Favorite things to do
Maddy -- zip line, white water rafting
Torie -- zip line, white water rafting
Glen -- white water rafting, zip line
Carol -- zip line, white water rafting
Julia -- zip line, parasailing, rafting
Favorite foods
Glen -- all the seafood, Casados, fried plaintains
Carol -- Casados
Julia -- Beef tenderloins
Favorite resort
Maddy -- Punta Islita
Torie -- Punta Islita
Julia -- Si Como No
Carol -- Punta Islita
Glen -- Si Como No
Favorite animals
Julia -- caiman, tropical bird eating snake
Maddy -- white faced monkeys, tropical bird eating snake
Torie -- white faced monkeys, Stefano the sloth
Glen -- white faced monkeys, all the butterflies
Carol -- wihte faced monkeys, hummingbirds
Favorite things to do at the beach
Maddy -- sea kayaking
Torie -- surfing
Glen -- body surfing, having entrepeneurs sell cerveza on the beach
Carol -- relax and read
Julia -- parasailing
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pura Vida. . .Pure Life
Three flights later, we're home. The fun was the delay getting from San Jose, CR to Charlotte, NC -- which raised the possibility of spending the night in a Hampton Inn near the Charlotte airport, but we made our flight.
The night before, we had a good final dinner at Agua Azul ("Blue Water"), an American-owned, Costa Rican chef'd place with just eight tables and good service. I had yet another take on fish -- this time it was Red Snapper with linguini, peppers, and (oddly) diced carrots -- but all good.
We then went to Rico Tico's for dessert and the banana flambe show (both Torie and I got it). The show is better than the actual dessert, but the show is so cool everyone pulls out their camera to not accurately capture just how amazing it is.
So, of the tropical locations we've been, I'd put Costa Rica right up there, just below Hawaii. Less rain would have tied it with our 2005 Hawaii trip. Third place is Australia (that was too short a time). Fourth is Puerto Rico (Carol and I went there for our 15th anniversary five years ago). Then comes Cancun, with Bermuda next (to be fair, it was a December post-election trip in 1989 -- long time ago). Below last would have to be Atlantis in the Bahamas. Too big, too sterile. Too dull.
Any of the top four (Hawaii, Costa Rica, Australia, and Puerto Rico) are amazing places with a great variety of things to do, good food, and loads of fun.
Props to Costa Rica for good people who really care about the tourists who come to experience their country. While they may be in it for the money, they sincerely want people to have a good time and spread the word.
The food was enjoyable (not like Italy, but better than we'd been led to believe). The lack of bugs is a huge plus. I've said it before in earlier posts from the trip -- the variety of things to do is amazing -- and the rain forest is stunning. Leaves bigger than I am. Nature hard at work.
We stayed at ecologically friendly hotels. The cynical side of me says they simply want to save money by guilting you into turning off lights and reusing sheets and towels (all of which are commonsensical). On the plus, the building designs are unobtrusive and don't leave scars on the land -- which is nice.
Villa Blanca (the Cloud Forest hotel) is relaxing, but two nights there is plenty(with a day fully scheduled to the Poas volcano/La Paz waterfalls as part of it). It's also a good way to see large chunks of the Central Valley.
Punta Islita is a stunningly beautiful resort. We could have done with less rain, but if you are looking for a several day escape, it's worth the flight and landings on jungle airstrips. Definitely the best accomodations.
Si Como No is a beautiful resort in my favorite part of the three areas we visited. You feel like you are staying in the middle of the rain forest, and it is close to the action of the beach, the national park, the adventure sports, and nearby restaurants.
The biggest downers -- the rain and the roads. Other than a short trip to the Bahamas and a short trip to Montreal/Quebec, we always rent cars -- even if for short periods of time. We didn't here, and I'm fairly glad. While folks who drove 5-7 hours spoke of the experience as a good test of character, I'm already enough of a character, so it worked out well to not rent.
On rain -- check weather tables, but looking at them now (a bit late, eh, Glen?) suggests that late November through May, and then also July, are the times to go. September and October are the worst. . .with August a warm-up for then.
I will add one more post when Carol and the kids are home with their favorites from the trip.
The night before, we had a good final dinner at Agua Azul ("Blue Water"), an American-owned, Costa Rican chef'd place with just eight tables and good service. I had yet another take on fish -- this time it was Red Snapper with linguini, peppers, and (oddly) diced carrots -- but all good.
We then went to Rico Tico's for dessert and the banana flambe show (both Torie and I got it). The show is better than the actual dessert, but the show is so cool everyone pulls out their camera to not accurately capture just how amazing it is.
So, of the tropical locations we've been, I'd put Costa Rica right up there, just below Hawaii. Less rain would have tied it with our 2005 Hawaii trip. Third place is Australia (that was too short a time). Fourth is Puerto Rico (Carol and I went there for our 15th anniversary five years ago). Then comes Cancun, with Bermuda next (to be fair, it was a December post-election trip in 1989 -- long time ago). Below last would have to be Atlantis in the Bahamas. Too big, too sterile. Too dull.
Any of the top four (Hawaii, Costa Rica, Australia, and Puerto Rico) are amazing places with a great variety of things to do, good food, and loads of fun.
Props to Costa Rica for good people who really care about the tourists who come to experience their country. While they may be in it for the money, they sincerely want people to have a good time and spread the word.
The food was enjoyable (not like Italy, but better than we'd been led to believe). The lack of bugs is a huge plus. I've said it before in earlier posts from the trip -- the variety of things to do is amazing -- and the rain forest is stunning. Leaves bigger than I am. Nature hard at work.
We stayed at ecologically friendly hotels. The cynical side of me says they simply want to save money by guilting you into turning off lights and reusing sheets and towels (all of which are commonsensical). On the plus, the building designs are unobtrusive and don't leave scars on the land -- which is nice.
Villa Blanca (the Cloud Forest hotel) is relaxing, but two nights there is plenty(with a day fully scheduled to the Poas volcano/La Paz waterfalls as part of it). It's also a good way to see large chunks of the Central Valley.
Punta Islita is a stunningly beautiful resort. We could have done with less rain, but if you are looking for a several day escape, it's worth the flight and landings on jungle airstrips. Definitely the best accomodations.
Si Como No is a beautiful resort in my favorite part of the three areas we visited. You feel like you are staying in the middle of the rain forest, and it is close to the action of the beach, the national park, the adventure sports, and nearby restaurants.
The biggest downers -- the rain and the roads. Other than a short trip to the Bahamas and a short trip to Montreal/Quebec, we always rent cars -- even if for short periods of time. We didn't here, and I'm fairly glad. While folks who drove 5-7 hours spoke of the experience as a good test of character, I'm already enough of a character, so it worked out well to not rent.
On rain -- check weather tables, but looking at them now (a bit late, eh, Glen?) suggests that late November through May, and then also July, are the times to go. September and October are the worst. . .with August a warm-up for then.
I will add one more post when Carol and the kids are home with their favorites from the trip.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Administering Last Riffs. . .
There are a lot fewer bugs here than we would have expected. Yes, there are plenty of beetles, moths, grasshoppers, some annoying black flies, and crickets, but we’ve not been bothered by mosquitos.
And, it appears that all dining in Costa Rica is in open air restaurants that are covered up top, but open all around to nature on all sides. It’s mostly al fresco, with protection from the rain. And we’ve not eaten dinner without rain.
It’s unusual for us not to rent a car, but we really didn’t need one here. There are enough busses – shuttles or public – that a car isn’t needed. No parking worries, and even fewer concerns about directions. And, given that it takes people four to seven hours to go from one place to another in this country on roads that make my old pick-up lines seem smooth, I’m glad we flew from place to place – even if the travel was an adventure in itself.
As someone noted to us, the towns are all the same when driving – a church, a soccer field, two bars, and a little place that’s essentially a general store.
The two activities I wish we had time for in Quepos is scuba diving – although we aren’t certified, it would have been fun to do the lesson and the beginner dives – and deep sea fishing (but only the half day trip). Some day we’ll get certified on scuba – we’ve done some already and enjoyed it – but finding time to do it is a challenge.
Other things that would have been fun to try is the ATV trip, mountain biking, and also renting a jet ski. Having a family of five makes some of those a little problematic.
And, it appears that all dining in Costa Rica is in open air restaurants that are covered up top, but open all around to nature on all sides. It’s mostly al fresco, with protection from the rain. And we’ve not eaten dinner without rain.
It’s unusual for us not to rent a car, but we really didn’t need one here. There are enough busses – shuttles or public – that a car isn’t needed. No parking worries, and even fewer concerns about directions. And, given that it takes people four to seven hours to go from one place to another in this country on roads that make my old pick-up lines seem smooth, I’m glad we flew from place to place – even if the travel was an adventure in itself.
