Costa Rica

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

More sunshine!

It’s hard to pick a favorite location, but Puntarenas would definitely be high up there on my list.

Malo had told us to expect rain when we moved from the Caribbean to the Pacific Coast. Boy, were we delighted that he was so very wrong about the weather. Both days were perfect; not too hot, and just enough sunshine to quickly dry us off after our water activities.

For the drive to Puntarenas, I sat in the front seat. It was truly amazing how much the roads had changed since our first visit in 2007.

I was even happier to be here when I checked my driveway on the ring camera.

I texted my snow plow guy, who will make sure my driveway is clear by the time I return home. At that point, I may even be ready for some cold weather.

I used to think that traveling by bus would be tedious. That was before, when I had a mind that was partially closed. Now I am able to appreciate how surprisingly wonderful some stops can be. For example, on this bathroom break, we saw an iguana, macaws, and bats.

Malo changed our itinerary, moving Friday’s boat ride on the Tarcoles River to Wednesday afternoon so that we could maximize the probability that we would see birds. And we sure did!

An unexpected bonus? we didn’t need to be on the bus till 9 AM on Friday morning to return to San Jose.

These are just a few of the birds along our “jungle cruise”. Mike and I took the very same cruise in 2007, which is when I took this photo with my Panasonic LUMIX.

At one time or another, we spotted most of the 60 birds pictured in the guide we were given. How very lucky were we! Of course, Malo had a lot to do with our “luck”. The reason he modified our itinerary was to choose a time when the tides were at the optimum level for viewing wildlife.

Phil and Malo took great photos so I was able to gaze at the birds thru my binoculars, knowing that one, or both of them, would capture the moment.

It’s pretty clear why I preferred their photos to mine, although I DO like this video that I took.

But wait…there’s more! Our second day in this heaven on earth was jam packed with adventures.

We started by rowing our outrigger canoes to Limoncito Beach,

where we were able to splash around in the warm water, snorkel and enjoy lunch on the pristine beach

Our guides provided EVERYTHING! Lunch, chairs, snorkeling equipment, noodles. They even took photos of each of us.

After we returned to Agujas Beach, Malo took us to the local bar, where he treated us to Chiliguaro, a local concoction consisting of moonshine, chilies and sugar cane. Did we like it? Well, you be the judge.

But wait…there is still more!

After fortifying ourselves with what could pass as a gin and something that slightly resembled tonic,

Marianne and I got the bright idea to walk (stumble) to Playa Blanca. We were soon joined by Cindy and Edwin, who were usually up for anything. Luckily the shuttle stopped to pick us up before we got to the steep part.

Edwin, our translator, comedian, and overall great guy!

While on the beach, we were entertained by the capuchin monkeys. I wasn’t fast enough to get a video of one while he was stealing food. Man, they are FAST!

The shuttle stops running at 5, so we decided to grab the 4:30 one, to be able to make a final stop before heading to dinner. That’s where we found Mike and Jo-Lynne,

who responded to Edwin’s many personal and pretty hilarious questions about their relationship. The 6 of us going on the post trip to Tortuguero will definitely miss the 7 that will be returning home at the end of the main trip tomorrow.

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Our great luck has returned! The weather during our stay in Guanacaste was absolutely wonderful. It made me realize that I appreciate sunshine much more when it follows two days of rain.

The Hacienda Guachipelin was perfect in every way. None of us wanted to leave. Two nights here just didn’t seem long enough, given the many activities offered.

During our too brief stay, we managed to catch the sunset,

This is for *you,* Jean. The sunset photo is the post header

go horseback riding ( it was much more fun when I was younger),

and soak by a waterfall.

The hardest part was getting in and out. The rocks were slippery and plentiful

As usual, Les was the first one in, followed by Cindy, then me. The others didn’t believe us when we told them there were warm spots in the water. The depth varied greatly—I moved a few inches to my left and I quickly realized the water was going to be well over my head, so I reversed course. But not before the bottom of my hat got quite wet.

That was just the morning activities. In the afternoon, we went to the hot springs where we discovered we could smear ourselves with mud.

I didn’t have my man with me, so Les was kind enough to do the honors. He did my back and I did his.

I left my phone in my locker, but Malo took this photo of Mike, me, Les and Jo-Lynne.

Cindy brought her cell phone protector with her, so she became our official hot springs/ mud bath photographer.

My “what the hell was I thinking”expression

We had a choice: we could rinse off in the river or under the nearby shower. I needed to use both, but ultimately we all cleaned up well.

