I knew a more experience Fodors user would have a way around the file size problem (by replying to my own threads). I will try to combine my various threads into one report, so that they aren't scattered everywhere...

Because of all of the information I was able to gather from people like Shillmac, Latitude9Lisa, and many others, I decided to take some time to write about some of our experiences, tips, and lessons learned from our recent trip. I’m writing this as we are on the runway tarmac and about to come home. We went from Alajuela, through the mountains to Dominical, north to Quepos/M.A., north to Arenal, and then back to Alajuela. As I said numerous times along the “voyage”, there was an adventure around every turn!

Robin and I left for Orlando on Friday, March 25th from northeast Florida (St. Augustine/Jacksonville area), driving down I-95. Unfortunately, we started out almost an hour late (my fault-tried to work that morning and waited until the last day at 3pm to start packing), and as soon as we got onto the interstate, we came to a halt in a traffic jam (little did I know that would be the first of several on our trip…). So, we took the back roads through Florida and the Beeline over to the airport. We arrived late and with very little gas, and I quickly parked the car in the multi-level garage (wish I had wrote down in my panic where/what level I had parked!). I got to the Martinair counter, and Robin was the only one in line (that’s usually a bad sign!). We rushed all our luggage around the concourse and up to the security area, only to find out we missed one of the security scanning places and had to go back…the stress continued. But, we made it to the gate in time for a quick snack. After everyone was boarded, we then found out we would have to wait for passengers from another one of their planes coming in from overseas, so we got stuck in the plane for an hour before leaving. Otherwise, I would recommend Martinair as a good alternative to someone wanting to not fly out of south Florida. **Tip- pack a inflatable pillow because they quickly ran out and the “long” flight makes for a stiff neck.

We arrived in San Jose, and got in one of the many immigration lines. However, when we finally got to the front, the Customs agent asked for our forms. We never heard them mention anything on the plane about any forms. So, we had to get out of the line, find the forms, and then borrow a pen from a nice Tico to fill the forms out. **Tip- be sure to have the necessary forms filled out before arrival. I then got a cart for our luggage, where I was able to go about 20’ before a bellhop stopped me, said I could not use the cart anymore, and put our bags on his cart. Since I didn’t know how far I would have to go with our entire luggage, I agreed. However, we only went about 5’ outside before a guy with a sign with my name appeared to pick us up. Wasted tip money there! I had emailed the Orquideas Inn in Alajuela, and had requested airport pickup. Their Driver, who works at the tour office at the Inn (Wady tours-www.emotionsguaranteed.com) had waited for the two of us patiently for over an hours. Very nice; especially after he already had a long day and he had another long day coming up. He took us to our room, the Bouganvillea Apartment, and helped with the luggage. The room was nice, with a kitchen that had a big refrigerator and microwave, and a nice living room. We unpacked, and ended a long day. **Tip- if you want to get any sleep in the mornings, bring ear plugs and eye shields. Otherwise, you will be awakened to very bright light and screaming bugs/animals.

On Saturday morning, we got to taste the Inn’s complementary breakfast and it was great! The cook will make you an omelet or pancakes. I didn’t eat “beans ‘n rice” in the U.S., but I went back for seconds here. Plus, the pineapple and other fresh fruit were delicious. There is a 17 year old cat that waits patiently to see if you will give him a sample of your eggs, but she especially likes ham. There was also a parrot sitting out in the open on a wrought iron door (they have several bird cages with parrots and toucans), talking and hoping for his own snack. After breakfast, we went to the tour desk and bought a 4 hour tour to go see the Poas Volcano and La Paz waterfalls. Carlos, whose brother owns the travel company agreed to be our guide. When we got to the volcano, which you really need to get to early in the day before it clouds over and you can’t see it, there was a line of cars waiting to get in since it was still the busy season. We finally got in and hiked up to the viewing point JUST IN TIME for a couple of pictures, because 10 seconds later it was clouded over. Although “dormant”, you can still hear the gurgling, see the steam, and sometimes smell the sulfur. We also walked the trail to see the old dormant volcano. We then left and stopped at a local grocery store for Imperial beer, snacks, coffee, and drip coffee holders. At $1 per bag for the coffee, they make great souvenirs. It was my first taste of Imperial, but far from my last! We bought a snack bag of spicy plantains that were great, but I could not find them again during our trip. We then drove to La Paz, which is part of Peace Lodge. They have very unique bathrooms, with waterfall sinks. While the place looked neat, it was a little fake and reminded me of Disney World with the huge, painted concrete, imitation trees. La Paz had the butterfly gardens, which were more impressive than I expected. Trying to take a picture of the very pretty Mariposa butterfly with his wings open was more difficult than I expected. But, we ended up with butterflies actually landing and staying on us. We also stopped at the hummingbird area, where Robin could get the birds to eat out of her hands by staying very still. We then hiked up and down the steps to see the various waterfalls, before taking the bus back up the hill. Our tour should have been over, but instead we were having fun with Robin practicing her Spanish so Carlos took us to one of his favorite Sodas where we had appetizers, drinks, and watched Costa Rica playing soccer on TV (and I watched the shady-looking “Guardisimo”). This country is very serious about their soccer, and I was amazed how well the kids could play at a very young age. We left the Soda and drove around the area and even went by Carlos’ house in Grecia to meet his wife, but she had gone to the big church and then to her parent’s house. We eventually ended up back at the Inn, where we stayed at the Marilyn Monroe bar until well after closing, and Robin got to practice her Latin dancing with some of the workers.

