The Reluctant Traveler (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Costa Rica - full transcript

A great philosopher
once said, "The world is a book,

and those who don't travel
read only one page."

Well, I've got to say
I've read a few pages,

and I'm not crazy about the book.

I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.

When it's too cold,

I'm not comfortable.

Ice swimming, naked?

- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.

When it's too warm, guess what?

I'm not comfortable.



I can't move that fast.

- But I'm 75.
- You need some help?

No, I got it.

And maybe it's time
to expand my horizons.

Oh, my God.

First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.

On the plus side,

I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.

Oh, my. This is spectacular.

The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.

- Watch your step.
- No kidding.

- Beautiful mountain.
- That's a volcano.

That's a volcano?

A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.



Sadie.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Just surviving would be great.

This is the last time I have five vodkas
with a Finn.

"Save the rain forest," has been branded
on my brain as an important cause.

"Visit the rain forest," has not.

When I think about Costa Rica
I think about humidity,

a general kind of clammy feeling.

You know, the great outdoors means
different things to different people.

I'm more of the great indoors type of guy.

Now, there's a lot of positives here.

I have to keep reminding myself.

Costa Rica's a famously peaceful country.

They don't even have an army.

And Costa Ricans tend to live longer
than the rest of us.

But it's hard to be relaxed
about life expectancy

when you're standing in a jungle
full of things that could kill you.

Not that I was expecting an SUV,

but maybe something with a roof?

Pura vida,
welcome to Costa Rica, Mr. Levy.

- Hello.
- Hello, nice to meet you.

This is Central America's
most popular tourist destination.

People are drawn
to the remarkable wildlife.

For them, the country's 500,000 species
are a treat.

My strong feeling is,
"You can have too much of a good thing."

So, what are Costa Ricans like?

Well, even when we have a problem,
we always try to find a positive way.

And that's why we always says,
"Pura vida."

- Do you know what it means, pura vida?
- Pura... No.

It is a philosophy.

It's receiving
and giving love all the time.

Pura vida.

My first two Costa Rican words.

You might think the life
of a Hollywood actor is all pura vida.

But for me, right now,

it's more a cocktail of paranoia
and nervous anxiety.

Welcome. Pura vida.

- Pura vida!
- Pura vida.

Nayara Tented Camp.

Two words that could not be
further removed from my life

- 'cause I've never been camping...
- Wonderful.

...and I've never spent
one night in a tent.

- So, already we're off to a good start.
- Perfect. Let's do it. Please.

No, I'm excited.

It's tents, it's jungle.

It's all my favorite things in one place.

So, I was told tents,
but these tents are on stilts.

I don't think tents belong on stilts.

You know what belongs on stilts?

Clowns.

So far, it doesn't look like a tent.

- Please.
- Thank you.

Wow, this is nice.

- Wildlife.
- Oh, my.

Paradise.

It's definitely jungle...

- Jungle. Yeah.
- ...'cause there it is.

Beautiful mountain, that's gorgeous.

That's a volcano.

- That's a volcano?
- Yeah.

- But it's been dormant for a while?
- It has been for about ten years now.

- There was an eruption ten years ago?
- Yes.

I was hoping it would be more dormant

- than this one.
- Yeah.

That's what a thousand dollars
a night gets you.

An en suite natural disaster.

- Well, thank you for everything, Jairo.
- Mucho gusto.

Appreciate it.

It's very beautiful.

And this has got to be
the best-looking tent I've ever seen.

I almost said I was ever in,
but I was never in a tent, so...

You know, the wildlife...
Where do you start? Bugs?

I'm not crazy about snakes, spiders.
We're in a jungle.

This is crazy, this volcano.

These are things that...
This is out of my comfort zone.

After freshening up,

and by that, I mean applying
three full coats of bug spray,

I feel just about ready
to venture outside.

Eugene, welcome to our piece of paradise.

Please, join me.

Nayara was the brainchild
of its owner, Leo.

I have lots of questions for someone
who's built a hotel in a rain forest.

