Wayfaring Gals

Along the morning drive, we saw Lake Arenal, which is beautiful, along with being the largest lake in Costa Rica. I got another item off my bucket list when I visited Mistico Hanging Bridges Park near Lake Arenal. I have always wanted to walk across a scary, suspension bridge. The nice thing about the park is that you start with the highest bridge (350 ft.) first. The view was the best at that one…afterwards you are mainly looking at the rain forest. Can you see the rainbow? You can’t beat a view with a rainbow.

Only twelve people at a time are allowed on a bridge. You have to synchronize your walk and slowly at that, or the bridge starts swaying from side to side…which can be frightening or fun depending on the person. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush…

The park is a family owned business. It used to be a dairy farm that a family turned into a park since tourism is more profitable in Costa Rica. Also, this was my first time hiking in a rainforest, so I got to see more wildlife. I was excited to see bats again since I have a thing for them. The park is great to hike, since you can see different species of flora and a high biodiversity of fauna. After the hike, you can take some great pictures by the entrance since the views are amazing!

We had a great time hiking the trail, and all six bridges. It’s a beautiful park definitely worth visiting!

We headed to Guanacaste, and stopped at Playa Grande to watch the sun setting on the way to our hotel. My friends and I walked along the beach, and took some photographs. We arrived at the JW Marriott aftrwards, which is beautiful. I spent a little time exploring the grounds, and just taking it in. We made the mistake of going to dinner when it started, and had to wait forever since all the older people from the tour were there. After that, we always went half hour later to avoid the rush, and it was perfectly fine. I did enjoy the jacuzzi that evening, along with the pool when I got warm. I got to see more bats flying around too…

The nice thing about the next day was that it was a free day, so I spent it relaxing by the pool. I also went to the beach, but the waves were rough, as were the rocks.

I was perfectly content journaling, reading a book, and drinking margaritas, which was broken up by meals and swimming. At the resort, you can get a massage or any kind of spa treatments or services. Some people got manicures/pedicures or even booked a massage. My day was spent relaxing; doing the things I enjoy…

I was so sad to leave the next day since the resort was a welcome rest stop. We stopped at Monteverde, a collective that sells homemade cheese and ice cream. The lemon ice cream flavor was amazing! Parts of Jurassic Park were filmed in Costa Rica so there was a park there with models of dinosaurs. I got to take a pic with a T-rex. My sister climbed a sabretooth tiger, and a 90 year old man on our tour did the same, which was pretty hilarious. I have to give him points for being young at heart.

We did a cruise on the Tarcoles River and this time we got to see crocodiles galore! There was horses roaming on the shore…so beautiful! The big crocodile I took a pic with is named Osama. It was cloudy and started raining at the end so we hung out at the gift shop. My friends and I decided to buy flower barrettes and wear them the next day to Manuel Antonio Park for our beach photo shoot.

When we got to the San Bada Hotel, we had happy hour! I usually do not drink tropical types of libations, but when in Rome…The pina coladas were really good since they used real pineapples. We had a great view of Manuel Antonio Park and the beach from the top of the hotel. It was great to kick off our shoes and just enjoy the view, while sipping on our drinks.

Woke up early on my last day in Costa Rica to watch the sunrise at the top floor of the hotel. After breakfast, we then went for a hike at Manuel Antonio National Park. Costa Rica started setting aside land for the parks in the 1970s, and now about 30% of the land is protected by the government. Manuel Antonio is in a tropical humid rain forest so be prepared for the humidity. Thankfully, there are beaches at the park. We swam at the main one, called Manuel Antonio beach…easy enough to remember. The water felt so refreshing after the hike.  My sister was so happy and wouldn’t leave the water. She was like a fish. The tide rose and at a point it soaked the towel of a friend that was sleeping, which was hilarious. I still laugh about that to this day. I was also pretty excited to see a sloth that was awake, rather than curled up in a ball sleeping. It was awake and moving around.  This was one animal I really wanted to see up close, so it was great to see one on my last day there. We did not spend much time at the park. Another option a couple did on the tour, was that they stayed a couple extra days at Manuel Antonio instead of returning with us to San Jose.

