Final Day in Costa Rica at Manoel Antonio National Park

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Final Day in Costa Rica at Manoel Antonio National Park

Our final day in Costa Rice was going to begin once again at the crack of dawn.  It would be a 5.30 am rising, breakfast at 6.00 and ready to begin a walking tour of the National Park with the sole purpose of sighting animals—who are usually early risers. 

Breakfast at the Congo Restaurant at the San Bada Hotel:

There was a lady making fresh omelettes at a station and Llew and I chose two of those with the works. This was accompanied by bacon (really delicious thick-cut variety), hash browns (crisp and tasty) and decaf coffee which the wait staff managed to organize for Llew and me. Filled with this tasty repast, we were ready to depart.

On a Walking Tour of Manoel Antonio NationalPark:

I expected a lot from this walk as the film last night had prepared us for a feasts of animals sightings. Also, my friend Delilah had told me that they had seen a lot of wild life on their walk and, because it was the last item on a very crowded week-long itinerary of activities, I did believe that it was meant to be the piece de resistance of our travels.

I could not have been more mistaken.  Those who elected to go surfing, relax by the pool or do their own thing, seemed to have the wiser idea. Or may be we were just unlucky and the animals fought shy of us. Who knows? As it turned out, when we began our walk at 7.00 am, the first thing we saw was a giant turkey kite seated on a high branch close to the entrance. From that point on, it was mainly butterflies that fluttered past us, the odd lizard on a creek bank (we’d already seen plenty of those) and the distant calls of toucans. We actually, did not, in the flesh, see very much at all.  Like everyone else, I kept hoping we’d see a sloth—because they are so rare and South America is the only place where one can actually see them. But nothing.Nada. Zilch.

We walked on and on, along the forest—being all the time sensitive to sounds (and there were those: chirping of birds, whirring of what sounded like bees or crickets...that sort of thing). It was quiet and it was peaceful, but it did not have the same thrill as I had felt in the magical rain forest where the atmosphere was completely different.

Eventually, we reached the beach—one of the private beaches of Manoel Antonio Park. The waves of the Pacific Ocean were mighty strong as they rushed on the shore. Some folks elected to go in for a dip right away—they we’re wearing swimsuits under their walking clothes. Others chose to merely sit on the sand and enjoy the spectacular shades of green-blue of the water. Others chose to do a more challenging hike and Llew was one of the latter. He decided to do the Cathedral Trail which climbed very high up for about 700 steps and I chose to accompany him on it.

Hiking the Cathedral Trail:

We were a group of five on the Cathedral Train: Bueno (minus Tess, who preferred to frolic in the waves), Sam and Mary Hinkley and Llew and myself. I began to count the steps just as soon as we started. It was a narrow but very well-laid out trail that was composed of wooden steps—some were gentle and some were giant ones. They were well maintained with lots of loose gravel to provide traction. I had hoped to catch sight of monkeys or sloths--but no such luck. By about the 300th step, we saw a pair of what are called agoutis-they are large rodents (about double the size of rabbits) with Iongish snouts. And that was it really. Very disappointing indeed. But I have to say that when we stopped at about four look-out points the views of the Ocean and the unspoiled white sand beaches and the tropical vegetation were quite spectacular. At one point, one can usually see whales—of course, we spotted none!  It was a very difficult, very challenging climb and it took all the physical stamina I could muster. Eventually, after we posed on a bridge, we made our swift way down and arrived back at Manoel Antonio Beach and that was where we finally had one sloth sighting. Amy told us that there was a sloth in a tree close by and she led us to it.

Spotting a Sloth:

This was way up high, however, and of a soft beige color that camouflaged it completely. We could barely see it and it was only when he started to move and rustle the leaves and branches at the top that we could see it. Still, it was another sloth sighting and I did take a picture.

The Long Walk Back to the Hotel:

Llew and I then began the walk back to our hotel using the concrete paved pathway rather than the mud one on which we had started. It took us over half an hour to get back. On the way, we saw many tourists with very sophisticated cameras and we spotted a nice sign that announced the venue—under which we posed for pictures. But that was it. We were very hot and very tired when we arrived at the entrance of the park and two steps later, found ourselves within the property of our hotel.

Cooling Off at the Hotel Pool:

We still had about an hour before it was time to gather around for an early lunch (at 11.15 am)—so it was the perfect time to cool off by the pool. We found that the Congo Restaurant was still open and Llew and I watermelon and mango juice respectively. I carried mine to the pool while Llew who was very hot, went into our room to cool off in the air-conditioning. I stripped off my shoes and socks and dangled by feet in the water (ah, so good!) in the company of a number of folks who had chosen to stay put and enjoy the hotel on the last day. After about half an hour, after we met Katherine who had gone surfing on the public  beach and was sun burned and hurt by the surf board, and Amy who told us that she had a really splendid sloth sighting (and she had video to prove it too), we returned to our room for showers.

Those showers felt really splendid as we cooled off and freshened up and were finally ready for lunch in the Congo Restaurant.

Our Final Lunch in the Congo Restaurant:

Our final lunch in the Congo Restaurant was lovely. By this point in time, it is funny how closely we had bonded as a group and how friendly everyone felt towards the other. From that first journey in the bus when we had spoken to no one, to this last lunch when we were all chattering away, it was great. We sat with Kay who is staying over at a Hindu chanting camp for another ten weeks. Most of the participants were talking about leaving and the anxiety of finding flights changed, cancelled or re-routed. Tanya and Liz from Toronto were going to stay at the San Bada Hotel for another week—so this was their last meal with us and they were determined to get a group photo done.

