Since living in an environment of modernized interconnectedness has left me feeling very disconnected, I wanted to go back to a simple/basic way of living. And the Mango Cottage allowed me to do just that. For example, I was able to bask in the natural sunlight that engulfed the cottage as the sun made it’s journey through the sky. And when it was the moon’s turn to come out to play, I tuned into nature’s clock and bathed in the unperverted darkness as I slept (solar powered lamps are available for use). One thing I really enjoyed was inhaling the perfume emitted by the flowers, that are near the entrance of the tropical corridor that leads to/from the cottage, as I went to meet Akiko for breakfast at 7:30 AM.

Breakfast not only consisted of tropical fruit, locally prepared banana bread, and a really earthly flavored tea, but also of opportunities that would not have been available to me if I’d stayed at hotel instead. For example, Akiko invited me to pick coffee cherries at a nearby farm, invited me to attend the farmers market that was occurring later in the day, and she provided me with the opportunity to spend time with a local lava rock artist since she (I assume) sensed my creative nature from the great conversations that we had. (I took advantage of all the above =))

After having stayed w/ Akiko for a week, I definitely feel very fortunate to have been a guest at the Mango Cottage. While I could continue to describe my experience, I invite you to (re)discover for yourself what it’s like and capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves during your stay.