We also had a going away party to celebrate the end of our journey. We had a nice dinner and wine, and were able to say our good byes to all the people we met. Even though we were the youngest people on the tour, we got along with everyone, and made some new buddies. My friends and I had a great time on the tour. Costa Rica is really beautiful, and green; conservation is very important there. I was able to see wildlife, exotic birds, and pretty flowers. The beaches were amazing, and the landscape serene. I’m also glad I picked a time of year that was not crowded or touristy so I was able to have a relaxing time even though it was filled with allot of activities. I am a “go, go” type of person so that’s the kind of vacation I enjoy. I was fine with the amount of time we spent in Costa Rica, and the vacation was not over since I went to Mexico next! Stay tuned for the next adventure!

I went to Rescate Zooave Wildlife Rescue in La Garita in Alejuela, which received allot of press for reconstructing the beak of a toucan named Grecia that teenagers had thrown rocks at. Abused animals are rehabilitated there, and many, like the parrots, are not in cages. Iguanas also roam around. I was able to get close to one without spooking it.

There are many animals there like monkeys, sloths, turtles, etc. as there are over 250 species of animals. There are large spiders in their webs everywhere so be careful… There are also beautiful flowers. This isn’t a zoo; the main purpose is educating people against mistreating animals since they are vital to our ecosystems. The funds from admission are used to continue the work there. I think it’s a great cause, and important to educate people when they are children. Hopefully, incidents of animal abuse can one day cease to happen.

After the rescue center, we went on another excursion. An oxcart is an important symbol of Costa Rica, hearkening back to when it was used as the main transport. We visited a family business that has been making oxcarts since 1923. We took a tour of the place, and I especially enjoyed watching the artists paint…I really liked the stylized floral designs. They took us through the process of making the carts at the manufacturing side of the business.

They sell handmade items at the gift shop so I couldn’t resist a beautiful green tray with that design. The souvenirs are all reasonably priced so I was able to get most of my gifts here. One of the artists carves figures from cypress teak wood, so allot of his work is sold at the shop. Above the shop there is a restaurant that serves delicious food upstairs. The tres leches cake was one of the best I ever had!

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at San Rafael Church in Zarcero. The grounds have beautiful topiary gardens that you can explore. The church was constructed in 1895, and is worth taking the time to view. They had this beautiful aqua fabric decorating the interior…maybe it was for a wedding, but it added to the church’s appearance.

The gardens were created by the artist Evangelista Blanco in the late 1960s. The shrubs are shaped as animals, and different things like tiny houses a hobbit would live in. I had a great time walking through and photographing it.

I was so excited to visit Arenal Springs resort which is next to Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, northwest of San Jose. The resort pumps water from the springs, and the water is supposed to take years off…of course I slept in it like it was the Lazarus Pit. Happy to say I shaved years off my life.

The pool area is amazing since you can be in the springs, and still order your tropical drink at the bar. The Costa Rican specialty is a Guaro Sour, made with guaro cacique, which is alcohol made from sugar cane. The drink also has lime and sugar cane juice…I like it since it’s tart like a classic margarita.

There are also different pools at different temperatures. So do as the Romans did, start with hot, then warm, and finish with a swim in cold water…it’s good for you! I enjoyed my downtime at the pool. But some friends took a cab to La Fortuna for some shopping, and enjoyed their afternoon.

In order to see some native wildlife, the tour took us on a cruise on the Rio Frio at Los Chiles. We even crossed to the Nicaragua side of the border…got to take some steps there. On the cruise, we saw a family of white headed capuchin monkeys. The alpha got mad and told us off since he thought we were too close. I also got to see a howler monkey…they were sitting in the same spot a while, unfazed, posing.

I was pretty giddy to see a family of brown nosed bats! They are so small and are hard to see without a better camera lens. I hope you can see them lined up on the underside of the log. I have a thing for bats ever since I visited Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, and learned how important they are. Plus, I like anything that feasts on mosquitoes.

We also saw water walking lizards aka “Jesus” lizards, iguanas, and birds galore. A dog even accompanied us on this cruise. The tour guide tried kicking him off the boat a few times, and he would just follow us by swimming next to the boat. He was so persistent! On the way back we crossed “Iguana Bridge” where the reptiles are found in a cluster on the trees there.

After my fun excursions, I was happy to be back at the resort. I relaxed in a hammock then went swimming in the thermal springs. It was great to have a glass of wine and soak my muscles.

