1st timer's just back report (long)
May 29th, 2004, 03:55 PM
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Day 7 -n Sarchi, Swimming Pool and Steaks
As usual we are awake early. It is warm out and we enjoy another wonderful breakfast at Pura Vida. I am feeling a little better and make sure I eat all my fruit. Today we are going to Arenal. Berni suggests that we take the country road through Grecia, Sarchi and Zarccero. Oh why not. What could possibly happen. So off we head, useless map in hand and a full tank of gas. We find the highway easily and follow the signs to Grecia. This is the only time we are nearly killed. A semi in the right lane pulled into our lane while we were there. Rene had to lock them up. The day is starting out wonderfully! It is very pretty countryside and within a half hour we are in Grecia. What a pretty little town. Stopping at the town square I get out and take pictures while Rene stays with the Galloper (it is full of all our luggage). Onward to Sarchi. Such lovely scenery. Once in Sarchi the shops are just beginning to open as it is 9 a.m. I go inside a plaza while Rene stays with the vehicle. There are many stores with souvenirs and in the middle of the plaza is a square with some of the cute oxcarts. Picture time again. We then head to another store where we can park right out front and Rene is able to come in with me. I love the rocking chairs but they are just not in my budget. Off again, this time to Zarccero. It takes a while to get there but the drive is really nice. The sun is shining and there is not a lot of traffic. Rene pulls over many times so that we can admire the view and take pictures. Finally we reach Zarccero and it has a beautiful central square with a topiary garden and magnificent church. We spend some time here and then head off for our final jaunt to Arenal. There is a light rain now but not enough to hamper our drive. We pass through another large town whose name escapes me. Finally we are on the stretch to Arenal which is quite a nice road. Rene decides that he would like to stop at a Soda which would be our first time doing so. Pull into this little one and go inside (which is still outside). The fellow comes over and is just beaming at us and shakes Rene's hand and pats me on the back. I decide to try the taco as my stomach is still not quite stabilized and Rene orders Ceviche for the first time. He also orders a bottle of Coca Cola Light. The ceviche comes with sliced banana on top and my plate is delivered. It is a huge pile of lettuce with some red and white sauce on it. Sour cream and salsa I figure. Wrong. Ketchup and mayonnaise. Hmm. I dig through my lettuce and find the taco. It is more like a spring roll but is very tasty. Rene enjoys his. The fellow speaks no english but seems very concerned that I am not drinking anything. He proceeds to bring me a glass of water that is extremely cloudy. Oh dear. Not with my stomach. Rene drinks the water when the fellow is not looking. The fellow writes on a paper 1,200. This is less than $3. Well all we have is 2,000 which is less than $5. He takes our money and heads to the til. Rene just yells our "gracias" as we head for the truck. Well the fellow opens his mouth and throws his hands up in the air and runs over and hugs Rene. It makes us sad and happy at the same time. Knowing that under $2 made someone that happy. Soon we arrive in Fortuna and continue on to find Montana de Fuego. After about 15 minutes we arrive. I have booked a deluxe cabin and we are thrilled. The cabin is very nice and the grounds are truly gorgeous. We can see about 1/3 of the volcano, but more than that we see a swimming pool and hot tub. Go back to the cabin and have a shower. What a luxury. The bathrooms are huge and the water pressure is amazing. Quickly changing into our suits we go over and sit in the tub and Rene gets us some beer from the pool bar. The hot tub is hot (compared to the one in Almonds and Corals which is downright cold) and we soak and visit with others for awhile. It is extremely humid and so Rene has turned on the air conditioning in our cabin. While in the hot tub we suddenly feel drops. Oh no, not again. But it stops and we head for our cabin for siesta. Later we decide to go to El Novillo for dinner as Rene decides he can drive in the dark for a few minutes. Turn right out of the entrance to MdF and go for approximately 5 minutes and we are there. We park on the grass near the road and find our plastic table and chairs and sit under our tin roof. Order a couple of salads and steak dinners. It is starting to rain much harder now. There is a car parked right in front of us with his exhaust facing us. The fellow gets in and we assume that he is going. He starts his car and then just sits there idling. So now we have wind, rain bouncing off the tin roof and exhaust fumes coming at us. The funny thing is that when the lady brings us our dinner she lights our candle, like this is going to inspire romance or something! The food is very good and cheap. However, the car idled for 20 minutes or so. We could have said something or moved but I guess it just seemed so typical of our vacation thus far that we just accepted it. Finished our dinner and headed back to MdF. It is dark and raining so cannot see any potholes but we manage to find most of them. Our cabin has become very cold since we left so off goes the air conditioning. It is gusting and raining outside so we decide to watch tv. We get one channel that is an entertainment one where the programs are in English and is subtitled in Spanish. We have spanish commercials and announcers but this amuses us for an hour. Then there is some monstrosity called the Anna Nicole show. No wonder other cultures think North Americans are over indulgers. Turn it off and hit the sack. It has been a very nice day.
Next up- Day 8 and Gee, it's raining, Gee, I can't see the volcano and Gee, that was expensive.
