CRR Staff

Tom Ranieri - Owner

Tom - Tomtico!

• 11 years of Experience as Raft Guide in Costa Rica
• WEMT, Vertical Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, WFA, WFR
• Dog Lover
• Environmentalist 
• Slow Runner
• Global Warming Activist
• Son & Brother
• Former Car Owner
• Story-Teller & Writer (at times boring) 
• Public Transportation Guru
• Bilingual English/Spanish 
• Coffee drinker 
• Horrible dancer but not afraid to try
• List of Forbe's 500 people to never pick up the magazine of Forbe's
•  Topics of Interest: Tropical Ecology, Global Warming, Sustainable Agriculture, Permaculture Farming, Biomimicry, Curing Kids of Nature-Deficit Disorder

Marlon Bustos - Rafting Head-Guide

Marlon - "Water Buffalo"!

• 14 years River Guiding
• Member of Costa Rica National Rafting Team
• Mountain Rescue, Whitewater Rescue, WFA
• Father & Son
• Nature Activist 
• One-Time Visitor to Manhattan
• Hates to Fly
• Bilingual English/Spanish 
• Lives in Sitio de Mata
• Topics of Interest: Rafting Safety, Teaching and Instructing River courses, Rafting Competitively, Sustainable Agriculture, Aquatic Birds, Soccer

Diego Quesada - Naturalist Guide

Go Diego Go!

• Biologist
• Degree in Natural Resource Management
• Executive Director of The National Park Arenal
• 8 years experience as Naturalist Guide
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Funny
• Prankster
• The guide everyone wants to bring home
• Diego is not for SALE!
• Topics of Interest: Evolutionary Biology, Volcanology, Sustainable living, Upkeep of National Parks and Goals for Conservation, Movies, playing guitar

Jheudy Carballo - Naturalist Guide

Jhuedy (Our Wiki-pedia)

• 14 years experience as Naturalist Guide
• Degree in Agro-ecologico Turismo
• Consultant for Sustainable Business Practices 
• A wiki-pedia of information & then some
• Father 
• Hiker
• Fast Reader in English & Spanish 
• Full country guide 
• Did we mention Jheudy knows more about Costa Rica than the President
• Passionate & Natural Teacher
• Lives in front of Active Arenal Volcano
• Represented CRR at a Teacher Conference in Miami, saw two Heat games and is now a huge FAN! 
• Topics of Interest: Tropical Ecology, History of Costa Rica, Large Company affects on Central America (United Fruit Company), Global Warming, Sustainable farming and business practices, Alternative Energy Solutions, Presidents of Costa Rica, Birding

Erick Aguila - Naturalist Guide

El Guapo 

• Degree in Turismo Naturalist Guide
• Smart
• Funny
• 8 years of Experience
• Lives in Turrialba Mountains
• Relentless Hiker
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Loves to Scream during big rapids!
• Good Dancer
• Topics of Interest: Tropical Ecology, Insects, mammals, ferns, Caribbean Costa Rica, Affects of mono-culture on Costa Rica economy and environment

Tom & Luigi Camping Class V Section Rio Chirripo

Luigi (Luis) Rasta - Turrialba Costa Rica

• Puts the "flawless" in raft guiding
• Best Guacamole in Las Americas
• Professional Videographer
• Naturalist Guide
• Bi-Lingual English / Spanish
• 10 years working in Tourism
• Father of "Ella" cutest kid alive
• Husband to "Vivi" an Expert in Rural Tourism and Super Mom!
• Nature Lover, Simple Liver, & walks the talk!!!

Topics of Interest: Rafting, Videos, Tourism Projects, Reggae Music!!!!!!!!!, Learning, Saving the Planet for "Ella", & Puerto Rico (That is where Vivi is from)

Daniel Bustos - Heredia (INSANE KAYAKER)

Danny Bustos & Does Stunts for Capitan JAM

• Kayaker
• Rafter
• Street Dancer
• Ju-Jitzu
• Excellent cook
• Highly Energetic 
• Father of cutest little girl possible
• Nature Lover
• Sitio de Mata Turrialba Native

Capitan JAM

Capitan J.A.M. - Blue Planet

• A Super Hero
• Helps get Local Costa Rican's out into Nature
• Many Local Friends on Facebook
• Incredible Raft Guide in tights
• Speaker at Local Schools
• Surprise Visits on CRR Family Vacations
• Day Job - CRR Owner
• J.A.M. = Jale Afuera Mae
• Jale Afuera Mae = Let's Go Outside Dude!

