Costa Rica – traveling4family

April 28, 2019

Costa Rica: Chilamate and Sarapique-Rafting Time-Stu

A calmer stretch of the Sarapiqui River-photo courtesy of keywordteam.net

We saw lovely countryside as we wove this way and that along the serpentine 2-lane roads (thankfully paved). It was great to see the difference in the towns and landscape we passed through which became markedly more tropical as we came down from the mountains. There were also smaller villages interspersed with small fields of crops or the occasional grazing horse. We eventually arrived at the delightful Malibu Cabanas Bed and Breakfast in Chilamate just outside Sarapique. The owners spoke very little English which gave me yet more opportunity to mangle Spanish. There was a local soda nearby on the main road that they recommended for al muerzo, and as we were all famished, we decided to take their advice. So glad we did-the food was exceptional and so much of it! We agreed that in future, we would only order two meals to feed us if we splurged at one of these roadside cafes that are universally called Typical Soda.

After eating, we drove a few kilometers to the Sarapique Outdoor Center to check and see if the recommendation made by our B&B host was another hit. When we walked in, the guy behind the counter said, “Stu?” I was surprised for a moment until I realized that our our kind host had called ahead and set up a river rafting tour for us in case we liked the place. We got the basic details from a guy by the name of Miguel who was manning the desk. He offered to show us the Sarapique Rio itself which was a short walk across the tributary out back. It’s a great looking river, the kind that just makes you want to jump in a raft or canoe and start exploring. Miguel pointed to his blue shirt shirt and asked if we wanted to see. I guessed he either wanted to show us the actual blue and red poison arrow frog pictured on his shirt or sell us a shirt. Turns out the frogs live all around, so we started looking. Robyn was the first to locate one. Super cute little guy about an inch long with a bright red top half and blue legs. Miguel pointed and said, “Blue jean frog.” very apt, I thought. As they were poisonous, we had to remind Meg not to touch as she was already maneuvering to pick it up…We agreed to a trip, and then left to go to the supermercado (what a treat: they had lots of choices of food in a real supermarket) to get provisions for the next day of what we hoped would be fun on the river.

Our guide on the Sarapiqui Rio the next day was a guy by the name of Roberto. He was extremely knowledgeable about the abundant local plants and wildlife having grown up the area. He’d traveled abroad, but could not face being away from the jungle. He lives with his brother and travels to work on foot on forest paths having decided to live a more traditional way of life in the jungle. The river was flowing fast enough (class II-III) to give an adrenaline boost down the occasional lively rapids, where we almost lost Liam overboard, yet the stately river had very benevolent feel to it as it flowed calmly through the jungle. There were massive trees overhanging the water at times offering shade and secretive little harbors and inlets begging to be explored. Monkeys, toucans, and diving kingfishers kept us company as our little group floated along. Stopping to jump from a 10 foot bank into a deep eddy was a great diversion for the adventurous, and a confidence boost for the unsure, and our guide gave us the opportunity ahead of a larger group that appeared around the last bend we’d passed a few minutes before. We tried fresh picked monkey guava (you suck the custard like stuff off the hazelnut-like seeds); slimy vanilla-tasting cacao which is nothing like the chocolate you know from the stores; fresh ginger root (the smell of the flower that grows on the edge of the river was intoxicating and resembled a pretty orchid); and sucked a seemingly endless supply of delicious sugar water from fresh sugar cane. All so good!

Our trip proved to be no mere adrenaline fix, rather it was more a journey to the heart and soul of the jungle. Robyn had tears in her eyes with the spiritual essence of the place which was almost tangible in its power. As we regretfully left the river and rode the 4×4 back to the outdoor center, I decided that this was a river I would love to come back and explore over the course of a multi-day trip deeper into the forest as even our brief excursion resembled a trip back to the prehistoric essence of our human beginnings.