As usual we are awake early. It is warm out and we enjoy another wonderful breakfast at Pura Vida. I am feeling a little better and make sure I eat all my fruit. Today we are going to Arenal. Berni suggests that we take the country road through Grecia, Sarchi and Zarccero. Oh why not. What could possibly happen. So off we head, useless map in hand and a full tank of gas. We find the highway easily and follow the signs to Grecia. This is the only time we are nearly killed. A semi in the right lane pulled into our lane while we were there. Rene had to lock them up. The day is starting out wonderfully! It is very pretty countryside and within a half hour we are in Grecia. What a pretty little town. Stopping at the town square I get out and take pictures while Rene stays with the Galloper (it is full of all our luggage). Onward to Sarchi. Such lovely scenery. Once in Sarchi the shops are just beginning to open as it is 9 a.m. I go inside a plaza while Rene stays with the vehicle. There are many stores with souvenirs and in the middle of the plaza is a square with some of the cute oxcarts. Picture time again. We then head to another store where we can park right out front and Rene is able to come in with me. I love the rocking chairs but they are just not in my budget. Off again, this time to Zarccero. It takes a while to get there but the drive is really nice. The sun is shining and there is not a lot of traffic. Rene pulls over many times so that we can admire the view and take pictures. Finally we reach Zarccero and it has a beautiful central square with a topiary garden and magnificent church. We spend some time here and then head off for our final jaunt to Arenal. There is a light rain now but not enough to hamper our drive. We pass through another large town whose name escapes me. Finally we are on the stretch to Arenal which is quite a nice road. Rene decides that he would like to stop at a Soda which would be our first time doing so. Pull into this little one and go inside (which is still outside). The fellow comes over and is just beaming at us and shakes Rene's hand and pats me on the back. I decide to try the taco as my stomach is still not quite stabilized and Rene orders Ceviche for the first time. He also orders a bottle of Coca Cola Light. The ceviche comes with sliced banana on top and my plate is delivered. It is a huge pile of lettuce with some red and white sauce on it. Sour cream and salsa I figure. Wrong. Ketchup and mayonnaise. Hmm. I dig through my lettuce and find the taco. It is more like a spring roll but is very tasty. Rene enjoys his. The fellow speaks no english but seems very concerned that I am not drinking anything. He proceeds to bring me a glass of water that is extremely cloudy. Oh dear. Not with my stomach. Rene drinks the water when the fellow is not looking. The fellow writes on a paper 1,200. This is less than $3. Well all we have is 2,000 which is less than $5. He takes our money and heads to the til. Rene just yells our "gracias" as we head for the truck. Well the fellow opens his mouth and throws his hands up in the air and runs over and hugs Rene. It makes us sad and happy at the same time. Knowing that under $2 made someone that happy. Soon we arrive in Fortuna and continue on to find Montana de Fuego. After about 15 minutes we arrive. I have booked a deluxe cabin and we are thrilled. The cabin is very nice and the grounds are truly gorgeous. We can see about 1/3 of the volcano, but more than that we see a swimming pool and hot tub. Go back to the cabin and have a shower. What a luxury. The bathrooms are huge and the water pressure is amazing. Quickly changing into our suits we go over and sit in the tub and Rene gets us some beer from the pool bar. The hot tub is hot (compared to the one in Almonds and Corals which is downright cold) and we soak and visit with others for awhile. It is extremely humid and so Rene has turned on the air conditioning in our cabin. While in the hot tub we suddenly feel drops. Oh no, not again. But it stops and we head for our cabin for siesta. Later we decide to go to El Novillo for dinner as Rene decides he can drive in the dark for a few minutes. Turn right out of the entrance to MdF and go for approximately 5 minutes and we are there. We park on the grass near the road and find our plastic table and chairs and sit under our tin roof. Order a couple of salads and steak dinners. It is starting to rain much harder now. There is a car parked right in front of us with his exhaust facing us. The fellow gets in and we assume that he is going. He starts his car and then just sits there idling. So now we have wind, rain bouncing off the tin roof and exhaust fumes coming at us. The funny thing is that when the lady brings us our dinner she lights our candle, like this is going to inspire romance or something! The food is very good and cheap. However, the car idled for 20 minutes or so. We could have said something or moved but I guess it just seemed so typical of our vacation thus far that we just accepted it. Finished our dinner and headed back to MdF. It is dark and raining so cannot see any potholes but we manage to find most of them. Our cabin has become very cold since we left so off goes the air conditioning. It is gusting and raining outside so we decide to watch tv. We get one channel that is an entertainment one where the programs are in English and is subtitled in Spanish. We have spanish commercials and announcers but this amuses us for an hour. Then there is some monstrosity called the Anna Nicole show. No wonder other cultures think North Americans are over indulgers. Turn it off and hit the sack. It has been a very nice day.
Next up- Day 8 and Gee, it's raining, Gee, I can't see the volcano and Gee, that was expensive.
May 29th, 2004, 04:06 PM
#47
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Thanks, Trish! Still entertaining us in style! And you have figured out just how to do it--by waiting between installments so that we hunger and beg for more 
Your stories are truly enjoyable, and as I read of your travels to Arenal, it took me right back to those same places. Grecia, Sarchi, and Zarcero are just the neatest little towns. That larger city you were speaking of was San Carlos (also called Cuidad Quesada).
By the way, how were the steaks? I think we have eaten at El Novillo, but can't remember for sure.
Again, thanks for sharing. . .keep em coming!
Your stories are truly enjoyable, and as I read of your travels to Arenal, it took me right back to those same places. Grecia, Sarchi, and Zarcero are just the neatest little towns. That larger city you were speaking of was San Carlos (also called Cuidad Quesada).
By the way, how were the steaks? I think we have eaten at El Novillo, but can't remember for sure.
Again, thanks for sharing. . .keep em coming!
