Okay, friends, I'm gonna try this again. I just lost 1.5 hour of posting! My computer locked up on Fodor's and I couldn't save it. Grrrrr!

We have just returned from our adventure in Costa Rica with our daughter and her 6 month old daughter, Isabelle. Jamie spent the first 2 weeks in language school (San Joaquin de Flores between Heredia and the airport). She lacked 3 hours having a minor in Espanol, so that is done! She stayed with the same family she and I have both stayed with the past 2 years. They are, by now, much beloved friends and they all pitched in and kept Isabelle while Jamie studied 4 hours in the morning and another 1.5 in the afternoon.

As for my husband and I, we traveled around during the week while Jamie was in school.

We arrived the first Saturday in July, the 2nd, on a direct American Airlines flight from Dallas. No problems. Having a small child was wonderful when we found ourselves in the longest immigration line I've ever seen. Our first clue that Costa Rica was going to be very busy with tourists! We and others with little ones, were escorted to the front of the line where we were taken through the immigration counter usually reserved for Costa Ricans. It was a snap!

We rented all 4 weeks with Tricolor (only this trip did I realize it is pronounced "tree-co-LOR". Don't know what that hadn't occured to me before! When we saw our vehicle we realized we would need to upgrade to something larger (lots of baby paraphernalia!) and they did so for us at no extra charge. Our X-Trail ended up costing about $1300 for 4 weeks.

We chose to stay the first 2 nights with Humberto and Carmen at HOTEL VILLA BONITA. I exchanged an e-mail with someone from Fodor's and she asked why we were not at Las Orquideas since I had recommended it so often. Actually a very simple reason. It is about 15 min. across town from the airport (driving through Alajuela isn't a lot of fun!). Hotel Villa Bonita is just 5 min. from the airport and also much closer to Jamie's homestay, so it worked out much better for us this time.

Other reasons we like HVB is the free internet (high speed), wonderful breakfast cooked by a lovely Tica lady, the excellent and very gracious company and assistance of Humberto and Carmen, free laundry (which we used 2-3 times), safe part of town, garage with automatic door opener which has always been available for our rental vehicle, comfortable rooms. Our room this time had 2 queen beds, a very roomy walk-in closet, a nice big bathroom with tub and bidet. All for about $60 including the extra person.

We discovered something new about Humberto this time. He does lead guitar and vocals for a very popular band called Kalhe. They perform for weddings, receptions, all kinds of special events, and at several nice clubs in San Jose. Two different nights while we were there, Humberto got all dressed up in a very nice looking dress suit to go play. He was kind enough to make a CD for me and let me tell you--the guys are excellent. I hope to go hear them in person one day! Also, Humberto and Carmen are looking to start their family in the near future (they are around 30) and seemed to really enjoy having Isabelle around.

Speaking of Isabelle, she's almost a little Tica by now. She loved all the parts of Costa Rica, loved being outdoors, loved the beach, was held by a jillion people. It wasn't particularly simple traveling with her, but it wasn't all that bad either. We didn't come home rested, if you can imagine, but we had a great time with her. She is a very good baby and that helps. Nothing much seems to ruffle her feather. She turned 6 months old, cut her first tooth, learned to sit up, and started saying "da-da" while we were gone!

Okay, I'm going to post this, then continue. I'm scared to death of losing it again! See you in a bit!

Oh my, I must start proofing! That's what I was doing earlier when Fodor's locked up, though. Please forgive the typos!

A little more about Hotel Villa Bonita, then I'll move on. In the back, there is a covered rancho area with a few tables for small gatherings or parties. Also a hammock and an above ground swimming pool recently added. It was a nice touch and families with children would certainly enjoy it. Also, there is a website for Humberto's group if any of you would like to check it out. I think there is a demo on the site.

www.kalhe.com

Just down the street a couple of blocks is an excellent Peruvian restaurant called Inti Raymi. We had corvina (seabass) and ceviche there. All very good.

On Saturday night we did go to Las Orquideas for dinner. We enjoyed seeing old acquaintances. Isabelle was a hit at the Marilyn Monroe bar! The restaurant staff all had to take a turn holding her.

Sunday, we drove to Poas early. Those of you who have been there and seen the crater know that it has been a gorgeous turquoise blue. Now, due to some acidic disturbances below, it has turned white/gray. Very unusual looking and it is being watched carefully. The morning was sunny and almost hot--even on Poas. We rested in the afternoon, shopped for diapers, baby food, etc. in the evening, and that night we delivered Jamie and Isabelle to their familia Tica. It was nice to be able to feel so comfortable with that situation and to have the assurance that Isabelle would be well cared for. After all, this family welcomed Jamie with open arms last summer when she was in the first trimester of pregnancy and dealing with morning sickness!

