Active volcano

​February 28-March 1: weather in the 70s

With a week left in Costa Rica, we begin to think about how to finish this amazing trip.  Do we stay comfortably on the beaches of the Caribbean or explore the inland attractions that a lot of other travelers recommended?  We head inland.

Our cabina overlooking the Arenal Volcano

It is a five hour shuttle trip to La Fortuna to see Arenal Volcano and luckily, we are the only ones on the shuttle.  When we finally get to La Fortuna, it very much feels like driving into the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  The streets are lined with souvenir shops and tourists fill the streets.  As we climb the mountain side to get to our resort, (yes, we splurged on this one.  We got sick of the surprises that come with budget rooms.) we can see the volcano.  It is massive and active.  We didn't think we would much care to see the volcano other than to just say we saw it.  It isn't until you are right I front of it that you are in awe of its enormity.  We have a picturesque view from our cabin and we share several moments of silence to take it all in.  It seems as though every time we experience things so monumental, we are overcome with gratitude that we are able to embark on this journey.  Also, it reminds us just how big and powerful the world is, how much it should be appreciated and rich perspective of what is truly important in life.

The active Arenal Volcano.  Yes, that is steam coming from the top.   Two years ago, lava could be seen coming down the mountain side.

The resort grounds also include several pools and hot springs heated by the volcano.  We take no time at all to get into one of these mineral filled pools.  It feels like a hot tub but lacks the smell of chemicals.  It feels so refreshing after a long day of travel.  Not to mention it is warming us up as it is much cooler in the mountains.

Mineral hot spring

Wildlife up close

February 27-hot as balls

All I wanted out of this entire trip was for Mandy to take me to see the world's largest sloth sanctuary.  Since I never get what I want, I settled for the Jaguar Rescue Center.  We tried one other time to see the center but there are only two tours a day and we missed both of them.  Now we are ready.

We chose to rent a couple of bikes to get to the center that is a couple of miles away near Playa Chiquita.  But first, we must eat breakfast. The problem is that the restaraunt is out of power (the entire town is), and we notice how quiet town is without this power.  It also means no hot shower anytime soon.  Walking through town, it's clear how this power outage has shut down most of the town.  Good thing we don't need power to rent and ride bikes!

Tucan wasn't afraid of anyone.  No, his name was not Sam. 

The Jaguar Rescue Center started out with a couple of Biologists trying to rescue a jaguar years ago. They then opened up their efforts to helping any and all wildlife that needs rescuing.  Today, people from all over the country call them to report or deliver animals in need.  Here, we were able to see numerous wild animals in one place.  We saw crocodiles, owls, forest frogs, deer, an eagle, monkeys, tucans, parrots, ant eaters, a margay and a sloth.  Most of these animals were within an arms reach and the tour groups were kept small for an intimate experience and in order not to overwhelm the animals.  I will definitely recommend the rescue center for anyone visiting this area!

Anteater just walking around by our feet

We topped off the trip with the freshest hummus plate and veggies imaginable at an organic restaurant paired with my rental bike breaking on the way back.  Only one thing to do while your bike beaks down on a small Costa Rican road...find some shade until the bike company can come pick you up.  Thank goodness it is our last day in the Puerto Viejo area.  At least the broken bike waited for our last day and wasn't our first.

Croc in the pond

Panama in 2 days

February 16-17: still hot down here

With only a couple of days in Panama we try to maximize our activities to see as much of Panama as possible.  We booked a boat tour that included dolphin sightings, a visit to a national park, snorkeling, lunch and star fish sightings in the mangroves.  On the tour we quickly saw dolphins but nothing like the hundreds in Golfo Dulce.  The trip largely included boating amongst the Panamanian islands.  The islands are lush green and easily accessible by boat.  As a matter of fact, you can pay $1 for a water taxi to any of the islands, day or night.

Size of boat for our day trip

Snorkeling included some of the most colorful corals I have ever seen.  They also looked like they were outlined in neon lights the way the sun shined on the spiral caterpillar-like animal that attached itself to the coral.  The star fish were also incredible.  I have never seen so many in one concentrated area.  We were able to see them from the boat in shallow water and it felt as though we could just reach down and touch them.

Panama view from our hotel

On our tour was a gentleman who was traveling alone, Steve.  Steve is from Vancouver and reminds me of most of the linemen I worked with at the electric company.  He proudly wore a hunting cap, talked sternly about the work that he does and is confident that his workplace would be better if everyone just " did it his way".  You could tell that beyond his eggshell exterior, he was just a pussy cat trying to impress two youngish ladies.  He annoyed the shit out of Mandy.

After a half of our day spent on the water, we were looking forward to drying up and having a nice dinner on the water.  Most of the restaurants in Bocas Del Toro are on the water overlooking the other islands.  We were told that Lemongrass was one of the best around.  We gladly make decide tonight will be a date night.  This is also the night I found my love for raspberry Vodka and lemonade.  Dangerously yummy.

A perfect spot for a night cap was Dave's bar on the roof of the hotel across Lemongrass.  Here, you can enjoy 2 for 1 mojitos.

Marcella's daughter and her friend Isaiah

Time to head back to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  This time, we know what to expect in our travels across the border and we board a shuttle with two other women.  One is an architect from Rome and the other is an expat originally from Connecticut who we later named "Crazy Nancy".  Nancy was full of drama in her stories, told us how to get across the border without paying by faking a disability and ranted and raved about Costa Rican law and tax evasion, all the while, calling someone called "Jose" to help her carry her bag up her stairs when she got home.  Jose hung up on her and she claimed that she would get her things up the stairs by carrying each of the contents one by one...and all by herself.  She obviously was looking for our sympathy.  We might have been guilty of fueling Crazy Nancy's pity party and story telling.  "What the hell?  Why not make the most of our time on the shuttle.  By this time, Ms. Rome joined in as well.

