Category Archives: Costa Rica

We got to sleep in that last day in Puerto Viejo since the van wasn’t leaving until 10 am so Jan and I took advantage of the extra time to trek down the street to the de Gustibus bakery. We had a wonderful breakfast at a price even better than the buffet at the hotel. And the lattes were lovely!

A final sweep of the room to make sure we hadn’t left anything in the bathroom or safe and we headed out to return the key and load up the van. It was a long trip but I (like quite a few others) had bought an eSim card so was able to entertain myself with reading news on my phone. We had a nice stop at a market along the way where we were offered an array of fruits and goodies to sample. In fact there were enough on offer that nobody seemed to feel the need for lunch.

It took about 4 to five hours in all but before long we were descending the hills into the outskirts of the city of San Jose. Temperatures here were much cooler and less humid. We arrived at the familiar Urban Green Hotel and given the keys to our rooms. Jan and I have the same type of room as we did last time – ie a big room with no windows to the outside but only on a stairwell. No complaints though. It is big, airconditioned and has a safe. Seems most of us were on the same floor so we all gathered in the lounge for happy hour and a rehash of the trip highlights.

Criss showed up around 6 pm to lead us through the streets to a very popular Vietnamese (someone called it Thai though I’m sure it was Vietnamese) restaurant. This last supper together was really delicious. Jan and I shared a dish that consisted of rice noodles and lots of vegetables with fish. The wait staff encouraged us to use the sauces on the table so we used the fish sauce and it was wonderful. One dish was more than enough for Jan and I.

Back at the hotel we gathered with Criss in the lounge to thank her and give her a tip. We all had had such a good time both with her but also with each other. I think Criss really enjoyed our group as well as she broke down in tears. Lots of hugs and email address exchanges and then off to bed. Our flight is early and the pickup is at 4 am.

The traffic carried on to at least midnight with motorcycles  being the worst offenders.  Jan says she had an ok sleep but my head was pretty fuzzy.

We had breakfast at the hotel and it was good – the standard rice and beans,  scrambled eggs,  fried plantain and good coffee.

Dave, Dawne, Barb, Davey, JD, Jan and I headed out on a guided hike and swim at the Cahuita National Park. We were picked up in a chinchima van and because we were the last to board we (Jan and I) ended up at the back of the bus. I’m not sure what the problem was but the noise at the back was unbearable and we both had to keep our ears plugged the entire trip to Cahuita.

Our guide turned out to be a lovely and very knowledgeable young man named Aaron. After paying a paltry $56 which paid for the van rides to and from the park, a wonderful pineapple snack, a full traditional lunch and at least 4 hours of Aaron’s time, we headed out.

Before even entering the park we had seen a two-toed and a three-toed sloth, an iguana atop a dead palm trunk, a black-cheeked woodpecker, a palm tanager and a blue-grey – and probably more but I’ve lost track. We slowly made our way down a well- traveled trail beside the sea while Aaron pointed out the many wonders of his little piece of paradise. We saw yet another sloth hunkered down in a tree, a group of capuchin white-faced monkeys and even some howlers with a baby. There were a couple of raccoon sightings, termite nests in an almond tree and a leaf-cutter ant home. There was a beehive with busy little bees zooming in and out. The honey they produce we were told was rare and expensive. We saw a boat-billed heron and a tri-coloured heron, a black-hawk eagle building a nest in the crook of a tree, an adult jacana on the riverbank where we stopped for a delicious pineapple snack. It was here that we met up with the more energetic of our group who had hiked in from the opposite end of the trail. They cooled off in the ocean with a quick swim then headed out the way we had come in. We followed at a much leisurely place with Dawne plying Aaron with questions.

Lunch was a very typical full meal at a picnic table outside a bar. I had ordered the fish which was mackerel – quite bony but still good – though way more food than I could eat.

Back to Puerto Viejo where we had a dip in their lovely pool. I even saw an agouti scuttle by into the bushes. They seem to be quite abundant here.

