Blogs from Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean - page 95

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So getting to Quepos is one of the most memorable travelling legs ive had on this whole trip. We decided to splurge on a shuttle bus versus taking the local bus. If we took a local bus it could take up to 11 hours, the shuttle took about 5. We leave early in the morning only to find out we are the only ones on the shuttle! we have it all to ourselves, it was so relaxing. We heading to Paquera which is a coastal town on the nicoya peninsula (where tamararindo and santa theresa is) we then boarded a ferry which took about 1.5 hours which took us across the pacific to the mainland pacific coast of costa rica. From there we were greeted by another shuttle that was there to meet us, once again ... read more


It’s time to wrap up the Costa Rica entries, and move onto Argentina. I had made previous arrangements to stay at the Tranquilo Backpackers hostel once the camp had ended. My budget was “tranquilo” at $10USD per night; however, my mind was filled with skepticism. After checking it out and talking with some locals, I felt uneasy by the amount of people traffic and partying. Physically, I believe I would’ve been safe; however, I cannot say the same for the slew of new techy toys that was in my possession. Luckily, Annie, my surf instructor overheard my predicament and offered to take me to speak to her landlord. I was surprised to see that this place, with no formal name, was surrounded by a black rod-iron fence with an enormous swinging gate. Few places in ... read more
Front of Olie's
The man himself
kitchen at Olie's


Last Week In Manuel Antonio Central America Caribbean » Costa Rica » Manuel Antonio By Chris y NikkiMarch 11th 2007Chris and NikkiOur last week in Manuel Antonio was pretty low stress. No major events or trips, just some beach time and some bar time. Although we did manage to study Spanish and do all our homework up to the last day. Friday, however, I (Chris) couldn't bring myself to write any more sentences in the "pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo" verb tense. Call me lazy. Now we're in Jaco at an internet cafe, which is the first chance we've had to get on the internet since we mo... read more
View from Agua Azul
Quepos
Atardecer


Well i have to admit im lagging on my blog entries, unfortunately ive been having way to much fun and to much sun to remember to make regular entries. So after the 9 days straight of partying in tamarindo, we decided to head south down the pacific coast to a little place called mail pais. We took a shuttle bus with a few other fellow travellers that we had met in tamarindo. Two surfers, shawn and tom from canada and greg from the states. Me, laura and greg decided to stay at Tranquillo backpackers in Santa Theresa, which is a little town within walking distance of mail pais. These towns essentially only exist because of surfers who come into town to hit up the waves. Tranquillo backpackers was just that a surfer haven. I think me ... read more
this beach was a surfing paradise
we would watch the sunset everyday
our surfer buddies


Pura Vida Adventure Surf Camp March 3-9 2007 Daily schedule: Sleep, yoga, eat, surf, eat, surf, eat, sleep. Literally translated, “pura vida” means pure life. This phrase is the common response when one is asked how they are doing. To further expand on the meaning, I found the best description within the Costa Rica section of Wikipedia. It states that this motto, “…encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unclustered manner, appreciating a life surrounded by nature and family and friends.” It is a way of life that is not dictated by a clock. You go with the flow of each day. I was not as quick to adopt this lifestyle as I thought I would be. You have to let go of the things that are weighing you down in ... read more
Our classroom
Let's do this.
what a rush.


We decided it was finally time to see the park. We hired a guide so we'd actually have a chance to see some animals. Our guides name was Mauricio, and he knew his stuff. He also had a really nice telescope that gave us great views of the animals and some good pics too. That said, it was pretty freakin expensive for a 3 hr tour. Here are some photos from the walk. Hasta luego...... read more
Sea Turtle Rock
Greater White Lined Bat
Yaht


Tuesday morning I went diving with Jaime. He is getting his DiveMaster certification as well as taking Spanish classes. It had been almost 4 years since my last dive so I took a refresher course that reviewed some theory and had a practical in a hotel pool. That was actually Wed and Thurs the previous week, but the dive wasn't till Tuesday. Not a whole lot to say about the dive. It was fun to be underwater again. Visibility was okay, and the swell wasn't too bad. We did two dives, about 45 minutes each, with 45 of surface time between. Max depth on the first dive was 50 ft and for the second 45 ft. I still suck air like a hoover. My tank started with 2900 psi and I finished with 750 psi, meanwhile ... read more
Jaime goofing around
Estrella del Mar
The sun at 50ft below the surface


Last Saturday we went on a canopy tour near Quepos with three other students from the school. You wear a harness similar to rock wall climbing and they hook you onto a wire cable that spans from one platform to another, anywhere from 50 meters to 400 meters. The longest on our tour was just over 400. If you can zoom in on one of the photos I think it says the length. So they hook you on to the line, you sit down, put one hand on the rope and one hand on the cable to slow down and keep yourself straight. On the longest line the guide said we were probably moving about 35 mph. It was a fun experience - not too many animals, but the guides were fun and we all enjoyed ... read more
Nikki, Lisel and Jaime geared up and ready to go!
Chris on the walk up the hill
How to Zip


I bolted wide-eyed out my sleep on my flight from Atlanta to San Jose, Costa Rica. For a solid minute or two, I had forgotten what I was doing and where I was going. Not exactly the best feeling to have at 30,000 feet. “Are you traveling alone?” asked an American woman, who was traveling with her husband and two sons. I nodded as I rubbed the sleep from eyes. We weaved in and out of conversation with each other until we landed. Her main points were that I was going to get kidnapped or robbed, and that she had vacationed in Costa Rica many times previously, but she had never heard of Mal Pais... “But, you seem like a smart girl.” Good, great, grand, wonderful, I thought. And she’s never heard of Mal Pais, ... read more
San Jose
Bird's Eye View
Bird's Eye View 2




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