BEEN-SEEN.COM - A DIFFERENCE IN WHERE AND HOW WE TRAVEL

The set up was straight out of a late-night infomercial- red satin table cloth, incense, missing only the crystal ball and the Caribbean accent. The skeptic in me was prepared for a generic 1-900 style rendering of my dilemmas and dreams. Financial worries and workplace woes?? Wow, how insightful, you already know I work at Verana!

Before we began, Guru Jorge explained that his grandfather introduced him to the art of Tarot reading as a boy. In his younger pursuits he left the cards behind to later rediscover their connection with his life's work as a therapist and healer. Healing is all about tapping in to the energy of others and gaining insight to their needs, and Tarot is another means of revealing aspects of one's condition. OK, I'll buy that, let's give it a go......
I won't divulge too much, but I am now on the look out for me "with male genitalia." Jorge's translation of the cards' symbols struck some personal chords to the point that I burst out laughing a few times. I'm a little uncomfortable with a co-worker knowing so much, but he did suggest some things for me to focus on and look for. Was I spared from an imminent quarter-life crisis? Not likely, but the picture seems slightly more focused, and that's all I was hoping for.
Jorge's cutting intuition, frequently noted by guests and staff, is definitely spooky, but gives him an undeniable edge as a therapist and makes him a really interesting guy to be around.

If you have been fortunate to visit us during a full moon, you couldn't have missed the luminescent lunar display as seen from our Terrace Restaurant during dinner. Only during the days of peak fullness does the moon rise directly over the opposite ridge and illuminate little Yelapa Cove in a dinner show that borders on over-the-top.
This past Wednesday, however, we had a bonus feature, not limited to Verana viewers. The only total lunar eclipse to occur for the next 2 years was visible in the evening sky of the Americas. Here is what it looked like from our restaurant, over lobster dinner...

In the interest of the greater good, the Verana staff has learned to cater to the influx of copious media representatives with our usual grace and charm. We understand that we are engaged in a symbiotic relationship with the often demanding and seldom reciprocating press. They get the royal treatment for free and we get to keep our jobs.
Since the inauguration of our eighth season in November we have played host to reps from the Fine Living Channel, Lonely Planet, Travel and Leisure, just to name a few. Last week we welcomed the cast and crew of Get Out (DirecTV's HD network), our most trying media encounter to date.
The show features three beauties that "travel" the world in search of exotic locations worthy of serving as backgrounds for their surgically enhanced curves. Squeals, Oh my gawwd!s, and speech intonation honed at cheerleading camp dominate the dialogue, while employees and locals provide tidbits about the locale and what is has to offer.
Filming was restricted to specific times and locations in order to preserve the Verana vibe and assure that staff would not be forced to allocate attention between a full house of paying guests and the dish-network divas. Although restricted to its corner, the stench of Hollywood values intoxicates even the purest atmospheres. After three days of listening to talk of star gossip, plastic surgery and where to find younger and hotter chicks for future seasons of Get Out, I remembered exactly why I came to live in the jungle.
So we tolerate sporadic intrusions from the world we came to escape just as we endure the privations associated with life in the jungle, not for the alluring stock options or comprehensive 401K plan, believe it or not, but because we know this place is special and want to share it. And it looks even lovelier though our own eyes than in high definition!!

Have you heard singing or caught a glimpse of someone dancing in our pool-side kitchen? Have you passed on desert at lunch only to be persuaded that "you really, really gotta try this one?" If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, then you have encountered Mama Shakti, our lunch chef and resident desert rock-star.

But no longer will your samplings of Mama's goodies be limited to a gulp of hibiscus flower juice or a bite of her unforgettable chocolate cake. We now invite you behind the scenes to pick up a few of Chef Shakti's secret moves in the kitchen.
In addition to Chef Fabian's Tuesday afternoon salsa marathon and Chef Esteban's Sunday afternoon one-of-a-kind chile relleno class, Shakti is now accepting avid pupil's into the pool-side kitchen for sessions in her preferred domains: ceviche and deserts.
Take home some new skills and see if Mama's magic touch won't rub off on you!

A fashion designer from Milan, a Hollywood filmmaker, a pair of London-based architects; we couldn't have assembled a more perfectly vibrant ensemble of guests to help us kick off the New Year here at Verana.
With Chef Fabian cracking open live spiny lobsters in the kitchen and bartender extraordinaire, Isaac, igniting the evening with his signature habanero chile infused margaritas we set course for 2008.

At the stroke of midnight, Yelapa-time that is, stunning honeymooner, Ximena, bashed open the New Year and the giant piñata with the grace and skill of a true Mexicana. Candies and chocolates were forgotten on the floor in favor of free drink coupons which kept the fiesta flames burning well past 4 o'clock in the morning.

Just as we launched the 2008 season, so do we hope to carry on: in high spirits and good company. Best wishes to those who have shared in laying the foundations for what will most certainly be the best season at Verana. And for the rest, we look forward to seeing you around our neck of the jungle this year!