orionw

This is the account of our 10 days in Costa Rica (five by J (62) and O (68, but both active), and five after daughter N (25) joined us). J and O flew from San Francisco via Washington Dulles to San Jose, Costa Rica on July 26. N flew from San Francisco via Los Angeles to San Jose all the night of July 31. We all returned on August 6. O is able to communicate in Spanish and J can a bit. N is fluent, having lived in Argentina for 1 1/2 years.

Monday, July 26 .. San Francisco to San Jose/Alajuela .. Both flights were about half full, and we had extra seats. J was able to lie down and sleep. As we were coming into San Jose, it was raining so hard we almost had to go to Guatemala. We were the first plane to land that night, one hour late. We rented the car we reserved at Payless, a four..door, 4..wheel drive Daihatsu Terios, which turned out to be a good little car. We took full coverage, which made it cost over $700 for the 10 days. Hotel Brilla Sol sent a car to Payless to guide us to the hotel in Alajuela, about 5 minutes away from the airport, and we went to bed. Good hotel for about $50 including breakfast.

Tuesday, July 27 .. Alajuela to Pozo Azul (near La Virgen, north of Poas Volcano) .. We had a great breakfast of fruit and eggs at Brilla Sol and left about7:30am. We took a wrong turn near Varablanca and ended up back at Carrizal, so we were about one hour late getting to Pozo Azul, arriving about 11:30am. (We had learned to always ask for directions if unclear.) We signed up for rafting (Level II..III) and a canopy tour, a package deal for $70 per person, including lunch. We went to Pozo Azul because of the comments on a Fodor post. The rafting on the Serapiqui River was great, but the water was a bit low, so the ride was rough in a couple of spots. When we hit a big rock the first time, J and another rider were tossed out, and the second time I was. Although I tried to go down on my back, the water level was low and the rocks banged me up with a couple of bad bruises, knee and elbow. I traveled a few hundred yards until I could get back in the raft (lost the waterproof camera, but had taken no pictures). The ride was about two hours, with a pineapple/watermelon break midway, with a swim for many in the calm pool where we stopped. We saw a few animals, particularly the Poison Dart, the tiny frog with bright red body and blue legs, with color changes depending on whether he eats ants or other insects. The more ants eaten, the more poisonous (the original natives used the poison for the blow darts used to kill small game). Roberto was our guide, and a pretty good one. We had a great lunch at Pozo Azul, visited their butterfly garden (free), then left for the canopy tour .. 12 platforms, 11 zips, with a very long last one over the river back to the main parking lot .. about 1 ? hours. Daniel and Anthony were our guides, with only the two of us in the group. We had a great time, not really geared to seeing wildlife, but a fun activity. Daniel was a great guide. We needed a hotel, and I had emailed La Quinta on the Serapiqui. The Pozo Azul people called to confirm a room and we left for the hotel, about 10 km away. The room was great, meals were extra (breakfast buffet $6, dinner buffet $10), but the food was outstanding! Everything was delicious. After dinner we walked to the Galeria, a building with historical displays and many artistic arrangements of dried beetles and butterflies. La Quinta is on a reserve, and tries to be very ecologically sensitive.

orionw

Wednesday, July 28 .. La Quinta to Poas to Grecia/Sarchi to Jaco .. We woke up early and took a walk. We visited their butterfly garden (free), and it was even better than Pozo Azul?s. We saw many butterflies up close as well as many chrysalises, some looking like iridescent gems, and some with emerging butterflies. We were able to photograph a Poison Dart that J caught, and we saw a great cultivated garden with all of the plants identified. The walk was very pleasant. Had another great meal and checked out, leaving to go to Poas. We were very lucky. It was very clear, which is very unusual, and we saw the volcano and its florescent lake very clearly. Walking back down toward the visitors center, a group of fourth..graders, mostly girls, became our friends, and I gave them business cards, talked/kidded with them in my broken Spanish and took pictures with them. We had lunch at the Poas turnoff, and were surprised when the black bean soup had no beans in it, only broth. We went to Grecia and Sarchi, but were a bit disappointed. We took a picture of the red iron church in Grecia and looked at some of the handicrafts in Sarchi, but the prices seemed high to us for anything of quality, so we did not buy. There were many poorly made items I could not see buying.

