Costa Rica Adventure
March 12 – 20, 2004
by
Susan L. Anderson
As some of you
know my long-time friend Leslie and I were in Costa Rica March 12 – 20, 2004
with a small group of Women Traveling Together. We had an adventuresome
trip and it really was a blast. Go to the web site URL below to see some
small photos of our trip. I am in front of white water raft (left side of
photo with black shirt on); second from left in from of Fichus Tree (my room
mate Judie on far left); climbing up the rope ladder in another big Fichus
Tree; and on platform during the Canopy Tour.
Friday, 12 March 2004
America West Airlines began direct flights to and from San Jose, Costa Rica
and Phoenix, Arizona, USA, in mid December 2003. American West had
mechanical problems, did not get our plane fixed so brought in another
airplane, we finally left 3:35 p.m.(2 ˝ hours late) and arrived in San Jose
a little before10 p.m. Due to the late hour we moved through baggage,
immigration and customs rather rapidly and walked outside to possibly 50
people holding up signs to meet travelers. Leslie spotted our Women
Traveling Together sign held by Maria Elena Palomo, who used cell phone to
call our small bus. Within a couple of minutes Mario Aguilar appeared with
the bus and we were off to our hotel. Maria gave both of us lovely wrist
corsages of a group of orchids and offered us cold bottled water. We
checked into the hotel, changed a small amount of money and were taken to
our room where we had a good nights sleep.
Hotel Herradura, San Antonio de
Belena, Heredia
http://www.hotelherradura.com
Autopista General Canas. San Antonio
de Belen crossing. In front of Mall Cariari. Heredia, Costa Rica.
Following information from their web site: Info from the hotel web site: We
are nestled in the heart of the central valley, amid a breathtaking backdrop
of lush green meadows and surrounded by beautiful mountain, five miles away
from the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), and a short drive from
San Jose, the capital city. We target to be a first class hospitality,
entertainment, convention and international gourmet center in Costa Rica,
the Grand Herradura achieved through total dedication to the understanding
and compliance of our clients needs obtained through reliable service and
products, at reasonable rates.
A bit
of background about Costs Rica from various sources including my
Insight Guide to Costa Rica and The National Geographic
Traveler Costa Rica. Area
51,000 sq. km (19,700 sq. miles) about the size of West Virginia;
Capital: San Jose; Highest mountain: Mount Chirripo 3,820 m
(12,500 ft.); Coastline: more than 1,200 km (750 miles);
Population: 3.6 million; Seven provinces, 60% of the population live in
four provinces, 25% live in San Jose area; Language: Spanish.
English (Creole) is spoken by Costa Ricans of Caribbean descent, most of
whom live near the Caribbean Coast; Religion: Catholic (81 percent)
(some say 90% Catholic); most others are Protestant and there is a small
Jewish community; National flower: Guaria Morada (orchid);
Birds: one tenth of all known bird species live in Costa Rica. Of the
850 species found here at least 630 are permanent residents, including 51
species of hummingbirds, 16 species of parrots and the lists goes on – it is
a bird watchers and natural lovers paradise; National bird:
Resplendent Quetzal; The people are called los Costarricenses or
ticos; Guaro is the national liquor; The Oxcart is the
national symbol as it was used in the past to bring produce and goods to
market, still used but not as much. Costa Rica has socialized medicine;
Time zone GMT less 7 hours, same as Central Time in USA’ Currency:
colon when we were there the exchange rate was approximately 424 colon to
each U.S. dollar; Weights and measures: metric; Electricity:
120 volts, 60 cycle current. Seasons: the rainy and the dry. In the
Central Valley the rainy season last from May to November and the dry season
from December through April. Average temperature in San Jose is 75 F. The
economy: tourism, coffee and bananas in that order. Tourism over
took coffee in 1987 probably as a result of President Oscar Arias
Sanchez being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Coffee is picked my
Nicaraguans, the country bordering Costa Rica to the north. The military
was abolished in 1948. Costa Rica has a literacy rate of 96.2%. The
geothermal pools /hot springs are heated by the over 300 volcanoes in
Costa Rica. Illness: malaria in some areas and dengue fever. Most
of us took the weekly prescription
Mefloquine
starting a week before our trip, and then once a week for a total of six
weeks. A few chose to take a daily prescription. I’ll take my last
Mefloquine on our Hawaii cruise <G>. The Monteverde community (not a
town) was established by a group of Quakers from Alabama, USA, in 1951.
