We just did the drive from Poas to Doka and then back to Peace Lodge last week. It took us about 35 - 45 minutes to get from Doka back to Peace Lodge. The drive wasn't bad at all and it was quite scenic.

shillmac - I heard the same things - Doka was better than cafe Britt. Wish we could have done either on - but that's what the next trip is for!!

Oops Sclubb, have I been misspelling your name all along? Guess I gave you a little German twist!

Yeah, always something else to look forward to. We still have Tortuguero, Monteverde, Cano Negro to explore and do want to return to the southern Caribbean one day to spend more time. Also would like to spend a night or two at Peace Lodge, although it's out of our usual budget range! Oh well, we can always find a way to justify by balancing it out with a couple of really sparse nights somewhere else!

I'll be anxious to hear what you think of Peace Lodge whenever you get a chance to stay there. It is more than we normally spend too - but were so thrilled with it for the 1 night that I KNOW we will make an exception in the future. And, I remember telling you when originally making my 1st itinerary (way back when) that we don't normally return to a country twice (too many other places to see) but I also KNOW we will be back in CR soon! One of the best trips we have ever had! That's why I've been sucked into this message board & can't get away because it helps me remember our trip & gather ideas for our next one - although no idea when that will be!

Yeah, sometimes I have regrets about the money we have spent in traveling to Costa Rica so many times and think of all the other places we could have experienced. Our goal was to feel like we had really explored all over the place and to keep returning until we felt we had done that.

Now it seems our interest in going there is also because we have made friends, we love the central valley climate, but more than that, we feel so comfortable there. At home in a way. It seems very natural to get back whenever we can.

We like it so much that we would like to find ourselves based there for part of the year and travel to other places from there!

I still think it would be such a hoot to have a huge Fodor convention!