Costa Rica 2019 Day 15 - Pacuare River Rafting

The Exploradores Outdoors shuttle picked me up at 6:50am, and we drove to the Siquirres location that I was previously at a few days ago.  The shuttle was shared with folks from Holland, and Canada.

At the breakfast point, all the rafting folks left their luggage in the lockers, bringing only their water and sunscreen.  It was now a different bus with other folks that arrived, and about a 30 minute drive to the river.  Met a couple sisters from the USA who were in their mid-70s, still traveling around the world, adventuring, and rafting!  I was inspired and so motivated.

Each raft holds 4-6 people, so I was in a group with the sisters, a woman from Costa Rica, and a guy from Brazil.  Our guide was Jepe.  I was getting really nervous...thought I would definitely fall out, or not be strong enough, or get dizzy from motion sickness...But, as we geared up, I tried to forget about those worries and just be more present.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 14 - Cahuita: Playa Negra, yoga

This is rare, but I had a "free" day where I barely made any plans.  I just wanted to do yoga today. The Airbnb reviews and a sign on the street mentioned a yoga class from 5-6:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays near the Reggae Bar, about a 10/15 minute walk away.

I stepped outside around 8:30am, and was really surprised to see 4-5 people doing yoga at the Airbnb owner's patio area.  The host then came over and said he's starting to offer yoga.  I was really, really disappointed.  What a missed opportunity. I was awake by 7am but just laying about, and totally would have joined since I wanted to do that today anyways.  The host said "Oh I didn't know you do yoga" after I mentioned I would have joined.  But, I guess I didn't know I should be telling him my interests..the host should be telling guests what they could potentially join in on, if they are interested.  I'll leave feedback.

He made breakfast for me after the yoga class ended (I guess if I had been up earlier I would have had to forgo any breakfast at all since he would be busy teaching the class).

It would be nice to relax on the beach more today, and thought about going back to Playa Blanca in the National Park, this time bringing little with me so that I could swim a bit.  But, I changed my mind and tried out Playa Negra instead.  It is less than a 10 minute walk away, so of course I should be checking it out.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 13 - Cahuita: National Park

I slept in a little today...instead of getting to the national park early like 6am, I aimed for 8:30am instead.  Along the way was the Sunday Cahuita Farmers Market.  It is very small, with less than 10 vendors, but a good stop for fresh veggies and fruits.  I knew I would be at the national park and beach for a while and needed some sort of lunch substitute, so I picked up a sweet baked good and a slice of "pizza".  I didn't have proper breakfast that morning because the Airbnb host was not awake yet, so I also ordered breakfast at a shop here.  But, total confusion with the language barrier..I was pointing to the sign in English, thinking I would get gallo with chorizo, avocado, other toppings.  But then I received the gallo (tortilla) only with chorizo.  Ah well, still good.

The extra market stop meant arriving at the national park around 9am instead, and wow how insanely busy.  There were many locals with coolers.  One group ahead of me had more than 15 people.  After the registration table where you donate an entrance fee, the trail (the only one) starts.  I again got sandwiched between one large group so it wasn't very quiet of a walk to start. Eventually there was some separation.

Quiet section of the trail.  Easy, flat, clean.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 12 - Cahuita: Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva

An interesting night of sleep...there was a howler monkey that stayed in the trees right above the Airbnb, and it was periodically loud throughout the night.  Sounded rather scary.  And, as it ate or moved through the trees, the branches would get thrown onto the roof, startling me.  Definitely close to wildlife here!

Anyways...my first full day on the South Caribbean side today!  Instead of sticking around Cahuita, I made a day trip to Puerto Viejo and the beaches southward. 

After breakfast at the Airbnb, I walked less than 10 minutes to the Cahuita bus terminal for the 9:15am bus.  Gave myself an extra half hour in case I had trouble with the tickets or navigating.  It was a very straightforward system though.  Head up to the ticket counter, state the destination and agree on the departure time, and paid 820 colones.  The ticket has a gate #, which corresponds to where the bus will pull up. Very easy.

Example of bus pulling up to the appropriate "gate"

Costa Rica 2019 Day 11 - Cahuita

Had a good rest since it was cooler last night.  Since I was getting picked up at 10am, I thought a laid back morning would be nice.  So many of the past mornings have been: wake up early, quickly get ready, leave for attraction early in the morning.

Great patio along the river at Casa Marbella

Hello

Breakfast today was fruit, scrambled eggs, and bread + butter, jam, and a salty sauce.  For the next couple hours, I just relaxed on the deck with the local stray dog and cat.

Then began the confusing and not smooth trip to Cahuita.  The receptionist at Casa Marbella told me my transportation was confirmed with Tortuguero Full Xperience, with captain Desmond.  It was 10am, and a boat came up to the dock.  The captain asked if I had a reservation, and I said "yes, with Captain Desmond". Then he attempted to make a call to Desmond and then just said "it's okay, you can come on board".  And I replied "okay, this is supposed to continue to Cahuita too" since it was a package transportation deal for $50.