On Sunday, after another great breakfast, a driver from Tricolors car rental arrived with our Suzuki Gran Vitari XL7. They say it holds 7, but the two of us had it totally filled with “stuff”. After marking up a form with every scratch, and signing lots of forms, I now have our vehicle to tour much of the country. However, after the guy dropping the car off warned me about not letting anyone help us with a flat tire, and noticing the tire treads were low, I looked in the back for the tools to change a tire JUST IN CASE and the compartment was empty. **Note- look for tools with the guy. After a delay and several phone calls, I found that they had mounted the tools under the second row of seats. We were now ready to leave for Dominical. **Tip- I had found a portable car alarm that works off air pressure change (like a door or window opening), but I think just installing the alarm decals in the windows was a big deterrent! By the way, the owner if the Inn gave us great directions on how to get to and through San Jose. We were heading to the Pacific Edge in Dominical. I wanted to take the route through the mountains, since our return trip would be up the coast. Since the Pacific Edge closes at 3 on Sundays, and it was already 10:30, I called the owners “just in case” we were late. One of the owners, George, answered and he was very nice and told me which room was ours and that he would leave the important notes on their entry gate. I don’t get down the road 2 blocks before almost getting in a wreck at a 4-way intersection. With strange signs in a foreign language, this is going to be stressful! We stop to go ahead and fill up with gas and I look like an idiot since I don’t even know which side the gas tank is on, that the attendant is suppose to fill it (how do you say “fill it up”?), or that I need to find the lever to open the tank latch. After filling up, I get my first chance for a math pop quiz in “13653 colones = how many dollars?” As we are nervously trying to drive out of Alajuela, I encounter one of the street signs I learned to hate the most “No Hay Paso” (can’t keep going straight on this road). You must QUICKLY try to figure out what road you are supposed to get on. I decided I’d better plug in my portable GPS to figure out which direction we are heading. While some people on the forum say “getting lost is part of the adventure and fun in Costa Rica”, I preferred not to get lost. I had found, after a LOT of digging, some software a guy wrote that I downloaded into my Garmin GPS and amazingly it actually showed us on a road towards San Jose. As you travel through San Jose, it is very frustrating in that there are almost zero street signs. Fortunately, it was Easter Sunday so there was much less traffic than usual. With 3 maps (I ordered online the Toucan Guides map, which I liked), a GPS, and good directions from the Inn owner, we made it through San Jose without getting lost once. I can tell you that there is no way a person could make it through that maze the first time in the dark. Don’t try! We stopped at a “Mega-Super” before heading into the mountains. It was nice, big, bright, and had music playing. However, it was interesting to see a guard outside with a rifle over his shoulder. **Tip- put sunscreen on, even the days you will just be in the car. The sun was so intense, it could burn you through the glass on a long drive. Since it is the Sunday after the holidays, I am enjoying the fact that most of the traffic is heading in the opposite direction, back towards San Jose to go to work. Things are going smoothly, and we are enjoying the great views, until we come up on a traffic jam in the mountains. Bad news! We eventually find out that a motorcycle hit a semi truck head on, and the truck won again. The motorcycle driver was killed. I later found out that approximately 27 people were killed over the holidays on the roads. This traffic jam was like a local social event, with all the locals walking down the road to check it out. There was even a vendor who came out of nowhere selling food/snacks. Amazing! After an hour, we slowly started moving again and realized we were going to be late! I also started to appreciate how much tougher the driving gets as the clouds drop in (it looked like a huge fog machine was pumping fog into the road) and then the rains come. We were very happy to finally get to San Isidro and find a McDonalds for a clean restroom. Unfortunately for Robin, there was no toilet paper in the women’s restroom. That would not be the last time that would happen. **Note- bring toilet paper. I packed the Charmin, but it was in one of the many bags. From San Isidro, we headed towards Dominical. The other owner of Pacific Edge, George’s wife Susan, had written in her directions that there would be “a few potholes”. I zig-zagged past what I thought at the time was a bad road full of holes. Later, I would find out that was a relatively great road. When we hit the town of Dominical, I was excited to find a newly paved road with a 80 KPH speed limit. The road is almost 3 lanes wide, and locals were flying past me. 4 KM south, I see the rock painted “Pacific Edge”. As I turn into their drive, I immediately realize I need to learn how to use 4 wheel drive. It is a steep incline of rubble and potholes. The first time you do it, that little driveway is frightening with blind curves and drops. The key I was told by someone who had stayed there before was “don’t slow down”, which is very true because you would probably start to slide backwards down the hill in the rubble. Even though we were hours late, we were greeted by Susan and their Rotweillers. Unfortunately, even though it is suppose to be the Dry Season, we were soon greeted by a downpour of rain that lasted for hours. **Tip- even in “Dry Season”, pack small umbrellas and disposable rain coats. Pacific Edge has a very nice view. We stayed in a room that actually had a second outside room (there was originally suppose to be another couple on our trip) and could sleep 7 or 8 people, a kitchen, living room, and porch with a hammock. Unfortunately for me, it only had fans and no air conditioning. So, it was very muggy. I understand why people say to leave the jeans at home; they would never dry in that environment. **Tip- have the guys buy “convertible” or pants/swimsuits that the legs zip off from Bells, Bass Pro Shop, or another outdoors store. They worked great, with deep Velcro pockets to safely store your money and keys, and the swimsuits I brought on the trip were not used. Since Robin refused to allow me to drive back down that driveway, we happily accepted the offer by George to ride with them to dinner. However, the rains never let up, so we all bought salads and grilled cheese sandwiches from Susan who cooked. After a few glasses of wine, it was off to bed.

