Diary/Photo Journal
Long Week of April 10 - 21, 2008
Well, a bit of time has elapsed since I got around to organizing our jaunt to Costa Rica in the Spring of 2008. I can release a barrage of excuses; however, the truth is, I got so involved in our work and some personal matters that our website received a lesson in patience. But alas, remembering my enjoyment in creating these pages, I am once again back at the keyboard.
Gerson and I went to Costa Rica to spend some time with my sister, Alexis, and three of her four children (and a couple of their friends). My sister decided to take the family to the Jaco area for their Spring Break and we thought, what the heck, we could use a little zip-lining, rafting, surfing, hiking, swimming, horseback riding trip ourselves. We flew in a few days ahead of time so we could find a place for us and to set up some of the experiences that we wanted to introduce to the kids.
Being rather fortunate, we found a terrific 3-bedroom, 2-bath condo to stay in just a minute from the beach and a few hundred feet from the main strip through the town of Jaco. As I was inquiring about various tours, Gerson made his way into a little bar nearby. By the time I got there, he was on a first-name basis with an ex-patriot (someone that was from the United States but now lives in another country) that lives in town. He eagerly referred us to a real estate man and we wandered off in search of his office.
When we arrived at the office, there were a couple of other gentlemen sharing the realtor's company and upon hearing of our wants, one of the men (Keith) offered us an unbelievable deal on a rental condominium. We strolled over and took a look and that was all we needed. We paid him cash of $500 for a total of 13 nights and moved in. Lo and behold, Keith was our next-door neighbor. Having this place so centrally located and with a friendly ex-pat next door, made the trip even more enjoyable.
The additional days spent around Jaco also gave us the opportunity to take our little rental car to places that we were better off not discussing with the rental car agency. Ah, but no worries as we did not encounter any problems and found some remarkable corners just north of the city.
(This page will seem a bit picture-laden and that is because we just did so much in such a short amount of time and the pictures themselves tell much of the story).
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The road less travelled Love the bamboo tunnel |
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Some of the scenic points in the area
Just to put the crocodile's size in perspective, |
Besides those quiet little corners, Costa Rica is known for its spectacular beaches and it did not disappoint. I think the only things that shared our beach were the occasional skittering iguanas.
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Our alone-time Gerson has the ocean all to himself |
After a few days of peace, the troops arrived at the Los Suenos Marriott Beach & Golf Resort, a small, upscale development north of Jaco. Spending a day poolside, looking out over the ocean, reminded us of our many pleasurable days in Brasil. The only difference was the ability to float over to the pool bar and order one of those ridiculous fruit concoctions that we hate to admit that we love to drink. As I affectionately say about the difference between my sister and me, Alexis is "Rolex" and I am "Mickey Mouse" (and yes, she wears a Rolex watch and I wear a Mickey Mouse watch).
But it was nice to deviate from our normal humble travel practices and indulge in some 5-star treatment.
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Claire finding fun anywhere Gerson, Alexis and Grace working hard at doing nothing Alexis enjoys having a "staff" to wait on her |
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Reid tried to convince us that that was an alcohol-free drink (suuuurrre) Noisy night visitors |
After a day of much ado about nothing, we dragged the clan into the mountains (Montes de Oro) for a day of horseback riding up and zip-lining down. We had a perfect day for what was to be a laugh-ridden and scream-filled experience. It was so much fun to see the kids unhesitatingly jump onto the zip-line and hear their excitement as they flew down the mountain.
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The ride up the mountain made use
of the local transportation Grace and
Claire making the helmets look cute |
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Our view from on top of the world
Louise and Reid bringing up the rear |
Even my sister (who I swear had a powder compact hidden somewhere on her person as she always made certain she looked totally put together), dove right into the spirit of things and took advantage of our flights over the various pools and waterfalls by dipping her feet whenever she could.
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Our motley crew: Claire,
Louise, Mark (my sister's friend), Gerson, Alexis, Christian, Reid, Grace and our fantastic guides Claire, Gerson and Alexis get into the zip of things
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Alexis makes a splash
I think the smiles have it. What a great
time! |
One of the best parts of this excursion were the many pools and waterfalls that we went over and through. We crisscrossed a long, steep, winding river and oftentimes we vaulted off the edge of a cliff overlooking the waters. I would like to go back and hike the entire zip-trail because there was so much beauty to see that I missed in the whiz of the ride.
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Grace, Claire, Reid and Christian
set up for the prime photos |
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Louise and Gerson strike the pose |
We had a respite at one waterfall and we just could not resist figuring out the way to make the best of it. I started to climb up the sheer wall when I just could not see the toehold necessary to cross out into the water. Fortunately, I caught a brief look from one guide to another and I realized that THEY knew how to get over to the water so with my imploring look, the guide showed me the trick. A few carefully planted footsteps and I was sliding down the face of the waterfall.
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Louise and Gerson have never found
a waterfall they did not like. |
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Gerson taking the plunge |
No sooner than Gerson and I were down the waterfall, when Reid and Christian scrambled up the rocks to do the same. Of course, being young and seemingly immortal, they decide to "surf" the face of this rock wave to the horror of Alexis. I do not know what was more fun, watching Reid and Christian make it down the slide or hearing Alexis loudly gulp her breath as her son jumped to his feet and started slipping down the stone.