I had a big salad because I love how fresh and tasty the vegetables are. One finds shredded lettuce, wedges of tomato, slices of cucumber, shredded red cabbage, shredded white cabbage, shredded carrots and often times chick peas in the various dishes that allow one to mix a salad to taste. There are also many different dressings but I have been sticking to oil and balsamic vinegar. Today, there was chicken in a tomato sauce and Beef Stew with carrots and potatoes. I chose to have the beef as beef is quite wonderful in Costa Rica (and I rarely usually eat beef) and it was quite the most tasty thing I had eaten on the trip.  In fact, I went back for seconds. I had been avoiding the carbs and filling up on salads (but I still feel that I have put on weight because the desserts are irresistible). 

Posing For A Group Picture:

It was a good thing I suggested we use a bridge that spanned the beautiful pool to pose for a group picture because it did provide a splendid backdrop for our picture and allowed every single one of us to be seen. It was my last time to chat with Rick who was the world’s first baby boomer—he and I were sorry that we had not spent enough time on the trip really talking about our books and our writing. Still, we made the best of our last few minutes together. 

The picture was well organized with Tanya taking charge of the whole project and placing our guide Bernal right in the center. We found someone to click and sooner rather than later, the picture was done.

Off on our Last Long Drive:

And then it was our last hour of driving, past this region of Manoel Antonio that reminded us so much of Goa, that got us to the last leg of our travels—our return to the capital of the country, San Jose. I dozed off through much of it.

We made one last shopping stop at a large souvenir store and there I bought a couple of souvenir things for the children

Eventually, we did arrive at the intercontinental Hotel where Llew and I thought we would have the entire next day at leisure. It was a grand place, of course, as all Inter-Continental Hotels are, but when we entered the lobby, Bernal told us that the pool, gym and sauna were closed as a result of the virus and that we could only use the lobby.  I also found, to my disappointment, that unlike the Barcelo Hotel, which we had used on our arrival into the city, this was not in the downtown area—in fact, it was far away...and if we wished to explore on our own, we’d need to take a taxi for $20 to get there. 

Check in and Discovery of a Flight Change:

We checked into a beautiful room on the fifth floor, but, in about twenty minutes after we had connected to WiFi, we discovered that there had been a big change in our flight which was scheduled to leave the next day (i.e. Friday). It had been cancelled and we had been re-routed to one leaving on Saturday morning at 10.15 which would not go non-stop. We had a layover in Miami for 17 hours (yes, 17 hours!) before we arrived at JFK in New York City on Sunday at midnight (i.e. early Monday morning). Of course, we were having none of that and so we sat on the phone in our room and made a call to American Airlines and, long story, short, were lucky to find two Business Class seats for the flight leaving that very evening! Good Job we had not even unpacked!

A Surprise Cultural Dance Performance, Farewell Dinner and Departure from Costa Rica:

  It was necessary to change our car rental booking (which Llew managed very easily to do), let Bernal know about our flight change so that he could organize local transport to the airport for us, and then pack our bags and get ready to leave.

The surprise was a cultural evening of Costa Rican dance in the small auditorium where a couple (one of whom had won Dancing With the Stars in Costa Rica) regaled us with folk and classical (tango-like ballroom dancing) that was very professional indeed. It was a terrific way to finish up a wonderful tour and a great introduction to a fascinating country. 

From there, we all adjourned to the restaurant where a buffet-style dinner (very upscale and very classy) was served. It started with a really grand Cream of Mushroom soup, a selection of fresh vegetables and some specialty salads (hearts of palm with mozzarella and tomato), a fab kale salad with apples and raisins and a really superb variety of dressings: the passion fruit dressing and the honey mustard dressing were wonderful. For the main course, there was a choice between fish and beef tenderloin (which I chose for I love a creamy mushroom sauce) and for dessert, there were small squares of pecan pie and tiramisu.  We chose to sit with Carol and Rick who were our last dinner companions. So on that really luxurious and very satisfying note, our tour of Costa Rica came to a memorable end.

Of course, we then said goodbye to all our new friends with the promise that we would stay in touch.  Llew was not feeling too well (upset tummy) and went to our room to bring our baggage down. Bernal had organized a mini van for us and for the Traylor family and in about an hour, we had piled in and were making our way to the airport. 

At San Jose Airport:

All was quiet when we reached San Jose airport half an hour later. We went through Immigration calmly. Most people seem to have left the country and the airport was quiet but not empty. We were very early for our flight, so sat reading at the gate.

It was a red eye flight that left San Jose at 10.59 pm. I had dinner (stuffed beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and peach ice-cream sprinkled with honeycomb). I tried to sleep through some of it but I have to say that this was probably the most uncomfortable might flight I have ever taken (despite the fact that we were flying Business Class)—go figure! Llew spoke to the stewardess who told him that ours was the last non-stop flight out of Costa Rica. After this, American Airlines will fly people out of Costa Rica but with multiple layovers. We really did luck out! 

We arrived in Kennedy Airport at 5.40 am and had to wait till 6.00 am for the aircraft gates to open as that is when the Customs and Immigration folks come on Duty. Llew was the first person to get off the aircraft and the first person to be cleared by Immigration through our Global Network cards. I was the second! We were amazed that there was no testing whatsoever upon landing. As we had not checked in any baggage, we just strolled out of the airport and headed straight on the Air Train to Budget to pick up our rental car. All went smoothly and we left the airport at 6.45 am and were home at 8.10 am. I slept on a part of the drive as I had almost no sleep all night. 

So with that, our time in Cost Rica came to an end. It had been a most interesting country and had revealed itself to us in multiple ways and through varied experiences. We had the good fortune to meet some interesting people and we had a good time, overall. 

Highlights of our trip?

Trekking in the Rainy Rain Forest; Spotting a sloth come down a tree and get back up again; Soaking in the Hot Springs of the Arenal Volcano; Sipping delicious coffee everywhere; Seeing a toucan in the wild and getting a fabulous photo of it; Spotting scarlet, turquoise and emerald macaws together in the same tree; crocodile spotting on the River Tarcoles; communicating with howler monkeys on the River Frio; Enjoying spectacular beach sunsets at Guanacaste; Savoring superb ceviche. 