Monday a.m. Jim and I headed toward La Quinta near the Rio Sarapiqui. We stopped at La Paz about 10:30 for a couple of hours. Believe it or not, we hadn't been here before. We have driven by many times, but never with a whole day ahead of us with no plans! My favorite part was the fabulous butterfly garden (best I've seen) with all the cocoons on display and butterflies in various stages of emergence. It was fascinating to watch that process. Also I like the hummingbirds. There were so many and they were beautiful. The waterfalls were nice and the public restroom cute with the waterfall faucets. There weren't all that many people (I was surprised). Yes, I'd say it's a little over-the-top (or Disneyesque as some say), probably not worth the $22 per person. But it is a nice place to visit. We probably would not stay at Peace Lodge (at least not until we hear reports of better food!), but I know that unusual places like that are fun to stay at occasionally.

On toward La Quinta and the Caribbean lowlands we stopped at one of my favorite places, a small hummingbird gallery on the right with hundreds of hummers, all different kinds, overlooking a valley with a beautiful waterfall. I don't remember the name of the place (I seldom do) and it would be rather easy to miss unless one was watching very carefully, but it makes an excellent place to have a snack and some coffee, relax a bit, get some good photos, etc.

We arrived at La Quinta around 2:30 in the afternoon. The day was very hot and humid. I rely on the afternoon rains to cool things down a bit, but it was dry everywhere we were the entire month (with a very few exceptions). We did hear rain both nights. The floor and ceiling fan helped.

Our room was just fine with 2 beds, a large walk in closet, bathroom with great shower pressure (and hot), hair dryer. Our patio had a hammock and a couple of chairs. All meals were buffet style and decent. Nothing outstanding, but typical. No complaints. There was a TV in the outdoor area near the pool. Speaking of pool, we relied on it both afternoons to keep cool!

The grounds were very nice. They had a vegetable garden, herb garden, lots of beautiful flowers, a nice pond where you could fish for tilapia (my husband caught a whopper at 3 inches!), a gazebo where you could sit near the pond and enjoy the surroundings. . .very peaceful. We saw a snake, lots of those little red (blue jeans) poison dart frogs, some beautiful bird species.

Tuesday morning, we drove about 20 minutes east to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, then south a few km to La Selva Estacion Biologica for a tour with a guide for OTS (Organization for Tropical Studies). His name was Jeffrey, he was excellent and we really enjoyed our time there. It was an amazing place. After lunch in PV, we returned to La Quinta.

The next morning I left at 5:30 to drive back to La Selva for birding with Jeffrey. He was an excellent bird guide as well and I was able to add about 30 new ones to my list. He had another tour group scheduled at 9:00, but asked someone else to cover it for him so we could bird longer. Unfortunately, I felt that I needed to head on back to La Quinta. A couple of years ago, I had gone on a jungle cruise (for lack of a better word) down the Sarapiqui looking at wildlife. Before I left, Jeffrey called a friend of his who owns one of those covered cruise boats and arranged a 10:30 trip on the river for us. So I returned to the hotel, we packed up, stored our luggage, and drove back in to PV for the river ride. It wasn't anything fabulous, but is a nice relaxing way to spend an hour or so.

NOTE: If you don't have experience with getting around in Costa Rica, be aware that you can't just stop and do these things on a whim with your vehicle packed full of luggage! Theft is ever-increasing, a constant problem. Knock on wood, but after 10 times in Costa Rica, I am convinced that we have been lucky and also we have been extremely careful. Generally, your excursions need to be done while you are hotel-based. Because Puerto Viejo was in the opposite direction, we were going to have to come back by the hotel on our way back to the meseta central, so it worked out for us to leave it there. Something to think about!

Time to post. . .

Before leaving for CR, we knew where we would be almost every night. I really don't like doing it that way, but with more people choosing CR as a travel destination, it is increasingly necessary to book ahead--especially during July when the Costa Rican kids are out of school the first 2 weeks or so and the Tica families are taking their vacations.

The only part of the trip we DIDN'T have planned were the 2 days after La Quinta. So we visited with Humberto about it (he is a very good source of info). We told him what we were looking for, what sounded good to us, etc. He told us about the town of FRAIJANES. You may be thinking "where the heck is that?". It is just below Volcan Poas and the town of Poasito. High and cool. Humberto has a friend who owns a property there in town called Bosques de Fraijanes. It is several acres fenced in with a gate that opens at 7:00 and closes at 5:00. There is a fully equipped cabin that is for rent for $30 per night. Horses, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, chickens, playground equipment, a small futbol field, outdoor restrooms and showers, several ranchos for picnics. The property is designed for families and groups to come in and spend several hours or a day--a recreational spot.

The cabin was available and we jumped on it. We had a wonderful time. The first day and a half we had the entire place to ourselves except for a caretaker who does general upkeep. We paid him for both nights at the beginning and he gave us a key to the front gate and a key to the cabin. Nearby there are 2 very nice restaurants: Chubaca's and Dona Julia. They close fairly early (5:30 or so) because after Poas closes and people drive back through, there isn't much business. It was nice to be in a place that felt untouched by the tourist scene. The property was very peaceful and beautiful. From the entrance on the main road, it sloped up to the cabin, then further up to a hillside overlooking a canyon and mountains across the way. Gorgeous in the morning when the sun was coming up. You could also follow a trail down to the river. Late on our second day, there were a couple of families up on the hillside at the back of the property, but most of the time, it was just us.