As someone noted to us, the towns are all the same when driving – a church, a soccer field, two bars, and a little place that’s essentially a general store.
The two activities I wish we had time for in Quepos is scuba diving – although we aren’t certified, it would have been fun to do the lesson and the beginner dives – and deep sea fishing (but only the half day trip). Some day we’ll get certified on scuba – we’ve done some already and enjoyed it – but finding time to do it is a challenge.
Other things that would have been fun to try is the ATV trip, mountain biking, and also renting a jet ski. Having a family of five makes some of those a little problematic.
Sail Calypso, I Sing To Your Spirit, etc.
Of the many things we did in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area, the catamaran/snorkeling trip was probably the most average. It was fun, but compared to the adrenalin of the zip lines and the whitewater rafting, the excitement of the nature tour, and the beauty and vibe of the public beach, it paled in comparison.
Now, part of the problem is the first time Carol and I ever snorkeled was at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (in that case, “Great” is an understatement, but I doubt they’ll rename it simply based on my suggestion). And, two years ago, as a family, we all did a great snorkel trip in Hawaii on the Big Island. For our 15th wedding anniversary five years ago, Carol and I had a great time on a catamaran snorkel trip in Puerto Rico, so it would be hard for today to measure up. And it didn’t. Again, everyone enjoyed themselves, but it was lower energy than the last few days.
There is not much of a manana attitude in Costa Rica, but every so often it comes out – such as the organization for today’s trip. We got to the Quepos docks by 8:45, but the third shuttle didn’t arrive for another half hour or so, so there was a bunch of fun standing around waiting, with no one telling us why we were waiting.
We went off in search of nature – and promptly saw a green sea turtle. That was it until the very end when we spotted a spotted dolphin (which was younger than 15 years old, so it wasn’t spotted yet). Nature happens – except when it doesn’t, and today was one of those days. No dolphins (till the very end), and whales at this time of year are unusual to spot (they had seen one about a week ago – or so they claimed).
The crew was friendly enough, but not at the level of personal interaction as on the previous three days. We finally headed over toward Manual Antonio N.P., where we anchored and swam. That was refreshing – and the kids and I had fun jumping off the higher point of the boat into the water. My dives were poorly rated by the Soviet and Chinese judges. Heck, even the American judges scored them low. Mrs. Iron Tourist did go into the water, but she took the dignified approach of going toward the back of the catamaran and sliding into the water.
After that, we headed over to the snorkeling spot. One thing they did well is hand out the equipment on the way over, rather than waiting till we anchored. There were some moderately interesting fish, and a lot of certain types. I did see a couple of puffers, and Maddy spotted a snake in the water, which she pointed out to me (maybe an eel?). We only had a half hour for snorkeling, but with the tide coming in, it was some work to avoid being dashed against the rocks. There was a fun gap in the rocks to shoot through, with many fish all around. That was exhilarating, simply trying to ensure I didn’t run out of water before whacking against the rocks.
Afterwards, we had a pleasant lunch on-board, kabobs of fish, meat, peppers, and onions, along with some sides (including the ever present watermelons and pineapple slices – the national fruit snacks of Costa Rica). Then we sailed a bit, saw the dolphin, and returned to port.
Among the most remarkable parts of the day were the cloud formations both to our west (billowing white clouds, with even larger yellow-tinged ones behind them), and to our east – heavy rain over the mountains and valley we had been rafting in the day before.
We thought about hitting the beach for the last few hours of daylight before our return tomorrow, but with the thunder reverberating in the mountains, the girls opted for the pool. And the rains started, so we made the right, yet unfortunate choice.
On the way back, Carol struck up a conversation with a woman from Valencia, Spain. The woman was quite surprised when Carol told her about the tsunami warning last night – it was news to her. Other people on the snorkel trip mentioned they had to evacuate their hotel in Quepos until the all clear was given – but the town is low-lying, while our resort, Si Como No, is well up the hill overlooking the ocean to the south of Quepos.
This will likely be the last entry until Saturday, when I will have some final thoughts on Costa Rica and actually get to post a few more pictures.
Now, part of the problem is the first time Carol and I ever snorkeled was at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (in that case, “Great” is an understatement, but I doubt they’ll rename it simply based on my suggestion). And, two years ago, as a family, we all did a great snorkel trip in Hawaii on the Big Island. For our 15th wedding anniversary five years ago, Carol and I had a great time on a catamaran snorkel trip in Puerto Rico, so it would be hard for today to measure up. And it didn’t. Again, everyone enjoyed themselves, but it was lower energy than the last few days.
There is not much of a manana attitude in Costa Rica, but every so often it comes out – such as the organization for today’s trip. We got to the Quepos docks by 8:45, but the third shuttle didn’t arrive for another half hour or so, so there was a bunch of fun standing around waiting, with no one telling us why we were waiting.
We went off in search of nature – and promptly saw a green sea turtle. That was it until the very end when we spotted a spotted dolphin (which was younger than 15 years old, so it wasn’t spotted yet). Nature happens – except when it doesn’t, and today was one of those days. No dolphins (till the very end), and whales at this time of year are unusual to spot (they had seen one about a week ago – or so they claimed).
The crew was friendly enough, but not at the level of personal interaction as on the previous three days. We finally headed over toward Manual Antonio N.P., where we anchored and swam. That was refreshing – and the kids and I had fun jumping off the higher point of the boat into the water. My dives were poorly rated by the Soviet and Chinese judges. Heck, even the American judges scored them low. Mrs. Iron Tourist did go into the water, but she took the dignified approach of going toward the back of the catamaran and sliding into the water.
After that, we headed over to the snorkeling spot. One thing they did well is hand out the equipment on the way over, rather than waiting till we anchored. There were some moderately interesting fish, and a lot of certain types. I did see a couple of puffers, and Maddy spotted a snake in the water, which she pointed out to me (maybe an eel?). We only had a half hour for snorkeling, but with the tide coming in, it was some work to avoid being dashed against the rocks. There was a fun gap in the rocks to shoot through, with many fish all around. That was exhilarating, simply trying to ensure I didn’t run out of water before whacking against the rocks.
Afterwards, we had a pleasant lunch on-board, kabobs of fish, meat, peppers, and onions, along with some sides (including the ever present watermelons and pineapple slices – the national fruit snacks of Costa Rica). Then we sailed a bit, saw the dolphin, and returned to port.
Among the most remarkable parts of the day were the cloud formations both to our west (billowing white clouds, with even larger yellow-tinged ones behind them), and to our east – heavy rain over the mountains and valley we had been rafting in the day before.
We thought about hitting the beach for the last few hours of daylight before our return tomorrow, but with the thunder reverberating in the mountains, the girls opted for the pool. And the rains started, so we made the right, yet unfortunate choice.
On the way back, Carol struck up a conversation with a woman from Valencia, Spain. The woman was quite surprised when Carol told her about the tsunami warning last night – it was news to her. Other people on the snorkel trip mentioned they had to evacuate their hotel in Quepos until the all clear was given – but the town is low-lying, while our resort, Si Como No, is well up the hill overlooking the ocean to the south of Quepos.
This will likely be the last entry until Saturday, when I will have some final thoughts on Costa Rica and actually get to post a few more pictures.
Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic?
So, at the front desk, we asked how far a walk it is to Agua Azul, a nearby restaurant that had been recommended. Only two minutes away. When we got there (in, of course, the rain), it was closed. So we walked back and asked for cab to take us to La Cantina (another recommended place).
The guy working the front desk rang the cab company, and, after a bit, put down the phone and noted, “the cabs are probably not running because of the Tsunami. Everyone is leaving Quepos.” Oh.
What? Tsunami. Hmmm. . .somehow you would think that there would be more information forthcoming, and sooner. So I asked a insightful follow-up question. “Tsunami?” He went on to say there had been an earthquake in Peru and the Tsunami was expected to hit around 9pm – which was 1½ hours from our conversation.
So we went to the Rico Tico restaurant at the resort, figuring that we were pretty high up the hill and would be safe. We talked of the Tsunami, the day’s rafting, the Tsunami, Harry Potter, the Tsunami, etc. We kept checking our watches, and wondered if we’d be better off just a bit higher up the hill. Undoubtedly the lower level hotels had been evacuated.
We wondered how much damage would be caused, and how to get out of the area to return as planned on Friday. We each wondered whether we should be moving up to even higher ground.
Dinner was good (I had the snook, and Carol and I split another bottle of the Chilean Trio wine that we had liked at Puente Islita) but there was one freaky moment. Suddenly the lights went out – and we got ready to bolt up the hill, figuring if the locals were leaving, so were we. However, it was just for the show they put on when serving the banana flambe – flipping the burning rum from metal gravy boat to metal gravy boat – and pouring some on the glass table to burn out. It was a pretty good show.