At this point we changed our plans. We already had seen some very beautiful countryside, and were planning to go to the Orosi Valley, but decided instead to head for the beach in Jaco (J loves the beach!). When we stopped to buy gas and ask directions for the road to Jaco, one of the attendants talked to an ambulance attendant on his way back to San Jose. He was a young medical student working as a paramedic, and he rode with us to show us the way, while his buddy drove the ambulance and picked him up at the turnoff near Atenas for Jaco. There were many wonderful people we met in Costa Rica .. this was just a sample of the kindness we found wherever we went .. no feeling ever of being the ?ugly American tourist.? We drove over the mountains on a very winding road in a REAL downpour, so we used the 4..wheel drive for the first time, and felt more secure. I had identified a possible hotel in Jaco, the Pochote Grande (owned and run by some Germans) that sounded great from a Fodor post. We searched for and found the hotel (for some reason we had missed the big sign on the main street, at the stop sign coming in on the boulevard from the main road past Jaco). The hotel was off the main street, right on the beach. The rooms were great, $50 for two, with A/C, not including breakfast. We were a bit bushed, so we went to Pizza Hut, just down the main street, for dinner, and really enjoyed it. We went to bed early, up about 5 in the morning (our pattern in Costa Rica nearly all the time, since we are not partyers). We really enjoyed the early morning walks or swims wherever we were.

orionw

Thursday, July 29 .. Jaco. We were up early to swim and explore, and loved this place. We walked to where the rain forest of rich green tropical trees came right down to the beach and rocks, and it was beautiful! This hotel is fairly secluded, near the north end of the beach, in a beautiful setting. The hotel grounds, pool and beach were absolutely beautiful. We decided to stay another day in Jaco.

Insects .. Just a comment here. Our entire trip, we had no real problem with bites or stinging insects. For the 10 days we had a total of 2..3 minor bites, so we stopped using bug spray altogether early on. Even while driving, we saw no flying insects and no bug residue on the car.

Had a great breakfast (about $4) and J boogie boarded while O went to the fastest internet café in town (Libreria Jaco .. c1,000 per hour, pro..rated, on second floor above King Tours). Good service and quite fast. In the afternoon we drove to the Tarcoles crocodile bridge .. with up to 20 lethargic crocs (only one or two moved at all) but we were too late to spend any time in the Carara Reserve, as they were closing in an hour at 4pm (typical). At the bridge we bought a beach towel for J and had ice cream. On the way back to Jaco, we took a turnoff for a recommended butterfly farm several km up a dirt road. When we got there, they wanted $20 to visit the netted area, and it was smaller than those we had visited earlier, so we passed on it. We did see some marvelous views from this road, though, and the drive was definitely worth it. On the way back, we stopped at the Nativa Resort, a new development. I spoke with a girl from N. Carolina who had worked in real..estate development in the States, came to CR on vacation, applied at the resort and stayed to be a sales person for them. Some great condos for $200..250,000, and some absolutely stunning ocean views. We sat at one viewpoint for about 30 minutes to wait for and see the sunset at 6pm. We had talked to another guest at Pochote Grande who recommended a great restaurant in town, the Poseidon, where we ate dinner (turn toward beach from Jaco?s main street at the oval ?Food Planet? sign, and it is three doors down). The proprietor of the restaurant (and adjoining hotel) is from Fort Collins, CO, and he and the staff are very friendly! The food was awesome .. from great steaks and fish to some fine (if spicy) Thai dishes! You can?t find anything bad, but since they like ?heat? in some of their dishes, alert them if you like your food bland. The Pochote Grande guest underscored what we had read in the Fodor posts about the Pacific Edge Inn in Dominical. We were not planning to go down that far, but after what we had read, and what this man said, we decided to go.