One more night in Cabinas Larry and we meet up with Marcella and her 3 yr old daughter.  Today is Marcella's birthday and we have agreed to meet up for English/ Spanish lessons for both of them.  Just before our session, Mandy and I make a quick trip to a bakery down the street to get some sweets for the birthday celebration.  A wonderful and humbling end to a long travel day.

English-Spanish lessons between Mandy and Marcella

Extreme sports

February 20- Hot degrees

Now rooming with three Canadians, our top priority for the morning is getting up at 6 a.m. To watch USA vs Canada hockey.  We intended to do this at a bar called, "The Point" but, needless to say, none of us made it past the luxuries of our rental home that included free coffee and breakfast.  Sadly, the Canadians won again.  Time to get out of the house and stop the bragging before it gets too far out of control.

About a hundred yards down a dirt road from us is Banana Azul Hotel. Here, we can rent boogie boards as long as we stay on/near their beach. The waves here are pretty unforgiving.  As a matter of fact, it is pretty damn brutal.  For the next four hours we had the time of our lives trying to keep our bottoms up, fighting harsh sand-abrasions to our nipples and allowing the sea to serve as a Nettie Pot to our sinus cavities.  What a great spot for boogie boarding! The sea threw us around like rag dolls.  So much fun but need a nap.

Cooking & Canadians

February 21- 26: hot o'clock

I'm resorting to combining the highlights of several days so as to not bore you with little details of mostly hanging out, doing some yoga and figuring out how and where to finish out our Costa Rica travels.

Together, the house pitched in to do a Carribean style cooking class.  This is where the chef comes to the house, brings all the food and shows you how to cook it Caribbean style using a coconut milk base.  The process of squeezing coconut milk and cooking the rice and beans is a long process but it was well worth the wait.  We also had chicken that was cooked in this base as well.  The trick is not over cooking the rice in the milk because the rice can become too hard.  At the end of the night, we all enjoyed a delicious Carribean feast and were able to hang out with a couple of locals to ask questions and compare cultural notes.

Within this timeframe we had to say good-bye to our Canadian friends who we enjoyed so much in three separate towns across the country.  It was a very sad moment watching them pull away in a shuttle.  We already miss them.  At least they are going home Olympic gold winners in both men and women's hockey!

Now, Mandy and I have the house to ourselves for a couple of days and discovered that Dave left his swim trunks over the upstairs banner.  Now, anyone who knows us knows that we can't let him live this down.  Instead, we kindly wash them for Dave but not return them without taking them out for a night on the town!  Mandy puts on Dave's swim trunks and I have camera in hand.

That day, we take the shorts to all of the places they have been with us in both Playa Negro and Puerto Viejo.

1.  The Point- where we watched hockey together

2.  The beach house gate - where they walked out of every day

3.  Bread and Chocolate restaurant - where we met Katrina's mom

4.  Drinking rum

5.  Chewing rice - Dave so kindly offered to chew our rice for us to soften our leftovers.  I think it was the rum talking

Otherwise we hung out and enjoyed our last moments of beach time.

​

Cahuita

February 19: It is 90 degrees every day

When we first decided to visit the Carribean coast, we thought about staying in Cahuita.  This are was recommended by many people that we met as more laid back and beautiful than the busier Puerto Viejo just south.  Instead, we screwed up our reservations in Cahuita and ended up staying in Puerto Viejo for quite some time.  Today, we will give the town of Cahuita a try.

A quarter-mile walk down a dirt and rocky road from our house in Playa Negra lands us at the bus stop.  It is hot and humid and there is not much of a breeze coming from the Caribbean Sea to our left.  Looking around we don't find anything that looks like a bus schedule.  Instead, we sit and wait.  Ten minutes pass. Then 15 minutes and still no sign of a bus.  Mandy bravely starts a conversation in her best Spanish with a local beside her.  Here, she discovers that the bus should be coming in about 10 minutes.  Assured a bus is coming, we are still not sure it is the right bus ...the one that will take us to Cahuita.

Sloths seen in Cahuita National Park

A bus comes around the corner and starts to slow around our stop but then, the driver gestures to the local standing with us and drives on.  "What the hell just happened?"  "Did we just miss the bus?"  "Where is the sign on the bus stating where it is going?"  Feeling hot and confused, we sit back down and ask the local how he knew this wasn't the right bus.  Understanding about every third word we finally understood that the motion from the bus driver is that he will be turning left ahead toward Chiquita and not straight passed Cahuita.  How the hell would anyone who couldn't muddle their way through the language ever figure that out???  This was one of many examples of the importance of knowing the language, or enough of the language to get by.  There isn't the luxury of well positioned signs, routes and schedules posted for our convenience.

After that little life lesson we finally board the right bus to Cahuita and adhere to the advice from an expat we met along the way.  Don't get off the bus at the first Cahuita National Park sign because at that entrance we would be subject to entry fees.  If we get off in the town of Cahuita we can enter the park from the beach for free.  So we did.

Cahuita was a quaint and quiet little town with souvenir shops, restaraunts and a grocery store.  We shared some overpriced but fantastic homemade ice cream as we made our way into the park.  The park path ran just behind the sand of its beaches and in a mile walk we came across lizards, monkeys, a sloth and some raccoons.  The trek combined with the weather called for a dip into one of its beautiful beaches.  The waves are much calmer here and more ideal for swimming than in Puerto Viejo.  Although, I didn't stay in the water long because of all the seaweed touching me. What a p?@'$y!  Es verdad.

