Costa Rica Adventure

Trying to leave

2007-09-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at the airport in Miami waiting for my flight to Boston. I am one day late...

I spend my last couple days in Costa Rica surfing in Tamarindo and around (Playa Negra). And i would definitely go back the fourth day if I had known that I won't get on the plane the day I was supposed to. This is what happened.

I arrived to the airport 1.5 hours before my flight. I was little surprised that there were no people in the line but I didn't complain. Until I got to the counter and the stuff member from American Airlines told me that the counter was closed and he can't let any more people on the plane. First I thought he has to be joking but unfortunately he wasn't. He just offered me another flight the next day. So I left the airport with my family, helped my cousin to pack for Boston where she was going to visit me (and where she will be welcoming me since her flight is at the end earlier than mine).

The next day I got to the airport 2.5 hours before my flight. I get to the counter, same guy welcomes me and guess what. He is telling me that the flight is overbooked again (same case as at my first attempt) and if I stay 2 more days they will pay for my hotel. I couldn't believe my ears and the fact that he didn't remember how I was already yelling at him the day before. After all he gave me my boarding pass this time with no seat reservation but at least I was in.

I thought there can't be more surprises on the way but they have just announced that we are missing 3 crew members. So my flight to Boston is delayed. Freaking AA.

I am a surfer!

2007-09-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe I shouldn't call myself a surfer. But I did surf. And I loved it!

Although the surf board is damn heavy and much longer than snowboard, the fact I do snowboard helped me a bit. I was told it's not worth starting with surfing if I only have one day because anyway I am just gonna spend it on the beach practicing standing up. But no. After 15 minutes on the beach me and my instructor were off to the water. And let me tell you, the conditions were not optimal at all - after lots of rain the water was kind of muddy and the waves were huge! But I wanted to do it anyway. And I think I did ok. At the end of the day I was able to hit the wave, stand on the board and float. The feeling was amazing. Almost like by snowboarding but more powerful because it's not only you who is moving but the whole ocean is moving with you.

Now I know where I am gonna spend my last days in Costa Rica.

On the way to Tamarindo

2007-09-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

In the morning I wasn't sure if I ever get out of my cousin´s place in Liberia again. That all because I was tried to be rubbed again the night before. But this time pretty brutally. While we were running home from a pizza place (it was pouring again) somebody grabbed me from behind, holded me by my neck, pulled my hair back and tried to take my purse. I have no idea where that yelling I produced at that moment came from but it surely scared the guy. We were so shocked with my cousin that we just ran home and swore we never go out again.

But of course I did. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the bus to 'Playa Tamarindo'. Just had two beers (Imperial made in Costa Rica) with a crazy girl I met on the bus who was talking about all her sexual experiences, first with guys then with girls. She really wanted me to stay overnight in Tamarindo so we could hang out more. And I could also stay at her place...was she interested? ;)

In any case, I said, no, muchas gracias and continued to Tamarindo on my own.

Tortuga Verde

2007-08-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Tortuguero comes from the word Tortuga - turtle. It's beeing said that when Columbus first reached this coast he reported in his diary that this place only has hundreds of turtles but not nice beaches.

August is a high season for nesting of one of the four species of turtles here, Green Turtle. After the hundreds of tourists walking on the beach every night watching the turtles got out of the hands, new program for saving turtles was started in 2004. There are so called spotters guarding the beach where the turtles are nesting and they only allow certain amount of people there every night. And only accompanied with a local guide. I had that opportunity to be in one of those groups.

Watching a 300kg heavy turtle slowly returning to the sea after she laid 80 to 120 eggs (size of a ping-pong ball) was amazing. Watching her actually laying the eggs was amazing even more. And strange at the same time. It was like someone is giving a birth while 50 people are watching it closely. I wouldn't like that.

We left the beach right before the turtle has her only couple minutes to spend with her babies because once she returns to the water she will never see them again.