Monteverde translates as “Green Mountain”. They purchased around 3,000
areas of land. Their first means of support, still very active today, was a
cheese factory. Approximately 3,400 people live in the Monteverde area and
the only town is Santa Elena and it was established in the 1920’s. Food:
basics of Costa Rican food - rice, beans, chicken and fish, plus plantains.
We have wonderful tasty food everywhere we ate. Butterflies: 1,000
or 5% of the world’s species are found in Costa Rica. Eco-tourism:
people come to observe the 850 species of birds, 205 species of mammals, 376
types of reptiles and amphibians and over 9,000 species of flowering plants,
including 1,200 varieties of orchids. Monteverde Cloud Forest:
Lying atop the Continental Divide about 180 km (110 miles) northwest of San
Jose, it is a difficult place to get to. The last 43 km (26 miles) is a
rough / tough drive. The trails are limited to 100 visitors at a time to
protect the environment. This area received around 760 cm (300 inches)
of rain yearly so there are many beautiful water falls.
Map
of Monteverde area
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/maps/monteverde.htm
Saturday,
13 March 200
Tilajari Resort,
Ciudad Quesada http://tilajari.com/
Good breakfast buffet over looking
swimming pools, orchids and other beautiful flowers. We then walked the
grounds taking photographs. Met Sharron and Genie (of our group) and the
four of had a behind the scenes tour of the orchid greenhouses by one of the
gardeners. Met our tour group in lobby and were off in the approx. 20
passenger bus. Maria Elena Palomo was our guide for the week and Mario
Aguilar was the bus driver, they spent the week with us and could not have
been more gracious and helpful. First we went to the Mariari Mall where
most of us changed more money, and then we were off. Our tour director
Kellie remained to meet people arriving at the airport and joined up with us
in the evening.
We stopped in the town of Grecia,
reported to be the cleanest city in Costa Rica. We visited the beautiful
Catholic Church. Every small town has a Catholic Church, facing a city park
/ square, there is also a soccer field, several bars and a Chinese
restaurant, no kidding. People spoke to us and were quite friendly.
Next to Sarchi where we had a
very tasty buffet lunch in an open air restaurant called Las Carretas.
After lunch we visited the famous ox cart factory for shopping, the
sign said Fabrica de Carretas, Joaquin Chaverri Ltda, Since 1903. I
purchased some items to be shipped home.
Between Naranjo and Ciudad Quesada we
stopped in Zarcero. We visited the Catholic Church that is fronted
by a very large arbor running through at opiary park that resembles a
circus. The gardener is Evangelisto Blanco and he is a genius. Some
of his evergreen sculptures are elephants, cat riding a motorcycle, cattle
and other delightful creations.
Beautiful day, bright sun with a few
high clouds. After Zarcero, Costa Rica, we have a lovely winding
drive, crossed the continental divide, saw coffee, sugar cane, dairy farms
and the beautiful country side. One interesting plant is “Naked Indian”,
planted to be used as fence posts. Cut back every day to peel the bark and
make a tea to treat anemia.
Arrived at the Tilajari Resort Hotel
near Muelle, C.R. Judy and I had room 501 with a balcony facing the
San Carlos River, iguanas, birds, flowers, and lovely scenery. We all
met, had dinner together and signed up for raid forest hike and horse back
riding. Tilajari Resort, Ciudad Quesada
http://tilajari.com/
Following information from the web site: Tilajari is a 4-star resort
that offers 16 Jr. Suite, 56 Standard rooms, 4 family rooms, bar,
restaurant, swimming pool, gift shop, sport facilities, botanical garden,
butterfly garden, conference rooms and many other services, spread over on
35 acres along the banks of the San Carlos River. All of the rooms were
equipped with air conditioning, ceiling fan, TV via satellite, hot water,
and direct dial telephones. The restaurant offers the best of the
international cuisine as well typical Costa Rican dishes. Our chef gladly
will prepare our favorite dish, while you are having a tropical drink, and
enjoying the rich variety of birds and flowers around our open air
restaurant.