Monday morning, we were the last couple (we are not early birds) to make it down to breakfast before the 9am deadline. It was raining again so we were not in a hurry. Susan cooked a very good “omelet” that included potatoes and bacon- it was a meal. I quickly grew a fondness for “Lizano Salsa”, which is similar to Lea & Perrins Worcheshire Sauce and great on a variety of foods. They now sell the sauce in plastic bottles, and we bought 8 of them later at a grocery store. Susan relayed the story to us of how a guest just the week before had a tire flattened near San Jose, and in the blink of an eye one of the “helpers” stole her purse. We decided to head south and check out the coastline. There are many stretches of coastline where you would have the beach practically to yourself. We stopped at a grocery store in Uvita and asked about an ATM. It quickly became apparent that it would be tough in some areas to find cash. **Tip- a lot of hotels give a discount for cash, so you can spend A LOT of cash quickly. All of the ATM’s I found around the country would only give a maximum of $200, so keep that in mind on how much cash you want to bring with you, and how often you should stop at an ATM. We were going to stop at what we were told was a nice beach in Playa Ventanas, but at the end of the road there were signs that warned of robbers so we decided to not leave the rental vehicle with no other cars or visible people around. As we drove back down the path, we saw a nice private house with a sign. I thought they were trying to hire a worker, but found out from another couple later that night that the house was advertising that they would watch your vehicle for $3.50. Lesson learned! Instead, we drove back into the town of Dominical, passing what looked like a nice place to stop- Playa Ballena park. We had lunch at the San Clemente Bar and Grill. The place was interesting with broken surfboards covering the ceiling and a shrine to Elvis and part of a bus with couches in it, but the waitress was more interested in the surfer boys and the food was only fair and overpriced. I’m sure it is fun for younger surfer people sometimes when there is live music. We checked out the beach, which is only fair in this area. If you are a surfer or surfer-to-be, it is ok. But, the sand is not very pretty and there is only a very small area you can swim because of the rip tides. Monday night, we ate at the restaurant that I read was the best in the area- La Parcela. While the food was very good (ceveche, lobster, steak, …), there were only 2 waiters for 20 tables so the service was very slow.