It was certainly a trip to remember—made more memorable by the fact that we enjoyed all these delights while the rest of the world went to hell in a hand basket following he outbreak of the coronavirus. We shall not forget it easily.

Until next time, Adios!

       

Crocodile Spotting and Bird Watching on the Tarcoles River and Reaching Manoel Antonio National Park in Puntarenas

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Crocodile Spotting and Bird Watching on the Tarcoles River and Reaching Manoel Antonio National Park in Puntarenas

Ola from Costa Rica!

We were sorry to leave the JW Marriott Hotel as it is a truly gorgeous property and with all tourists leaving and rushing off home in fear of the coronavirus, we had the place to ourselves. We woke up, packed our bags and left them outside our rooms for pick up as we went down to Mansita Restaurant for our last meal in this luxurious place. Today, it was on a far less sumptuous scale than it was yesterday. I had half a waffle with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and mixed nuts, and a small portion of an omelette that Rick shared with me as it was too much for him with one sausage (as the bacon was swiped by the time I got to it). I had decaf coffee and did not feel too stuffed.

Not too long after, we got into our bus for our long drive south to the Tarcoles River in the Puntarenas region where the topography is undulating and the vegetation is more tropical. I sat right in front with Kaye but honestly, there wasn’t much of interest to see and when the bus stopped at a wayside eatery for a restroom break, we got ice-cream and I switched seats and went back to Llew. We used the stop, however, to borrow Bernal’s phone and make a call to American Airlines on the local Costa Rica number that they placed on their website and, as luck would have it, we did manage to change our booking and bring our flight one day forward. This makes perfect sense because although Caravan was willing to pay for us for one extra day at the Inter-Continental Hotel, the idea of giving ourselves the extra day was to see the capital city of San Jose. But with everything having shut down, we didn’t really have access to the museums or the National Theatre which we had wanted to tour. Hence, we decided to get home one day earlier. So, with that done, all Llew had to manage was our rental car booking from JFK to Southport, Connecticut, through Budget. He decided to do that as soon as we reached our next hotel.

Spotting Scarlet Macaws Near the Tarcoles River:

We drove on and just before we arrived on the banks of the Tarcoles River, Bernal spotted a whole flock of multi-colored macaws in the trees. They were feasting on the ripe fruit and were flitting about from one branch to the next. I did try to get a few pictures but as they were shielded by the foliage and were moving about so much, it was hard to get really good ones. Anyway, that was another of the stars of Costa Rica’s Wildlife World covered and we were quite thrilled about the sighting.

Lunch at a Small Eatery:

It was time to stop for lunch at a small eatery where tables were laid out for us and servers were ready to pile our plates. It was also a stop for restrooms. Lunch was very good actually—it was romaine lettuce shredded with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, boiled mixed vegetables (Costa Ricans do not do much with vegetables and basically just boil them), roasted small potato wedges, a tortilla and a serving of either grilled chicken or steak. Having asked for medium rare at the other places and finding it almost raw, I asked for well-done this time and it was perfect—so tasty as it was served with a piquant chimichuri sauce. For dessert, they served small bits of coconut toffee but as it was made with molasses, I did not find it tasty at all.

Tarcoles River Cruise to Spot Crocodiles and Bird Watch:

People come to the Tarcoles River to spot crocodiles which are very different (in size, form and shape) from the caimans that we saw on the River Frio. We boarded a vessel and had a steerer called Juan Carlos but no guide as Bernal acted as our guide this time. The river was very calm—in fact, the entire region was quiet and undisturbed. It was also really hot which explains why the wild life would prefer to wallow in the water. The river banks were very high on both sides and we saw a lot of cows—what Bernal called Brahmin Bulls (and they looked exactly like the cows in India). 

We started off by seeing a number of birds including a large osprey, plus storks and other smaller birds. There were many iguanas and lizards on the river banks and we saw them slithering around all over. We caught sight of a big crocodile with its mouth open on the bank and we were able to get close and take some good pictures.  Finally, Bernal took us to a part of the river that was way beyond the usual route and we spotted a giant crocodile who has been nicknamed Mike Tyson! He really was very big indeed and we were able to get within about six feet of him! His head stuck out of the water and the rest of his body was in the water but since it was so clear, we could actually see several feet of his body beneath. We spent quite a long while at this spot to allow people to take all the pictures they wanted. When we were all done, we made our way back to the pier—all the time we spotted birds on the river bank.

A Long Drive to Puntarenas:

This was probably one of the longest drives we did—we had another long drive going southwards towards the region called Puntarenas which is a very popular tourist area. For a while, we were inland, but then we began a drive along the coast and we could see the Pacific Ocean quite clearly past beaches known as Jaco (pronounced Haco) until we arrived in the area of the famed Manoel Antonio National Park. From this point on, the place reminded me so much of Goa (it was very hot and very humid, to begin with)-the little bars and shops had the look of tropical paradises in many different parts of the world. 

Settling Down in Hotel San Bada:

The beauty of the Hotel San Bada is that it is right outside Manoel Antonio Park which is what tourists come to see when they get to this part of the country. We had the afternoon to ourselves and Bernal gave us the happy surprise that from 4.00 till 6.00 pm the hotel offered Happy Hours with drinks on the house. We merely picked up our room keys, waited for our bags to be delivered and then made our way to the 6th floor where we found a bunch of our fellow-travelers had already begun on their first drinks. My friend Delilah had WhatsApp Ed me and told me that the pina colada she had there was the best she had ever drunk—and so, of course, Llew and I ordered those. They were really good, I have to say, and as we sat on the roof garden realizing that the sun was soon going to set, it was a great place to truly unwind with new friends.

For my second cocktail, I got a mai tai (which was the first time I was having it after years (we used to have them regularly in Hawai’i). Llew had the mango daiquiri. This too was very refreshing and when we saw that the sun was going to set really quickly, we made our way to the Beach using the short cut tunnel entrance that led directly from the hotel.