Like how, why
and what's wrong with the city?

Well, I don't know where to start.
Where did you start?

What you see here you would have not
recognized a few years ago.

Cattle ranchers had decimated
absolutely everything.

- This wasn't here when you...
- No, it was pure mud.

- There was nothing else.
- No kidding?

There was not even grass.

There were no butterflies,

there was no wildlife,
there were no birds.

There was absolutely nothing.

Sounds ideal to me.

But Costa Rica is actually
a major success story.

Over the last 20 years, it's reforested
over one-fifth of its land,

planting more than seven million trees.

What I wanted to prove
is that you could build

and operate the most amazing hotel
in the world...

- Yeah.
- ...and exist with nature.

This is about as close to nature
as I'm comfortable with.

But I get the impression my enthusiastic
host wants to change all that.

Eugene, I think there's a sloth here
if you want to take a look at it.

- There's a sloth?
- Yes.

Sloths are hard to find
because they stay in very tall branches.

I think it's over there. Do you see it?

No. Straight up?

Yeah.

I don't see it.

There's a better vantage point here.

Wow, we're sloth hunting.

So, totally straight ahead on top.

Totally straight ahead.

- Why can't I see this thing?
- Yeah, you had it.

- Okay, he...
- I don't see it.

Am I being punked?

- Can't se... Yeah...
- Do you see?

No.

You have to take somebody's word...

Yes.

...that that is a sloth.

Do you see that dark thing? Well, I say,

"Yeah, is it a shadow?"
It's like a shadow.

"Do you see it?" "Yeah, I see it."

Okay, my feeling is
that now I've seen a sloth, almost,

we can tick the wildlife box as done
and move on.

But Leo seems keen to show me more.

Eugene,
if you want to see a lot of wildlife...

Uh-huh.

...I took the liberty
of booking a night jungle tour for you.

Yeah, well as enticing as that sounds,
I don't know.

- Yeah.
- I promise you...

- Yeah.
- ...you'll see a lot of wildlife tonight.

I'm almost positive I'd made
my thoughts on wildlife pretty clear.

Evidently, I'm going on a bit of a hike.

I wouldn't normally be going
on a night hike.

And I could have said, "no",
but I don't want him going around saying,

"Boy, he was really tough
to get along with."

And then that goes around.

"Did you hear about Levy?
He's got a thing going on."

He said,
"No, he's not easy to get along with.

He's very tough, it's like, uh, mmm,
not that pleasant."

"Do you want to be...
I don't want to be around him, no."

Anyway, live and learn.

Now, I have issues with the whole
idea of a jungle night hike,

and I can sum them up in three words.

Jungle, night and hike.

- Hello.
- Pura vida, very nice to meet you.

My name is Isidro.

Isidro.

I'm gonna be your best friend
and tour guide here at the rain forest.

Well, I don't envy you tonight.

Some of the creatures
we might probably see today...

- Some of the creatures? Okay then.
- Uh-huh.

...might be you know, spiders, snakes.

Spiders and snakes?
I know what you're trying to do.

You're trying to freak me out.

- Yeah.
- So, are you ready to do it?

- I'm ready, okay. Yes.
- Okay, let's rock and roll.

- I'll be right with ya.
- Okay, cool.

I'll be right with you.

Don't tell me they're more scared
of me than I am of them

because that is literally impossible.

All right, let's see... Okay, look at this.

We have one of the spiders here.

- Look at that, you see it here?
- Oh, my God.

- You see it here?
- Yes, I do.

- Yeah. I see it right there.
- Look at that.

Wow, look at the web.

Some of the spiders, you know,

- they build huge webs...
- I know.

...to catch as many insects as possible.

- So...
- Yeah.

...not that good for humans, you know.

Well, now I know what to look for.

- There you go, right here.
- Right here.

- It's a little vine here, it's all right.
- Yeah.

- Sorry.
- No problem.

- 'Cause now I'm freaking myself out.
- No problem.

- I can't emphasize, Isidro...
- Uh-huh.

...how much fun I'm actually having.