Tuesday, we loaded all our bags (and now sweating again) and headed for Manuel Antonio. I had read the road was “bumpy”, but you have to experience it to believe it. That would not be a safe road in the dark, because I was constantly dogging the biggest of the potholes. Another important sign to look out for is the one for bridges, because they are almost always only one lane wide. And, the ones on this leg of the journey were extra bad! One bounced up and down as a vehicle would cross, and several had NO GUARDRAILS! After a while, you realize that the road will hurt just as much at 20 KPH as 40 KPH, so you just bounce down the road faster. **Tip- I had heard the kids love candy (no surprise), so we had packed 5 pounds of candy and would hand it out to the little one waiting at the bus stops- they were always excited and appreciative. In the middle of nowhere, we found the bar I was told about- “Bar Leche Agrias”. It was named after the nickname of the long-bearded owner who has had the bar for 33 years, and it roughly translates into the nasty, sour milk guy. He will drink sour milk/buttermilk with salt added. The place is FULLY stocked with all kinds of liquors and beers. After some conversation in Spanish (we found out the Bartender’s ANNUAL 7 day/week salary is $3600!), several shots of Tequila, and Robin trying a turtle egg with salsa sauce (a local tradition?), the owner actually gave Robin one of his Bar’s T-shirts. In exchange, I gave him my “Jacksonville Super Bowl” beer coozie. After the Jags didn’t make it, I sold my Super Bowl tickets and spent the money on this trip instead. Great Decision! If you stop by his bar, look for the black coozie in the middle of his bottom shelf with his other souvenirs. **Tip- be sure to spray some strong Deet on your shoes and socks each day because there are biting ants everywhere, and that was the one day I forgot and I got bit 5 times while using the bathroom. We left, made a quick stop at the Bumpy Road Café to see the one crocodile, and then continued on our bumpy journey to Quepos. It was great (I said it must be a mirage) when we got near the airport and actually found a paved road again. After a short drive up the hill, we were at Villa Nicholas. Robin was amazed how many hotels, restaurants, etc. have sprung up since she was there 10 years ago. Back then, the area was almost deserted. Now, it no longer resembles the rest of the country. Villa Nicholas had a nice room with a living room, kitchen with big refrigerator and blender, large covered patio with a big hammock, and air conditioning. However, with so much construction, there isn’t that much of a view from any of the units. We drove into town to get some snacks and drinks, and got hit with another rainstorm. Eventually, we got back to the room, ready for showers, but found out we had no water…happens in the best of places in the country! We decided to go to Ronny’s place, dressed as we were. While the place was open-air and very casual, the owner was nice, the mustard sauce on grouper was excellent, and even the 2 piece band was good. And, very reasonable prices!

Wednesday, we got up “early” to see the M.A. Park. The literature in the room said it opened at 8, but we later found out that it opened at 7. **Tip- get there as close to opening as possible, because the crowds scare the animals away. All the monkeys on the beach we saw early in the day were gone by noon. Be careful if you sit on the beach; the monkeys are VERY smart and will go through your bags while you aren’t looking. Robin thought it was funny when a monkey ran down and stole a plastic container of fruit, ran back up the tree, and sat there in front of the guy and ate all his fruit. After walking past all the flea market stalls (it reminded me of the maze they try to send you through after Dunns River Falls in Jamaica), we paid the admission. That’s when I found out the “official guides” were back at the street at a hut- you will probably see several telescope tripods. So, I went back and hired a guide (Flanders-ask for him and don’t forget to tip). This time, as we entered the park, I tipped the guys at the wooden boat to cross the stream, since I didn’t want the guide to risk slipping and messing up his telescope. I would definitely recommend you spend the money on an OFFICIAL guide-they will have an emblem on their shirt pocket. We probably would have only seen some monkeys and a few iquanas. Instead, he showed us certain trees (the poisonous ones), Jesus Christ Lizards, sloths (they just look like a big nest from the ground), various birds and LOTS of monkeys, etc.. Plus, he could take my digital camera and put it up to his telescope and take great pictures. It was frustrating for me because I had a hard time getting a full picture in the view finder, but he could do a great job with the focus and flash. **Tip- I found a clip at Sports Authority that could clip on your belt loop and had a rubber gasket that you could unscrew the top off a water bottle and attach this to bring water with you. After the tour, we went back to the car to cool off. Then, we went back to the park’s beach so Robin could get a little sun while I sat in the shade watching the iquanas. We then headed into town because I wanted to find out the details of where we needed to go the next day to GO FISHING! Also, I had already filled my first 512MB SD camera card, and Flanders gave me the great tip about the “Quepos Internet Café” which I found next to El Gran Escape, where I was able to download the card to a CD ($5) and re-use the card. **Tip- make TWO disks and put them in different safe places! I was SO paranoid while traveling home that the disk would get broken and I would have lost all the photos. Also, don’t forget extra rechargeable batteries and the charger- my camera ate up the batteries with all the great pictures and movies to take. Finally, I was looking for another ATM. **Tip- the ATM at the bank at the top of the hill was nice because it was open 24 hours, was in English, and would give you dollars if you wanted instead of colones. After some frustration, we actually met the Boat Captain’s (Randy Morales) wife on one of the streets. She asked what food we would like her to prepare for the next day (her rotisserie chicken was good), and also reminded us that you must pay cash ($26 per person, I think- the cash goes quickly!) at the dock for a fishing license BEFORE you go at 7am. After getting our chores done, we stopped at El Gran Escape for some cold beverages and great appetizers (almost raw tuna, which I seldom eat, and ceviche, which I also seldom would eat). After that, we headed back up the hill. Since it was almost sunset, we stopped at Ronny’s again to check out the view and caught a beautiful sunset. We went back to the room, and I broke out the fresh fruit, alcohol, ice, and the blender. Unfortunately for me, we filled up on appetizers and drinks, and never ate dinner. I could barely sleep that night from a splitting headache from a sugar overdose.