May 29th, 2004, 04:36 PM
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Day 8 - Gee it's raining, Gee, I can't see the volcano and Gee, that was expensive.
We have slept in. It is 6:30 a.m. and the phone is ringing. We pick it up and there is no one there. I think God is playing a joke. Today we had thought we would do the Cano Negro tour but it is absolutely awful outside. The wind and rain are at an all time high. I cannot afford to get any more clothes wet as the ones that were wet are nowhere near dry. So we don't go. The volcano is completely socked in. You can't even see the bottom of it. Our glassed in front porch is all wet because the wind has pushed rain in all night. Racing to the restaurant for breakfast (which is included) is timed for a break in the storm. We make it. The breakfast is okay. Back to the cabin. It looks like it is breaking up. I tell Rene that we have to do something. Well let's go into Fortuna he says. So off we go. It is a cute little town and we wander the streets. It is now actually very warm and humid. Deciding to have a Coca Cola Light we find some stools at a bar type thing that is jutting out on the sidewalk. I am not sure if we have to eat while there so ask the girl. She does not speak english but someone who seemed like the manager came rushing over and told us to sit. Once they found out we were from Vancouver they kept coming over and talking to us. Rene was asking them how to say certain things in Spanish and we were teaching them english words and we were all laughing and having a great time. Even the Coca Cola Light was tasting much better (it is much more nutmeggy than our diet coke here at home). Wandered around some more stores and bought some souvenirs. There were not many tourists around at all. Back to Montana de Fuego. It is really humid and I know what that means. Rain. Sure enough it starts to pour. "Wanna play some crib?" asks Rene. I feel like crying. After a couple of games I am antsy. "The bar at the pool is covered" suggests Rene. Okay, off we go. The lonely fellow there serves us and we get to talking. He is all excited about the upcoming match between Alajuela and the team from San Jose. Alberto is his name and we discuss music. He turns up his radio and sings along. People here sure do like their music. Cocktails are only $3. Oh, oh. Soon Dexter from Virginia joins us and we get into lively discussions. He is a prosecuting attorney. The afternoon is going by very quickly and I am feeling no pain. Alberto tells us how much daily living costs in CR and how much he makes a day. $10/day and by law he must have 1 day a week off. Overtime is also paid. It has been a great 2 hours but it is getting very cold and windy. Head back to the cabin for a nap. Rene decides that it is really horrible out and that he does not want to drive anywhere tonight. So we decide to eat dinner here. Around 6:30 we are really hungry. It is quite a jaunt to the restaurant. The weather is not letting up. Alberto had said that someone would wake us if the volcano acted up. He was kind enough to phone in this request. The whole area is fogged in and it really is a strong storm. There is no timing it to the restaurant this time. We run for it. We pass people whose umbrella's are blowing inside out. Arriving at the restaurant we are absolutely soaked. There are about 15 other people who arrive and we all look the same. Hair soaked, clothes soaked and water running off us. The funny part is that the waiters etc. are all dressed up in very dapper black and white uniforms. I'm sure I have mascara running down my cheek. The floors in the restaurant are all wet and dirty (although they are trying to clean up as best they can). We are seated and puddles are forming beneath our table. What a mess. Our dinner here is excellent. The service was top notch and the servings are huge. It is however expensive. With an addition to our tip it cost $75 US Ah, but we are a captive audience. After dinner we give up trying to do the 100 yd. dash to the cabin and just walk quickly. "At least it's warm when it rains here" comments Rene. I am thinking that he is just shell shocked. Hot showers and hang our wet clothes in the bathroom. We sit on our wet porch for a bit but it is a little too windy. Read a little and go off to sleep. Maybe the volcano will be active and someone will phone us! I guess we'll always be the optimists.
Next up Day 9 - Which way, Why and Why not.
We have slept in. It is 6:30 a.m. and the phone is ringing. We pick it up and there is no one there. I think God is playing a joke. Today we had thought we would do the Cano Negro tour but it is absolutely awful outside. The wind and rain are at an all time high. I cannot afford to get any more clothes wet as the ones that were wet are nowhere near dry. So we don't go. The volcano is completely socked in. You can't even see the bottom of it. Our glassed in front porch is all wet because the wind has pushed rain in all night. Racing to the restaurant for breakfast (which is included) is timed for a break in the storm. We make it. The breakfast is okay. Back to the cabin. It looks like it is breaking up. I tell Rene that we have to do something. Well let's go into Fortuna he says. So off we go. It is a cute little town and we wander the streets. It is now actually very warm and humid. Deciding to have a Coca Cola Light we find some stools at a bar type thing that is jutting out on the sidewalk. I am not sure if we have to eat while there so ask the girl. She does not speak english but someone who seemed like the manager came rushing over and told us to sit. Once they found out we were from Vancouver they kept coming over and talking to us. Rene was asking them how to say certain things in Spanish and we were teaching them english words and we were all laughing and having a great time. Even the Coca Cola Light was tasting much better (it is much more nutmeggy than our diet coke here at home). Wandered around some more stores and bought some souvenirs. There were not many tourists around at all. Back to Montana de Fuego. It is really humid and I know what that means. Rain. Sure enough it starts to pour. "Wanna play some crib?" asks Rene. I feel like crying. After a couple of games I am antsy. "The bar at the pool is covered" suggests Rene. Okay, off we go. The lonely fellow there serves us and we get to talking. He is