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Arenal/MA/Poas-La Paz Trip Report

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Arenal/MA/Poas-La Paz Trip Report

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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 03:56 PM
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JYK
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Arenal/MA/Poas-La Paz Trip Report

Hi everyone, as thanks to everyone who's taken time to post here, here is my trip report, 11/20-27. I hope someone else can use it to plan their future trips.

We flew US Air to SJO, no problems and arrived by 11:45AM. Rented a car from Tricolor. A rep was waiting for us as soon as we got outside. A short drive to their office. We rented a suzuki Ignis (brand new) for $275 for a week including madatory insurance. We also opted to purchase additional insurance just incase. After a quick lunch, we were on our way to Arenal.

Driving was so easy! I think the road upto Arenal have been recently paved, so really no pot holes, it's just curvy and narrow. Ignis is really small and had a bit of trouble climbing hills, but it was 5-speed, so with lower gear it wasn't a problem. I bought a B&B map (thanks!) and it was very easy to naviagate.

One thing that freaked me out about driving was the dogs! Not other cars or people! I was almost in tears worrying that I was going to hit one. They just hang out, cross roads and even chase cars! I had a few following me barking!!

anyhow, we got to Arenal Paraiso in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I may be a speed demon... I also got pulled over (more like waived over) by a police just checking IDs. I speak almost no spanish and have a south Korean passport with US drivers ID. I think I scared the police more than anything!

We had a basic room @ Arenal Paraiso for $60.00, 2 nights. I thought the room was very clean and nice. Can't beat the awesome rocking chairs looking right at the volcano. It rained most of the time, but we got very lucky and saw the tip and lava flowing the first night, not that lucky on second night.

(cont)
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 04:25 PM
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First night, we had dinner @ La Choza de Laurel in Fortuna. I loved tipical costa rican food! Although it wasn't cheap, the food was good here. We also bought Imperial and bottled water @ a super to keep in the room.

the next day, we drove out to Arenal Skytrek. Once you turn off of the main road, it was all dirt and gravel. Definitely requires slow driving. It was also raining lightly and most of the lake and the lower part of the mountain was cloud covered. This made a great setting for Skytrek b/c most of the time, you disappeared into the clouds. You couldn't see where you were going. It was very exciting! I loved this. Our guides were great although they spoke limited english. learning from other posters, I tried to bargain for $40 vs. $60 but they didn't budge. oh well...

We skipped Hanging bridges b/c it was raining hard by now. We drove back to Fortuna and had lunch @ Luigi's Pizza. The manager was very attentive, even asking us review their rooms. Again, the food wasn't cheap, almost even with what we pay in US, but good.

We visited Tabacon Hot Springs that night. It was very foggy and scary to drive, but I managed. We got there by 6:45 and was a line for 7PM discount admission. They actually let you pay by 6:50. We opted out of dinner buffet and just enjoyed the hot springs. It was awesome! We met a ton of people from all over. We stayed in main swim up bar mostly, but learned later that the other bar has a drink special 8-9PM, and swim up bar from 9-10pm. We ordered a sandwich and it was perfect amount of food for dinner.

I loved the water slide. I'm 29 but felt like I was 10! I went down it about 10 times, the bartenders were making fun of me.

By the way, we loved the breakfast buffet @ Arenal Paraiso. They have an omelet station so you could get eggs your way.

next day, we headed out early to Manual Antonio. This drive only took 5 hours, including gas, bathroom and Tarcoles stop. My friend drove this time.. B/c of the earthquake (friday, 11/19), parts of the road was damaged but not too badly.

We checked into Villas Nicolas for 3 nights. We had room #10 which was at the bottom of the hill. We had a beautiful suite with a full kitchen and a balcony. Although the view was a bit obstructed by trees, we could still see the ocean. Loved the hammock! I used it alot to read and take naps.

Only complaint I had about the room was that it was missing a ceiling fan in the balcony. Other rooms had it, but ours must've been broken and haven't been fixed.

Each room @ Nicolas, there is a lockable closet. They also have a safe inside of the closet, but I felt good just using the closet. I tossed all valuables in there and locked it up everytime we left the room.

(cont)
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 05:22 PM
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Great report--keep it comin'! It isn't so much a critique of this and that, but a review of how much you enjoyed yourself! You are like me and so many others--there just isn't much to complain about and tons to enjoy! I know there are Fodor's readers and posters who think some of us sugar-coat it a bit, but I really believe it's a state of mind--being caught up in the beauty, the thrill, the adventure, so that we hardly notice the warts! Carry on. . . .
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 05:48 PM
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I just typed up a whole section and I accidently erased it.. yuck.. I'm going to sleep, still recovering from the vacation. I'll write more tomorrow..
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 05:51 PM
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It's great getting reports from everyone. I am planning to go to CR April spring break with hubby & son(15yrs). I tried doing all of this on my own with much research & I tell you it has not been easy.Many of the hotels just don't answer their e-mails. I even sent three in spanish to Tabacon & they still have not responded. That was 3 weeks ago. Anyway I ended up booking 7nights with car & air on Continental direct out of Newark thru a NYC based tour operator. Cancel insurance included
cancel for any reason, just in case. very reasonable. I booked Tilajari,Hotel Montana, Parador,San Jose Marriott(on my own last night).I am wondering if anyone has any feedback on those places. Main concern is driving. All the web sites have horrific stories of no signs & bad roads. My son wants to go to Tabacon.I have read that it's a tourist trap. Is that true? He wants to do the zip line. Is it better to do this in Monteverde or Manuel Antonio? Also interested in white water rafting for one day. Any suggestions? I would appreciate any comments. I am so looking forward to this trip. There is so much we want to do. Thanks everyone for all your stories.
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 06:55 PM
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Sounds like you had a great trip JYK. Great that you got to see the lava.