Sunday, 14 March 2004
Tilajari Resort,
Ciudad Quesada
http://tilajari.com/
Up about 5 a.m. to light drizzle and
happy chattery birds; I sat on balcony overlooking grassySan
Carlos Riverbank watching the birds, and iguanas.
Had breakfast at 6:30 and met the group at8 a.m. Two didn’t go with us,
walked the gardens; the rest of us, except Leslie, went for two horseback
rides.
We put on high diary barn type rubber
boots and rode horses for 30+ minutes to the entrance to a private 350 acre
rain forest. Leslie came in the van and walked with us. The horses did not
exhibit any bad habits that are usual for stable horses. I had a nice calm
horse that was very rein sensitive, so a tiny movement of the reins and she
responded very well. The halters did not have bits which was good for the
horses.
Our walk through the rain forest lasted
about 1 ľ hours through a lot of mud. We saw poison dart frogs, howler
monkeys, two toed sloths and a nice variety of birds. Rode back
to the barn, washed our boots and then back to our rooms to shower and
change clothes. The poison dart frog may hold the key to the cure of
Parkinson’s disease. The trees in the rain forest do not have
ring to indicate growth years because there are no seasons.
I ate a very good hamburger and visited
with others on the trip. Then at1:30 p.m. met Maria Elene, Mario and a few
of the others for a very short drive to a river to view more iguanas
in the tree tops and crocodile on the river bank. Our resort had
many iguanas on their grounds along with a large variety of beautiful bird.
Next we loaded into the small bus and
were off to geothermal pools -- Tabacon Hot Springs a series of five pools with water falls in between. Beautiful area and
the coolest pool was 91 degrees. Too soon it was time to get out of the
pools and move on to our next stop.
Then we drove to a hill top facing the
Arenal Volcano (one of 300 in Costa Rica) for happy hour and a huge
buffet dinner. Although it did cloud over with fog and mist and we could
not see the volcano we were facing it <G>. After dinner back to Tilajari
Resort, Ciudad Quesada.
Monday, 15 March 2004
Again up by5 a.m. and watched the sunrise and listened to the birds from our
balcony overlooking the San Carlos River. The gift shop had been
closed on Sunday so I was there when they opened at6:30 a.m. as needed a few
items. Another bountiful breakfast buffet.
At 9 a.m. we loaded our bus for the
curving scenic road trip to Aquas Bravas River Rafting. We were all
in swim suits with tee shirts to protect from the sun. The black tee
shirt I purchased has “Pura Vida” on the
front which means “Pure Life: the most popular way to say hello, how’s it
going, things are cool, great or fine.
After getting fitted with life jackets and helmets we
listened to the safely lecture. There were five rafts, four had six people
plus the guide and the one I was in had four of us plus the guide. There
were people on the trip who were not with our group. Then we started down
the Sarapiqui River for class III white water, It was great! We
stopped and all got out on the river bank and the guides cut fresh pineapple
and watermelon for us to enjoy. After the stop we resumed our white water
trip down the Sarapiqui River. Huge rocks, small waterfalls, it was
really fun. Saw many kinds of birds, including blue heron, kite
tailed swallows, turkey vultures and more sloths. When
trip ended we bused to the Aquas Bravas River Rafting office where we
changed clothes, NO towels, then were served a good meal of grilled
chicken. Then they showed the video made of our trip. They were selling
VHS or DVD’s and if you would tell them name of guide they would add another
30+ pictures of your raft. I purchased one, but the mails are slow.
After the white water raft trip we
drove through the mountains, above the clouds, for a very scenic drive back
to San Jose. We stopped at a Pops Ice Cream store, and then Mario
gave us a tour of the city before we checked back into our hotel again.
