I can't believe it's our last day already. It seems like a long time ago we were at the Panama Canal or the Lost and Found lodge, but here we are facing our last long bus ride and our last beach for a while. I also can't believe we would be tired of looking at monkeys, but now they are just a passing glance unless they do something really crazy. Howlers are very interesting though. They are so loud for such a small monkey and they bob up and down while they growl.
We spent yesterday at the beach and all got sunburned. We had sunblock on and sat in the shade, but the closer you get to the equator the more intense the sun is and we were no match for it.
It gets oppressively hot here around four in the afternoon but by six the breezes kick up nicely and the world seem all right. Last night it was a full sensory experience. I was sitting in a hanging chair,rocking gently, while watching and listening to howler monkeys and an amazingly loud cicada. There is a flower blooming here that has an amazing fragrance. I was enjoying a cold Pilsen and listening to people talk in three different languages. For dinner we had fresh fruits and vegetables and flavored our chicken with traditional local spices.
Today we will cook breakfast, pack up our stuff, head to the beach to check out the tide pools, then catch a direct bus to the city of Alejuela near the airport. "Direct" means we don't have to change busses at the ferry port. Our bus will get on the ferry, but the whole journey will still involve bus, boat, bus, taxi.
Oh, and Kathy asked if we would bring coffee home. We found out on our coffee tour that the best coffee is actually sent out of Costa Rica for export. So, if you go to the store and buy organic, free trade non-decaf, ungroud coffee beans you are getting the good stuff at about the same price. Here it is about $10-$15 a pound.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Beach town
Im doing this post entirely from my phone so if there are no photos it's because I didn't figure out how to get them uploaded.
We arrived in Montezuma with no hotel reservations, but a few ideas. Unfortunately none of them panned out. We did find a hostel right on the beach but the rooms were sparse and the kitchen terrible. We enjoyed the beach setting for one day, but the noise and uncomfortable rooms had us looking for a new place at dawn. Luckily, we got to move to Luna Llena, our first choice, and I am very happily relaxed on the large porch lounging couch while listening to howler monkeys get closer. We were told that they will visit us here at least once a day.
Yesterday we spent all afternoon at the beach. Cora was in the water for four straight hours. Tate built a fire pit and gathered wood (our children: water and fire). Steve and I went to buy food for dinner and by the time we were done shopping a storm blew in. It rained hard for several hours. All we could do was hang in our rooms. I'm pretty sure I was asleep by 8pm.
Today we moved to this awesome hostel,as mentioned above, and then walked to a waterfall. We had a great time there. Lots of swimming and climbing and a rope swing. Good combination.
We spent the rest of the day being entirely lazy. Lying on the couches, reading, drinking good coffee, listening to monkeys, watching lizards and ant trails. We will soon walk into town to make one of our usual Hostel Pasta dinners. Tate wants to do his fire again so we'll head to the beach after dark.
We arrived in Montezuma with no hotel reservations, but a few ideas. Unfortunately none of them panned out. We did find a hostel right on the beach but the rooms were sparse and the kitchen terrible. We enjoyed the beach setting for one day, but the noise and uncomfortable rooms had us looking for a new place at dawn. Luckily, we got to move to Luna Llena, our first choice, and I am very happily relaxed on the large porch lounging couch while listening to howler monkeys get closer. We were told that they will visit us here at least once a day.
Yesterday we spent all afternoon at the beach. Cora was in the water for four straight hours. Tate built a fire pit and gathered wood (our children: water and fire). Steve and I went to buy food for dinner and by the time we were done shopping a storm blew in. It rained hard for several hours. All we could do was hang in our rooms. I'm pretty sure I was asleep by 8pm.
Today we moved to this awesome hostel,as mentioned above, and then walked to a waterfall. We had a great time there. Lots of swimming and climbing and a rope swing. Good combination.
We spent the rest of the day being entirely lazy. Lying on the couches, reading, drinking good coffee, listening to monkeys, watching lizards and ant trails. We will soon walk into town to make one of our usual Hostel Pasta dinners. Tate wants to do his fire again so we'll head to the beach after dark.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monteverde and Selvatura
The ride to Santa Elana was very nice. Having the boat trip in the middle broke it up and the mountain views were gorgeous. We were in and out of the cloud forests and drove by many coffee plantations. We had never seen coffee flowering before and the smell is really nice. Very fragrant.
Our first choice hostel had a good room available so we are very happy here for two nights. Tina´s Casitas.
There are lots of dogs here. Cora made friends with Snoopy and Charlie.
