JoBurritt

Several guidebooks say that Zoo Ave is a "must see." What do you guys think? If you agree, what can you tell me about parking? Would it be safe to park a car full of luggage there when we're en route from the CR Marriott to La Fortuna, or is that too risky?

kimschulze

Honestly, I don't think it's a "must" see. We stumbled upon it one day while driving around, and went in. It was enjoyable for an hour's time, and had some nice animal exhibits. There was a guy in front where we parked (no problem parking) that we paid ...I'm sure he would be happy to watch your car for a tip. It's pleasant and fun, but I would not go out of my way just to stop there. Bottom line - if you have time, and would like to stroll around for a while...do it...othewise, don't.

Percy

If you have an afternoon flight out of San Jose, then DO Zoo Avenue.
It is only about 10 minutes from the airport.

Yes,there is a gentleman in the vehicle parkade watching cars.

The admission price is $7.00 and my personal opinion is that it is worth $7.00 just to see the Quetzul!
This is quite a bird , not to mention that if you did not see the Scarlet Macaw in the wild ( I was lucky enough to ), then you can get up close and personally with the Macaws.!

It is a nice way to kill time before your flight home unless you have an early morning flight out of San Jose.

If you want to see birds and animals that you were not lucky enough to see during your adventure tours, then it is worth $ 7.00 anytime.

Percy

tica_traveler

hey jo! Are you here yet? I can't remember when you said you were coming. We are in CR right now. My CR freinds keep telling me we will have to go to Zoo Ave before we leave but so far we have only driven by it several times en route to other things. Today we spent sevearl hours at INBiopraque in Heredia's Santo Domingo and saw a lot of great stuff. It was definitely worth the time, money and effort.

We're at Vida Tropical tonight and head to Tortuguero tomorrow. WITHOUT OUT A DOUBT THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP WAS THE TIME SPENT AT LA CAROLINA LODGE IN BIJAGUA: I'll do a report when we get back.

Take care girlfiend...pura vida!

JoBurritt

Hey, Julie--No, I'm not there yet, but I will be in less than 48 hours. Sounds like you're having a great time--you've been there for several weeks already, haven't you? Hope the rest of your trip is perfect!

Thanks, Kim and Percy. I think the admission price is up to $10 now. Our flight out of CR leaves the airport at 1:40. We're staying at the CR Marriott. If we're up and organized early enough, maybe we'll stop by Zoo Ave on route to the airport. Since we sometimes find ourselves spending our last mornings on vacation just kinda feeling like we're in limbo waiting til we have to leave--not having enough time to do any big excursion, but too much time to just hang around, Zoo Ave may fit in nicely. We'll see how it goes. I really appreciate the input from you guys.

I'm assuming the guy who watches the cars at Zoo Ave is an employee of the zoo, so this wouldn't apply there, but I always wonder about something when people mention tipping someone to watch their car. How does one know the person they're tipping isn't the guy who is going to rip them off?

glover

You DON'T know if the guy you're tipping is the one who will rip you off. My advice based on personal very recent (May 31) experience is not to do this -- especially if you're driving a 4x4 where luggage can't be concealed, and even then . . .

We parked next to a busy restaurant on a busy street in Cartago **** CAFE CAPUCCINO**** a short middle aged man with a safety vest was hanging round the lot. He didn't approach us at all and we went in restaurant for lunch. When we returned in under an hour ALL our luggage (2 suitcases and 2 carryons) was gone from the car. They had jimmied the lock on the back. The "guard," who was still right there had "seen nothing." I told the restaurant mgt that if he was their employee he wasn't doing a good job. They were vague about any connection to him. "Maybe if you give him some money, maybe he watches your car."

Our rental agent from Adobe said these guys are all over San Jose. He always gives them money -- not because he really thinks they watch the car, but because they sometimes scratch the cars if you don't give money.

The concierge at our hotel in SJ however said he NEVER gives them any money.

So who knows??

But I wouldn't take the chance again.

JoBurritt

Oh, Glover, I'm so sorry that happened to you. What a terrible thing to have happen on vacation.

Many years ago, my husband parked a large motorcycle at a local suburban shopping center right next to a real, uniformed security guard. He went into a store for 10 minutes, and when he returned, the motorcycle was gone and the security guard "hadn't seen a thing."

Maybe if we decide to go to Zoo Ave, we should leave our luggage at the Marriott and leave time to run back and pick it up before going to the airport.

Thanks for the warning and, again, I'm sorry.

glover

Thanks for your condolences. It's not the end of the world. Home insurance is going to cover quite a lot of the loss it looks like. It was just stuff as we say - a camera and a good pair of binocs. No credit cards or cash thank goodness. Most tragic loss was the beautiful pictures of CR (fabulous Quetzal pictures!) and our Costa Rica bird list. It happens everywhere -- frequently here in my DC neighborhood -- so it hasn't turned us off Costa Rica.
But, as I say, we would not take that chance again.

JoBurritt

In case anyone's interestesd, I e-mailed Zoo Ave and they responded very quickly. They said they have an armed security guard in their parking lot. I'm going to hope that this means he is under their employ and is a "good guy," not a "bad guy."

Glover--Aside from the pictures, I think the thing that would drive me craziest would be replacing all those clothes! We've had several house break-ins and have had cameras and electronic stuff stolen. Upsetting and expensive, but logistically easy to replace. I can't imagine trying to replace a suitcase full of clothes!

Ryberg

I suppose one gets to Zoo Avenue by getting off at Zoo Station?

Sorry -- couldn't resist!

Steve

peg

Hey Percy:

I didn't know that you saw the scarlett macaws in the wild. Where did you see them? We saw them on a crocodile tour in Tarcoles.

Also, it is worth it to see the Green Macaw, that is close to extinction and the quetzal (which we didn't get to see in the wild).

Percy

Peg
Hi There

Yes I did see the Scarlet Macaws when I went with Oscar to Carara National Park on the way to Turu Bari.

Oscar told me if we did not see any Scarlet Macaws then he would take me to his brother's place near Jaco and there is a region where we would see them.

I think I mentioned this in my trip report, but maybe just briefly.
Peg I will e-mail you a picture of them in the trees.

Talk to you soon
Percy

Percy

Glover
Sorry to hear about your misfortune,my goodness, that take the sting out of a holiday quickly.

I was in Cartago to see that lovely Church but I had a private tour guide, I guess lucky for me.

Sorry to hear that glover
percy