orionw

Friday, July 30 .. Jaco and to Dominical. .. J wanted to take a surf lesson (my knee was too bruised to do it), and we found a great surf instructor, Erly Ferrera. Any tour agent (such as King Tours) can find him, and he is funny and very good (over 20 years teaching). He charges $45 for two hours for one person, $66 for two people. J is 62, and Erly said he was amazed; she did better than most 20..year..olds, and is the oldest person he has ever taught. J loved it so much, she took another lesson the next week with N. J envied Erly?s Lycra surf shirt, and bought a turquoise/black one at Nicole?s Surf Shop for $25. We stopped at the Friday farmers? market off the main street and bought some hairy lychee..type fruit, but the fruit was so hard to get off the pit that we tossed half of it. We also bought some absolutely delicious cinnamon rolls from a Mennonite family who lived many miles away but drove to Jaco for the farmers? market. They had lived in Costa Rica for 35 years and loved it. We packed up and left for Dominical. The road to Quepos was fine (with some rough and scary bridges). We stopped to check out hotels near Manuel Antonio for next week with N, and decided on the Mono Azul, after talking to a couple of people. Although one Fodor post found the Mono Azul people less friendly, we did not find this in brief encounters there. We then went back to Quepos to drive to Dominical. The road there was bad (it really can make your neck ache), and we considered turning back several times, but decided to go on ?for the adventure of it,? and were glad we did.

Roads and driving in Costa Rica .. Just a comment here. We found the roads in CR to be perfectly all right where we went (except the very rough road from Quepos to Dominical .. but I have heard the road to Monteverde around Lake Arenal is even worse). And we only had one instance of what we felt was foolhardy passing/driving by locals and found the roads generally very good, some better than others. For example, the road from Dominical to San Isidro on the Interamericana has some potholes, but is not bad. We generally drove just over the speed limit (65..70 kph in a 60, for example) and had no problems at all. We loved the little Daihatsu Terios we had .. responsive and powerful .. but I think next time (definitely a next time!) we will check other companies for better rates, and won?t take the full coverage (zero deductible for $35/day from Payless). I would never hesitate to drive in CR, but it IS expensive to have that freedom.

Regarding the 44 km road to Dominical from Quepos, we used 4..wheel drive and often went where it was smoothest, whether on the right or left side of the road, to get there. Funny but when we drove it the following week, it seemed much less a problem (perhaps we had changed our outlook/expectation?). I do have to say that each smooth steel bridge on this road was a very pleasant break for us from the road, and we drove slowly over them.

orionw

We had booked no hotel in Dominical, and asked about Hacienda Baru (also recommended by a Fodor post) when we stopped for gas just before Dominical. The very helpful attendant (flawless English from living in the State for several years) called them and found them full. He also called Pacific Edge (the recommendation of our friend in Jaco and a Fodor post), but they were full too (not surprising, with only four cabins). He found us a place at the Coconut Grove ($50), with Richard and Diana, two expatriates from Florida, who were very friendly and helpful (the room was nice). We checked in and walked to the beach just at sunset. Unlike Jaco, there are huge rocks on the beach here, but it is very beautiful. We climbed the rocks just off the beach, up about 20 feet, for a better view. We almost could not find our way back in the dark, but finally did. Even in this area, with standing water all over, we had no problems with insects/mosquitoes. We used Richard?s phone to call home and talk to N (who had just arrived home from Africa) to confirm meeting her airplane, etc., and have her bring a few things, including another spare pair of glasses for me as backup, since I lost my best pair in the rough surf in Jaco. We went to dinner at Roca Verde just down the road, (shrimp pasta for O, red snapper for J) and it was good, but not as good as Poseidon in Jaco. We asked Richard about the local waterfalls, and he had good things to say about Don Lulo?s horseback ride to Nauyaca Falls on the road to San Isidro from Dominical, so we booked it for the next morning.

