La Fortuna, Santa Elena. Playa Coco, Playa Tamarindo


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Published: July 1st 2014
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Friday 13th

Up early again as today's a travel day. First we catch a direct bus to San Jose and it takes just over 3 hours. We pass beautiful countryside on the way.

On arrival we get a taxi back to the airport and catch the Budget rental shuttle out to their depot to collect the hire car we've booked.

Surprise surprise on picking it up to be told that the hire cost doesn't include any insurance at all. Not even basic cover like all other countries rental agencies. We get charged further 150 GB pounds ! I then get asked if I want to upgrade to a 4 x 4 for an extra $5 a day and when I say no thanks, we get given one as they don't have our car anyway.

Finally we set off for La Fortuna deep in the countryside. I turn off and we climb for ages and get stuck behind so many lorries as they creep along. It takes for ever and then it starts to pour and the clouds come down.

After two and a half hours we reach town. It looks a busy place and we find hotel for the night. The chap in the hotel is more interested in selling us tours then showing us the room. We decline saying we have a car to take us around but this doesn't discourage him ! The room's fine !

Saturday 14th

We drive out to the Arenal 1968 Volcano trails. It's an area where the lava flowed when the volcano erupted in 1968. We take a trail for a 5.5 K walk. It passes through jungle and over the lava. It's a lovely walk and we are accompanied by birdsong most of the way but we hardly ever get to see the little blighters ! The path leads to a viewing area to see the volcano and the lake the eruption formed. It's a great view but it's very hot and humid all the way round.

We finish just as it starts to rain.

Our next stop is the a Butterfly Conservatory. The drive takes about 30 mins and is over a bumpy unmade road, good job they gave us the 4x4!

We get to the see 3 butterfly tents with various butterflies. They're beautiful things. We then get taken to a frog atrium and see the red eyed tree frog, but it is asleep, poison dart frogs and other poisonous ones. They're really small but deadly ! Just before leaving we get to see two Howler monkeys.

On returning to the car we find we have a flat battery. I'd left the lights on ! Luckily the chap in the next car has some jump leads and gets us on our way in time for me to see Italy beat England 2-1 in the World Cup. And the day had been going so well !

Sunday 15th

We drive to the nearby Fortuna waterfalls for a nice walk in the quiet countryside, except when we arrive there are several tour buses and hundreds of tourists ! The walk is no longer in the countryside but down about 600 concrete steps.

Still the waterfall is impressive at over 70 m into a pool. We strip down to our swimmies and get into the stream off the pool. It's very hot so it's a good way to cool down. The water's pretty cold but not freezing. We share our swim with about 40 others and some fish. I feel sorry for the fish, there's hardly any room for them.

An hour or so later we make our way back up all the steps and could do with another swim at the top. We grab an ice cream and then return to our hotel.

In the afternoon we have a wander around town and Christine looks in all the souvenir shops, but no purchases ! She's under strict instructions about our lack of space, The sky gets very overcast and around 4 pm we have another tremendous storm that lasts all evening.

Monday 16th

We leave La Fortuna early and stop just up the road at a wood carvers. He makes incredible sculptures but they're far too large to bring home. We drive around Lake Arenal heading north. We hope to see the lake but only get glimpses. On the road there are lots of signs for Toad Hall which gets a good write up in our book for quality souvenirs however when we finally reach it, it's a huge disappointment. Just cheap souvenirs we've seen elsewhere.

We stop off at a cafe and get a great cup of coffee and cake. We finally reach the small town of Tilaran. No stopping as we go on but soon the road changes to a dirt track. We have 29 K of it ! The track is terrible and much of it has to be done in first gear. Bumps and potholes everywhere but the views are great.

An hour and a half later we finally reach Santa Elena our destination for the next few days. We check in at Eddy's Cabins for the next couple of nights. The chap's really helpful and give us some info on places to visit.

On his suggestion we drive out to see some amazing ficus trees you can climb inside of. Unfortunately they're up a very steep road and our toothless car stalls and runs backwards ! We end up parking some way from the bottom of the road.

The trees are an interesting sight. A ficus has grown round the trees and strangled them leaving a hollow interior which can be climbed to an incredible height. Whilst in the woods we see White faced Capuchin monkeys swinging through the trees.

Back at the cabin we self cater for the first time in months. Later in the evening we get to see a sloth with baby climbing along telephone lines on the road outside.

Tuesday 17th

Up at 6 am, we're off to a local reserve to give the birds a last chance to show themselves. Armed with a borrowed pair of binns I scour every tree, well it feels like it as I spend ages looking up into the branches. Bird song but not a bird to be seen ! We spend 3 hours walking round in circles searching out the little blighters. After all that time we see TWO ! A big red bird with a white head, a Bell bird and another one that we don't know the name of.

I bump into guide and a family. The guide says he's seen lots, but the family confide in us that actually they've only seen a couple !

We decide to call it a day. Another disappointing attempt to see the wildlife.

On the way back to the hostel we stop at a frog and butterfly centre. We take the frog tour.

