Kellery's Trip Report Part II Monteverde
May 1st, 2008, 09:04 AM
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Kellery's Trip Report Part II Monteverde
Part II- Arenal to Monteverde:
Onward to the Monteverde area- my turn to do the bulk of the driving in what used to be a cute little SUV-after four days in the rainforest, it morphed into a very smelly metal heap- I felt like I was driving a big rackety rig and I just happen to notice that the bumper was resting a bit lower than when we first picked up the car. Have visions of owning this car …..
The drive to Monteverde is spectacular but very, very bumpy- God help anyone who has bad teeth or bones on this drive- we were bouncing all over the car- I figured if I can drive in Costa Rica- I can drive anywhere- The views are breathtaking as one winds up and down the mountains (are they mountains???) and so too, are the 1000 foot plus drops that are within feet of the road- very few guardrails here- which is why Kellery took over the wheel- DH putts along, daydreaming, his eyes on the road, his head back at work- not a good combination.
As with most Costa Rican roads, there were very few road signs and most of the way we just figured we were going in the right direction. With my limited Spanish, I was able to at least determine whether I had to take a left or right somewhere up the road. It took about three hours. We took some of our best photos on the drive.
We stopped at the German Bakery and had pastries and coffees- both were very good. The previous day we had pastries and coffee at the Austrian Bakery a few doors down, thinking that we were eating in the German Bakery- We preferred the German Bakery.
When we finally reached Santa Elena I must admit I was a bit disappointed- we arrived in the later afternoon and really couldn’t do any hikes so we walked around the town. You know when you have a mental image of what a town should look like and it turns out to be completely different??? That’s what I experienced. I wondered if we had made a mistake in this part of what had been a wonderful trip so far.
We stayed at Rustic Lodge under the watch of a very gracious host, Jose, who truly welcomes you into his accommodations as if you were family. Rustic Lodge is a bit out of Santa Elena- a 10-minute walk up a very steep hill. The area around the lodge is not very pretty but Jose has done a great job on the grounds and takes great pride in his hotel.
We had a fitful night of sleep one night because of animals running across the roof- and again, like many connected hotel rooms in Costa Rica, the walls are incredibly thin. I would recommend staying in villas to avoid this problem but some folks who are heavy sleepers may not have a problem with this.
We did eat at the Tree House in Santa Elena and it was just okay- I had a shrimp burrito that was passable and my DH had quesadillas, the kids had pizza (again) The bill came to 95.00- with drinks and I felt it just wasn’t worth the cost. We also grabbed burritos from a take out window just down from the Bank and despite us having concerns about “is this the meal that sends the Kellerys’ into bathroom hell” they were very good and cheap- 20.00 for the four of us with drinks.
We did the canopy tour with Selvatura and had a great time – great guides, Tarzan swing. They were in the process of building a much longer cable which I am told would be open in the next few months. Walking through the hanging bridges , we were surprised by a peccary who wandered right in front of us– a very cute little fellow with porcupine like fur. I guess he lives around there and visits frequently. And you would have thought that since we didn’t get a guide in Arenal at the Hanging Bridges, we would have the good sense to hire one at Selvatura- wrong- it didn’t occur to us. Nonetheless, we saw plenty of birds and that peccary.
After the canopy tour and hanging bridges, we decided to keep on going since this was our only full day in Santa Elena. We drove to San Luis Falls along a road with magnificent views- past the Casem Co-Op and Stella’s bakery on the way to San Luis. We loved the Casem because it supports local women (and one or two men) who supplement their family income with the proceeds from the sale of their artwork. There is a little store next to the Casem where you can buy Monteverde Organic Coffee for a song. We picked up several to bring home as gifts. Stella’s Bakery was cool- it didn’t disappoint. If I were coming back to Monteverde, I’d stay somewhere in this region.