Saturday, July 31 .. Dominical to San Jose/Alajuela .. We got up about 4am, read for a while and went to the beach to swim at about 6am, after I caught up this journal. On the beach we saw many hermit crabs that stopped as they felt our footfalls, and also many crabs that dashed for their perfectly round holes in the sand when we approached. The water was wonderful and the beach beautiful. We drove to Pacific Edge, just a few minutes away to check it out, and you do need a 4..wheel drive to get up the hill. What a setting! .. a well kept and manicured landscape, with a beautiful small pool. We planned to stay there with N next week. The view is fantastic .. Manuel Antonio in the foreground, with Jaco and other points along the shore visible on a clear day, which it was. George, a proprietor (from England) had sailed all over, and built this place himself (he said). He also said he didn?t want the road from Quepos to be improved ?because it keeps the rough out.? We got to Don Lulo?s about 8am for the horseback ride to Nauyaca Falls, a bit concerned about whether my 265..lb weight would burden the horse I rode too much. I was ?approved? and we left. We rode down a fairly good road, then up for about 45 minutes to a house/restaurant/mini..zoo, where we had a very good breakfast. (I love the potatoes in CR. Whatever they use to season them makes them taste great!) Then another 20 minutes, over a suspension bridge, fording creeks and up a steep, muddy. narrow track with big boulders. The horses were amazing .. really sure..footed. J and I went to see the upper falls (the only ones who did .. where I changed into my trunks), and then we went down to the lower falls and the beautiful pool. The water was wonderful, and there was a tube and rope to pull yourself up to the falls. Some of the more adventurous guys climbed up the slick, mossy rocks to jump into the pool, some of them from as high as 5..6 meters (15..25 feet), and I got some good pictures .. one clip I will send to a German fellow. This guy had to climb up the rocks three times until I got him in a good picture with his camera. We spent about 30 minutes at the falls, then rode back out to the house again for lunch, which was delicious. J had a macaw from the mini..zoo perch on her shoulder, and it had just taken a bit of food from her mouth with its beak. She called to me to take a picture, and this spooked the bird, who gave J a firm bite that broke the skin inside her mouth and a red mark outside. There were toucans and a few other animals here as well. After riding back to the main office, we left about 2:30pm for Alajuela and the Hampton Inn, stopping for some incredible views from the road (and some ice cream). It took nearly 5 hours to get back, and the worst part was getting into and through San Jose to the Hampton Inn (using my Hilton travel award points) 5 minutes from the airport (18 km from San Jose), since there is no clear path through, and the Interamericana ends just before and after San Jose. I finally got good directions from a tow..truck driver loading up a car, and we arrived about 7:30pm. We checked in, cleaned up, and checked the outdoor pool, but the water was too cold to swim. We tried to call N after we checked in, but could not get the phone to work. We ordered in a Pizza Hut Hawaiian pizza, ate. I soaked my sore muscles in the tub, and we went to bed.

La Negrita, Costa Rica's patron saint (in the Basilica La Virgen de Los Angeles in Cartago) .. Just another comment. As we drove through San Isidro de El General (at the Interamericana, after crossing over the mountains from Dominical), we started to see many people walking along the roadway. Most were not wearing other than simple clothes and most were without backpacks. There were no walkers coming in the opposite direction. We really wondered about this, and then I remembered that August 2 was the festival of La Negrita, the tiny black Madonna and Child statuette in the Basilica in Cartago. She was found in 1635 and was believed to heal injuries and maladies. One million people (25% of the population of Costa Rica) make a pilgrimage around this date, and it is a big celebration. Some walk hundreds of miles to Cartago, and some walk just a few miles to other Catholic churches nearer their home. I am sure we saw several hundred people walking on the main highways, the smaller roads and the city streets, and even along the limited access highway near San Jose (the Autopista). Amazing!

orionw

To continue, I woke up in the night and could not sleep, so I wrote in this journal. Then I washed out some socks and garments. When I drained the sink, the floor drain overflowed with a terrible smell! J was asleep, so I cleaned up the mess, shut the bathroom door with the fan on, and went to bed. When we woke up, the bathroom still was foul, so we changed our room so we could get ready to get N from the airport.

