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new Community of MONOS ESCONDIDOS (Hidden Monkeys) -A Unique Opportunity For Families/Couples/Individuals To Live In A Family Oriented Community Surrounded By the Pristine Waters, Old Growth Forests, and Pulsating Web of Life That Is The Tropical Rain Forest. *Spectacular river/ocean/sunset view community site *Acres upon acres of exotic tropical edibles planted over the last ten years (plus thousands of flowering shrubs, ornamentals, medicinals and hardwoods) *1300 acres of mostly primary rain forest. A true Nature Loverīs paradise. *"zero" levels of air, water and noise pollution *Nearby local village of 1600 provides the basics *Our community emphasis- A love and respect for- Family, Nature, Equality, Open-mindedness, Simplicity, Peace and Harmony... *Sound economic possibilities (for income if desired) *Minimal fees Please respond to the following with any questions whatsoever. Please give me your thoughts on how the lifestyle described herein fits you/your family. Iīd like to hear all about you- what you like, do, have done, hope to experience- and how Monos Escondidos fits in with all of the above. Also know that this longer term plan is not all we can offer you. Short term stays at a reasonable fee to help with our ongoing conservation expenses are welcomed as well MONOS ESCONDIDOS- A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION 1300 acres (roughly half a mile wide by about 5 long) with 10-15 miles of streams and river, countless waterfalls (as high as 60 meters), natural swimming pools. Clean drinkable water everywhere (the best in the world) Over 1000 acres of primary rain forest. Miles of trails throughout. A dozen horses. Broad and spectacular biodiversity. Our front gate is situated about 100 feet above sea level while the rear border, our mountain, towers half a mile higher. The Pacific Ocean is about 3 miles away and can be seen from many locations as the property mostly faces west. Topographically Monos Escondidos is a well defined jewel of Mother Earth. Thousands of fruit, flowering, ornamental, medicinal and hardwoods planted over the last 10 years. Spectacular old growth forests. In short, one of if not the most beautiful properties in a country of unsurpassed beauty. Current facilities- our guest center, about 2,000 feet of construction built in 1990 has 6 rooms and shared facilities. My home, an ongoing project, is nearly complete, about 7,000 square feet and available for hospitality and friendship. NATURE From the smallest hummingbird or poison dart frog to the largest jungle cat or bird of prey, Monos Escondidos is a complete, intact, tropical rainforest ecosystem. This intricate web of life pulses with an energy you will truly feel and a beauty and diversity you will see, be in awe of, and come to feel a part of. I could write a book about the Nature to be found here- playful mammals, exotic birds, bizarre and incredibly beautiful insects, our 3 alligators, the plant life...-but even were I to write volumes nothing would give more than the merest taste of the experience of being here. If you are a Nature lover prepare to go into OVERDRIVE! THE PHYSICAL COMMUNITY Some 35 years ago the original wooden house was built upon Monos Escondidos perched atop a small ridgeline, overlooking the Pacific, the Ballena River and glorious sunsets. This house has since burned. The ridgeline where it stood, 120 meters of magnificent open views, shall now provide individual housing spaces for our community of 12, our community center, and walkways tastefully connecting it all. It is a magnificent location, featuring spectacular open views in all directions, a constant gentle breeze and ample space for personal privacy and community cohesiveness. Landscaping, which is essentially free, is limited only by the imagination. Orchids, Bromeliads, Jungle Dwarfs, Ferns, Flowering and Ornamental Shrubs, Seedlings...are available NOW as gifts from Mother Nature. Our finished, landscaped community, only speaking of the physical, will surely be a wonder in itself. Its location, amidst countless exotic edibles, is even now a vision of paradise. HOMES My idea is to build simple structures designed to be quick, inexpensive and totally functional, the size determined by individuals needs and the details determined largely by individual tastes, though I am envisioning a private bath for each with cooking done in a separate, open facility for both safety and community. The cost of each such structure I estimate at between $2,500 and $6,000, a cost which shall include the community center, walkways, and solar lighting. A DAY AT MONOS ESCONDIDOS My son Richie (6) and I have accustomed ourselves to living an early to bed early to rise existence. I love being awake early to hear the Howler Monkeys announce the coming day. Sometimes they are nearby (sometimes right overhead) but always within a few hundred meters there is a troop that greets the dawn, followed by 5-15 minutes of wake up call from other troops nearby. Usually Iīll spend a good while in bed just listening to NatureīsĻ"Wake Up Symphony", the birds, insects and mammals, along with the rustle of the gentle breezes and background of low river rumble- all this as the sun pops up from the east. Then itīs a simple breakfast and homeschooling till around 10 AM. Often weīll take a walk to some specific magnificent site within Nature, like the Hollow Tree, The Amazing Waterfall, Inner tube