The waterfalls are on private property so you pay the owner and off you go (8.00 per person, 7.00 with student ID) DD was hiking in flip flops and grumbling the entire way, DS fell and cut his finger pretty badly, and I took a tumble down some rocks but we managed to get to the falls. Beautiful and worth the effort. We didn’t have suits so DH and I swam in our underpants and me in the old holster- kids quickly turned around so they wouldn’t face what their bodies would look like in 30 years. We felt like we were shooting a scene for The Blue Lagoon-
We did a night walk with Caminata Nocturna and it surpassed our expectations. Javier was our guide and he was simply divine- DH kept on reminding me that he could be my son. He showed us a sloth, tarantulas, leaf cutter ants, and held up a big stick so we could see how strong the soldier ant was as the little guy grabbed the stick with his legs and held fast. It was a very inexpensive and relaxing tour. Ladies, make sure you ask for Javier-
My DD and I went to the frog pond which was okay- I am not a big fan of indoor exhibits and would probably advise folks to skip this if they had an alternative outing.
All in all, we had a good time in the area.
Part Three- Onward to Montezuma!
Onward to the Monteverde area- my turn to do the bulk of the driving in what used to be a cute little SUV-after four days in the rainforest, it morphed into a very smelly metal heap- I felt like I was driving a big rackety rig and I just happen to notice that the bumper was resting a bit lower than when we first picked up the car. Have visions of owning this car …..
The drive to Monteverde is spectacular but very, very bumpy- God help anyone who has bad teeth or bones on this drive- we were bouncing all over the car- I figured if I can drive in Costa Rica- I can drive anywhere- The views are breathtaking as one winds up and down the mountains (are they mountains???) and so too, are the 1000 foot plus drops that are within feet of the road- very few guardrails here- which is why Kellery took over the wheel- DH putts along, daydreaming, his eyes on the road, his head back at work- not a good combination.
As with most Costa Rican roads, there were very few road signs and most of the way we just figured we were going in the right direction. With my limited Spanish, I was able to at least determine whether I had to take a left or right somewhere up the road. It took about three hours. We took some of our best photos on the drive.
We stopped at the German Bakery and had pastries and coffees- both were very good. The previous day we had pastries and coffee at the Austrian Bakery a few doors down, thinking that we were eating in the German Bakery- We preferred the German Bakery.
When we finally reached Santa Elena I must admit I was a bit disappointed- we arrived in the later afternoon and really couldn’t do any hikes so we walked around the town. You know when you have a mental image of what a town should look like and it turns out to be completely different??? That’s what I experienced. I wondered if we had made a mistake in this part of what had been a wonderful trip so far.
We stayed at Rustic Lodge under the watch of a very gracious host, Jose, who truly welcomes you into his accommodations as if you were family. Rustic Lodge is a bit out of Santa Elena- a 10-minute walk up a very steep hill. The area around the lodge is not very pretty but Jose has done a great job on the grounds and takes great pride in his hotel.
We had a fitful night of sleep one night because of animals running across the roof- and again, like many connected hotel rooms in Costa Rica, the walls are incredibly thin. I would recommend staying in villas to avoid this problem but some folks who are heavy sleepers may not have a problem with this.
We did eat at the Tree House in Santa Elena and it was just okay- I had a shrimp burrito that was passable and my DH had quesadillas, the kids had pizza (again) The bill came to 95.00- with drinks and I felt it just wasn’t worth the cost. We also grabbed burritos from a take out window just down from the Bank and despite us having concerns about “is this the meal that sends the Kellerys’ into bathroom hell” they were very good and cheap- 20.00 for the four of us with drinks.
We did the canopy tour with Selvatura and had a great time – great guides, Tarzan swing. They were in the process of building a much longer cable which I am told would be open in the next few months. Walking through the hanging bridges , we were surprised by a peccary who wandered right in front of us– a very cute little fellow with porcupine like fur. I guess he lives around there and visits frequently. And you would have thought that since we didn’t get a guide in Arenal at the Hanging Bridges, we would have the good sense to hire one at Selvatura- wrong- it didn’t occur to us. Nonetheless, we saw plenty of birds and that peccary.