Watching the Sunset on the Beach:

As at Guanacaste, the sunset was spectacular. The sky was a lovely orange color and with the clouds having disappeared completely, we had the most perfect sinking of a golden orb into the water. Nightfall came swiftly from that point although I was lucky to get some good pictures. We found the Hinkleys (Sam and Mary) and the Garrets (Jim and Mary) also making their way back to the hotel having just watched the sun go down too. We had a very nice chat with them on the way back where we also saw a white-tailed deer (the kind we find in our back yards).

Back in our rooms, we had showers, got changed and went off for a film that was screened at 6.15 pm in the Conference Room.

Watching a Film on Manoel Antonio National Park:

The Film was a really good introduction to the  history of the region and the manner in which the place became a national park. It told us about the animals and birds that are native to this region and I got really excited as this is a place supposed to be stacked with a variety of creatures. Bernal answered many of our questions. We would need to eat breakfast by 6.00 am and leave for the nature walk by 7.00 pm. For the moment, we were thinking of dinner—and that was where we were headed next.

Dinner in the Congo Restaurant:

The restaurant had our buffet dinner all laid out for us when we entered. Llew and I joined the Gerrets and the Hinkleys at a table for six. As usual, there were salads to start with and then the main course which was chicken in pomodoro sauce (I chose not to have it) and mahi-mahi served with a thick sauce that was very good. We also enjoyed our conversation with our table mates, but we were also ready, at the end of the meal, to go to bed.

It had been another interesting day in Costa Rica and we were sorry that the next day would be our last one.

Hasta Manana!

A Day of Leisure Spent Shopping and Exploring the Beach Town of Tamarindo

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

A Day of Leisure Spent Shopping and Exploring the Beach Town of Tamarindo

Ola from Costa Rica on St. Patrick’s Day! I even wore my Kelly-green T-shirt all day to mark it!

Awaking in the J.W. Marriott Hotel is just the most stunning experience.  You know at once that you have slept in the lap of luxury. That said, I had a pretty restless night as I woke up frequently but, fortunately, fell back to sleep quite soon. Ultimately, I was awake after 7.15. Llew was having a lie-in but I woke him up at 8.00 am so that we could go and get some breakfast and not miss our seating altogether.

Breakfast at the J.W. Marriott Hotel:

I have to say that I had a splendid breakfast today. I pigged out on all my favorite things—things I have not found in the other hotels (and which I do love). So I started off with a quarter of a waffle which I doused with chocolate and caramel sauce, a big dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of mixed nuts—it was awesome, needless to say—Pura Vida! Next, I discovered that there was a large tray of smoked salmon (one of my favorite things in the world). So I toasted a plain croissant, then placed all the fixin’s on my plate: chopped onions, little pickled onions, capers, chopped boiled egg, cream cheese). I also was able to get decaf coffee today—so that was my breakfast as I made a sandwich of the croissant and smoked salmon. I also tried a variety of local fruit: soursop, guava, guanabana, mango, star fruit (I think it is also called carambola). The guanabana was really good: in appearance and texture, it was like custard apple or  Cherimoya (it probably belongs to the same family). During breakfast, we sat with Bueno and Kathy and really had a good time with them. It is amazing to me how wonderfully everyone has mixed and found the folks with whom they feel most comfortable. We seem to have lucked out as we have made some good friends and have found really nice folk on our trip.

During breakfast, we talked to Bueno and Kathy about our plans to go to Tamarindo as my friend Delilah who was whatsapping with me from Canada told me that they had taken a cab to the beach town when they were on the same trip. Our new friends decided to join us and we thought we would all meet in the hotel lobby at 10.00 am. 

But, long story short, by the time 10.00 am arrived, they backed out and Llew and I were the only ones left to take the trip. The hotel arranged a private shuttle for us at the cost of $75 round trip.  It was a half hour run to the town which we reached at 10.45 am.  We instructed our driver David to return to pick us up at 1.00 pm. We started off by picking up a tourist map of the town from the Tourist Center that was right by the taxi stand.   

Exploring Tamarindo:

Tamarindo is a very upscale town. It is a favorite venue for spring break students from the USA and there was more than a sprinkling of them still left in the town. Long before we reached the main commercial stretch, we could see beautiful, expensive mansions that faced the ocean that was an incredible aquamarine color. As we drove further into the town, we came upon a number of hotels, most sea-facing, with tropical landscaped gardens, loads of eateries offering multi-cuisines for varying budgets and strings of shops offering everything from classy beachwear to souvenirs in the form of carved and polished wooden salad bowls, indigenous pottery, beaded Christmas ornaments, and the usual kitsch (magnets, mugs, beach towels), etc. We bought our Tamarindo magnet and thought it would be a good place to buy the few gift souvenirs for the few folks for whom we usually take home gifts.  Got wooden book marks for the kids featuring colorful birds of the region, Christmas ornaments for Chrissie and ourselves, and then just when we thought our shopping was all done, I came upon a Jewelry designer called Ricardo from Argentina who designs and makes jewelry. A ring featuring a large cultured pearl and a setting in bronze caught my eye right away—I loved its modernistic design and the next thing I knew I was buying it and walking off with it. A really lovely and most unusual souvenir of Costa Rica that I know I will use for a long time.

Everything was lovely about the town of Tamarindo except that it was mercilessly hot. I understand that it was 102 degrees as the sun beat down upon us. Yes, there was a slight breeze but it was impossible to walk on the sunny side of the street and we kept looking for the shaded arcades in which to escape. Fortunately, all the shops were air-conditioned and offered relief from the strong sun. It reminded me very much of Bombay in the summer. 

We took a slight detour to walk on the sands of the beach for a while. There was a load of sailing craft dotting the waters that were jade green in the middle (reminded me very much of the colors of the ocean in Hawai’i). There were loads of surfers and surf gear shops and we could see why: the waves of the Pacific Ocean are mighty and offer enough to thrill in very warm waters.