The bad thing is the transportation to get anywhere from the Monteverde area is really expensive and it's like they have fixed it so travelers have to use that expensive transport. The public buses are at 4:30am (!) or 2:30pm which makes you too late to get the ferry to the coast. There is one at 6am but it would take us seven hours as opposed to three because of the route. Instead we are paying $45 per person to go from here to the coast. I really do want to like Costa Rica, but they are making it hard.
In the afternoon we went to do a coffee and sugar farm tour. There were a lot of people in our group but our guide was really good. I learned a lot more about coffee than the other coffee tours I had been on, and I had never learned anything about sugar so that was really interesting. The kids liked it because they got to make candy at the end and chew on sugarcane.
Today we are doing another "Canopy Tour" but that actually means we are ziplining again. I think they call it canopy tour so it sounds jungle-ish, but you really don't notice the jungle and there are no animals to be seen. It's more of a thrill adventure. Neverless, we had a lot of fun last time so are looking forward to it. First, however, we are having a pancake breakfast here at the hostel. Yum!
We spent the morning just lazing around and looking at hotel reviews for Montezuma. We are not going to make reservations and just see what comes up. That usually goes better than making a reservation based website photos.
After lunch we went on the zipline and had a great time. The weather was cool and rainy but we wore ponchos. The lush jungle area was neat to see and the really long cables were so high up that it really was like being a bird. After we were done with the zips we got to do the Tarzan Swing. Basically we stood at the top of a 30 foot high tower and had to step off, then we would swing way out into the jungle. It was scary and awesome. We all loved it.
Tomorrow morning we leave very early for Montezuma. It is a small beach community on the pacific coast/gulf area and our last stop before returning home. We are ready for some sun and beach again.
Our first choice hostel had a good room available so we are very happy here for two nights. Tina´s Casitas.
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| Stave making lunch while I sit in the hammock |
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| They don´t like Tate though. They snarl and chase him. It´s very funny to watch. |
The bad thing is the transportation to get anywhere from the Monteverde area is really expensive and it's like they have fixed it so travelers have to use that expensive transport. The public buses are at 4:30am (!) or 2:30pm which makes you too late to get the ferry to the coast. There is one at 6am but it would take us seven hours as opposed to three because of the route. Instead we are paying $45 per person to go from here to the coast. I really do want to like Costa Rica, but they are making it hard.
In the afternoon we went to do a coffee and sugar farm tour. There were a lot of people in our group but our guide was really good. I learned a lot more about coffee than the other coffee tours I had been on, and I had never learned anything about sugar so that was really interesting. The kids liked it because they got to make candy at the end and chew on sugarcane.
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| Cora mixing the sugar cane toffee |
Today we are doing another "Canopy Tour" but that actually means we are ziplining again. I think they call it canopy tour so it sounds jungle-ish, but you really don't notice the jungle and there are no animals to be seen. It's more of a thrill adventure. Neverless, we had a lot of fun last time so are looking forward to it. First, however, we are having a pancake breakfast here at the hostel. Yum!
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| Awesome pancakes and great coffee! |
We spent the morning just lazing around and looking at hotel reviews for Montezuma. We are not going to make reservations and just see what comes up. That usually goes better than making a reservation based website photos.
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| A grasshopper we found while on a walk. It had large red wings. The dog that was following us chased it around and ate it. |
After lunch we went on the zipline and had a great time. The weather was cool and rainy but we wore ponchos. The lush jungle area was neat to see and the really long cables were so high up that it really was like being a bird. After we were done with the zips we got to do the Tarzan Swing. Basically we stood at the top of a 30 foot high tower and had to step off, then we would swing way out into the jungle. It was scary and awesome. We all loved it.
Tomorrow morning we leave very early for Montezuma. It is a small beach community on the pacific coast/gulf area and our last stop before returning home. We are ready for some sun and beach again.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
La Fortuna
Yesterday we got up with no plans for the day. We made some breakfast, used the Internet cafe and called the debit card company. We are still in a holding pattern with that because we don't want to give up our cash line. I am keeping a close eye on the account but at this point we think the card got turned in to a bank.
We decided to spend the afternoon at Baldi Hot Springs and included dinner in the tickets. We spent the afternoon lounging around in the thermal hot springs, which were varying degrees of temperature. There were about 20 of them Steve and I took cat naps while the kids played on the watercourse. Tate was very popular because when he came down there was a huge splash when he hit the water. Dinner was ok. Kinda like cruise ship food. After that the pools were lit up and most of the people were gone so it was really relaxing.
This morning when we woke up the top of the volcano was visible. It peeked in and out of the clouds all day. I hope we can see some volcanic activity tonight but I doubt it.