Hotel Herradura, San Antonio de Belena, Heredia
Tuesday, 16 March 2004
Up before5:30 a.m. Breakfast then four hour bus trip via Pan American
Highway and then narrow rocky rough roads to Monteverde area. Half
way there we had a rest stop where we could see the Pacific Ocean and visit
a local open air market / fruit stand. I had not seen the flower of
cashew trees or that the nut is actually in the stem. We also drove
through a dry tropical forest with many flowering trees. We observed many
fast flowing creeks over rocks and waterfalls that were beautiful. Those
who visit the Monteverde are nature lovers and those interested in ecology.
We check into the Cloud Forest Lodge, Monteverde, a bird and nature
watchers dream.
After lunch we were off on our next
adventure! The Original Canopy Tour: The
tour includes 2 suspended walkway sections (some call them hanging bridges
or sky walk ways), 11 tree platforms, 8 traverses high in the treetops, and
2 rappels, which are vertical descents on ropes assisted by our highly
trained personnel andP.S. from
Susanplus four ladders the last
being the rope ladder up through the tree.
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/
Information on much in the area on this web site.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge
--
Following
information from the web page:
The
Original Canopy Tour Costa Rica at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge
was the first canopy tour in existence in the world. The location at the
Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge is perfect and we are very close to all the
attractions that this area provides, including the town of Santa Elena and
the Monteverde biological reserve. For those looking for lodging in the
area, this hotel is very cozy and has one of the best views around and is
only 1 kilometer from the town of Santa Elena. It's also one of the best
bird watching hotels as it has many exclusive trails through the private
reserve, which is part of a natural corridor between the Monteverde Cloud
Forest Reserve and the Santa Elena reserve. In fact there are usually more
Quetzals, emerald toucanettes and three wattled bell birds here than in
these other 2 popular reserves. There have been more than 180 different
species of birds logged here.
The Cloud Forest Lodge itself is a true mountain hotel but is only minutes
away from everything in the zone, including the orchid gardens, the
butterfly garden, the Ecological Farm and of course the Monteverde
biological reserve. It has 18 separate cabins with private bathrooms and hot
water. The hotel also offers a dining room, bar and lounge.
The
reserve consists of approximately 70 acres of primary and secondary tropical
rainforest and cloud forest, which is extremely rich in its biodiversity.
There are over 5 kilometers of trails through primary and secondary
rainforest and cloud forest. This eco-system contains a variety of
Bromeliads and Epiphytes, among other species of plants, animals, birds and
insects on the huge branches of the trees. Here we have constructed a series
of observation platforms and traverses that will take you through the canopy
layer of the rainforest. As of January 2002, the tour includes 2
suspended walkway sections (some call them hanging bridges or sky walk
ways), 11 tree platforms, 8 traverses high in the treetops, and 2 rappels,
which are vertical descents on ropes assisted by our highly trained
personnel.
P.S. from Susan
plus four ladders the last being the rope ladder up through the tree.
The tour
starts with a short guided hike through the private reserve of the Cloud
Forest. The first part of the tour will take you through secondary and
primary forest and then a climb up a ladder to the first platform, about 8
meters above the ground where an ingenious series of cables connecting the
trees awaits you. After a soaring through the tree tops on horizontal
traverses and platforms suspended in the tree tops you will rappel back to
the forest floor and hike another 50 meters where you will have a
spectacular climb up a rope ladder through the inside of a huge, hollow
strangler fig. This is the only one in existence. Dangling from 22 meters
off the ground the eight-meter-long walkway (that winds around the various
trees that the strangler fig has consumed in its lifetime) makes for an
unbeatable vantage point for observing the surrounding rainforest. You will
then continue your tour from platform to platform, assisted by our expert
guides, and finally have a second rappel which takes you a long way down
back to the forest floor.
The
platforms vary in height from 8 meters to 28 meters above the forest floor.
A cloud forest generally has several layers to the canopy rich in
biodiversity, all of which can be seen on the tour. The climate in the
Monteverde area is generally warm to cool. It is not often a "tropical heat"
that people expect in these parts. In fact, in the nights the temperature
can go down to 7 or 8 degrees above zero (Celsius, which is about 48 - 52
degree Fahrenheit). Shorts can be worn, but jeans are also comfortable.
Hiking boots are a good idea, as it rains frequently. Insect repellant,
cameras and binoculars are also recommended. Participants must bring a
passport or other ID. The Canopy Tour takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to
complete.
