Costa Rica Trip Report, 4 weeks
Jul 16th, 2004, 07:20 PM
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Costa Rica Trip Report, 4 weeks
We just returned from our 8th trip to Costa Rica and still find it the most amazing place!
We flew out of Oklahoma City via Continental through Houston. Arrived at the airport 4:30 in the morning during a blinding rain and lightening storm. We were so grateful that the storm had let up a bit for our 6:40 a.m. departure! I'm a nervous flier in GOOD weather! We are always learning new lessons in travel. . .first lesson: don't be the last to board a smaller jet! We were finishing coffee and in no hurry to board. We carried on a large backpack and a smaller one, but found all of the overhead compartments had been filled. The flight attendant told us we would have to check our large pack at the last minute, so I removed my digital camera as a precaution. I had purchased a less expensive digital camera as a gift for some Tico friends and decided to leave it in the pack as it was in its original box, and I didn't have anywhere to put it. Mistake! Our backpack didn't not arrive in San Jose. We made our report to Continental baggage, and they promised to track it down and deliver it to Playa Flamingo where we would be spending the next few days.
We picked up our rental car at TriColor (second time to use this company, and again, we were quite pleased with their service and good rates). Arrived at the Flamingo Beach Resort at 6:00 where we were greeted by our daughter who had already been in the country for 2 weeks studying Spanish at the CPI Language School Flamingo campus. This is one of our favorite places to stay. It is an older hotel, but the rooms are nice, with TVs, bathtubs, AC, hot water, nice pool with swim up bar, breakfast included, excellent staff, wonderful massages, right on the beach, all for a great June special rate of $69 per night.
We were here from Monday, June 21 until Friday, June 25, while our daughter completed her 3rd week of school. We spent our time swimming, walking the beach, enjoying the sunsets, scheduling massages, exploring Playa Potrero, Playa Pena, and Playa Pan de Azucar (Sugar Beach). Checked out the Hotel Sugar Beach property and spent a morning on the beach there. It looked wonderful and would be a great place to stay some time in the future! We spent an afternoon in Tamarindo, went to Monkey Park and a had a great time holding the baby monkeys. This is a place we had seen (driven by) several times but had never visited. They have all kinds of animals there, but the baby monkeys were the most interesting as they were quite affectionate! It is not a zoo, but more like a rescue facility for animals that have been abandoned or injured.
Our misplaced backpack was delivered to us the next day after our arrival--in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the boxed camera intended as a gift was missing. . .guess you could see that one coming! I wasn't too surprised, but could've kicked myself for not removing it from the bag and just carrying the darned thing in its box however inconvenient it might have been. I called the airline to complain, but they reminded me that I should've done just that! Actually, although the bag was tagged for San Jose, it had ended up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I suppose that is an easy mistake for baggage handlers to make. I hope whomever removed the camera is enjoyed it a great deal! Lesson learned!
On Friday, June 25, we had the weekend free before driving our daughter to the San Joaquin de Flores campus in Heredia where she would begin the next 5 weeks of study living with the same Tica family that I had lived with when I studied Spanish last summer. We had made it a point to nurture their friendship through the year through e-mail and visits to their home in December and March. The camera had been intended for them!
Anyway, we had to choose what to do for the weekend. . .we couldn't decide between Playa Hermosa (had visited but never for overnight) or Playa Samara. We literally stopped at a soda in Belen and played a little game that pointed us toward Samara. We'd never been there, so we were anxious to check out a new beach!