I had heard so many great things about Costa Rica, and seen the pictures so I knew I had to take a trip there. I decided to go with Caravan Tours since it was the best value I could find for all the activities included. Most of the tours were more expensive and offered less. I really wanted to see Manuel Antonio Park, which some tours did not include. A huge bonus is all your meals are included so that cuts down your trip costs exponentially. You just need spending money for drinks, souvenirs and snacks…The tour is 9 days but you really get seven full ones. I do suggest adding on extra day or two so you can stay longer at Manuel Antonio Park. I went off season during Costa Rica’s rainy season (May-Nov). The most popular time to go is December-April. I like going when it is less crowded and touristy. I was lucky since it only rained at the end, and didn’t prevent me from doing anything I had planned. Also, the currency of Costa Rica is colones, but you don’t even need it since they take US dollars…but you will receive change in colones. I also recommend bringing plenty of bug spray, and long sleeved tops/bottoms since you will be going to tropical areas  with allot of mosquitoes.

My sister and two more friends joined me on the tour so it made the trip even more fun. If you are wondering about the age composition of the tour, most of the people on it were retired seniors. We were the youngest people there. I had no problem with any of them, and thought they were very nice and respectful. I find people around my own age and younger to be generally inconsiderate, and late, which is annoying when you are on a schedule. But if you want a younger crowd, go with Contiki, or an adventure type of tour. Otherwise you can always do it on your own. I just don’t think you can beat the price or amount of activities we did. If you want to mainly be on a beach or a hotel pool, then a tour isn’t for you.

San Jose is the capital and largest city in Costa Rica, and where I flew in. About a million people live there, but many more come for work and to shop…about 4.8 million is the total population of the country. I only drove through some of the city, and didn’t spend much time there. I went to Plaza de la Cultura to see the National Theater. The homes in the city are painted in vibrant colors, and decorated with beautiful gates, in intricate designs. It is important to keep your home secure, so you might as well do it in a pleasing way. We started off our activities in Alajuela  city and the province.

The tour has allot of activities and starts out with a visit to Poas Volcano …Costa Rica has over a 100 active volcanoes since it is on the ring of fire. There are 48 tremors daily, and a major earthquake occurs every 10-12 years. The area is a national park. Poas Park has trails that you can hike, especially if you want to see the lagoon. The hike is about twenty minutes uphill, and not difficult if you are in shape.

The trails looked spooky since it was so cloudy, and reminded me of the dark hedges of Ireland. This area is in a cloud forest tropical zone. We were about 8000 ft above sea level so it was much cooler at Poas. It was so cloudy and rained when we were there so my pictures do not do the place justice. That is one of the hard parts about going during the rainy season. Plus when you are so high up, cloud cover is always a factor. The same thing happened to me when I went to Mount Rushmore…

Costa Rica is known for its coffee production, so I wanted to try it straight from the source. I was excited to visit a coffee plantation called Doka Estate, which is located on one of the fertile slopes of Poas volcano in the Alajuela province. Costa Rica only produces Arabica, which many consider to be the best coffee. The plantation is beautiful, filled with blue hydrangeas, and coffee plants of course. When the berries are red, it is ripe to be picked! We had lunch there and the food was delicious! The coffee tour then takes you through the making of coffee process. Our tour went through each process. They put me to work raking coffee beans, which is part of the drying process.

As a reward for taking the tour, we got to sample chocolate covered coffee beans and coffee. Step six is my favorite in the tour…I enjoyed the dark roast and the breakfast blend best. I also learned that the blonde roast has the most caffeine since it is roasted for the shortest period of time, and the dark the least…I thought the opposite.

One of the best parts of the estate is the butterfly garden where I got to see a Blue Morpho up close. There are also owl butterflies galore.

There are many beautiful flowers and plants in there as well. The butterflies are not scared and will land on you, or even let you come close. I have never seen such large butterflies. The garden is beautiful!

After the activities, I spent some downtime at the bar by the pool, sampling Imperial, which is the local Costa Rican beer. The guacamole was amazing, and when I complimented it, the chef sent a second batch, free of charge. The hotel grounds had a beautiful path that many in group got up to go bird watching at. The hotel also had a great view of the San Jose valley, so I enjoyed having drinks, good conversation, and time to journal in the evening.  The trip started off great from the get go!