We get shown 27 types of frog. Some of them are minute but poisonous. We are encouraged to return after dark when many of them will be active.

We spend the afternoon watching the football, well I watch Brazil V Mexico and Christine reads and catches up with her sleep after our early morning.

We wander into town later and look around. Santa Elena's pretty small and we're soon back. After dark we return to the frog centre and see some amazing coloured frogs. They're much more active and although small they are more easily spotted in the dark with a torch shining on their eyes. Some have even changed colour from daytime. Strangely it's one of the best things we've seen in CR although we won't be taking up collecting them.

Wednesday 18th

Another early start as we drive out to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. We buy our tickets and the chap says it's going to be a fine morning so don't worry about coats. So off we go. We chose a trail of about 5 k through the forest. The trees are all covered in thick moss and there's a prim evil feel to the place as we walk round. The scenery is really green and wet, what you expect to see in a cloud forest.

As we go round we hear a few birds but have no great expectations after the last few days of looking for them. We do get glimpses of some small birds and I see a beautiful yellow coloured one, but no idea of the name.

We get to a viewing point over the Continental Divide and the tree covered hills looking wonderful. The slopes don't look as if anyone has ever been on them.

We continue along and go over a long tree top canopy bridge which has great views over the top of the forest.

As we walk on the clouds start to come in and very soon after it starts to rain ! We hurry back to the park entry as it pours and we get soaked, so much for the fine morning !

Drenched we get back to the car and make our soggy way to the hostel to dry off.

In the afternoon we spend the time watching Spain lose to Chile, well I do whilst Christine reads. Later we see two toucans in a tree outside our hostel. We have seen more wildlife in the streets and on the beaches than in any of the reserves.

In the evening we go out for dinner having saved on our budget over the last two days by self catering.

Thursday 19th

We drive out to the Santa Elena Rainforest Reserve but as we get there it's starts to rain. After getting wet yesterday we decide not to go in. So we drive back into town and out to the Three Amigos walk. It's to the highest point in the area and supposedly we will be able to see both coastlines.

We start off and find that it's straight uphill at an angle of 45 to 50 degrees. We walk for over an hour, up hill all the way. It's the hardest walk we've ever been on ! I hear some birds but they're drowned out by the sound of Christine gasping ! We slide on the wet clay and the walk just gets harder and harder. Then the clouds come in and it starts to drizzle.

Reluctantly we decide to stop, I'm reluctant, Christine's relieved. We return to the car in no time at all as the weather brightens up.

We stop off for an ice cream and then do a bit of food shopping for this evening.

We get back to the hostel in time to see Uruguay beat England 2-1 and then it rains !

Friday 20th

We give up on visiting the Reserves trying to see the wildlife from today and this morning drive off for the far west coast. We have seen as much wildlife along the normal roads as in the Reserves, where people make too much noise. We're also looking forward to some dry weather !

Our first 25 k is over terrible roads and we get shaken to bits. The views from the hill tops are fantastic as we see range after range of tree covered hills and the coast in the distance. Eventually at Juntas we reach a made up road and our journey picks up speed and soon after we turn onto the Pan American highway.

As we head north we come across major road improvements and see men laying the new concrete road by hand ! Miles of it being hand troweled, no wonder the work is taking so long.

At Liberia we turn left and head towards the coast and soon arrive at Playa Coco, our resting spot for the next 5 nights. The small town is in chaos with people dancing in the street, cars sounding there horns and people shouting and singing. Costa Rica have just beaten Italy 1- 0 ! It takes us half an hour to get through the 100m long high street.

We finally reach the Agents for the apartment we have rented and he takes us to it in Playa Ocotal. It's a modern development with 3 pools about ten minutes from the beach.

After stocking up with food and sitting round the pool in the afternoon, we walk down to the beach. It's a lovely bay with islands just off shore. On the way back we see Howler monkeys in the trees.

Saturday 21st to Tuesday 24th

Our time is spent between laying around the pool and visiting nearby beaches of Playa Ocotal and Playa Coco. It's not what we want to do but there just isn't anything else worth looking at or doing. Our traveling experiences have come to a full stop for the moment. At least the weather's nice and hot most of the time although very humid and the pool's nice !

Wednesday 25th

We leave Playa Ocotal today and drive about 50 miles down the coast to the resort of Playa Tamarindo. We arrive around mid day and have to look for somewhere to stay.

I drop in at two Agents and ask about an apartment and they tell me we won't get one for under $130 a day. It's beyond our budget so we drive off. We drive through the small town and onto the beach dirt road and stop at another development with vacancies. They also quote $90 a day, still too much. Finally we see a Condo block being cleaned up and we stop and I enquire within. At first I'm quoted $80 but after some discussion I get the chap down to $60 (about 38 pounds) and we take it.

It's a huge two bedroom apartment with 2 baths, lounge, living room, kitchen, air con, wifi and pool ! A real bargain for the next 5 nights.

We spend the rest of the afternoon food shopping and having a walk along the shoreline and around the small town.