Thursday morning, we got up EARLY to get to the dock. At the dock, Robin needed to use the restroom and there was no toilet paper again- BAD, remember the earlier tip! I paid for the expensive, one-day licenses and was quickly found by the owner of the boat- Steve, who owns Swordfish 1 (one way you can reserve his boat is through Tico Travel). They said it would take about an 1:15 to 1:30 to get where we were going. So, I ate my big breakfast- Peanut M&M’s and a baby banana. Not enough substance for what we were about to encounter! Robin wanted to catch her first Dolphin=Dorado=Mahi Mahi, NOT Flipper=Porpoise, but the owner said those were rare right now. Steve also said the marlin were very sparse, but he was hopeful we might see one. My mission for this entire trip was to finally try to catch my first sailfish. Well, the first fish Robin caught was a dolphin. I caught my sailfish; actually, two. The first one ALMOST killed me! I was so hot, tired, worn out, and could not cool off that I felt lousy for 30-45 minutes. But, we had THREE sailfish in the boat before 10:30. We ended up seeing about 12 sailfish, 2 marlins, numerous porpoises, a sea turtle, and a water spout at the edge of a bad storm. In all, we caught 2 bonita, FOUR sailfish, the dolphin, AND A MARLIN (Robin did great, and caught that one)! What a GREAT day! The mate, Glen, even filleted Robin’s dolphin and we took it that night back to El Gran Escape where their motto is “You Catch it, We’ll Cook it”. The normal tip for the crew is about 10%, so there goes more of your cash! The owner of the restaurant is a HARD working lady that actually just won their recent fishing tournament, where they caught sailfish on fly rods- that’s got to be amazingly tough! So, Robin “cooked” that night and we slept well that night!

Friday, we got up, packed AGAIN, loaded up the SUV AGAIN, got sweaty AGAIN, to make the LONG drive to Arenal. First, we stopped for breakfast at a great hotel close to the M.A. Park called Costa Verde. When Robin stepped out of the car, she actually almost stepped on a big iquana that had made its home in a drainpipe at the entrance to the restaurant. Sitting in their open air restaurant, you had a spectacular view as you looked out over the park. Their motto is “still more monkeys than people”. We didn’t see any monkeys at the time, but the waiter said a lot of them come around 4-5 pm, and I believe him. After a delicious breakfast (with great flavored iced tea), we were on our way. We drove north out of Quepos, and quickly came across several BAD bridges. A couple are OLD, modified railroad bridges. Since the other part of my company does road/bridge design, I had to take a few pictures. Once again, whoever gets to the bridge first, or doesn’t slow down, has the right-of-way. SCARY! We drove up past Playa Hermosa and Jaco, which I heard are great places if you want to surf, but some of the coastline is just rocks, and stopped at the Villa Caletas resort north of Jaco. The views are spectacular! If you are looking for a FANCY, European style hotel, this would be the place to go. We had originally planned to stay here one day, but then rearranged our plans. They have a mini Greek-style amphitheater carved into the side of the mountain, where musicians play near sunset on certain days. We had one cocktail and then left. The funniest thing was that as fancy and expensive as this place was (their brochure lists it with Peace Lodge and a half dozen other fancy hotels), they had ZERO water pressure in their bathrooms to wash your hands. That had to drive some of the “snooty” people there crazy! We then followed our maps and the GPS north for the still long drive to Arenal. As we got into the mountains, I was amazed at how a newly paved road could still only be barely a lane and a half wide. I also had one of the many adventurous scares as we got behind one of those semis overloaded with the sticks going up a hill, and a big log just fell off the truck and into my lane, making me swerve to avoid hitting it. If a bunch of the logs had fallen off, I would have had a lot of explaining to do with Tricolors, or ended up in a ravine. Later, as we were making the turns, I came face-to-face with one of those trucks in my lane and had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, once again as we traveled the mountains, one of those log trucks (can you feel that I HATED those trucks by now?) got out of control, started dumping logs all over the road, and flipped. So, again we got stuck for almost an hour. The problem is that even after traffic starts moving again, the remaining semis can’t make it around the bends where all the cars are backed up, so it is a mess! We finally got to the spot where the “voluntary” toll booth is at, and I decided to follow the directions the next Hotel owner gave me (Elaine, at Lost Iguanas) and I stayed straight instead of veering to the left like all the volcano signs point to. By the way, the local kids have spray painted over the direction arrows on several of the volcano signs, so keep your map handy. Except for having to go over a few more BAD bridges, which is no big deal by this point, it was an easy drive and we saved A LOT of time which was good because I really wanted to get there before dark and it was getting late quick. We passed many of the resorts before crossing the dam and making the turn to Lost Iguanas, which is also the driveway to the hanging bridges. The entrance to the resort reminded me of Jurassic Park, with the letters cut out of stone. Elaine, the owner, has done a tremendous job! While the resort is still growing, it already has a nice pool, swim up bar, nice open-air restaurant, and gift shop. She has quite a vision. Elaine was also very helpful with tips for our trip, but unfortunately she was out of town while we were there so we never got to meet- next time! A portion of the land where she built was previously farmland. I had read where some people criticized her for bulldozing the land, but once you see how much land she has preserved, you will be very impressed. She has 3 hiking trails on the back side of the property. The first one we took leads you to the Hanging Bridges. Another one we took on our last day took us an hour and a half non-stop, going across streams and past several enormous trees. I can’t imagine how much work it took to cut the path and cut in dirt steps to walk on. I was sweaty and worn out by the end of that fun hike- don’t forget that water bottle and hiking boots! We checked into the resort that always (except at breakfast time) seems empty even when it is fully occupied, which is nice. **Tip-even though you want to pack your passports safely away, most hotels ask to see them. One of the workers used a golf cart to help us lug our entire luggage to the room. What a room! It had an outdoor Jacuzzi to sit in and watch for the lava (honestly, there is barely any lava flowing these day from what I could see, and I heard it has been several years since much has happened; it’s mostly smoke), two rocking chairs that we sat in one night at 4:30 am with a blanket watching the volcano when the clouds cleared, and it had an outdoor, screen enclosed shower with two showerheads and lava rocks on the walls. That was great! We unpacked and went to the steakhouse that I had read about, El Novillo. Unfortunately, we had a hard time with the young server and two big tour groups came which made for pretty poor service. The steaks were ok, but I would try someplace else next time.

