Episodes

Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Collin Taylor from Morpho shares his story, thoughts on Nosara, and how he and his business evolved. After purchasing the well known restaurant Robin’s Ice Cream, he took his time to figure out exactly what his goals & objectives are.
His clarity and confidence are impressive and we hope you enjoy getting to know him in this episode!

Monday Apr 17, 2023
NP #167: Caricaco Music Festival is coming back to Nosara!
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
https://richburnam.com/2023/03/09/caricaco-music-festival-is-coming-back-to-nosara/
Dr. Alejandro is back, except this episode is only fun stuff: Music & surf talk. He details the upcoming Caricaco Music Festival and I ask him details about his surfboard inventory.

Monday Apr 17, 2023
NP #166: The Nosara Skatepark Episode
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
https://richburnam.com/2023/03/01/the-nosara-skatepark-episode/
This Nosara Podcast episode is a great one! We’re thrilled about the new skate park, plus we learn quality community information. Thanks Thierry & Mike!!!
Nosara Skatepark Episode Notes:
Thierry owns Cafe Paris, since 1995, 28 years here with wife Martín, their son Mael
Mike Lopez, from LA. Pro skateboarder, actor, stuntman
Skatepark started with Mael’s visit to Tamarindo with his friend Jack & only feeling safe at skatepark. He wanted to donate some land he owned in N Guiones to a skatepark which Thierry has wanted for the community anyways. Thierry, Martín & partner decided to donate land & others are contributing monies for construction.
Mike emailed Thierry about skatepark idea. He wanted a skatepark here to use and be a part of. Later in episode he explains opening a skate shop in N Guiones. Mike connected with New Line to build the park.
GoFundMe setup everything flowed well getting project together.
Thierry & Mael do not skateboard.
Volunteers are approaching wanting to teach.
Rich presses Mike to learn what his main reason for moving here and what his concerns and fears about moving to a different country are.
Mike explains surfing caught his full attention.
Rich remembers talking with Thierry about skatepark ideas years ago but a different park emerged for a while… Thierry agrees new park way better than the ideas of years past.
Nicoya Mayor agreed with projec
Marco from ADIN says 1800 in Nosara village 3 years to 16 or 17 years old have no place to go. There’s basketball court but soccer field closed and kids need something to do.
Marco & Martín said don’t put in Guiones… Freddy from Terratour is doing free shuttles for local Tico kids in each village to go to park on the weekend.
The park is free. No entrance & everyone can hang out. Skateboarding, basketball, and climbing wall will be for free.
No food, no drinks, no competition for vendors, just a free good place
Road paved with permits and support from Nicoya & NCA.
Rich says Nosara likes to complain & asks if anyone complaining about things or worried about noise?
Events would just be for community or the 5 villages.
Erik Kurzbard’s skate videos
Rich says open Dr office by skatepark. Thierry says X-ray machine just arrived & Mandala was moved yo new location.
Dr. Alejandro going to support skatepark
26 minutes: Thierry asks ‘Do you get hurt skateboarding?’
Skatepark made with flowing, surfing type of feel fir beginners and intermediates but advanced skaters can have fun, too. Can be fun & safe.
Kona stories from Rich about benefits of pads (knee pads, wrist guards, elbow pads)
Thierry points out Nosara only had 1 Tico surfers a couple decades ago… But now Jimena is champion & others are too so why not nosara champion skater in 10 years?
Sophia & George donated to help 5 neighborhoods small skatepark plus free rides on weekends to Guiones skatepark.
Still need donations. Goal is from $1 to $1,000,000 so everyone can feel like owner. Unite the community through participation.
Nosara dislikes
Mike says roads.
Rich talks about the Nosara Gossip Machine and how Nosara isn’t perfect… Thierry was scary man.
Thierry says dust being gone and more pavement in N Guiones & Main Street Guiones and the Calle Modelo project with Harmony Projects.
Thierry says mainly private people and not too expensive. Rich asks if L section can fix their road & Thierry says yes.
Rich makes joke about Nosara & Nicoya getting along
Thierry complains about truck noise especially when they downshift using motor for brakes.
Rich says need speed bumps in front of orgánico, El Locale, and at the old 5 points where Pelada entrances and L section are.
Thierry says 10 or 12 speed bumps on way
3 favorite restaurants
Mike’s
Almendros wings
La Luna bbq chicken pizza
Olivia’s
El Chivo Thai food
Thierry
Harmony Patte?
Luv Burger pizza
Pulpo
Blue Zone
Last words:
Nosara Skatepark GoFundMe & new skate shop about to open
Rich says thanks for speed bumps and Nicoya being nice. Thierry says new mayor very positive and wants to help.
Thierry says everything bad from past is getting solved (internet, roads, phones, restaurants, etc)