After the canopy tour and hanging bridges, we decided to keep on going since this was our only full day in Santa Elena. We drove to San Luis Falls along a road with magnificent views- past the Casem Co-Op and Stella’s bakery on the way to San Luis. We loved the Casem because it supports local women (and one or two men) who supplement their family income with the proceeds from the sale of their artwork. There is a little store next to the Casem where you can buy Monteverde Organic Coffee for a song. We picked up several to bring home as gifts. Stella’s Bakery was cool- it didn’t disappoint. If I were coming back to Monteverde, I’d stay somewhere in this region.
The waterfalls are on private property so you pay the owner and off you go (8.00 per person, 7.00 with student ID) DD was hiking in flip flops and grumbling the entire way, DS fell and cut his finger pretty badly, and I took a tumble down some rocks but we managed to get to the falls. Beautiful and worth the effort. We didn’t have suits so DH and I swam in our underpants and me in the old holster- kids quickly turned around so they wouldn’t face what their bodies would look like in 30 years. We felt like we were shooting a scene for The Blue Lagoon-
We did a night walk with Caminata Nocturna and it surpassed our expectations. Javier was our guide and he was simply divine- DH kept on reminding me that he could be my son. He showed us a sloth, tarantulas, leaf cutter ants, and held up a big stick so we could see how strong the soldier ant was as the little guy grabbed the stick with his legs and held fast. It was a very inexpensive and relaxing tour. Ladies, make sure you ask for Javier-
My DD and I went to the frog pond which was okay- I am not a big fan of indoor exhibits and would probably advise folks to skip this if they had an alternative outing.
All in all, we had a good time in the area.
Part Three- Onward to Montezuma!
May 1st, 2008, 11:20 AM
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Thanks for the report. Add your next part to this one as a reply so we can read it in sequence. I am still looking for part I. Glad you liked CASEM I always encourage people to support them. Stellas has been a favorite of mine for several years now. The German bakery has some of the best coffee I have had in CR.
May 2nd, 2008, 11:08 AM
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Here's Part 3 of our wonderful CR holiday- Part 4 and Wrap up to follow-
Onward to Montezuma!
We left for Montezuma taking the ferry out of Puntarenas- of course, we didn’t check the time schedule but thankfully had to wait only an hour- waiting in the queue was interesting- a Columbian guy who obviously didn’t work for the ferry, but worked for tips, was a bit pushy and got very upset when we were ready to drive onto the boat because my DH gave him some coins as opposed to dollars- “I don’t work for coins, “ he grumbled.
I felt bad but we didn’t need or ask for his help. This is a place where I would never leave my car unattended. Puntarenas is not the prettiest place –at least by the ferry – in fact, had this been my first experience in Costa Rica, I would have been disappointed but like most cities, their ports/ferries are not in the nicest areas so I am sure that there are places in Puntarenas that are beautiful??
Crossing the Nicoya Bay over the course of just over an hour was an easy journey, but I was surprised and saddened by how much garbage was floating in the water. We caught the 12.30 ferry and we felt like were in on a baking sheet in a 475.00 oven- very hot. DD loved the sun and was delighted that there would be plenty of tanning time and limited hiking. DS was complaining about the heat the minute we pulled in the ferry queue. The trip was pretty cheap (I don’t recall exact amount because DH paid)
We arrived in Paquera and had a relatively easy journey toward to Montezuma. We, unfortunately, were behind several trucks and had quite a few hair-raising moments when we passed them. We were one of the last ones off the ferry- not a good position to be in- DH says it was because he didn’t tip the non-ferry guy dollars- ( we got stuck in the underbelly of the ferry)
The roads were pretty bumpy but by then we were well used to them. As soon as we arrived in Montezuma, we knew that we were going to enjoy our stay. It is a funky little t-shaped town, with a younger crowd, many sporting dreadlocks and well-tanned shirtless bodies. Definitely, a hippie vibe- there was plenty of older hippie fossils obviously enjoying their time in Montezuma. I didn’t smell any illicit drugs and this nose could be leased out to the FBI-plus I am quite familiar with that smell – nickname in high school? Iron Lungs- I will leave that description to one’s imagination – though please note that the moniker “Iron Lungs” was retired in college.