Around 9:10, an American woman joined her three friends with the news that the Tsunami warning had been cancelled. The excitement was over. Fortunately. Not just for us, but for all.
The guy working the front desk rang the cab company, and, after a bit, put down the phone and noted, “the cabs are probably not running because of the Tsunami. Everyone is leaving Quepos.” Oh.
What? Tsunami. Hmmm. . .somehow you would think that there would be more information forthcoming, and sooner. So I asked a insightful follow-up question. “Tsunami?” He went on to say there had been an earthquake in Peru and the Tsunami was expected to hit around 9pm – which was 1½ hours from our conversation.
So we went to the Rico Tico restaurant at the resort, figuring that we were pretty high up the hill and would be safe. We talked of the Tsunami, the day’s rafting, the Tsunami, Harry Potter, the Tsunami, etc. We kept checking our watches, and wondered if we’d be better off just a bit higher up the hill. Undoubtedly the lower level hotels had been evacuated.
We wondered how much damage would be caused, and how to get out of the area to return as planned on Friday. We each wondered whether we should be moving up to even higher ground.
Dinner was good (I had the snook, and Carol and I split another bottle of the Chilean Trio wine that we had liked at Puente Islita) but there was one freaky moment. Suddenly the lights went out – and we got ready to bolt up the hill, figuring if the locals were leaving, so were we. However, it was just for the show they put on when serving the banana flambe – flipping the burning rum from metal gravy boat to metal gravy boat – and pouring some on the glass table to burn out. It was a pretty good show.
Around 9:10, an American woman joined her three friends with the news that the Tsunami warning had been cancelled. The excitement was over. Fortunately. Not just for us, but for all.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A River Runs Through It. . .
Wow. Okay, Costa Rica is definitely a great place to go. Non-rainy season would be better, but as long as you pack a whole bunch of activities into the morning (and it’s not an all-day rain), that’s okay. It would be nice to have one whole day here without rain, but then we probably wouldn’t know what to do. Especially around dinner time. Every hotel room has multiple umbrellas to be used by the guests.
If you decide to go to Costa Rica, this area is a must. The Cloud Forest and Volcano areas were neat, and Punta Islita is a stunningly beautiful (when dry) remote getaway (and I mean REMOTE). However, Quepos/Manual Antonio is where the action is. It’s both an adventure sport paradise and a natural paradise. I got give our travel agent huge props for the order in which we went to the three locales – because if we had come here first, the other areas would have been a letdown. However, they
Last night, we walked to a nearby restaurant, Avion, which is built around a C-123 cargo plane that had been used by the CIA to help get arms to the Nicaraguan Contras. That fell apart when a sister plane was shot down by the commies (Sandinistas) and they captured Eugene Hasenfus. That propelled Ollie North to fame, which kept Chuck Robb in the Senate for six years longer than it should have, which then got George Allen elected to the Senate, until he macaca’d the GOP into the minority. Anyhow, recent history lesson aside, the food was definitely the most underwhelming dinner we’ve had here. So, if you come to the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area (and you should), skip that restaurant, despite its impact on American history.
Side note on restaurants: every Costa Rican guide/person/driver we ask for suggestions around here tells us a different list of restaurants. You would think that through pure random chance there would have been at least one place mentioned twice. . .but nope. And everyone has three or four places to suggest – as well as pooh-poohing the suggestions other people have made. Tonight, we’ll be going to place recommended by our shuttle driver this morning. We’re also investing in three stocks he recommended (just kidding). Fortunately, choosing a restaurant is a minor life choice, not a major life decision. And, the driver didn’t smoke, so we’ve got that going for us.
Anyhow, today was white water rafting day – and, as it turns out, four wheel drive excursion day too! The 25 mile drive took nearly two hours. The roads started out bad, and went to worse, and then nearly impassable, as we got stuck once.
There were also plenty of what they call “oh my God” bridges. And it’s not because you say, “oh my God, that’s an impressive bridge.” Instead, it’s because you say, “oh my God, we’re going to die.” Dear reader, you are not seeing the little ticker on Fox News (or CNN for some of you readers – yes, I’m talking to you John Passacantando!) that 19 American tourists and four guides died in a tragic ravine crash, so obviously we made it. But it was hairy for a bit.
On the way, we passed through a huge palm oil plantation. Originally it had been a banana plantation, but those grow better on the Carribean side – on the Pacific side they got hammered by diseases and pests. Then, we bounced our way through a teak plantation. Finally, we started climbing. On roads not fit for man nor beast. When the description of the tour said their 4x4 vehicle is a must, I was skeptical. Turns out that another tour company does not have a 4x4 vehicle, so they put in seven miles sooner – and miss some of the best parts.
If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair. But, if you’re going to Manuel Antonio (Quepos), be sure to use Iguana Tours for your rafting trip (also used them for our Manual Antonio nature tour that was fabulous. In Italy (read the March/April blog entries), we had great guides – but compared to Costa Rica, their job is easy. In Costa Rica, everything changes constantly (life in nature is nasty, brutish and short), so they really have to work to spot wildlife.
Once we finally got there (after a brief rest stop to order lunch at a cooperative restaurant in a mountain town of maybe 30 families), we were in the back of beyond as the Aussies say. There was a nice honeymoon couple from Oklahoma in our raft, along with our guide Josh, who grew up near the wild river (the Rio Savegre, known as the cleanest river in Costa Rica) and taught himself English so he could guide rather than work on the palm oil plantation. (Side note: remember my quote – “Capitalism works”? Well, it turns out the palm oil plantation workers all come from Nicaragua because the pay is better and Costa Ricans won’t do that dangerous, hard work any more. “Like Mexicans in the US,” one guide noted).
Interestingly, the tour write-up suggested this tour for beginners (Carol and I have rafted, but it’s been a while, and the kids were rookies) because it had Class II and III rapids. Except there are also two Class IVs (which were good fun).
Danny and I had the front of the boat (Danny’s the newlywed from Oklahoma). Carol and Haley (his bride) had the next row, while Julia and Maddy were third row. Torie and Josh (our guide) had the back. Torie didn’t steer, but Josh did (that’s an understatement!).
In the first rapids, right after putting in, we dropped into a hole and got hammered by a wave. Absolutely hammered, and none of us were really ready. Torie hadn’t put her foot in the right spot to lock in, so she bounced off Maddy and went spinning forward into the third row. Both Maddy and Torie had their doubts, especially since it was just a Class II and that was just the beginning.
After that baptism by fire (well, actually by water), we all settled down. Yes, we got hammered again many times, but were better prepared for it. The funny part was when Josh would yell, “forward hard” – his signal to paddle all out. Often times, I’d be paddling air, as we’d be dropping down into nothing as a wave prepared to crash over us. Good thing the river is clean, because twice I got open mouthed shots of water. Mmmm. . .fresh mountain water.
Along the way, we saw Toucans, Tiger Herons, Egrets, Turkey Vultures and Great Blue Herons in what appeared to be a canyon of rainforest. Every so often, we’d go spinning around to get great views in 360 degrees of rainforests and mountains. Josh had his patter down, and also showed off his skills by purposely nearly tipping the boat some times – scaring the heck out of us caught by surprise – or diving into the water and leaving us to negotiate rapids (easy ones, not harder ones).
There was a break in the middle for a snack of fruit (pineapple and watermelon), cookies, and fruit juice/water. The folks in all three boats wore big smiles along with their life jackets and helmets. Torie had made friends with a ten year old girl on the ride over, and her parents were quite nice – despite being Red Sox fans from Massachusetts.
After we finished the 13 mile trip, we loaded back on the bus and headed for the remote restaurant for lunch. Besides being fine local chicken or beef Casado plates, we also had great views of multiple Toucans, including one calling to others.
Carol and I had the chicken – it was free range organic, and we only felt modestly guilty as other members of the chicken’s family pecked the grounds nearby. After all, it was too late to do anything for our chicken except eat it, and so we did. I bought our guide a beer, and one for another guide who’s people weren’t smart enough to do it.
One guide led some of us – including Maddy and I – down a steep path to a wildlife rescue center, where injured wild animals are nursed back to health. They have two white faced monkeys (who are the coolest monkeys – they kept prying open our hands to see what is in them – no food for health reasons), a squirrel monkey, macaws, a toucan, some parrots, and a turkey-like bird. That bird is close to being ready for release, and its mate was hanging around in nearby trees in freedom, waiting hopefully for the other. When the caged bird saw its mate, it started jumping around in excitement. Another cool Discovery Channel moment.