Travel tips

The following is a compilation of our travel tips and lessons:

Ask many people for directions. It was amazing how many people are incapable of saying, "I don't know" and they just make up something.

Ask about the frequency of bus schedules before you take a taxi.  Minor communication gaps could lead to expensive decisions.

Ask about the drinkability of water BEFORE you drink it!

Alcohol drinks are ALWAYS cheaper at the convenient stores.

Show respect to locals by at least trying.  You will be rewarded for your efforts.

don't be afraid to try.  What is the worst that can happen? 

You are not entitled to anything.  Remember you are in someone else's country.

"I will only have one more drink" are ALWAYS famous last words.

Balance equals consideration for finance, human kind and the environment.

Mother doesn't always know best but she is still your mother.

You can warm up pizza in a frying pan.

Always carry a lighter and flashlight.

A visit with nature is always fulfilling.

Don't go in the mountains without a car and a jacket.

Always question whether a want is a "need to have" or a "want to have".  Do you really need the want?

Use natural resources to expand your creativity and help with daily problem solving.

Mutual respect goes a long way.

The more laws and rules, the more you kill human creativity and spirit.

Finding ones own being and self worth provides rich perspective.

You can only control intention, not perception.

Just because he is wearing speedos doesn't mean he is gay.

Work to live rich not to get rich.

Your situation depends on your perspective more than anything else.

Be kind.  97 percent of people will return it.

A banana leaf makes a perfectly good plate for dinner.

Question everything...respectively.

The hardest choices are some of the best you will ever make.

Sometimes the lack of a plan is a good plan.

Milk doesn't have to be cold, neither do eggs. Make them last.

Doing nothing IS doing something.

Knowing how to fix a bike chain is something you will use later in life.

If someone offers you natural unprocessed chocolate say, "yes".

Do all the things today that you will not regret tomorrow.

Genious is packing one bag. 

Go in with no expectations, you will never be disappointed. 

You get used to it

Things that seemed so culturally different when we arrived are now becoming our everyday norm.  Here are some of those differences:

Unpaved roads

Waiting for service

Cold showers

Hot nights

Broken stuff (fan)

Toilet paper in waste paper basket

Fruit trucks driving and yelling

Walking, walking and walking

Hiking is part of travel,  even if you have reserved a shuttle

Hitch hiking is ok

Perspective about problem solving, there is always a way!

Free drink refills are hard to come by

Function vs comfort.  Comfort doesn't win at the end of the day

Lack of 24x7 access to anything

Waking up and sleeping with the sun

Not always having a plan. 

Getting "ready" is as simple as brushing your teeth putting in your contacts and having coffee.  

Conserving all things...water, electricity, plastic bags, clean clothes, sugar & other portable foods

Wearing same clothes over and over

Putting our lives in the hands of "crazy" drivers every day. 

Hearing multiple languages around us

Responding to "where are you from?"

No routine is our new routine

Efficient packing

No itemized receipts just hand-written totals

Tips included in all bills

Most bugs and spiders can't actually hurt you but fire ants can sure ruin your day

Bridge to somewhere

February 15: 95 degrees

Yesterday we booked a 3-day, 2-night trip to Bocas Del Toro and this morning we start our travels.

Picked up by shuttle at our hotel, we make a few stops in town to pick up other travelers before we head south to Panama.  The drive is on a paved road that is surrounded by many banana farms.  Banana trees can be seen for miles.  We pass through many small towns but we know that Sixaola is the last Costa Rican town before we hit the border.

In Sixaola, we stop near the border.  Our driver stops, gives us our bags and motions us to cross the border and check in at customs.  We take our backpacks and walk through what feels like a checkpoint for semis.  We see a small building to our right and we are motioned to get in line and fill out some customs paperwork.  We can only enter one at a time into the building and hand the guard our paperwork and passport for a stamp to enter the country.  There is a sign on the door that reminds patrons to "remain calm and don't slam the door".  We both get stamped and then we were told to cross the border.  Didn't we already cross the border?  The answer is "No." We now must now walk across a bridge and then go through customs again on the other side.

Border crossing into Panama

The bridge is a set of railroad tracks with old planks holding it up.  Someone at some point laid boards perpedicular to the planks to make it more walkable.  Walkable is laughable at this moment because we are dodging large holes in the boards, all the while holding all of our belongings.  I begin to laugh nervously and it causes Mandy to laugh as well.  If nothing else, we broke the silence of wondering if this really could be the actual border crossing into Panama.  Mandy asked how might someone handicapped actually cross this bridge?  It was proving challenging for a couple of youngish-something's and only 2 bags.  My only answer as I watched my footing was, "I have no flipp'n idea." We both stopped about halfway across the bridge to look at the river below.  It was a beautiful sight of lush green foliage hugging each side of the riverbanks.

Finally, we make it to the other side and into Pamana.  Don't worry, the adventure doesn't end here.  We are approached by a guard to enter a small office with just one employee and a desk.  Here, Panama is collecting an entry fee of $3 per person.  This is where we realize that Panama's currency (in these touristy parts) is the US dollar.  We then climb down a steep dirt hill to where we think we are catching a shuttle.  A gentleman grabs our bags and puts them in a taxi that is built like a pick up truck.  He then tells us which shuttle to board.  But first we must visit the immigration office on the Panama side, located behind a large duty-free store.  We get in line and get our passports stamped once again.

