco is a local ledgend. He runs the recycling program for the area so almost everyone knows him. Baco can take you to Punta Monaon his boat. It costs about $50 a person. This is a stunning boat ride along the beautiful undeveloped coast.(or)
    2. Hike south: This involves bush tramping through the deep forests of Costa Rica. The hike takes about 2-3 hours depending on the conditions. Encounter wildlife like big spiders, howler monkeys, wild pigs, enormous ant hills and whatever else the jungle can throw at you. I love this hike. It’s best to go bare foot. The deep mud will ruin your shoes and get you stuck (it will pull gum boots straight off your feet). Punta Mona is on the coast so as long as you keep the ocean on your left you won’t get lost. This is one of those real adventures, be careful, be smart.
  6. Arrive at Punta Monaand spend a few days
    1. This place is could be described as “hippie;” but have no fear. There is so much interesting stuff to learn and experience. You will be fed some really delicious food and you will learn a whole heap of new skills. Learn about sugar cane, miracle fruit (makes sour things taste sweet), banana trees (harvest by cutting down the tree), old spice, cinnamon, and a thousand other exotic unbelievable life. There is great diving and the surf is pretty good down the beach.

 

It’s important to check in with Punta Mona (puntamona.org) before you hike out there. Confirm that they have a place for you to stay!

Best of Luck!