Sunday, August 1, 2004 .. Alajuela to Arenal .. We had a great breakfast at the Hampton Inn .. empanadas, and rolls sweet and non..sweet, fruit, toast, and yogurt. We took some extra food for our drive to Arenal. We took the Hampton Inn shuttle to the airport at 7:15am to meet N?s arrival at 7:28. While waiting I tried to use an ATM to get dollars and colones, but this one didn?t work either. I could not get money at any ATM in Costa Rica. At a bank in the airport, I got $400 cash and changed N?s $150 travelers? checks into colones. We shuttled back to the Hampton Inn, had a bit more breakfast while N ate something. We attended church in Alajuela, and after church we returned to the Hampton Inn. We didn?t have to check out until 2pm, so we took a nap for about an hour, letting N sleep a bit longer. (She was whipped! She had been traveling for days .. 29 hours from Mozambique in Africa to California, then a day home, then 9 hours from San Francisco to Costa Rica). We left about 2:30pm for Arenal. It was a beautiful drive from Naranjo via Zarcero. On the way to Zarcero, J saw a knife and fork sign, so we stopped for a great lunch at Restaurant Amalie (open only Saturday and Sunday), overlooking the valley. In Zarcero we walked through the interesting sculptured tree garden in front of the church, and took a few pictures of the many shapes of animals and other things. We drove on to Fortuna, and the last 30..40 km section was level and straight, a real surprise in this mountainous country. We saw some odd fences along the way, made up of living trees spaced at regular intervals, and we learned later that they were ?living fences? .. certain trees, when cut into lengths and put in the ground as fence posts, continue to grow. And some fence rails even grow without contact with the ground, another amazing thing in this tropical country. We arrived at Lomas Del Volcan (hillock of the volcano .. $80 plus tax including breakfast) at about 7pm, after dark. The cabana was large and very beautiful, with two queens and a single bed, with rich dark wood walls and a large veranda facing the volcano. We never did see Arenal, since the overcast and clouds were too low, even though the ceiling rose a bit in the morning (Arenal can be seen only 20% of the time, so we weren?t too disappointed). It was quite warm, but the overhead fan helped a lot, and we moved the beds a bit to get maximum benefit.

orionw

Monday, August 2 .. Arenal to Alajuela .. We arose early and had a great breakfast buffet. I had read of a good rafting company in La Fortuna called Desafio, and picked up a flyer from the hotel front desk. When I learned at 8:10am that their tour started at 8:30am, we hustled there and joined a group who had booked a 9..day Costa Rica tour through GAP Adventures for a reasonable $650..$750 total. The rafting was a great trip. We rode in a small bus for an hour to a small town near Valencia on the Toro River for a ride through Level III..IV rapids. There were two rafts, with a total of 11 people plus guides. Our guide Carlo was great (the other guide was Rocky). We met two girls from Quebec, a lady from Melbourne, Australia, and two career women from Connecticut on the bus, and the latter three were in our raft with us. We spent 2 ? hours on the river, with a break for fruit part way down. This was a better trip than the one at the Serapiqui. We saw a toucan and monkeys. At one point Carlo surprised both girls from Connecticut by pulling them out of the raft into the water (they were the nervous ones in the raft). Near the end, he told all of us to jump in and swim in a calm area, and it was great! A vine hung down at one point, and he grabbed and swung on it, nearly entering the second raft, then dropping into the water and leaving us without someone to steer and guide us in fast water! But he swam quickly to the raft and joined us. There was a Big Rock at one rapid, and at another rapid I was hit quite hard but not hurt as we passed a large rock on the bank. I felt safer on this trip than the first one (with more experience, too, I suppose), even though the rapids were more severe. No one fell out on any of the rapids. All of the rapids had names. The tour, guides, and weather were remarkable .. a great day! We got back to La Fortuna about 3pm and left for what we thought would be a stay in the Orosi Valley, choosing to drive the alternate route, via San Ramon on the Interamericana. However, we got lost a couple of times, with turns unmarked. We got behind a smoking green van (twice) and trucks, and the progress was very slow. Then when we reached the outskirts of San Ramon, there had been a collision, and all traffic was stopped. J and N got out and walked, and when the traffic started to move, I drove to a spot where I could turn off and wait for them. I did get the green van back a bit; he was behind me when we were stuck before San Ramon, and as I drove slowly looking for a place to stop for J and N, he got a bit of his own medicine. We stopped at Hampton Inn (since it had become so late by now), to try to use my travel points for a room, but all of those rooms were gone, so we tried the Brilla Sol, but it was full too. But the Brilla Sol owner called an inn..owner friend, and he came to guide us to his place .. La Robledad .. near Brilla Sol. It was a very nice place for $55 with breakfast (but with a floor fan with no guard .. a bit dangerous), and we got to bed about 10pm, after I had my longest Spanish-only conversation yet.