We stopped at a fruit and veggie market in the town of Nicoya and bought a few things before moving on to Samara. The drive from Nicoya to Samara took about an hour and it was spectacular! Beautiful scenery. Arriving in Samara without someplace to stay was tricky especially since it would be dark in an hour and we were not at all familiar with the town. We had planned to stay at Las Brisas, but when we stopped there, we discovered that, although it was open for business, there was a lot of construction going on. We were not impressed with the lack of view or the rooms. We were hoping for beachfront. We know now that there are some small beachfront properties in Samara, but we opted for someplace we had heard of before and headed out of town a couple of kilometers to Villas Playa Samara. I thought it was a bit overpriced at $138 for the 3 of us, no breakfast, but, as I said, it was late and we were ready to settle in somewhere. The rates seemed a little odd as they charged per person, but we didn't get a break with the 3rd person. Usually you'll pay for the room plus $15 or so for the third person. Oh well. We got a villa fairly close the beach with a little bit of ocean view and a kitchen which we really didn't need. The villas were a bit on the dark side inside. It was quite different than the type of property we were looking for or usually stay at, but that's okay. I think most of the villas are owned/rented by vacationing Ticos. We spent time on the beach, drove into town for lunch and dinner, shopped around in town a little, drove to Playa Carillo (a very beautiful beach about 7km down an absolutely marvelous highway), and just relaxed Saturday and until check-out on Sunday. I'm not sure why, but Samara wouldn't be high on my list of places to which I would like to return. I know others really like it there. . .we just weren't impressed. I thought the beach was only average. More than likely, our experience was affected by our choice of hotel. We didn't get the friendly vibes that one usually receives when traveling almost anyplace in CR. Everyone seemed a little cool and indifferent which, as most of you know, is very unusual! Coming next, 9 days of bus travel! What a ride!
We flew out of Oklahoma City via Continental through Houston. Arrived at the airport 4:30 in the morning during a blinding rain and lightening storm. We were so grateful that the storm had let up a bit for our 6:40 a.m. departure! I'm a nervous flier in GOOD weather! We are always learning new lessons in travel. . .first lesson: don't be the last to board a smaller jet! We were finishing coffee and in no hurry to board. We carried on a large backpack and a smaller one, but found all of the overhead compartments had been filled. The flight attendant told us we would have to check our large pack at the last minute, so I removed my digital camera as a precaution. I had purchased a less expensive digital camera as a gift for some Tico friends and decided to leave it in the pack as it was in its original box, and I didn't have anywhere to put it. Mistake! Our backpack didn't not arrive in San Jose. We made our report to Continental baggage, and they promised to track it down and deliver it to Playa Flamingo where we would be spending the next few days.
We picked up our rental car at TriColor (second time to use this company, and again, we were quite pleased with their service and good rates). Arrived at the Flamingo Beach Resort at 6:00 where we were greeted by our daughter who had already been in the country for 2 weeks studying Spanish at the CPI Language School Flamingo campus. This is one of our favorite places to stay. It is an older hotel, but the rooms are nice, with TVs, bathtubs, AC, hot water, nice pool with swim up bar, breakfast included, excellent staff, wonderful massages, right on the beach, all for a great June special rate of $69 per night.
We were here from Monday, June 21 until Friday, June 25, while our daughter completed her 3rd week of school. We spent our time swimming, walking the beach, enjoying the sunsets, scheduling massages, exploring Playa Potrero, Playa Pena, and Playa Pan de Azucar (Sugar Beach). Checked out the Hotel Sugar Beach property and spent a morning on the beach there. It looked wonderful and would be a great place to stay some time in the future! We spent an afternoon in Tamarindo, went to Monkey Park and a had a great time holding the baby monkeys. This is a place we had seen (driven by) several times but had never visited. They have all kinds of animals there, but the baby monkeys were the most interesting as they were quite affectionate! It is not a zoo, but more like a rescue facility for animals that have been abandoned or injured.
Our misplaced backpack was delivered to us the next day after our arrival--in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the boxed camera intended as a gift was missing. . .guess you could see that one coming! I wasn't too surprised, but could've kicked myself for not removing it from the bag and just carrying the darned thing in its box however inconvenient it might have been. I called the airline to complain, but they reminded me that I should've done just that! Actually, although the bag was tagged for San Jose, it had ended up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I suppose that is an easy mistake for baggage handlers to make. I hope whomever removed the camera is enjoyed it a great deal! Lesson learned!