Supper was at the Tamara with the whole group – about a ten minute walk into this bustling tourist town from our hotel. The waiter was nice to look at. Yves and Vanessa had a laugh when I pointed out his assets.

This is the latest departure for anything so far.  We needed to be ready for the boat by 9 am. We had another fine breakfast in this lovely place. I could have stayed another day though the town of Tortugaro didn’t really offer a lot more new experiences other than a visit to the Turtle Conservancy.

We piled into the boat to spend the next hour plying the lagoon and canal where we finally saw a couple of turtles and a tree loaded with orapendula nests, and one lonely little cayman.
We boarded a van at the busy boat depot and headed out on a three or more hour ride to Puerto Viejo. There were a couple of stops along the way – a bathroom break at a very clean gas station and a lunch stop that served buffet or cafeteria style local food. It was quite good.

Finally we arrived at our hotel – the Escape Carabeno. It is quite nice but we were assigned a room by the very busy road.  How much sleep will we get tonight?  Rob and Yves were assigned a similar room so they chose to stay in a nearby B&B for an extra cost.

This town is a real tourist trap full of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants.  A group of us headed out to check the town and walk along the beach of the Caribbean.  We found a lovely bar/restaurant right on the beach where we enjoyed happy hour then stuck around for supper.

Afterwards we headed back to the hotel where Jan and I opted for an early bed but some of the rest ended up partying with the Robinsons.

The boat for this morning’s adventure was leaving at 6 am so it was another early rise. For about two hours we cruised the lagoon and canal checking for birds and animals. Right away we saw some howler monkeys but later found a group of spider monkeys high in the trees. Other animals sighted were some large iguanas, a couple of caymans. Most of the rest of the sightings were birds – a beautiful immature blue heron, a couple of cute jacanas, some spread-wing anhingas, one preening baby tiger heron, a foraging green heron, a couple of green macaws, some aracaris, two glossy black ibis’, two brown pelicans flying overhead, a soaring frigate.

Back at the lodge I was served a delicious breakfast omelet. Some people had pancakes and from what I could tell they were good too. Course we were all quite hungry after our early morning boat ride.

Next was another boat ride back across to do the Jaguar Trail trek. We saw some more spider monkeys and even had a close encounter when one ran down the top of a wall we were walking beside. As we hiked the trail l found the heat and humidity becoming increasingly tough to handle but I managed and actually saw some interesting sights. There were a number of different lizards and a couple of bluejean toads. We even glimpsed a sloth in a tree by the sea. The mating hummingbirds though stole the show. First we saw the male bouncing around like he was on a trapeze wire. Then we realized there was a mesmerized female watching from a branch just below. The show went on for at least a quarter of an hour. It was quite a performance. We never did run into a Jaguar on the trail but we did see a tree which was obviously a scratching post for a Jaguar. There were long scratches that reached over the six foot mark.

The final bird show of the day was after another wonderful meal – lunch – when most of us opted for a refreshing swim in the pool and a rest in the lounge chairs though there was a tenacious group that crossed the lagoon to hike uphill for a beautiful view of the lagoon, canal and sea. A boisterous group of aracaris were playing in the trees by the pool. And Dawne spotted a large iguana in the same tree.

Another fine supper that evening encouraged Beth to call out the cooks from the kitchen so we could thank them with a round of applause.

Don’t get me wrong, I did like Sarapiqui, but I don’t regret leaving the rain and constant damp behind in the tent. I had a moment of panic when I couldn’t find my phone but it was on a coffee table in the common area. And then I nearly boarded the van without my raincoat. Seems I’m getting more scattered as the days go by.

We drove for a couple of hours with only a short stop at a very clean gas station. Then on to the river where we boarded a boat to head downriver for the next hour and a half to a lovely Eco-lodge called Valverde on a lagoon across from the town of Tortugaro.

