Bats are not my favorite mammals and normally anything associated with bats sets me shrieking. But when I checked into La Mansion Inn near Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and received a coupon for a free drink in the Bat Cave Bar, I just had to check it out!

But first I had to steel myself. The fact that La Mansion is an upscale inn with an awesome view of Manuel Antonio Beach and the Pacific Ocean helped alleviate my misgivings. Well, some of them.

Also, the owner, Harry Bodaan, has clasped hands with notables from all walks of life. The entryway features photos of Bodaan with personalities that span the gamut from Elizabeth Taylor to George Bush (both of them) to Mikhail Gorbachev, some of the people Bodaan met during his days as president of  the Press Clubs in Washington, DC, and Moscow. Celebrities have stayed at La Mansion and frequented the Bat Cave. I was determined not to be left out of this select group.

La Mansion's location on the hillside allowed Bodaan to create the Bat Cave Bar without displacing the bats. Entrance to the low-lit bar is through a wooden door that looks like it was designed for Snow White's dwarfs. One wall is the natural rock formation, complete with small waterfalls. After the first sip of Bat Cave Juice a yummy fear-reducing combination of Liquor Perfecto Amor, Chocolate Liquor, Cream, and sugar, I relaxed. The soothing sound of the waterfalls helped.

I finally worked up the nerve to look at the ceiling. What? No bats! Where are the bats? I had my angst and phobia under control, so I wanted to see the bats. "Where are the bats?"  I demanded, my nerve fortified the cocktail.

Diago, the somewhat frenetic but entertaining bartender, pointed. "There, behind the glass.”

Sure enough, there they were, hanging around their bat cave. It was comforting to realize I was hanging out in one Bat Cave and the bats had their own separate bat cave. My relief prompted me to call for another round of Bat Cave Cocktails.

Bats are not the only creatures sharing the La Mansion property. Beside Bodaan's three pampered pups, each morning of my stay I sat on the balcony of my room waiting for a troop of squirrel monkeys to scamper by on their morning forage for food. And, only 10 minutes away, in Manuel Antonio National Park, is one of nature's best zoos, where visitors will see monkeys, coatimundis, sloths and, of course, bats.

For more information check www.lamansioninn.com.

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