Ok, boat time.  One hour in, we made a bathroom / stretch break at some restaurant.  The boat driver got a beer.... is it not illegal to drink and operate a boat? Hmm.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 10 - Tortuguero: Tortuguero National Park, Canal Tour, Beach

Woke up 5am after a bad night of sleep.  It was too hot and humid for me.  I needed breakfast before heading out, so I went to the bakery next door.

The tour with Victor and six other hotel guests started at 5:45am.  The boat was a smaller electric one, with rows of seats of two.  Besides canoes and kayaks, it was the smallest boat that I saw going on a tour that morning.

We stopped at the national park entrance to purchase tickets for everyone.  I was the only one who was prepared and purchased their ticket ahead of time...we waited maybe 15 minutes.  Other tour boats started arriving, there must have been at least 10 others.  During the wait, I saw a howler monkey swinging around a tree in front of us.  Such an abundance of wildlife here!

Victor started with some background of the waterways.  We were at the confluence of four different routes, used for transport to the city, and logging.  Initially we didn't see much wildlife except a toucan high in the trees.  But as we went further from the main canal, we could spot a lot more.

Journeying along the quiet waters

Costa Rica 2019 Day 9 - Tortuguero

I left for Tortuguero today, bright and early at 5:40am via Exploradores Outdoors.  Two others from the hotel also went.  I was so sleepy. As were others on the bus.  The first stretch was a 2.5 hour ride to the EO Siquirres main location, where we have breakfast and switch buses.

On the drive over, I swear there were two sloths on trees.  Balls in the trees...But too bad we were going too fast for me to confirm.  I'll just believe that I did. :)

At the EO office, breakfast was rice with beans, scrambled eggs, yogurt, granola, fruit, toast, juice, coffee.  I ended up meeting and eating with a couple folks from Seattle too.  What a small world.  They are doing it right though...a gap year and two months stay.

We switched buses, gathering all the folks who arrived on other buses and also headed to Tortuguero.  I like their business solution to this common problem of getting from point A to B.  Everyone goes to this hub, then you swap destinations accordingly.  I'll be back here in another week when I raft back to Alajuela!

On the second bus, we encountered some really bumpy roads. I got sleepy again.  Funny how I could still sleep through the bumps.

The last leg of the journey was the boat ride.  We had 14 people in our group, so a smaller boat.  I preventatively took motion sickness pills in the morning, and wore my sea bands.  I didn't feel nauseous at all, but also the water was pretty calm.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 8 - La Fortuna: Mistico Hanging Bridges, Proyecto Asis

What a bad night of sleep.  I barely slept...a combination of slightly feeling my headache come back, being aware of how tired I was, and the temperature of the room. Too hot, too cold, repeat.

I still wanted to get to Mistico Hanging Bridges in the morning though.  It was raining heavily!  The first time it was like this during my time here.  On the drive there, there were sections that were so foggy I couldn't see much on the road in front of me.

I got to Mistico 10 minutes after they opened, and there were a few big buses already. I was surprised they started at 7:30am.

Arenal Volcano was completely socked in because of the rain clouds, but I was thinking the hanging bridges might still be enjoyable in the rain.  A different feel to the forest and experience.

Entrance of Mistico after the clouds started parting

Costa Rica 2019 Day 7 - La Fortuna: Tenorio National Park, Ecotermales Hot Springs

I saw the beautiful Rio Celeste today!  My day started off at 7:15am.  I'm surprised that I even ended up finding the parking lot and entrance.  The drive was smooth on highway 4, but as I got closer, Google Maps was navigating me towards the centroid of the park instead of the entrance.  I saw official signs pointing the way, so I eventually relied on those instead.  I just kept going up and up a windy hill, and eventually got to the parking lots.  Definitely thankful that I didn't ultimately get lost and turned around much.  It took me an hour and 25 minutes to get there.

Even though it was only open for 40 minutes by that point, the lots looked half full.  I was directed to the lot to the right of the main road, for 2000 colones.

I noticed many locals here! That was nice to see. Some folks also didn't seem to be wearing proper footwear...

The first stretch of the hike to the waterfall had some incline, but the trail was not too muddy, and was overall in good shape.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 6 - La Fortuna: La Fortuna Waterfall, Bogarin Trail

I had an early start to the day, wanting to beat all the crowds at La Fortuna waterfall.  I got there 10 minutes before they opened at 7am, and was the first one there :) it was super convenient to drive to, only 10 minutes from the hotel.

It was actually a little chilly in the morning, and while I wore my swimsuit thinking I might go for a wade, I was thinking twice about it now.

As described in many reviews, there are hundreds of stairs that you need to take down to the falls. It took less than 10 minutes for me to get down there, stopping a few times for photos.