Jan and I settled into room 28 – quite nice with a ceiling fan as well as a stand up fan, though the room was still pretty hot. A delicious lunch was served in a beautiful open area with views on the lagoon on one side and the gardens on the other. Bird sightings at the lodge itself are wonderful – orapendulas, aracaris, grackles, thrush, melodious blackbird to name just a few.

After lunch we piled into the boat and headed to town for a wander around. The turtle conservancy is on the edge of town. Dawne adopted a baby turtle which is tagged and will be released. Anytime there is a sighting she will get an email about it.

The town of Tortugaro obviously caters to tourists. There were a lot of souvenir shops. Three green Macaws were harranguing everyone from the top of a very tall tree. Most of us found our way to the shore of the Caribbean which parallels the lagoon. The sand in this area is fine and black.

Back to the lodge for happy hour on the porch in front of our rooms and then off to yet another delicious meal. The cook(s?) here are definitely well- schooled. The meals are great but so is the presentation.

Tomorrow is an early start.

It was a really hot and humid night with intermittent bouts of rain. Around 4 am we were awakened by the eery call of the howler monkeys. We were told they are the loudest mammal and I wouldn’t doubt it. The dawn chorus of birds started up around 5 am so I got Merlin out to see which ones were calling. I was able to pick up at least a dozen birds with some howling in the background.

6:30 am was a birdwatching trek around the grounds where we found parrots flying over, a chachalacha, two different toucans, some blue-gray tanagers, a black-cowled oriole, an oropendula, a masked tityra, a long-tailed tyrant, a woodpecker, a scaly-breasted hummingbird, a rough-winged swallow, orange-chinned parakeets. On the return to the common area we saw a red-necked ant tanager.

After breakfast we all headed back to our tents for some down time before heading out in a chinchima van to the operational offices of Povo Azul for a lovely lunch in a lush setting by a rushing river.

Back at our tents we took a break while the rain started up again and the howler monkeys complained. This is a slower paced day which helps since the humidity and heat are a bit oppressive.
At 3 pm we gathered in the common area to learn how to make empanadas. They are pretty simple – corn flour, warm water and salt, then kneaded into a dough.  A chunk of dough gets padded into a round shape filled with cheese and refried beans, folded in half, sealed with a fork then deep fried.  They were delicious.
Some went off to rest, some to play and others to visit until supper. Meanwhile the rain would let up for a bit then come back with a vengeance.

Supper was especially good – salad, cassava, pasta with a creamy tomato sauce and roasted pork. Chatted with Catherine about our medical system. In Switzerland the doctors and hospitals are not free.

Jan and I decided to head for the tent before the rain got worse. About ten minutes after we returned the heavens really let loose. Our local howler complained again. Everything in the tent feels damp.

We loaded our bags onto the van and headed out for the rainforest of Sarapiqui after our final breakfast at Lavas del Arunel.

Our driver stopped along the road when he saw a couple of sloths in trees nearby.  Most of us jumped out to take pictures of these slow-moving creatures. I could tell they were three-towed (as opposed to two-towed) after enlarging my picture. There was another stop for a visit to a grocery store to pick up some snacks for our afternoons in the jungle. A few howler monkeys were hanging out in a nearby tree so we spent some more time checking them out and snapping pictures. 

Any G-Adventures trip includes a stop at a Planeterra Co-operative.  We stopped at a coffee co-op where we were taught about the various grades of coffee beans, how the plants grow and how they are separated into their appropriate grades by a complex system involving water and shutes. I was too hot to grasp many of the details.  After the demo we were fed a lovely lunch and then left to wander the souvenir shop.

Before long we arrived at the Povo Azul camp where we were greeted by Jessie, given a brief lowdown on the agenda and handed the keys to our tents. Jan and I are in number 10.
We headed off for a quick settle in,  changed into our bathing suits then headed down the road for a well-needed dip in the river to cool our sweating bodies. There was a family with kids already there so we joined in. The river had a bit of a current and was really refreshing. This place is very warm and humid so I don’t expect anything will dry out while we are here.

