It's taken me quite a while but I finally have my entire Costa Rica travelogue online.
My husband and I visited CR for a week in August of 2003. We rented a car and drove to Arenal, staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge. We then drove to the Pacific Coast, staying at Villa Caletas, north of Jaco and visiting Manual Antonio and the Rainmaker nature preserve.
Everyone here was so helpful in the planning process, I hope this helps someone else.
You can see all the details and photos on our website-
http://www.wired2theworld.com
Thanks!

Hey!

I *LOVE* travelogues and photos! Checked out your web site -- you've got some nice snaps there!

Have fun,
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Kristina--

Great website. I enjoyed reading about your trip--especially all the details! Are you glad you used guides when you did vs. when you didn't? Do you recommend doing Rainmaker, even after having done the rainforest hiking in LaFortuna and MA park? Was it different enough to be worth it?

Just read your post and got stuck for an hr. reading about all your wonderful travels. Wow! There have been many recent posts re:car rentals...is it safe to assume you would recommend ORBIT? I have never heard of them. Thanks.

Thanks! Glad everyone liked it.

Jo-Yes, I think guides are good. The one at Arenal was included with our room rate, but would have been worth it, even for a fee. Rainmaker was interesting, but expensive, $80 for the two of us. If we'd had more time, I would have done the canopies and hanging bridges up near Arenal. Still, it goes to a good cause. Don't know if the guide would have been worth it at MA, but it does help if you have good binoculars.

Trevor-Yes, I recommend Orbit (not the same as the mega-travel website) for the car rental, no problems with the car, and it seemed like the best rate. The car was very new and even had a CD player (wish we'd known to bring some). I think there's a link on my website to them.

Just bumping this up for the Monday-Friday posters.

Kristina,

I am not getting to your website when I enter that url. Is the link still working or is this just me?

Thanks, I am really looking forward to reading it!

Sarah

The link hasn't worked for me either (I tried copying and pasting the address).

Wow, that's odd. I don't know why it wasn't working for you. It's working for me now. Please try it again and let me know what happens.

It still works for me! Joyce

Great travelogue! It's especially meaningful to me, as we are going this August and following a similar path (even flying TACA from LA)

I have a few questions re: climate at that time of year: What time does the rain generally start & end?
Is the humidity really oppressive every day? I'm not worried for me so much as for my mother-in-law who lives in Northern Europe and is not used to such a climate. I guess we'll have to factor in more "air-conditioned nap time", and swim time for the kids.

Thanks again for the great web site!

Sarah or Iza-Any chance either of you are using AOL? I've had that URL for over 5 years and the only time I've ever heard of people having a hard time accessing it is when they have AOL. Just wondering...

Rain in August. . . .starts typically around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon (possibly earlier), lasts for an hour or two, TYPICALLY! Doesn't interfere. . .in fact is quite refreshing! Guanacaste (the popular northern Pacific beach area) is more dry and less humid than some of the other areas. I've been in places much more humid than Costa Rica and don't usually feel uncomfortable at all. My husband notices it more. It has never felt "oppresive" to me. If your mother in law is temperature tolerant at all (realizing this will be quite different for her!) everything should be okay. As you said, just make sure you have AC so you will have some place to go if necessary. Those rainy times are rarely more than light to moderate showers and provide a perfect op to get a little rest. This works well since darkness falls early, people (unless they are partiers--doesn't sound like you plan on doing much of that) tend to turn in earlier and start the day earlier. The sun and the birds will wake you by 6:00! By the time the showers begin, it's time for a nap!

lvk-The rain seemed to hit us about 2-5 PM every day. This was mostly on the pacific coast. Up in the mountains it was "whenever".
Yes, the humidity can be opressive. An A/C room is a must. Don't underestimate how much it can take out of you. I usually travel to "tropical" areas (Central Americal, South East Asia) and while I LOVE it, I'm always surprized at how hard it can be sometimes. Make sure to stay hydrated.

When I tried the link again later yesterday afternoon, it worked for me.

Thanks for posting, lots of great info for me as I continue to work out the details of my upcomming trip. Looks like you guys had a great time!

Kristina, the link is working fine today - it must have been just a fluke yesterday. Great pictures and journal! Glad you had such a good time.

Thanks, Kristina and Shillmac for the climate info.

Kristina, just one more question. About LACSA/TACA - is it bad? I chose them because they were the only carrier to fly non-stop from LA. There are five of us, so we don't have enough miles for 1st class. Any info good or bad you have will help me prepare for the experience.

Thanks

Hi- glad you all can access the site now.

BTW, did I mention how good the coffee is in Costa Rica? We liked it so much that we now order it to be delived to us at home from the Cafe Britt website. I'm having some now!

lvk-
LACSA was fine. The plane was a standard (maybe a 737?) 3X3 configuration in coach, not a huge 747. TACA does have a bad rep for misplacing luggage, so if you can go carry-on, do so. We did. Are you taking the overnight flight? That's what we did, saves you a day because you arrive early in the morning.

Kristen,
Thanks for the reassurance. Yes, we depart LA at 1:30am and arrive in SJO at 8:45 am, and head straight to Arenal, eliminating the need to stay in San Jose for the night. However, we'll definitely need the siesta after all that traveling time. Our return flight isn't until 6pm, again avoiding an overnight stay in San Jose.
How's LACSA's on-time/cancellation reputation?
Thanks again.

lvk-
Not sure about LACSA's on time records. Be prepared for anything. When we came back from Honduras a few years ago (on TACA) our flight was postponed and then canceled due to bad weather (2 days before xmas!). They put us up in a hotel, gave us meal vouchers, and because we asked nicely (and we were first in line) bumped us up to first class on the flight home the next day. Come to think of it, the next day's flight took us through El Salvador and that flight was late too...BUT our trip to and from CR was very smooth!
Have a great time!