"Costa Rica-Land of Beauty" a Costa Rica Travel Page by hotrodgirl

For the first time in my life I have kept a small journal of my travels. This was a good place to begin with, as it is diverse with culture, wildlife, pristine beauty, and affords one so many wonderful opportunities. I didn't fully understand "Pura Vida" until our trip. We were fortunate enough to visit a variety of areas, and I can't wait to return to this happy place. It would be impossible to leave without a wealth of knowledge and a love for this small country!
We began our tour in San Jose and drove up to Poas Volcano the first morning. Luckily, it was clearly visible and I cannot adequately describe the colors of the water. All I can say is that it was beautiful! We spent the afternoon in town, visiting the National Theatre (that was a shock) and doing some shopping. I was surprised to learn that San Jose was the third city in the world to get electricity! It was for the theatre, which was absolutely astounding. Please visit if you have the time. It is ornate, brilliant with statuary and gold gilt, and a wonderful place to begin to learn about Costa Rica.
The next day sent us to the Selve Verde Rainforest and the Aerial Tram, then on the boats to Tortuguero. I think I was largely in awe of the place for the 2 days we were there. Even in the pouring rain on the first day, the sound of howler monkeys greeted us, and they were clearly visible in the trees next to the canals. On to Laguna Lodge, our home for a couple of days. I can highly recommend this hotel. We even had hot water! The sounds of this place were something I thought could only imagine! Frogs, birds, monkeys, rustling leaves, gentle waters... The next day we woke to beautiful sunshine and set out on the canals to view Costa Rica at it's best. The sights were amazing, and the local guides were very adept at pointing out all sorts of lizards, turtles, birds, sloths, monkeys, and some primary forest. I hope as it becomes more popular, that conservation continues to be first and foremost! Tortuguero teems with life!

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Sunny Arenal

More Adventure

Left Tortuguero via the canals, and headed to Selve Verde Reserve for a hike, and walk on the suspension bridge. Got to spy some poisonous frogs which were resplendant with color. It's a beautiful area, lush and full of wonderful vegetation. After lunch, rode on to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano. Arrived there in the rain, so tha volcano was clouded over. This is par for the course, as I understand, and apparently visibility occurs just about 30% of the time. Nonetheless, it's a lovely area. The next day we girls had facials at our hotel, Las Cabinitas, which is a lovely little hideaway. We stayed in very clean, and appealing cabinas, and the food was wonderful there. The cook puts fruit out in some birdfeeders across the way, and every morning the trees were full of beautiful birds with lovely songs! A real treat. Did some shopping in town which was nice, and went to the Baldi Hot Springs late afternoon. We felt new again after relaxing there. Yet again, the volcano was not to be seen at night spewing its red lava... However, the next day dawned bright and sunny, and we did get to see Arenal at it's best. On the back side, it is green and verdant, while on the other side, dark and mountainous looking. Quite obviously, this is where the lava flows. After some pictures, we carried on to Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Childrens Eternal Rainforest for some serious hiking. Some of us took the canopy tour, while others stayed on the ground for some sightseeing. It was spectacular there! Green and full of little streams everywhere. Hiking shoes a must, as it's quite muddy! Saw some more primary forest, and birds of every color. Beautiful! When it became necessary to continue on, we drove on to San Ramon for food and a brief rest. Also a busy town with lovely churches and many small shops.

We drove on to the Carrera Reserve for a brief visit and rest stop, on our way to Jaco on the Pacific side of the country. Here, we stopped at the Amapola for a couple of nights, which was comfortable and had a nice pool. Arrived about 4 and swam for a bit before a big buffet dinner. Too tired to do anything other than relax in our rooms, and about 9:30, everything began to shake. Yep! There was an earthquake a few miles away near Quepos. After we put our beds back in place, we slept soundly, dreaming of our trip to Manuel Antonio the next day.
Morning dawned sunny and off we went to this magnificent park. What beauty! Stopped briefly in Quepos, and traversed some pretty rickety bridges to get to the park, but it is colorful with both people and wildlife! What a fun place to be. There's a public beach just outside the grounds, and after you enter, there's another lovely beach, though smaller and a bit quieter. We hiked about 4 or 5 miles through the trails, and saw lots of monkeys, a sloth, many lizards, white-nosed coati ,bats, hermit crabs, and birds too numerous to mention. Hikled up to a scenic overlook, then back to the beach for some swimming and down time.
Had a great dinner in Jaco for some seafood, and resting up for a tour of the coffee plantation the following day.
What a hoot! When you are in the San Jose area, you must visit Britt Coffee Plantation. What a show they put on. It's a wonderful little comedy about the coffee beans and how they came to the new world! And the coffee prices are wonderful. You can ship 20 pounds to the states for under $100.00. A great buy! On to town and the Barcelo Palacio for our last night! I hate to think about leaving, but I know I'll be back for more adventure and culture!
Pura Vida!