The cabin was basic, but could sleep 6-8 probably. It had 2 bedrooms downstairs. One had a double and a twin. The other had 2 twins. One bathroom with warm shower. There was a loft with a king and a twin. We didn't cook, but made coffee all day long. There was a nice porch with a hammock.

On Thursday, for lunch we drove to Grecia (30-40 minutes away), one of my favorite towns. My friend Terry, from California, is spending the summer there working for a language school. She is also a teacher and she and I were in class together at CPI language school 2 years ago. She had returned this summer with 9 of her students. They had been studying for 3 weeks and were to return on the weekend. She was staying to continue her own studies. We met at LA CASA DE MIGUEL, an excellent restaurant in Grecia. Definitely would recommend it if you are ever there! It was owned by her host family. They also owned the language school on the second floor.
We enjoyed catching up with each other over lunch. Both of us have come along way with our Spanish skills since we first met!

On Friday morning, we headed back toward Alajuela (only 25-30 minutes away) with a breakfast stop at Siempre Verde B&B. SV is owned by the Doka Coffee Plantation and has the best gallo pinto in CR--at least I've been told. It was a delicious breakfast overlooking the coffee plants as far as the eye could see! I'm not sure how many rooms are here (a few), but they were all booked up. It would be a nice place to stay, I think. I believe it's been mentioned on Fodor's before.

We were back in San Joaquin by 11:30 and drove straight to Jamie's homestay to see Isabelle. We took her with us to pick up Jamie at school so she could introduce Isabelle to the staff at school. They, too, were very accomodating and helpful to Jamie last year during a difficult time.

Next up. . .Monteverde!

Welcome back Shillmac!
Looking ofrward to your observations on Monteverde as I don't believe you'd been there before?

Question about Villa Bonita. I will be arriving late on my next trip. Probably not able to get to the hotel until maybe 10:00pm. I won't be ready to pack it in and go to sleep, so is there a bar where I can get a nightcap and maybe a snack before bed?

Way to post, Shillmac! Excellent report - informative and entertaining. Giving us many ideas!

Ahh you are back!! finally this forum is complete!! =).

Just a silly question..how did you like x-trail? was it manual shift? never drove this car before and not sure if it is worth to upgrade from Kia Sportage for about $120 for 6 days...

Again, welcome back!!

Yes, welcome back.

I feel like I am revisiting many of the places I have been. La Quinta and La Selva are places we have enjoyed more than once and I am sure we will be back again to them very soon. Not to mention the beautiful La Paz waterfall garden.

Will be interested in hearing about your visit to Monteverde. Not everyone really appreciates what it has to offer which is okay. We all have our things in Costa Rica and ours is the amazing nature of all kinds which Monteverde has in abundance.

Thanks, Ally. We can't remember a bar near HVB, but my husband reminded me that on that road to Alajuela from the Hampton Inn, there are a couple of places--on both sides, I believe. Just a couple of minutes from HBV.

How's Rick doing? I know you are looking forward to joining him for a few days. We are still "saving ourselves" for Nosara when we can stay at your new hotel! How's it coming?

Molly2--missed you at Savegre!!

worldtraveler25--you're too funny! I don't know about "complete"--crazy might be a better word! As for the X-Trail, ours was manual. We required the extra space. If there are more than 2 of you, the upgrade might be nice. Too much driving involved to be cramped up!

Yes, La Selva and area was very nice and I am glad we spent time there. I found myself envying those who go to La Selva to stay and do their studies/research. It would be very rewarding, I would think.

As for Monteverde, you are right, Ally--it was our first time there. Will I go back? Absolutely! One conclusion I have reached: 2 nights is not enough for the effort it takes to get there. We just did not have enough time to feel like we had truly experienced Monteverde. But we did enjoy the time we had! Weather was unbelievable--very warm and dry. It didn't seem like cloud forest at all! I expected to at least get wet and muddy.

We left San Joaquin about 1:00 (after morning classes at CPI) and arrived just before 5:00 (stopped at a fruit stand) and maybe one other time for a short Isabelle break. Dinner was at Johnny's Pizza (we really enjoyed the Marghertia pizza) and we stayed at El Sapo Dorado.

The hotel was just fine with plenty of room in our classic mountain suite. The bathroom had a hair drying and a decent shower with hot water. Neta had helped us with a discount and our total per night was about $95, including the third person charge. I thought it was just a tad overpriced, but not drastically.

The grounds were lovely with several good hiking trails. And the food at the restaurant was very good. We especially liked the banana pancakes for breakfast! We didn't eat lunch there, but dinner was good as well. I don't remember what each of us had, but we nearly always lean toward fish and chicken (usually fish).