We ended our day with dance lessons courtesy of Malo. Sadly, the photos don’t show how our mud bath vastly improved our skin. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Our time at the Hacienda was so magnificent, I skipped right past our activities on the drive from La Fortuna to Guanacaste (Rincón de la Vieja). Clearly, I need to backtrack!

The scenery along the way was spectacular

By lunchtime we were ready for a break. Fortunately, a cacao farm was perfectly located in this very remote area.

Not only did we learn we about the multiple steps necessary to produce the chocolate that we all love, we also spent the morning enjoying the beautiful plants — like ginger.

Our guide was exceptional! He pointed out the male and female cacao flowers, and described the pollination process, which I have already forgotten. But I DID remember the female buds are the ones on top.

Here’s our guide, showing us the inside of a mature cacao plant.

We also were able to taste coconut water, coconut jelly, and coconut meat. Probably not the terms he used, but hey, I wasn’t able to take notes.

And yes, we DID consume chocolate. Here’s proof.

Lunch at the cacao farm was delicious—plantains with bean paste, and tamales. Marianne shared this video of the unwrapping the tamale.

For those of you who wonder how I find time to blog, this one was written on the bus on our way to Puntarenas.

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Up until day 7 and 8, we had been incredibly lucky. Although it rained periodically, it seemed to happen only when we were on the bus, in a restaurant, or back in the hotel. Until La Fortuna. That was where our fortunes changed.

It was impossible to see the Arenal Volcano during our morning hike,

but I took pictures when Mike, Augusta and I were here in February of 2007. Back then, it was quite active. We were even able to see the bright red lava flows at night from our hotel room.

When we walked in the National Park, it was raining so hard, even my underwear was soaked, despite wearing a rain jacket. These days, if it’s not fun, I ain’t doing it, so halfway through the hike, 5 of us returned to the bus.

Marianne got creative. She took a black plastic shopping bag and with Edwin’s help, made holes in the sides so she could stick her arms through to keep her red jacket dry.

Those of us who chose to forgo the hike DID get to see Lake Arenal from the bus as we were leaving the park. Sorta.

Here’s the 2007 view.

Some brave souls decided to go zip lining despite the rain. Having ziplined twice before, I opted to return to the hotel. Had I known about the Tarzan swing, I might have made a different decision. But probably not.

Les, on the zip line.

Marianne, channeling her inner Tarzan. Jane??

Costa Rica has micro climates, so although it was pouring a few miles away, it wasn’t raining at our hotel. I walked the grounds, where I discovered multiple private hot tubs. Oh, to be with that special someone on a sunny day!

On our second day in La Fortuna, we cruised the Rio Frio, to search for wildlife.

I briefly regretted not bringing my camera, but I was very grateful for my binoculars.

Even with binoculars, it was NOT easy to spot the wildlife.

Were you able to find the “Jesus Christ” lizard in the first photo? For the second photo, I used my phone’s zoom, which is clearly not as powerful as my camera’s.

Why Jesus Christ lizard? Because the basilisk lizard (official name) looks as if he can walk (run) across water.

Check out the difference in quality of these monkey photos. The first was taken with a phone, (by one of the other travelers); the second is from the 2007 trip with my Panasonic LUMIX, way before cellphones had cameras.

Our guide posted photos of the birds we saw in WhatsApp. Of all the birds we observed, the kingfisher was my favorite.

Before our cruise ended, we made it to the Costa Rica/ Nicaragua border, where Malo took this photo of our wonderful group.

My very favorite highlight of our time in La Fortuna was our dinner at Selva Rustica. Raul, our bus driver, offered to take us to and from the restaurant, which was a very good thing because it was raining heavily ALL evening.

We all agreed that this was the best meal of the entire trip, so far. Sorry, Malo. From now on, we are going with Raul’s restaurant recommendations. Although we each ordered something different, we were all very happy with our choices. My grilled tuna atop vegetables and potatoes was heavenly.

Have you ever had a flaming margarita? With a blue Jell-O shot in the bottom of the glass? Neither had I. This was definitely a video worthy experience. Thanks to Phil for capturing the moment.

Next stop, Guanacaste.

Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica

As you can see from the map, we are traveling throughout Costa Rica during OAT’s Pura Vida tour.

This means we need to move from one place to another every two days.

On day 5, we departed from Sarapiqui after lunch, which gave us time in the morning to visit Tirimbina, and walk across its quarter mile suspension bridge over the Sarapiqui River.

TWICE. Over and back.

I have to tell you, the shaking and swaying reminded me of car rides during my childhood. Even without all the smoke from my parents’ cigarettes, that continual motion almost made me feel carsick! But was I glad I did it? Hell yes.