River, Jaguar Falls, Piggy Playground or weīll go exploring. Due to the size and topography of Monos Escondidos it is quite possible to take years getting to know the place, and then, when you think you do, you look around and realize how Nature is constantly re-shaping and re-defining herself. You have to start again! We walk around the cultivated lands often, looking for foods. The record of 9 different ripe, handpicked, exotic fruits, all totally different and delicious and eaten the same morning, may be broken this year. There are about 25-30 different species in total, over 1000 mostly mature trees. Feeding Richie hand picked exotic fruits that I hand planted years before he was even born is simply one of my favorite things in the world! Continuing on we usually see and pet some of the dozen or so horses and take a swim. Children of any age will find crystal clear waters right for their ability and interest. To me, learning to swim and play in these pure waters, so totally immersed in Mother Nature, is a blessing for any child (and not hard to take for us grown ups either!) With evening comes a dramatic new segment to Natureīs ongoing symphony. In this transition time the music can be mesmerizing, especially with a multi-colored sunset accompanying dinner. After that, some games maybe, possibly a Nature night walk, an hour or so of reading to Richie and MY, HASNīT IT BEEN A GREAT DAY! SAFETY After 10 years of experience and many hundreds of hours of deep jungle exploration as well as near jungle living, I tell you that such living is indeed quite safe and I would add safer, in my opinion, than life in any city anywhere in the world. YES, there are Snakes, but honestly not many and nearly never poisonous and ALWAYS NOT AGGRESSIVE, so, by simply living an aware existence (always a good idea) and not STEPPING on one, this is eliminated as a threat. Otherwise there are no strange diseases to be encountered. Mosquitoes exist, of course, but do so in harmony with other creatures (bats, frogs, dragonflies, birds...) that EAT them and so are never really a nuisance. UVITA has a health center where conventional medicine is available Monday-Friday. There are two hospitals 30 and 60 minutes away. The simple truth is that living as one lives within Nature simply promotes good health and vitality and little concern or need for health services. I would expect within the community to explore and continue with alternative health practices and promote preventative measures in our daily lives. SOUND ECONOMIC PLAN... "Sound" because it will---produce good revenue-be fun-educational-healthful-provide a unique, desired and valuable service-benefit Nature-put smiles on faces! In short, this will amount to the continued sharing of Monos Escondidos and its many resources with others. The options are many. The difficulty is low. I have thought this over, asked questions, done experiments and been a keen observer for years regarding this. We may start out slowly but I am certain that once established the difficulty may in fact be keeping so much potential business from overwhelming the more important aspects of our community. It will be my pleasure to discuss this in great detail, when in person. DOLLARS AND SENSE Upon deciding to join our community as a show of good faith, intent, and to reserve one of the 12 building sites, the amount of $1500 will be paid. Within a few months a housing design will be selected and paid for. During the building phase the guest center and my home will be available, with members being responsible for basic living expenses as income generation begins. A portion of the $1500 will go towards such things as establishing rustic picnic stations, stools, benches, wildlife observatories, swing sets, playground stuff...in glorious locations all around. YES! Participation does involve some money, but let me put this in local perspective, if I may. Here, in Uvita, any ocean view lot starts at around $20,000. The property Monos Escondidos has a market value of about $5,000,000. I donīt mention this to shock or impress but simply to give a fair perspective on money matters and the sharing of a property like Monos Escondidos. COMMUNITY LONGEVITY Predicting the future is tricky stuff! It is easy to imagine our community going on and on indefinitely, mutually benefitting all, perhaps spawning sister communities. But even within that scenario members may need to make changes. For this reason each member shall retain the right to leave at any time, allowing new friends to live in their home, charging them a reasonable rental for that space. It is reasonable to imagine recouping all of oneīs investment, if so desired, by a few years of such rental. The absolute minimum term of the community shall be 7 years. Along the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica, 55 km south of Manuel Antonio National Park, 18 km south of Dominical, UVITA, a small community of 1600. Uvita (little grape) is community of small farm owners, workers and perhaps 200 foreigners such as myself (though I was the first) who own property while most still do not live here permanently. Several general stores, hardware stores, furniture shops, hotels, churches are central to the village. The nearby beach community "bahia" or "bay" is well named as the Pacific offers us a 3 mile beach, with gentle waves and currents, perfect for the family and the choice of most locals even though other beaches, some of which are dangerous, may