Topics of Interest: Saving the Blue Planet, getting kids excited about nature, World's Strongest Man Competition, having coffee with Batman & The Avengers, and turning down contracts to Marvel Comics.

Your Movie Stars!

Raft Guides - Turrialba

• National Team Guides
• Years of Experience
• 100% Stress Free Lives
• Happy
• Funny
• Tan
• & Ripped!!!

Topics of Interest: Currents & Rivers along with getting home at a reasonable hour to get up for work on time. 

Doña Fressy - Rural Tourism Jefa!

Fressy Araya - Sitio de Mata Project Manager

• 10 years working in Raft Warehouses
• 6 years working for CRR full-time
• Mother, grandmother, & great 
• Recycler, composter, Sustainable Advocate
• Manager of Local Dance groups & Activities
• A Patron Saint of Rural Eco-tourism Project
• Hard worker
• Prefers the Simple Life
• Mother of 3 river guides and never been rafting
• Craft maker
• Topic of Interest: Rural development, Recycling, reusing everything, maintaining local culture, providing local cuisine, and sustainable agriculture

Anne Ledezma - Office Manager

La Guapa

• 16 years working in Tourism
• Completed her dream in 2011 (Went to a U2 Concert)
• Rockstar
• Street dog lover
• Wife, Daughter, & Sister
• Never been Rafting!!!! (Just can't get her to do it)
• Trilingual English/ Spanish/Italian
• Passionate about CRR
• Also a Naturalist Guide
• Healthy Eater
• Not in it for the money



Roy Jimenez

•  Topics of Interest: New hotels in Costa Rica, New areas of interest for tours, best food at best price, music, dogs, Arenal Volcano, graphic design, politics

Roy Jimenez - Family Travel Manager

- 10 Years Working in Costa Rican Tourism

- Native of San Carlos Arenal Volcano Area

- Degree in Business Management 

- Bi-Lingual Spanish & English

- Nature Lover

- Fanatico of Costa Rica's best tasting Restaurants

- Loves to Travel

- Coffee Expert

- Proud Supporter of Imperial & Pilsen Beer (Locally Brewed)

La Jefa - Mary Liz Ranieri!!!

Mary Ranieri - Office Assistant

• Dog Lover
• 10 employees in one body
• Wife & Mother of 3 boys (2 Conservationist Adventure Junkies and 1 FBI Agent)
• Dog Lover (Max, Bruno, & Tuk)
• Public Transportation Deamon
• Lives in Rural Costa Rica Mountain village
• CRR Meal Provider & Cook
• Owner of Office Space for CRR
• Has rafted Pacuare 6 times
• Lifetime Educator
• Relentness Composter, Recycler, & Herb grower
• Rappeler of 3 different Costa Rican Waterfalls which happen to be off the grid falls (Not Commercial)
• Topics of Interest: Dogs, cooking, her family, being a host to guests, adventure company operator, wedding planner, Mother Teresa, Holiday Greeting Card writer, birthday reminder, 

Regina Lopez - Marketing

Regina - Geeger

• 15 years in Corporate America in Chase Bank; Stole one from the Corporate world
• Resides in Costa Rica but markets in the USA
• Bilingual Spanish/English
• World Traveler 
• Degree in Business Marketing
• Yoga Instuctor
• One time rafter
• Smoothest & Fastest to pass out a CRR business card
• Topics of Interest: Marketing, International cusine, yoga, Costa Rica living, Costa Rica real estate market, Economy of Costa Rica

Jim Ranieri - Educational Specialist

Jimbo - Flash Gordon

• 15 years of guidance counseling in the USA
• 35 marathons & counting (I know we ask the same question, WHY?!)
• Trekker, rafter, & conservationist
• White Nile Rafter (Class Gazillion Rapids)
• 7th grade basketball Most Improved Player
• Cirriculum Planner
• Eco-Tourism schmoozer (TIES member & Attendee of all conferences)
• Surfer (Really not that good)
• Prefers the Simple Life
• Travels with practically nothing
• CRR's version of No-Impact-Man
• Topics of Interest: Running, Adventure Sports, Education, National Standards between different nations, How what we consume affect the poorest of the poor abroad, Planet Earth, Africa, Uganda, Sustainable Farming