And where were the male turtles at this point? Racing with a 100km/h speed somewhere in the sea. As our guide told us, males are not stupid, they won't come out of the water because they know there are lots of predators waiting for them. Let's just leave the females deal with that, right? (I didn't mean to sound feministic)

Roberto continues

2007-08-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

After all, Roberto wasn't such a bad guide. He was just sometimes confusing people with his English. But despite of that he took me and one English guy (William) on a great canoe tour throught the Tortuguero National Park canals. And although we were supposed to meet at 6am and he was knocking on my door at 5.30am I totally enjoyed this adventure. We got to see spider monkeys, caimans, basilisk lizards, lots of different species of birds and spiders and hear howler monkeys and toucans.

After the canoying trip I only had one hour to eat some empanadas con pollo because I was going for another adventure, hike from San Francisco to Tortuguero Mountain. Here again, we (William, his English friend and me) could appreciate Roberto's English communication skills. He told us to wear closed shoes because supposedly there were snakes in that forest. But while hiking ona very very steep and muddy hill the only animal we saw was a red frog (very cool though!) that is poisoning but only when you touch it (which you usually don't). With our shoes totally covered in mud we asked Roberto, where are the snakes. And he said, there are none here. So, he probably wanted us to get ready for the mud, not for the snakes. Unfortunately, because my hiking shoes were stolen I had to rent rubber boots in the village (for 1USD). But those two poor English guys...But to give Roberto some credit, on the top of that muddy hill we were rewarded with a beautiful view on the Tortuguero village, the canals and Caribian Sea.

While waiting for a water taxi on the way back we met 3 Ticos (people from Costa Rica), friends of Roberto. I wasn't really sure what their native language was (in this part of Costa Ricamany people speak English) because they had troubles to put one sentence together, in Spanish as well as in English. But they were funny characters. Talking about Bush and Fidel Castro.

Too bad our boat arrived before one of the guys could prove us that he really owns a passport. We only saw him walking from one side of the road to another to his house where he went look for it.

No money? No problem!

2007-08-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Roberto crossed my way sooner than I wanted but thanks to this 'coincidence' I had a chance to meet this really cool Jamaican/Nicaraguyan guy who at one point sounded like a broken gramophone but what he kept repeating was: 'Don´t have money? No problem. I don´t need money! I am happy!'.

So after all it was true about Tortuguero. People are really calm and happy here (not sure if it's not the marihuana but whatever) which after San Jose makes it a really nice place to be. People here wake up early in the morning, some of them work as guides on the canoe tours, others work in one of the 50 lodges spread along the canal. They don´t have much, but they have enough. Enough to be happy. Towards the evening they just hang around the village, lay in their hammocks, have beer and dance salsa or just listen to reage in one of the two 'discotheques'. Who wouldn't want life like this?

Again. Pura Vida!

Budda Bar

2007-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite bars in Bratislava, Slovakia is Budha Bar. I was looking for this type of bar in Boston but with no luck. And here I am in Tortuguero, sitting in a bar just like mine from back home, eating avocado salad, drinking papaya fresco and listening to a great chill-out electronic music with a bit of reggae. The only difference with the bar in Bratislava is that now, I am sitting in a beach chair and watching how the light changes on the canal.

Pura Vida!

Roberto

2007-08-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Roberto was my guide who was waiting for me at the bus station in Carriari from where I had to take another bus through banana plantations (I will always remember this ride when eating 'Chiquita' bananas:)) and the boat that brought me to Tortuguero (the only way how to get there). While on the boat in the canal I had a chance to see crocodiles, turtles and many different birds.

But now back to Roberto. He was a very nice guy, carrying my huge backpack everywhere...even where I didn't ask him to. He was supposed to bring me to the 'hotel' where I had my reservation but instead he brought me to some sketchy place. First I had not realized it's not my place but after he mentioned his room is next door and that we should go to the discotheque later it all started to look little suspicious. So I left my stuff in that small room and went to look for the place I reserved. And I found it! Much better, I can tell you that. Fortunately, here you pay for the room when leaving. I like.

So, I don't know what was Roberto thinking, but even I am blond I can still put two and two together. The only thing is that he is also a guide on a tour I am planning to take later. Let's see how that goes.

So, it was true...