Back on the commercial streets of the town, we entered a supermarket to buy cold beers as we badly needed refreshment. As it was almost 1.00 pm and we felt too lethargic to move, we sat down at the Tourist Center to await the arrival of David who was due in ten minutes.

Very soon, we were back in our cab and returning to the J.W. Marriott Hotel which we reached in a half hour. It had been a lovely excursion and our only chance to actually experience town life in the country of Costa Rica and have a wander on our own. Yes, the town was still buzzing with enough of tourist energy to not make it a seem like a ghost town; but it is clear that visitors are leaving as quickly as they can and trying to beat the coronavirus by getting back home.

Lunch at the Marriott Hotel:

The Marriott Hotel is certainly doing itself proud in terms of its menu offerings. It does have other speciality restaurants such as the Azul Grille that is pool-side, Tamarine which is an Asian fusion restaurant, Sabanero which is a traditional steak house. However, since our package includes all the meals, we have been eating at the Mansita Restaurant which has a number of stations and all sorts of delicious food. Indeed, eating is one of the many pleasures of this tour and this particular hotel and for a foodie like me, this place is sheer bliss.

This afternoon, I started off with a Fruit Gazpacho which was simply awesome. I then went to the Pasta station and ordered spaghetti cooked in a cheese sauce—it was not great. I had it with a piece of Teriyaki Chicken but it was the little poof Ceviche on which I really feasted. They were most exquisitely seasoned with the lime juice and Chile proportions simply perfect. The shell fish was incredibly fresh and it made for a really terrific treat. For desert, I had passion fruit cheesecake and an opera (chocolate-layered cake). 

Needless to say, after that magnificent meal, all we could think of was going back to our room and getting a nap. The pool looked tempting but it was simply too hot and I could not stand the thought of basking like a Lobster in the sun. Our air conditioned room offered soothing respite and Llew and I both took naps for about an hour after listening to the updates on TV of the stepping up of coronavirus precautions all around the world.  Llew did try to get online with American Airlines and discovered that since we had booked our ticket after March 1, we could not make changes online but would have to do so by calling the airline. Llew found a local number for Costa Rica and we decided to try to teach them soon. He was convinced that we would have to cancel our current booking and make a fresh one for which we would have to pay. I felt otherwise (given the unusual world situation) and told him to try instead of making assumptions.

About an hour later, when we awoke, I badly felt the need to get some exercise. So I decided to get to the gym and Llew decided to go with me. I spent 40 minutes on the elliptical machine and the stationery bike while Llew stayed for just 20 minutes and returned to our room. I did not want to leave the hotel without using the amazing Infinity Pool—which is the largest in Central America. It is basically a succession of little pools knitted together by bridges. Surrounding them are turquoise-blue lounge chairs and striped umbrellas. We went to the water’s edge and I dangled my feet in the water that was as warm as one’s bath tub. We carried gin and grapefruit pelligrino and wine outside with us and sipped it at the pool’s edge. It was all very lovely and very relaxing.

About a half our later, we returned to our rooms to shower and get dressed for dinner. This is the only hotel in which people are actually dressing up semi-formally for dinner as it is such a posh place. 

Dinner at the Mansita Restaurant:

We sat with Kaye and with Carol and Rick at dinner time. They had just returned from their snorkeling adventure and told us all about it. For dinner, I started off with a most refreshing Cantaloupe Gazpacho. I am amazed at how fruit is used here in this country to make gazpacho—always served cold, of course. It is certainly something that I will try when I get back home. I then went to the Pasta Station where a lady was warming up Tortellini stuffed with salmon and preparing it in a pesto sauce with accompaniments of one’s choice—I chose mushroom and onions and I garnished it generously with Parmesan cheese. It was very good but very filling). I am simply eating too much as I feel too stuffed between meals to even want to eat the next one!  I  also had a bit of focaccia to sop up the pesto olive oil. Finally, I had a small pot of ceviche (as this is probably the last time I will eat it here) and finished off with a tiny portion of tiramisu which was outstanding. Overall, a most marvelous mea!

Packing for Tomorrow and Getting Ready for Bed:

Given that we had made the most of our day of leisure (using part of it to explore this region of Guanacaste and part of it to enjoy an incredible hotel), we felt very satisfied at the manner in which we had spent our day.  But it was time to return to our room to pack our stuff and get ready for another early-morning start as we had to get our bags outside our door by 6.00 am followed by breakfast at 6.0 am. We finished packing, sat on our patio for a little while to enjoy the sound of the waves but it was really very warm indeed and in a short time, we returned inside.

What a spectacular property we had enjoyed for two whole days and how privileged and grateful we felt for the entire experience as we lay our heads down to sleep.

Hasta Manana!

Trekking in the Rain Forest and Driving to Guanacaste on the Pacific Coast

Monday, March 16, 2020

Trekking in the Rain Forest and Driving to Guanacaste on the Pacific Coast

Ola from Costa Rica!

Wow! We are waking up to dire news about the state of the world in the wake of the coronavirus! While we were trying not to think about it too much and to focus instead on enjoying our holiday in Costa Rica, I have to say that I am now getting nervous. I am also worried about my Dad in Bombay who is almost 90 years old and, therefore, far more susceptible to infection. I am now praying hourly that this health crisis will abate soon. Meanwhile, there is fear, of course, about what is going to happen with our flight back home. The last thing we would like is to be stranded in a foreign country, lovely though the place may be. 

That said, we awoke to find the Arenal volcano was only half visible as the top was covered in thick clouds. We had no time to shower this morning as we had to place our bags outside our door by 6.00 am (which meant wake up at 5.30 am). We got dressed and went off for breakfast. This morning, I had an omelette with the works, sautéed plantain with sour cream and for the first time, I decided to try the pinto de gallo (rice and beans flavored with lizano sauce). I had a glass of watermelon juice as there is no decaf coffee here. It was a good breakfast but I am simply eating too much. 