We stayed at Ylang Ylang, a 10-minute walk down Playa Montezuma- (Mario will take you down with your luggage in a LandRover) and it was beautiful- Although I had planned to stay two night in the jungalows and the remaining night in a bungalow, one look at the jungalows coupled with a string of very little sleep convinced me to abandon the thought of “roughing it”. We got a suite at the very end of the property in a building that houses three two-floor suites on the upper level and three one-floor suites on the ground floor. It was comfortable for our family, but, of course, the kids fought over who would get the king-sized bed in the loft. DD won that battle but after the first night, when the upstairs was a bit warmer than the floor below, she wanted to trade. DS just smiled and said, “Tough”
The property is absolutely lovely, with plenty of dense foliage and flowers, giving you the feeling of great privacy. There are lizards and crabs visible during the day and plenty of vociferous howler monkeys to wake you up before dawn. Well- before dawn. Those little fellows started calling for their mates or marking their turf between 4.15 and 5.00 am- and are very, very loud and very, very cool. The ocean crashes against the rocks with such force it sounds like a gigantic windstorm. Over that, we could still hear those vociferous devils!
In the afternoon, monkeys make their way from the jungle through the hotel, leaping from limb to limb in such acrobatic maneuvers that I wished I could join them. That was a treat.
The food at the Ylang Ylang is delicious and is included in what I think is a reasonable room rate. The portions are generous and they are quite a few entrees to choose from, though they did not have access to shrimp while we were there. The wait staff is so accommodating and friendly that we were sure to leave them a generous tip at each meal (they put in long days) Breakfasts were especially delicious, particularly the French Toast- I will say that I would tire of the food if I stayed longer than 4 nights- just me, I enjoy both a change of scenery and menu while on holiday. We certainly looked forward to the happy hour beginning at 3 o’clock each day, the house drinks being, if I recall, 2 for $7.00.
Again, we used their laundry services for a nominal charge.
There is a glorious beach about 20-25 minutes from the Ylang Ylang which I would recommend walking to along the beach. (Playa Grande?) just bring plenty of water because walking over those rocks is like strolling over hot coals of an undying barbeque.
Montezuma is hot- very hot- from sun up to well past sunset. Big balls of sweat cascaded down every part of my body –I’ve never been that hot before- Although there are fans in the rooms, some of the folks staying in the lower level suites said that they were very warm which kept them up for part of the evening. It was warm where we were but the ocean breeze blew into our room at a pretty good clip
Just be aware that many people got enormous bug bits, including DH, more on this later- so if you are prone to bites, ask for some netting because there are no screens on the windows.
I’ve heard that there are bonfires on Playa Montezuma in the evening so if you like to partake in the local customs, this would be the place.
Much to DD’s dismay, we hiked to Montezuma Falls, not too far out of town, an easy walk, just watch out for the tree roots and slippery rocks. The water was delightful. We didn’t hike up to the second level- couldn’t face the endless groans of DD who once again, wore her flip flops and not her Tevas.
We also visited Rainsong Animal Sanctuary, (www.rainsongsanctuary.com) a neat animal refuge outside of Cabuya that is worth a visit to see Tarzan, the one armed monkey and a very affable anteater. The suggested donation is $5.00 per person and volunteers lead you through the grounds. It’s owned by a Tico and an American from Texas. DD and DS were able to go into Tarzan’s cage and play with him- one of their highlights and the little guy was so darn cute and full of beans. Looking intoTarzan’s eyes was like looking into your aging Uncle’s eyes- amazing- I definitely felt the human connection.