We had one full day and wanted to arrange our time so everyone could do at least one thing they wanted. So Jamie and her dad did Sky Trek Saturday morning from about 9:30 until 12:00 while I stayed with Isabelle. They drove themselves over there and had a great time. They thought the heights and lengths of the cables were a great thrill! I had a better time, though, hiking with Isabelle in the snugli through a bit of primary forest and sitting on a bench in a flower garden with hummingbirds all around while she took a nap!

In the afternoon, my husband and I had arranged to do some forest hiking with Mauricio. We left the car with Jamie in case she wanted to get out (El Sapo Dorado is just a steep and rather long incline which wouldn't be such fun with a baby!) and rode with Mauricio to the trail head. We didn't get to hike in the Monteverde Reserve (we were a little lower) but thought our time was well spent. Mauricio was extremely knowledgeable and a very gentle and kind person as well. He has a great love for all things of the forest and Monteverde itself since he was raised there. We enjoyed his stories of growing up in the forest, how his dad grew coffee in the shade of the forest and took it to Puntarenas to sell, returning home with a little toy for Mauricio. He said he wasn't so crazy about a little toy from Puntarenas because he preferred to play with the army ants!

We found a leaf cutter nest and he put his hand inside and pulled out the fungus. . . . .stay tuned! (This is soap opera style. . . .)

. . . .for us to see. Of course there were ants all over his hand biting away. I was quite impressed! I'll post our photos and you can see Mauricio in action. He reminded me a bit of a heavier Matt Lauer. We saw the Three Wattled Bellbird and I was excited about that. Didn't spend any time thinking about seeing a quetzal because I knew we would be seeing them at Savegre in a few days. . .Mauricio lived down the road from the cheese factory in another town, so he dropped us off there and we went in, bought some ice cream, looked around, and walked about 45 min or an hour back to El Sapo Dorado. Stopped at the coop for a bit.

We just knew it would rain during our afternoon hike, but no. . . .not a drop until dinner that night when it rained hard but just for the time we were in the restaurant. I'll never forget the waiter being "taken" with Isabelle and finally offering to hold her while we ate our dinner. He had a couple of other tables besides ours, but someone covered for him (they weren't busy) while the walked and sang until she fell asleep. It was pretty sweet!

Earlier in the day, Mauricio had heard the front desk receptionist telling me that I couldn't go birding in the reserve the next morning because there had to be at least 2 people and there weren't. I could've twisted my husband's arm, but spending 3-4 hours looking for and at birds doesn't float his boat! I was so disappointed, so Mauricio offered to meet me at 6:00 the next morning--not to go to the reserve (so I missed that all the way around), but to a sanctuary that he thought would be good. Entrance to the sanctuary cost me $9. We didn't see that many birds (I added about 8 to my list) which was a bit disappointing. But we walked a nice big loop for 3.5 hours. Mauricio spoke of the Monteverde bank robbery in February and how he lost a cousin and some friends. His wife was supposed to have gone there with his 2 boys, but had decided to visit her mother instead. He thought she was there. He was very intense as he spoke of it with a lot of emotion--anger, sorrow, fear. It was powerful just listening to his account of that dreadful event.

I arrived back too late for breakfast but starved nevertheless, so we drove over to Stella's and I had a very nice breakfast. We left Monteverde about 11:30 or 12:00 sorry that we didn't have more time to spend there.

Observations: Hotel El Estabalo looked very nice. The view would be worth the stay!

The road to Monteverde was awful, yes, but I've crossed a few Oklahoma pastures, so it wasn't a big deal! More than one person told us that it will likely never be paved because the people of Monteverde don't want it to turn into a day trip. Which sounds like good reasoning to me. There are already too many people.

Speaking of people, Monteverde had a different feel to it. I can't really put my finger on it. I guess I would have to say it just seemed touristy and the employees acted more like those who are used to dealing with a lot of tourist, whatever that means. That part was less appealing to me.

The drive up to Monteverde is very scenic and that part I truly enjoyed. I asked Humberto why more Costa Ricans didn't travel there, and he said that the San Jose de Montana area north of San Jose is very similar and much closer to home for the vast majority of people. I haven't spent time in that area so that is now on my list!

After our Monteverde experience and wishing we had more time there (and the same thing at Dominical the next 2 days) I realized something about our travel habits in Costa Rica. I'm just too impatient. So anxious to see everything that I just can't wait until we have time to really "do" each area properly. So our M.O. is to visit an area for a couple of days (or 3 at the most), then return again one day to do the things we didn't have time to do the first time. But there's something to be said for just being patient, spending 4-5 days or longer here and there, allowing time to really soak in the gifts that every little corner of this wonderful country gives us.