Sarapique Outdoor Center is contactable via their website or on tripadvisor. Give them a look see…

https://costaricaraft.com/

Best Costa Rica Whitewater Rafting & Kayak

Kayaks are popular ways to travel the Sarapiqui River-Photo courtesy of www.oregonkayaking.net

March 2, 2019March 2, 2019

Hot Stuff/Locals Only?-Arenal

Picture: Glimpse of Arenal Volcano

So apparently, jungle birds wake up before dawn is even a faint reality. They also create a lot of sound which is hysterical to listen to as you lay in bed wondering if you are still in dream about The Land Time Forgot. Some birds whistled, others craoked, squawked, whapped and trilled. The best one is a kind of slowly rising whoop unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. It gets so loud that I feared the bird must have exploded in a puff of feathers at the end. Our tent on stilts continues to delight.

We’d heard of a ‘secret’ local’s spot a few miles away located on the foothills of the volcano that was considered a very special place, so we got rudimentary directions and piled into Raul with swim gear and water shoes. The secret spot is actually a small river that flows with water heated by Arenal Volcano. It is as hot as a jacuzzi and is a few minute’s hike from the road where people just park on the shoulder. Nestled in and amongst the jungle, locals have arranged boulders and rocks in the shallow water to create family-sized pools. Melted wax adorns many overhanging branches and rocks as people like to sit by tranquil candlelight at night. We were a little out of our comfort zone as we sat in the river careful not to get any into our mouth or eyes as per instructions (I guess that there can be rare issues with bacteria at times). Sadly, I noticed there was some trash here and there on the shore.

However, after a little while it was actually very relaxing sitting in hot gently flowing water out in the forest and none of us had any ill-effects afterwards I must clarify. In fact, locals swear that the river has powerful rejuvenating properties bringing both physical and spiritual renewal. I’m not sure about the scientific analysis of this, yet I felt great for days afterwards. The place gets busy over the weekends although we had the place mostly to ourselves as there was just one other family who arrived as we were almost ready to leave. They shared that the night before, there were more than a hundred visitors, and the family had to leave without being able to get wet. I think this explained the trash somewhat as people tend to be the same wherever you go. All that being said-it’s definitely worth a visit; just go during the weekdays.

The next day, we took a hike around the base of the volcano at Arenal Volcano National Park. The trail follows the lava flow that blanketed the surrounding area in the eruption of 1968. There are steep sections providing wonderful views of the park and region, and also low-lying parts that wind around the lake. This was great, because there were toucans (our first viewing) monkeys, and a colorful tree viper that all make use of the lush forest around the lake. Of course, there were several colonies of the industrious leaf cutter ants whose trails and tunnels sometimes run for hundreds of yards. It was a great three-hour hike which can be extended to double that if a greater challenge is desired.

Note: There is a nice cafe at the park for food and drinks, but this is not always open. Hikers should ensure they have plenty of water and some salty snacks, and take bug spray for the lower trail around the lake as the mosquitos can be quite bothersome. The lower trail loop is great for even younger children.

Our time in this area is winding down. We have managed to stay in a great location and feed ourselves in order to keep a very tight budget. Essence provided an up close and personal interaction with local wildlife as well as information and views of a working fruit and coffee plantation. Even though the local store keeper couldn’t understand the concept of a drought while we discussed the merits California and Costa Rica, everyone was friendly and helpful. This is part of the backpacker or tourist trail, but only mildly so. No hard sells for experiences or tours.

February 3, 2019February 3, 2019

Essence Plantation, Arenal

Picture: The view of distant Arenal Lake from the parking lot at Essence Plantation, Arenal

After a long drive that was perhaps only 70 km as the bird flies, we arrived at our home for the next 4 days: Essence Plantation, near Arenal. The drive from Monte Verde was exciting because half of it was on unpaved roads that were in places passable with 4-wheel drive only. The rich red earth was very muddy due to the rains and the route we were to take involved crossing a river crossing without a bridge. This was not a safe option due to the high water. So we spoke to Anthony at the front desk of our B&B before leaving and thrashed out an alternate route that had much less unpaved roads, and turned out to be absolutely beautiful.