Then, we hopped into the 4x4 and made it back into town, passing back over some “oh my God” bridges and getting another “Costa Rican massage” by bouncing on the “roads.”
Earlier, we had gotten out of the way of the 4x4 by lining up against a concrete barn. I had joked with Carol and others (only she got it) that it was generally bad luck to be a gringo lined up against a wall in Central America.
Well, we got the a similar taste of Central America when the bus got pulled over by police for not “having the proper plates.” The policeman wrote a ticket and pulled the license plates off the 4x4 shuttle bus. That was a pleasant fifteen minute delay. It’s Mother Day in Costa Rica, so the guides jested (or maybe not a jest) that the police needed a bribe to buy a present for their mother. Apparently, they weren’t local police, who know these guys, so the Iguana Tour company owner – who is also a lawyer – will have to straighten it out.
It rained a little while rafting, but not hard. The skies and sound of thunder now (5:30 Costa Rica time) promises more rain to come. In fact, looking out the ocean, there is heavy rain out past the rocky, uninhabited (except by birds) islands – and the effect is stunning. Meanwhile, down to our left is another hummingbird, hanging out by the beautiful “Bird of Paradise” flowers.
If you decide to go to Costa Rica, this area is a must. The Cloud Forest and Volcano areas were neat, and Punta Islita is a stunningly beautiful (when dry) remote getaway (and I mean REMOTE). However, Quepos/Manual Antonio is where the action is. It’s both an adventure sport paradise and a natural paradise. I got give our travel agent huge props for the order in which we went to the three locales – because if we had come here first, the other areas would have been a letdown. However, they
Last night, we walked to a nearby restaurant, Avion, which is built around a C-123 cargo plane that had been used by the CIA to help get arms to the Nicaraguan Contras. That fell apart when a sister plane was shot down by the commies (Sandinistas) and they captured Eugene Hasenfus. That propelled Ollie North to fame, which kept Chuck Robb in the Senate for six years longer than it should have, which then got George Allen elected to the Senate, until he macaca’d the GOP into the minority. Anyhow, recent history lesson aside, the food was definitely the most underwhelming dinner we’ve had here. So, if you come to the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area (and you should), skip that restaurant, despite its impact on American history.
Side note on restaurants: every Costa Rican guide/person/driver we ask for suggestions around here tells us a different list of restaurants. You would think that through pure random chance there would have been at least one place mentioned twice. . .but nope. And everyone has three or four places to suggest – as well as pooh-poohing the suggestions other people have made. Tonight, we’ll be going to place recommended by our shuttle driver this morning. We’re also investing in three stocks he recommended (just kidding). Fortunately, choosing a restaurant is a minor life choice, not a major life decision. And, the driver didn’t smoke, so we’ve got that going for us.
Anyhow, today was white water rafting day – and, as it turns out, four wheel drive excursion day too! The 25 mile drive took nearly two hours. The roads started out bad, and went to worse, and then nearly impassable, as we got stuck once.
There were also plenty of what they call “oh my God” bridges. And it’s not because you say, “oh my God, that’s an impressive bridge.” Instead, it’s because you say, “oh my God, we’re going to die.” Dear reader, you are not seeing the little ticker on Fox News (or CNN for some of you readers – yes, I’m talking to you John Passacantando!) that 19 American tourists and four guides died in a tragic ravine crash, so obviously we made it. But it was hairy for a bit.
On the way, we passed through a huge palm oil plantation. Originally it had been a banana plantation, but those grow better on the Carribean side – on the Pacific side they got hammered by diseases and pests. Then, we bounced our way through a teak plantation. Finally, we started climbing. On roads not fit for man nor beast. When the description of the tour said their 4x4 vehicle is a must, I was skeptical. Turns out that another tour company does not have a 4x4 vehicle, so they put in seven miles sooner – and miss some of the best parts.
If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair. But, if you’re going to Manuel Antonio (Quepos), be sure to use Iguana Tours for your rafting trip (also used them for our Manual Antonio nature tour that was fabulous. In Italy (read the March/April blog entries), we had great guides – but compared to Costa Rica, their job is easy. In Costa Rica, everything changes constantly (life in nature is nasty, brutish and short), so they really have to work to spot wildlife.
Once we finally got there (after a brief rest stop to order lunch at a cooperative restaurant in a mountain town of maybe 30 families), we were in the back of beyond as the Aussies say. There was a nice honeymoon couple from Oklahoma in our raft, along with our guide Josh, who grew up near the wild river (the Rio Savegre, known as the cleanest river in Costa Rica) and taught himself English so he could guide rather than work on the palm oil plantation. (Side note: remember my quote – “Capitalism works”? Well, it turns out the palm oil plantation workers all come from Nicaragua because the pay is better and Costa Ricans won’t do that dangerous, hard work any more. “Like Mexicans in the US,” one guide noted).
Interestingly, the tour write-up suggested this tour for beginners (Carol and I have rafted, but it’s been a while, and the kids were rookies) because it had Class II and III rapids. Except there are also two Class IVs (which were good fun).
Danny and I had the front of the boat (Danny’s the newlywed from Oklahoma). Carol and Haley (his bride) had the next row, while Julia and Maddy were third row. Torie and Josh (our guide) had the back. Torie didn’t steer, but Josh did (that’s an understatement!).
In the first rapids, right after putting in, we dropped into a hole and got hammered by a wave. Absolutely hammered, and none of us were really ready. Torie hadn’t put her foot in the right spot to lock in, so she bounced off Maddy and went spinning forward into the third row. Both Maddy and Torie had their doubts, especially since it was just a Class II and that was just the beginning.
After that baptism by fire (well, actually by water), we all settled down. Yes, we got hammered again many times, but were better prepared for it. The funny part was when Josh would yell, “forward hard” – his signal to paddle all out. Often times, I’d be paddling air, as we’d be dropping down into nothing as a wave prepared to crash over us. Good thing the river is clean, because twice I got open mouthed shots of water. Mmmm. . .fresh mountain water.
Along the way, we saw Toucans, Tiger Herons, Egrets, Turkey Vultures and Great Blue Herons in what appeared to be a canyon of rainforest. Every so often, we’d go spinning around to get great views in 360 degrees of rainforests and mountains. Josh had his patter down, and also showed off his skills by purposely nearly tipping the boat some times – scaring the heck out of us caught by surprise – or diving into the water and leaving us to negotiate rapids (easy ones, not harder ones).
There was a break in the middle for a snack of fruit (pineapple and watermelon), cookies, and fruit juice/water. The folks in all three boats wore big smiles along with their life jackets and helmets. Torie had made friends with a ten year old girl on the ride over, and her parents were quite nice – despite being Red Sox fans from Massachusetts.
After we finished the 13 mile trip, we loaded back on the bus and headed for the remote restaurant for lunch. Besides being fine local chicken or beef Casado plates, we also had great views of multiple Toucans, including one calling to others.
Carol and I had the chicken – it was free range organic, and we only felt modestly guilty as other members of the chicken’s family pecked the grounds nearby. After all, it was too late to do anything for our chicken except eat it, and so we did. I bought our guide a beer, and one for another guide who’s people weren’t smart enough to do it.
One guide led some of us – including Maddy and I – down a steep path to a wildlife rescue center, where injured wild animals are nursed back to health. They have two white faced monkeys (who are the coolest monkeys – they kept prying open our hands to see what is in them – no food for health reasons), a squirrel monkey, macaws, a toucan, some parrots, and a turkey-like bird. That bird is close to being ready for release, and its mate was hanging around in nearby trees in freedom, waiting hopefully for the other. When the caged bird saw its mate, it started jumping around in excitement. Another cool Discovery Channel moment.
Then, we hopped into the 4x4 and made it back into town, passing back over some “oh my God” bridges and getting another “Costa Rican massage” by bouncing on the “roads.”
Earlier, we had gotten out of the way of the 4x4 by lining up against a concrete barn. I had joked with Carol and others (only she got it) that it was generally bad luck to be a gringo lined up against a wall in Central America.
Well, we got the a similar taste of Central America when the bus got pulled over by police for not “having the proper plates.” The policeman wrote a ticket and pulled the license plates off the 4x4 shuttle bus. That was a pleasant fifteen minute delay. It’s Mother Day in Costa Rica, so the guides jested (or maybe not a jest) that the police needed a bribe to buy a present for their mother. Apparently, they weren’t local police, who know these guys, so the Iguana Tour company owner – who is also a lawyer – will have to straighten it out.