Our shuttle has 16 people packed into a vehicle that certainly was made for 12.  Everyone is quiet as we begin our trek.  Not exactly sure how we are going to make it being packed in like sardines, we drive through the towns and mountains of Panama.  Here, you can see a visible difference in the community.  There is a lot more poverty than we saw Costa Rica.  I feel sad inside when I see the volume of make-shift housing and women laundering clothes in the river.  The landscapes are beautiful but the communities appear depressed.

All the sudden, our driver turns on the radio and Mandy indicates that she isn't feeling that well.  There're lots of turns and hills and again, we are packed in like sardines.  Suddenly, we look at one another.  Whitney Houston's "I will always love you" is playing on the radio.  Next, George Michael's "Careless Whisper."  What is going on right now?  We slip into one of our tired giggling fits and begin to sing.  All the sudden, we feel like we are in an SNL skit: we are packed into this vehicle, 16 people trying to act like they are comfortable, a treacherous border crossing and now this...listening to 80s hits. Is this really happening right now?  We try to make the most of it, and I can tell that Mandy is trying hard to be ok.

Shaved ice vedor that saved Mandy's life

We finally stop where we are to catch our water taxi to Bocas Del Toro.  We unload our bags and try to figure out what boat to catch.  Today, a small vendor is there with some sort of shaved ice and flavoring.  Mandy feels as though she needs to get something in her stomach so she buys some.  It is shaved ice with coconut flavoring and shavings.  It is delicious and Mandy seems to be starting to feel a little better.  Mandy still claims that this little treat saved her life that day.  Dramatic.  Since I ate about half of it, Mandy bought another one.  This time pineapple. She is once again a little happy traveler.

Local homes and outhouses

Finally we board the water taxi with our bags.  This is the last leg of our trip.  As I sit in the boat, I look around at the housing in front of me.  They are all wooden homes on stilts in the water and amongst the mangroves.  Mandy points out their little out- houses as well and asks me where I think that waste is going.  Hmmmm, right into the water.

As we make our way down what feels like a river, the water opens up and we are now amongst many Panamanian islands.  The water is relatively calm and the islands are plentiful.  Lush green islands poking their heads out of the sea.  About 30 minutes later we arrive in Bocas Del Toro.  We were instructed to head out of the port and follow the road to the left to find our hotel.  With our bags, we head left while looking at our surroundings.  Initially, Bocas has a great vibe and we are excited to be there.  Of course Bocas is touristy but we are excited by our initial impression.  It too is lined with bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.  We walk to the opposite side of Bocas Town to find our hotel room.  Finally, we find it, check in and walk into our room.

There might as well have been Olympic opening ceremony music playing when we walked into the room.  Look!  We have a beautiful bed!  The pillows aren't lumpy! We have air conditioning!  The room is clean!  We have hot water!  No mosquito nets!  Breakfast included?!?!

We had the best night's sleep in a long time.

 Tough travel day.  Time for a drink with this view from our hotel.

Making Plans

February 14: 90 degrees

We began the day with breakfast from Bread & Chocolate, an awesome little breakfast/lunch place with French press coffee directly next door to where we are staying, Cabinas Larry. 

Flowers made from a palm leaf

We've been planning with Katrina, Dave and Katrina's mom, Linda, to get a house near the beach.  Linda joined Katrina and Dave for the last 10 days of their trip in order to escape the cold near Montreal.   With 5 of us, it can be about the same price per person we're paying now for hostels, apartments, hotel rooms, etc but much, much nicer.   Dave found a place starting Feb 18, so Kas and I have a few days to kill before we get the house.   We consider many options, but decide on a quick trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama.  We book it today.

Later, we meet up with Katrina, Dave and Linda to discuss the house plans and have a drink.  It's also Valentine's Day.  Here in Costa Rica it's called Lover's Day, and a little less on the romance (even though it's called "lovers") than in the US. Instead, many places are having parties to celebrate and people tend to get together with lovers AND friends for Lovers Day.

It rained on us at happy hour, but we didn't care.  Linda brought chocolate from Canada for us to share, some dude was making flowers and grasshoppers out of palm leaves, and we listened to some live music to end another fun day.

Grasshoppers from Palm leafs.  This guy was good!  Our friend Dave bought him some vodka for his efforts. 

Bikes and the Beach

Feb 13: 89 degrees

Good morning Puerto Viejo! This town has water and a beach area, but it's not the idyllic beach you see on tv (or in many Florida beach destinations, for example) because the ocean is good for surfing out beyond the rocks, or hanging in pool-like areas close to shore. Otherwise, there is rock and coral to get in the way of a good swim.   And little pockets of sand/beach area among the old buildings and trees.  

Kasia admiring the view during a little rest from our ride

We hear that Punta Uva, which is about 13 KM/8 miles away, has a great beach for swimming and hanging out.   So we get up, rent bikes, and head that way to check it out.  Without our swimsuits or anything to actually swim.  I guess we were so excited to ride bikes, we just took off.  It was good exercise and a great morning ride!   

Not the kind of place we would necessarily pick...until now.  We went back twice more.

Once we return, we hear that our friends intend to head to Punta Uva for the day too.  So we get ourselves ready and head back out to make the trek again.  By the second time, it's mid-morning and a lot hotter.   By the time we reach an organic food restaurant ~3km from our final destination, I've had enough of the heat.   Kas and I stop for a plate of hummus and a couple of ginger lemonades.  It was surprisingly good!  All of it.  We loved it.  The manager of the organic store connected to the restaurant was being loud and over the top talking with other patrons about energy in the universe and love and yoga and I don't know what else.   He was almost out of place, living and working in an area with such a chilled out, slow vibe.  Maybe he saw my "oh my gosh" face when he apologized to me, and before we knew it, Kas and I were sucked in by his energy and effusiveness and we stayed another 15 minutes in a high-intensity conversation, with a side sample of organic chocolate.

