Ferry To Montezuma

Back on the road again and headed back to the beaches of the Nicoyo Peninsula. This time we are taking the ferry from Puntareanas across the Golfo de Nicoyo and heading up the coast from the south where we plan to check out a few more surf spots. But first we want to check out Montezuma a funky little beach town nestled in the forest and bordered by some of the most spectacularly photogenic beaches we have seen in Costa Rica. The town center is really just a Y in the road, both arms of the Y turn to dirt roads and head out to more breathtaking beaches - or so we are told. We opt for a room at the Hotel Aurora where we share the walkway with numerous red and purple cangrejos (crabs).

We stroll through town, which consists of a few restaurants, a few hostels and a couple of nicer hotels, some souvenir shops, a book-exchange and a make-shift artesian market - this all takes about 20 minutes. The real draw here is the laid back vibe, most likely emulating from the hippy type ex-pats, and the gorgeous beaches.

In the morning we take a walk along the beach. Around each corner is another beautiful cove, each one more peaceful and secluded than the last. If you are looking for a mellow, relaxing place to lay down a towel or hang a hammock and do nothing but maybe read a book - I highly recommend this place.



















Interestingly, these white throated magpie-jay birds, common in Central America, are sugar addicts. We saw one steal a sugar package from a table, fly to a perch and meticulously attempt to open just the corner of the package and then tilt it up so that the sugar falls into its beak. This particular bird joined us (and anyone before or after us) for breakfast. Posing patiently for every camera in hopes of a reward - sugar please.

A Classic Latin American City - Alajuela

Alejuela is a traditional Latin American city with a “parque central” in the town center surrounded by several buildings and of course the cathedral, which interestingly has a hemispherical cupola made of sheets of red corrugated metal.









A more modern park, Parque Juan Santamaria, with some interesting sculptures and a statute of a hero in action, is the place where the young people hang out at night. On Saturday morning there is a procession down the street with someone carrying the statute of a Saint and reciting “Hail Mary’s”








Turns out the San Jose International Airport is not actually in San Jose, rather it is in Alejuela So we found The Guaria Inn, a few blocks from the center of town, with a very friendly staff and 5 minutes from the airport. Mom’s flight is delayed several hours, but she eventually makes it off to the States We could hardly believe a week had gone by, how time flies when you are having fun.

Next Stop, Peer Into a Volcano

Parque Nacional Volcan Poas erupted in 1953 creating an enormous crater about 1.3km across and 300m deep. An active volcano, minor eruptions still occur and the cauldron on the top of the peak bubbles over regularly emitting steam and gaseous fumes. Access to the top is a simple walk down a paved path leading to a look-out point. We arrive in the nick of time. Snap, snap, snap - photos and video capture our moment. Not more than 10 minutes after we arrive at the viewing area the clouds roll in and cover the entire crater view. And then the rain starts…

Cloud Forests, Coffee Farms & Casadas

Costa Rica is a visually beautiful country with more than 14% of its land falling within national park boundaries and even more land under conservation bringing the protected land estimates to 25%. There are lush jungles and cloud forests, filled with a 4 breeds of monkeys, 220 reptiles, 160 amphibians, 35,000 species of insects, 3,000 types of butterflies, armadillos, anteaters, and more; rugged and scenic white and black sand beaches line the coast while volcanoes form the spine of the country.



Since Mom was only in town for 6 days we wanted to make sure she saw more than the beaches so we decided to head inland to show her some other parts of the country. The drive alone is spectacular, albeit long and bumpy. The Nicoyo Peninsula is actually the driest part of Costa Rica, as you travel inland it gets more lush. We take the Interamerican Hwy and turn off for Juntas which we thought was the quickest way. Well maybe according to the map, but we later realize that this is part of the road labeled as the worst road in Costa Rica as it turns to a rough, bumpy, windy dirt road which seems to last for eternity - although according to the map it was only 30km. Coffee farms cover the hillsides here like rice fields did in Bali. I am always baffled when the places that grow such good coffee don’t really drink it or serve it locally - rather the norm here is instant powder - Nescafe style.



We decide to stay in the neighboring town of Santa Elena. After checking out a few places we decide on the Vistas del Golfo. Its family run and I get to practice my Spanish as not all the staff speaks English. We rent a little loft apartment with a large balcony which apparently has spectacular views of the valley down to the Golfo de Nicoya. Unfortunately, true to its name “cloud forest“ it is pretty socked in even first thing in the morning. It is pouring outside so we decide to just walk to the soda next door for dinner. La Amistead served up delicious casados (typical meals including pollo, pescado or carne, con arroz, refrioles, plantans, y ensalada) and cold cerveza.