be closer for them. It is a protected marine national park. Our climate is ideal-never too hot or cold. Down by the beach it does get quite warm, but the gentle breezes we receive constantly and the cooling effect of so much vegetation make for an ideal temperature range. At night I always end up with a light blanket. Busses are available in all directions. The regional health center is about 3 miles from the property. There are schools. The newly and beautifully paved coastal highway is to replace the existing Pan American Highway. Phone communication is overdue in Uvita, though should be available at any time. Direct internet access is as well to be available at any time. Communications for the community are considered a priority, especially as concerns homeschooling. General Comment- Uvita is experiencing explosive growth. This is a benefit to Monos Escondidos because the increase in local infrastructure will be positive while the land buffer isolating us from its possible unpleasant side is permanently in place. The majority of local property has been sold to foreigners from all corners of the world many of whom have plans and are in the process of building homes and businesses. SOME RELEVANT HISTORY Monos Escondidos was purchased in 1990 with additional purchases in 91 and 92 until, finally, the vast area between the Ballena (whale) River and the top of the mountain was once again re-united as a single entity. Topographically it had always been so and I was proud to remove the artificial boundaries of "ownership" that had previously cut it into 7 properties. I was single at that time (still am), in my early 30īs, and did this truly as a gift to Mother Nature and myself where I expected to live a high quality, simple, alternative lifestyle. From the beginning I was awed by the glory of Mother Nature, bursting with life and biodiversity. And almost from the beginning I felt a sense of obligation to share that experience and the feelings and knowledge that came with it. For three years I spent my time from sun up to sun down exploring the vast property. In that time I developed an expertise and high level of comfort within and concerning the rain forest, though, believe it or not, there are still lots of places I have yet to set foot upon-itīs BIG! I was side tracked for some 7 years as the birth of my only son, Richie, made it impossible for me to both live upon the property and spend time with him. I opted to leave my paradise, living instead in a small city (San Isidro) an hour away, close to Richieīs mother and where I managed (not as easily as it might have been) to see him most every day. Richie and I did spend as much time as possible at Monos Escondidos, but we "lived" in San Isidro. In February, 2001, Richieīs mother, a Costa Rican, went to live in the United States, signing over custody to me. Within a month we were full time at Monos Escondidos, a place that Richie had long referred to as "my best friend". I can remember changes his diapers on many occassions while we were still deep within the jungle. I began learning about homeschooling and found out I had been doing it since he was born. I came to decide that a bunch of same aged children, often demonstrating in glowing detail all sorts of counter productive behaviors, was hardly necessary for my sonīs proper education. Rather, I saw the desirability and necessity of having friends around, of all ages, setting a positive instructive example, being friendly, helpful and showing the beauty that can and should be our relationship and heritage with each other as fellow human beings. Both Richie and I like having others around. SO, The question became-"In what form can a community be formed on Monos Escondidos?" Let me say from the outset that YES, I have my own ideas and beliefs about just about everything and that we will hopefully have stimulating, educational, fun conversations about things like religion, child rearing, diet, health... BUT beyond non-smoking, moderate alcohol being OK (I personally donīt drink), and no illegal drugs, no set of beliefs shall ever be imposed by myself or anyone else upon anyone at Monos Escondidos. A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF Born 12-14-56 Age 16 living on my own after parentīs deaths Age 19 Graduated with Honors, Cum Laude, Ursinus College, psychology, began graduate studies pursuing a PhD, left disillusioned after about 6 months Age 20-30 Worked in 3 businesses of my own, 2 successes, 1 failure, normally working about 100/week Age 30 retired from business, moved to the FloridaKeys, specialized in snorkeling, spearfishing, rope skipping, no handed bicycle riding Age 34 Decided to continue learning about Nature inthe rain forest instead of the coral reef I had come to know so well. Bought Monos Escondidos Age 38 My only son is born. The focus of my life changes. Age 44 I am thrice blessed! I have my paradise-Monos Escondidos, can live there with my son, and share this wonderful way of life with new friends! Personal Goals- To be the best father in the world, write some great literature, do my part for Mother Nature, live in love, peace and harmony with a circle of friends. Well, thatīs about it!!! (finally) Please respond in as much depth as you would like. Please feel free to ask me any question at all. May we all find what we are looking for! Gary Gilbert hiddenmonkeys@yahoo.com P.S. I check E mail only ever week or so
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