Monday, 28 January 2008

• :: Costa Rica, December 2007 ::

  Our last minute search for warmer weather brought us to Costa Rica.  Apparently, I was so excited about this that I (so I'm told) sat straight up in the middle of the night, thrust one finger in the air, and exclaimed "COSTA RICA!" 

  A few things to note:

  • Despite traveling during the dry season, we were hit with 6 out of 7 days of rain.  This was not normal, although the locals did joke "Welcome to the rain forest...[chuckle chuckle]".  Not cute.  It definitely made a huge difference in what we were able to see and do (and tan).
  • Don't drive in Costa Rica.  But if you do, get a 4x4 or you'll have no hope of surviving the roads.  The highways are fine, but once you're on secondary roads it's just a lot of dirt, potholes and boulders.  Many places are lacking signs; either they were never put in or they were taken down so that locals can sell you "good" maps.  We (or rather Alvin) put 1164km on our rented Diahatsu 4x4.  My neck now has a 6-pack from trying to keep my head from being jumbled.  Take the bus -- $4.50 for a 5 hour ride where you can either sleep or meet other travelers.

  And here we go...

  Arenal and La Fortuna

  • Arenal Volcano is Costa Rica's most active volcano; it shoots out hot glowing rocks and lava semi-regularly.  You can go hiking along old lava beds or around the volcano in general.  I didn't actually see the volcano since there was so much rain and fog.  Alvin saw it 10 years ago and swears it exists. 
  • La Fortuna Waterfall -- Two pretty intense waterfalls for the price of one!  This is where the rain paid off since it really upped the volume of water.  The trail was dubbed "stairmaster with a view" by one of the guidebooks, and that's not a lie.

   

  We drove through this river / Me at the foot of the falls

  • Laguna Arenal -- a really scenic drive, where we came across a pack of coatimundis.  We stopped off at this place called Toad Hall for lunch.  Awesome food, great view, nice artwork.  A few toucanettes came to visit too.

   

  

  • Hot Springs -- We went to Tabacon ($70, includes 1 buffet meal).  The most luxurious one with thermal waters supplied by the volcano.  It was nice, but hot water for $70 is a bit steep.  If I could, I would have gone to Eco Termales -- this place is more serene and only allows 100 at a time so it books up fast.  Cheaper too.

   

  Tenorio

  • Tenorio Lodge -- We spent one night in our private bungalow with floor to ceiling windows.  A flood had knocked out the power to the surrounding area so we ended up dining by candlelight.  The next morning we woke up to the sun rising over Volcan Tenorio.
  • Rio Celeste -- The main attraction in the area.   Two rivers of different chemical composition meet together to form a milky blue lake and waterfall.

   

   

  Rincon de la Vieja

  • Crappy roads -- We almost killed ourselves getting there.  The lack of signs led us to turn onto the worst road I've ever see in my life.  Alvin had to get out a few times to move boulders out of the way.
  • Rinconcito Lodge -- A $30 a night rustic experience; horses, cows, and dogs were just kinda hanging out.  I loved the open-air dining pavillion.  Simple rooms with "suicide showers" -- electric coils clamped directly onto the showerhead to heat the water.

   

  • Canopying -- a.k.a. ziplines!  On the first bona fide gorgeous day of our trip, we headed up to the ziplines by horseback.  Our private canopying trip was supplied by Rinconcito Lodge for $30 each (usually ~$70 for larger groups).  It's a unique way to enjoy the scenery.   Very fun and not scary at all.

   

  Monteverde and Santa Elena

  • Monteverde -- On the road to Monteverde, you can really see how it got its name. Everything was so green and beautiful.  The main attraction here is the cloud forest reserve.  We actually ended up skipping the reserve because -- guess what?  It poured.

  

  • Santa Elena is the town right outside the reserve -- super cute.  We ate at the Tree House Restaurant, a restaurant built into a tree.  Definitely a scene.  Decent food, live music, and I finally got to try Tres Leches for dessert.

  Manuel Antonio

  • Manuel Antonio National Park -- Our one and only dry and sunny day was luckily spent here.  This park boasts extremely well-maintained trails with easily-spotted wildlife.  We saw a ton of monkeys, sloths, iguanas, big ass butterflies, lizards, birds, and racoons.  After doing the trails, we got some sun on some of the beautiful park beaches, where we saw more monkeys and iguanas.

  Some people complain that this park is too touristy and crowded, especially during holiday season.  I actually didn't mind too much -- it made it easier to latch on to a guide who pointed out the abundant wildlife.

   

  Entering the Park :: My new buddy, the iguana

   

   

  • La Posada Jungle -- Our bungalow was literally right outside the park.  The owner of La Posada actually chose this property because of the large number of animals that would visit.  During our stay we saw a ton of monkeys, including a baby monkey and the alpha male that swiped at me for a banana.  And I hugged a deer!  She was the sweetest thing (and was clean and not stanky).

   

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