On to the
highlight of 2022; our trip to Costa Rica, a big one on the “bucket list”. We
used a travel agent this time, she suggested small group tours & after much
research we chose G Adventures –Costa Rica Upgraded, a 14 day adventure!
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| map of our route |
We flew February
27/22 with Air Canada & despite having a short layover in Toronto it was a
good choice. We arrived to San Jose, spent 2 hours weaving our way through
airport lines to make our way outside to our first taste of Costa Rica’s hot,
humid weather. A private transfer to our hotel, the Radisson – not much to look
at & in not a great area but the room was nice. We ventured walking to the
central area of town to check out the sights & to find an ATM – withdrawing
250,000 colones – seemed like such a huge amount of money (but just $500).
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| pretty fancy - dispenses hand sanitizer & takes your temperature! |
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| cost Rican beer |
We met our
guide Dorian & most of our fellow travellers that evening – 14 of us in
total, all from the UK except one French woman, one Irish woman & us. We
were 4 couples & 5 women travelling alone, ranging in age from mid 20’s to
early 70’s – a perfect mix!
February 28
We started
off early, 6:45; to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast in a comfy small van that
held us & our luggage (no porters, we handled our own luggage). We passed
acres of banana plantations, stopped for a traditional breakfast, picked up a
local guide & arrived to the boat that would take us down the canals to our
hotel ( this area is only accessible by boat). We saw caimans, iguanas, turtles
& birds; got stuck on a sandbar (too much luggage perhaps) & we were
there – Turtle Beach Lodge.
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| banana plantation, bunches covered in plastic to speed ripening |
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| our transport down the canals |
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| green iguana posing for photos |
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| stuck on a sandbar |
Large rooms
with screened windows, close enough to hear the ocean, the beach went on for
miles & no one there! But they had a bar, a pool & good food – and
monkeys swinging thru the trees!!! White-faced capuchins & squirrel monkeys
scampering thru the trees, at times taking a bite out of water apples, then
throwing the remains to the ground.
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| our room |
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| from the outside |
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| Tortuguero beach |
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| white faced capuchin |
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| the pool in the rain |
We had
several boat trips in the area – a tour of the village of Tortuguero & of a
turtle conservancy (the area is known as
a prime sea turtle hatching area, which occurs from March to October) & a
night boat tour (pitch black, loud unknown jungle noises & the guide could
spot the eyes of a tiny frog far in the distance)!
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| a caiman |
peaceful trip down the canals
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| transportation in the town of Tortuguero |
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| very pretty money depicted on towels |
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| route travelled by green sea turtles after nesting at Tortuguero beaches |
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| in Tortuguero |
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| river turtles |
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| tarantula seen on the night tour |
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| herons |
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| tiny bat, also on night our |
A walk in
the jungle, complete with rubber boots (provided) to see more tiny frogs, leaf
cutter ants, boat-billed herons, butterflies & lizards. Then free time – a
walk on the beach, a short lie down in a hammock & drinks by the pool. Hot!
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| Aracari - kind of toucan |
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| boat billed heron |
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| a very large spider |
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| tree frog, climbing up the tree |
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| our group |
March 2 –
Left Tortuguero, another 1.5 hr boat ride, then the van – stopped at Mi Casita
coffee cooperative for a tour, tasting & casado lunch (typical meal – rice,
beans, salad, plantain & choice of meat).
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| Mi Casita coffee tour |
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| our trusty van |
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| Slaty-tailed Trogon |
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| Kingfisher |
On to La
Fortuna - known for the nearby Arenal volcano & the many fancy hot spring
resorts. Unfortunately we encountered rain & cloudy weather but did get a
view of Arenal before we left. We passed on taking in any hot springs & did
a hike to Rio Celeste in Volcan Tenorio National Park instead – an amazing
color of blue river & waterfall (from minerals in it). A difficult hike
(13,000 steps & 36 flights of stairs) but well worth it! Saw howler
monkeys, toucans, sloths, hummingbirds, white-faced coatis & colorful
birds. All of our guides travel with spotting scopes & will take photos
with our cell phones so got some great shots.
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| Toucan |
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| Rio Celeste hike |
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| Rio Celeste waterfall |
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| the forest/jungle |
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| one of the 52 different hummingbirds in Costa Rica |
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| where the Rio Celeste meets another river & the 2 colors mix |
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| white faced coati |
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| 3 toed sloth with her lighter colored baby on her chest |
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| roadside fruit stand |
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the pool & restaurant at Monte Real Hotel
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In the
evening we travelled to the local home of Dona Mara for a lesson in tortilla
making & a traditional meal cooked on a wood stove. Excellent!
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| we had to wear aprons & hats! |
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| Dona Mara's kitchen, wood stove in the front |
March 4 – We
opted to do a hike on the 1968 lava flow of Arenal – done entirely in a howling
wind & rain; we spotted an Eyelash Palm pit viper on the way & stopped
for photos. Shopping for souvenirs in La Fortuna rounded out the afternoon. We
stopped at an ATM for more cash – an armed guard outside the bank - checking
bags, locking up anything sharp (a utility knife), ensuring everyone washes
their hands & scanning with a metal detector!
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| Eyelass Palm pit viper |
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| along the lava flow |
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| heading off in the rain to the 1968 lava flow |
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| Our Arenal Volcano hike - the volcano wasn't visible so we improvised! |
March 5 – On
to our next location which included a boat trip across Lake Arenal & our
first good views of the volcano. Windy, rough, narrow roads – the van
overheated & we had to stop at a farm for water! We arrived to the
Monteverde area & our “home” for 3 nights – El Establo Mountain Hotel which
took our breath away! A wall of windows overlooking the valley & on to the
Pacific ocean with rocking chairs to put out on the patio where we watched coatis
up close. The others went ziplining, we chose to wander thru Monteverde &
enjoy a leisurely lunch. As we were in the cloud forest it was fitting that the
clouds & mist moved in as the day progressed. We finished the day with a
group dinner at a nearby restaurant.
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| view of Arenal from la Fortuna before we left, & after the rain stopped |
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| looking at Arenal Volcano from the lake |
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| van overheating |
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| small roads enroute to Monteverde |
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| views from crossing Lake Arenal |
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| El Establo Hotel! |
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| sunset from our patio |
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| a coati right outside our room |
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| view of the Pacific from our room |
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| Typical casado meal |
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| beautiful wooden masks |
Time to finish this installment, to be continued in Part 2.
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