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Reid "rock surfing" |
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Christian showing his style |
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Just plain ole goofing off Reid and Christian |
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Gerson and Claire find their sweet spot Christian, Reid, Claire, Grace and Alexis |
We concluded the adrenaline-filled day with a terrific lunch at the Hotel Vista Golfo, a picturesque mountain-top hostel. Only the local birds competed with our voices as we recaptured our day in various embellished synopses.
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Claire and Gerson zipping over some of the beautiful sights Louise hamming it up for the camera |
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Mark hanging out
Tandem zip with Louise and Gerson that almost had
Louise What an awesome day! And what an ending! |
The next day, we were off to the beach to indulge in the waves. We headed south of Jaco (near Playa Hermosa) and found a wonderful black-sand beach that we had all to ourselves. However, a short time after we arrived, we discovered why the beach was somewhat deserted. I will give you some hints: black sand beach, strong sunshine...yep, it was quite amusing to watch everyone make the hot-sand-hop to the water.
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Claire, Grace, Reid and Mark get good use of
the toys Reid found a way to conquer the hot black sand Gerson making the most of the day
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Christian finds his sweet spot Alexis involuntarily becoming one with the wave |
There is something about having a cold beer on the beach that is akin to a bag of peanuts at a baseball game or perhaps, a cup of hot chocolate by a fireplace on a cold, rainy night. It just tastes better! We have enjoyed the local beer Imperial before (as rated on our Beer Index) and this time was no exception.
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An "enhanced" Claire One of the other beachcombers |
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Incredible views along the drive
south of Jaco Costa Rica shoreline lives up to its
beautiful A touch of a cloud forest |
In keeping with the days so far, we were off to yet another adventure: white water rafting. What we did not know was that just the journey to the river was a good part of the excitement. From driving along a bone-jarring road through palm tree (for palm oil) and teak groves, to stopping to pick up the colorful (and harmless) spider, to crossing precarious wooden bridges that I would swear were not wide enough for the bus. It was quite the trip and we welcomed anything the river wanted to splash at us.
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Palm groves, both thriving and culled Palm fruit to be harvested, nut by nut Exquisite teak forests |
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Just a couple of our interesting
crossings I cannot pass up the
opportunity to play with |
An interesting note about the palm groves. When the older palm trees are no longer fruitful, new trees have to be planted (as the palm tree does not have an infinite lifespan). The caretakers pour diesel or fuel oil in the roots in order to suffocate the plant. Once the tree dies from the suffocation, the top of the tree falls off and room is given to the new trees to be planted.
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In route to the river: Reid, Gerson,
Grace, Alexis, Claire, Mark, Christian and Louise Getting geared up Finally on the water: Gerson, Louise, Claire and Grace Gerson and Claire ham it up |
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Louise and Gerson strike the pose Smiling while we are still dry Mark, Alexis, Christian and Reid starting off Just one of the many colorful critters |
We came to the end of our road, literally, and disembarked at the river's edge. After the bus ride, the rafting trip did not seem so scary and we were giddy with excitement. We were lined up and outfitted and even participated in some stretching exercises before jumping into the raft. On the sly, Gerson was talking with the guides (in Spanish so the kids would not understand) and telling them to not worry if we get soaking wet and to give us a wild ride. I could hardly mask my laughter as the guides just grinned and nodded to each other. Yep, we were in for a wet and wild ride!
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The pictures say it all... Now you see us...now you don't |
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The rafting version of a "high five"
Another colorful frog |
The guides took Gerson's request seriously and both boats did a disappearing act in the rapids. The photos compiled here are a combination of the photos taken by the rafting company's photographer and what I was able to take with my own camera. Fortunately, I was able to keep my camera safe in a waterproof bag and at every pause in the action, I tried to get as many photos as I could. It is always easy to take great pictures when everyone is smiling from ear-to-ear.
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Now it's the other raft's turn to
play hide and seek. They did not quite get the "high five" as Reid
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For some reason, Alexis always finds the
camera but then, there are times when you are just hanging on for dear life |
After several rough spots, we pulled up onto the shore for a little trek time up to a waterfall. It was immediately apparent that this was a fall made for jumping off of and we raced to the top of the rock. I think I most enjoyed having my sister look over at me while Grace, her youngest, was leaping off the rock and giving me this look of "where did that come from?" I just knowingly smiled and was inwardly so tickled to see Grace be so fearless.
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Again, Alexis knows where that
camera is...with Reid and Christian Gerson and Grace cooling off |
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Reid and Christian did not waste any time Alexis with Claire and Grace Louise enjoying the solitude for a moment |
Whilst playing in the waterfall, the boys decided to sit underneath a smaller cascade that we later deemed "leech ledge". Yes, you guessed it! There was an assortment of various sized leeches and the boys recreated a famous scene from "Stand By Me" when they searched every nook and cranny for the affectionate creatures. Fortunately for them, they did not find any hanger-on'ers, but it did put us in temporary hysterics.
