Living Local: Costa Rica (Part II)

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Our first full day in Costa Rica consisted mainly of us getting situated. We met Casey and Dan at a cafe in the central park of San Isidro del General (the closest city to their place) and they drove us to their house about 25 minutes from the city toward the coast. We got settled in and went for a drive to Dominical on the Pacific coast for dinner at Tortilla Flats, which was very tasty. We brought Jack along because, contrary to our North American sensibilities, dogs are allowed almost anywhere in Central America. Dan got to drive the motorbike home after dinner, which was exciting on that narrow, twisty road in the dark.

Our days in Costa Rica were filled with going to the organic markets in Tinamaste and Dominical, making fresh fruit pirate (rum) smoothies, Dan learning to surf, and long walks with the dog. As soon as we heard that Domincal was great for surfing, Dan just had to try it. We met a guy named Ismark selling delicious bagels out of a small hut on the main road in Dominical who offered to teach him. Thus began Dan's surfing education. On his first day, he even stood up. Of course, Ismark was helping a bit; balancing on those boards that wobble can be tricky. Dan surfed most days and was getting quite good at standing up on his own and riding the small breakers in. While Dan was surfing, Ashley would often go to Cafe Mono Congo for frappes (highly recommended) so Jack could play with his doggy friends or sit/walk on the beach with Jack, working on her tan.

Our most notable walk was to the Nauyaca Waterfalls. The walk was horrendous; it wasn't too difficult (with the exception of the access road we had to walk up at the end. Think 2 km straight of steep uphill in direct sunlight) but the humidity felt like it was at 100% and the air was thick and hot making it hard to breathe. We forgot all that when we reached the falls. They were simply stunning and exactly what I picture when I think of a waterfall. After our long sticky hike, we swam in the waterfall which was glorious. If we didn't have a 2 hour walk back in the blistering heat, Ashley could have stayed much longer.

We also went to the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary which was amazing and I consider it a must-do for any travelers/tourists in the area. For a USD25 donation per person, you get a tour of the sanctuary which takes animals from the government who have been rescued from various terrible situations; some have been attacked by dogs while others have been kept as pets and abused. The stories we heard were absolutely heartbreaking and the worst part is that the same thing is happening to more animals as we speak. It is illegal to own any native species as pets in Costa Rica so even if the animal is not being mistreated, it will be confiscated, rehabilitated and returned to the wild if possible. Some animals can never be released because they would not survive. For example, there was a squirrel without a tail; a squirrel with a paralyzed back leg; and a macaw parrot whose tail feathers had been ripped out. Any animal who would not survive in the wild will be kept at the sanctuary for the rest of their lives. The organization is run by Mike, an expat who has lived in Costa Rica for the last 13 years and has been working with animal rescue organizations on all of his holidays for the last 40 years. We learned a lot from him and it's obvious how much he cares about the animals and how well taken care of they are.

Casey and Dan's return flight got cancelled because of a volcano eruption near San Jose so we stayed an extra day. We wanted to ride down to Dominical on our last full day to see the sunset. Unfortunately, we didn't make it for that. Instead, Dan maneuvered us to safety (Jack included) after our rear tire went flat on the bike. We decided to leave the bike and hitch hike back to the house. After a 45 minute walk up the hill, a truck pulled over and we explained the situation. Ashley told them we just needed a ride back to the house so we could figure out what to do from there but they had seen the bike pulled over by the side of the road and, with us in the flatbed, we turned around and loaded it into the truck. Not only did Cesar and Ernesto load up the bike, they also took us to a hole in the wall repair shop in Platanillo where we got a new tire for only CRC6,000, the equivalent of CAD13. We were in shock and so pleased that we decided to continue on to Dominical. We had long missed the sunset but we could still grab a nice dinner at Tortilla Flats.

We didn't get to explore Costa Rica like we wanted but we did get a taste of it's physical beauty and everyone's graciousness. It's a country I would definitely want to return to in the future and travel through more slowly and thoroughly.

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Photos

White Face Monkey
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary

Blossom the Porcupine
Released twice from the sanctuary, travelling 1km and 1.6km to get 'home'.
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary

Things You Think You'll Never Do
Riding the bike with Jack.

Comments

[Claudia Mom]

Nice Story
The title basically says it. It's nice to hear about your adventures! Love Ma