On Friday, June 25, we had the weekend free before driving our daughter to the San Joaquin de Flores campus in Heredia where she would begin the next 5 weeks of study living with the same Tica family that I had lived with when I studied Spanish last summer. We had made it a point to nurture their friendship through the year through e-mail and visits to their home in December and March. The camera had been intended for them!
Anyway, we had to choose what to do for the weekend. . .we couldn't decide between Playa Hermosa (had visited but never for overnight) or Playa Samara. We literally stopped at a soda in Belen and played a little game that pointed us toward Samara. We'd never been there, so we were anxious to check out a new beach!
We stopped at a fruit and veggie market in the town of Nicoya and bought a few things before moving on to Samara. The drive from Nicoya to Samara took about an hour and it was spectacular! Beautiful scenery. Arriving in Samara without someplace to stay was tricky especially since it would be dark in an hour and we were not at all familiar with the town. We had planned to stay at Las Brisas, but when we stopped there, we discovered that, although it was open for business, there was a lot of construction going on. We were not impressed with the lack of view or the rooms. We were hoping for beachfront. We know now that there are some small beachfront properties in Samara, but we opted for someplace we had heard of before and headed out of town a couple of kilometers to Villas Playa Samara. I thought it was a bit overpriced at $138 for the 3 of us, no breakfast, but, as I said, it was late and we were ready to settle in somewhere. The rates seemed a little odd as they charged per person, but we didn't get a break with the 3rd person. Usually you'll pay for the room plus $15 or so for the third person. Oh well. We got a villa fairly close the beach with a little bit of ocean view and a kitchen which we really didn't need. The villas were a bit on the dark side inside. It was quite different than the type of property we were looking for or usually stay at, but that's okay. I think most of the villas are owned/rented by vacationing Ticos. We spent time on the beach, drove into town for lunch and dinner, shopped around in town a little, drove to Playa Carillo (a very beautiful beach about 7km down an absolutely marvelous highway), and just relaxed Saturday and until check-out on Sunday. I'm not sure why, but Samara wouldn't be high on my list of places to which I would like to return. I know others really like it there. . .we just weren't impressed. I thought the beach was only average. More than likely, our experience was affected by our choice of hotel. We didn't get the friendly vibes that one usually receives when traveling almost anyplace in CR. Everyone seemed a little cool and indifferent which, as most of you know, is very unusual! Coming next, 9 days of bus travel! What a ride!
Jul 16th, 2004, 07:36 PM
#2
Hi shillmac
Happy to read your report and yourbad luck with the cameras.
Gee ,arriving at 4:30 AM sounds little trying .
There is something about flying in these small planes, that I just cannot bring myself to do. But you made it okay.
Looking forward to your next report.
I know you stayed at Neta's place because during my tour of England/Scotland/Ireland and Wales, I sent Neta an e-mail from Cardiff Wales and she replied within an hour !!(Wow) and told me that you had been there.
That Neta..she is a gem !
Lets have it now about those 9 days of bus travel .!!
Welcome back to the USA , hope the trip home was "normal"
Percy
Happy to read your report and yourbad luck with the cameras.
Gee ,arriving at 4:30 AM sounds little trying .
There is something about flying in these small planes, that I just cannot bring myself to do. But you made it okay.
Looking forward to your next report.
I know you stayed at Neta's place because during my tour of England/Scotland/Ireland and Wales, I sent Neta an e-mail from Cardiff Wales and she replied within an hour !!(Wow) and told me that you had been there.
That Neta..she is a gem !
Lets have it now about those 9 days of bus travel .!!
Welcome back to the USA , hope the trip home was "normal"
Percy
Jul 16th, 2004, 07:43 PM
#3
Let me clarify my opening statement in my previous posting!
I was happy to read your nice report about your time on the beach on the west coast but NOT about your bad luck with the camera.
The way I phrased it , it sounds like I was happy to read about your bad experience with the digital camera..sometimes I do not type exactly what I want to say !!
Percy
I was happy to read your nice report about your time on the beach on the west coast but NOT about your bad luck with the camera.