We left Montezuma for El Cafetal Inn, near Atenas, for our final night in Costa Rica.
Part IV and Wrap to follow…..
Onward to Montezuma!
We left for Montezuma taking the ferry out of Puntarenas- of course, we didn’t check the time schedule but thankfully had to wait only an hour- waiting in the queue was interesting- a Columbian guy who obviously didn’t work for the ferry, but worked for tips, was a bit pushy and got very upset when we were ready to drive onto the boat because my DH gave him some coins as opposed to dollars- “I don’t work for coins, “ he grumbled.
I felt bad but we didn’t need or ask for his help. This is a place where I would never leave my car unattended. Puntarenas is not the prettiest place –at least by the ferry – in fact, had this been my first experience in Costa Rica, I would have been disappointed but like most cities, their ports/ferries are not in the nicest areas so I am sure that there are places in Puntarenas that are beautiful??
Crossing the Nicoya Bay over the course of just over an hour was an easy journey, but I was surprised and saddened by how much garbage was floating in the water. We caught the 12.30 ferry and we felt like were in on a baking sheet in a 475.00 oven- very hot. DD loved the sun and was delighted that there would be plenty of tanning time and limited hiking. DS was complaining about the heat the minute we pulled in the ferry queue. The trip was pretty cheap (I don’t recall exact amount because DH paid)
We arrived in Paquera and had a relatively easy journey toward to Montezuma. We, unfortunately, were behind several trucks and had quite a few hair-raising moments when we passed them. We were one of the last ones off the ferry- not a good position to be in- DH says it was because he didn’t tip the non-ferry guy dollars- ( we got stuck in the underbelly of the ferry)
The roads were pretty bumpy but by then we were well used to them. As soon as we arrived in Montezuma, we knew that we were going to enjoy our stay. It is a funky little t-shaped town, with a younger crowd, many sporting dreadlocks and well-tanned shirtless bodies. Definitely, a hippie vibe- there was plenty of older hippie fossils obviously enjoying their time in Montezuma. I didn’t smell any illicit drugs and this nose could be leased out to the FBI-plus I am quite familiar with that smell – nickname in high school? Iron Lungs- I will leave that description to one’s imagination – though please note that the moniker “Iron Lungs” was retired in college.
We stayed at Ylang Ylang, a 10-minute walk down Playa Montezuma- (Mario will take you down with your luggage in a LandRover) and it was beautiful- Although I had planned to stay two night in the jungalows and the remaining night in a bungalow, one look at the jungalows coupled with a string of very little sleep convinced me to abandon the thought of “roughing it”. We got a suite at the very end of the property in a building that houses three two-floor suites on the upper level and three one-floor suites on the ground floor. It was comfortable for our family, but, of course, the kids fought over who would get the king-sized bed in the loft. DD won that battle but after the first night, when the upstairs was a bit warmer than the floor below, she wanted to trade. DS just smiled and said, “Tough”
The property is absolutely lovely, with plenty of dense foliage and flowers, giving you the feeling of great privacy. There are lizards and crabs visible during the day and plenty of vociferous howler monkeys to wake you up before dawn. Well- before dawn. Those little fellows started calling for their mates or marking their turf between 4.15 and 5.00 am- and are very, very loud and very, very cool. The ocean crashes against the rocks with such force it sounds like a gigantic windstorm. Over that, we could still hear those vociferous devils!
In the afternoon, monkeys make their way from the jungle through the hotel, leaping from limb to limb in such acrobatic maneuvers that I wished I could join them. That was a treat.
The food at the Ylang Ylang is delicious and is included in what I think is a reasonable room rate. The portions are generous and they are quite a few entrees to choose from, though they did not have access to shrimp while we were there. The wait staff is so accommodating and friendly that we were sure to leave them a generous tip at each meal (they put in long days) Breakfasts were especially delicious, particularly the French Toast- I will say that I would tire of the food if I stayed longer than 4 nights- just me, I enjoy both a change of scenery and menu while on holiday. We certainly looked forward to the happy hour beginning at 3 o’clock each day, the house drinks being, if I recall, 2 for $7.00.