The north side of Arenal Lake has to be one of the prettiest drives you could ever make. It seemed to me to be a cross between the best parts of Hawaii, the U.S., and jolly old England. I love smaller two lane roads as they do not dominate the land they pass through. And in Costa Rica this means that dogs standing in the middle of the road (as they did from one end of the country to the other every day we drove) have time enough to casually saunter to the roadside. A few colorful houses nestled in the palms overlooking the lake and the surrounding hillsides, and the occasional dock reached out into the inviting water. Everyone relaxed after the slippery mud sliding drive down from the mountains of Monte Verde. Even Robyn managed to unlatch her fingers from the dashboard where she’d hanging on for dear life. There was one part near the end of this drive where we crossed over the lake on a long causeway with the classic cone-shaped form of Arenal Volcano in the background that took our breath away as it was simply almost too beautiful. A few miles farther on and we reached our destination and were greeted by Banano, the colorful mackaw parrot so named as he liked to scrounge chunks of bananas from the enamored guests at mealtimes.

The plantation is basically a working farm with good amenities for visitors to enjoy while they explored and learned about the area. Unfortunately, the room we had booked was a very small, dark little cell with nowhere to hang or store our luggage. In fact, there were no windows, chairs, or any improvements at all; just bunk beds. There was a shower and restroom across the way, though. Robyn and I could not see how to make it work, especially as we had to try to make our own food as the restaurant was simply too expensive for us to eat at. Robyn went to the front desk to check to see if there was another option. A short while she came back with the location for a safari-style tent on 15 foot stilts overlooking the jungle for us to look at. It was great, and we moved in lickety-split. So much better; airy, table and chairs, and an outside deck with a covered roof for us to dry laundry. Best of all, it was very spacious and we could hear all the crazy jungle sounds while we relaxed. Leaf cutter ants paraded busily along the worn dirt pathways and following one such colony led us to the shower building. The shower was also piping hot as it was heated by the nearby volcano.

We walked up to the small outside pool on the neighboring ridge and cooled off surrounded by coffee bushes and piña plants (so that’s what they look like before they get to the store!) The daily storm clouds began to gather giving us a few minutes to collect our belongings and walk back to the tent. The downpour that followed had us all grinning at each other nervously as sheets of water thrashed the roof of the tent while the wind tried to pry the canvas from the wooden floor and stilts. Flashes of light and crashing thunder made us feel all the more cozy when it became apparent that the tent would survive another day. Later that evening as the storm grumbled away to the distance, the jungle gradually came alive with whirring, croaking, buzzing, chirruping night sounds that were much louder than we were expecting. Interestingly, they make great background noise to fall asleep to and we all slept soundly until the dawn chorus greeted us with a brand new day.

Banano working his magic with the newcomers…

January 23, 2019February 1, 2019

Reserva Biologica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde (Monteverde Tropical Cloud Forest Reserve)

Picture: Typical cloud forest view

The Monte Verde Tropical Cloud Forest Reserve is a truly wondrous place. This old growth reserve is a teeming mass of different hues of green that crowd the narrow trails on each side and above. I’ve never seen so many different types of ferns, palms, trees, vines, bushes, and flowers including 100’s of types of plants that extract all their moisture needs directly from the air. Strange bird calls echoed in the perpetual twilight and water dripped constantly from the canopy way above our heads. The place had an earthy nurturing feel to it; a kind of green embrace. It felt as though we were traveling back in time to the land time forgot. As with other cloud forests we’ve visited so far, the racing clouds kept the temperatures cool. Then the rain began.

It rained and rained. Then rained some more. We all had ponchos, but ended up soaked on the inside due to the humidity and exercise. After a while, we voted to end our hike and return to the visitor’s center for a hot drink and something sweet to eat. Liam suffered particularly on the way back due to his wet long pants which were whicking the heat away from his body. It took a long time for him to warm up in the visitor’s center as they had the AC blasting. However, I felt fortunate to have have experienced such a wonderful forest. I also understand why native peoples in the jungle tend to wear hardly any clothes. It’s better to let skin dry rather than wait for clothes to dry which takes forever in the high humidity.