When we went in for supper three beautiful motmots were hanging out in the trees behind the kitchen waiting for scraps.  A traditional supper was served and then most of us went for a night walk led by Jessie. The highlight of that for me was the frog sightings.  There was a red-eyed little green fellow and another she called the bluejean frog also green but with blue legs. Both are poisonous if touched so we avoided doing that.

Fortunately in La Fortuna…

After breakfast, Bruce, Beth, Vanessa, Catherine, Jan and I managed to get an Uber that could carry the six of us to the hiking trails of the Arunel volcano. For the next couple of hours we trekked the blue trail up and the grey trail back. Jan declared that she had never done such a technical hike.  There were a lot of steep steps and roots to maneuver, but we all made it in one piece. 

The trail ends at a campground by a lake where we admired a couple of muscovy ducks.  As we trekked the road beside the lake we heard  a car coming and stepped to the side. Fortunately Bruce caught Jan before she stepped back onto a very large boa constrictor which quickly scuttled into his hole.

A couple of Ubers got us to town.  We split into two groups with the “youngsters” heading out on their own.  The rest of us ended up at JD’s favorite ice cream spot where we ran into JD himself. We had a nice light lunch in this place (Cocolate Fusion) and used the internet to check for updates from Criss. I learned that I could use my Uber app and fortunately I was able to call a cab for JD to go back to the hotel.

The rest of us soon followed in another Uber.

Those that hadn’t done the trek had gone bird watching and canyoning and fortunately had no major injuries.  They had lots of good stories though.

The canyoning gang began with a shuttle to base camp where they were outfitted with helmets, harnesses and gloves.  After receiving instruction on repelling and ziplining, they hiked into a crystal clear creek cradled within a stunning canyon.  This is Lost Canyon.  They would spend the next 2 hours working  their way down this glorious strip of paradise using a combination of repelling down cliffs and waterfalls, jumping into deep pools, ziplining over wide expanses and scrambling over rocks.  At one point, one of their guides vanished only to reappear in a prone position further along, his body acting like a dam across the creek. They thought he was blocking a small waterfall to allow them to better navigate the rocking steps below.  Alas this was not the case.  Once they were below, they were instructed to sit in a human chain configuration.  Before they knew it, he released the dam and they were abruptly hit with a cascade of water.  Their guides were absolutely trying to keep them entertained.  They certainly enjoy their jobs! 

Travelling through the canyon was like stepping back in time. The cliffs were obscurred for the most part by a dense curtain of vegetation that looked primordial in nature.  Thick vines hung down like ropes and they half expected Tarzan to come hurling by.  They certainly tried to play the part themselves, especially Diane who uttered the most bloodcurdling screams imaginable.  All in all, it was an incredible few hours of adrenaline, fear and fun!

The crazy canyoning crowd opted to go to town for supper while the rest of us stayed at the hotel for a BBQ which fortunately turned out to be delicious – chicken, sausage, beef with rice, potatoes,  plantain pancakes.

An early rise yet again. Barb and Dave, myself and British Dave (AKA JD or Just Dave) were to be the first to be picked up so we had asked for a 6 am breakfast. Noone was in the kitchen so Barb went to check the front office. She had to wake Luis. Guess there had been a miscommunication. We got a rushed meal just in time.

Jan joined the white-water crazies but more on that later.

Despite the rain we had an amazing experience with JP and Andreas. It took about an hour and a half to get to the wildlife refuge with some stops along the way to check for Macaws and the birds at our lunch stop. The Bazo restaurant was private – only by reservation. A number of parrots were resident in the nearby trees as well as flycatchers and black cheeked woodpecker. At Cano Negro we boarded a boat captained by yet another knowledgeable birder. Immediately we began sighting birds.  Right off the bat we saw an immature tiger heron.  Two roseated spoonbills flew over, accompanied by storks and egrets. The trip upriver brought numerous herons, jacanas, kingfishers, a cayman, anhingas, an encounter with capricious capuchins and a noisy rebuke from some howler monkeys.  It was a fantastic ride ending with a rare sighting of a couple of jabidus midst spoonbills and egrets. And to finish it off in style, there was another (same?) immature tiger heron.