Monday morning we leave bright and early for Dominical, driving down the center of the country through San Jose, Cartago, San Isidro, then west to Dominical--past the Cerro de la Muerte on the PanAmerican highway. We stopped on the Paseo Colon in San Jose to try a couple of ATM's but neither worked with our ATM card, which is MasterCard and Cirrus, 2 strikes against it!

We stopped in San Isidro and went into McDonald's where there is an ATM and we were able to get money last year. It worked like a charm and we made a note of it: Banco de San Jose--not the most plentiful bank in the country--fairly new. Its ATM's worked for us every time. We also had luck with the one in Tamarindo a couple of weeks later.

We had a bite of breakfast, then drove on over to Dominical. We drove south to Dominicalito and found Hotel PACIFIC EDGE high and overlooking the ocean. We stayed at Pacific Edge for 2 days enjoyed almost everything about it.

We were met by Susie, the owner (George, her husband, had been traveling for a month and was due back the next day) and her 4 rottweiler-mix dogs, who were big, smelly, and a little too close to the kitchen! Susie was an interesting person--very direct, and I thought her a little caustic. Perhaps because she is a sailor and very independent, perhaps she was just tired of living alone for a month, I don't know. Perhaps it was just me!

My take: Susie and George are an interesting couple who have 4 big dogs and a lovely piece of property with 4 cabinas overlooking the Pacific. Take it or leave it! Business is good regardless. . . .

The cabinas were rustic, but just right, if that makes sense. She first put us in the end one that has a couple of bedrooms and sleeps 4-5 people. But 4 guys from Pennsylvania checked in after us and she realized she had given us the wrong cabina. We hadn't really settled in yet, so were quick to offer to move our things. The guys definitely needed more space than we did.

Each cabina faced the ocean and had a nice porch with a hammock, table, and chairs. There was a lot of room even in the second cabina we inhabited--2 queen beds, a sofa, a kitchenette, a toilet/sink area separate from another shower/sink area. Unique decor, not just in the cabinas but everywhere. Very eye-catching and interesting place. Well done in that regard and just right for the type of hotel it was. The pool was small but very pretty with a deck over it that you could ascend the stairs to. On the far side of the yard was another large lookout accessed by a spiral staircase. We spent a lot of time up there with coffee we'd made in our room (coffee furnished) watching the birds that would fly into the trees in front of and on both sides of us. Toucans, beautiful fiery billed aracaris. . .I was able to get some good photos here and loved doing it.

It rained the first night and we stayed in the cabin and didn't even go out for dinner. Actually, it was raining lightly when we checked in and Susie said it had been raining all day, for the first time in about 10 days.

The next morning Susie cooked huevos rancheros for us and told us to check with Melanie at Hotel Roca Verde for massages. By 9:30 that's exactly what I was doing! It was great! $40 for an hour. While Jim was getting his, I walked out on the beach and explored a bit. It was a nice beach with big rocks and lots of sand. Sand dollars were plentiful and I picked up several.

After a sandwich at Roca Verde, we drove south past Uvita about 30 minutes down to Playas Ventanas where Susie had recommended we go. At low tide, there are a couple of caves that are kind of cool. We parked near a house and paid to have our car watched.

NOTE AGAIN: There are more people than ever before, and crime is rising proportionately. You CANNOT be too careful. Basically you just never park your car out of sight unless it is in a secure parking lot or being watched by a reputable someone.

That night we went to dinner at La Parcela (I think). It was out on Punta Dominical and we had delicious food. I ordered a huge seafood platter and we shared it. It was a little rainy again. And dark. We would have enjoyed the daytime view off the point.

We left early the next morning to drive to San Isidro, hoping to catch a glimpse of Chirripo before the clouds came over. I think we paid about $55 per night. It was a good value. We'd stay there again. Understand my remarks earlier were not gripes, just observations. And, as I said, circumstances could have contributed. And we did like the hotel.

The down side: Here in Dominicalito, like almost everywhere else in Costa Rica, the real estate business is booming. There are ads and offices everywhere. Very near to Pacific Edge is a development that is changing that little mountaintop. Very nice homes--suitable for Americans with money. But you build those in countries where most people have little money and well, draw your own conclusions. It explains a lot. Perhaps I'm just jealous. . .! No, I think we Americans should do a better job of blending with the local culture--it would be more gracious of us and cause fewer problems as well! Enough preaching! I've probably made enemies in that last paragraph. And I hate to see that billboards and signs blocking even a tiny piece of what I go down there to see!

Oh, by the way. . . .last year we tried to get to Dominical. . . .to be continued. . !

. . . . .from the south, Palmar Norte, and were stopped by heavy rains that washed out a makeshift rock bridge as we sat in our taxi while the driver contemplated what he should do. Thank goodness he didn't try to cross just as that swollen river carried the bridge into the sea!

Well, Susie tells me that because I posted that story, people still think the bridge is washed out and they can't get to Dominical! She sent me off with instructions to set the record straight that THE BRIDGE IS FIXED!