It's amazing.

Not.

Here you go, look at this.
Just right here.

That's one of the bullet ants.

- That's a bullet ant?
- That's a bullet ant.

If you get bite by this ant,
it might be 24 hours of pains.

- To get bit by a... Yeah.
- A... Exactly.

- By this.
- Well, then why are we still here?

Yeah, I'm beginning to suspect
Isidro won't be satisfied

until we've stared death
right in the face.

All right, look at this.

We've got something cool here.

- What have we got?
- This snake,

it's known as a eyelash pit viper.

- And they call it that because what...
- So... Uh-huh.

- ...it goes right for your eye? Yeah.
- No.

Right on top it has a scales,
looks like a eyelashes.

Is it poisonous?

- Very venomous.
- Venomous snakes.

- This species has a very hemotoxin venom.
- Right.

- So, you have a snakebite by this kind...
- Yeah.

- ...it's not gonna be nice because...
- No, it won't be pleasant.

Let's say you get bit
by a eyelash viper snake,

how long would you have before, you know,

- you'd have to seriously think about...
- Right.

...your own demise?

About an hour you're gonna have.

- You have an hour to get to the hospital?
- That's right.

And the hospital is how far?

- Forty-five minutes away.
- It's 45 minutes away?

That's right.

Let's say it's rush hour?

- Rush hour, you got to run. Yeah.
- Yeah.

We take very careful
with these type of species of snakes.

- Well... Yeah, no kidding.
- So, lucky to see it, to be honest.

- Very lucky. Talk about luck.
- Cool.

There you go, it's just amazing.

- Yeah, it is. Very cool.
- Definitely an experience that.

I call it a once in a lifetime experience.

Right.

And some might even say
it's once too many.

I guess it is thrilling to, you know,

see a snake on a branch that could
probably kill you in 45 minutes.

That's an interesting thing.

And I'm getting to understand

why Costa Ricans feel very close to nature
because this is their life,

and this is their world
and this is what they love, you know.

I did it,
I can say I hiked through the woods.

I hiked through the jungle at night

and saw, you know, an eyelash viper snake.

But would I do it again?

I don't think so.

You see, this is more like it.

The snakes and the bugs

have their natural habitat...

and I have mine.

What was that?

Well, surprise, surprise,
I didn't sleep well.

When I did wake, I'd almost forgotten
about all those tiny threats to life.

Just in time to remember
the mountain-sized one outside my window.

I think I see it erupting.

Volcano's erupting.

Should we call someone?

Apologies for spreading panic there.

What can I say?
I guess I'm just not good with volcanos.

But some people call them home.

Like the community that sprung up here
in the town of La Fortuna.

Well, this looks like a beautiful park
in the...

In the heart of downtown La Fortuna.

- Hello, my name is Mario.
- Lovely.

Pura vida.

Everybody seems relaxed and chilled.

I mean, it's just like there's a chill
factor I just love about this place.

Wow.

Costa Rica's got talent.

It turns out there's a very good reason

why everyone's so happy to live here.

Hey, pura vida.

La Fortuna means "The fortune."

It's surrounded by fertile volcanic soil,

perfect for growing
one crop in particular.

Coffee. So valuable to the economy,

it's dubbed the golden grain.

And after my sleepless night,
I just might need a cup or two.

So, I'm meeting
fifth-generation coffee farmer, Allan.

- Pura vida.
- Excellent. Welcome to our plantation.

That's my business partner, Antonio.

And this is Maximo, his father.

We're planting some coffee right here.

This is actually what it looks like?

See, I know nothing about what makes
Costa Rican coffee different than coffee...

- Yes, from the other places?
- ...from other countries.

Our soil is perfect. We are all full
of volcanic soils in Costa Rica,

so it grows and it tastes the best.

May I ask, if it's permissible to ask,
how old Don Maximo is?

Eighty-five years old, Eugene.

Should you be working this hard?

- He really likes it.
- I know, but he's...

We've been doing this
for a long time, Eugene.

I know, I get nervous.