It rained a little while rafting, but not hard. The skies and sound of thunder now (5:30 Costa Rica time) promises more rain to come. In fact, looking out the ocean, there is heavy rain out past the rocky, uninhabited (except by birds) islands – and the effect is stunning. Meanwhile, down to our left is another hummingbird, hanging out by the beautiful “Bird of Paradise” flowers.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monkey Business. . .But Not In Bimini
(We’ll see who gets the reference in the title – Google it if you don’t.) Well, it’s raining again, but the rain held off long enough to make the day mostly great. If it had waited another hour or two, it would have been better.
Last night, as I was catching up on two days of email and uploading the blog entries (because it is $5 per hour of wireless here, I blog on Wordperfect first and then cut and paste), the skies opened up. It poured. However, a 5:40 pm start was the latest of any day. Today was 2:30pm, although it didn’t start really pouring until 4pm.
We scrapped our plans to go into Quepos for dinner because of the monsoon-like downpour, and instead had a fine meal at the nice seafood restaurant here at the resort (there are two places to eat). At first, because of the downpour, we were one of only two groups eating, but once the rain let up (didn’t stop, just not as much of a deluge), the place filled up. We ate in smug superiority, knowing that we deserved the best food and service for braving the heavy rain, while the latecomers were nothing but food wussies. I’m a nice guy, so I didn’t openly mocking them. The food was delicious – I’m eating fish probably two out of three meals – quite nice preparations.
We got to sleep in till 6:40 (I was up earlier doing some work) this morning, because we had a 7:45 pick-up for the hiking/nature tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. We were the only English-speaking group on the shuttle bus. When everyone else was talking excitedly in Spanish, I assumed they were plotting to kill the gringos and take our money, but it turns out they were only scaring themselves about snakes. That was kind of a relief.
It was unexpected. . .of the 60 or so people there, only 16 spoke English, so that was our tour group. Fortunately we had a guide. We never would have found one quarter of the animals we saw without him. We saw many iguana (which tend to blend in), lizards, agouti (a cute prairie dog like large rodent), both two-toed and three-toed sloths (some more active than others). Maddy spotted a snake (non-poisonous bird snake – so-named because it eats birds). We also saw multiple interesting insects, including stunningly beautiful blue and red metallic colored grasshoppers. There were crabs with bright red legs, a baby Caiman, and a Jesus Christ lizard (because it can run on water).
However, the highlights of the trip were the white faced monkeys, as well as the howler monkeys. The beaches in the park are among the most beautiful in the world. And, there was a monkey sighting at one end of the beach cove. The monkeys entertained us by climbing through the low brush, crossing the beach at points, and then snagging some coconut pieces that lay shattered in the low brush. It was amazing how close we could get to them.
Later, as we walked down a path known as “sloth alley” (yes, we did spot multiple sloths along the alley), we saw a family of howler monkeys high off in the distant trees. It was entertaining to watch them swing and play through the trees. I thought about channeling Howard Cosell, but since he was nearly fired for that comment, I decided not to.
We heard toucans, but none of us could spot them through the dense tree growth. We did not see any crocodiles (just the baby caiman, which prefers brackish waters), but our guide got a laugh (at least from me) by quickly pointing out a logodile (simply a partially submerged log that looked like a croc).
Now, you can enter the park yourself and walk around (although you’d better tip the boat owners who help you cross the river to enter – unless it is low tide, then you can walk), but it’s definitely worth having a guide. Otherwise you would not be able to spot the animals that blend in so well to their surroundings. Plus, they have help – other guides radio them with sightings, so they roughly know where to look for different animals.
It’s a very easy hike (except for the sweat), and quite a beautiful mix of lush rainforest and stunning tropical beaches.
We ended in time for lunch, right back at Marlins, where they give you fruit and juice. . .and then entice folks to stay for lunch. That was a pretty easy decision – and today I had the chicken Casado, which again was quite good. I love that plantains come with each Casado – it’s my favorite Carribean food (much more so than, say, mangos!).
Then, we eschewed the ride back to the hotel, changed in the restaurant restrooms, and went straight to the beach. We got our lounge chairs, umbrella, and boogie board from the same woman as yesterday (despite another person trying to cut in), our cervezas from the same guy (although he appears to have variable pricing). Oh, there are even massage tables set up in case you want one right there on the beach.
Since we had all afternoon free, it was time for some adventure sports – Julia did the parasailing. From the beach, it appears she got a great ride around the entire area, out past islands and then down in front of the beach. It was pretty cool when she was able to wave to us as she went by high in the sky. She loved it (and wants to do it again – she can pay for herself next time!).
Then, Maddy, Torie and I went sea kayaking. Maddy had one to herself, and Torie and I took a double. The best part about sea kayaking is the uncertainty about getting out past the breaking waves. Maddy said it best – “I was scared when each wave came in, but it was fun going through it.” The second best part about sea kayaking – or skyaking as I called it once by mistake today – riding the waves in. We were heading out to explore the islands (from a distance – we wouldn’t want to get dashed up against the sharp rocks), when we heard thunder (the sky had turned gray around 1:45), so we headed back in.
However, we rode the waves in, and then went back out several times – just to crash through the surf and ride back in again. Torie and I flipped the first time, but Maddy rode like a pro. We did several trips out and back in again, not wanting to stray too far from the beach in case of heavy rain or lightning. The last time in, Torie and I caught the perfect wave, riding high like royalty to be deposited gently on the beach.
We did cut short our kayaking because the thunder increased in number and duration.
The only downside to the day (besides the early rain – we would have been quite content to stay longer at the beach) was the confusion getting back to the hotel. The shuttle never came (they claimed they had been there and we obviously were late. Not true, we were five minutes early, and even the workers at the beach store said it hadn’t been there yet). Rather than keep waiting, we walked up and caught the bus that runs always between Quepos and Manuel Antonio (well, vice versa in this case).
I’ve always wanted to take a bus in a Latin American country. Unlike “Romancing the Stone,” however, there were no live chickens in cages on the bus. Que sera. However, I think it only cost about one dollar for all of us to take it. I gave him 1,000 Colons (a bit less than $2), and got a decent amount of change back – rather than count it, I assumed it is correct and shoved it in my camera bag. There’s a certain amount of trust implicit when the bus fare is already a lot less than expected.
Last night, as I was catching up on two days of email and uploading the blog entries (because it is $5 per hour of wireless here, I blog on Wordperfect first and then cut and paste), the skies opened up. It poured. However, a 5:40 pm start was the latest of any day. Today was 2:30pm, although it didn’t start really pouring until 4pm.
We scrapped our plans to go into Quepos for dinner because of the monsoon-like downpour, and instead had a fine meal at the nice seafood restaurant here at the resort (there are two places to eat). At first, because of the downpour, we were one of only two groups eating, but once the rain let up (didn’t stop, just not as much of a deluge), the place filled up. We ate in smug superiority, knowing that we deserved the best food and service for braving the heavy rain, while the latecomers were nothing but food wussies. I’m a nice guy, so I didn’t openly mocking them. The food was delicious – I’m eating fish probably two out of three meals – quite nice preparations.
We got to sleep in till 6:40 (I was up earlier doing some work) this morning, because we had a 7:45 pick-up for the hiking/nature tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. We were the only English-speaking group on the shuttle bus. When everyone else was talking excitedly in Spanish, I assumed they were plotting to kill the gringos and take our money, but it turns out they were only scaring themselves about snakes. That was kind of a relief.
It was unexpected. . .of the 60 or so people there, only 16 spoke English, so that was our tour group. Fortunately we had a guide. We never would have found one quarter of the animals we saw without him. We saw many iguana (which tend to blend in), lizards, agouti (a cute prairie dog like large rodent), both two-toed and three-toed sloths (some more active than others). Maddy spotted a snake (non-poisonous bird snake – so-named because it eats birds). We also saw multiple interesting insects, including stunningly beautiful blue and red metallic colored grasshoppers. There were crabs with bright red legs, a baby Caiman, and a Jesus Christ lizard (because it can run on water).
However, the highlights of the trip were the white faced monkeys, as well as the howler monkeys. The beaches in the park are among the most beautiful in the world. And, there was a monkey sighting at one end of the beach cove. The monkeys entertained us by climbing through the low brush, crossing the beach at points, and then snagging some coconut pieces that lay shattered in the low brush. It was amazing how close we could get to them.
Later, as we walked down a path known as “sloth alley” (yes, we did spot multiple sloths along the alley), we saw a family of howler monkeys high off in the distant trees. It was entertaining to watch them swing and play through the trees. I thought about channeling Howard Cosell, but since he was nearly fired for that comment, I decided not to.
We heard toucans, but none of us could spot them through the dense tree growth. We did not see any crocodiles (just the baby caiman, which prefers brackish waters), but our guide got a laugh (at least from me) by quickly pointing out a logodile (simply a partially submerged log that looked like a croc).