By the way, remember that the road south of Dominical is a fantastic one, nice and wide and smooth. But north to Quepos is another story--so I've heard. We've not been between Quepos and Dominical on purpose. Susie said that it will be a long time before improvements are made. The decision lies with the city of Quepos and they have no interest in making it easy for people to pass through Quepos to get to Dominical.

Next up: Savegre. . . .tomorrow. Good night all!

"...hiking with Isabelle in the snugli through a bit of primary forest and sitting on a bench in a flower garden with hummingbirds all around while she took a nap!"

Schillmac, that sounds absolutely lovely! You and baby Isabelle and beautiful nature all around. Fantastic.

Thanks for asking about Rick. Yes, I'm looking so forward to seeing him in mid Sept. He was home for about 2 weeks in July, so it will have been over two months since I saw him!
As for the hotel, what can I say, "two steps forward, one step back." We fired our contractor almost 3 weeks ago. He was just not doing a good job for us, and had illegal workers, and was not paying the workers insurance (which is not only illegal but just plain wrong!) so we let him go. Our new contractor is starting today, and will bring a much larger crew with him so hopefully we'll get back on track. Still hoping to open early Dec.

Sounds like we can add you to the list of Monteverde lovers. I have not been there either so was looking forward to your observations. When I'm living there, I might be able to check out that area myself some day!

On with the report!

Ally, the problem with the contractor is unfortunate, but it sounds resolved. You did the right thing, of course. I'm sure that, going in, you anticipated the bumps in the road. Hopefully they will be few!

Yes, Monteverde was nice, though we didn't really didn't see it in true form--too hot and dry and we didn't get to the reserve. So next time. We won't find a part of Costa Rica that we don't like. I already knew that!
You feel the same, I expect.

By the way, the minute I started down the steps at La Finca I thought of you falling. I took extra care

DISCLAIMER! I am posting rather quickly and carelessly and am appalled looking back! Hopefully you'll know what I mean even when it doesn't make sense!

Driving back toward San Jose by way of Savegre:

We stopped in San Isidro again for a short while, had a snack, picked up a copy of La Nacion and read of the horrible fire at the hospital in San Jose. What a tragedy. . . .there was a photo of a new mother who had literally gotten her newborn out of the nursery and saved him.

We got a tiny glimpse of Chirripo, but it was very brief. The clouds were covering early on this day--we drove past it about 10:00 in the morning. The highway between San Isidro de El General and Savegre is the highest point in the country and very chilly. It will never cease to amaze me that in Costa Rica you can drive 1 hour and change from Florida to Colorado! Also we love watching the vegetation alongside the road change as we ascend and descend. It is all fascinating!

We turned at the 80km marker for the 9 or so km drive down to the Rio Savegre and Hotel Savegre de Montana. Even in this more remote area, there is building and development. We passed a pretty little white home with turquoise and red trim advertising a gift shop. We stopped there and looked a bit. Most of the items were from Columbia, but there were some nice pieces of pottery, purses, jewelry. Everything was on display in the living area of the home. The owner, who was European, is building a hotel next door and will move the gift shop in time. I didn't make a note of what the name of the place will be.

On down into the valley. . .we arrived at Savegre right at noon. There was a large group of people having some sort of ceremony near Efrain Chacon's home right across from the restaurant/reception area. Turns out it was dignitaries representing several government environmental and tourism organizations. . .the area was being designated at a new parque nacional that day--Los Quetzales Parque Nacional. President Pacheco was supposed to have been on hand, but because of the hospital fire, he stayed in San Jose to be close to that situation.

Our stay was all-inclusive and when we checked in we were advised to go ahead and have lunch before the ceremony ended and everyone else would be eating. We had a lunch buffet with a very nice salad bar.

Just since last year, more junior suites had been added along one side of the area just to the right of the restaurant (it had been an open area). We were in one of these and it was lovely. We had a large fireplace in a spacious room. The bathroom was lovely with a sunken tub.

Our first order of business after lunch was to check about going for a bird walk with Marino Chacon--certainly one of the most knowledgeable bird guides in the country. Why it didn't occur to me to arrange this detail a few weeks earlier when I made the reservation I'll never know. Savegre has many apple orchards and it was harvest time. So Marino was very busy with that business part of the hotel.
Fortunately he was able to make time for me the next afternoon at 2:00--not the best time for seeing birds, but it would have to do!

We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking to the falls (took about 2 hours because we poked around quite a bit on the way back, looking at birds and this and that). This is the highland part of Costa Rica, cloud forest, and the species here are somewhat different from some of the other areas--simiar to what you find at Monteverde.

I think I'd better post what I have here before continuing!

The walk to the falls is about 2 km one way. Many people choose to saddle up and go by horseback which would be enjoyable as well.

This is one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica, in my opinion. We love the cool weather, the river flowing through the valley making it's way to the Pacific.