shillmac I agree, no need to sugar-coat CR, it's great just the way it is!
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 08:01 AM
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so where was I??? After checking in, we walked to Cafe Milagro for lunch. This place is awesome! We ended up coming here everyday for breakfast (great banana pancakes and coffee) and afternoon coffee treats.

The weather was definitely warm and humid. I'm used to humidity living in VA/NC area but it still was warm. I wished I had brought more tank tops than shirts.

We tried Tropical Sushi for dinner. Mr. Fuji is a really cute chef, dancing along to music as he prepares rolls. We are sushi junkies so this was just perfect, happy as clams.

Next day, we hired a guide @ the park entrance for $20/per person. Lots of animals, especially this one black something snake that was hanging out on a branch. Also we spotted a laughing falcon, a beautiful bird. We hiked the catedral point on our own. It's a nice hike but very up and down and slippery. This leads you to a cove that can't be accessed from Beach #2 during hide tide. It was beautiful to swim and hang out for a while.

We left the park to have lunch @ Marlins. I didn't like this place. The food was ok but the service was SO SLOW! and there was this smell that reminded me of Grand Central Station in NYC, which isn't very pleasant. Anyhow...

We had dinner @ Barba Rojas, very fresh fish and good margaritas. Our server (sorry can't remember the name) was very funny and nice, and quick and attentive service! A bit expensive I think?

Side note about this place. Bugs normally love me and me highly allergic to them. But I didn't have much trouble in Costa Rica other than this place. I got horrible bug bites here anywhere I wasn't covered with clothes. My ankles, lower back and shoulders! They were so horrible!

(cont)
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 09:20 AM
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Next day was uneventful, I chilled out in the hammock and my friend went back to the beach to take a surfing lesson (from a 12 year old). He said it was lots of fun.

Last night in M.A., I was very sad to leave. We went to dinner @ El Gran Escape in Quepos. This place is busy! and filled with tourists, including us The food was so good, probably the best we had in M.A. We walked over to Wacky Wanda's for a drink, this place was filled with locals or tour guides like.

We left M.A. early to Alajuela, and stopped near Vista Del Valle @ Tropical Bungee. It was my idea to try bungee jumping. My friend went first b/c he didn't want to watch me jump. He went no problems, said it was the craziest rush he's ever felt. I got all suited up then stood up there, just couldn't jump off. I tried THREE times! and still couldn't do it. Jump is done off of a bridge into a beautiful gorge, 263 ft vertical drop. I was disappointed with myself for not doing it but really didn't regret it.

We barely made it to Orquideas Inn, with our shaking legs and blooding flowing backwards in our heads I agree with everyone, it's a bit hard to find. I used their website directions which was hard to follow. We found it anyhow.

We just hung out at the bar and had lunch and dinner there. I thought the food was great. I especially enjoyed the Hearts of Palm salad. Does anyone know where I can find this stuff in US? Is it canned?

last day in CR, we drove up to Poas. park rangers said we were lucky to see the crater since it's been cloudy all week. We got great pictures of it. Temperature drops what feels like 20 degrees once you are up there. I took a fleece but didn't wear long pants. I was so cold, I ran up the hiking path just to warm up. We didn't really stay long to hit La Paz waterfall.

How beautiful is this place! Some people were complaining about $21 fee, but I thought it was reasonable. The trail path is maintained well, gardens are beautiful, the butterflies and hummingbirds are amazing! My favorite time was just sitting in the hummingbird garden and watching them thru my binoculars. They were absolultely amazing.

As far as the lunch buffet, for $10 it could be better. But we were so hungry by the time we finished the trail, we didn't want to drive out else where.

From here, we drove out to Sarchi. I wanted to look at furniture. They have great furniture but it wasn't a great bargain after you consider shipping, etc. Also the town wasn't what I expected. I thought it would have more centralized area for crafts, etc.

(cont)
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 12:29 PM
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Still enjoying your "take" on Costa Rica. I'm very proud of you for telling us about your difficulty in bungee jumping. . .there certainly isn't any shame in that! Perhaps it was something that saved you--you never know!

And I agree, hearts of palm salad is a real treat--especially with avocado, too! Amazingly enough, we have it (in glass jars) right here in our little grocery in western Oklahoma. Says "product of Costa Rica" right there on the jar! That really excites me! How pitiful. . . . .