Stairs stairs stairs

Costa Rica 2019 Day 5 - La Fortuna: Arenal 1968

I drove from Monteverde to La Fortuna today.  Headed out around 8:30am and started by getting routed to a nonexistent gas station in Monteverde first.  Thanks inaccurate Google maps data.

Instead, I went to Tilaran for gas, which was around an hour away.  Again, Google Maps routed me an interesting way, cutting through some farmland on a small street instead of continuing on the highway.  It was an eventful and bumpy drive overall.  Really glad I had a higher clearance 4x4.

It took over four hours to reach La Fortuna.  I got held up by construction three separate times: 15 minutes on 606 and 15 and 25 minutes on 142.  After all the delays though, it was a pretty easy drive with some bends on the highway.  And smooth concrete.  Towards Lake Arenal there are a lot of flowers and greenery as you drive by.

I passed by a truck that was pulled over and saw a mass of moving animals by the passenger side.  Turns out it was like 20 coatis, being fed by someone. It was my first time seeing a coati, and that was obviously cool, but very unfortunate it was via people feeding it.

I checked into Regina Hotel, which is just west of the main La Fortuna downtown area. Just a couple minutes walk into the town. 

Costa Rica 2019 Day 4 - Monteverde: Cloud Biological Reserve

Had a bright and early start today. I left the hotel a little before 7am, and unfortunately did not have time for a proper breakfast. It was a hodgepodge of snacks and protein bars like last night.

The wind was very strong this morning as well. Less continuous compared to last night, but really strong gusts. I was wondering how it would impact the cloud forest...

The drive to the Monteverde Cloud Biological Reserve is around 15 minutes away. And the roads, while not entirely smooth, are still in better condition than the bumpy ones coming to Monteverde.

Oscar had advised me to park (free) in the first big parking lot that I reach, where attendants guide you into a spot.  From there, a shuttle takes you up to the entrance. Apparently this is the preferred method, as opposed to finding parking along the side near the entrance, because there was recently a break in up there. If the car is in the lot, there are a couple employees that are stationed there and watch over.

I met Oscar at 7:30am, and we waited 15 minutes for the other tour-participant from last night..but she and her husband were running too late and large tour buses started arriving. It was getting too full and busy, and Oscar was getting anxious and we had to just start.  A private tour for me!  (For the first 45 minutes at least).

Map of trails at Monteverde Cloud Forest

Costa Rica Day 3: Monteverde

What a day! Started by leaving the Airbnb at 8:30am, and since I was going to pass by Llanos del Cortez waterfall on the way to Monteverde, I ignored all advice I read online about not leaving your stuff in your car and still went.

What an easy trip to get there. Straight highway most of the time. I noticed that most drivers do not pay attention to the changing speed limits when you were supposed to slow down.

There were a lot of produce stands, particularly watermelon, along the highway. One day I will stop and get coconut juice!

I arrived at Llanos del Cortez around 9:30am, and I think it was the first entrance. Based on what I read online, I was expecting school children asking for donations, but none were around. After driving further along the road, a big official sign and turn-in on the right leads to an entrance booth where you pay the $7/person.

The lot is another stretch of drive down the gravel road, and it was about 1/3 full. There were already three small tour shuttle buses as well.  Reading reviews online made it seem like one should never leave anything in the car, which I understand it is better safe than sorry. But I did not see the lot as unsafe. There was a security guard, who looked official with a security outfit on, helping drivers park (no fee involved). And, there were tourists milling around the lot.  My luggage was out of view under the privacy cover of the trunk.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 2: Playa Hermosa, Ocotal

Beach day!  Morning started off a little later than I would've liked, but I got the well needed rest I was lacking.  Banana + mango juice + pizza bread (yes kind of random but looked good) + view of Playa Hermosa and the ocean = relaxing and great way to begin the day.

I knew I wanted to do some beach hopping today, and had read about Playa Ocotal being perfect for relaxing because it is quieter than Hermosa and Coco. So, I decided to start here.

A ton of bicyclists and cars on a really narrow and dusty road led to a slow drive for me, and it seemed like I was always being tailgated.  I passed tourists walking and biking around, and wondered how long it would take them to reach the beach, especially in the heat. I was very thankful that I splurged for the car rental.

Costa Rica 2019 Day 1: Playa Hermosa, Coco

My first day in Costa Rica! The red eye to Miami was ROUGH. In terms of turbulance as well as not being able to fall asleep once. Loud baby...by the time I got to Miami at 6am I was a zombie.  I tried to sleep during the four hour layover but the AC was a little too cold to be able to sleep...napped a little bit during the flight to Liberia, but otherwise I've been super tired today!

Adobe car rental was so easy and accomodating. Got my 4x4 and its a cute, small size!  They also gave me a small phone to make local calls on, which is really helpful.

My cute little Mitsubishi ASX Venza.  Comfortable and new!  Thanks, Adobe!

My first stop was the Airbnb in Playa Hermosa. It is located in Monte Paraiso on a giant hill with SUPERB views, which is so inviting to just relax there and enjoy.