2007-08-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

I thought the road from La Fortuna to Monteverde was something very occasional but I was wrong. Local bus full of people wanting to get to San Jose was after couple kilometers on the same road, or at least it seemed like the same unpaved road where the maximum speed limit is 35km/h but there is no way someone could drive faster than 15. Especially not in a pouring rain, with the doors open so the front windshield won´t get foggy.

The bus ride to San Jose takes about five hours. During this time I was questioning myself if I should really go to San Jose because so far all the people I met where telling me if I desperately don't need to go there I should not. But I could not believe that it would be that bad. I mean, there has to be something, at least some museums...

As getting closer to San Jose I started to get little bit worried about how I am gonna get to the hostel (one of the things I was told was not to be outside after it gets dark...it was already dark and we were not even in San Jose yet). Fortunately I met one girl from Iowa who was also travelling by her own and who was coincidentally going to the same hostel. There were two of us, so we thought we could as well just walk to the hostel that did not seem that far on the map. After one block a cab driver told us we are in a very dangerous part of the city and that we shouldn't be walking by ourselves in the middle of the night. So we took a cab.

At the hostel Pangea, we had some frescos at the bar and decided to take a double private room instead of a dorm (difference 2 USD). I was finally relaxed, ready to explore San Jose next morning.

Today´s exploring started very interesting. I was tried to be rubbed. There were two people walking next to me as I was looking for the Museum de Jade (talking like tourists). After taking some pictures I realized my backpack was opened. But I still thought it just opened by itself (it happened before). But then another nice cab driver started to talk to me (in Spanish, of course) and the only word I got was ´peligrosa´. I still did not get it though. Walked around a bit until that same cab driver drove around to talk to a police man who stopped me and told me that the cab driver saw those two people trying to steal something from my backpack and that I should carry all my stuff in the front. (You might thing I was not careful enough having my backpack on my back, but fortunately I put my big camera bag with my passport and money out of it so I could see it all the time...as a result, the thieves didn't take anything).

This thing kind of threw me off a bit so I decided to go straight to the Museo Del Oro en la Plaza de Cultura. I think I spent the longest time in this museum I had ever spent in museums before. I was so afraid to get out on the street again. But I finally did. Walked on Avenidad Central and on the side streets trying to find a bus stop to Cartago. I was directed 5 times to 5 different directions. When I finally gave up I saw a bus with a sign Cartago passing by and I don´t know if the bus driver could read my mind or if he could see it in my eyes but he just stopped in the middle of the road and I jumped on.

I spent an hour in Cartago, went to see a famous Bazilica where people from the whole country come to pray for healing.

Back in San Jose, I walked a bit more and tried to take some pictures. While taking one picture there were three police men standing by. They were looking at me the whole time and after I kept taking one picture hundred times (the light wasn't optimal) they pointed at me and called me to come to them. Again, they tried to tell me I should be careful when having my camera out and that I should always carry it in the front. I said ´muchas gracias´and went back to the hostel.

San Jose isn' that bad of a city, I mean nothing special but not that bad either. It's just this permanent fear that someone will steal something from me makes me feel like I really want to get out of here.

Dinero, dinero, dinero

2007-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today I learned a lesson. If you think you are going to save money by exploring Costa Rica on your own, you are wrong.

I decided not to take a tour this time because I only wanted to do some hiking. I had to take a cab for 3,500 colones (circa 7 USD) to get to the Selvatura Park. I was stopped at the entrance and asked to buy a ticket. For 20 USD! Can you imagine? 20 USD for 1.5 hour hike. Ok, there were some hanging bridges that I had the opportunity to cross, but still. I had already paid 7 USD to see waterfalls in La Fortuna (1 waterfall indeed) and 15 USD to do another 2 hours hike in the Cloud Forest in Monteverde yesterday. Kind of expensive, this Costa Rica. I totally understand this country lives from the tourism but so does Hawaii where I spent almost a month 1.5 years ago but never paid a penny to see a nature.

Costa Rica might very soon become a home for rich people from Switzerland or Italy who are already building huge resorts (almost villages) for very small money here but not for people who really like nature and want to explore it.

Oh, and by the way, if I had taken the tour today I would pay 22 USD and save 5 USD.