Wednesday, 17 March 2004
Up very early again at the Cloud Forest Lodge. The rooms had very
high ceilings with nice wood paneling. No T-V, no phone, etc. We had 6:30
a.m. breakfast then were off for a very full day. Maria, a delightful
female naturalist with a degree in tropical biology joined our group for the
day.
In 1972 under the threat of
homesteading in the surrounding rain forest, visiting scientists George
Powell and his wife joined forces with long-time resident Wilford Guindon to
promote the establishment of a nature preserve. The Tropical Science
Center was receptive to these efforts and accepted institutional
responsibility for ownership and management of the protected areas. An
initial land purchase of 328 hectares formed the core of the Monteverde
Cloud Forest Preserve, Costa Rica. In 1975 the 554-hectare community
watershed reserve, founded in the mid-60s by members of the Quaker community
and named Bosque Eterno S.A., was annexed under an administrative contract
to the Preserve. After the Preserve's creation, the Tropical Science
Centerc ontinued to secure the financial and human resources necessary to
expand, consolidate, and properly protect and manage the Rainforest
Preserve's current 10,500 hectares.
In Monteverde Costa Rica rain forest
are found more than 100 species of mammals including 5 species of
cats, over 400 species of birds including 30 kinds of hummingbirds,
tens of thousands of insect species(over 5000 species of moths) and
2,500 species of plants (420 kinds of orchids). The area is
acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World
Tropics.
First stop was the 26,000 acre private
Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. We hiked in the preserve observing
many birds, flowers, ferns, trees, plants. Next we walked a short distance
to the Hummingbird Gallery and what a good variety of large beauties
they had. This was named Hummingbird Gallery for the scores of
rufus-tailed, violet saber-winged, and fiery throated hummingbirds that zip
in to feed on the patio of the gallery.
Next to Café Monteverde to learn
about coffee and how they grow it in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.
http://www.cafemonteverde.com Next to the coffee
company we visited was The Artisans’ Cooperative of Santa Elena and
Monteverde. Works by over 100 local artists, from paintings to sculpture
and ceramics. Sales benefit the local community.
Next we drove to La Pizzeria De
Johnny Restaurante Italiano in Monteverede for brick oven baked pizza
lunch.
After lunch we headed to the
Monteverde Butterfly Garden (Jardin de Mariposas) for a tour of their
biodiversity center. First visited the insect displays and then into the
four gardens to view over 40 species of butterflies they raise only for
educational purposes. We also observed a leaf cutter ant colony hard at
work, very interesting. Although they have email I have not found a web
site.
Of all the insects, none elicit
pleasure and curiosity more readily than butterflies. Like the abundance of
mountains and beaches, butterflies are ever present during one's visit to
Costa Rica. There is nowhere one goes, whether a 3,000 meter volcanic
ambit or the arid plains of Guanacaste where butterflies are not present. Costa
Rica is unusually blessed by the diversity of its butterflies. There
exists about 20,000 butterfly species worldwide. Of these, about
1,000 or 5% can be found in Costa Rica.
After the Butterfly Gardens we
drove to the Sky Walk.
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/sky-walk.htm Sky Walk is
a spectacular combination of suspension bridges with easy and well
maintained walking trails build in the Monteverde Cloud Forest and above the
tropical forest canopy.
To start at the beginning required a
hard climb up a tower that resembled a fire lookout tower. There was also a
walk up with many steps. Kellie our tour director obtained permission for
some of us who did not want to climb, but still wanted to walk the bridges,
to enter at the exit and walk bridges, including the longest one.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest plants
abound which are specially adapted to absorb moisture directly from the
mist. It is from these huge, misty forests that Costa Rica's abundant water
sources derive. Epiphytes (plants which live on trees in order to reach the
sunlight) also abound in these forests, adding to the water-gathering
ability of the trees. The epiphytes are not parasites; they feed off water
and dust and nutrients which accumulate around their roots.