Finally, we left the restaurant, arrived at the beach of Punta Uva and quickly understood that the second trek was totally worth it.  The water was clear, the waves rolled but didn't pull, and we swam and hung in the water for quite some time.  Kas and I hung most of the day, and hiked a bit into a nearby trail to see the ocean crashing into the rocks high above.

The trees and cliff looked fake -- like a backdrop you could pull down. 

Our friends did make it to the beach, but only for a short time. We met up with them again that night for a couple of drinks at Outback Jacks.  Rain forced us from our table outside, and at the bar area we found baskets of old-ass eyeglasses.  A fashion show followed.

Overall, this was one of my favorite days on our entire trip.

Kasia and Katrina looking fine! 

Bound to happen

February 12:  92 degrees

We were afraid of this moment.  Two people hit with a stomach virus and only one bathroom.  We are convinced that the virus shared by our Canadian friends has now made its way to us.  We patiently and understandingly wait for each other to get out of the bathroom and barely crawl back to bed.  Dammit.  Did we drink any tap water?  Will this last a couple of days like it did with our friends?  How are we going to take care of each other?  How are we going to take care of ourselves?

We immediately begin the hydration process.  Mid morning, Mandy is feeling brave enough to walk a block to the convenience store to get some PowerAid.  God bless her soul!  I am laying in bed trying to not cause any movements that may upset my stomach but my sweating is causing me to wipe small running pellets off my body.  I just want it to stop.

Sipping liquids and many trips to the bathroom later, we are actually starting to feel better.  We pick up an Ipad and curse our friends for sharing the virus.  Maybe I won't try eating until mañana.

Stay a while

February 10: 88 degrees

Cabinas Larry

When we were at "Outback Jack's" the night before, we asked our server for any recommendations of places to stay in town.  She recommends Cabinas Larry that is just down the street, it is clean, she stayed there for a month, and it is only about $35 a night.  Sounds like our kind of place? We check into Cabinas Larry for a few nights.

Puerto Viejo beaches small

Now feeling settled we are ready to explore Puerto Viejo!  It has more of a Jamaican flare.  It is as laid back as most coastal areas we've been but not quite as friendly.  It isn't that people aren't friendly when you talk to them, but they are not as overtly friendly as folks on the Pacific coast.  As in most of the popular towns, you can find busloads of backpackers being dropped off and walking around.  Surfers using all means necessary to get to the waves (scooters, bikes, ATVs and walking) and local artisans selling all things imaginable.  The water is not the see-through green most imagine when thinking of the Caribbean, but it is still sea-side.  The weather here seems more humid than the Pacific but the jungle is just as lush green.  There is an interesting mix of Costa Rican, Jamaican and European people and businesses in the area.  We like the feeling here and think we may stay awhile.

During our walk through town, an older gentleman began to talk to Mandy.  His name is Barry and he and his wife have retired here in Puerto Viejo.  Barry asks us to join him at the bakery we are standing in front of to chat.  Here, we share some pastries and learn a lot about Barry and the area.  During Barry's career, he has worked for many large companies in the US, including IBM.  He made a comfortable living and now wants to give back in his retirement.  He and his wife have started "The Bridge" Project.  This is a project that is run from their home in Puerto Viejo.  Here, they provide services and assistance to the indigenous Bri-Bri people.  They provide meal assistance/soup kitchen, homework help to students, book loans and other assistance to help break the cycle of poverty in Costa Rica.  During our discussion he inspired us to volunteer while we are here.

Mountains to beaches

February 9: 92 degrees

Too cloudy to see it behind this sign

We were told that if you want any chance of seeing Volcan Irazu, go as soon as the park opens at 8:00a.m.  The volcano is so high that it often is covered by clouds unless it is an absolutely clear day.  

We arrive just after 8:00 a.m and there is a line at the entrance of the park.  It is cloudy and we are doubtful that we will be seeing the volcano.  Park rangers advise us to wait because of the clouds, and we are wondering if it will clear up or if we are going to move on to the Caribbean coast.

We hang out about 15 minutes pass and see other people go in.  The cost is $20 per person to enter and the park has probably had its share of visitors demanding their money back on the cloudiest of days.

We just might see it! 

We park and begin our hike to the volcano.  It is cloudy, windy and chilly.  With camera in hand, we are determined to wait for the clouds to break for a view inside the volcano.  We wait and wait and now we cannot see 20 yards in front of us.  Looking at each other with little sign of hope, we pass some time by cruising the visitor center and warming up with some hot chocolate.  Ok, you may be wondering just how cold it could have been since Columbus, OH was experiencing its worst winter in 30 years.  It was about 45 degrees with a constant wind and a little drizzling.  Finally, in the distance, we think we see the break in the clouds that we were looking for!  Rushing to the edge of the volcano, we were finally able to catch a glimpse of the highest point in Costa Rica.  Some might have seen it as a big hole in the ground, but to us, it was more about the thoughts of this massive hole and its history.  Could you imagine it being active?  Look how big the hole is.  Men have sacrificed their daughters into this volcano when it was active.  When might it come alive again?

The clearest moment at the Irazu Volcano

After several moments of taking in this massive structure, it was time to move onto the Caribbean coast.  We are heading to the town of Cahuita.  But first, we must get to the other side of the mountains.  This will take a few more hours.  Upon our arrival in Cahuita, we learn that our hotel/cabina doesn't have our reservations.  Most places in Costa Rica actually prefer that you confirm reservations by calling them.  I suppose our comfort with reserving online (technology) and our lack of a phone has failed us this time.   Now having experienced some of the lackadaisical culture,  we aren't the least bit concerned.  Actually,  this location that was recommended to us, but it seems a little isolated and we are almost relieved that the reservation wasn't there.  We power on to the southern town of Puerto Viejo.