I feel a little guilty
letting the 85-year-old do all the work.

I seem to have a reputation for doing
very little physical activity, you know.

- You want to try?
- Well,

I mean, you know, sure. It's a shovel.

If I have to do it,
I've had jobs in my life.

I was a garbageman for,
you know, several summers.

And this is going back
before they had the automatic,

the, you know,
the can goes into the truck

and the truck grinds it up and...
I'm tougher than I look.

- Very good.
- I want my wife to see this footage

because she doesn't think I can do...

anything physical.

So, you basically...

To see your plant producing coffee,
we have to wait for about three years.

Well, I don't personally
have that kind of time.

Luckily for me,
this year's harvest is in.

This is a bean?

Sometimes people eat it like that.

You can try it. Just like this.

- It doesn't taste like coffee at all, hey?
- No, it doesn't.

Yes, the magic is on the roasting process.

The roasting process
is absolutely critical

to the flavor of the coffee.

Not something you'd entrust
to someone in comedy.

So, here is where we're
gonna make your own blend.

I'll do my own blend?

Yes. Your own coffee.

- You want to put some?
- Yeah, sure.

Coffee is a serious business here.

Costa Rica's the only country in the world

where it's illegal to grow any other
than the best quality beans.

Not the moment to confess
I really prefer instant.

Aren't you amazed at how easily
I can adapt to this procedure?

Yes.

Light roast coffee gives
a sweeter, tangier taste.

The dark roast, more bitter.
Just a little coffee talk.

You're gonna tell me when to stop
for your own blend.

I think that's good.

At last, it's time to see
the fruits of my day's labor.

- My blend?
- Your blend.

It just needs some below boiling water
slowly into the coffee.

If you were in a rush
to get to work in the morning...

Not a good idea.

This wouldn't be a...

Okay, now it's time for me
to drink it with you.

Well, now I'm nervous, you know.

- Why?
- Because it's my blend.

- This is quite good.
- Yeah.

There's no sugar in this. So,
there's a natural sweetness to it.

Yes.

I could be doing the
commercial for this coffee.

Robust yet mild.

We, coffee experts,
build up quite an appetite.

And this evening, I'm lucky enough
to be a guest of Nayara's head chef.

You must be Quentin. How are you, sir?

I'm fine, and you?

I am good. This is the most exciting
part of the day for me.

What I'm going to prepare to you is
Costa Rican Wagyu beef.

It's served with a coffee crust.

- Coffee crust. That sounds good.
- "Coffee crust. So..."

So, you're not from Costa Rica?

I'm not from Costa Rica.
I'm from Brussels originally.

How do you go from Belgium to Costa Rica?

I met somebody from Costa Rica.

- And you stayed here?
- So...

I really love the country.

I enjoy the people.

So, I decided to stay here.

- I think I will finish my life here. Yes.
- Wow.

Well, I guess the pura vida...

The pura vida meaning.

- ...means something to you.
- Well, for...

I'm still trying to figure out
exactly what it is. But...

For me, the pura vida meaning,
it's the way they are seeing life.

The way they are living.
The way they are enjoying the life. It's...

- So, this is like a lifestyle choice?
- It's like a lifestyle. Correct.

They are really less stressed people

than European people.

- They are really more...
- Less stressed here than...

- Yeah, yes, the w... Even in my job.
- Than Europe.

Well, you know, the kitchen staff,
it's really high pressure.

Yeah, I know, I've seen Hell's Kitchen.
That's about it. That's scary.

This looks incredible.

I hope you really enjoy it.

How is it?

This is about the best piece of meat
I have had...

- Yes?
- Yeah, this is insanely good.

- Thank you for this.
- My pleasure, Eugene. Thank you.

You know, this is the kind
of meal that takes you out of yourself.

That makes you forget all your worries,

like sleeping on stilts
surrounded by snakes.

Almost.

So, another night
with no news from the volcano.

And with volcanoes, no news is good news.

I did hear some sounds

that I couldn't quite put my finger
on what they were.