Our lunch at the Bazo restaurant was delicious – pumpkin soup followed by a traditional meal of rice, beans, plantain, salad and tilapia – finished off with a light pastry sprinkled with cane syrup. This was followed by a tour of sugar cane processing with some antique machinery.  We definitely got our money’s worth.

Meanwhile the whitewater gang had their own adventures.  Upon arrival they were issued helmets and paddles and were  assigned a guide and raft.  Daver, Dawne and Jan made up one raft.  Bruce, Beth and Jim made up another and the last raft contained Rick, Diane and Yves.  The rapids began right off the bat.  Advertised as class 3/4, they felt they were more like 3+.  Regardless, they provided a lot of splashes and excitement.  Some sections could have been run in a whitewater canoe but others were certainly above their pay grade.  The guides were hilarious, teaching them how to splash other rafts with the maximum amount of water, pretending to sneeze while spraying them, deliberately aiming for the largest waves, and ricocheting merrily off boulders.  One guide even had them ‘ride the bull’.  This manoevre involved the ‘cowboy’ sitting on the front of the raft holding on to a rope for dear life while the other cow pokes paddled enthusiasically down the rapid.  The best performance was by Daver who pretended he was roping a cow.  Jan did a fine job as well although Dawne almost pulled her off the horse by hanging on to her too tightly.  Dave managed to push Dawne right out of the saddle in his attempt to prevent her slipping back.  Rick somehow ended up in the water at one point as well although the cause is a mystery.  There was much laughter and fun!  An extra bonus was the bird life that they saw along the way.  It was a fine day indeed!

The canyoning gang began with a shuttle to base camp where we were outfitted with helmets, harnesses and gloves.  After receiving instruction on repelling and ziplining, we hiked into a crystal clear creek cradled within a stunning canyon.  This is Lost Canyon.  We would spend the next 2 hours working  our way down this glorious strip of paradise using a combination of repelling down cliffs and waterfalls, jumping into deep pools, ziplining over wide expanses and scrambling over rocks.  At one point, one of our guides vanished only to reappear in a prone position further along, his body acting like a dam across the creek.  We thought he was blocking a small waterfall to allow us to better navigate the rocking steps below.  Alas this was not the case.  Once we were below, we were instructed to sit in a human chain configuration.  Before we knew it, he released the dam and we were abruptly hit with a cascade of water.  Our guides were absolutely trying to keep us entertained.  They certainly enjoy their jobs! 
Travelling through the canyon was like stepping back in time. The cliffs were obscurred for the most part by a dense curtain of vegetation that looked primordial in nature.  Thick vines hung down like ropes and we half expected Tarzan to come hurling by.  We certainly tried to play the part ourselves, especially Diane who uttered the most bloodcurdling screams imaginable.  All in all, it was an incredible few hours of adrenaline, fear and fun!

We all met up back at the hotel for a swim and a drink by the pool to regale each other with our stories. Some of us were even able to get laundry done by the hotel staff.

Supper was taken in a local restaurant in La Fortuna where we sat in two groups. We do take up a lot of space but the wait staff were very gracious. I had a fish appetizer drenched in lime juice that was really good.  I think it’s called ceviche.

Another early morning to load all our gear onto the van and head out of the mountains of the Cloud Forest and off towards the Arunel Volcano and the Rainforest.

The road was rough and winding and there were moments I closed my eyes as we neared the drop off edge while we geared down around a bend. But somehow we made it to the rugged lane where we backed down to Lake Arunel – a man-made lake created when a hydro electric dam was built in 1979. Two groups of G-Adventure clients were ferried across the lake accompanied by a flock of Mangrove Swallows. The Arunel volcano came into view with the top shrouded in cloud.