orionw

Tuesday, August 3 .. Alajuela to Dominical via Nauyaka Falls .. We left about 6:30 am for Dominical and Pacific Edge. Again we had a hard time getting through San Jose, with a couple of bad turns and several requests for directions. We mistakenly went through downtown Cartago, and saw the church (the one with La Negrita) and all of the mess being cleaned up from the big fiesta and pilgrimage. I had suggested to the girls that we stop at Don Lulo?s and perhaps drive in by 4..wheel, since we could not make the horse ride in time. We paid $3 each to walk to the falls, changed into swim suits, and drove part way in .. to the first ford .. across the hanging bridge (a bit scary) and met a local resident, Pepe, who said his dogs would guard our car while we hiked to the falls. We hiked about 45 minutes to the house/restaurant and asked if we could arrange for lunch on our way back. We met Carlo and another horse tour coming back down the trail. We hiked about 30 minutes from the house to the falls, and it was wonderful! We swam in the pool, pulled ourselves by the rope up to the falls and all three of us sat under the falls with water falling on us for a while (great massage!). We took a few pictures and left for the return. We had a great lunch (great potatoes, beans and rice again), and as we started to leave, the heavens opened .. a real downpour! We waited a bit, but it didn?t let up, so we walked out, water rushing down the trail in some places. The little ford of the river on the way in was now a raging torrent, but we loved walking in the downpour. We were a bit worried that our little car would not get back up the steep road, but it had no problem at all, using the 4..wheel drive. Although we were very wet, we didn?t want to take the time to change, so we drove on to Pacific Edge, about 20 minutes, arriving about 5pm. We were given a very large bungalow, since another group stayed on in the one they planned for us. It was big enough to sleep 9! (We thought, Wouldn?t it be great to have a family reunion here?) J and N took dips in the nice pool, and we hung out for a bit to organize our clothes and set them out to dry by the fans (as much as possible). The owner suggested a great restaurant, Las Parceles, (she said it was better than Roca Verde). The food was awesome! J had lobster, N had grouper, and I had a great salad, (finally with avocado), since I wasn?t very hungry. We had grilled pineapple and mud pie for dessert. Back at Pacific Edge, we had to pick our way down to the last of the four cabanas in the dark .. quite difficult. It is so peaceful and beautiful here, with a marvelous view. J loved the hammock on the big veranda, and I sat outside catching up on this journal when I awoke the next morning.

orionw

Wednesday, August 4 .. Dominical to Manuel Antonio to Jaco .. After a great breakfast of orange juice, a bacon, tomato and egg soufflé and toast, we left for Manuel Antonio. J drove expertly over the very rough road to Quepos, and it seemed much better this time and took much less time than last time (only about 1 ? hours). We arrived about 10:30 am and hired a guide for $50 for the three of us. We waded through the small creek at the park entrance and learned about many plants and saw things we never would have noticed without a guide. We saw two.. and three..toed sloths, large bright red and blue crabs, white..faced monkeys, a soldier ant (that was able to grip and hold a large palm frond without dropping it), grasshoppers, cicadas and frogs. It was very interesting, but our guide was quiet and somber, not very charismatic. After the tour, of 2 ? hours, walking 2..3 miles, we ate lunch (Costa Rican tacos .. like taquitos?and J had fish. We then walked back into the second Manuel Antonio beach and swam. It was very nice and enjoyable. Then rain began, very heavy, about as hard as our hike out from Nauyaca Falls, with thunder and lightning with no breaks at all between them. We waded across the now MUCH larger creek at the entrance to Manuel Antonio, nearly to our waists. We drove to Jaco (we had decided not to stay near Manuel Antonio, since the beaches were great at Jaco and the Pochote Grande), arriving at the Pochote Grande Hotel about 5:30pm, getting a nice downstairs room for the three of us, with air conditioning for $55. J and N walked to the beach in our ponchos (finally used), and we booked surfing lessons with Erly for the two of them for the next morning at 7:30am. We ate at Poseidon again (chicken for me, teriyaki beef tenderloin for J, and fish for N). Then back to the hotel and to bed.