But I slept off and on.

This morning is a nice morning.
You know, I've got my coffee.

This is part of the Costa Rican lifestyle
I can actually get on board with.

Pura vida, however,
still remains a mystery to me.

But on this, my last day,

I'm about to try something
even more unlike me

than socializing with spiders.

Something I would be embarrassed
to tell my friends about.

A session with a forest therapist.
I don't know what that is.

But listen, I don't know...
I've never been in therapy, period.

No, I don't usually
talk about myself that much.

I kinda keep myself private.
"It's private property," I say.

Yes, keep off. Do not enter.

Eugene Levy, private property.

I'd honestly rather be
back with the eyelash pit viper.

- Welcome, Mr. Levy.
- Hi.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

Tadeo here is one of only 11
qualified forest therapists in Costa Rica.

Anyone who's not one
of those 11 is just a crazy guy

in the woods talking to trees.

You have any expectation
about forest therapy?

I would imagine it's based on kind of
being at one with nature.

Yeah, you're very close.

- Is that close? Well.
- Yes, sir.

But what happens inside
a tropical rain forest,

- it's a very dense, symbiotic ecosystem.
- Okay.

If you open your senses to the forest,
you will have a lot of benefits.

I've never actually had any therapy in,

you know, in my life. So, I...

I have to say I'm not a therapist.
I'm just a guide.

To take me to the therapist?

- Or... I see.
- Yes, the therapist is the forest.

Actually is the forest.

So, I'm not here to talk
through my problems with Tadeo.

I'm going to talk to the trees.

First invitation will be, I will invite
you to share something with the forest.

Maybe tell the forest something
that you never told before anyone.

- Tell the forest.
- For the second invitation,

tell the forest something
you're grateful in your life.

Something I'm grateful for in my life?

Yes. And I will call you with my drum.

This one.

When you hear this,
you will come back to this place,

and we'll talk about it. This way, please.

I mean, I'm trying to keep an open mind.

It feels like you should embrace
everything that connects you to nature.

Unfortunately, with me,
nature's down the list a little bit

of things that I should be
associating with.

But I mean, I'm trying.

First is saying something
that I've never told anybody.

Not even my wife.

I once lost 800 bucks in a poker game.

Nobody ever knew

and I would have been
in big trouble had I said something.

Mum's the word.

Now, it's something that I'm grateful for.

That's an easy one.

I'm grateful for my family.

I'm grateful for my wife, Deb.
I'm grateful for my son, Daniel.

I'm grateful for my daughter, Sarah.
I'm grateful for my brother, Fred.

I'm grateful for my sister, Barb.

The most wonderful, loving family.
And you get that.

The drum. It's time to return.

- Mr. Levy.
- Yes.

What are you noticing?

I was kind of experiencing,

I wouldn't call it a relationship,
you know,

but everything seemed to have
more of a connection.

Thank you very much.

Do you want to add something else
to complete this experience?

It seemed like a pretty
complete experience,

but if there's something
you think that will

enhance the experience
that I'm having then...

There is something else.

- I was kind of afraid of that, but...
- Please follow me.

Yes.

I feel bad,
but I think Tadeo can sense

right away this isn't
really working for me.

Where might we be going, Tadeo?

I believe you will enjoy it.

You believe I will enjoy it?

But he's determined
not to give up on me yet.

Okay, here we are.

Now, most situations worry me.

- This is it.
- Okay.

But there's only one
that's guaranteed to terrify me.

Heights.

This hanging bridge is
suspended on thin cables 180 feet

above the forest floor.

For me, the definition
of a bridge too far.

Okay. Hang on. One second.

Okay.

- Just go find your pura vida.
- Yeah, I don't think so.

I don't think I'm gonna
find pura vida on this thing.

I don't do... I, you know... I have a thing
with heights, Tadeo. I don't... Honestly.

- Try to enjoy this.
- Try to enjoy it?

- Yes.
- Okay.

Yeah. This is the ultimate,
"Let's not and say we did," situation.

Okay, this is crazy.