Costa Rica has roughly 1,500 species of
orchids, almost all of them epiphytes. Costa Rica provides much of the
world's supply of orchids. Other epiphytes include bromeliads (over 200
species, much more commonly seen than the orchids.) The epiphytes, treetops
and vines create a canopy that preserves the moisture within the forest, and
also provides a home for many small animals and insects that live their
whole lives in the canopy, never touching the ground. The cloud and Costa
Rica rain forest comprise some of the world's most complex ecosystems. Sky
Walk gives a chance to everybody to easily see up close the beauty of the
canopy.
Until recently, little was known about
life in tropical forest treetops, because getting up there was nearly
impossible. Early explorers used ropes and pulleys or ladders carved into
tree trunks. Today, biologists explore the canopy via towers, suspension
bridges like Skywalk, rafts lowered gently onto treetops by dirigibles, and
even construction cranes.
Biologists now know that about 90
percent of all organisms in a rainforest are found in the canopy. The
sun that barely reaches the forest floor strikes treetops with full force,
fueling the photosynthesis that results in leaves, fruit, and seeds. Since
there's so much good food way up there, animals abound in the canopy.
The Sky Walk tour includes 2.5
kilometers of trails and 6 suspended bridges across deep canyons at the
level of the treetops. The longest bridge is about 243 meters (800 feet) in
length. Anybody that can walk for 2 hours can live this experience. There is
no strenuous climb or mud and the trails are very well maintained. It
takes an average of 2 hours, much more if you pay attention to all the
different plants, trees and wildlife along the way. The temperature can be
cool in these mountains so wear pants, good walking shoes and bring a light
jacket or sweater. Insect repellent is not necessary but suntan protection
lotion is. Binoculars and poncho or umbrella are recommended. After all,
this is a Cloud Forest. At the entrance, you can find a restaurant &
souvenir shop. Because there is a 12 person maximum capacity per bridge,
reservations are recommended, especially in July, August and from December
till May.
After the Sky Walk we drove to and
stopped in the small town of Santa Elena and did a bit of shopping.
Then we returned to Cloud Forest Lodge for dinner and the night.
Thursday, 18 March 2004
Breakfast then drove through the Monteverde area that was settled in 1951 by
a group of American Quakers from Alabama. The area has the Sky Trek, Sky
Walk, Canopy Tours, Serpentario, Frog Pond, Aerial Adventures, Coffee
Plantation, Butterfly Gardens, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and
Monteverde Cheese Factory.
We next toured Orchimex,
Orchid’s Farm
http://www.orchimex.com.
During our visit two older gentlemen played wonderful marimba music,
and after the tour there was fresh fruit in the gift shop for us to enjoy.
The manager gave us a very interesting and detailed tour (see below). At
the end of the tour he gave each of us a bunch of orchids, rust, yellow,
red and lavender.
http://www.orchimex.com Orchimex
de Costa Rica now offers a tour of our facilities to show our visitors the
orchid world, the most massive and beautiful family in the plant kingdom.
Guests will learn about orchids in general as well as practical tips on
orchid care. Walking through our greenhouses you will have the opportunity
to see the different type of orchid hybrids that we export around the world
and our orchid collection with species of our country and from around the
world. Following information from their web site.
The tour consists of a walk through our
greenhouse with explanation in designated stations as follows:
Station#1 (Rooting Area Greenhouse):
In this station Visitors will learn
- First years of orchid enthusiast - Where our plants come from - Tissue
culture laboratory - Handling of young plants - Time needed to transplant -
Material used to root it - Conditions needed by the plant - Factors to
consider for development of young plants - Watering, fertilizer, etc
Station#2 (Greenhouse):
- What we produce at ORCHIMEX - Hybrids and how they reproduce - Illustrated
process - Names of area flowers - Materials and conditions needed by the
plant
Station#3 (Greenhouse):
- Flower production - Harvest and frequency - Grade and length - Varietal
names - Harvesting periods and process - Transport to packing house
Station#4 (Greenhouse):
- Plants we sell - How to take care of your orchids - Species for beginners
Station# 5 (Collection Greenhouse):
- About the collection - Varieties in the collection - Hybrids and others
Our Collection
Station# 6 (Packing House):
- Quality control - Packing process - Cold room – Markets – Transport -
Market prices
End: Time to enjoy marimba music,
fruits and our Gift Shop!