On our drive back to the B&B, we stopped at a roadside craft center which offered a few different boutiques. We had a cup of tea and reflected that Monte Verde seems to have a more spiritual and natural vibe than nearby Santa Elena. It’s more of a collection of houses, boutiques, and hotels. In the afternoon we dried out and took a nap to recharge before heading out to a small, cheap restaurant in town for pizza. Next up is Arenal/La Fortuna. We’re to stay at a working coffee plantation with seemingly no way to cook our food cheaply (too expensive to eat at the on-site restaurant). Darn. Will pack some emergency supplies and look for things that can be eaten without cooking. So long cloud forest! Pura Vida!

Meg and Liam relax after the rain stopped

January 23, 2019

Canopy Adventura Tour and Zipline Experience

Picture: Snapshot of the Canopy Adventura flyer showing the butt-quivering drop

We had a great meal at a little place down the street called Salvadita Typical Food last night. Let me tell you that the food and price was way better than reasonable. We all tried something different and enjoyed sampling each other’s plate. The kids’ eyes kept straying to the little TV on the wall playing Los Simpsons in Spanish. I couldn’t seem to prevent it from happening, so I contented myself with the thought that at least the kids were absorbing more Spanish…Made it home before the evening downpour and thunderstorm got into high tempest gear.

Today we went on a zipline tour. Liam had seen the pictures and was a little unsure if he was going to do it all or not. As it turned out, he confronted his fears and did the first 6 drops which were not the extreme ones. I actually enjoyed these as I was more interested in enjoying the forest than getting a real adrenaline burst. The lines were all good, and the harnesses and safety equipment seemed well maintained. I also appreciated the short instruction at the start point in which the guides went over what to do and not to do, especially with regards to braking and where to put your hands. I learned that it is not advisable to hold the cable in front of the rollers as you will lose all your fingers. The correct hand placement for the drops that required self-braking was behind the rollers on the cable. It was enjoyable to be amongst the tress moving so quickly. When Liam stopped after the sixth drop, I decided to stop too as he would have to make his own way back to the center and wait for us. I’m glad I did: Robyn and Meggie decided to carry on and do the whole thing including a huge 134 foot bungie cord freefall starting from 295 feet high. I guess they were surprised by this as the actual drop was kind of hidden away at the end of a rope bridge until it was their turn and thus too late to chicken out. Robyn was still shaking 45 minutes after she made it back to earth safely. Meggie just had a blast. This was the grand finale of the tour (not sure if they could have dealt with anymore 😉

Note: if you have any issues with heights or with nausea/motion sickness, I would recommend either not taking this tour or bailing out after the first 6 as Liam and I did. That way you can at least experience what it is like without the unpleasantness. Robyn’s constitution was a little shaken up for an hour or two afterwards. Also, if you are bringing children, even teens, if they are on the small side you should be aware that the guides will attach them either to an adult or even another kid. On one long drop, Meggie found herself attached to a teenage boy which made Robyn feel a little uncomfortable as it looked a tad awkward. I would also recommend taking a walking tour first as you really get to see the plant life in the canopy at a pace that allows viewing plant and animal life rather than just viewing a green blur.

Back at the B&B, we looked some more at the map to plan out the next few stages of the trip. We all agreed that the Caribbean Coast to the west, and the Osa Peninsula to the extreme south would be favorite places to explore. However, due to the long distances between each location, we have to include 3-4 extra stops to keep our sanity (no offence, Raul!) The good news is that all these stops have something good to see and that we will still have a solid week on the Caribbean coast (not including Tortuguerro) as well as almost a couple of weeks down on the south coast. I’m looking forward to running on the beach and swimming in the warm ocean. Did you notice the keyword, “warm” with regards to the ocean? Being up in higher elevations with so much rain has actually left us feeling chilled quite often. Tomorrow is our last full day in Monte Verde, and I think that we are all ready to move on. It’s good though as we now know that 3 days is really the max to spend at a place this size unless you have deep pockets and want to try multiple ziplines, night tours, etc.