On Saturday, we got up and were again about the last ones to eat breakfast. But, it was ok. We then took their Toucan trail up to the Hanging Bridges. I would definitely recommend going there. Also, if you didn’t get a chance to hire a guide in M.A., be sure to hire one here. We didn’t even see where the guides were at until we finished the tour, but we did pass several guides along the way. We would have never seen one of the monkeys in the trees if the guide for another group hadn’t told us where to go back and look. Plus, he later let us look in his telescope at a red poison dart frog, which we would have NEVER seen otherwise. I could here a lot of different birds, but couldn’t normally hone in on where the bird was at. The guide, on the other hand, could whistle back and forth with the birds until he spotted them. The hanging bridges consist of a number of fixed and swinging chain bridges that allow you to see various waterfalls and give you some great views. The first one I crossed that was about 150’ long and 150’ in the air was pretty scary to me (Robin enjoyed it). The entire walk took about 2 hours. Oh yea, we twice heard (I wish I could have recorded it), but never saw, a howler monkey. I understand that they may be fairly small, but the one I heard sounded like he was about 30’ tall. Scary! We then stopped at the room so I could make a stiff cocktail and we headed for the Sky Tram/Sky Trek. We were almost the only ones there, and as I saw one group screaming as they came hurling towards the last tower, I reached for ANOTHER beer. While Robin was laughing and saying no big deal, my Engineering mind was thinking “single point failure” analysis on the pins and connectors in the harness. After a short, nerve wracking wait, we went to the equipment room where our two guides fitted us. I felt A LITTLE better as the one guide made sure to tightly cinch down my harness, and the other guide was not happy with the fit of some of Robin’s equipment so he changed it out. The 4 of us got on the tram and took a nice, comfortable ride up the mountain in a very good tram. The one guide pointed out various aspects of the trees the entire way up. After a few pictures at the top, they then gave us the instructions on everything to do, and kept making sure we understood everything. This company uses a shiny steel pulley with two handles, instead of some of the other places I read that use a leather glove with wooden blocks sewn in, to slow you down. I was again feeling just a little better. We then tried two short canopy lines, which if you hated it you could still back out and take the tram back down. Robin was having fun, but I was scared. Then, we see the third cable…The first guide took off to get to the other end of the LONG cable, WAY up in the air, crossing a BIG ravine. That’s when Robin said “you go first”, knowing that I’d say “no way” and I would cause us to back out and take the tram back down. Instead, out of a moment of liquid courage, I said I was ready and the other guide shoved me on my way. HOLY MACKAREL (ok, maybe I said something else)! Did I mention that I HATE heights? I was SO happy when I was at the other end, instead of down in the rocks/trees! I waited with the movie camera recording for Robin to come across, when eventually I see an odd mass; she had CHICKENED OUT and had to ride across with the other guide. Then, she braked too much (which is done by turning the pulley back and forth to cause friction on the steel cable) so they got stuck 20’ from the end and she had to pull herself up the rest of the way to our platform. I was so mad, screaming “you BIG BABY”! On all of the following runs, she still had to go with the guide holding on, but at least she kept going. I learned some new Spanish vocabulary words to scream as I went along each of the runs. I will say that it was A RUSH! I’m not sure how long the cable runs are at other locations, but this place had 3 little cable runs and 5 LONG ones. The last run was almost HALF A MILE long (2500’), and all of them totaled 9000’! From there, we left and had dinner reservations at Eco Termales from 5-9. This place is next to the Baldi resort, and was a farm until a few years ago. After passing the Tabacon Hot Springs/Spa Resort, and the Fuegos hot springs across the street that Tabacon now owns, I think we were much better off going to Eco Termales. People were parking down the street from the filled parking lots at Tabacon and having to walk to go join the mass of people (also, someone we met during our trip said they got very sick at the springs, they think from putting their head under water and catching a bug). At Eco Termales, you can choose a 4 hour window to be there, either 1-5 or 5-9. They limit the number of people to 100 maximum per session, which is good. After you get there, you tell them what time you would like to have your dinner served, they give you locker keys to change (**Tip- my locker just happened to have the number missing, and when I went back later that night I put my key in the wrong locker and it opened that one too- so don’t take too many valuables), and then you are free to explore. They have a full bar near the pools, which works on the “honor system”; when you are leaving at the end of the night you tell them what you had to drink and it is added to your bill. They have 4 swimming pools/soaking areas that drop in temperature depending on how hot you want your water to be. The owner’s son works VERY hard to keep everyone satisfied. At the end of the night, our entrance fees, steak/chicken dinners, glasses of wine, and cocktails totaled $80. Not too bad! We went back to the room, where I enjoyed one last soak in our private Jacuzzi waiting to see if the clouds would clear so we could see the flowing lava one last time before I passed out. What an exhilarating day!