Manuel Antonio .. While we enjoyed Manuel Antonio, the setting and beach were not that much different from our secluded little beach and environs in Jaco at Pochote Grande. Driving to the park, it is extremely commercial, and the parking attendants at the park (and the guides) are very aggressive. While the beaches are nice and the tours and hikes very interesting, I was a bit disappointed. I had heard that one had to fend off the monkeys, as people often fed them (though told not to), but we saw monkeys only from a distance, and no spider or squirrel monkeys. Perhaps we should have spent more time there to really see the beauty, but we did not feel impressed to do so.

orionw

Thursday, August 5 .. Jaco to Alajuela .. We got up early and ate at Pancho Villa?s on the main street in Jaco, a good breakfast of eggs, ham, cheese, tomatoes and fruit. I took the girls to their surf lesson (I couldn?t surf because of the bad bruise and abrasion on my knee), then went back downtown to get money and rent boogie boards. When the girls were done, I took some pictures of them surfing and we went back to the hotel. While N took a nap, J and I used the boogie boards for a couple of hours, and I finally caught a couple of good rides, while J caught waves nearly every time (I need practice!). I checked on canopy tours and booked one for 2pm for N and me on the way back to San Jose, about 15 minutes from our hotel. I took the boogie boards back and picked up a Pizza Hut pizza that we ate on the way to the tour. It was raining hard when we arrived at the canopy tour, and it looked like we could not go, but the rain let up and we went. It had about seven zips, but many of them were very good ones. The cables had a lot more slack in them than at Pozo Azul, and the pulleys had a handle on each side to hold on to. We did not have to brake much, and the rides were fun. The guides were from the Caribbean coast, blacks, and spoke like they were from Jamaica (?mon?), and were very funny and clever. One girl about 30 was staying at the Los Suenos Marriott (because she got a deal, working for Marriott). Her friend, quite nervous, was kidded a bit, and just after she had left one platform, the guide yelled, ?Wait, wait, wait!? and really surprised her. Everyone had a good time, especially when they had us hold the rope below the pulley, spinning us when we rode. After the canopy tour, we drove back to San Jose/Alajuela, trying to find the Costa Rica Temple on the way, but never could, even with the map we had been given. We finally stopped in Alajuela for dinner, but the recommended restaurant in the Footprints guide was no more. We got a local recommendation for another restaurant, but the food was poor. There was a great symphonic band in the park nearby, though, and we enjoyed a few numbers. I went for the car while the girls went for ice cream, but the one..way streets really flummoxed me. I finally got back to them, and we barely got the car turned in on time at 9pm. Payless took us to the Hampton Inn, and we took showers and crashed.

Cheap phone calls to the US .. Before leaving home I had bought a card on the Internet that gave me about 20 minutes of phone time back to the states for $10 ($.50 per minute), and you can buy the Costa Rica ICE cards for about the same rate. Then in Jaco we noticed a sign advertising ?5 minutes for $1 to the US.? It was true (I called home and left a message, and it cost me about $.25), and you will be able to find this more and more, usually at Internet Cafes. It uses the Internet (?Voice over IP?), and is the cheapest way to call home. Look for them! (By the way, there are two ICE cards for local Costa Rica calls. Get the one that is ?read? by the public phones, NOT the one that has a code you scratch off on the back and call 197 to use. The former ones are much simpler to use.)

orionw

Friday, August 6 .. San Jose to San Francisco and home .. N had to be awake at 4:30 am to get ready for her 7:15 am flight (Business Class!) to Los Angeles, and we got up at that time to pack. At 6am we ate breakfast and took the shuttle to the airport with some breakfast for N (since she left too early). We went to the United VIP line, since I had my old Premier Executive card, and got through very quickly (they didn?t even look at my card) We got to N, in line for boarding (her flight was delayed a bit), and she got her breakfast. J and I then had nearly two hours before our 8:45 am flight, so I caught up on this journal while J wrote cards to her second graders. The flights home (to Dulles and then to San Francisco) were full this time, so it was a bit tight, but I read a novel (first time NOT studying Spanish in my spare time in about a month), and nearly finished Lisa Scottoline?s ?Dead Ringer,? a great read. We arrived home on time at 8:32pm, met by N and W. (W had picked up N, took her home to shower and change, and then they had dinner before picking us up.)

What an amazing trip!! Two weeks with only one newspaper, no computer, a couple of phone calls and an incredibly enjoyable ?raft? of experiences in a beautiful country. We will be back!

O, J and N (sorry this is so long!)

shillmac

Thanks for a great report. Enjoyed every word. Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time. My compliments to "J" on her surfing lessons. She may be my new hero!

lvk

Wow, what a wonderful, detailed trip report. I love how flexible & spontaneous you were in your itinerary! You've inspired me to keep a journal on our trip to CR next week.

Thanks for taking the time to post.