After enjoying the orchid farm we drove
across the highway for another bountiful lunch on an outdoor patio over
looking a river. Sorry I did not get name of the wonderful restaurant.
Following lunch we returned to our 20
passenger bus and continued our trip. We stopped the bus after crossing a
river called Rio Tarcoles to walk back onto the bridge and view the
wild crocodiles from both sides of the bridge. Very large
crocodiles and some very active.
Next we stopped in Jaco, Costa
Rica, and shopped for a short while. This was the first real “tourist town”
we had visited, with street vendors. We stopped as several people needed to
go to a bank.
Next we arrived at
El Parador Hotel,
Manuel Antonio,
http://www.hotelparador.com
about4 p.m. Judie and I had a great room with balcony over looking
swimming pools, gardens and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Some of the gals
got in one of the swimming pools, Leslie and I walked the beautiful grounds
taking pictures. Later all fourteen of us had a wonderful dinner on an
outside terrace overlooking flowers, pools and the Pacific Ocean.
Manuel Antonio National Park
http://www.infocostarica.com//places/manuel.html
Friday, 19 March 2004
Enjoyed huge breakfast buffet outside on a terrace overlooking flowers, and
the Pacific Ocean. Some of our group went into town to shop, some hiked to
the beach and through the forest. I remained at the hotel. Left ankle and
foot very swollen, but NO pain. Lots of bruises up and down legs and one
arm, no ache or pain, think they are from the Canopy Tour and / or white
water rafting. Had a marvelous time and have the bruises to prove it <G>.
We went by our bus to the airport where
after a short wait we boarded our 18 passenger charter flight back to San
Jose. I sat on back seat by window so I could take pictures, and assisted
our flight attendant in closing the steps / door so we could take off. This
was a short 20 minute flight that was somewhat bumpy. After landing in San
Jose, Costa Rica, we were taken back to our hotel. Hotel Herradura, San
Antonio de Belena, Heredia
We met at 6:30 p.m. for an hours drive
to our final dinner, west of San Jose on a mountain top. I believe the
lovely restaurant is named Tiquicia Restaurante. The view of the
city and valley with lights was breath taking. We enjoyed a very large
buffet and then entertainment – teen-agers doing folk dancing in native
costume, marvelous. Less traffic on the drive back to our hotel, only about
40 minutes. Time to get luggage in order and ready to leave.
Saturday, 20 March 2004
Up very early again. Judie, Leslie and I were taken to the airport at6
a.m.; Genie had been taken at 5 a.m. We paid our departure tax, my checked
luggage was searched, and then we settled down to wait for our planes,
taking turns shopping while we waited. America West flight scheduled to
depart at8:30 a.m., but arrival in Phoenix was a little late about1:25 p.m.
P.S. 3/26/2004:
A couple of weeks before we left for Costa Rica I thought I may have cracked
a little toe. When I returned home, due to swelling Howard insisted I see
my internists. She worked me in Tue., had me get x-rays, now have learned
ankle OK, but I did fracture my little toe. No pain! Have
appointment with foot doctor on Mon. 3/29/04 no doubt a waste of time.
Costa Rica 2004 (March 12 – 20)
Women Traveling Together (WTT)
http://www.women-traveling.com
arranged by Central American Tours
maria Elena Palomo
email: mapalomo@catours.net
Http://www.catours.co.cr
As some of you know my long-time friend Leslie and I were in Costa Rica
March 12 – 20, 2004with a small group of Women Traveling Together. We had
an adventuresome trip and it really was a blast. Go to the web site URL
below to see some small photos of our trip. I am in front of white water
raft (left side of photo with black shirt on); second from left in from of
Fichus Tree (my room mate Judie on far left); climbing up the rope ladder in
another big Fichus Tree; and on platform during the Canopy Tour.
http://www.women-traveling.com/PastTrips/2004-CostaRica.htm
If above URL is too deep go to the
home page of Women Traveling Together at:
http://www.women-traveling.com/
View 2004 Tours & Retreats
and click on Photos from 2004 Completed Tours
Copyright 2004 and beyond by Susan L. Anderson