After our stroll, we had free time until lunch, so I plopped myself in the “bird” area to enjoy the wildlife.

This gray cowled wood rail was HUGE, and unafraid. He stared right at me in between bites of papaya. He was probably thinking “ if she even tries to bother me, I’ll just peck her eyes out”.

Were you impressed that I knew the name of the bird? Don’t be. I sent that photo to Malo, who identified it for me.

During lunch, we were all grateful to be under the roof watching the torrential rainfall. How lucky were we that we weren’t rafting during the downpour. Yes, I know we were already soaked, but at least the sun was out, so we had a warm respite between rapids.

Our lodge in Sarapiqui was full of signs, but this one was my favorite:

Our next hotel, in Aguas Zarcas, had multiple pools, supposedly at different temperatures, but they all felt lukewarm to me. Still, it sure was pretty at night.

On day 6, Malo led us on an optional tour of the property, where the non-Florida natives were thrilled to watch this heron check out a potential tilapia breakfast. He looked like a human, staring into a lobster tank, trying to choose one for dinner.

This was a very educational walk. We learned that bats sleep rolled up in leaves like this one. How did Malo know? The bat makes three holes in the leaves— all in a row.

During our stay in Aguas Zarcas, we made two trips to the local grocery store—the first was on the way to the hotel, where I stocked up on wine. Hey, who knows if I’ll have another opportunity?

I know my friend Anthony is probably horrified by my choices. My criteria? It had to have a screw top. It’s times like this that I’m grateful for my unsophisticated palate.

Fortunately, we made a return trip to the grocery store the next day to buy ingredients for our home visit.

By then, I had washed my hair with the only option provided by the hotel. Let me assure you, the outcome was NOT attractive, so I was glad to have the chance to buy real shampoo.

One of OAT’S distinguishing features is the home visit, where we visit with a family, share a meal, and sometimes help prepare it. This was one of those times.

I opted for salad duty where I’m pleased to report I excelled at chopping lettuce.

As a bonus, our host’s daughter Natasha danced for us, with son Damien performing the role of DJ and boom box operator.

We ended our visit with a group photo.

Our final event was dinner in town, at a karaoke place. Sadly, the words never appeared on the screen, so we were unable to sing along.

Cynthia, Marianne, Lester, Randy, Cindy, Esther. Where was Edwin?

Me, Jo-Lynne, Mike, Joleen, Lee Fa, Phil. photo by Randy

Because dinners were not served together, and the food took a looong time to arrive, we all got a free drink. My friend Phil and I got to choose another drink because we were served last and didn’t get the barbecue ribs we had ordered. My margarita was delicious, as was the small drink we all received.

After “before dinner wine” (happy hour back at our hotel), a half a bottle of beer, a frozen mango margarita and the little “mystery” drink, I was feeling absolutely NO pain.

Jo-Lynne and I were ready to “party hearty”, but the rest of the group wanted to go to bed, so we were saved from embarrassing ourselves. At least so far. We still have another 10 days.

On to La Fortuna!

Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

Remember how everyone tells new moms “once you see your new baby, you forget all about the pain of childbirth”? Yeah, well for me, THAT never happened — which is one of the reasons Greg is my only child.

The pain of getting to a trip, now THAT’S a different story. Once I arrive at my destination, any flight challenges — delays, cancelled flights, jet lag—all those “minor inconveniences” are instantly forgotten. (Thank you, Joann)

Our first day in Sarapiqui was picture perfect. The accommodations were a bit rustic, but comfortable, wildlife was abundant, and the location was ideal. I was able to walk to the nearby Sarapiqui River, which was FAR calmer than upstream, giving me a false picture of what our raft trip was going to be like.

Not too bad, right?

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Our morning began at 6AM with birdwatching and listening.

It made me regret that I hadn’t brought my camera, because a cell phone just doesn’t do it—unless, of course, you are as prepared as our guide, Malo was.

After breakfast, we were ready to start our rafting adventure. We expected to get wet, so I stored my cell phone with the change of clothes I brought. Not a problem, because the rafting company had photographers stationed along the river.

At the start of our trip, the water was moving fast, but the “rapids” certainly looked manageable.

That quickly changed! The following photos were taken by the rafting company from their vantage point on dry land.

Yes, we were on that raft. Here’s proof.

We were quite pleased with ourselves that we had made it thru. What we DIDN’T know was there were many, many more rapids before our journey ended.

Across from me is 83 year old Esther, who was a trooper, smiling even though during our 1.5 hour journey, she almost fell into the river.

Her daughter Cindy is in front of me. We had quite a rhythm going, even after our helmets smashed together during our transit thru one of the rapids.