all excited about the upcoming match between Alajuela and the team from San Jose. Alberto is his name and we discuss music. He turns up his radio and sings along. People here sure do like their music. Cocktails are only $3. Oh, oh. Soon Dexter from Virginia joins us and we get into lively discussions. He is a prosecuting attorney. The afternoon is going by very quickly and I am feeling no pain. Alberto tells us how much daily living costs in CR and how much he makes a day. $10/day and by law he must have 1 day a week off. Overtime is also paid. It has been a great 2 hours but it is getting very cold and windy. Head back to the cabin for a nap. Rene decides that it is really horrible out and that he does not want to drive anywhere tonight. So we decide to eat dinner here. Around 6:30 we are really hungry. It is quite a jaunt to the restaurant. The weather is not letting up. Alberto had said that someone would wake us if the volcano acted up. He was kind enough to phone in this request. The whole area is fogged in and it really is a strong storm. There is no timing it to the restaurant this time. We run for it. We pass people whose umbrella's are blowing inside out. Arriving at the restaurant we are absolutely soaked. There are about 15 other people who arrive and we all look the same. Hair soaked, clothes soaked and water running off us. The funny part is that the waiters etc. are all dressed up in very dapper black and white uniforms. I'm sure I have mascara running down my cheek. The floors in the restaurant are all wet and dirty (although they are trying to clean up as best they can). We are seated and puddles are forming beneath our table. What a mess. Our dinner here is excellent. The service was top notch and the servings are huge. It is however expensive. With an addition to our tip it cost $75 US Ah, but we are a captive audience. After dinner we give up trying to do the 100 yd. dash to the cabin and just walk quickly. "At least it's warm when it rains here" comments Rene. I am thinking that he is just shell shocked. Hot showers and hang our wet clothes in the bathroom. We sit on our wet porch for a bit but it is a little too windy. Read a little and go off to sleep. Maybe the volcano will be active and someone will phone us! I guess we'll always be the optimists.
Next up Day 9 - Which way, Why and Why not.
May 30th, 2004, 11:59 AM
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Thanks for the latest reports Trish! Your description of the rain and wind brings me right back to my trip to Tahiti last year. We thought our bungalow was going to blow over. I hope we have better whether in CR this summer, but that's questionable.
Jun 3rd, 2004, 01:27 PM
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TAGriffin,
Am now in the process of trying to wrap this up. Took longer and as I said earlier for some reason life seems to get in the way.
America West was fine. Not too sure what you would like to know. They were on time and you could buy a meal on board for $5-7. They also showed a movie from the Phoenix-San Jose leg and return. Anyway, I think I should get on with my trip report.
Am now in the process of trying to wrap this up. Took longer and as I said earlier for some reason life seems to get in the way.
America West was fine. Not too sure what you would like to know. They were on time and you could buy a meal on board for $5-7. They also showed a movie from the Phoenix-San Jose leg and return. Anyway, I think I should get on with my trip report.
Jun 3rd, 2004, 02:31 PM
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Day 9 - Which Way? Why? and Why Not!?
We are up and about getting ready. There was no phone call to see the volcano. Managed to hear it rumble for a few minutes around 11 p.m. Looked outside but could not see anything. It is now 6:30 a.m. and the phone is ringing. We answer again but of course there is no one there. Today we are on our way to Monteverde. I have told Rene that there is no discussion about his driving because of all the horror stories I have heard. He just nods. Go for breakfast at the restaurant and settle our bill with travellers cheques. Once again, we are on our way. There is a light drizzle but not too bad. The road around Lake Arenal is not really bad at all (quite a few potholes but other than that). There are a lot of beautiful homes for sale. All we know is that we have to follow the road around the lake to Tilaran and then continue on from there. Ah, the dreaded "fork in the road". Going to the right we end up at the top of a bluff where we meet some people in a jeep who are looking for Arenal. Well, we are just too smart and give them wonderful directions. We double back also. Now we are somewhere called Nouveau Arenal. There are no signs for Tilaran or Monteverde. Driving down the main street of the town I notice a soda that has a large yellow sign on the door. It says "Lost? Ask here for Information" I kid you not. So we park and go in. There is a lady eating at one of the tables and we ask "Monteverde?" She yells to someone in back and they talk back and forth and then she looks at us and shakes her head. Alrighty then. I remember how the Ticos just seem to know certain places so I then ask "Tilaran?". More yelling back and forth and once again she shakes her head. Talk about false advertising! Back on the street we ask someone who points up the street and does a left turn. Guess we can try that. So off we go and a little ways after the left turn there is a sign for Tilaran. Back on track. Finally make it to Tilaran and follow the signs for Monteverde. Suddenly we come to a sign that is pointing left. "Up that goat trail?" asks Rene incredulously. "It only says 35km to Monteverde" I offer up. For a few seconds we both just sit there and stare at what is considered a road to a major tourist destination. It is covered, not in gravel, but in large pieces of broken rock and is rather steep. No turning back now. This is where we discover that the Galloper has no power whatsoever. Rene cannot get it out of first. So we do 20km an hour. It is very bumpy and we are jostled around in the cab. After an hour, and a sign that says "Monteverde 15km" Rene turns to me and asks "Why are we going to this place?" He had left all the planning up to me and so I told him "It is a cloud forest." "I can see clouds and forest at home" he mutters. Point taken. After what seems like an eternity we come across an information centre. It is just before you get to Santa Elena (approx. 