Again, we used their laundry services for a nominal charge.
There is a glorious beach about 20-25 minutes from the Ylang Ylang which I would recommend walking to along the beach. (Playa Grande?) just bring plenty of water because walking over those rocks is like strolling over hot coals of an undying barbeque.
Montezuma is hot- very hot- from sun up to well past sunset. Big balls of sweat cascaded down every part of my body –I’ve never been that hot before- Although there are fans in the rooms, some of the folks staying in the lower level suites said that they were very warm which kept them up for part of the evening. It was warm where we were but the ocean breeze blew into our room at a pretty good clip
Just be aware that many people got enormous bug bits, including DH, more on this later- so if you are prone to bites, ask for some netting because there are no screens on the windows.
I’ve heard that there are bonfires on Playa Montezuma in the evening so if you like to partake in the local customs, this would be the place.
Much to DD’s dismay, we hiked to Montezuma Falls, not too far out of town, an easy walk, just watch out for the tree roots and slippery rocks. The water was delightful. We didn’t hike up to the second level- couldn’t face the endless groans of DD who once again, wore her flip flops and not her Tevas.
We also visited Rainsong Animal Sanctuary, (www.rainsongsanctuary.com) a neat animal refuge outside of Cabuya that is worth a visit to see Tarzan, the one armed monkey and a very affable anteater. The suggested donation is $5.00 per person and volunteers lead you through the grounds. It’s owned by a Tico and an American from Texas. DD and DS were able to go into Tarzan’s cage and play with him- one of their highlights and the little guy was so darn cute and full of beans. Looking intoTarzan’s eyes was like looking into your aging Uncle’s eyes- amazing- I definitely felt the human connection.
We left Montezuma for El Cafetal Inn, near Atenas, for our final night in Costa Rica.
Part IV and Wrap to follow…..
May 3rd, 2008, 03:30 AM
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Thanks, I write medically based articles so it is a joy to write non-technical stuff! Costa Rica was lived up to and exceeded my expectations- that was one worry because I had looked so forward to this vacation. I was afraid that I "overhyped" CR- not so.!
Wrapping up Part 4 today!
Wrapping up Part 4 today!
May 3rd, 2008, 08:06 AM
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Part IV and Wrap to follow…..
Though we had originally planned to stay at Ylang Ylang the night before our flight home ( I can’t believe I was actually contemplating this!!(**) I wisely took the suggestions of fellow forum posters and moved accommodations closer to the airport- a wise decision since the Kellerys’ often fly by the seat of their pants and miss flights because of their propensity to squeeze in “just one more site.”
Ferry back was not as crowded nor as hot because we got caught the 10.00am departure to Puntarenas. Once off the ferry, however, we encountered a huge traffic jam on the Pan American Highway so we decided to do a pit stop at a roadside restaurant – it was a buffet type and since the owner didn’t know English and my knowledge of Spanish involved driving directions and thanks and pleases, we guessed at what was offered and got a very interesting meal for about 20.00 plus drinks. This is the second and last time the Kellerys’ wondered if they would spend their final night headfirst in a Costa Rican toilet.
Costa Rican truck drivers rarely pull over so if you want to pass, you have to take your chances. A few times I just closed my eyes as DH hooked a left and bypassed a few trucks in a single maneuver. The traffic jam was caused when a concrete truck lost most of its load of concrete bags, spilling the dry dust like particles all over the road. What a mess and we were happy that we had not been tailing that overloaded vehicle. By the time we passed the accident, half of the concrete dust had been rebagged.