Costa Rica is best known for eco-tourism, after all with the bountiful environment it seems a natural fit. However, somehow this eco-tourism label has been liberally used to promote numerous zipline parks which really should be labeled amusement parks rather than ecotours Yes it is true that they are located in beautiful cloud forests, and could provide amazing views from high above the ground But lets face it, speeding across a zipline with a group of 15 or more others lined up waiting for their turn, everyone yelping and hollering, egging each other on to do the next one upside down, is a far cry from an ecotour. Certainly if I was a monkey I would relocate my family to a more pristine local where there were less daily visitors. Interestingly even the backpackers traveling on tight budgets manage to come up with the $30 plus needed for the adrenaline rush. Don’t get me wrong, I know it can be fun, I have done the zipline tour in Mexico, but I saw very little of the jungle while I whizzed through the trees from one landing post to the next.

So in hopes of a more peaceful experience we decide to visit the Reserva Santa.Elena which is right next door to the Reserva Monteverde but receives far less tourist and claims to have a healthy population of monkeys, sloths, birds and other animals. Since John is itching to see an elusive sloth we figure the quieter reserva gives us better potential. Mom and I had rented big rubber boots from the hotel as they said it would be very muddy and armed with our boots, raincoat and water bottles we set off for an adventure. There are over 12km of trails and we, of course, chose the longest, at the recommendation of the park ranger. It ends up taking us 3 hours on a jungle trail, roots, rocks and steps included. Unfortunately we strike out when it comes to spotting a sloth, no monkeys either, but we did see some huge centipedes, this very big pincher bug, various birds, crabs, and other insects.
Oh and of course, the forest itself is stunning, with huge leaves, hanging vines, moss covered trees an of course - the mist from the clouds.

Later that day, after lunch in town, and a rest, we visited the Ranario (Frog zoo) which has over 30 species of frogs, most of which are nocturnal so it turns out to be a benefit that the sun has already set Only draw back is that. you can only see them with the aid of a flashlight and a trusty guide who knows exactly where they are hiding in those glass cages.

Estuary Tour

We had met several people who had taken the Estuary Tour and has seen alligators, monkeys, lots of birds etc. So we thought we would check it out. It was essentially a covered fishing boat with bench seating and a “guide“. We slowly glided through the mangroves in search of gators, but they were no where in sight.


Deep in the reserve we got out of the boat and walked through the jungle in search of monkeys. Eventually we found the local family of Howler monkeys hanging out in one of their favorite trees.

Our First Visitor While on the Road

Well lots of people say they would like to meet us somewhere during our journey, but our first visitor was a bit of a surprise - my Mom! Shortly before we left Los Angeles my Mom emailed and said she was interested in meeting us in Costa Rica. A few days later she had booked a ticket and would meet us a week later, May 24, in Liberia. We pick her up at the airport and head back to Tamarindo.





Yesterday we found a little 2 bedroom apartment at the Hotel Macondo, conveniently located in the center of town, an easy walk to the beach and shops with a small Super Mercado next door. The hotel is a bit of a splurge for us, t.v., a/c and a pool! Not to mention a nice kitchen too. We spend the first few days exploring the beaches, John and I get a little surfing in and my Mom gets to visit a couple of different beaches, Tamarindo, Marbella, and Avellanas, of course also getting the pleasure of experiencing the bumpy dirt roads too.






Sunsets are spectacular at the beach in Tamarindo, even when its raining.

Dirt Roads, River Crossings, and Cangrejo

We have to be in Liberia on Saturday so we decide to make our way back to Tamarindo via the beach road. Its pretty much a bumpy dirt road the entire way with a few river crossings. We had heard stories about the river crossings, the best was from the guys we met at our hotel in Tamarindo. They had made the drive in search of surf and were headed back, at night -- first rule broken: Never try to ford the rivers at night unless you absolutely know the way Essentially, the key is to be able to see where you need to enter and exit the river. Sometimes it is not a straight shot across. The best recommendation is to follow a local through as the river can get pretty deep in some sections. In the case of our friends, they knew they couldn’t just plow across unknowingly, so they got out and figured they would test the water level with a stick. As they poked around, they quickly were reminded that this is a jungle -- as an crocodile snapped at the stick. Which, as you can imagine, sent them running to their car in Three Stooges style. Of course by now it was pouring, and they were resigning themselves to spending the night in the car or turning back where they came from, until a local cowboy arrived. They paid him $20 and he escorted them through the next couple of river crossings and they and their rental car lived to talk about it. Our journey was easy, only a few river crossings and they were all pretty straightforward. Of course it was the middle of the day.

Although the drive was fairly deserted we did see a little wildlife. As we were driving along we kept seeing these flashes of red on the sides of the road. At one point they were darting across the road. I made John stop the car so I could run around and try to corral these colorful cangrejos.







Then we saw a monkey in a tree just above the road. We stopped to take its picture, and it tried to pee on us! There were several cowboys herding cows down the street which is a normal occurrence But the most culturally interesting was the funeral procession. It was for a baby, and they were carrying the casket down the street from the church, followed by family, friends and neighbors on foot making their way to the cemetery. We contemplated taking pictures as we drove by, but in the end decided against it. We arrive back in Tamarindo on Friday afternoon - our room at the Hotel Mamiri is waiting for us.