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019

Costa Rica: Monte Verde/Selvatura Park

Picture: Meggie and Liam on an open suspension bridge leading into the rain forest

This morning we took a bus up to the rain forest to explore a section of mostly new growth in Selvatura Park. Our plan was to acclimatize ourselves to the forest and to canopy tours in general before the ‘big’ zipline experience the following day. The rain misted on and off for the next few hours, but thankfully did not turn into a tropical downpour, which at this elevation, is chillingly cold.

Note: if you do spend money to go to a tourist park or activity like ziplining, they will often send out a van or small bus to pick you up from your lodgings. However, be patient as they do make a few stops so as to have a full bus to make it worth their while.

Right at the start we heard the eerie moaning howl of some strange creatures emanating from the mist. The sound was actually quite scary and disconcerting; kind of like a cross between a bear and some diabolical monster rising from the underworld. The mist only seemed to amplify the howls while hiding the creatures. As you may have guessed, the sound comes from the aptly named howler monkeys that forage in this area each day. We never did see them though.

The walk itself was great. Every tree was covered in moss and there were a multitude of other nameless plants hanging and and creeping all over. The sheer amount of plants were mind-boggling. I particularly enjoyed seeing wild orchids and other parasitic plants nestled into the spongy trunks of towering trees. Clouds and mist wafted past cool on our cheeks as crossed several huge hanging bridges amongst the trees. Some of these bridges were 500 feet long and over 100 feet above the ground. The air was cool and moist and the light was muted by the canopy overhead. We all loved the gently swaying bridges and the feeling of being up among the treetops.

Returning back to our little room, we ate a simple lunch and napped for a while recovering from the loss of sleep that sometimes presents itself in a new place with new sounds (especially a powerful thunderstorm and hours-long deluge from the night before). When we felt sufficiently rested we decided to try and find a massive hollow climbing tree that another young family had told us about this morning during breakfast. We had the general location of the tree in a section of woods on the edge of town, and had to look for one that towered above all others. We walked up steep little roads among b&b’s, small hotels and a variety of small homes. As we got close, a brown dog of dubious pedigree but friendly demeanor hauled itself up from its siesta in its owner’s front yard and led the way into the woods and onto each trailhead as we searched. The dog was a character and kind of matter of fact in his assumed role of guide. We found the tree in the middle of the humid forest and we all had a little climbing trial. I say trial as we were all a little perturbed by the thought of poisonous snakes and spiders that may be lurking in the shadows. This was of course our first experience being off trail in a tropical country and we hadn’t yet become used to it. The kids did great climbing and hanging. It was possible to climb way up inside or even all the way up on the outside as old vines had wrapped themselves around the entire span of the trunk. The dog waited patiently. Eventually we decided to head back to our b&b. When we returned down the road, our canine guide simply walked off to his property as though this was an everyday occurrence. Actually, we were sure it was!

Back at the b&b, Robyn and I laid out a map of Costa Rica and tentatively formed a plan of attack for the next 6 weeks. We’d started to notice that these tourist places were seemed to be mostly only really good for a few days as everything is geared towards tourists on buses from resorts or tours with money to burn and searching for the extreme experiences that Costa Rica offers. In other words, most people go on a tour to “do” the ziplines, or whitewater rafting, etc. Although this is fun and we also wanted to participate a little, it was not the basis of our trip. We wanted to really immerse ourselves in this lush country and to fully experience everything; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Added to which, we were going to have to do it on a super tight budget. Luckily for us, whenever we go anywhere we would rather do things that were free, although this could be a tad limiting. That’s why our kids have very low expectations as to being bought stuff. However, according to our tentative plan, we would still have up to 3 weeks relaxing by the beach near national parks after we’d circled and explored the entire country. Nice! Next up, a full-blown zipline (well, we have to, right?) and then on to the cloud forest (old-growth full of exotic fauna and flora) before heading to Essence near Arinal which would be lower in elevation.

