MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY

This is a season of sharing, love and peace. A time when you can feel tranquility in the air. And also a very good time to give gifts and recognition to our friends, loved ones and those with whom we share everyday moments as our teammates. At Arenas Del Mar there were many forms of celebrating for the Navidad, different activities such as gifts for the children from the teams, and various acts to thank and share with all within this big family. The Food and Beverage Department did something very creative: They placed small bags with the names of the team members and a small message on their office door. They could each put something different in the bags every day (and find something different as well), such as chocolates, candy, notes, etc.

Recognizing Excellence

On Sunday December 19th, the staff at Arenas Del Mar gave Fabian Palma, General Manager at the hotel, a recognition for his great labor, professionalism, humility and comprehension throughout the year. It was a big tree where each leaf is an excellence leaf (a program established at the Cayuga hotels to praise excellence in service, attitude, motivation, etc.). Each leaf was filled in with messages from the different Departments at the hotel.

FASHIONABLE CATERPILLAR

During the tour to Manuel Antonio National Park we can find many species of animals, birds, iguanas and a great variety of butterflies and other insects. But last week something that attracted our attention here at Arenas del Mar was a beautiful and colorful caterpillar that appears to be wearing a t-shirt; its name is Acharia hyperoche, a nocturnal moth that was feeding from under the leaf. The color of the caterpillar helps to provide camouflage, but also it represents a physical defense. It has scary spines hurt if you touch them – and these physical and chemical defenses help the caterpillar to become a nocturnal butterfly. Another interesting fact about these insects: the most fashionable caterpillars become ordinary butterflies and the most beautiful butterflies started out as pretty ordinary looking caterpillars.

HARDEST WORKING ANT IN THE FOREST

The zompopa or leaf-cutter ants are the most hard working creatures of the forest, especially during the rainy season (which has just ended) when the trees are very green. During this time, these ants are cutting many pieces of leaves to take to the colony where, after an inspection of quality, these ants keep going underground to some deep chambers, where other ants (the farmers) grow the leaves and defecate on them, making a fermentation that becomes a fungus, which they can then eat! These ants are amazingly strong; each one can support up to 20 times their own weight, working every day and every night, traveling as far as 300 feet to get the right leaves. So, you are invited to walk in the rainforest reserve of Arenas Del Mar and see and learn about these interesting insects working so hard in the forest.

INTERESTING VISITOR

A very nice and skinny snake, the Brown Blunt-headed Vine Snake (Imantodes cenchoa) was found in the garden of ADM. This snake is not aggressive for people and is possible to find it in the night walk into the reserve of Arenas Del Mar. It is sleeping during the day, and the eyes have a golden iris; as with most other night-active snakes, the pupils are vertically elliptical. The brown vine snake ranges from Mexico to Argentina. In Costa Rica, individuals are found from sea level until 4900 ft. This species is highly arboreal; only rarely do individuals descend to the ground, but normally it is close to streams or humid areas to eat frogs and anoles. It finds the prey and catches it with a quick strike, then moves it to the back of the mouth, where the small fangs administer a weak paralyzing venom (not poisonous to humans). This snake is able to swallow lizards that may be ten times wider than its own neck.