About an hour later, we were on the bus and driving to the next venue on our tour—we were leaving the Arenal region and making our way to Guanacaste. It was a long drive initially but it was an intensely pretty one. First of all, we were headed to the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park where we would be walking and trekking through the Rain Forest. The entire country is shrouded in greenery. There are so many similarities with the vegetation here and in southern parts of India such as Goa and Kerala. We recognize so many of the fruit trees—banana, plantain, papaya, sugarcane, cashew and mango. 

Another First Time: Trekking on the Hanging Bridges of the Magnificent Rain Forest.    

Once we arrived at Mistico, we were offered three treks—each was of two hours but they varied in terms of the number of hanging bridges over which one would climb. We decided to go for the maximum number-i.e. six! Little did we know what to expect and I think it is the unknowing of it that is the most exciting part—because whatever it is you encounter becomes both novel and exciting.

We were met by our guide—a very young chap called Christopher—who led us off. First off, we saw a coati—these are the vicious, raccoon-like creatures with long striped tails that we had seen in enormous numbers at the Iguazu Falls in Argentina when we had visited a year ago. They are greedy, aggressive and scary as they grab food from your hand or grab an entire bag and run away. We also saw a hummingbird at very close quarters. I did not realize how tiny they are and how pretty—this one was a gorgeous iridescent green.

Soon we went deeper and deeper into the rain forest and the vegetation got lusher and greener. The air was pure and fresh and super clean and when it started drizzling, the thick canopy of greenery above us acted like an umbrella. We had our rain gear and since it was not cold at all, it was incredibly pleasant to be in the rain in the rain forest. I kept hoping we would see animals but we only ended up seeing a tiny baby snake that looked no bigger than a large worm—a very dangerous viper. The guide told us that it is more dangerous than a full-grown one as they do not inject venom in small doses as do the more mature specimens—they inject all the venom they possess (and, therefore, can kill you).

Soon we came upon the first hanging bridge.  I have to say that I expected

 a long walk—but not the sheer challenge of the climb that was very steep in many places. But then, we were climbing along the sides of volcanoes—so I guess I should have seen the climb coming. The path was paved with interesting pavers that were porous to allow water to seep through them. The path was also very narrow but incredibly well constructed. It had a concrete hand rail running right through it. On both sides were gigantic, towering, old trees—one of them had root structures that were jutting out on to the path. There were bromeliads everywhere and we could see them living on the air but situated on host trees. There were also grand palms and ferns—the vegetation was just incredible. There were waterfalls gushing beneath us that formed pretty streams all over. From the hanging bridges, we had panoramic views of the Arenal Mountain Volcano and of the clouds and mist that obscured parts of it. The feeling is hard to describe. It was just gorgeous. I did not feel the slightest fear walking over the hanging bridges even thought they hung several hundred feet above the ground and shook as we walked over them. Instead I got a slight adrenaline rush as I traversed them. It was one of the highlights of this trip for me.

We spent about two hours in this most unusual place before we returned to the bus for our onward journey to the Guanacaste part of the Pacific Coast.

Gorgeous Drive Along the Banks of Lake Arenal:

For the next hour at least we were driving along the banks of beautiful (and very massive) Lake Arenal. The topography differed with every mile: occasionally, we were climbing up gentle inclines whose sides were draped with lush greenery such as rain forest-type ferns and palms; at other times, we were driving along flat plains with fruit trees galore; at yet other times, we saw the lake recede below us as we climbed gently higher and created more distance away from it. It was simply beautiful.  It had rained and a beautiful rainbow formed in the sky. It followed us around for a few miles. To our delight, we saw a toucan fly into view and seat itself on a cable where we enjoyed its stunning colors before it decided on a whim to fly off. It is the unexpected sightings of this sort (and the extraordinarily beautiful landscape) that make even long drives like these simply enchanting. We loved every second of it.

A Most Delicious Lunch at a Small Eatery in Tilaran:    

About an hour later, we stopped at a really small way-side eatery which literally had no name. All it said at the entrance was Bienvendos meaning Welcome. And yet, this was the most delicious lunch any of us had eaten so far.  It was an extremely modest place and we found tables laid it in rows set with paper napkins and silverware.  Lunch was served buffet-style. There was salad to start with: lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers and there was oil and vinegar to be used as a dressing. Next, there was spaghetti which was beautifully dressed with olive oil, garlic and lots of parsley. It was incredibly tasty for such a simple dish. There was also pomodoro sauce at the end of the table to go with it and it was so tasty. Also served was fried tilapia with a tartar sauce which was the best I have ever eaten And finally roasted chicken with a Barbecue sauce that was also super yummy. For dessert, a server came around and placed tiny little cups of rice pudding garnished with powdered cinnamon and raisins at each table. Hard to believe that such a simple meal could be so memorable. But truly, everyone got up from the table saying how delicious the food was.

There was a little souvenir store adjoining the restaurant and we had a quick browse through but did not find a T shirt in the size we wanted for Russel. Not too long after, we were climbing back into the bus (our hands well sanitized by Toscano, our driver) as we took our seats.

Another Long Drive to Guanacaste:

Another very long drive brought us into the province of Guanacaste which is supposed to be the most beautiful part of Costa Rica.  But it was also time for a nap and as we passed through the town of Liberia, I was fast asleep as I nodded off for almost an hour. The vegetation had also changed sharply and there were scores of mango trees laden with fruit easily visible along the highway and the main roads. 

We stopped in a little bit to use rest-rooms, stretch out legs for half an hour, give our driver a rest, and get ice-cream before we were up and running again.