8 km.) We pull in to get a water and do a bathroom break. The fellow there is really nice and helpful. He asks where we are staying and then gives us a map of the area and asks if we plan to do any tours. We tell him we are interested in doing the Original Canopy tour and he gives us brochures and says that he will give us $10 each off the price and that they will pick us up at the hotel. All we have to do is call him later and let him know what time tomorrow. Two hours after starting on this road we arrive at Santa Elena. Our map doesn't seem to jive. We arrive at some new built up kind of area but it shows that our hotel, Finca Valverde, is on the other side. We just can't seem to get there from here. We backtrack a bit to see if we missed something. Finally, Rene turns down a street. "I think we're on a one way going the wrong way" I keenly observe as I see vehicles coming toward us. "Do you really think anyone in this country gives a bleep!?" snaps Rene. Someone needs a beer. However, it does get us to the other side and we find Finca Valverde These are cabins nestled in a coffee plantation. The girl at the front desk leads us up the hill to our cabin which is a duplex. It is huge inside. We have our bed and a sitting room with two futons and upstairs is a loft with another double bed. The wood inside is beautiful and we even have carpeting. Very nice. Our balcony affords us a lovely view. I take our wet clothes from Arenal and hang them on our balcony. It is very warm and humid out. That should have been a clue. Deciding we are hungry we head off to the "new" part of Santa Elena and go to the Rainbow Cafe. The sandwiches are delicious and cheap. We walk around the town a bit. I am confused as to why I cannot find Johnny's Pizza and Stella's Bakery until I confront my map and see that they are in the opposite direciton of Finca Valverde. The wind is coming up and a mist seems to be ever present. Head back to the hotel for a siesta. Later on I tell Rene we should drive to the other part of the town. Turning left out our hotel we come upon a huge hill. The Galloper barely makes it. We stop in at Stella's for a sweet (walking across the concrete slab over the ditch) and then stop in to check out Johnny's Pizza. Decide we will go there for dinner tonight. The hill is so steep that coming back it looks as though you are going to fly off the edge. It is now raining. Take the still wet clothes off the balcony and put them back in the garbage bag I had brought along. I am beginning to second guess my clothing amount. Head to the little bar at reception in the rain. Nice and cozy in here. We relax and have a few beer. The bartender and us are the only ones in there. Rene and I are talking about our trip so far and how the road to Monteverde was not scary at all, only frustratingly long. Not sure what other people had seen. Suddenly the bartender turns on the TV above the bar and plays Lord of The Rings at full volume. Then he goes outside for a smoke. Well, isn't this romantic. Head back to the cabin and then up to Johnny's Pizza for dinner. A wonderful meal in a pretty place. Want to sit on our porch after dinner but if we turn the light on we are inundated with bugs. So we go inside. Boy, there are a lot of bugs inside as well. Sitting on the bed we are playing crib when Rene suddenly says "Oh My God!" This is not a good sign especially when he is looking past me. I cower and he tells me that it is the Goliath of flying beetles. Oh Lord. It flys away but Rene has grabbed a sandal and is killing other bugs while hunting down Goliath. He decides to turn off all the lights except the one by the bed to draw him out. It works and Rene is slamming this thing with his sandal and slamming and slamming. I am yelling "what is happening" and Rene is saying" He won't die". I am wondering if we have neighbours and what they are thinking. Of course he kills it and half of it is embedded into the carpet. Yuck! There are so many bugs that we do the bed check and I hide under the covers. Later Rene gets up to go to the bathroom and comes out. "The toilet is leaking out the bottom and I think I have discovered why there are so many bugs." I'm sure I whimpered. "One of the glass louvres is missing on the bathroom window." Why not!!
We are up and about getting ready. There was no phone call to see the volcano. Managed to hear it rumble for a few minutes around 11 p.m. Looked outside but could not see anything. It is now 6:30 a.m. and the phone is ringing. We answer again but of course there is no one there. Today we are on our way to Monteverde. I have told Rene that there is no discussion about his driving because of all the horror stories I have heard. He just nods. Go for breakfast at the restaurant and settle our bill with travellers cheques. Once again, we are on our way. There is a light drizzle but not too bad. The road around Lake Arenal is not really bad at all (quite a few potholes but other than that). There are a lot of beautiful homes for sale. All we know is that we have to follow the road around the lake to Tilaran and then continue on from there. Ah, the dreaded "fork in the road". Going to the right we end up at the top of a bluff where we meet some people in a jeep who are looking for Arenal. Well, we are just too smart and give them wonderful directions. We double back also. Now we are somewhere called Nouveau Arenal. There are no signs for Tilaran or Monteverde. Driving down the main street of the town I notice a soda that has a large yellow sign on the door. It says "Lost? Ask here for Information" I kid you not. So we park and go in. There is a lady eating at one of the tables and we ask "Monteverde?" She yells to someone in back and they talk back and forth and then she looks at us and shakes her head. Alrighty then. I remember how the Ticos just seem to know certain places so I then ask "Tilaran?". More yelling back and forth and once again she shakes her head. Talk about false advertising! Back on the street we ask someone who points up the street and does a left turn. Guess we can try that. So off we go and a little ways after the left turn there is a sign for Tilaran. Back on track. Finally make it to Tilaran and follow the signs for Monteverde. Suddenly we come to a sign that is pointing left. "Up that goat trail?" asks Rene incredulously. "It only says 35km to Monteverde" I offer up. For a few seconds we both just sit there and stare at what is considered a road to a major tourist destination. It is covered, not in gravel, but in large pieces of broken rock and is rather steep. No turning back now. This is where we discover that the Galloper has no power whatsoever. Rene cannot get it out of first. So we do 20km an hour. It is very bumpy and we are jostled around in the cab. After an hour, and a sign that says "Monteverde 15km" Rene turns to me and asks "Why are we going to this place?" He had left all the planning up to me and so I told him "It is a cloud forest." "I can see clouds and forest at home" he mutters. Point taken. After what seems like an eternity we come across an information centre. It is just before you get to Santa Elena (approx. 