The bulk of our trip (9 days) was booked through a Gate1 Travel fly and drive package which included hotels and breakfasts. They were extremely flexible in allowing us to add two days to the 7 day package to slow down the trip to our liking. We were also able to book our car through them for the entire time. The hotels were amazing. Highly recommend--sign up for their weekly deals to be emailed to you. http://www.gate1travel.com/costa-rica-travel
During the second week we stayed on a homeaway near Montezuma. http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p240014 Here is my review: PARADISE WITH WIFI 5 of 5 My husband and I, recently retired, spent an entire week at Sol y Luna. From the moment we arrived I knew we had found paradise--and of course any great paradise also has wifi! Patricia provided us with details instructions on the area that provided a framework to do as little or as much as we wanted during our visit. On those days we felt super active we went zip-lining (yes, I actually did it!), took surfing lessons, walked to Cabuya Island, hiked Cabo Blanco, and took a snorkelling trip to Tortuga Island. Just as special were the days we spent thirty minutes watching leaf cutter ants, hung out with the capuchin monkeys or bought the perfect piece of fish from the local fishermen. If you are looking for the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation--book this rental now--before the secret is out! Green Season
Food
Driving
$
Activities San Jose/Casa Conde
Catargo
Arenal/La Fortuna/Tilajari Resort
Monteverde/Hotel Montana
Montezuma/Sol y Luna
Finally, ask lots of questions and enjoy. Pura Vida. You are Always in my Prayers. Love MOM
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This afternoon, on our way back to San Jose, we visited the El Manantial Macaw sanctuary near Puntarenas. Due to the destruction of macaw habitat, and poaching for pets, both the scarlet and green macaw are considered endangered within Costa Rica. El Manantial is dedicated to conserving and breeding macaws with the purpose of reintroducing them back into the wild. I managed to snap a picture of this happy pair who are now free and thriving. Dad was particularly impressed with the two pairs of Hyacinth macaws that were seized and are cared for by the sanctuary. These giant purplish parrots are considerably taller than your average Labrador retriever. Do you see the fire red colour of those smiling macaws? Now imagine your father that colour, especially his back! We went snorkelling yesterday and he definitely got fried by the sun. Dad managed to get a deal on a full day snorkelling adventure out to Tortuga Island. I was, as always, sceptical--especially when I realized that the two young men that pulled up on their ATVs, munching on a bag of Cheetos, were our guides for the day. They led us down to the water. I wondered how we were going to fit 15 into the relatively small boat that pulled up--no problem three young ladies were "invited" to sit up on the deck in front of the driver. Then the safety instructions--wait there were none! Dad noted my concern and pointed to some life jackets hanging from the canopy. Once I let all of this go--magic! It was like a Disney movie. Dolphins leapt out of the crystal blue water beside the boat. We snorkelled in two different locations--there were so many brightly coloured fish--I'm pretty sure I even saw Nemo. Lunch was served under a canopy located on the white shell beach of Tortuga island. Dad's sunburn will soon be forgotten (we're treating is with aloe plant our host cut from the garden), but this magical day will not. We have met many wonderful people and have had unforgettable experiences. Our next adventure will be Turkey starting September 11th. In the meantime we look forward to heading home in the morning to catch up with all of you. You are always in my prayers. Love Mom Last night Dad and I headed out after supper to hunt for Costa Rican land crabs. It was a beautiful Costa Rica evening with hundreds of fire flies hovering over the meadow across the road from our jungle home. Flashlights in hand we scoured the dirt roads until we found our critter of the day. Only about four inches across she is know for her determination. Although she is a land crab she will head in a straight line through just about anything to bring her eggs to the beach. Today I mustered a little of this determination myself as your father and I went zip lining. Video will follow in the morning, but don't be disappointed that there is no screaming--I loved it. Prior to going I had a reoccurring dream that the instructor would take one look at me and say, "can someone get the heavy rope?" Well, that didn't happen. Pedro, who I'm pretty sure was assigned to babysit me, was charming and patient. We did nine lines and I learned something about zip lining--it's not the "zipping" that kills you--it's the stairs. My biggest near-death was on the last line. Somehow my speed got all out of control, my hand came off the line, I started spinning--Oh! Oh! Do you know what I did? I let the instructor waiting for me at the other end reel the brake out because he knew how to handle the situation--he understood the big picture. God lesson? Yup--it was for me. Hide me now Under your wings Cover me Within your mighty hands When the ocean rise and thunders roar I will soar with you above the storm Father you are King over the flood I will be still and know you are God Find rest my soul In Christ alone Know His power In quietness and trust When the ocean rise and thunders roar I will soar with you above the storm Father you are King over the flood I will be still and know you are God You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. Welcoming us to our three hour hike in the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve was a harem of White-lined bats. Fortunately, I am fascinated by these remarkable creatures as they are quite common in Costa Rica. Apparently, I can get fascinated by a lot of things when I have my camera in hand because shortly after trying to capture a band of about 40 coti (like raccoons, but cuter) with the go-pro we realized we weren't quite sure we were still on the trail. I went into survival mode and made your dad fill up his water bottle from the stream and wouldn't let him open his beer nuts in case we needed them for rations. Perhaps I over-reacted. We retraced our steps--we made it out alive. We continue our quest to eat local. Yesterday, after walking out to Cabuya Island, which can only be reached on foot during low tide, we bought delicious mango and pineapple preserves from a home along the road. Today we bought fish directly from the fisherman that hangs out near the beach in Cabuya . We have no idea what kind of fish it is, but it is a good thing it cooked up so tasty because we ended up buying a kilogram--our Spanish still needs some work! Our host exclaimed that we are like children--we want to try everything. We are taking that as a challenge. Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. You are always in my prayers. Love Mom We watched an army of tiny Cutter Leaf Ants for over 30 minutes today. You can do that when you are retired! Back and forth, back and forth, they carried a burden seemingly too enormous to bear--they never gave up. This makes them a very worthy critter of the day. It was going to be a capuchin monkeys but they pee on their hands and feet to mark their territory and eat our compost. To be fair, I think Dad picks our meals based on what makes the best treats for the monkeys.
Up until now we have been in the cooler parts of Costa Rica. Now it is hot, hot, hot! With the heat we have slowed our pace. To cool down we float in the Pacific (300 metres from our Jungalow), read in the shade, or swing in the hammock wearing just our underwear. We also went for a drive in the 4x4 to catch a breeze and see a two hundred year old Strangler Fig. Of course, we had to stop occasionally to let the iguanas cross the road. I managed to buy antibiotic ear drops using only spanish (yes, there is infection in Paradise). At least I hope they are ear drops because I'm putting them in my ear. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. |
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Ray & Diane
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