Now, you can enter the park yourself and walk around (although you’d better tip the boat owners who help you cross the river to enter – unless it is low tide, then you can walk), but it’s definitely worth having a guide. Otherwise you would not be able to spot the animals that blend in so well to their surroundings. Plus, they have help – other guides radio them with sightings, so they roughly know where to look for different animals.
It’s a very easy hike (except for the sweat), and quite a beautiful mix of lush rainforest and stunning tropical beaches.
We ended in time for lunch, right back at Marlins, where they give you fruit and juice. . .and then entice folks to stay for lunch. That was a pretty easy decision – and today I had the chicken Casado, which again was quite good. I love that plantains come with each Casado – it’s my favorite Carribean food (much more so than, say, mangos!).
Then, we eschewed the ride back to the hotel, changed in the restaurant restrooms, and went straight to the beach. We got our lounge chairs, umbrella, and boogie board from the same woman as yesterday (despite another person trying to cut in), our cervezas from the same guy (although he appears to have variable pricing). Oh, there are even massage tables set up in case you want one right there on the beach.
Since we had all afternoon free, it was time for some adventure sports – Julia did the parasailing. From the beach, it appears she got a great ride around the entire area, out past islands and then down in front of the beach. It was pretty cool when she was able to wave to us as she went by high in the sky. She loved it (and wants to do it again – she can pay for herself next time!).
Then, Maddy, Torie and I went sea kayaking. Maddy had one to herself, and Torie and I took a double. The best part about sea kayaking is the uncertainty about getting out past the breaking waves. Maddy said it best – “I was scared when each wave came in, but it was fun going through it.” The second best part about sea kayaking – or skyaking as I called it once by mistake today – riding the waves in. We were heading out to explore the islands (from a distance – we wouldn’t want to get dashed up against the sharp rocks), when we heard thunder (the sky had turned gray around 1:45), so we headed back in.
However, we rode the waves in, and then went back out several times – just to crash through the surf and ride back in again. Torie and I flipped the first time, but Maddy rode like a pro. We did several trips out and back in again, not wanting to stray too far from the beach in case of heavy rain or lightning. The last time in, Torie and I caught the perfect wave, riding high like royalty to be deposited gently on the beach.
We did cut short our kayaking because the thunder increased in number and duration.
The only downside to the day (besides the early rain – we would have been quite content to stay longer at the beach) was the confusion getting back to the hotel. The shuttle never came (they claimed they had been there and we obviously were late. Not true, we were five minutes early, and even the workers at the beach store said it hadn’t been there yet). Rather than keep waiting, we walked up and caught the bus that runs always between Quepos and Manuel Antonio (well, vice versa in this case).
I’ve always wanted to take a bus in a Latin American country. Unlike “Romancing the Stone,” however, there were no live chickens in cages on the bus. Que sera. However, I think it only cost about one dollar for all of us to take it. I gave him 1,000 Colons (a bit less than $2), and got a decent amount of change back – rather than count it, I assumed it is correct and shoved it in my camera bag. There’s a certain amount of trust implicit when the bus fare is already a lot less than expected.
Monday, August 13, 2007
In Which Our Heroes Have a Great Day. . .
Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda. . .As sung by Alan Sherman:
Hello muddah, hello faddah
Here I am at Camp Granada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining.
I went hiking with Joe Spivy
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner.
Take me home, oh muddah, faddah
Take me home, I hate Granada
Don't leave me out in the forest where
I might get eaten by a bear.
All the counselors hate the waiters
And the lake has alligators
And the head coach wants no sissies
So he reads to us from something called Ulysses.
How I don't want this should scare ya
But my bunkmate has malaria
You remember Jeffrey Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party.
Take me home...I promise I will not make noise
Or mess the house with other boys.
Oh please don't make me stay
I've been here one whole day.
Dearest faddah, darling muddah,
How's my precious little bruddah
Let me come home, if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me.
Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing.
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's better
Muddah, faddah kindly disregard this letter.
I mentioned in an earlier post – written this morning – that today is a make or break day for the trip. The trip was made. Today. First we did the Titi Canopy Zip Line tour, which was great fun, and then we went to the public beach outside of Manuel Antonio National Park. Whoa. This is one of the most stunning beaches we’ve ever been too – and it has a great vibe as well (read down).
This is the Pure Vida everyone has been talking about (well, actually sticking the phrase on t-shirts and hats – haven’t actually heard a bona fide Costa Rican native person from here actually say it.) However, it’s hard to find a t-shirt without “Pure Vida,”so it must be true (think about it – how often do we Americans drop “e Pluribus Unum” in our daily conversation? See my point? Neither do I.).
It’s 4:55 and not a drop of rain. It was beautiful all day until about 2:45, and the clouds haven’t brought rain yet. It turns out that there was a big weather storm sitting over huge chunks of Costa Rica the last few days, and it finally moved on. Finally. Moved. On. Lately my life has been more difficult because of MoveOn. Today it was easier.
We were up early. . .activities start early here. The van for the canopy zip line tour picked us up at 7:10. It was about a 15 minute drive to the registration area, and then, after filling out minimal paperwork that I’m pretty sure absolved them of blame if the cable snaps and one of us plunges to a gruesome, Jurassic Park-like death below, we drove five minutes to the start off point.
Everything was good until we put our safety gear and harnesses on. Then, Mrs. Iron Tourist sidled up to me, and said, “I just want it known that I never wanted to do this.” I was – for some unknown reason – caught by surprise. Not by the temporary freakout, but by it taking this long to happen. Of course, that’s similar to what she said during the infamous snowmobile “Briefing of Death” outside of Taos one December, and then we had to pry her hands off the accelerator because she didn’t want the ride to end.
So, with that uh-oh feeling in my stomach (something goes wrong, it’s my fault), we clomped up the hill in the rainforest to the briefing area. On the way the our friendly guides pointed out two green and black poisonous frogs (not as deadly as R.O.U.S.s, but don’t mess with them nonetheless). After the detailed briefing – which mainly consisted of “don’t do this” followed by one-liners that seemed to be borrowed from Henny Youngman, we set off.
There was a group of probably 15-16 folks on the tour, and a solid number (five-six) of tour guides. Torie was the first one on the first zip line, and Carol was next. All was going well. We hit 14 lines – with the longest two being 1,000 and 1,400 feet. At some points we were 300 feet above the ground. There were no problems – we worked up a goodly sweat, and a great time was had by all. To quote myself when friends are learning to ski, “gravity works.”
Most of the lines were in the dense jungles, but the long ones had stunning views of the mountains and the valleys. Twice I failed to break quickly enough – once slamming my feet into the tree (it was exhilarating, not painful), and once causing the guide to throw the emergency break to slow me. The leader called me “Speed Demon.” I accepted the sobriquet as a point of pride.
The scariest part was not flying through the jungle, spinning occasionally, watching branches go just above or below the body. No, the scary part was the metal platforms bolted into the trees (it is private reserve property), which shook as you climbed up the stairs to the next platform. And, the more people on the stairs, the merrier it shook.
Everyone had a great time – not just the Bolger family, but the other folks on the tour (we had the only kids, the rest were either young couples or a group of friends from Texas/DC).
We were all done and back by 10:05, which gave us enough time to get back to the room, change, and catch the shuttle to the beach. Wow. What a stunning beach – rocky islands off in the not so far distance, with two points of land at either end. It was a very soft, white sand beach that had lots of people but wasn’t crowded.
To quote myself again, “Capitalism works.” (It may sound arrogant to note that you are quoting yourself, but it’s all in good fun.) The beach had many private vendors – we rented an umbrella and two lounge chairs for $10 for the day. A boogie board cost another $10 for the day – which shared. We went to lunch after a while – and when we came back our lounge chairs, umbrella, and boogie board were all waiting. People were walking up and down the beach, selling useful items. One fellow was selling cerveza and soda – for just $3 and $1 respectively. And they were cold drinks. Others had art, necklaces, tevas, beach towels, frozen drinks, sangria in a bag (yes, dear reader, you read that right). However, none of it was overbearing, and if you waved them off, they let you be.
The waves were great, the beach had very few rocks, and the views were spectacular. The only mistake I made was forgetting to have Mrs. Tourist sunscreen my back. Everything else was fine, but the back – burnt.
If you go to Costa Rica (hint – don’t choose the rainy season if possible), the area around Quepos (the town) and Manuel Antonio N.P. is a must visit. The beaches are spectacular, the adventure sports are great, and there is enough to do even for folks who aren’t into adventure sports.