Puerto Viejo feels so much better than where we almost stayed in Cahuita.  It is more lively with its center full of shops, restaurants, bars and people walking around everywhere.

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Upon arrival, we know that we only need to find a place to stay for the night.  This will give us enough time to figure out the lay of the land and figure out where we want to settle for the duration.  We stop by to a place called "Outback Jacks" to celebrate our arrival but to also just soak in the atmosphere.  Soon enough, we find a place that is cheap for the night.  As we begin to unload our things, David who we met in Manuel Antonio (and saw again in Puerto Jimenez) was walking toward us.  We embraced him as we learned that his girlfriend Katrina is laying down.  She has some sort of stomach virus.  The first thing that crosses our minds is that she must have been drinking the water.  The water is fine to drink in most of Costa Rica, but not on the south Caribbean coast.

We plan to meet up with David later to hang out, but instead he returns to say Katrina is in need of a doctor.  We go grab a beer, some food and we settle into our room for the night.  We made it!

Lodging, not what you think

February 8: 61 degrees, mucho frio

Today, we are making our way to the Carribean coast.  On this 6-7 hour trip across the mountains we are going to stop near Cartago to see Volcano Irazu.  Irazu is the highest point in all of Costa Rica.

At our first turn, we pick up a couple women hitch-hikers, one who is about 40 and the other about 60. I know what you are thinking but hitch hiking is very common here. They were extremely happy about the ride since the bus would not be coming for another hour.  Then, they had another hour trip on top of that to get to their final destination.  Not to mention that this also gave us another opportunity to practice our Espanol.

After a lot of miles and chit-chat, we drop the ladies off and make our way through the mountains.  The roads are winding and often times steep.  The temperature drops quickly at this altitude and we find ourselves stopping to put on more clothes.  The higher we go, the more the clouds are hugging the mountain tops.  Visibility is getting harder and now it is beginning to rain.  We are glad to have decided not to make the full trip to the Carribean today and instead plan to spend the night half way to see the Volcano.

Beautiful Mountains of Costa Rica

The further up the mountains, the more lush the jungle.  Periodic breaks from the clouds let us see exotic plants, trees and birds along the way.  This is the type of scenery that picture backdrops are made of.  It is so breathtaking that it looks fake.  The road on the other hand is now wet, unpredictable and narrow.  Good thing there are two of us.  It is necessary to keep your eyes on the road.

HUGE Jesus statue on the side of a mountain

Finally, we make it to the town of Cartago.  It is a heavily populated and developed valley surrounded by acres upon acres of farmland.  We stop for a bite to eat and we notice that the culture is different here.  It is much more conservative than the culture of the Pacific shoreline, deep-rooted Catholicism is visible, and there isn't any noticeable poverty along our route.

Now, it is time to find lodging!  We see signs for Volcan Irazu and start to follow them.  The sun is starting to go down and we know it is going to get harder and harder to navigate.  Surely if we drive toward this tourist attraction, there will be lodging.  We drive through a couple of small towns following signs to the Volcano with no signs of lodging.  The sun continues to slip away and the rain lingers.  We see our first sign of lodging!!! It is a place called, "Grandpa's Hotel." Anything tagged as a hotel so far comes with a hefty price tag so we continue on to see what else might be closer to the park.  We drive for about an hour up a mountain side, it's getting dark and we are wet.  We make it all the way to the park entrance with only one sign of lodging.  We drive back to the road that promises lodging in 9 kilometers.  We turn down the road, stop and put the SUV into 4WD.  The road is not much of a road at all.  Rather, it is a muddy path on the side of a mountain.  It is treacherous and we had to be driving less than 5MPH.  We start to wonder what we would do if another car happens upon us.  There is barely room for our vehicle, let alone, another one.  Gripping tightly to the steering wheel with every bump and slide of the car wheels, we come upon a sign indicating we have gone 2 of the required 9 kilometers.  All the sudden, we were overcome by all the lessons learned thus far.  What does a lodge mean?  What if it isn't even in business anymore? What if it is really expensive?  What if we die on this muddy mountain side?

We managed to turn the car around, drive 45 minutes just as the sun was going down and stay at Grandpa's so we can trek back up the mountain in the morning to see the volcano. 

We think grandpa really lived here

"It's a god damn cat"

February 7: 90 degrees

What feels like a guilty pleasure anymore is naturally waking up, no alarm clock.  My body clock seems to go off anywhere between 7 and 8 a.m.  This morning, I open my eyes to find an animal coming through the roof.  Our room at the hostel has a cloth ceiling below the roof of the entire hostel.  The cloth is to help deter bugs and Mosquitos from entering.  On this particular morning, a cat managed to find an opening and drop through the ceiling.  After a couple of seconds, to make sure I knew what I was seeing, I wake up Mandy to show her.

Comfy cat bed later that day

After realizing what just happened moments after we opened our eyes, we chuckled in relief that it was only a cat coming through the ceiling.  Moments later, we hear, "JESSSSSSUS CHRIST, IT'S A GOD DAMN CAT".  I suspect our cat friend just dropped into our neighbor's room.

Deciding to take the morning slow and soaking up the beauty surrounding us, we prepare coffee to accompany our viewing pleasure.  As the coffee is brewing, a woman from Alaska strikes up a conversation in the communal kitchen of the hostel.  She inquires about our travels, where we are from and where we are heading next.  I realize that we are on similar travel agendas just as the woman utters the phrase, "you betcha." Yes, Alaskans really do say, "you betcha."