Dog, hiking shoes and volcano

2007-08-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Leaving Arenal Backpacker´s Hostel in La Fortuna was not easy. Not because it was a great hostel (pool, restaurant, bar, private bathrooms, close to the volcano and center of La Fortuna) but because I had to leave my right hiking shoe there...left one was gone when I woke up in the morning.
No, nobody needed my left shoe, it was just a cute little dog that was playing around the hostel all day (and apparently night as well) that thought it might be fun to take my shoe to some secret place so I could never find it. So, from today on, I am without my hiking shoes (I figured that I might as well leave my right shoe at the hostel).

After this, everything went pretty well today. I took a van, boat and a van again to get to St.Elena in Monteverde. Honestly, getting in that van, I had doubts we gonna make it to the final destination - we took a shortcut through Monteverde (which actually gave us the opportunity to see ´vistas lindas´). So, here I am, enjoying arroz con pollo y te frio after two hours hike in the Cloud Forest of Monteverde.

Oh, and I almost forgot...as we were on the boat in the middle of Lago Arenal, Volcano Arenal rewarded us with a proof of its activity - we saw a huge steam coming from the top of the volcano. Pretty amazing!

Little bit of Adrenaline

2007-08-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Waking up into a sunny day is one of the nice things about Costa Rica, especially during the winter season when you usually go to bed with the rain knocking on your window. It was 7.30am and I could not wait to increase some adrenaline in my blood. I was off to the so called Canopy Tour (sliding down and up on the cables above and through the forest). After listening to the instructions from our guide I hesitated for couple of seconds but was very happy that I did not change my mind at the end. It was lots of fun riding on those cables through the forest, above the valleys, passing some waterfalls. The longest ride out of ten took almost a minute and it offered stunning views of the land around us.

After this great experience we stopped in a small village where we were showed art and customs of the tribe Maleku (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleku) and then got on the horses and rode back to the starting point for about 30 minutes. First I was not sure which of those two, canopy tour or horseback riding, were more scary, but I got a very calm and smart white horse (probably after the rider) so I could enjoy it fully.

My day got busier than I thought after a group of Russians (mom and her daughters) asked me to join them for the hike to the waterfalls where we swam in the lagoons and walked on the hanging bridges. I guess I have luck for Russians...is it my name? :)

Walking in the rain...

2007-08-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

After spending a really nice and sunny day driving around Lago Arenal to La Fortuna I was really excited for my first hike. Until...until I saw the clouds coming at us with no mercy. I was soaked and wet within 5 seconds. To my bones. When our guide asked me how many plants are in the forest (after mentioning it a little while ago) I was like: ´do you really think I care?´. There was only one thing keeping us alive...natural hot springs and active volcano Arenal throwing hot lava rocks from the top of it.

So, all in all, it was a nice start of my trip by my own in Costa Rica. I just really need to get that poncho/rain coat. :)

2181

2007-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I am the only crazy person booking her flight at 6 in the morning. Well, guess what. I was not. I got to the airport at 4:15 after stopping to meet my friends at Charlesmarket Bar, listening to pretty good house music at Axis and having an early morning sushi in Boston´s Chinatown and really, the last thing I would expect was million people waiting in the line at the airport. But as it usually goes, right when you think you are going to miss your plane the line miraculously moves...

There were couple other things that stood in my way like a bottle of nice Californian Merlot in my carry on backpack that I fortunately remembered to put in my check in bag one second before check in, couple lip balsams and gel that I had to put in a small plastic bag that no, was not given for free but had to be purchased at the other side of the terminal. And then last but not least baby food that I recently fell in love with and that had to be thrown away.

But despite all these ´security issues´, here I am, just boarding the flight No.2181 to Liberia, Costa Rica.

Finally vacation!

2007-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Finally. The time for my long awaited trip to Costa Rica has come! It's Friday evening and I am sitting in my studio apartment in Boston looking at my backpack, thinking, why the hell can't I pack less stuff for a change. But whatever, it's all packed.

My flight is at 6am...yes, your eyes are not lying to you, 6am!!! First I thought that I had to be really tired when I was booking that flight but then I realized I didn't have to be....I have a whole night for partying! :) So Landsdowne Street, get ready, here we come!

Hasta luego en Costa Rica!