8 km.) We pull in to get a water and do a bathroom break. The fellow there is really nice and helpful. He asks where we are staying and then gives us a map of the area and asks if we plan to do any tours. We tell him we are interested in doing the Original Canopy tour and he gives us brochures and says that he will give us $10 each off the price and that they will pick us up at the hotel. All we have to do is call him later and let him know what time tomorrow. Two hours after starting on this road we arrive at Santa Elena. Our map doesn't seem to jive. We arrive at some new built up kind of area but it shows that our hotel, Finca Valverde, is on the other side. We just can't seem to get there from here. We backtrack a bit to see if we missed something. Finally, Rene turns down a street. "I think we're on a one way going the wrong way" I keenly observe as I see vehicles coming toward us. "Do you really think anyone in this country gives a bleep!?" snaps Rene. Someone needs a beer. However, it does get us to the other side and we find Finca Valverde These are cabins nestled in a coffee plantation. The girl at the front desk leads us up the hill to our cabin which is a duplex. It is huge inside. We have our bed and a sitting room with two futons and upstairs is a loft with another double bed. The wood inside is beautiful and we even have carpeting. Very nice. Our balcony affords us a lovely view. I take our wet clothes from Arenal and hang them on our balcony. It is very warm and humid out. That should have been a clue. Deciding we are hungry we head off to the "new" part of Santa Elena and go to the Rainbow Cafe. The sandwiches are delicious and cheap. We walk around the town a bit. I am confused as to why I cannot find Johnny's Pizza and Stella's Bakery until I confront my map and see that they are in the opposite direciton of Finca Valverde. The wind is coming up and a mist seems to be ever present. Head back to the hotel for a siesta. Later on I tell Rene we should drive to the other part of the town. Turning left out our hotel we come upon a huge hill. The Galloper barely makes it. We stop in at Stella's for a sweet (walking across the concrete slab over the ditch) and then stop in to check out Johnny's Pizza. Decide we will go there for dinner tonight. The hill is so steep that coming back it looks as though you are going to fly off the edge. It is now raining. Take the still wet clothes off the balcony and put them back in the garbage bag I had brought along. I am beginning to second guess my clothing amount. Head to the little bar at reception in the rain. Nice and cozy in here. We relax and have a few beer. The bartender and us are the only ones in there. Rene and I are talking about our trip so far and how the road to Monteverde was not scary at all, only frustratingly long. Not sure what other people had seen. Suddenly the bartender turns on the TV above the bar and plays Lord of The Rings at full volume. Then he goes outside for a smoke. Well, isn't this romantic. Head back to the cabin and then up to Johnny's Pizza for dinner. A wonderful meal in a pretty place. Want to sit on our porch after dinner but if we turn the light on we are inundated with bugs. So we go inside. Boy, there are a lot of bugs inside as well. Sitting on the bed we are playing crib when Rene suddenly says "Oh My God!" This is not a good sign especially when he is looking past me. I cower and he tells me that it is the Goliath of flying beetles. Oh Lord. It flys away but Rene has grabbed a sandal and is killing other bugs while hunting down Goliath. He decides to turn off all the lights except the one by the bed to draw him out. It works and Rene is slamming this thing with his sandal and slamming and slamming. I am yelling "what is happening" and Rene is saying" He won't die". I am wondering if we have neighbours and what they are thinking. Of course he kills it and half of it is embedded into the carpet. Yuck! There are so many bugs that we do the bed check and I hide under the covers. Later Rene gets up to go to the bathroom and comes out. "The toilet is leaking out the bottom and I think I have discovered why there are so many bugs." I'm sure I whimpered. "One of the glass louvres is missing on the bathroom window." Why not!!
Jun 3rd, 2004, 02:46 PM
#56
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Terri,
Sorry, reread my first reply to you and thought it sounded a little curt. Did not mean for it to be so. Forgot to mention that from Phoenix to San Jose the plane was not full at all and we had all three seats to ourselves. Coming back was the same I believe. The lunches and breakfasts you could buy were not bad either.
Trish
Trish
Sorry, reread my first reply to you and thought it sounded a little curt. Did not mean for it to be so. Forgot to mention that from Phoenix to San Jose the plane was not full at all and we had all three seats to ourselves. Coming back was the same I believe. The lunches and breakfasts you could buy were not bad either.
Trish
Trish
Jun 3rd, 2004, 05:00 PM
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Trish,
Please tell me your trip gets better! I'm hoping my husband will be half as tolerant as Rene was, on our upcoming trip next month
Thanks for the Am. West info. We'll be flying with them too.
Please tell me your trip gets better! I'm hoping my husband will be half as tolerant as Rene was, on our upcoming trip next month
Thanks for the Am. West info. We'll be flying with them too.
