Costa Rica 2015

Overall impressions: Our Gate 1 tour guide and drive are excellent (and the natives are all very kind and friendly), and our fellow travelers and a fun group. he hotels range from fair to very good, the roads are terrible and many long hours are spent on the bus. The beaches also range in quality but it’s not a place we would ever return to (for the price we’ll take the Caribbean any day, and for people on the other coast who could go to Hawaii there’s absolutely no comparison). It’s no bargain either, with prices comparable to the aforementioned competition. We know that many people love it, but we’re not among them (we had an enjoyable trip, as we always do, but for us there are much better options).

 

12 March

Radisson Hotel in San Jose. Very comfortable hotel, nothing of interest within walking distance.

13 March

Very good hotel breakfast. It is Friday morning here, so traffic is terrible. Not an attractive city.  But, I digress.

Our first official stop is Sarchi, know for its painted oxcarts. Okay but primarily a shopping stop (the bane of escorted tours). After a drive we stop in a small city for lunch and picked and indoor plaza for a casual lunch.

We have typical plates of chicken, beef, rice, beans, some spices, side of salad, black beans.

We paid 50 cents each to use well worn, never renovated, white tiled bathrooms. Ice cream is good at the chain “Pops:”  condensed milk with figs, strawberry paleta dipped in chocolate and covered with sliced almonds and sprinkles. Really good.

Shameless first world guilt stop at a country school where kids put on a show and dance and sing the Costa Rica national anthem and America The Beautiful and you give them a donation and leave feeling like you’re on an Oxfam business trip instead of on vacation. But of course if you express displeasure you’ll be though an ogre. Another strike against organized tours.  We arrive at La Fortuna, a town built specially for tourists who are visiting the spas, hot springs, trekking, etc near Arenal Volcano.

14 March

We took a taxi to the town where mom gets 2 of 4 watches fixed (badly, and later they don’t work right). We stumble upon a tiny bakery and get a “cas” pie slice (cas is a bitter, soft fruit, tastes sour like key lime).

Dad found Don Bosco in town.

 

In the evening we enjoy a soak at one of the local hot springs, where they also serve dinner.

15 March

At Arenal National Park we walk on a packed dirt and rock trail, 2 KM, each way. Luis our guide shows us a tiny yellow viper in a tree, a cool flower that folds up when touched, and a termite mound.

The long and bumpy 2.5 hour drive takes us to Monteverde, to the Monteverde Country Lodge (okay quality).We walk a short distance to Sophia’s, which seems the most unique and good quality restaurant with a creative menu that is not very expensive. Sweet potato and plantain soup for me, with hot smoky chipolte topping sauce. Highlight is the Sophia Colada, with passion fruit / coconut milk, rum, slice of star fruit.

 

16 March

Morning canopy tour. Wet and rainy day, cloudy, drizzle, not very nice. Many birds. Zip line is fast and fun, and packing an old pair of pants to toss was a brilliant idea as they end up muddy.

Afternoon tour and lunch at Don Juan coffee, chocolate, sugar company tour.

St. Patrick’s Day

Grueling full day drive to Manuel Antonio. Prices here are the same as home. We would really like to know where all the tourism dollars go because they’re not going towards roads or city infrastructure, that’s for sure.

18 March

Manuel Antonio Park walk through stopping to see plants, a few birds and small animals along the way.

 

We then have a stop at public beach, which is okay but the water is nice and warm (and it’s a cove, so it’s calm and nice for swimming). At 11:30 the monkeys are conditioned to snack on lunch leftovers and show themselves.

Dinner at Ronnies, a restaurant on a hilltop with a great view of sunset, which is why we are here. Pitcher of Sangria is $20, serves 4ish. Variety of very good seafood and unique pumpkin dessert (since it is Lent – we are lucky as it is a Lenten thing).

19 March

Cloudy this AM, so it should be good swimming weather, but the public beach isn’t too nice and the surf is really rough so we don’t last long.  We booked an independent, afternoon catamaran tour with Iguana Tours. Comfortable boat, fun group of people and mediocre snorkeling.

20 March

Another long day of bus travel back to San Jose. We have a nice lunch at the restaurant in the National Theatre. We shop at local supermarket and get more coffee (Britt brand) and chips and some chocolate and guava candies. Across the market is a large bakery, where we buy local specialties.  Dinner is Argentinan restaurant, Esquina Buenos Aires.

Steak very good, and dessert was home made vanilla / fig / dulce de leche ice cream. $125 for 4 people including a bottle of wine is good. Taxis are affordable.

 

21 March

Long day home with change in crowded Miami airport, where the best thing is the little guava and cheese pastries from Versailles.