The way I phrased it , it sounds like I was happy to read about your bad experience with the digital camera..sometimes I do not type exactly what I want to say !!
Percy
Jul 17th, 2004, 05:44 AM
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Percy, hope you too had a great trip! As for the camera, oh well! We just consider it a gift for someone else!
Molly, welcome home yourself! How was the birding with Marino? Isn't he great? We will always remember our time at Savegre, what a fascinating place. I have a wonderful photo of the 4 of us. I'll e-mail it to you! Can't wait to read all about the rest of your trip!
Percy, yes, we had a great time with Neta and Arbel. They are such fun and have been so very kind to us. Our daughter is going there this morning for a couple of days of movies from their DVD selection and some R & R from her studies. We do so appreciate their kindness to her in offering her a place of solitude and rest for the weekend!
Molly, welcome home yourself! How was the birding with Marino? Isn't he great? We will always remember our time at Savegre, what a fascinating place. I have a wonderful photo of the 4 of us. I'll e-mail it to you! Can't wait to read all about the rest of your trip!
Percy, yes, we had a great time with Neta and Arbel. They are such fun and have been so very kind to us. Our daughter is going there this morning for a couple of days of movies from their DVD selection and some R & R from her studies. We do so appreciate their kindness to her in offering her a place of solitude and rest for the weekend!
Jul 17th, 2004, 06:01 AM
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Shillmac you're back! I've been watching for your trip report, since I never had the chance to hear more about where you had been before Bosque. It was alot of fun for me to meet you while we were there -- look forward to reading all about your trip! Katie
Jul 17th, 2004, 06:17 AM
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Welcome back! We, too, had to choose between Hermosa and Samara...and we have also chosen Samara. We did so, based on recommendation on this thread. While you were gone, folks found a new place that sounds great, Villa Kalimba, across from the beach. It sounded nice and we have had fun e-mails with the owners who seem very friendly. I hope we have a good experience! We also get to meet Neta when we go; can't wait! Joyce
Jul 17th, 2004, 11:10 AM
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Just noticed they have a new website..www.villaskalimba.com, Joyce
Jul 17th, 2004, 07:18 PM
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I spent a lot of time in Nosara and made day trips to Samara and I too never felt the 'vibes' that would entice me to spend any extended time there. As far as beach towns go, it is much more walker friendly than Nosara but as long as I had my car, I would take Nosara for it's restaurants and bars and friendly folks.
Jul 17th, 2004, 08:09 PM
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I'm sorry we didn't make it over to Nosara. We drove to Carillo one day, then back into Samara and started to drive to Nosara, but turned back because the road looked difficult, it was already mid afternoon, and we decided to "save it". I'll look forward to doing that on another trip, hopefully!
Jul 18th, 2004, 05:35 PM
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Welcome home! I'm enjoying your report and looking forward to the next installment.
Isn't that kinda strange that the airline "reminded you that you shouldn't have done that"? Done what? Pack a camera in your carry-on? Jeez, they're the ones who made you check the bag. Even if you had checked it in the first place, is it your fault that their employees stole something out of it? I dont think so! I applaud your ability to take this in stride, but I sure don't think it's your "fault."
Sorry to sound so grumpy, but I think that was a lousy way for the airline to handle that!
Okay, I'm done ranting now. Looking forward to hearing more. . .
Isn't that kinda strange that the airline "reminded you that you shouldn't have done that"? Done what? Pack a camera in your carry-on? Jeez, they're the ones who made you check the bag. Even if you had checked it in the first place, is it your fault that their employees stole something out of it? I dont think so! I applaud your ability to take this in stride, but I sure don't think it's your "fault."
Sorry to sound so grumpy, but I think that was a lousy way for the airline to handle that!
Okay, I'm done ranting now. Looking forward to hearing more. . .
Jul 23rd, 2004, 05:52 PM
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True, Jo. I've thought about calling Continental, but am not sure the $130 cost of the camera is worth the bother. If it had been worth more, I would've removed it and put up with the inconvenience of carrying it around!
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