Another van picked us up when we landed and trucked us off towards La Fortuna where it became obvious that it was Easter. Traffic around this popular holiday spot was horrendous. We eventually made it to an adventure company office where we were given a talk on a number of activities. The daring ones in the group chose white water rafting and canyoning and I chose a trip to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. Jan signed up for white water rafting.

Criss had told us there was a change in hotels but this new one offered free breakfast. It was a good little way out of town as well, but off we went. Our room is a bit spare but the hotel setting is lovely with quite a chorus of birds.

Next on the agenda was a trip to the volcano so we loaded onto the van and set out for the Arundel Ecological Park. We hiked up a trail that led to the bottom section of the lava flows that obliterated three villages and their inhabitants in 1968. From there we hiked down to the green lagoon which was actually very green from algae and minerals. Down in the lagoon we saw egrets, a couple of jacanas and a toucan.

From there we headed back to the van for a refreshing and delicious snack of fruit – banana, pineapple, mango and papaya. There were a number of birds to check out there as well then we piled into the van to head down to the banos (washrooms) to change into bathing suits and drive to the hotsprings.

The hotsprings were not quite as hot as I expected but they were certainly warm and loaded with people. It is basically a rock strewn creek with descending levels. Everyone was enjoying themselves and the atmosphere was lively.

After about an hour it was dark and we got back into the van, joining a very long line of vehicles crawling back to La Fortuna. A stop at a supermarket for people to pick up goodies for supper and we headed back to the hotel.

Jan and I had a beer each and some leftovers and bakery goods from Monteverde and we were happy.

Most of us arranged for an early breakfast as there were a variety of actvities and we wanted to cram in as much of the mountain experience as possible. Jan and I had a typical Costa Rican breakfast of rice, beans, egg on a small tortilla, fried plantain. It was quite good and very filling.

Then I headed off with Dave and Barb to the Curi-Cancha Reserve to check for birds with our guide John. Jan headed off with another group to trek the Hanging Bridges in the Cloud Forest.

Curi-Cancha offered up a good assortment of Costa Rican birds as well as some wildlife and our guide John was very knowledgeable. We saw a Great Curassow, a Keel Billed Toucan, a Northern Emerald Toucanet, a number of warblers, a couple of thrushes, and flycatchers as just some of our sightings. As for the wildlife, we encountered a troup of peccaries and Dave and Barb saw an anteater.

In the afternoon Jan headed off to the bat museum where she learned some fascinating facts about bats while I did the Hanging Bridges trek that she had done in the morning. Whille waiting for our guide we discovered a Black Guan up in a nearby tree. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was able to point out a lot of birds – some of which I had seen earlier but some new ones – especially the beautiful Trogon. The last bridge of the trek was reached by climbing up three stories inside of a tree formed by the strangler fig. It was scarey but I managed the climb. Rob and Yves led the way and encouraged me to keep going.

We finiished the evening at a great Italian restaurant within walking distance of our hotel.

Up early for our 8 am departure. Loading the van was a bit of a chore as the luggage had to be hauled to the roof. Our bus driver worked hard but had a lot of help from Rob. Sue had some GI issues just after breakfast but thankfully she got some Imodium from Dawn. A quick stop at the Pharmacy for Electrolyte drink for Sue and a donut cushion for Diane’s tush and then we were on the road.

Traffic was heavy for the most part as the Easter holidays had more people travelling. We were lucky to find the Scarlet Macaws on their nest so stopped and got photos of these beautiful birds. Once we left the coast, the road began climbing through very dry countryside. The road was in good shape but had lots of twists and turns. Luckily no one had motion sickness. We stopped for a group shot at a scenic lookout with views of the Pacific Ocean. Criss gave us some history of the Monteverde area. A lot of the area had been conserved as a result of some American Quakers who arrived in the 1950s. Costa Rica at that time did not have a military (and still doesn’t) which made the country very attractive to them. Our bus driver and Criss gave us a tour of Santa Elena before dropping us off at Hotel Holistico.