We found our way to El Cafetal Inn and were pleasantly surprised. It is located in outside of Atenas, nestled between the mountains, offering incredible views. We were among three other guests staying at the hotel. The pool was very nice and the grounds well kept, though an update of the indoor lounging areas would take this Inn to the next level. This is one property that I would love to buy. Breakfast was served on one of the two outdoor terraces and was perhaps the best breakfast we had in Costa Rica ( and all of our breakfasts were great) Eggs with green beans and salsa and cheese, empanadas, plantains, rice and beans, fresh fruit, coffee form their plantation and great juice. We did eat the previous night at their restaurant that was just okay- obviously not the same cook as breakfast. When I revisit my meal of tilapia in a cream sauce, my stomach still does a few quick flips. We had two rooms for approximately 50.00 dollars each night- the best bargain of the trip! They sell their coffee in the reception building for $7.00 – a huge bag of beans. The owner is from El Salvador and looks like a rebel soldier with his beret and army fatigues- if I had let my vivid imagination loose, I would have imagined that we were on a military training compound preparing for a coup.(He was very nice!!)
On to the bug bites….DH woke up on our last night in Montezuma with several bites on his legs which he complained about the entire ferry journey, blaming me for keeping the louver doors open at the Ylang Ylang. If we had closed them, we would have baked the entire night and honestly, I didn’t feel one bug….DH says that bugs are attracted to him because of his sweet English blood so they must have really feasted on him because at El Cafetal, red welts began to dot his skin from top to tail. We made a run to the local farmacia to get some topical antihistamine cream that I thought would take care of the problem. I was wakened by DH manically scratching his feet in the bathroom, muttering a string of expletives that I hadn’t heard in a long while…..and, naturally, it was my fault for leaving the louvers open….he was up every hour scratching first his feet, then his calves, his buttocks, his back and his chest. It was a very long night. And DH was exceedingly short-tempered the following morning. Again, if you are prone to biting, bring along some topical and oral antihistamine and bug repellant.
The drive to the airport took 20 minutes, dropping the car off at Tricolor about 30 minutes ( I was sure that they were going to find something wrong with the car –most likely the emergency brake which DH left on during a stop on a hill and smoke starting pouring out from under the tires. “”It’s the asphalt up ahead,” DH said. “I don’t think so, darling, cause it’s coming from underneath the car,” I said. DH checked the emergency brake- hidden underneath my backpack- in the up position..’ Luckily, there was no damage- at least from what we could tell.
Paid our departure tax ( 10 minutes) and then headed toward our plane back to Mass and the piles of paperwork, articles, etc. Stayed overnight in Charlotte and caught the early flight to Logan the next morning.
Kellery’s Final Thoughts:
What a beautiful country and I can now see why people return to Costa Rica. Magnificent!
The Tico’s are wonderful.
The Food is delicious.
Plenty of clean bathrooms
Read the bathroom signs carefully- I scanned thinking that they were merely referring to sanitary items- clogged many toilets in Arenal before I re-read the notices posted in very bathroom! Since we are on a septic system here on Cape Cod, I mentioned that we should adopt the toilet paper in the wastebasket policy- was met with blank stares.
And with a reported 97 percent literacy rate and universal health care, they are doing something right.
And for someone inexplicable reason, I felt an immediate affinity moments after stepping off the plane.
Heading to Osa next!
Pura Vida.
Though we had originally planned to stay at Ylang Ylang the night before our flight home ( I can’t believe I was actually contemplating this!!(**) I wisely took the suggestions of fellow forum posters and moved accommodations closer to the airport- a wise decision since the Kellerys’ often fly by the seat of their pants and miss flights because of their propensity to squeeze in “just one more site.”
Ferry back was not as crowded nor as hot because we got caught the 10.00am departure to Puntarenas. Once off the ferry, however, we encountered a huge traffic jam on the Pan American Highway so we decided to do a pit stop at a roadside restaurant – it was a buffet type and since the owner didn’t know English and my knowledge of Spanish involved driving directions and thanks and pleases, we guessed at what was offered and got a very interesting meal for about 20.00 plus drinks. This is the second and last time the Kellerys’ wondered if they would spend their final night headfirst in a Costa Rican toilet.