Although you can’t tell from the above photo, we were all completely soaked. We are smiling because we knew that dry clothes were waiting for us.

That was quite enough adventure for me, so I spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool, with Randy and Cindy, instead of touring a pineapple plantation.

This will give you and idea of what our second day in Sarapiqui will be like.

On to two days in Chachagua, where Malo tells us we will be able to enjoy the hot springs.

San Jose, Costa Rica

Remember when I said yesterday’s travel challenges were a minor inconvenience? Well, my new friend, Betty, experienced a MAJOR inconvenience. Last night she fell, broke her right wrist, is having surgery today, and has to return home tomorrow. It’s unfortunate for her, very sad for me, because I liked her instantly.

MY luck began to change as soon as I arrived in San Jose. I was able to join the group for the 3 PM tour of the National Theater because Alex, my wonderful taxi driver, was able to calculate how long it would take to bring me to the hotel (in bumper to bumper traffic), allow me to check in and drop my bags in my room, and drive me to the theater. I arrived 3 minutes before the theater tour started.

If anyone is ever in San Jose, and needs a driver, here’s Alex’s contact info.

Alex’s phone number. I highly recommend him!

Along the way, Alex pointed out interesting buildings. He also confirmed my memory of San Jose as being a city without high risers. These skyscrapers were all built within the last 8-10 years.

Our group is super friendly and welcoming. THEY all had to learn ONE name, but I had to learn 13. Yes, originally our group numbered 15, but one person canceled before the tour started, But I digress. Back to the Theater tour.

Our National Theater guide explained that this statue was originally on the roof of the theater, but was brought inside to protect it from the ravages of weather, which was causing the marble to become discolored.

The top floor houses this salon, where the rich and famous hung out after enjoying the evening’s production. It isn’t obvious from the photos, but the marble on this interior statue is pristine and glowing.

The National Theater was built in the 1800’s when Costa Rica was rolling in coffee profits. Back then, rich coffee growers sent their offspring to be educated in Europe. When their children returned, they brought with them memories of the art and culture they had experienced. These memories culminated in the creation of the National Theater.

Our second day began with a tour of a small coffee finca (farm). To be honest, after staying at the Colombian coffee plantation for three nights, I wasn’t as interested in the production aspect, so instead I took photos. Here’s a shot of two members of my group picking beans

Edwin was born in El Salvador, but grew up in LA. Because Malo was up most of the night helping Betty, Edwin stepped in and translated for us.

Edwin is on the right. This is an “antique” piece of equipment

We are lucky to have Edwin with us. He and his wife, Cindy are much younger than the typical OAT traveler. That’s because Cindy’s mom, Esther, invited them to accompany her.

After lunch at the finca,

we headed to Sarapiqui, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Costa Rican countryside. It is impossible to capture the grandeur of our drive, but that didn’t stop me from trying.

Supposedly, it was a three hour drive, with a couple of stops, but the time went by very quickly.

One of our stops was for a photo op by a waterfall.

I’ll end with a video of our other stop where we enjoyed sampling Agua Dulce while we watched the birds.

Next post will be of Sarapiqui.

It’s a beautiful morning in Managua, Nicaragua. What, you don’t see Managua on the map atop this post? That’s because some of the best laid plans often go astray. (Like some women I know).

Normally when I do a group tour, I go in a day early to allow time for things to go wrong. Not this time, which pretty much guaranteed that everything that could go wrong, did.

I kept channeling my friend Joann, who I met on my recent India trip, by repeating “ it’s just a minor inconvenience”. I said that a lot!

The minor inconveniences started with an hour and a half delay at Newark airport because of electrical problems. Then, we were unable to land in San Jose because of poor visibility. After circling long enough to necessitate refueling, we flew to Managua and sat on the plane hoping for a break in the weather in San Jose. We waited long enough for the flight crew to surpass their maximum working hours, and no other crew was available, so the flight was canceled.

The crew handed out immigration paperwork that had to be completed, plus a list of hotels with phone numbers, but no other information. I tried to do my own search, for hotels near the airport, but the internet wasn’t working. ( I wasn’t the only one with cell phone challenges!) when my phone wouldn’t work, a very kind man sitting behind me handed me his phone, already dialed to the Hyatt, and he told me they had available rooms.

Because the plane was full, I had gate checked my bag in Newark. It was my act of kindness for the day. BIG mistake. I suspect the luggage handlers translated “priority” to mean “grab me last”. And they did.

Although The Best Western was across the street from the terminal, United didn’t put it on the list or provide its phone numbers, so instead I took a taxi to the Hyatt, which was about 20 minutes away. Before we left , we were told repeatedly to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our 10 AM flight.

