Interview with Our Intern, Nicole, and A Special Note

We recently had an intern, Nicole, from the States stay with us at Lapa Rios for three weeks.  We thought we’d share her experiences with our guests!

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I have lived in Baltimore, Maryland all my life, and just turned 18 in May.  This fall, I am very excited to be going to Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration! I absolutely love to travel, meet new people, and learn about different cultures. My family is originally from Chile (I’m the first generation in the States) and I am very lucky to be able to visit my grandparents, cousins, and friends who still live down there every year. I speak German and Spanish fluently (speak both with my parents at home). The Spanish definitely helped with my visit to Costa Rica!

Why did you decide to do a summer internship and how did you select Lapa Rios?

I had to do a three week senior project for my high school, and because I am interested in the hospitality industry, I really wanted to do something in that field. I found out about Lapa Rios through some friends who knew someone who had been there before. Being very passionate about sustainability and environmentally friendly hospitality, Lapa Rios seemed like the perfect place for me. I sent my information and resume to Cayuga, and they got back to me right away! I was lucky that they needed someone for a few weeks to work on human resources projects, and before I knew it, I was on my way to one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen!

What types of responsibilities did you have during your internship?

At Lapa Rios, I worked on several projects for their Human Resources department. I made a 30 minute movie for the new employee orientation. This was a really great project to work on! I interviewed most staff members for the movie, and then had to edit all the clips and videos I had taken. I had never done a project like this before, so it was a new experience and I learned so much in the process! I also made a PowerPoint presentation about Lapa Rios that will be shown at Job Fairs and Universities to attract possible employee candidates. Another one of my projects was organizing the digital documentation for the human resources, and also organizing staff files. Lapa Rios is also trying to update their Gift Shop, so I made sketches of the floor plan, and helped with surveying guests about their merchandise preferences.  One of my favorite projects was teaching the computer classes! I had three groups of staff members (each group had 2 people), and to each class I taught ten hours of classes. We learned the basics of word, excel, powerpoint, and outlook for their new emails.

What did you do during your free time?

I would usually work more in the mornings and have the afternoons off. I was very lucky to have a wonderful roommate, Dayana, with whom I became good friends with quickly! She was so welcoming and friendly. We went to the beach several times; sometimes just the two of us, and other times we went with other staff from the hotel (I think that is why Lapa Rios staff is such a close-knit community. They live together for most of the week, and they spend a lot of time together outside of work). Dayana took me swimming and “boogie boarding,” a few of us took a long hike on the beach and picked up two huge bags of trash (stuff that had washed up on shore). I was also very lucky to be able to do some of the tours that are offered for the guests at the hotel. The night tour with Melvin, the guide, was spectacular. Those red-eyed tree frogs are fascinating! I also loved the tours because I was able to interact with several of the guests. Not only does the Lapa Rios staff become friends with the guests, but many of the people who stay in the lodge become good friends with one another!  It was so interesting to hear their stories, and all about the crazy animals they had already seen. Everyone would get their cameras out and show each other the great pictures they had already taken! One evening I also went to Puerto Jimenez (the town about 40 minutes away) with Marijke, the Operations Manager, and a few other people! They took me out salsa dancing! It was wonderful to see a little bit more of Costa Rican culture outside of the lodge.

What is one of your favorite memories of your stay with us?

It is very difficult to think of just one favorite experience! There were so many special moments and activities that I loved and won’t ever forget. My internship was great because I was able to experience both sides of the eco-lodge! I worked, slept, ate and lived basically like every other Tico (Costa Rican) that was employed at Lapa Rios. Through this, I learned so much not only about the hospitality industry, but also about Costa Rican culture. But as I mentioned earlier, I was able to go on many of the tours and activities with the guests during my free time! Experiencing both sides of this unique and extraordinary eco-lodge allowed me to have several, and all very different, adventures.

The fruit in Costa Rica were delicious! Most of the staff at Lapa Rios was extremely surprised that I had never eaten a green mango before. I had never even heard that people ate un-ripe mangos, but of course I had to try this recipe! Alfredo actually found a green mango for me just so that I could try it. I remember feeling the rock hard fruit and not believing that anybody could ever eat this! But Diego helped me prepare the dish. Basically you peel the mango (the inside is also bright green!), cut it into slices, and soak it in a salt, lemon juice and black pepper marinade! It was sour, crunchy and absolutely delicious!

I also loved when Dayana, a few other staff members and I found a fresh coconut on the beach. Adonay opened it with a few rocks, and we ate the whole fruit! It was so amazing sitting on the beach, watching those beautiful Costa Rican waves, eating a delicious coconut with some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I will also never forget the first time I saw the Terciopelo snake (Fer-de-lance in English). I really wanted to see this very poisonous snake before I left Costa Rica at least once! Diego and I would constantly look for it because I said I wasn’t going to step on the plane until I saw it. We finally saw one when (of course) we weren’t even looking for it! It was a baby terciopelo just sitting on the road one evening. That was very exciting for me! One of my favorite moments was when Melvin (one of the tour guides) and I were walking back to the staff housing when we saw a tree with seven snakes in it! We wanted to get a picture, but I ended up slipping and grabbing the tree with the snakes on it. I fell to the ground, shaking the tree, and of course the snakes started falling on the ground around me as well! It was pitch black, the ground was wet, and I was screaming because there were snakes all around me! It was absolutely terrifying at the moment, but now is such a funny story to tell!

My whole trip to Lapa Rios was spectacular. The only problem was that I didn’t stay long enough. You will have unforgettable adventures here while at the same time traveling in an environmentally conscious and sustainable way. I am so gratefully that I was able to be at Lapa Rios (even though it was way too short), and I cannot wait to go back!

A special note for and about Nicole from all of us at Lapa Rios...

Thank you so much Nicole for all the work you did during your internship with us! She helped us a lot from teaching computer classes to our staff, to powerpoint presentations for nearby universities and so much more. Of course in the meanwhile she also explored the rainforest, took great pictures and went to a local “pasta-night” with some of our staff members. It was great to have you, we hope to see you back!