Sunday, after breakfast, we decided to take one last hike. That’s when we took the long trail on the property. You can’t wait until you are in your 60’s to enjoy a lot of the activities in this country! We are in our early 40’s, and were out of breath during parts of this remote trail. There were lots to see, and it wasn’t like Disney World because the critters here were real! After getting back, it was time to pack AGAIN and make the drive back to Alajuela. Going back was really the only time I made two wrong turns. This country could use a lot more street signs on their main roads, and once when we got to a fork in the road I went left instead of right. All of the roads are so bad, it is hard to know when you turned off the main road. But, it was really only a couple of minute detour. My GPS software was missing some of the roads, and the other wrong turn I made was because what looked like a road on the GPS ended up being a power line right-of-way. But, I still enjoyed using the “bird crumb” feature of the GPS to backtrack most of that route, without worrying too much about which way to go. **Tip-again, keep your passports close by, because we got pulled over in one of the country’s many “road blocks”, and the Police Officer originally asked to see my passport which was packed away in all the stuff. As we got into Alajuela, I realized I had no idea where Orquideas Inn was, since I was a nervous wreck as we left a week before, plus when we left we were heading towards a different location. After making a wrong turn, I saw and honked at a cab and the driver was nice enough to tell me to follow him and pointed me right to the Inn. The week before, we told Carlos that we wanted to meet him again. Sure enough, after he finished a long tour, he showed up at the Inn and rode with us back through the countryside. Robin wanted one last souvenir, so we drove all the way to Sarchi, but all of the stores were closed by the time we got there. Then, Carlos showed us a restaurant/bar in the town where we had very good steak dinners. Driving in this area AT NIGHT was scary to me, since I wasn’t sure of where we were going, there was a lot of people and cars, and it is hard to see the signs. Once again, avoid driving in this country at night if at all possible! I almost got in another wreck at an intersection. We finally made it back to the Inn, and I was very glad my driving duties were over! Unfortunately for Carlos, he would be called back to work at 4 am to start taking groups to the airport. The drivers work incredibly long hours for VERY LITTLE pay (a small percentage of the tour fee is all they get), so please remember to tip them.