Costa Rican truck drivers rarely pull over so if you want to pass, you have to take your chances. A few times I just closed my eyes as DH hooked a left and bypassed a few trucks in a single maneuver. The traffic jam was caused when a concrete truck lost most of its load of concrete bags, spilling the dry dust like particles all over the road. What a mess and we were happy that we had not been tailing that overloaded vehicle. By the time we passed the accident, half of the concrete dust had been rebagged.
We found our way to El Cafetal Inn and were pleasantly surprised. It is located in outside of Atenas, nestled between the mountains, offering incredible views. We were among three other guests staying at the hotel. The pool was very nice and the grounds well kept, though an update of the indoor lounging areas would take this Inn to the next level. This is one property that I would love to buy. Breakfast was served on one of the two outdoor terraces and was perhaps the best breakfast we had in Costa Rica ( and all of our breakfasts were great) Eggs with green beans and salsa and cheese, empanadas, plantains, rice and beans, fresh fruit, coffee form their plantation and great juice. We did eat the previous night at their restaurant that was just okay- obviously not the same cook as breakfast. When I revisit my meal of tilapia in a cream sauce, my stomach still does a few quick flips. We had two rooms for approximately 50.00 dollars each night- the best bargain of the trip! They sell their coffee in the reception building for $7.00 – a huge bag of beans. The owner is from El Salvador and looks like a rebel soldier with his beret and army fatigues- if I had let my vivid imagination loose, I would have imagined that we were on a military training compound preparing for a coup.(He was very nice!!)
On to the bug bites….DH woke up on our last night in Montezuma with several bites on his legs which he complained about the entire ferry journey, blaming me for keeping the louver doors open at the Ylang Ylang. If we had closed them, we would have baked the entire night and honestly, I didn’t feel one bug….DH says that bugs are attracted to him because of his sweet English blood so they must have really feasted on him because at El Cafetal, red welts began to dot his skin from top to tail. We made a run to the local farmacia to get some topical antihistamine cream that I thought would take care of the problem. I was wakened by DH manically scratching his feet in the bathroom, muttering a string of expletives that I hadn’t heard in a long while…..and, naturally, it was my fault for leaving the louvers open….he was up every hour scratching first his feet, then his calves, his buttocks, his back and his chest. It was a very long night. And DH was exceedingly short-tempered the following morning. Again, if you are prone to biting, bring along some topical and oral antihistamine and bug repellant.
The drive to the airport took 20 minutes, dropping the car off at Tricolor about 30 minutes ( I was sure that they were going to find something wrong with the car –most likely the emergency brake which DH left on during a stop on a hill and smoke starting pouring out from under the tires. “”It’s the asphalt up ahead,” DH said. “I don’t think so, darling, cause it’s coming from underneath the car,” I said. DH checked the emergency brake- hidden underneath my backpack- in the up position..’ Luckily, there was no damage- at least from what we could tell.
Paid our departure tax ( 10 minutes) and then headed toward our plane back to Mass and the piles of paperwork, articles, etc. Stayed overnight in Charlotte and caught the early flight to Logan the next morning.
Kellery’s Final Thoughts:
What a beautiful country and I can now see why people return to Costa Rica. Magnificent!
The Tico’s are wonderful.
The Food is delicious.
Plenty of clean bathrooms
Read the bathroom signs carefully- I scanned thinking that they were merely referring to sanitary items- clogged many toilets in Arenal before I re-read the notices posted in very bathroom! Since we are on a septic system here on Cape Cod, I mentioned that we should adopt the toilet paper in the wastebasket policy- was met with blank stares.
And with a reported 97 percent literacy rate and universal health care, they are doing something right.
And for someone inexplicable reason, I felt an immediate affinity moments after stepping off the plane.
Heading to Osa next!
Pura Vida.
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