Arrival at the Pacific Coast in the J.W Marriott Hotel:

About another hour later, we were entering into the property that is known as Hacienda Pinella (pronounced Pee-neya). It is a vast property of several hundred acres filled with fruit trees (loads of mangoes) that belongs to a wealthy woman who has rented out a part of it to the J.W. Marriott Group of Hotels. They have built a stunning seven-star hotel on the property right on the beach—and it was here that we would be spending the next couple of nights. Once we got out of the bus, we followed Bernal to the main patio where we were met by a hotel host who described the layout to us. First off, we were told our room numbers and asked to register for the free WiFi system. This is unlimited and available for any number of devices. I rushed to the Front Desk to get the password (as it is different for each room) and before long, we were entering our room past vast spaces, long spotless corridors and sprawling stone patios that reminded us of Buddhist temples and palaces in Japan.

From our patio which directly faced the pool beneath us, we could see the glorious jade green of the ocean—and it was spectacular. By then it was already 4.00 pm and we did not want to waste any time...we could not wait to go out and enjoy the glorious environs of this luxurious hotel. As we had the evening free, we got changed and grabbed towels and then made our way down to the beach past the many pools in different sizes that were surrounded by turquoise-blue chaise-longes and striped blue umbrellas. There was a steel band playing music and a few people swaying to it. On the beach, there were a few strollers waiting to take in the beauty of the sunset which would occur in about half an hour. 

Llew and I walked on the rim of the ocean and allowed the sea foam to lick our toes. The water was not very cold as the place is exceptionally hot and the sun warms it all day—so too the water in the pool is a very comfortable temperature. 

Watching the Sunset End a Gorgeous Day:

The sun set at about 5.45 in beautiful shades of coral and azure. We met many friends on the beach and every one talked about doing different things the next day when we had an entire day of leisure. I was very keen to go Zip lining as I had been told that the rain forest in Costa Rica was the best place to do it. We found out from the Tour Info Room, once the sun had set and we made our way back to the hotel from the beach, that it would cost us $75 each and that if we were interested we would need to pay by 8.00 pm and be ready for departure tomorrow morning by 8.00. 

That done, we returned to our rooms and I had a shower and changed as it was a really warm day and I wanted to freshen up before dressing for dinner. Because this is such a nice hotel, I had actually carried some semi-formal clothes to wear here and I wanted to make sure I actually wore them. ‘

Dinner at the Mansita Restaurant:

Llew got impatient waiting for me and went down to start dinner on his own. I took my shower, got dressed and joined him about 15 minutes later. At our table, we were joined by Ritch and Kathy and when they began to talk about zip lining on Santa Catalina Island, I got spooked because it seemed to be the kind of activity that would require more courage than I was able to muster. I began to have second thoughts about signing up.

That said, I focused on dinner which was quite sumptuous indeed. I had ceviche for the first time in Costa Rica and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. I also had a variety of very interesting salads (carrot with cassava, potato with bacon, baby corn with tomatoes), a really nice cucumber gazpacho and for dessert, I had a guava mousse. All these were really good. But, by the end of it, all we could do was return to our rooms where we switched the TV on and heard more of the depressing news coming from the rest of the world as it hunkers down to fight the COVID-19 virus. I got the news that NYU has closed down for the rest of the semester and students have been told to clear out of their dorms in the next couple of days. All teaching will continue online for the rest of the academic year—a real anti-climax to the year, I suppose. I read out the email from President Andrew Hamilton to Llew and we both exclaimed at the speed with which this disease has become a global phenomenon. Very scary times. Meanwhile, my friends have been sending me WhatsApp messages about the fact that things are falling apart in the US and that it feels like Armageddon.

I tried to do a bit of blogging as we sat out on our patio facing the ocean and enjoyed the unusual sounds of the swaying of the palm trees and the rustling of their fronds just ahead of us. I suppose there could be worse places in the world to wait out a pandemic as the rest of the world goes to hell in a hand basket.

But we are now worried about our flight back home to the US and when we checked the American Airlines website to see if we could get home one day earlier than our booked flight, we were told categorically that we could not change flights. Oh well... we figure that if the fight has been cancelled, American Airlines would have emailed us to inform us about it. So, no news is good news...for the moment. But who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Hasta Manana!

A Boat Cruise on the Rio Frio to Spot Wild Life and a Soak in the Thermal Hot Springs of the Arenal Volcano

Sunday, March 15, 2020

A Boat Cruise on the Rio Frio to Spot Wild Life and a Soak in the Thermal Hot Springs of the Arenal Volcano

Ola from Costa Rica!

Awaking in our hotel room at the Magic Mountain Hotel, we found that the Arenal Volcano, that was right in front of our balcony, had disappeared completely behind clouds. We showered and went off for breakfast in the dining room (omelettes with plantains sautéed and eaten with sour cream, chicken sausages and orange juice (no decaf coffee available). 

The Biggest Thrill of All—Sighting A Sloth:

Our trip was made today when we spied a sloth en route to the River Frio for our cruise. It was our guide Bernal who spotted it and he actually backed up our bus so that we could get closer to see it. Such sightings are extremely rare and what was more, this sloth was being far from slothful. In fact, it was over-active and was probably leaving the tree to either urinate or defecate which our guide told us ‘wakes’ it up and makes it come down to the ground. It was in the process of climbing up the tree when we spotted it.  We managed to stop our bus for more than ten minutes so that we could take all the pictures we wanted and I even managed to get some fantastic video of it. As I had come to Costa Rica specifically to see sloths in the wild, I can say that my trip was made. I was truly delighted as I had not seen the sloth at the wild life refuge yesterday and I was sure that I had missed the opportunity to see one. Bernal keep telling us that we were really lucky to have had this sighting as it is not often he is able to spot something like this. 

Off on the Cruise of the River Frio:

Next, we piled into the bus for a ride that took over an hour to get us to the very border of  Nicaragua to a small town called Los Chiles. This is a base for cruising on the Rio Frio at the Cano Negro Reservation. Throughout the way, we passed by miles and miles of plantations: banana or plantain, cassava (which is a very large, brown tuber and a very cheap source of starch), sugarcane. There were also mango trees everywhere. Bernal kept telling us a lot about the flora and fauna of the region as we ate up the miles. I was also delighted to spot a number of birds en route—tanagers and quetzals. 