Oh, God.

I can't go on a Ferris wheel.
You understand?

I have a thing with heights.
I can't look down off a balcony.

Oh, my God.

I just want this to be over.

Oh, boy.

So, why do I find myself stopping

to admire the view?

That was hard.

Wow.

Yeah.

That was a heart thumper.

Good.

Yes. This is all good.
Being at one with the forest.

I think it's great and I think
this is a very beautiful place.

And getting something out of it
in terms of a connection

with where we are to who we are,

I guess there's something there.

I may have started out
cynical but there's something to be said

for conquering your greatest fear.

Especially when you only
have to do it once.

And what better way to celebrate
my newfound zest for life

than to head back to La Fortuna...

Hello.

...for a party?

Costa Ricans pride themselves
on welcoming strangers,

which I'm counting on because
I'm crashing the birthday celebrations

of a local carpenter, Don Ricardo.

- Hey.
- Hello.

- Hello. Eugene?
- Yes.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Celim.
- Celim, nice to meet you.

So, you are Don Ricardo's son?

- Yes, I am. Yes.
- Okay.

Today,
I've come to pick up a cake for him.

- Well, isn't that something?
- Yeah.

Maritza.

Hello.

Okay.

She is the person who does the cake for...

- Look at him with the picture.
- Oh, my. Look at this!

Does he know you're coming with a cake
or is this a surprise party?

- I don't think it's a surprise pa...
- I might be the surprise.

Yes, that's for sure.

This is a big one. 85, right?

I think he's gonna be living until
more than a hundred.

- Okay.
- Thank you.

And that's more than possible.

Costa Rica is home to one of only
five blue zones in the world,

where people live well into
their 90s or longer.

True to form,
the birthday boy has not got his feet up.

I'd love to help,
but I get very nervous about splinters.

And they've got a job for me
with Celim's sisters and his mother, Elma.

I'm very excited to be here.

So, we've got some homemade food.
Love a good tortilla.

Yes.
Well, I'm a tortilla maker from way back,

but, yeah, you just...

There you go,
put it on the... There you go.

See, right?

Can I ask your mom,
what does pura vida mean to you?

She says, "For me, it means
to be in the nature with the mountains.

With the rivers. Near the forest."

- Right.
- "With my husband

and my kids, and my daughters and sons."

Yeah.

That's the most important thing
no matter where you're from, right?

- Exactly.
- Is family.

Now, he changed his clothes.
Look at him.

The birthday boy.

- Okay, let's start the party now.
- Let's start the party.

Tonight's birthday dinner
is a typically hearty Costa Rican affair.

Rice, refried beans, plantains
and, of course, tortilla.

Well, Celim,
thank you for inviting me to this party.

I'm very excited.

I'm very honored to be a part

of Don Ricardo's
85th birthday celebration.

That's a very beautiful gift
for my dad, you know, to meet you,

my family, my mom.

I can tell.
Must be big American Pie fans here.

- Yes!
- Yeah?

- Yes. Me!
- Oh, my God.

- For me, yes.
- I was joking.

I like.

Let's dive in, everybody.

- Okay. Salud!
- Can't wait. Thank you. Salud.

Speaking of pie,
where's that cake I picked up?

Here we go.

Wow.

It's a lovely family. I love this family.

There's an energy
and there's a sense of humor,

and they all seem to get a kick
out of having a good time

and looking at the brighter side
of, you know, life.

Cinco... 58. Cinco ocho.

I love this country
and I love the landscape,

and I particularly love the people.

The people, really...

are what I connected to.

And this pura vida thing, I think,

is a big part
of what makes them who they are.

Don't worry, be happy.
That's the vibe here.

I just wish I'd learnt that sooner.

I think I was nervous
about the rain forest,

what's under the treetops,

which was always
kind of a big scary question mark for me.

The rain forest
is actually quite beautiful.

You know, I can say I've been there.

You know, "Been to Costa Rica?"

"Yes, I have. Spent some time there.

Wonderful place.

You should see it. You should go."