We barely left the ocean (Mrs. Tourist doesn’t do waves, so she hung out and read, guarding our stuff) until it was time for lunch. Julia and Maddy made poor tactical decisions, choosing to rent surfboards as the tide was coming in. They rode some waves, but not many (others – mostly guys in the 20s with clearly too much money – doing the same had huge problems too).
For lunch, we walked up the road along the beach, and choose a nondescript place for lunch (right near Marlins, where we ate last night). It was perfectly good – cheapest meal of the trip (non-breakfast), and the carne en salsa Casado plates that Carol and I had were excellent.
After that, it was back to the beach for a bit, more swimming in the now huge waves (great for bodysurfing – which Maddy is really doing well at). Then we caught the 2:40 shuttle back, vowing to come back tomorrow. We then hung at the pool for a while, because the kids wanted to ride the water slide – which I took four times and Carol even did once.
One of the all time top days. And it couldn’t have come at a better time – since frustration was growing among all five Iron Tourist family members.
No cell service here, and the only wireless is in the hotel lobby. Which is a modest pain, but such is life in a place known for Pure Vida.
Hello muddah, hello faddah
Here I am at Camp Granada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining.
I went hiking with Joe Spivy
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner.
Take me home, oh muddah, faddah
Take me home, I hate Granada
Don't leave me out in the forest where
I might get eaten by a bear.
All the counselors hate the waiters
And the lake has alligators
And the head coach wants no sissies
So he reads to us from something called Ulysses.
How I don't want this should scare ya
But my bunkmate has malaria
You remember Jeffrey Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party.
Take me home...I promise I will not make noise
Or mess the house with other boys.
Oh please don't make me stay
I've been here one whole day.
Dearest faddah, darling muddah,
How's my precious little bruddah
Let me come home, if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me.
Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing.
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's better
Muddah, faddah kindly disregard this letter.
I mentioned in an earlier post – written this morning – that today is a make or break day for the trip. The trip was made. Today. First we did the Titi Canopy Zip Line tour, which was great fun, and then we went to the public beach outside of Manuel Antonio National Park. Whoa. This is one of the most stunning beaches we’ve ever been too – and it has a great vibe as well (read down).
This is the Pure Vida everyone has been talking about (well, actually sticking the phrase on t-shirts and hats – haven’t actually heard a bona fide Costa Rican native person from here actually say it.) However, it’s hard to find a t-shirt without “Pure Vida,”so it must be true (think about it – how often do we Americans drop “e Pluribus Unum” in our daily conversation? See my point? Neither do I.).
It’s 4:55 and not a drop of rain. It was beautiful all day until about 2:45, and the clouds haven’t brought rain yet. It turns out that there was a big weather storm sitting over huge chunks of Costa Rica the last few days, and it finally moved on. Finally. Moved. On. Lately my life has been more difficult because of MoveOn. Today it was easier.
We were up early. . .activities start early here. The van for the canopy zip line tour picked us up at 7:10. It was about a 15 minute drive to the registration area, and then, after filling out minimal paperwork that I’m pretty sure absolved them of blame if the cable snaps and one of us plunges to a gruesome, Jurassic Park-like death below, we drove five minutes to the start off point.
Everything was good until we put our safety gear and harnesses on. Then, Mrs. Iron Tourist sidled up to me, and said, “I just want it known that I never wanted to do this.” I was – for some unknown reason – caught by surprise. Not by the temporary freakout, but by it taking this long to happen. Of course, that’s similar to what she said during the infamous snowmobile “Briefing of Death” outside of Taos one December, and then we had to pry her hands off the accelerator because she didn’t want the ride to end.
So, with that uh-oh feeling in my stomach (something goes wrong, it’s my fault), we clomped up the hill in the rainforest to the briefing area. On the way the our friendly guides pointed out two green and black poisonous frogs (not as deadly as R.O.U.S.s, but don’t mess with them nonetheless). After the detailed briefing – which mainly consisted of “don’t do this” followed by one-liners that seemed to be borrowed from Henny Youngman, we set off.
There was a group of probably 15-16 folks on the tour, and a solid number (five-six) of tour guides. Torie was the first one on the first zip line, and Carol was next. All was going well. We hit 14 lines – with the longest two being 1,000 and 1,400 feet. At some points we were 300 feet above the ground. There were no problems – we worked up a goodly sweat, and a great time was had by all. To quote myself when friends are learning to ski, “gravity works.”
Most of the lines were in the dense jungles, but the long ones had stunning views of the mountains and the valleys. Twice I failed to break quickly enough – once slamming my feet into the tree (it was exhilarating, not painful), and once causing the guide to throw the emergency break to slow me. The leader called me “Speed Demon.” I accepted the sobriquet as a point of pride.
The scariest part was not flying through the jungle, spinning occasionally, watching branches go just above or below the body. No, the scary part was the metal platforms bolted into the trees (it is private reserve property), which shook as you climbed up the stairs to the next platform. And, the more people on the stairs, the merrier it shook.
Everyone had a great time – not just the Bolger family, but the other folks on the tour (we had the only kids, the rest were either young couples or a group of friends from Texas/DC).
We were all done and back by 10:05, which gave us enough time to get back to the room, change, and catch the shuttle to the beach. Wow. What a stunning beach – rocky islands off in the not so far distance, with two points of land at either end. It was a very soft, white sand beach that had lots of people but wasn’t crowded.
To quote myself again, “Capitalism works.” (It may sound arrogant to note that you are quoting yourself, but it’s all in good fun.) The beach had many private vendors – we rented an umbrella and two lounge chairs for $10 for the day. A boogie board cost another $10 for the day – which shared. We went to lunch after a while – and when we came back our lounge chairs, umbrella, and boogie board were all waiting. People were walking up and down the beach, selling useful items. One fellow was selling cerveza and soda – for just $3 and $1 respectively. And they were cold drinks. Others had art, necklaces, tevas, beach towels, frozen drinks, sangria in a bag (yes, dear reader, you read that right). However, none of it was overbearing, and if you waved them off, they let you be.
The waves were great, the beach had very few rocks, and the views were spectacular. The only mistake I made was forgetting to have Mrs. Tourist sunscreen my back. Everything else was fine, but the back – burnt.
If you go to Costa Rica (hint – don’t choose the rainy season if possible), the area around Quepos (the town) and Manuel Antonio N.P. is a must visit. The beaches are spectacular, the adventure sports are great, and there is enough to do even for folks who aren’t into adventure sports.
We barely left the ocean (Mrs. Tourist doesn’t do waves, so she hung out and read, guarding our stuff) until it was time for lunch. Julia and Maddy made poor tactical decisions, choosing to rent surfboards as the tide was coming in. They rode some waves, but not many (others – mostly guys in the 20s with clearly too much money – doing the same had huge problems too).
For lunch, we walked up the road along the beach, and choose a nondescript place for lunch (right near Marlins, where we ate last night). It was perfectly good – cheapest meal of the trip (non-breakfast), and the carne en salsa Casado plates that Carol and I had were excellent.
After that, it was back to the beach for a bit, more swimming in the now huge waves (great for bodysurfing – which Maddy is really doing well at). Then we caught the 2:40 shuttle back, vowing to come back tomorrow. We then hung at the pool for a while, because the kids wanted to ride the water slide – which I took four times and Carol even did once.
One of the all time top days. And it couldn’t have come at a better time – since frustration was growing among all five Iron Tourist family members.
No cell service here, and the only wireless is in the hotel lobby. Which is a modest pain, but such is life in a place known for Pure Vida.
Con Mucho Gusto. . .
What’s up with mangos? There is no taste or flavor to them what so ever. They don’t live up to their reputation. I’ve had them before coming here, and each time I’m stumped. Might as well be eating wood paste. (The mango riff was my homage to the Andy Rooney style of living.)
Life in nature is nasty, brutish, and short (hey, that’s pretty original. Maybe I should trademark it!). I realized that the other day sitting on the patio, watching every creature that flew or crawled by focusing on survival. That’s 90% of what they focus on – the rest is mating. So nature is kind of like college.
The national saying in Costa Rica is “pura vida.” Which means “pure life” (even I got that one). However, I’ve never heard anyone actually say it. Instead, the great phrase here is, “con mucho gusto,” which means “with much pleasure.” That’s what folks say in response to “gracias,” instead of the more common “de nada” in other Spanish-speaking countries.
Every town with tourism has a place called “Harry’s Bar.” While probably an unintentional nod to Venice, I don’t think a bar needs to be named “Harry’s” to attract tourists. But that’s just a guess on my part.
Life in nature is nasty, brutish, and short (hey, that’s pretty original. Maybe I should trademark it!). I realized that the other day sitting on the patio, watching every creature that flew or crawled by focusing on survival. That’s 90% of what they focus on – the rest is mating. So nature is kind of like college.