January 11, 2019January 11, 2019

Costa Rica: Highway 1 to Santa Elena/Monte Verde

Picture: Diary entry after scary cliff drive up to Santa Elena

After a great last breakfast at our little B&B where I again practiced my Espanol, we packed up up Raul and set off on our long drive to Monte Verde via Santa Elena. What a great drive it was. The first part took us back down the mountain to San Jose. A cyclist blew past us negotiating the treacherous switchbacks much faster than we were able (especially since I had my eyes closed most of the time…) In fact, I was more than a little worried that I was going to have to administer 1st aid when he would surely hit another vehicle head on while overtaking yet another bus or minivan. Didn’t happen though. Phew!

The next leg was along Highway 1 which is actually Costa Rica’s part of the Pan American Highway which runs from Mexico to the southern tip of Argentina. Our part of the highway was new and very easy to drive. Note: bring money for tolls. Hwy 1 eventually turned and wound past through the very busy and dirty Puntarenus coastline. The traffic built up here as Hwy 1 is mostly a one-lane road. Then we turned off the road and headed up towards Monte Verde up in the cloud forest.

This is where the real drive began in earnest. The serpentine road made its way through lush and colorful foliage. It was not unusual to see a solitary dog standing unconcernedly in the middle of the road or standing outside a tin shack. Eventually even this small road in a typical tropical paradise gave way to a small dirt road that began to slant very steeply upwards. The final 18km (just over 11 miles) was a scary rutted/unpaved climb with steep drop offs towering hundreds of feet above coffee plantations. Tour coaches roared down at us forcing us out towards the edge in places. Definitely not the 405 freeway back in California. The layer of mist hung mysteriously over the mountain slopes hiding small figures working in the plantations. Eventually the plantations gave way to rainforest and we made it through the small, rustic, working town of Santa Elena.

Soon after we arrived in Monte Verde and were greeted by a huge picture of a colorful green frog advertising a guided night hike. The small town was perched on steep slopes and had the feel of Cairns in Australia due mainly to the rustic appearance and crowds of young travelers “doing” the ziplines. Our small B&B was perched by a school surrounded by high wire fences and with the appearance of a correctional facility. The late afternoon thunderstorms were gathering darkly filling the air with suspense as we pulled back the covers on the beds for the bedbug check ritual (all clear:) I soon found a place to buy some supplies including food and a small bottle of tequila and clear alcohol made from cane sugar. Robyn and I sat on the main building’s upstairs veranda to watch the tempest while writing in our journals and reading. The kids opted to watch the Los Simpsons in Spanish in our little room. All were thankful for the rest even as the thunder blasted the mountain.

Note: you can also take canopy tours in Santa Elena, but we wanted to wait for Monte Verde which was more kid-friendly and had a great national park also.

December 27, 2018December 27, 2018

Day 2- Poás Volcano N.P/Vera Blanca General Vicinity-Stu

Picture: Meg enjoying the power of the cascade 1/2 way up the slope overlooking the waterfall near Vera Blanca

Cold! The night had been a chilly one which we should have anticipated due to the altitude.

We’d been socked in by the busy clouds racing up and over the ridges all day. It made for a great morning walk as we meandered along the farm tracks out back of our B & B. Interestingly, the scenery was very similar to that of English farmland complete with cows and eye-aching greenery (at least to those of us who are used to the brown hues of summer California). It was good to get the blood pumping as we walked up some very steep trails. Definitely felt the altitude. Walked over to the signposted Lecheria, but didn’t see anyone around except some bored bovines.

Later in the day we drove Raul down to a craggy waterfall a few miles outside Vera Blanca that tumbled down from a cliff that had to be easily 100-150 feet high. We stood at the bottom buffeted as much by the noise of the cascade as well the actual spray. The lush greenery clung defiantly to the cliffside right up to the water creating a very pretty picture. A little up the hill, there was a cool-looking water garden tourist trap where for a hefty fee it’s possible to see the waterfall from higher up, enjoy a fancy dinner, and explore the other attractions. Large, fancy coaches waited outside in lines. We opted for the free backpacker style encounter, and were totally satisfied.