Monday morning, I called Tricolors at 7:30 and asked them to please come get their SUV earlier in the morning, since Martinair said we should be at the airport at 10 am. After several calls, and a lot of anxious waiting, and “confusion” I finally had to just leave the SUV at the Inn at 10:45 so we could get to the airport late again as usual. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that no scratches “appeared” on the SUV after I left it. Except for the extra line we had to get in to pay the departure tax (and the bellhop was very nice and waited with our luggage the whole time), the airport was better and easier to get through than most we have been in. I could see where the lines at the security screening area could get bad if a bunch of planes were leaving at once, but we got through with enough time that it wasn’t nearly as scary as usual. Landing back in Orlando, we had to deal with what I feel is a ridiculous headache for U.S. citizens. They had 10 immigration lines open for foreigners, but only one for U.S. citizens to wait in. Then, you go through 2 or 3 or 4… security screening areas. The last one being the most annoying; the guy went digging through Robin’s make-up bag to find some tweezers, and then had to ask his Supervisor what to do. We were LEAVING the airport to go to the parking lot; what security risk to the United States is a pair of tweezers??? One hour later, and after one last zing(the ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY dollar airport parking fee), we were on the road again to northeast Florida. It was almost comical that after all that crazy driving, we almost got into an accident because both lanes of I-95 came to a sudden halt again because they were paving those already wonderful (after what we had been in) lanes in the dark.

I hope this report is of some use to somebody. A few last thoughts:
-Just remember to plan for a wreck in the mountains. Schedule accordingly.
-Don’t drive anywhere (ESPECIALLY San Jose) in the dark unless maybe you’ve seen the route before.
-Try to use some Spanish whenever possible and the people will be very patient communicating in return- be sure to learn the traffic sign vocabulary!
-Try the various foods and fruits. I have a VERY sensitive stomach, and didn’t get sick once (although I did avoid the turtle eggs at Leche Agrias).
-As the owner of the boat said, “this is NOT the place to go to try to get a suntan!” Even the dark-skinned mate on the boat covered his face until he was white with sunscreen. The sun is too intense, and will burn you and make the rest of your trip miserable. I’m fair-skinned, and was glad I kept the SPF 50 on every day.
-Get out into the country, even if you plan to go to an all-inclusive. I can’t imagine how cheated I would have been just staying locked up in a compound. The best parts of the country to me are the scenery, animals, adventures, and FISHING!
-Be prepared for an adventure at every turn!

Thanks everyone out there for helping me on my digging for the trip! I’m now the “Party Planner”.

Pura Vida!!!

Floyd

Bravo!!!

Floyd - I don't think I have every read a more funny trip report! It was so obvious, although with bumps, that your trip was very enjoyable.

Thanks for the report, I just love reading others views on this remarkable country. It is truly an amazing adventure.

Our rule of thumb on driving in CR, is to double the time that anyone thinks it will take. This way we are pleased if we arrive earlier!

We too had a pleasant day with Carlos from Wady Tours, in Feb. He is a great guy and works hard to make certain your experience is one pleasing.

Lots of great honest information in your report.

One question - your GPS software - we looked briefly, but did not find anything for CR - can you tell us where we can find the software that you downloaded?

Thanks

Thanks to Percy (a VERY KNOWLEDGABLE Fodor's member), I've added some pictures. Check out this link:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-6r9y8f

Regarding the GPS Map Question, the guy that did all the work is Richard Smith, and I found his link again. It's:
http://rwsmaps.griffel.se/

The download file is big, and then you have to run it. But, it works GREAT!

We were in CR ten years ago. Amazing how much the country has changed. McDonalds, all-inclusives, etc. The roads were just as bad then and the trucks were as much a problem. Enjoyed your report!!

I knew you could do it! Enjoyed reading it again. Now I am sure I read it all.

Your pictures were great and many show a great sense of humor. I don't know how many monkeys and iguanas I have seen over the years down there but they always bring a smile to my face. Yours were no exception.

Enjoyed your report. Isnt driving around CR an adventure. In my two trips there, I dont think I ever had a problem free drive. I even video taped an incident where a large truck blocked a turn,and it was a free for all with people trying to get around it. Its amazing how the friendly Ticos turn into psychos behind the wheel!

My husband and I are planning a trip for the end of August and your Tips** sound like they will be very helpful. Travel-size Charmin here I come! As an engineer as well, my husband enjoyed your bridge stories and suicide shower with pictures as proof. Although we will most likely stay north of the areas you went to, Lost Iguanas sounds like a winner. Thanks so much for your detailed report.

nice trip report!
one comment is that those small bridegs will say "cedar el paso" in ONE direction and that means you need to give the oncoming trafic the right of way. No sign means you have the right of way.

I am leaving for Costa Rica March 10th. I enjoyed your reports. Nice to know of the biting ants in the bathrooms, so we'll be prepared...the SPF 50 suntan lotion, which I wasn't even going to bother bringing because "we never burn". And hearing of the good food! And that you saw that red frog! COOL! Thanks a lot! It was a very interesting read.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report. I can't wait to head to CR in 10 weeks. We are also staying at Lost Iguana.

Where did you find the portable car alarm? That sounds like a great idea.

Loved your photos. Lost Iguana looks like a great place to stay. What did you pack that you never used? Did you need real rain jackets? We are going to Manuel Antonio in the beginning of April.