After a quick checkin we got back on the bus to be taken back to Santa Elena. Lunch and shopping ensued before a return to our lodging. Some enjoyed the excellent Choco Cafe which Criss had recommended. That evening most of the group participated in the Jungle tour (sloth, tarantula, Stick insect and flashlights) before having dinner at the pub close by and then a short walk back to our lodgings. A heavy rain and strong winds overnight made for a restless sleep for some.

Next morning the crew were up for an early breakfast before being shuttled by van to the Manuel Antonio Reserve. After a thorough search of everyone’s bags at the gate and some confiscation of items not allowed, the group broke into three – two groups going with guides and one group following Criss. After lots of bird and wildlife sightings the groups reassembled on the beach where Criss had settled and enjoyed a swim in the ocean. The wildlife highlights were the Capuchin monkeys which were very entertaining along with the sloths. There were a number of iguanas, a deer, some agoutis (a large guinea pig-like rodent), a walking stick-like insect, butterflies. The ocean swims were fun except for the people who were tossed about by the waves and ended up with lots of sand in their bathing suits. There were also a few burnt shoulders.

We all found our own way back to the hotel where we cleaned up and gathered for cocktail hour. Our phones kept pinging as we each posted some of our favorite pictures and videos in our WhatsApp group. What a great way to share them!

The activity slated for tonight was a mangrove swamp boat trip. Dennis picked us up in his van and drove us out to his boat launch where we were loaded onto a shallow rig with single seats along each side. We were warned against all jumping up and rushing to one side to see something lest we all end up in the murky brink. I must say we behaved ourselves. Captain Jeremy ran the motor but he also contributed by finding many of our sightings. Between Dennis and Jeremy we found two boa constrictors, three cat-eyed snakes, a whole slew of egrets, a couple of ibis, two types of kingfisher, jc lizards, a crab, spiders and some grey-cowled wood rails. Jan and I had heard the rails from our room that morning. Dennis gave us a lecture on the mangrove ecosystem with four main types of mangrove trees. They are Red, White, Pineapple and Black. We were treated to a rendition of La Cucaracha which caused the bugs on the water surface to jump with each clap. We headed back under a beautiful red full moon.

Dennis then drove us to his place where we were fed a delicious supper after which we headed back to Villa Romantica.

It was an early start so I had set my alarm for 5:30 but, as usual, I didn’t sleep well so was wide awake to stop it before it went off and Jan was able to get a few extra minutes of sleep.

Criss had sent us info on a bakery nearby so I headed out. Along the way I picked up Bruce and Yves. The bakery was a lively place. Yves led with his order in impressive Spanish then headed back since the obviously popular spot was getting crowded. Too bad cuz Bruce and I could have used his help. Seems they thought Bruce and I were a couple and when I ordered a coffee they kept indicating it was in the bag. Problem was it was Bruce’s bag. Took a fair amount of gestures but I finally got my coffee and a wonderfully delicious giant cinnamon roll.

We loaded our gear into the van and headed for Quepos on the Pacific.

The trip took about three hours with a stop along the way to check out the crocodiles in the Rio Grande de Tarcoles. Looking down from the bridge, the river was quite mucky, making the crocs quite mucky. Jan wanted to go down and clean them off.

We arrived at Villa Romantica at 11:30 and all except two rooms were ready. The rooms were at the back of the Villa along with some lush vegetation and a pool. The bad news was that Jimmy’s luggage had not arrived. Most people ate lunch at the outdoor cafe and then got whisked away for the catamaran outing which began at 1:30. Barb and Dave were under the weather and stayed back for a quiet day.