By now, our meager traveling supplies augmented by breakfast at the B&B were almost gone. I’d been looking for a grocery store since we left San Jose and had yet to find one. I left Robyn and the kids and started driving through the village and out towards a bigger town I’d noticed beckoning on the map. 45 minutes later, I still hadn’t gotten there and was about to turn around when I saw a small store on the side of the road. I pulled in and walked into the gloom of the dirt-floored establishment. The shelves were nearly all empty although there was an ample supply of tinned sardines, some chips, a few eggs, a tube of black bean paste, and a few tortillas. I bought some of the eggs, beans, and tortillas and was very pleased to find an onion and a pepper in a corner. Success! I then noticed a bottle of Liqueur de Aranja which I guessed was some kind of orange-flavored alcohol. Good enough, I thought. I paid up and went home feeling like my first foray into the depths of Costa Rica was successful as I’d managed to secure enough food (just about) to feed us all. The total cost was about $2.50. In addition, I’d managed to have a conversation of sorts in Spanish with the lovely abuela behind the counter. By the way, I was glad to have expected that no-one would speak English and had been practicing my Spanish diligently. I was now able to apologize for butchering their language.

Another ritual was born that evening, too. After eating an early dinner, we all wrote in our journals until there was not enough daylight to see, then sat back on couch within the relative safety of our little cabin (which by the way shook with every clap of thunder and blast of lightning) and listened to the astonishing pyrotechnics of the nightly thunderstorm while the rain drilled away at the roof. Meg wondered where the little kitten was while I wondered if the cabin was going to float off the mountain…

November 25, 2018

Poás Volcano National Park

Our first stop was a small motel with rustic A-frame cabins nestled in and amongst lush trees and brimming with colorful hydrangeas. Surrounded by rolling grassy hills, we chose it because it was a both a short drive from San Jose and close to the active(ish) Poás Volcano National Park. The owners kindly allowed us to check in early and we gratefully piled into our little home for much-needed rest. Our first observation was that there are two main truths about buildings in Costa Rica: first, there is often no hot water. Second, there are very few lights. I guess the Costa Ricans like natural light and don’t need so much hot water as we soft Americans (and English, I suppose). Still, we became used to cold water showers which were great in the hotter lower elevations. That first night up in the mountains was a bit of a shock. Characters were built!

Before we left for the Volcano, Meggie managed to befriend a small ginger and black patched kitten. The little chap followed the kids around and even joined us for breakfast in the restaurant. Smart animal. When we left the next day, we had to check Raul and Meg’s bags to make sure that she wasn’t hiding a small orange stow away. Robyn and I really had to step up our language skills as for nearly the entirety of our stay in Costa Rica we were unable to speak English as no one else understood it. I really enjoyed this, and although I relished practicing my Espanol, I sometimes needed Google translate. In fact, quite often the local people who were enduring my attempts at speaking their language actually put an end to my misery by taking my phone and typing in what I was trying to say, or what they needed me to know. Awesome!

The volcano and national park were amazing. Several of the trails were closed due to mudflow and, occasionally, gasses I think. We were visiting during a time when there are huge storms almost every night. A local told me sometime later that this was not the official rainy season. You could have fooled me-the nightly storms were astonishing in their power and were a constant source of wonder for all of us. We made our way along verdant mountain trails to the caldera that nestled a few hundred feet below the observation point. Milky blue liquid lurked somewhat menacingly amongst clouds of steam and steadily gas leaking out. It was invigorating and a little scary to think that we were so close to a volcano that had shaped the local topography and had caused mayhem to people during years past. The visitors’ center was informative and showed how the local terrain had been shaped by the volcano over the past few thousand years. As impressive, at least to us, was the array of different plants such as the huge elephant ear plants with leaves 3 feet across. These could easily be employed as umbrellas. Unseen birds shrieked eerily from the forest as we trudged back to Raul in the light rain tired but happy. Great first day!