Another day with no plans so I booked some activities for the next few days. Today we went to Los Lagos and did a zipline course and then got to lounge in more thermal pool. Everyone really had fun ziplining. We even got to go upside down and Cora got to fly like superman. We got good video.
The large waterside Los Lagos had a broken pipe so was dry. The kids made some amigos here and hatched a plan to fill buckets with water and pour them down the slide so they could go. It worked great and they had a good time.
Tomorrow morning we are leaving La Fortuna and taking a boat across lake Arenal. The boat ride will save us 2 hours of drive time on terrible road. They keep the roads bad here so that they don't become tourist superhighways.
Speaking of touristy, Costa Rica is very touristy, especially where we are now. This is not our usual way of travel and we really don't like it very much. Prices are inflated,everything has to be booked through a tour company, and the experience is very sanitized. There are no animals here because I'm sure they have been scared away. Overall, we liked Panama much better. Nevertheless, we are glad we came here if for no other reason than to know this is not where we want to have a winter home.
We decided to spend the afternoon at Baldi Hot Springs and included dinner in the tickets. We spent the afternoon lounging around in the thermal hot springs, which were varying degrees of temperature. There were about 20 of them Steve and I took cat naps while the kids played on the watercourse. Tate was very popular because when he came down there was a huge splash when he hit the water. Dinner was ok. Kinda like cruise ship food. After that the pools were lit up and most of the people were gone so it was really relaxing.
This morning when we woke up the top of the volcano was visible. It peeked in and out of the clouds all day. I hope we can see some volcanic activity tonight but I doubt it.
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| Again, a computer with no SD card slot. These few photos from my phone will have to do |
Another day with no plans so I booked some activities for the next few days. Today we went to Los Lagos and did a zipline course and then got to lounge in more thermal pool. Everyone really had fun ziplining. We even got to go upside down and Cora got to fly like superman. We got good video.
The large waterside Los Lagos had a broken pipe so was dry. The kids made some amigos here and hatched a plan to fill buckets with water and pour them down the slide so they could go. It worked great and they had a good time.
Tomorrow morning we are leaving La Fortuna and taking a boat across lake Arenal. The boat ride will save us 2 hours of drive time on terrible road. They keep the roads bad here so that they don't become tourist superhighways.
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| Cora wants to pet every dog she sees. If it looks healthy I let her. Lots of roaming dogs here. |
Speaking of touristy, Costa Rica is very touristy, especially where we are now. This is not our usual way of travel and we really don't like it very much. Prices are inflated,everything has to be booked through a tour company, and the experience is very sanitized. There are no animals here because I'm sure they have been scared away. Overall, we liked Panama much better. Nevertheless, we are glad we came here if for no other reason than to know this is not where we want to have a winter home.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The ups and downs of travel
We went whitewater rafting today on the River Picuare. We had to get up early for a 6am pickup. After a two hour bus ride we had a hearty breakfast at the base then we rode in a van up into the mountain so we could raft down. There are not words for how awesome this day was. We basically went between a mountain and a volcano. Both covered with dense jungle vegetation. There were about 40 rapids and gorgeous deep canyons and a lightly cloudy sky so we didn't fry in the sun. Our guide (who looked like a Costa Rican Adam Sandler) was so great. We could not have asked for a better experience. One of those "it is awesome to be alive" days.
No pictures though. Our camera is not waterproof.
Right now we are relaxed and tired and on a 3 hour mini-bus (with the tour company we rafted with) ride to Volcan Arenal with people from Japan, Canada, Austria, and our Costa Rican bus driver. I'm listening to some Javier Mendoza and loving the travel life.
Four hours later...
Ha! When we travel we know that there will always be a bad part of everyday. Usually its just an hour or so and that helps us get through the rough spots. Today I thought it was when our van driver got into a road rage incident and they all pulled off the road and a police officer nearby cocked his gun, meanwhile the woman sitting behind me kept yelling "Are you serious!" or it was the fact that we were on an insanely narrow busy road and our driver kept passing other cars within inches. (yes, it was our driver that started the road rage issue); but no, it was the terrible hotel we got dropped at, paid for, unpacked and then realized that it was absolutely not going to work for us. We were so tired from the rafting but had to pack up, negotiate one nights money back, and hunt for a new hotel. Lucky for us the third place we went to was good, has a really nice garden and common area, a kitchen, and a hot shower. We are much happier here. The travel life is good again.