I book a surfing lesson for tomorrow and try to book off shore sports fishing for the weekend. We've sat around too much all ready !

Thursday 26th

At 10.45 I arrive at the surfing shop and get kitted out with a surf top and board. Off I go with the instructor and another chap to the beach for our lesson.

First we draw a surf board in the sand and the instructor tells us about laying on the board along the centre line and how to jump up into the classic surfing position. We lay on the sand and have a go up jumping up. First problem, I can't jump up ! I make a very slow and graceful rise to my feet. He shows me another way of getting up and I have a go, it's better but still too slow. The other chaps great at it but then he's 35 years younger.

Nevertheless out we go into the sea. There's only little waves to contend with. I lay on the board and when the right wave comes the instructor gives me a push and off I go and slowly slowly rise and then stand on the board and surf in on the wave ! Beginners luck !

For the next hour or so I get pushed and finally paddle off in front of the waves and sometimes stand on the board and more times fall off ! I've got the hang of balancing if only I could stand up quicker. As the lesson progresses so the waves get larger and larger. Paddling back out I get drowned almost every time as the waves crash over me. With that and with jumping back on the board I start to tire and after an hour and 20 mins I have my last go. I stand and surf right on to the beach and gracefully step off the board onto the sand like a professional !

I've achieved more than I thought I'd be able to but I won't be entering any surfing competitions just yet !

In the afternoon we sit around the pool and I become as stiff as my surf board !

Later we go into town and I'm too tired to stop Christine buying more souvenirs.

Friday 27th

I wake to find that I can hardly move ! I'm that stiff. Eventually after breakfast we take a slow walk along the beach before going back to the apartment and sitting round the pool. I take a dip but can't swim as my arms won't move.

The rest of the day is spent relaxing around the pool and watching Wimbledon from time to time.

late afternoon we take a walk along the beach and watch the surfers. I see people even slower than me standing up on their boards and take heart. If only I could move I could have another go !

Saturday 28th

Another very hot morning and we take a short drive out to Playa Langosta to have a walk on the beach. After an hour or so we drive back and sit around the pool for the day. Not much to do.

Sunday 29th

Up early at 6.15 as we've booked a boat trip on the river into the mangroves for one last chance to spot the wildlife and birds. It's a pretty trip but we should have known better by now . After two and a half hours we see 5 birds, a small crocodile and a crab ! We go ashore for half an hour to see Howler monkeys and despite the guide's best efforts there aren't any.

We spend the rest of the morning around the pool and watching Holland beat Mexico. In the afternoon the town is empty as Costa Rica play Greece and then goes wild when they win on penalties.

Late on we pack for our trip back to the airport.

Monday 30th

We leave early and have a fairly easy drive. There's lots of steep hills and these give us great views of the wooded hills for as far as we can see. It's a beautiful country.

We stop for a break and next to the restaurant is a small park with toucans and macaws. More than we have seen in most of the wildlife reserves !

We book in at an airport hotel for an easy transfer.

We leave Costa Rica tomorrow, our 9th country and only 1 to go.


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1st July 2014
macaws 2

Car 54 where are you?
Was getting a bit concerned, no blog for 2 weeks, thought you'd been eaten or sold into slavery. Whilst you are out gadding about Mrs Smith has me knocking down walls and ripping out fireplaces. Managed to cut through the socket ring main yesterday like any good builder would. I was standing on a metal stool in my slippers when there was a bang and everything died except me. I have a nice hole in my saw as a commemorative piece. Naturally I blamed the electrician who originally wired the house running the cable on a diagonal instead of vertical or horizontal. Yesterday was the peak of excitement for my week watching some of my grandchildren under performing on sports day. They postponed it from last Friday because of the weather forecast and moved it to yesterday (Monday). Friday was a nice sunny day with a bit of cloud and breeze. Yesterday started the same, then it started raining, then I decide to go home, then it lashed down. More wall knocking down today, skip coming tomorrow. Being a happy soul like yourself I predicted England having 2 defeats and a draw, wish I'd put a bet on it now. We just never look like scoring. I'll keep looking out for you on Skype but the times you are blogging are not conducive to my sleep patterns.
1st July 2014
macaws 2

Bob the builder
Hi What are you doing knocking walls down at your age ? Has Mrs Smith upped your life insurance ! After all that work I suggest a holiday, take a year off and travel ! We are 7 hours behind you so Skyping is difficult. Best time is between 2 and 3pm your time, when I've just got up or 9 till 11pm before I have my dinner ! Finish the DIY as I'm not helping when I get back. Steve
1st July 2014

Good to hear from you
I wondered where you got to. Good to see you are still on the move and getting to watch the World Cup. So presumably it is now the good ol' USA? Home soon?
1st July 2014

A moving target's harder to hit !
Hi Dom Yes only USA to go and home about 11th or 12th August. I have issued a blog for a while as we weren't doing anything interesting and I didn't want people to get too bored reading about us ! Will be using your suggested route in USA so will blame you if I get bored !! Steve ps Holland or Germany for the WC

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