About Savegre: The property was purchased many years ago (perhaps about 50--I can't recall for sure) by the father of Marino, Efrain. His dream, besides living there, was to preserve the surrounding area. He has made a lovely place of it with the apple and peach orchards. He remains in good health, but his sons have taken over the management of the business (hotel, orchards, etc). It was quite an event for these long time residents of San Gerardo de Dota to have their mountain valley declared a national park.

We paid close about $80 per day per person, I believe to stay there, meals included.

That night, I actually had to get up and put on some cashmere socks (I had brought them along just in case) and flannel lounge pants. It was quite chilly! The beds were very cozy with warm blankets. We didn't use the fireplace.

Next morning, after breakfast, my husband made arrangements for trout fishing. He walked to the river about 9:30 to see what he could catch and I hiked up toward the cloud forest to do some exploring on my own. When you go up there with Marino, he takes "the mule" a little golf cart that gets you as far as the trailhead. It is quite a distance uphill for walking, but I figured by now I needed to get rid of some of the casados I'd been indulging in!

Earlier that morning, one of the housekeepers had pointed out to us a quetzal in a tree just behind our group of cabins--alongside the road and between the lower cabin area and the upper cabins where we stayed last year, Molly2. We were amazed. There was an aguacatillo tree (small avocados) growing there and that is what the quetzal eats. It was a gorgeous male and he sat there very still for quite some time. Digesting. Later when I walked by there as I went up the road, I looked again and this time there wasn't a quetzal, but an emerald toucanette perched on the branch.

At noon we met for lunch. My husband hadn't had any great luck but had caught a few small trout. He enjoyed himself as did I. Savegre is a place for peacefulness and relaxation. It is perfect for 2 nights.

2:00 in the afternoon (tired from having hiked all morning!) I met Marino, he got us a couple of apples, we climbed in "the mule" and headed up to the forest. The apples were excellent. Costa Rican apples are small, tart, and crunchy. He called them sweet, but they seemed more tart to me. Good, though!

Marino Chacon was my first bird guide when we were at Savegre last year and I thought, "What the heck, I'll see what it's like to be a birder for a few hours"! His enthusiasm was contagious and I discovered that hours seemed like moments as he was so expert and locating a huge variety of birds and making sure I got to see them. So I had to share with him that, since last June, I had been on 3 more birding expeditions and had quite a list shaping up!

We spent 3 hours in the high parts of the forest. We saw amazing things like a tiny hummingbird trying to intimidate a spotted wood quail who had flown from the ground to a branch after Marino's little dog had ambushed a covey of quail. The hummingbird was not happy with the invasion of his territory! This forest is one of the most beautiful I've seen. There is an oak tree 700 years old. I imagine it must be somewhat similar to the forest of Monteverde Reserve. There is a part of it, about an hour in, that is so primitive. Huge fern trees, very dark. The sounds of the forest all around. . .posting now. . .

Marino expected rain since it was afternoon, and we prepared accordingly, but no--not a drop. This turned out to be the norm for our entire month. At times we considered it buena suerte (good luck), but in the hotter climate it would have been quite a blessing!

The hours flew by and soon we were back in the mule heading back down. Marino had a truckload of apples and he was off to deliver them to all the little roadside stands on the highway. He left a couple of apples for us at the front desk which was a nice gesture. The entire family is very kind. They are good people and embody the best of Costa Rica.

The next day, we decided not to check out until the last minute (1:00 p.m.) and Jim agreed to do that bird hike with me again. We didn't see nearly as much without Marino's expert eyes and ears, but I was able to add a couple of new birds to my list--a couple of little guys that we had looked for the day before but hadn't seen. The hike was a lot more strenuous without "the mule" to move us up the mountain a bit!

We drove out of the valley back to the highway and toward San Jose. It isn't a long drive (about 1.5 hour) but the clouds were low and it was foggy and rainy so slow going. We stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe, spent way too much time! Consequently we found ourselves entering San Jose at 3:00 on a Friday afternoon with rush hour beginning and everyone heading toward Alajuela same as us. If you can imagine. . .!

I was driving for a change, and it took us an hour and a half just to cross the city bumper to bumper with horns honking continually, people trying to squeeze in here and there, my husband emerging from his cocoon of Savegre peacefulness back into his Type A personality (which he tries to keep in check when in Costa Rica). As I wrote to Molly2 in an e-mail, I thought I was going to have to reach over and knock him out! The thing is, for some reason, I have a better sense of San Jose than he does so it works better for me to drive than to try to navigate for someone else. I've spent many hours studying my Berndston & Berndston map of the city and have it practically memorized.

Finally we got back onto the highway and the traffic eased up (and speeded up) as we drove on to San Joaquin. We did accomplish one thing. Rather than taking the usual route to the Hampton Inn and up toward Heredia, I turned off a bit early when I saw a tiny sign that said San Joaquin. It took us into town by a short cut and was much simpler. Of course, my husband was like "What the hell are you doing?", so you women out there can imagine how relieved I was when it turned out to our advantage! The idea that I would make a turn without permission or consultation! Living on the edge in Costa Rica. . . .