Monday Apr 17, 2023
NP #165: Cynthia Michaud & The James Initiative
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
https://richburnam.com/2023/02/15/cynthia-michaud-the-james-initiative/
Cynthia Michaud’s episode is heart wrenching, yet full of warmth, positivity, and hope through community events such as Tastes And Treasures Of Nosara, on February 25th.
In this episode, Cyn shares how The James Initiative is an transitioning a tragedy into massive amounts of ongoing positivity reaching deep into Esperanza, a small town on southern end of Nosara.
Unfortunately, 1/3rd of it’s residents live beneath the poverty line, and some residents are suffering from domestic violence, alcoholism, incest, teenage pregnancy, mental needs, etc. and they need help.
Dr. Alejandro communicated with Cynthia about the situation and now we are fortunate to have
The James Initiative focusing on the situation.
Get your tickets &/or participate in the online auction & have some fun! Here is a link to the online auction:

Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Big thanks to Michael Strasmich for connecting us with Emmanual Gutierrez who recently recorded with us. Emmanual is highly involved in multiple community initiatives such as Nosara Crece and Vive el Sueno, and also serves on the board of the Santa Marta ASADA. He has a high level education, is originally from San Jose, but came to Nosara and is dedicating his life to the people.
In his podcast we cover a lot of ground from explaining the ideas and programs behind Nosara Crece and Vive el Sueno to covering a multitude of community issues, concerns and opportunities.
- Introduction to Emmanual Gutierrez;
- Nosara Crece (low interest loan program for local entrepreneurs, with extremely high success rate);
- Vive el Sueno (business training for local entrepreneurs);
- ASADA Santa Marta;
- Intristic motivation to dedicate life to people of Nosara;
- Difficulties in finding human resources and connection between quick development in Nosara from agricultural to tourism to high-end tourism;
- Opportunities in Nosara to be a model community for other places in Costa Rica and the world;
- Challenges of inflated pricing in the region;
- Competing community organizations and how are they able to survive;
- Strategic ideas to inform and approach the community and seek mutual solutions vs. online bitching and moaning;
- Communication with Nicoya and Nosara solutions coming from governmental levels or community extractions?;
- Nosara entrepreneur examples;
- Emmanuals three favorite Nosara restaurants;
- Emmanuals biggest Nosara dislikes

Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Dr. Alejandro is excited about the expansion of services for Paradise Medical plus how the James Initiative plans to help Esperanza’s community.

Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Gnome Surf is back with updates about Happy Camp in CR which starts in February 2023. Here’s the show notes from another great conversation with Mr. Chris Antao:
- Chris needs shoulder help after 800 lessons
- Happy Camp happening in February
- Happy Camp non profit 501c3 autism, ADD ADHD, depression & anxiety
- families from all over coming
- gnome traveling to Texas, CR, not just northeast
- Chris done with investment banking job and now a firefighter due to gnomes growth
- Gnome doing well was on PBS, the good news movement, more corporate sponsors and hitting sustainability limits for survival
- used to be 200 to 400 families, now 3000+
- looking to build camp in NE similar to Happy Camp in CR
- Rich rants about surfing going from a bad thing to being cool & socially accepted
- Chris explains how at first surf therapy wasn’t accepted. But now is. Kids aren’t just learning to surf… They are learning to get back up again
- Chris explains naysayers always existed and some still do. Rich asks chris to explain further
- Chris says knew surf therapy real because helped him
- Brown University, Harvard, etc wanting to work with Gnome
- rich asks if struggle over. Chris says struggle was real but door now closed. CVS & others giving funds and product for Gnome athletes
- Pharmaceutical bad joke from rich
- Over 20 paid instructors in US, 4 years ago just chris
- In US 25 to 40 lessons per day on weekends event days
- Gnome doesn’t need big waves
- 50 to 75 passes sold for next season already. Over 10 week long camps out of Rhode Island
- Gnome is: Inclusion, Love and Kindness for all kids
- Good PR is foundation for rough times and people knowing Gnome stands for inclusion and acceptance
- Biking, snowboarding on way
- In Nosara Chris wants to help local kids with autism, Down syndrome, anxiety, etc
- Goal is one local camp per year
- Feb 18th week
- inquiries coming in about Nosara Happy Camps so need help from locals

Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Nitzan Solan is a chemical engineer working in sustainability with a passion for Nosara and what it brings to her personal life. She has strong opinions about wastewater management & wants people to learn sustainable systems using wastewater not only to be better stewards for the environment, but to grown their own food & overall make differences. Her experience includes TED talks, being a medical cannabis specialist, and focusing on converting waste into energy.

Monday Feb 06, 2023
Chase Kosterlitz shares his story & speaks his mind
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
https://richburnam.com/2022/12/26/chase-kosterlitz-shares-his-story-speaks-his-mind/
Chase Kosterlitz is an interesting episode. We met in 2012 at a surf expo as Blue Zone SUP searched for a pro surfer. Chase was, and is, a world class paddle surf racer so we didn’t fully connect. Years later, Chase meets Mr. Erik Antonson who brings Chase to Nosara and now he’s here full time. We surf together daily and I frequently laugh about how it all transpired. In this episode, Chase shares his story, his current life, his goals, and much more.

Monday Feb 06, 2023
Nosara’s firefighters have a plan; Andrew Weinstein is coming for you
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Nosara’s Bombero’s literally save lives yet are always seeking funding. Mr Andrew Weinstein has a new plan for everyone to hear and a way of categorization new to our area: There are ‘essential’ services and there are ‘discretionary’ services… Listen in and see how you feel about their new fiscal plan in this episode.