One of the positive aspects of having sleep problems is my body has figured out how to get by on much less sleep. By the time we (yes, “we” because by then I had a companion. Little Kayla was looking lost, so I invited her to hop into my cab), it was 2 AM local time, 3 AM my body time when I finally got to bed. I awoke at 6 AM, just in time to enjoy the included breakfast.

Upon arriving at the airport I discovered our flight was delayed until 12:20. No one was at the United desk, so I found myself a seat, and reminded myself things could have been far, far worse. Noise canceling headset with music loaded onto my phone drowned out the screaming kid and allowed me to mentally transport myself to my happy place.

No, this is definitely NOT my “happy place”. Don’t worry, no one will be getting a gift from here!

I’ll miss the first day of the trip, including the welcome lunch and a tour of the National Theater because I won’t arrive into San Jose until a little after 1 PM. That is, if everything goes according to plan, which it hasn’t so far.

Luckily, I’ve been to Costa Rica twice before this trip. The first time was in February, 2007, with Mike and my friend Augusta. We traveled with Elderhostel, which is now known as Road Scholar. I’ll be trodding over familiar ground – in 2007, we started in San Jose, then visited Poas, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna and Arenal. It will be interesting to see the impact time has had on the areas I’m revisiting. Of course, that’s assuming that I REMEMBER what it was like in 2007, which is a pretty big assumption indeed.

The second time was in January of 2010, which is when Mike, Greg and I cruised through the Panama Canal with Oceania. We only were in Puntarenas for one day, so we hired a guide who took us for a walk through a forest, then we went zip lining. That first platform was REALLY far away and I will admit to being terrified that I would get stuck midway, and have to rely on my upper body strength to pull myself the rest of the way. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, because back then my upper body strength was non-existent.

This itinerary includes zip lining, horseback riding and rafting. Although not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, I’m assuming we will have a chance to take advantage of the hot springs near the volcanoes. I’ll admit, if I was missing one of these activities, I’d be thoroughly bummed.

August thru October is traditionally the “rainy season”, with November being the transition month leading to December’s dryer weather. ThIs year’s 10 day weather report is predicting rain almost every day. Perhaps the rain will be gentle, cooling us off when the temperature soars into the 80’s. We shall see.

Time to see if anyone is at the United desk.

Next post will probably be from Sarapiqui. And yes, despite all the minor inconveniences, I still feel pretty damn lucky to be on this trip!

Road Scholar – one of my favorite things

A recent Huffington Post by Doris Gallan described what us oldies but goodies look for in a travel experience: “The chance to learn something new, have genuine experiences with locals, and get value for money”. That’s exactly why we travel with Road Scholar. Our upcoming trip to Ecuador will be our fourth trip with them. And yes, this post is yet another attempt for me to hone my word press blogging skills, before I hit the road.

Our first trip, to Costa Rica in 2007, definitely gave us value for our money. All Road Scholars trips include lectures about the country, supplemented with visits to points of interest that we might have missed had we been traveling on our own. At Cafe Britt, we learned about the history of coffee, its cultivation, harvesting and roasting. The gift shop shipped our purchases home for us, which was greatly appreciated.

At our visit to the Dole plantation, we learned that banana plants are actually herbs. That was only one of a multitude of interesting facts. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the rest of them. Hey, it’s been 5 years!

Costa Rica has no military force. Instead, they spend their resources on education and on preserving the beauty of their country. As they say in Costa Rica, “Pura Vida”.
INBio Park’s exhibit pinpointed the locations of Costa Rica’s abundant national parks.

Our trip also had an active component. That’s me, front left seat, with Mike right behind me (although it is hard to tell) white water rafting on the Sarapiqui River.

Our school visit qualified as a “genuine experiences with the locals”. The children were so cute. They performed for us, then practiced speaking English while they gave us a tour of the school.

We visited TWO of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes. Poaz Volcano is just outside of San Jose. That is not a reflection of the sky; it is actual steam rising up from the center of the crater.

Our hotel was close enough to Volcan Arenal to allow us to see it erupting at night. This obviously isn’t a great shot, but you get the idea. Trust me, it was much more impressive in person!

Here’s the afternoon view, from our hotel.

One of the nice things about Road Scholars is you are not visiting sites with hoards of others. Frequently we were all by ourselves, enjoying the view.

We hiked to the top of a neighboring peak, and were rewarded with a wonderful view of Lake Arenal.

This Capuchin monkey’s job was to distract us so that his confederates could get into our backpacks. We were supposed to leave them unattended while we photographed him!