Thursday morning:
We might be starting to crack...we had a stressful morning and everyone is sick of each other. I lost the ATM card. I think I left it in the machine in Puerto Viejo. No one has used it, but we are going to cancel it. We have to get out enough cash for a while first becuase we have to cancel both cards. Good lesson here. Carry two different ATM card accounts. This afternoon we are going to a hot springs resort for the rest of the day so I think our crappy part of Thursday is over. Please let it be over.
No pictures though. Our camera is not waterproof.
Right now we are relaxed and tired and on a 3 hour mini-bus (with the tour company we rafted with) ride to Volcan Arenal with people from Japan, Canada, Austria, and our Costa Rican bus driver. I'm listening to some Javier Mendoza and loving the travel life.
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| Cora asleep after a long day of rafting |
Four hours later...
Ha! When we travel we know that there will always be a bad part of everyday. Usually its just an hour or so and that helps us get through the rough spots. Today I thought it was when our van driver got into a road rage incident and they all pulled off the road and a police officer nearby cocked his gun, meanwhile the woman sitting behind me kept yelling "Are you serious!" or it was the fact that we were on an insanely narrow busy road and our driver kept passing other cars within inches. (yes, it was our driver that started the road rage issue); but no, it was the terrible hotel we got dropped at, paid for, unpacked and then realized that it was absolutely not going to work for us. We were so tired from the rafting but had to pack up, negotiate one nights money back, and hunt for a new hotel. Lucky for us the third place we went to was good, has a really nice garden and common area, a kitchen, and a hot shower. We are much happier here. The travel life is good again.
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| The balcony at our new hotel |
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| The courtyard |
Thursday morning:
We might be starting to crack...we had a stressful morning and everyone is sick of each other. I lost the ATM card. I think I left it in the machine in Puerto Viejo. No one has used it, but we are going to cancel it. We have to get out enough cash for a while first becuase we have to cancel both cards. Good lesson here. Carry two different ATM card accounts. This afternoon we are going to a hot springs resort for the rest of the day so I think our crappy part of Thursday is over. Please let it be over.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Puerto Viejo
I'm having a hard time getting used to the money in Costa Rica. We were able to use American dollars in panama but here they use the Colon. The exchange rate is 500 colons to the dollar. Yes, that was 500! It's hard to wrap your head around paying 1500c for water or getting 200,000c out of the ATM.
I'm gonna catch up with some pictures now. Here is La Costa de Pepita front desk area and restaurant.
Our front porch and Cora in her bunkbed with a mosquito net.
Yesterday morning we had a delicious breakfast here at the hotel then walked about a kilometer to the Jaguar Rescue Center. Absolutely amazing! We got to hold and play with monkeys, pet several different types of sloths, Tate made friends with the little squirrel, Lino, and it rode on his back most of the time. This is the most I've ever seen Tate interact with an animal.
Cora was in absolute heaven. Some of the monkeys were babies and would just crawl up on our shoulders. We also saw a hawk capture a mouse, a gigantic iguana, and an ocelot (a type of wildcat). The guide couldn't get the ocelot to come out so he brought out a live mouse. We thought he would just let it go on the floor of the cage but he put it on the cage wall right in front of us so the ocelot pounced on it just inches from our faces. Tate got a good video of that. Overall the center was very impressive and we loved it. I think Cora has found her job choice in life. Taking care of monkeys next to a beach.
We spent the afternoon at the beach. There is a strong undertow here and many red flags (don't swim areas) but we found a yellow flag area with waves just right for the kids to be happy and for us not to have to worry too much. They were in the water for about three hours. Tate was tired at the end but Cora had to be dragged away.
In the evening I walked into town to try to find a bike small enough for Cora. No luck but I did get a tandem. Tomorrow we are going to ride out and explore more beaches and go on a chocolate making tour.
I'm gonna catch up with some pictures now. Here is La Costa de Pepita front desk area and restaurant.
Our front porch and Cora in her bunkbed with a mosquito net.
Yesterday morning we had a delicious breakfast here at the hotel then walked about a kilometer to the Jaguar Rescue Center. Absolutely amazing! We got to hold and play with monkeys, pet several different types of sloths, Tate made friends with the little squirrel, Lino, and it rode on his back most of the time. This is the most I've ever seen Tate interact with an animal.
We spent the afternoon at the beach. There is a strong undertow here and many red flags (don't swim areas) but we found a yellow flag area with waves just right for the kids to be happy and for us not to have to worry too much. They were in the water for about three hours. Tate was tired at the end but Cora had to be dragged away.
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| We made a Costa Rican snowman. He's 6 inches high. |
In the evening I walked into town to try to find a bike small enough for Cora. No luck but I did get a tandem. Tomorrow we are going to ride out and explore more beaches and go on a chocolate making tour.