October 21, 2018November 25, 2018

LAX to San Jose, Costa Rica-The Adventure Begins

As often happens on our foreign travels, I am always relieved when I shakily climb out of the car or shuttle, and actually set foot on the curb of Los Angeles International Airport. This is because the most dangerous part of the trip, navigating the treacherous freeways that dissect Southern California and which become supremely tangled in L.A., is comparable to the carnage seen at the chariot races in ancient Rome. Indeed, the only difference I think is the available horsepower and longer pants. Still, surviving the trip to the airport is all part of the fun and prepares us for anything and everything from that point on. This trip saw me doubly confident as it was my father in law who actually drove us…you would probably recognize him as the guy in the Lexus SUV who makes his own driving rules (wait, isn’t that everyone who owns a Lexus SUV?) Enough said. We caught our red-eye flight to San Jose International Airport in Costa Rica and arrived without further incident or sleep.

Arriving from the ocean in the early morning is a great way to experience the overwhelming green ruggedness of Costa Rica. Near the mountains and at an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet, San Jose was veiled by a thin mist that partially hid the patchwork of corrugated tin roofs and added to its allure as we descended to the runway. We left the airport and made our way to our rental car via taxi. We were a little disoriented and the rush hour traffic was gaining volume as we snaked in and out of lanes full of cars and motorcycles. Robyn had booked a small 4-wheel drive jeep online for a good deal, but we had to arrange insurance when we got there. There is, we found out, a mandatory $1,000 fee for less than basic coverage in Costa Rica (the same as many latin American countries as we later found out). The rental guys seemed sincere when they told us that it really wasn’t worth the money as we would basically be covered for nothing more than spilling coffee on the upholstery. In the case of an actual accident, we would be entirely liable for all mechanical and medical coverage for ourselves and the other party. Of course this was terrifying for us as we were on a very tight budget as it was. The actual cost of adequate insurance would be $1400. A GPS would be thrown in free of charge. I looked up this information online, and found out that it was accurate and that travelers are encouraged to pay and thus drive with more security. We paid and drove off on our adventure. The moment we pulled into traffic in our little white jeep we came to affectionately name “Raul,” I knew that we’d made the right decision. Not only are the roads in Costa Rica not in the best of shape (even if paved), the drivers are all like my father in law (gulp). In addition, there is a quite high crime rate in Costa Rica and we would be heading way off the beaten path far from police, hospitals, and paved roads quite often. Any security is immediately valuable and welcome.

I drove carefully bathed in sweat trusting our GPS which we compared to a road map from the rental agency for accuracy. We wound our way through narrow streets comprised of lots of low one or two-story buildings with colorful if faded and peeling concrete walls, bars on the windows, and capped with rusting tin roofs. We saw small houses arranged like compounds surrounded by walls, bars, and barbed wire. The people bustled around as they do in any city, and my eye started to decipher the Spanish road and store signs. We made one turn at a large intersection (thankfully, I didn’t stall Raul’s engine with my rusty stick-shift driving skills) passed a large bus and went around a horse and cart, and…Voila: the mountains climbed ahead of us dark, green, and draped in vaporous mists of lightly falling rain. Banana trees and brightly blossomed plants replaced telegraph poles and we instantly felt like we were in the real Costa Rica, home of great coffee and riotous parrots.

Our radio pulsed out very mellow songs from the 80’s and 90’s interspersed with some lively pop songs from the same era. Every so often our thoughtful little GPS friend would send out a “dangerous bridge ahead” warning which we initially interpreted as some kind of rickety rope or log bridge propped above a swirling river of death. However, we soon learned that the danger was not so much because the bridge was narrow and usually placed at the bottom of a narrow ravine where the rivers were sometimes swollen by the rains (it was), but that the danger came from people hurtling along seemingly without a care, or with their eyes closed like me. It truly felt like we were in Jurassic Park as the buildings disappeared and the jungle closed in. Very cool!