We are staying at an amazing hotel called Rio Magnolia. Hotel? The word "hotel" cannot do any justice to the experience that is provided here at Rio Magnolia.

I'm sure that for some people staying here would not suit but I would defy anyone not to be in awe of what John and Maureen have created which is quite simply magnificent.

When making your way to Rio Magnolia from the coastal, tourist town of Dominical in the south western region of Costa Rica, it is a steep upward climb along good, winding roads for maybe half an hour or so until you reach San Cristobal. It is sometimes much longer than this if you find yourself uncomfortably behind an extended trailer or two struggling to make the ascent. We witnessed an occasional risk-taker deciding to challenge the odds of a blind corner collision as they overtook without due consideration to oncoming descenders. No accidents witnessed as yet on this road. But Eliash, our driver / new friend assured us that there are many deaths along this stretch.

After arriving at San Cristobal....a small townlet with several churches, a school, a curious open-air stadium-like social centre beside a basic five-a-side football enclosure and a small shop run by Eliash's wife and in-laws.... you have to take a left hand turn at a twisted sign which greets visitors in English to La Alfombra. If you stop and look....which we have time to do as it is here that Eliash leaps out and converts the vehicle into four-wheeled drive mode....some of the Spanish words greeting visitors to the village of mountains and sea can just be read beneath the English as they fold under the sign. Doubtless, an incident has occured here between the unfortunate sign and a more unfortunate risk-taker.

Proceeding at far from undue haste, Eliash bounces us around, for a good twenty five minutes or more, along this unwell-worn track which takes us away from civilisation as we know it and into the jungle. The colours around us are various shades of green occasionally flashed with a multicoloured butterfly's wings. Eliash drives past a few isolated dwellings...some simple and some more grand.....until there are none. We cross a few riverlets which dart with gusto towards becoming a waterfall and arrive at Rio Magnolia.

Amazing!

Somehow in the middle of the jungle appears the home of John and Maureen who greet you with warmth and enthusiasm. Quite a feat to build anything here but what they have achieved is awe-inspiring. The main house is an architectural masterpiece which is in tune with its environment yet manages to be ultra modern in some ways, e.g. the infinity pool. It is spacious but homely and unpretentious with views which stretch down through patches of whispy clouds across valleys towards more well-wooded mountains and the very distant sea. From here in the rainy season, we have watched the weather draw in as a tumultuous downpour takes control for a time. Stunningly atmospheric!

John and Maureen are your ultimate hosts who are warm and attentive but far from oppressive. They give you space but also enjoy the company of their guests.

John will take you on guided walks into the jungle above the house into the toucan trail and down through his coffee bushes and onward machete-cutting his way through jungle through the unmarked, slippery...in the wet season...route to the waterfall. He is full of interesting information about the newly cultivated crops and wildlife and though I'm sure that he could sit back more and enjoy the fruits of his design and labour here, he is up and about with the workmen when light arrives at five-ish in the morning.

And Maureen? She, as John, was (is?) an engineer who brought her practical skills here from Canada. Although she has trained Elisabeth...a local young woman..to become a fantastic cook, Maureen is heavily involved with the evening meals.

John and Maureen are practical visionaries who have created an environmentally friendly home in addition to creating work for local people.

And the food? If I have one small criticism, it is that the portions are large and we've had to request less on our plates in order to get through the evening's courses. The quality is of the best restaurants not only as regards the produce on the plates and bowls but with the service and smiles you receive from Elleat and Elisabeth and of course John and Maureen. It is high class dining. And your dietary requirements are attended to. We are non-meaters which has not been a problem at all. I could go on and on and on and on about the excellence of the food, particularly the home-made granola, yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast. Suffice to say, it's wonderful.

This is a place suited to comfortable relaxation, unwinding where we have whiled away the hours playing and having family squabbles over scrabble as we spot the toucans talking away on upper branches of their favourite trees behind the house.

But it is a place for action if you wish too. There are excellent activities here and within reach of Eliash and his taxi-ing service. We have mentioned our treks with John around the many acres of plantation and jungle they own. In addition, we have thus far been to the zip-wire attraction near Dominical and spent four or five hours guided horse-riding to a spectacular waterfall. More details of those later in a subsequent blog?

The accommodation? Firstly, we spent two nights in a luxurious wooden cabin, Mono Congo with a covered but outdoor shower. We did share the cabin with some wildlife and I am not ashamed to say that I enjoyed Caitlin's Tom and Jerry style terror as she stood in fear on her bed while a large gecko darted across the room after I aimed to touch it as it clung on to our window. We slept under netting where the majority of the insects failed to get us. A brilliant place with a spectacular view but in the rainy season you must expect a few visitors from the jungle to say hello.

After these two nights, we moved into the big house and the El Cielo room; luxurious with a large window-view and extended balcony-view into the unspoilt far distance and a bathroom you would expect in a fancy premier hotel.....with another fantastic vista which you wouldn't get!

The dogs here are very sociable. Palomo is a keen out-doorer and loves joining up with the trekkers but also noses your hand to ensure some attention when you are sitting and relaxing in one of the many nooks around and about the big house. Darcy, the retriever likes nothing more than to snuggle up beside Caitlin as we play a late afternoon game of Scrabble. Brinca is a curious, timid dog who is too shy and uncertain to be sociable with us but hovers around and then scuttles away if you call his name. Molly is the senior citizen who struggles with the stairs and spends much of the time down in John and Maureen's house a little way down from the big house. Finally there is Terror (Terra?), another retriever who is a youthful scamp who is learning from the others but seems to get into minor scrapes such as needing rescuing after falling and getting stuck down an incline. Five very friendly, loveable dogs!

Enough for the moment. If time allows, I'll write a little more about Rio Magnolia and our time here in part two.