The national saying in Costa Rica is “pura vida.” Which means “pure life” (even I got that one). However, I’ve never heard anyone actually say it. Instead, the great phrase here is, “con mucho gusto,” which means “with much pleasure.” That’s what folks say in response to “gracias,” instead of the more common “de nada” in other Spanish-speaking countries.
Every town with tourism has a place called “Harry’s Bar.” While probably an unintentional nod to Venice, I don’t think a bar needs to be named “Harry’s” to attract tourists. But that’s just a guess on my part.
Even The Iron Tourist Can Get Rusted. . .
Well, I’m writing this at 5:25 am Monday morning. I believe today is a make or break day for the trip. The last few days have been very frustrating with the rain. So, with the canopy tour/zip lines this morning, either the trip clearly veers completely off track, or it rights itself. We’ve had great family trips – Spain in 2001, London/Ireland in 2003, Hawaii in 2005, and Italy in 2007. This one, because of the rain, is unlikely to join that list.
Hmmm. . .how hard would it have been for our travel agent, apparently an expert on Costa Rica, to have said – “hey, August is the rainy season, you might want to go somewhere else.” But he skipped that. Other options we were considering included Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, or the American West (Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, etc.). Turns out we made the wrong choice. The first couple of days here were good, but the rain comes earlier and more often each day. When I checked the weather for Costa Rica on the internet, all I did was look at the average temperature per month. Bad move. . .should have look at monthly rainfalls.
Take yesterday, for instance. We got up to pouring rain at Punta Islita. During breakfast, the rain came even harder. The folks working at the resort assumed the flight was going to be delayed or cancelled. Around 8:40, they came and said that it was on schedule. So we piled into the van (just the Bolger family – no others were leaving on that flight) and were driven to the airport. Three times we drove through major streams crossing the road. They made for great looking waterfalls above us, but it was slightly harrowing crossing the rushing water.
There were two men dropped off for the flight as well, so we didn’t have the plane to ourselves. The plane was on time. The rain had lightened up a bit, although I still had visions of Roberto Clemente in my mind. But, as we flew from the peninsula we were on toward San Jose, the skies cleared. Bright sunshine in San Jose, where we waited an hour and twenty minutes for our next flight to Quepos. The girls hung out patiently, playing their Game Boys or reading until it was time to go.
After Samarra and Punta Islita airstrips, Quepos is huge. It is asphalted, and even has a hut where they sell food and souvenirs. The flight itself had eleven of the twelve seats filled.
Quepos is much more built up that the area around Punta Islita (very small town). There are many hotels, homes, and adventure activities. The Manuel Antonio National Park greater region combines nearly all of Costa Rica for the traveler – zip lines, diving, sportfishing, kayaking, rafting, hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, horse back riding, and more.
On the 15 minute shuttle ride to our final resort (Si Como No), I saw an older fellow on a broken down bike wearing a Hooters t-shirt. I doubt he’s been there. We passed a Chinese Restaurant. I immediately made plans to not go there. We passed some casinos, and there are realty signs everywhere.
Like in the Central Valley towns we went through the first few days of the trip, all of the houses and businesses in this area have metal bars on their windows and protective metal screens in front of the doors. It’s unusual to see the more than a one story building.
Carol has been using her Spanish more here, talking with the drivers and other workers.
So, we get to Si Como No (which means, “sure, why not?”). It’s very pretty, overlooking the ocean from halfway up the hillside (like Punta Islita). The only downside is that there is no direct route to the beach, so we either take the shuttle or I’m thinking about renting a car to make it easier to get around.
As we were finishing our lunch around 2pm, it (of course) started raining. Thus, we skipped the beach and the girls went to the pool for a while, until the lightning started around 3pm. It was pouring (surprise!). So we hung in the room for a few hours, napping or reading. Eventually, when the rain weakened (temporarily), I got the girls and we went to the Gift Shop to get Carol a couple of small birthday presents. Fortunately, we found a cool glass frog Christmas ornament, so it served as a two-fer – both a birthday present (we also got her something else) and a tree ornament, as we like to have one from every trip we take.
Dinner was good, as we went off-property to Marlins, a vibrant seafood restaurant with a bar above that had live music. I grossed the girls out by getting a whole fish (red snapper) and offered them the opportunity to eat the fish head. They, shockingly, declined.
The vibe at the restaurant helped revive us. We’ve actually considered breaking the trip off early (Mrs. Tourist is more willing to do that than I am – I hate admitting defeat). You’ll note that our big trips all come in odd numbered years – that’s because election years are too busy for any kind of lengthy trip. That’s why this is disappointing – it will be two years before the next big trip, and we’ve had to waste a bunch of time waiting out seemingly never ending rain. Fortunately, right now at 6am it is sunny, so today hopefully will be a good one. If the rain holds off till 4pm, then it’s a good day. I took no pictures yesterday – why bother in the rain?
Hmmm. . .how hard would it have been for our travel agent, apparently an expert on Costa Rica, to have said – “hey, August is the rainy season, you might want to go somewhere else.” But he skipped that. Other options we were considering included Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, or the American West (Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, etc.). Turns out we made the wrong choice. The first couple of days here were good, but the rain comes earlier and more often each day. When I checked the weather for Costa Rica on the internet, all I did was look at the average temperature per month. Bad move. . .should have look at monthly rainfalls.
Take yesterday, for instance. We got up to pouring rain at Punta Islita. During breakfast, the rain came even harder. The folks working at the resort assumed the flight was going to be delayed or cancelled. Around 8:40, they came and said that it was on schedule. So we piled into the van (just the Bolger family – no others were leaving on that flight) and were driven to the airport. Three times we drove through major streams crossing the road. They made for great looking waterfalls above us, but it was slightly harrowing crossing the rushing water.
There were two men dropped off for the flight as well, so we didn’t have the plane to ourselves. The plane was on time. The rain had lightened up a bit, although I still had visions of Roberto Clemente in my mind. But, as we flew from the peninsula we were on toward San Jose, the skies cleared. Bright sunshine in San Jose, where we waited an hour and twenty minutes for our next flight to Quepos. The girls hung out patiently, playing their Game Boys or reading until it was time to go.
After Samarra and Punta Islita airstrips, Quepos is huge. It is asphalted, and even has a hut where they sell food and souvenirs. The flight itself had eleven of the twelve seats filled.
Quepos is much more built up that the area around Punta Islita (very small town). There are many hotels, homes, and adventure activities. The Manuel Antonio National Park greater region combines nearly all of Costa Rica for the traveler – zip lines, diving, sportfishing, kayaking, rafting, hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, horse back riding, and more.
On the 15 minute shuttle ride to our final resort (Si Como No), I saw an older fellow on a broken down bike wearing a Hooters t-shirt. I doubt he’s been there. We passed a Chinese Restaurant. I immediately made plans to not go there. We passed some casinos, and there are realty signs everywhere.
Like in the Central Valley towns we went through the first few days of the trip, all of the houses and businesses in this area have metal bars on their windows and protective metal screens in front of the doors. It’s unusual to see the more than a one story building.
Carol has been using her Spanish more here, talking with the drivers and other workers.
So, we get to Si Como No (which means, “sure, why not?”). It’s very pretty, overlooking the ocean from halfway up the hillside (like Punta Islita). The only downside is that there is no direct route to the beach, so we either take the shuttle or I’m thinking about renting a car to make it easier to get around.
As we were finishing our lunch around 2pm, it (of course) started raining. Thus, we skipped the beach and the girls went to the pool for a while, until the lightning started around 3pm. It was pouring (surprise!). So we hung in the room for a few hours, napping or reading. Eventually, when the rain weakened (temporarily), I got the girls and we went to the Gift Shop to get Carol a couple of small birthday presents. Fortunately, we found a cool glass frog Christmas ornament, so it served as a two-fer – both a birthday present (we also got her something else) and a tree ornament, as we like to have one from every trip we take.
Dinner was good, as we went off-property to Marlins, a vibrant seafood restaurant with a bar above that had live music. I grossed the girls out by getting a whole fish (red snapper) and offered them the opportunity to eat the fish head. They, shockingly, declined.
The vibe at the restaurant helped revive us. We’ve actually considered breaking the trip off early (Mrs. Tourist is more willing to do that than I am – I hate admitting defeat). You’ll note that our big trips all come in odd numbered years – that’s because election years are too busy for any kind of lengthy trip. That’s why this is disappointing – it will be two years before the next big trip, and we’ve had to waste a bunch of time waiting out seemingly never ending rain. Fortunately, right now at 6am it is sunny, so today hopefully will be a good one. If the rain holds off till 4pm, then it’s a good day. I took no pictures yesterday – why bother in the rain?
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