Jun 3rd, 2004, 10:28 PM
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Day 10 - Leaks, Long way up, Laughing
The afternoon before (day 9) we had phoned the fellow at the information centre to arrange the Original Canopy Tour. There were 3 times we could go on. 7:30 a.m. (a little too early), 10:30 a.m.(which we took) and 2:30 p.m. The morning of day 9 we woke up early again. I went to get our clothes out of the suitcase and lo and behold there was a puddle on the top of it. Luckily it was shut as the roof was leaking. This appeared to be the only spot and of course was right over our luggage. Sigh. Decided to go to Stella's Bakery for breakfast. It is raining heavily out. We head to reception to tell them of the problems with our room. Then head off to Stella's where it is packed. I just have something light (okay, it was a big sticky bun but it was the only thing I had)! Rene had an omlette. Both were very good. Head back to Finca Valverde where the Tour is supposed to pick us up at 10. The lady says that the window and toilet are fixed but that they do not want to put the maintenance man on the roof as it is too slippery. They will move us. However, we decide that we only have one more night so we'll just keep the luggage out of the way of the leak and deal with it. 10:30 and no one has shown to pick us up. Reception calls them and they say they are on their way. Fifteen minutes later and a van arrives and takes us the ten minutes to the Tour. They have us down and say that everyone else cancelled because of the rain. We are either stupid or insane. The amount they have down is correct with the $10 off per person. It is now only $35. each. They load the gear on us (which is a little heavy) and we traipse through the canopy for about 15 minutes until we reach our first point. Jorge and Reese proceed to show us how it is done and up we climb. Up, up and up. We are now standing on a 2 ft. wide platform that surrounds a tree. The canopy is below us. Jorge goes first and they hook Rene up. Off he goes. He disappears into the canopy. I am left with Reese. Here I go. Well not quite. My legs are shaking. I am thinking that they want me to step off this platform and slide down a wire with a hook holding me in place. Hyperventilation is starting to set in. "I'm scared!" I tell Reese. "That's okay" he says. Keep telling myself that I have to be brave. Rene, who is on the other platform with Jorge tells him that I must be scared. Jorge tells him that it happens all the time on the first platform and that many times they have to take the person back to the lodge. Meanwhile, back at platform 1 Reese tells me to lift my legs and sit and that he will hold me. I do this but when he says "Can I let you go?" I say "NO!" Oh dear. All I can think of is that I am ruining Rene's adventure. After about 5 minutes of this I go. Reese gives the shout and Jorge and Rene look for me. I have stepped off and now I am grinning from ear to ear. The exhileration I feel is really something. It is a feeling of being so alive and conquering a fear. I did it! We continue on and it is pouring but we don't care. One part of the tour consists of climbing up a rope ladder inside a strangler tree. Then we are off on more zip lines. Suddenly we are up top and they tell us that we are now going to rappel down 90 ft. Rene is a little nervous but does it. Then I step off the platform backwards and away I go. What a rush. We are sad when it is over. It has taken about an hour and a half. That is because there was only the two of us. Reese has kept our camera under his jacket most of the time and took pictures of us zip lining and rappelling. We are so pumped and Rene says that he doesn't care what other pictures turn out but he wants these ones (they did by the way and they are very good despite the downpour). We hike back to the lodge and give Reese and Jorge the extra $10 each that we would have paid. They were so professional and kind. This was one of our major highlights. The van comes after about 5 minutes to pick us up. All the fellas come with us as they are going into town. They are not sure whether or not people will cancel the 2:30 tour. We saw one creature while hiking in the canopy and after that we never even tried looking. We were too busy watching each other "fly" and listening to the guides to worry about wildlife. I digress. Ask the fellas where the best place to eat is and they tell us Morpho's. So back to Finca Valverde. Our clothes are absolutely soaked but we don't care. Change and stick the wet stuff into the garbage bag. We then walk to Morpho's which is in the "new" part of Santa Elena. Here we have an excellent meal which is more like a dinner. It is really good. Wander around town a bit. There is a mini fridge back at FV so we decide to go to the market to get some beer. It is so cheap. I really enjoy the Bavaria Light as it is only 2.5% alcohol and quite refreshing. Rene prefers the Imperial. Back to FV and we decide to have a nap. The adrenaline has left our body. Wake up around 2:30 and guess what. The sun is shining. Darn it. We took the wrong tour time. But when we think about it we don't mind as we enjoyed being the only ones. Sit on our patio and enjoy the view. Toucans and other birds come visiting. Clothes come out the garbage bag and get hung on the balcony. Sit our here until about 5:30. Decide where we want to go for dinner. Actually get to see a bit of a sunset. Suddenly, about 6:15 it starts to rain. Clothes, which are still soaking wet, go back in the garbage bag. I tell Rene that tomorrow I am putting on shorts and a tank top and sandals. I am determined to find sun. Rene figures that he really doesn't want to drive anywhere in the dark and the rain and it is too far to walk into "new" Santa Elena so we decide just to go to the restaurant on premises. Dash down and have a pretty good meal. It is $11 and Rene has a pork chop dinner and I have a hamburger. The fries are gross though. We had a really good day today and we are laughing and having a great time reliving our adventure. Head back to the cabin, which is now bug free and have our last beers and , you guessed it, play some crib. Tomorrow we are heading to Manuel Antonio and wonder what new experiences we will have. Next up-
Day 10 - Gaucimel, Great Road and Good Grief