The Catamaran crew had an amazing time on the party boat. Diane danced the Merengue with Diego and also dove off the boat. She had a somewhat off-kilter entry into the water and hurt her tush. Daver thrilled the crowd with his back flip off the boat. The dinner provided was also enjoyed. They arrived back at 6:30 and continued partying on the outdoor patio.

Our room was quite spacious but lacked any windows to the outdoors – just a couple of openings onto a stairwell privatized by frosted glass.  Turned out that was an advantage because the rooms facing out onto the streets caught a lot of traffic noise. Urban Green was the hotel name  and it was rated four star.  The rest of  our group had a variety of room shapes and sizes and amenities. 

Jan and I opted out of the hotel breakfast and headed for the Central Market to find a restaurant recommended by the front desk.  Turned out it was closed but we got to trek through a busy marketplace full of colour and smells. We ended up backtracking to a bakery we had passed and had a couple of pastries with our cafe con leche.

When Jan and I returned the rest of the group wanted us to show them the market so we headed out with group in tow for a tour of central San Jose. Somehow, while wandering among the market stalls our group lost four members. Turns out that our decision to forget getting local sim cards and just rely on Whatsapp isn’t a reliable way to communicate with each other unless we have internet. Happily though, we ended up reuniting at the Children’s Museum about an hour later. Meanwhile we unknowingly hiked through one of the seamier and more dangerous areas of the city to get to the museum.

Next to the museum was a wooded area that was full of interesting bird calls which Merlin was able to identify like the Great-tailed grackle, the clay-coloured thrush, the rufous-collared sparrow, the blue-gray tanager and a great kiskadee, amongst others.

We did end up returning to the hotel unscathed. Jan headed off for lunch with her friend Joanne who lives just outside the city while the rest of us wandered towards the pedestrian area of the Avenida Central where we ended up at Spooners – a slightly pricey restaurant with quite good food. Diane was actually able to find a solution to her damaged bag along the way. She found a store that sold luggage straps. Problem solved.

We all made our way back to the hotel after lunch. One group went off to check out a museum. Dave and Barb Young decided to lay low to try and recuperate from a bug they both seemed to have picked up. I rested in the room until Jan returned with her friend Joanne. Joanne wanted to meet me to tell me about micro-dosing as a method to control essential tremor. I will have to talk to my doctor when I get home.

Diane and Rick invited us all to cocktail hour in the 5th floor lounge and then we went off to another lounge to get our G-Adventures briefing from our guide Criss. This trip is full of possible activities – lots of hiking, birding, swimming. Jim was hoping to be able to go deep sea fishing but he needed some others to join him. If the cost hadn’t been so high I would have loved to do it but it was out of my league.

Supper was a group event at a restaurant chosen by our guide, Criss. The walk there and back proved a bit of an obstacle course avoiding gaping holes in the sidewalk – not the most accessible area. Table discussions were lively as we all were getting to know each other. Too bad Dave and Barb were still not feeling well enough to join. It was late when we returned so we all retired to our rooms for an early start the next day.

Due to the crazy traffic coming into Toronto, our limo driver took us on a round-about route that put us in mind of a plane circling the airport waiting for a runway. Six of us had met at Rick and Diane’s place just south of Erin where the limo picked us up.

Manoeuvering through the airport was relatively easy and we were through security in record time.

Diane and I were peckish and thirsty so when we spied a wine bar, we made a beeline there. Funnily enough we ran into the Cobourg and Brampton gang already imbibing. It was a perfect little spot to whet our whistles before heading to the departure gate.

The flight was relatively uneventful with a really poor choice of movies. Sue and Dave were ok cuz they had downloaded movies from Netflix.

Somehow along the way Diane’s suitcase suffered a surgical incursion so on arrival at the San Jose airport she was found frantically stuffing clothes back into the bag. Noone else had any complaints so we loaded ourselves onto the G-Adventures van and headed to the Urban Green Hotel.

It was approaching 11 Costa Rica time (1 am our time) so we headed to our rooms.