Monday, February 21, 2011
In Costa Rica
Again, this computer will not take an SD card. However, I am drinking the best coffee I've ever had while writing this so it's mas-o-menos. (good and bad)
We were only able to spend the one night in Bocas del Toro because we made reservations at a specific hotel in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and they only let you cancel if the can rebook. Thus, for the third day in a row we were on the move. That is really exhausting so I'm glad we are in one place for at least three days now.
It took us about five hours to get here from Bocas. We first had to get a water taxi to get back to mainland. They were very busy that day so we had to wait an hour for that. Then I splurged and paid for us to get a direct minibus to the border. Otherwise that would have been a taxi then two different busses to get there. Then we spent 30 minutes getting visas and stamped out of Panama. After that we walked across a rickety, rusted bridge into Costa Rica. From there another office for customs and an entry stamp. When we walked up to the window the guy said "one hour for lunch." I had read that this can happen so cried out "oh, no! But I have children with me!" (all of this in Spanish) so he relented and let us through! The people behind us he told would have to wait but then we saw them on the road later so he must have a soft heart. Why they don't have another person take over for the lunch break is beyond me.
After the border crossing another 90 minutes on a bus (not direct so it stopped to pick up and drop about every 5 minutes!) then a last taxi to our hotel. Exhausting.
The La Costa de Pepita is very nice. We have a bungalow with five beds (heaven when you are used to a king and everything here is full size) and a porch with a hammock. This is by far the nicest place we have ever stayed when traveling in central America.
Our hotel is directly across from a really nice beach so Cora is very happy. She really does come alive at the beach. It's like she's drawn to them. She skips around and dives in and out of waves like a mermaid.
The one bad thing is that we are so far from the town and all of the food and water is very expensive out here. I did rent a bicycle and ride in twice for water and snacks. Many people ride bikes here. Big beach cruisers with no lights or helmets. The road is pocked with pothole and is very dusty so the riding was not entirely pleasant, but it did feel great to be on a bike again.
After dinner we went to the beach and it was deserted. The moon was behind a cloud so it was very dark but then the nearly full moon, which was large and a dark yellow last night, came out and lit up a streak of the lightly rolling ocean. It was magical. I stood there transfixed and trying to burn the image in my brain. Then the moon went behind the clouds again.
The day was long and difficult for many reasons, but that moment on the beach restored my faith in why we travel and that the problems we encounter are always worth it in the end.
We were only able to spend the one night in Bocas del Toro because we made reservations at a specific hotel in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and they only let you cancel if the can rebook. Thus, for the third day in a row we were on the move. That is really exhausting so I'm glad we are in one place for at least three days now.
It took us about five hours to get here from Bocas. We first had to get a water taxi to get back to mainland. They were very busy that day so we had to wait an hour for that. Then I splurged and paid for us to get a direct minibus to the border. Otherwise that would have been a taxi then two different busses to get there. Then we spent 30 minutes getting visas and stamped out of Panama. After that we walked across a rickety, rusted bridge into Costa Rica. From there another office for customs and an entry stamp. When we walked up to the window the guy said "one hour for lunch." I had read that this can happen so cried out "oh, no! But I have children with me!" (all of this in Spanish) so he relented and let us through! The people behind us he told would have to wait but then we saw them on the road later so he must have a soft heart. Why they don't have another person take over for the lunch break is beyond me.
After the border crossing another 90 minutes on a bus (not direct so it stopped to pick up and drop about every 5 minutes!) then a last taxi to our hotel. Exhausting.
The La Costa de Pepita is very nice. We have a bungalow with five beds (heaven when you are used to a king and everything here is full size) and a porch with a hammock. This is by far the nicest place we have ever stayed when traveling in central America.
Our hotel is directly across from a really nice beach so Cora is very happy. She really does come alive at the beach. It's like she's drawn to them. She skips around and dives in and out of waves like a mermaid.
The one bad thing is that we are so far from the town and all of the food and water is very expensive out here. I did rent a bicycle and ride in twice for water and snacks. Many people ride bikes here. Big beach cruisers with no lights or helmets. The road is pocked with pothole and is very dusty so the riding was not entirely pleasant, but it did feel great to be on a bike again.
After dinner we went to the beach and it was deserted. The moon was behind a cloud so it was very dark but then the nearly full moon, which was large and a dark yellow last night, came out and lit up a streak of the lightly rolling ocean. It was magical. I stood there transfixed and trying to burn the image in my brain. Then the moon went behind the clouds again.
The day was long and difficult for many reasons, but that moment on the beach restored my faith in why we travel and that the problems we encounter are always worth it in the end.
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