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Reid taking the plunge Louise just having fun Reid and Christian on their "leech ledge" |
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Usually difficult to spot, this Toucan made
his presence known loud and clear, emphasis on the "loud" A Green and Black Poison Dart Frog |
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Grace takes her leap of faith
Followed by Mark, Louise and |
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Praying Mantises are just cool bugs
Various monkeys and a sloth |
I lost count of the number of rapids we battled through before we had a few minutes to drift along in the calmer waters. The kids did not waste any time diving right in and floating down the river. It was a nice reprieve from the hard work of paddling and the canyon echoed with our laughter while telling our version of survival in the killer waters.
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Our float time and gorgeous
scenery Reid gets an "8" for the dismount |
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Just some more good pictures and yet again, Alexis was finding that camera! |
We were soon back into the fun parts and finding ourselves immersed in the white foam of the churning water.
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You think I would have drank half
the river with the amount of time I spent with my mouth open. Besides being inundated with water, we were overwhelmed with adrenaline |
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Disappearing act |
What an exceptional day. We were so tired that we hardly noticed the bus ride back to civilization.
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I was head and shoulders above
them all... but when that boat dipped down, I was completely under the water. I was smiling with relief because I stayed in the boat! |
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A vivid Scarlet Macaw Views into Manuel Antonio |
The next day, we ran off by ourselves and gave the kids their time at their "resort". We ventured up into Monteverde and its cloud forest and it did not disappoint. We found ourselves within an eerily quiet forest that looked like something out of a Stephen King novel. We had to wear rain gear as the "clouds" were so heavily laden with moisture that we would have been soaked to the skin. As it was, the mist swirled around our heads and dripped down our necks as we walked the curious trails.
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Paths into oblivion The newest rain-gear fashion |
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The sun was trying to get through
These ferns were about 100' below us and Cool walkways through the trees |
The further we walked into the forest, more and more incredible trees came into our view. We often found that we were not looking at just one tree, but many forms of plant life clinging to the "one" trunk.
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Gerson hidden in the mist
The root systems of some of the
trees |
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This tree was marked by this sign and it explains how exceptional and necessary its life really is |
After our cloud forest jaunt, we dropped into a open-air hummingbird plaza and a butterfly garden/insect hatchery (Mundo de Los Insectos) and oohed and aahed our way around these special places. Standing in a cozy patio, we were surrounded by sounds of the hummingbirds whizzing by our ears. These delicate birds would fly so close to our faces that we could feel the air displacement as they shot by.
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One of the only hummingbirds that
I could catch on my camera - they are certainly quick little buggars Some of the other interesting critters we got to see up close and personal A chameleon-like grasshopper and a mother scorpion taking her kiddies out for a stroll |
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Look closely at these pictures. The
green, stick-like things are the bugs (hermaphroditic walking sticks) and the brown thing that looks like a leaf is also an insect Very cool camouflage |
Funny thing is that we greatly anticipated the visit to the cloud forest and we actually had more fun and more amazement at the butterfly garden (and insect display). As luck would have it (and probably our noticeable enthusiasm), we were chosen to hold a newly emerged butterfly and encourage its release into life.
When a butterfly emerges, it is still wet and has to take some time to dry its wings. During this time, the butterfly will just sit calmly, slowly opening and closing its wings to assist in the drying process. Something about holding this fragile and beautiful creature gave me chills right down my spine. What a lovely experience!
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Our emerging butterfly decided to
hang around for a bit so I just walked along with it for some time Gerson found a friend as well |
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Just some of the other butterflies that did not mind our intrusion The ones with the
large spots have evolved
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Still coming off the pleasure of our time with the smaller inhabitants of Costa Rica, we spent the next day with the family which meant back to the beach. We had yet another glorious day with the sun and sand and we especially liked having drinks, ceviche and local fruits delivered right to our towels.
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Just a little beach south of Jaco
Gerson was proud of his little moat as the tide
was Reid trying his surf skills |
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It's all about Claire.
Claire playing with the waves or rather, the
waves Getting her first Henna "tatoo". (Look at Alexis's face...don't worry Alexis, it comes off eventually) |
Coming to the end of our action-packed trip, we decided to stay close to home. This gave us the excuse to relax at the resort and watch the boys play with the personal watercraft. Of course, even before Reid disembarked from his ride, he was yelling to his mother "MOM! You need to buy one of these when we get home". Alexis just played the "I'm old and getting deaf" card and pretended not to hear him.
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Alexis keeping watch Reid not wasting any time launching his craft Reid and Christian taking their turns |
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Mark and Grace pried the watercraft away from
the boys, but not for long Local fisherman trying to catch the dinner special |
Savoring the last hours of what was a fantastic trip and even better, no injuries in all the stunts we pulled off. The photos do not lie and I figure this page is worth about 100,000 gleeful words.
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Claire and Grace making the most of the pool time |
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Gerson enjoying some one-on-one time with his beer |
And again, we come to the conclusion of yet another fantastic adventure which was made all the more delightful with the inclusion of my sister and her kids. So, even though I am completing this page some months later, the memories and the warm, exhilarating feelings are as fresh as ever. What fun we had!