Also, while doing my Thanksgiving shopping, I came across chayote (also a product of CR, fixed some this past weekend) and the pineapples I looked at also came from there! I think CR is now the leading exporter of pineapple. Cool, huh? So when I get homesick, I take a tour of the produce section. . .
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 02:14 PM
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Enjoying your trip report JYK! I'm not going to jump off of a perfectly good bridge (nor plane) either! Skydiving and bungee .. not for me! Trying to figure out what night you were in Wacky Wanda's. There was a benefit at WW for a family that lost their home in the quake and also I was helping with some Turkey Day preparations .. perhaps we crossed paths!

Lisa in M.A.
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 02:15 PM
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"Do not mind the lady fondling the produce, she just needs a vacation"

JYK, still enjoying your report. Don't know if I could've done the bungee myself, but at least you tried and that counts for a lot.
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 02:47 PM
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I'll have to browse my local grocery store. Hearts of Palm have so much flavor, you don't need much salad dressing at all.

anyhow, on the last day, I got a massage @ Orquideas. For $35, it was good, but wasn't the best one I've had. It definitely was a good way to get ready to leave.

I thought the breakfast @ Orquideas was good, but I liked Arenal Paraiso better. There was this white cat that hung out @ Orquideas. He/she was a piece of work! It would sometimes jump up right next you and meow a little. Then it was picky about the food you dropped. I love cats and being playful, I tried to feed rice, beans, plantains to it, I think it hates me at the end of my stay

No problems returning the car.. it only took us about an hour to pay departure tax, check bags and get thru security.

I was so sad to leave I hugged our rental car. I can't wait to go back..
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 02:58 PM
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Loved reading your report! I am still waiting to jump on a great airfare (missed the last one by ONE day).
Hearts of Palm are usually lovcated on the veggie aisle. They come in a can or a jar. I prefer the jar. A little pricey (aobut $3 a can) If you have a Costco, you can find them there in bij jars for under $5.
My husband is from Uruguay and they serve them as an appetizer--just slice and put a dollop of mayonaise on it --sounds gross, but actually very tasty!
Question--by pricey (your meals) can you give an idea? How much for what?
Thanks

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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 03:00 PM
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Here is a few highlights of my trip.

1. I got pulled over, really hand signaled over, THREE times! They were just checking ID, but still!!! It never happened when my friend was driving. He couldn't stop laughing.

2. After hiking the Catedral Point in M.A. park, on Beach #2, there were a few mommy monkeys (white face) with babies on their back. When my friend dropped his backpack to get something out, one of them ran over and tried to take? or open the bag!

3. Bartenders @ Tabacon served "Kaipirena" which is a brazilian drink. It's similar to Mojito but with lime juice and Cachaca 51 rum. IT IS VERY GOOD! We asked for it anywhere we went rest of the week.

4. The jump master with Tropical Bungee who looked no more than 15 years old trying to calm me down as my mouth went dry and all of my blood drained.

Here for very minor things that bothered me....
1. cheaper park entrance fees for the locals, actually everything is cheaper for the locals.
2. 10% service fees restaurants add to their bill
3. staff @ Cafe Milagro. As much as we loved and frequended this place, they weren't friendly at all.
4. the giant plane as a bar in M.A.

I think that's enough of my rambling.. US Air just added service to Liberia, so I can use miles to visit that side of country, hopefully very soon!
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 03:06 PM
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Hi plmrod,
our dinner bill @ Barba Roja was close to $80, Yes in USD. We had a couple of margaritas each, and fish entres I think??? I don't think their menu was even in colones.

At El Gran Escape, we had one beer each, catch of the day fish dinner and Costa Rican Rice dish for me, and it was about $45.

I felt they were a bit expensive b/c that's what I would except in US. I thought it would be cheaper in CR.
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 03:09 PM
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Lisa, we were @ Wacky Wanda's wednesday night. We were so stuffed from our dinner, we only had a beer and left.
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 03:10 PM
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I meant to say "what I would expect to pay in US"
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 03:32 PM
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jyk, yes that does sound expensive!
I have read that eating in sodas etc will make it cheaprer, but sometimes you need to splurge
More inportantly, beer prices?? In many LA countries, "cerveza" is chaper than sodas or bottled water.
Yes, I have had "caipirinha"--VERY tasty, but be careful! They sneak up on you......
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 07:29 PM
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Tully, I've never fondled the produce! Just thought about it.
And yes, I'm always ready for a vacation. It doesn't help when you keep talking about slipping over to the drink counter and ordering an Imperial before heading out of the airport! I work 2 jobs (and no, one of them isn't in the produce section), so am looking forward to Christmas vacation at school beginning Dec. 17!
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Old Dec 1st, 2004, 06:08 AM
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plmrod, unfortunately we didn't try sodas. Our spanish wasn't good so we were being safe, I guess. Most restaurants charged similar to US prices on beer. You can buy an Imperial @ a super for around c450, but a bar/rest. was anywhere from c650-800. We also drank alot of Coronas, most places charged c1200-1300.
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