Back at Jamie's homestay we were delighted to see Jamie and Isabelle once again! This Friday had been the last day of class so they were packed up and ready to come with us for the next two weeks. . .a whole different adventure, let me tell ya! We visited for a couple of hours, then loaded up and drove over to Hotel Villa Bonita for the night. Again, this was the best choice (close to the highway) for this particular night since we were going to Limon province the next morning. More later. . . .I must get some work done!

Ah, shillmac-your description of Savegre almost brought me back there. The peacefulness, the birds, the amazing scenery, the kind folks who run it. I would like to have met Marino's father. We must meet there again sometime - and enlist Marino as our guide, of course.

"The down side: Here in Dominicalito, like almost everywhere else in Costa Rica, the real estate business is booming. There are ads and offices everywhere. Very near to Pacific Edge is a development that is changing that little mountaintop. Very nice homes--suitable for Americans with money. But you build those in countries where most people have little money and well, draw your own conclusions. It explains a lot. Perhaps I'm just jealous. . .! No, I think we Americans should do a better job of blending with the local culture--it would be more gracious of us and cause fewer problems as well!"
RIGHT ON SHILLMAC! YOU ARE TOTALLY CORRECT: TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH MORE MONEY THAN BRAINS OR CLASS!

Shillmac,
Funny you should remember my fall on those stairs!
You know, my ankle/leg has never fully recovered and I've resigned myself that it now never will. Most of the time I don't notice, but sometimes it drives me nuts! Just last night I was telling my sister that it was bugging me (felt like it was asleep) and she told me to shut up. HA! As you will recall, after breaking her leg, she has nerve damage that effects a much larger area than mine, so I'm sure she doesn't want to hear me complain!

Yes, I knew we would have pit falls with the hotel construction. Can't believe what poor Rick has had to put up with. I can tell you all kinds of funny/terrible stories when we meet someday.

Looking forward to more of you trip report...wondering where else you went, etc. Hurry back!

What a great report. I have really been having fun reliving many of my past trips to the various places you went.

I couldn't believe all the for sale signs in Dominical and surrounding area. Our small lodge told us to turn into the road by the century 21 sign. Ha!!! After several calls to him trying to figure out which sign, we did finally find him.

That is what is pushing us to buy property that is totally undeveloped. we have talked to many people and subscribed to publications and we are ready to generate our own electricity and live out in the jungle in a simple abode. we had fun designing our current home and are now having fun with our future one. thanks to wildflower we think we have found it just what we wanted.

Savegre has been a place that I have described as a little shangri la for several years now. It just got prettier the further down the road we went. that waterfall is beautiful and so hidden. we saw quite a few monkeys playing around down there. I have to admit, the big hikers that we are, did do the horseback ride which takes almost to the falls. then you have a short hike. a friend of ours that we met while staying at savegre has planted hundreds of fruit trees on their property down there. Hope they get their little b & b built soon.

dnc11, glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thanks!

Ally, you must have taken quite a fall. What a bummer! And an irritation. . .looking forward to meeting you and the stories!

I was sad to see the razor wire all over the front gate to Savegre--it wouldn't have surprised me anywhere else, but the valley seems so far removed from the problems that are typical elsewhere. The gate was closed and locked every night. I'm not sure if that is a new development or not.

Our drive to Limon was uneventful. As usual, we were glad to find the highway out of San Jose with relative ease. We spent 3 nights at Aguas Claras. I think it is on Playa Chiquita--I'm always confused about the beaches down there!

Aguas Claras is a delightful property with 5 houses for rent. They are each very colorful and I had always wanted to stay in the red and green one! The kitchen was well equipped and immaculate. Not that we used it for more than a pot of coffee in the mornings!

There were a LOT of birds on the property, and of course we heard the howlers morning and evening.

Last October when my older daughter and I were in Puerto Viejo, we rode our bikes to Aguas Claras and looked it over. I decided then that we would stay there next time, so hence that decision.

In October, the front entrance was a work in progress, but this year we were pleasantly surprised to find Miss Holly's Kitchen, a wonderful little deli for breakfast and lunch. We ate there 3 or 4 times and it was wonderful each time. The espresso and cappucino was especially tasty and Flore (the owner) whipped up a wonderful iced coffee drink as well. There were all kinds of tasty sweet treats in a counter.

Aguas Claras is owned by Flore and her husband, Mario. There is not AC, but fans in the houses. Because of the lack of rain and no cloud cover, the heat was intense and the fans were far from enough. We found ourselves washing Isabelle down frequently with a cold wet cloth and we spent a lot of time at the beach in the water and under the shade trees.

From our house, it was a short walk through the property on a gravel trail to the beach. There were huge crabs on either side of the walkway--they would hustle into their holes as we walked by--it was even noisy there were so many of them Big blue ones!

The beach was good for playing in the waves and swimming and we had a lot of fun here. Stay tuned for a great snake story!