After about an hour’s driving, we found a little restaurant where we could use restrooms before we walked about five minutes to the banks of the river. There we were met by Luis, our guide, who supervised us as we boarded the vessel that would take us for a two hour cruise on the river. 

Within moments, we began to see birds and they were stunning. We saw black cormorants as the neo-tropic black cormorants use this area as a breeding ground. We also saw a bird called a ahinga, a huge stork, many kingfishers of various sizes, many grey and white storks, loads of egrets and white herons. In addition to this, we saw lots of caimans—this is the first time I was hearing of such an animal.  It is vey similar to a crocodile or an alligator but is much smaller, is brown in color, has a striped tail and tends to eat other animals—it does not attack human beings.  There were several of them floating in the water and lounging on the muddy banks.

Meanwhile, up in the trees, we came upon colonies of howler monkeys and the real joy was hearing them howl—howls that actually sounded more like barks. I think they should be called Barkers, not howlers. Anyway, we saw ever so many of them—males, females and even the tiniest little baby that was independently swinging through the branches—much to my delight. A little further up, we saw a few capuchin monkeys and they were a glorious sight too. They are smaller and have white faces and black tonsures or monk caps which is why they are called capuchins. 

So indeed, we saw much more wild life than we had thought we would see. And since this was the reason we came to Costa Rica, we could not have been happier. The weather too was perfect—neither too hot nor too cold. It did start drizzling at one point but it was a quick shower that seems to end before it had quite begun.        

On the Border of Nicaragua:

One of the unexpected highlights of our day was that we entered Nicaragua—this was not something we had imagined when we started the cruise, but we soon discovered that we were only seven miles away from the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border (if we used the road and drove) and just ten minutes upstream if we continued to stay in the boat. 

As it turned out, our guide Luis instructed our driver to take us to the border where, on the river bank, was a huge sign saying “Welcome to Nicaragua’. There was also a milestone there with two flags of the two countries painted on it. Needless to say, we all posed on the boat with the sign in the background and when we were all done taking turns, our cruise boat driver made a further move into the actual country of Nicaragua so that we could all say that we have actually been to Nicaragua too! It reminded us of being on the river Jordan on the Jordan side and being told that the opposite bank was Israel.  

So with that little excursion, I can say that I really got my money’s worth.

Lunch and Off Again:

By the time we returned to the restaurant, we were ready for lunch and it was another pretty modest buffet affair. Bernal told us that we would be eating typical Nicaraguan food. It turned out to be Arroz Con Pollo which is Rice with Chicken (shredded chicken is cooked with the rice to make a kind of pilaf), mashed black beans, squash and carrots and finally fried cassava. This was very bland even though it was fried but the accompanying Lizano sauce made it palatable. We sipped a drink called Tamarinho which is made with tamarind fruit which is also native to the area. It was very refreshing.

Off to the Hot Springs of Mount Arenal (Volcano):

The next item on our agenda was a visit to the thermal hot springs that are fed by the Arenal Volcano. It involved a return drive of another hour before we reached the town of La Fortuna. A short detour took us to the very base of the mountain where a number of resorts, spas and hotels have sprung up for precisely the idea of offering people the opportunity to relax completely in the warm waters. As it is a Sunday, many local Costa Rican families (known as Ticos) were around with their children. 

Our bus stopped at the Los Lagos Spa and Resort where everything was super-spiffy. There were beautiful gender-segregated toilets, bathrooms and showers as well as changing rooms. Each of us was given a towel and a locker in which we could stash our stuff with our own coded number. From time to time, there is a gentle drizzle but it only lasts five minutes and passes away.

As we made our way to the hot springs, there was a light drizzle in the air but we did not notice it at all as we were soon stepping into one of the many hot pools that dot the beautifully landscaped area. Since these spas are built on the slopes of the volcano, the pools are in tiers and are surrounded by the most beautiful colored vegetation and flowers. Each pool has a different temperature with the hottest pools being right at the top. As you come lower down, the water gets cooler. 

Soaking in the springs was an absolute delightful experience and we made the most of it as we found ourselves chaise-longes that came with their own jets. We tried three of the pools and found the one that most appealed to us. We had many friends around in the various pools and everyone was doing their own thing in the water. There were falling sheets of hot water, faucets or jets of water, etc. so that each place offered a different experience.  The younger one were enjoying the water slide.

After being in the water for more than an hour, it was time to return our towels and get back to the bus—which we did. We showered and got dressed again and just a little later, we were in the bus and headed back to our hotel which was just five minutes away.

Back at the Magic Mountain Hotel for Dinner:

There was time to check email, catch up on world news through CNN on our TV sets (more dire news about the coronavirus that has hit the entire world and shut it down completely) and have a drink and a snack before we got ourselves organized for dinner. We also packed as we have a very early start tomorrow— we need to get our bags outside by 6.00 am. We watched some bits of the Bernie Sanders-Joe Biden Debate that was moderated by Jake Tapper and had no audience.  All gatherings everywhere in the world have been curtailed. 

Dinner was a Mixed Grill—I tried the Beef (too rare for me), the chicken and the chorizo sausage. This was eaten with a big salad which was basically all I had. For dessert, I had a small piece of cake. At dinner, we sat with Ritch and Kathy who graduated from UCONN, is originally from Old Saybrook in Connecticut, and now lives on Santa Catalina island off the coast of Los Angeles. We had a very interesting chat with them throughout the meal. They are both on the board of their local Museum and were full of interesting conversation and information.    

Right after dinner, we were ready to get to our rooms and turn in early as we had a very early start. Llew and I packed up our bags and got ready for bed. In fact, even though I sat in my bed blogging, I was ready to switch the light off at 8.30 pm.

Hasta Manana!