The woman asks what room we are staying in. I tell her "room 6" and she mentions that she is in the room next door -- the same room our cat friend visited after it dropped into our room.  It took everything out of me to not mention how dramatic her husband's reaction was to their morning visitor.  Instead, I just giggled to myself.  It was a beautiful morning.

That afternoon we found ourselves making a pitstop at our favorite bar/restaurant in this area called Marino Ballena.  It is centrally located in town and one of our favorite features is that there are no walls.  There is only a roof, which allows people to freely come in and out from all directions.  

Favorite bartender at Marina Ballena

When we walk up to the bar, the bartender recognizes us and immediately delivers two Pilsen to the corner seats of the bar and asks us what we would like to eat.  Every time we have come to this place, it doesn't take long for people to engage in conversation at the bar.  Here, we have met locals, expats and other travelers who are eager to talk about their experiences.  Today we meet Axle.  Axle is originally from the Dominican Republic, spent 13 years in the US and now lives in Costa Rica as a contractor.  His English is very good and he starts the conversation with the same line we have heard our entire trip, "Where are you from?"  Axle is a very nice and smiley guy.  We start talking about all the different types of visitors come through Costa Rica and Axle has seen them all.  He built and owns a few Cabinas in the area and he rents them out to travelers.  Axle clearly feels comfortable with us as he tells us that Americans are a favorite topic for local Ticos.  They love to talk about how expectant some Americans can be, often lacking basic respect for those who live here.

Now,  keep in mind that Axle is a jovial man who explains this out of frustration.  He has also met awesome people from all countries, including the USA.  Unfortunately, we have seen some of this negative behavior ourselves (from multiple nationalities).  He also speaks similarly of Germans.  All in all, this was a light-hearted conversation.

Axle then begins to tell us of a local topic termed "Jungle Terets".  As we laugh at the term, he tells us what this means.  He says that almost everyone that he takes on a jungle tour has it.  It is that moment in the jungle where you spot an animal like a monkey, sloth or coati and you almost instantaneously hear someone smack themselves and say, "Agh, damn misquito!" or "What's on my leg".

Here in the jungles of Costa Rica, the local Ticos have finally identified this reactive behavior as "Jungle Terets."

We returned to the Uvita area to attend their second annual "BestFest" music festival.  The fest is three days long on a farm near the beach.  Activities include camping, surfing and access to just about any type of tour you could imagine in the area.  We are only going to get a day pass to check it out.

We arrive late afternoon and once we park, we discover that we must walk down a long road before arriving at the entrance of the festival.  A truck pulls up along side of us and asks if we would like a ride.  A very nice guy named Ron, originally from Michigan, takes us as far as security would allow.  We then only have about 100 feet to the entrance of the festival.

Second annual BestFest

We are a bit early and set up a place to easily watch all stages.  The music is cool and every band is just a little bit different.  I imagine that this is what ComFest was like when it first started.  It isn't too crowded, the food and beer lines are only a couple of people deep and everyone around is friendly and just wants to hear some good music.  The music was better than we expected, but the event was MUCH emptier than we expected -- both Mandy and I thought more people would be there to watch the fest.

Well into the evening we were visited again by Ron, the guy from Michigan.  Ron had quite a story of selling high end cars to the wealthy of California where he was the Porsche King of California and he made quite the financial cushion for himself.  You can tell that Ron had a passion for cars and he didn't mind the cash flow that went along with selling them.  He seemed to also have the same passion for his wife who lost her life to cancer.  It was hard for Ron to talk about her.  These two topics seemed to be the softer side of Ron.

Ron also liked to tell us of his dealings with Costa Rican officials and how he has worked with them to try to develop a huge resort and casino on the oceanfront.  He didn't so much care for my question of where the money for such an establishment would be going.  Costa Rica currently has laws banning development within a 200 meter distance of its shorelines.  Ron proceeded to pat himself on the back as the "whistleblower" that took down Key Bank.  Lastly, I asked Ron what brought him to Costa Rica.  My first thought was that it might of been the loss of his wife.  Instead, it was that he made millions in the car industry and didn't want the state of California to get their hands on it.  Maybe some level of tax evasion.

Who knows if Ron's stories were true or not.  Later in the night, he picked up a couple of girls who might have been a third of his age.  He felt compelled to explain to me that he was not a pedophile.  Whatever his deal, he is memorable.  

A couple of transition days

February 5: 85 degrees.  February 6: 90 degrees

Our new ride for a week

Wednesday Feb 5 we packed our car and left Puerto Jimenez, destined once more for Uvita and the lovely Cascada Verde hostel.  We really like this place because it's not far from the beach, but it's tucked well into nature. Plus, it's only $32/night, it's very quiet (as far as hostels go) and it includes a mix of people from around the world.  This stop included a mix of guests young and old from Finland, Alaska, Germany and more.  Since it was a travel day, this day included driving, grocery shopping and relaxing.  It was largely uneventful, ending with some spaghetti that we made in the hostel kitchen.

Thursday morning (Feb 6), it's hot, we were up early and we were ready to hit the beach!  Kasia scrambled the last eggs we had and made some delicious egg, lettuce and cheese wraps for lunch in the Marino Ballena National Park.  A frozen water bottle again makes any bag we can find into a suitable cooler for a few hours.   We arrive at the park, pay our $6 each, and are treated to a gorgeous beach with nice shady areas and palm trees/jungle right against the sand.  Kasia and I love that the water is calm and great for swimming and we hang out swimming around for at least an hour.