The afternoon before (day 9) we had phoned the fellow at the information centre to arrange the Original Canopy Tour. There were 3 times we could go on. 7:30 a.m. (a little too early), 10:30 a.m.(which we took) and 2:30 p.m. The morning of day 9 we woke up early again. I went to get our clothes out of the suitcase and lo and behold there was a puddle on the top of it. Luckily it was shut as the roof was leaking. This appeared to be the only spot and of course was right over our luggage. Sigh. Decided to go to Stella's Bakery for breakfast. It is raining heavily out. We head to reception to tell them of the problems with our room. Then head off to Stella's where it is packed. I just have something light (okay, it was a big sticky bun but it was the only thing I had)! Rene had an omlette. Both were very good. Head back to Finca Valverde where the Tour is supposed to pick us up at 10. The lady says that the window and toilet are fixed but that they do not want to put the maintenance man on the roof as it is too slippery. They will move us. However, we decide that we only have one more night so we'll just keep the luggage out of the way of the leak and deal with it. 10:30 and no one has shown to pick us up. Reception calls them and they say they are on their way. Fifteen minutes later and a van arrives and takes us the ten minutes to the Tour. They have us down and say that everyone else cancelled because of the rain. We are either stupid or insane. The amount they have down is correct with the $10 off per person. It is now only $35. each. They load the gear on us (which is a little heavy) and we traipse through the canopy for about 15 minutes until we reach our first point. Jorge and Reese proceed to show us how it is done and up we climb. Up, up and up. We are now standing on a 2 ft. wide platform that surrounds a tree. The canopy is below us. Jorge goes first and they hook Rene up. Off he goes. He disappears into the canopy. I am left with Reese. Here I go. Well not quite. My legs are shaking. I am thinking that they want me to step off this platform and slide down a wire with a hook holding me in place. Hyperventilation is starting to set in. "I'm scared!" I tell Reese. "That's okay" he says. Keep telling myself that I have to be brave. Rene, who is on the other platform with Jorge tells him that I must be scared. Jorge tells him that it happens all the time on the first platform and that many times they have to take the person back to the lodge. Meanwhile, back at platform 1 Reese tells me to lift my legs and sit and that he will hold me. I do this but when he says "Can I let you go?" I say "NO!" Oh dear. All I can think of is that I am ruining Rene's adventure. After about 5 minutes of this I go. Reese gives the shout and Jorge and Rene look for me. I have stepped off and now I am grinning from ear to ear. The exhileration I feel is really something. It is a feeling of being so alive and conquering a fear. I did it! We continue on and it is pouring but we don't care. One part of the tour consists of climbing up a rope ladder inside a strangler tree. Then we are off on more zip lines. Suddenly we are up top and they tell us that we are now going to rappel down 90 ft. Rene is a little nervous but does it. Then I step off the platform backwards and away I go. What a rush. We are sad when it is over. It has taken about an hour and a half. That is because there was only the two of us. Reese has kept our camera under his jacket most of the time and took pictures of us zip lining and rappelling. We are so pumped and Rene says that he doesn't care what other pictures turn out but he wants these ones (they did by the way and they are very good despite the downpour). We hike back to the lodge and give Reese and Jorge the extra $10 each that we would have paid. They were so professional and kind. This was one of our major highlights. The van comes after about 5 minutes to pick us up. All the fellas come with us as they are going into town. They are not sure whether or not people will cancel the 2:30 tour. We saw one creature while hiking in the canopy and after that we never even tried looking. We were too busy watching each other "fly" and listening to the guides to worry about wildlife. I digress. Ask the fellas where the best place to eat is and they tell us Morpho's. So back to Finca Valverde. Our clothes are absolutely soaked but we don't care. Change and stick the wet stuff into the garbage bag. We then walk to Morpho's which is in the "new" part of Santa Elena. Here we have an excellent meal which is more like a dinner. It is really good. Wander around town a bit. There is a mini fridge back at FV so we decide to go to the market to get some beer. It is so cheap. I really enjoy the Bavaria Light as it is only 2.5% alcohol and quite refreshing. Rene prefers the Imperial. Back to FV and we decide to have a nap. The adrenaline has left our body. Wake up around 2:30 and guess what. The sun is shining. Darn it. We took the wrong tour time. But when we think about it we don't mind as we enjoyed being the only ones. Sit on our patio and enjoy the view. Toucans and other birds come visiting. Clothes come out the garbage bag and get hung on the balcony. Sit our here until about 5:30. Decide where we want to go for dinner. Actually get to see a bit of a sunset. Suddenly, about 6:15 it starts to rain. Clothes, which are still soaking wet, go back in the garbage bag. I tell Rene that tomorrow I am putting on shorts and a tank top and sandals. I am determined to find sun. Rene figures that he really doesn't want to drive anywhere in the dark and the rain and it is too far to walk into "new" Santa Elena so we decide just to go to the restaurant on premises. Dash down and have a pretty good meal. It is $11 and Rene has a pork chop dinner and I have a hamburger. The fries are gross though. We had a really good day today and we are laughing and having a great time reliving our adventure. Head back to the cabin, which is now bug free and have our last beers and , you guessed it, play some crib. Tomorrow we are heading to Manuel Antonio and wonder what new experiences we will have. Next up-
Day 10 - Gaucimel, Great Road and Good Grief
Jun 4th, 2004, 03:04 AM
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What fun! I'll never get my husband on one of those things {fear of heights}. It's good that you didn't let a little rain mess up your plans.
I'm one of those strange women who actually enjoys creepy crawlies, but I'm not at all sure I'd enjoy goliath-sized beetles crawling around while I sleep. Just went out to by some zorries so as not to walk barefoot....
I'm one of those strange women who actually enjoys creepy crawlies, but I'm not at all sure I'd enjoy goliath-sized beetles crawling around while I sleep. Just went out to by some zorries so as not to walk barefoot....