After our day at the beach, we returned to the hostel to take it slow and enjoy the rest of our spaghetti and sauce.  A sign in the hostel advertised 1-hour massages for $30. I try to schedule us for the next morning, but after the hostel manager called the massage therapist, we were faced with 2 choices: go now or do not get one since the woman would be out of town the following day.  Kasia went first, and we decided to set up a signal in case the massage was terrible/not worth it.   I arrived to pick her up and got the green light...great massage and great way to end the day.

Kasia enjoying the peaceful deck area at Cascada Verde

Cabo Matapalo

February 4: 91 degrees

It's Tuesday and we leave Puerto Jimenez tomorrow to head back to Uvita to attend a day of The Best Fest music festival.  Then, we're headed to the South Caribbean coast.  Given the travel ahead of us, we splurged on a rental car for a week.  I'm so freakin excited about the freedom of a car again.  Yes!   

Our drive there had us surrounded, at first, by farmland

Today, we got up early, got the car, and made a day trip to Cabo Matapalo as the man we met at the concert a couple days before suggested.   Cabo Matapalo is at the tip of the Osa Peninsula where Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific.  It also is on the outskirts of Corcovado National Park, so it's largely unspoiled nature and jungle right up against the ocean.

Then we hit the jungle... 

The drive there was gorgeous.  We were on the lookout for this guy's place, but we missed a sign somewhere along the way.  Luckily there was a sign coming from the other direction (as we backtracked after turning around) to point us in the right direction.   As we drove carefully into what looked like a driveway, and we used every bit of the 4WD our SUV provided us, we passed a girl on a 4-wheeler and asked her where this place was.  She said "about 10 minutes more down this road."  The most interesting thing about her answer was the fact that we were, indeed, on a road.

...and the gorgeous water.   This is a zoomed-in view from our picnic.

Eventually we made our way and met some folks who told us about a trail and a waterfall.   While we failed to find the waterfall (because we didn't quite go far enough), Kas and I had a great lunch with an awesome view.  We had packed tuna salad sandwiches in our backpack, complete with a frozen water bottle to keep things cool.  As a side bonus, we also had gallettas mantequillas (butter cookies), which I've been addicted to for a few weeks now. And after we climbed looking for the waterfall, we found ourselves at a good height with a great view of the ocean and nature.  It was a a pretty good mistake.

After the hike and lunch, we drank a beer at the guy's house/rental cabins and drove back into town to get ready to hit the road the next day.  

 

Royalty

February 3:  91 degrees

Parrots, parrots, parrots!   These birds are all over the place.  They are beautiful, vibrant, noisy and travel in pairs.  In the morning while we are sipping on coffee we can spot them flying above.  So cool!

One of the bits of information shared during our Dolphin tour was that the forests around the gulf contain their own ecosystems.  You can often find clouds only hovering over land. This made so much sense, since we could have sworn it was raining over a distant island a couple of nights prior while we were eating dinner.

Looks like the local ecosystem is at it again!  Rain is definitely on the horizon!  Thinking it will pass quickly, we continue to play cards on our side porch.  The rain pours and comes with a vengeance. It also comes with Dave, Katrina, Rum and Coke.   We all agree to hang out on our private porch and just watch the rain fall over the gulf.  It feels refreshing as it is cooling the temperature and calming the humidity.

After a while, we run into the Czech guys and they tell us that they are planning to get the community grill going that evening if we want to join them and cook dinner.  Sounds great but we have nothing to cook.  I know the Czech guys were on the hunt that morning for local fishermen to buy their fresh catch.  It is much later now, and all the fisherman have come in for the day.

I decide to go to the front desk and take my chances that the owner might know where we can get some fresh catch.  Low and behold, he offers me some catch he just bought a half hour ago.  He offers to sell them to me for the same cost he bought them. Mi amigos are going to shit!  I just bought three lobsters for $16.

Before dinner

They can't believe their eyes, nor can they imagine where I just got the lobster from. Since the community charcoal grill is off to a slow start (due to the rain) and we don't have any sides to go with the lobster, we make our way toward the restaurants on the waterfront to see which one will be willing to cook them.  Ahh, we found one  to cook and prepare it for a $5 charge. We pick our sides wisely knowing that all our food tonight will be family style and shared by all.  For roughly $12 per person (including cost of lobsters) we all ate like kings that night.

After dinner

The election, the Superbowl and good friends

February 2: 90 degrees

Today, we are going to check back into Cabinas Jimenez after relocating for one night.  We wake up, pack up and begin heading through town towards our final destination and the hotel where we will spend the next 3 nights.   On our way, we stop by a great little cafe for coffee, breakfast and wifi access.  We have time to kill, so we set up on the patio near the street and relax.   

The street is VERY busy this morning, but we quickly see that it's because it's Election Day.  There are tents and people in T-shirts and with flags supporting their favorite candidates. We watch the action between sips of coffee and bites of pancakes.  Election Day is on a Sunday, and all Ticos old enough must vote.

Hanging with our new friends on our patio at Cabinas Jimenez. 

It's also SuperBowl Sunday, so I know what I will be doing at 5:30 local time!  Hopefully we can find a place showing the game. 

After breakfast, we head back to our old/new hotel and while we are waiting in the lobby for our room to be ready, we see our friends Katrina and Dave whom we met in Manuel Antonio the week before.  Yay!  We had so much fun last time we hung out. It was great to see them, and we made a date to watch the SuperBowl at a bar near the beach.   Good thing we had friends to talk to since the game sucked and the commentary was in Spanish.  

We watched the game on that pull-up screen.  Only ~10 people paid any attention to the game, and 5 of them were at our table.