2019: Costa Rica

Nov 18, 2019: Hotel Turista, Puntarenas ($10)

• Discovered I was a day off: my last language class is actually tomorrow!  But decided anyway to leave for Santa Elena today; that still leaves very few days for the north.  Oh well, there really isn’t much to do there anyway..

• Que hizo?  What did you do?

• Hacer, tener, estar, y ir: mas importante

• Rachael: money from Jeanne?

• El cheapo room in Puntarenas, but it wasn’t very hot, the room had a fan, and the bus stop was a block away.  Walked all over town looking for a good restaurant, finally gave and bought some groceries.

Nov 19, 2019: Mora’s Place B&B, Santa Elena /Monteverde ($23)

• Just before getting on the morning bus to Santa Elena / Monteverde I suddenly became very dizzy, and had trouble standing.  A young couple I had been talking to (from Nicaragua and Holland) helped me aboard, found a bag for me to barf in, and provided me with t.p. to dry myself off (I had burst into sweat all over my body).  It lasted about an hour, and then I felt pretty much ok.  I think it was the mixed nuts I bought - they tasted old.

• Now sitting on the lovely veranda of my hotel, with a view of the intensely green hills in the foreground and the Pacific Ocean visible in the distance, weather comfortably cool, cloudy of course, but no rain yet.  Had a tame coati visit me - sniffed my hand even.  Sent out my sweat-soaked clothes to be washed.  In no hurry to eat anything right now.  Lovely room, lovely view, lovely weather - I may stay here awhile.

• Got an email from Asdrubal - Mt Chirripó is booked for the coming weekends, so the hike is off for them.  And maybe for me, too: the couple I met earlier today had done the hike, and she said it was really difficult, really steep, and wet - lots of falls going downhill.  I may eliminate it from my to-do list.  But he invited me to spend the weekend of Nov 29 with them at their friend’s cabin in Perez Zeledon, close to FUDEBIOL biological reserve Las Quebradas.   Tempting - maybe I could stay with them after visiting Isla Del Caño and Parque Nacional Corcovado.

• Caren leaves (with me!) Dec 12-16 to San Blas, returns latest Dec 25.  I arrive at Colombian get-together Dec 26, leave latest Jan 3.  Plans from Bocas del Toro:

• Fly from Bocas to Pereira Colombia; buses to Armenia and Montenegro.

• Fly from Bocas to Panama City (Albrook); fly to Cali; buses to Armenia and Montenegro.

• Fly Bocas > Panama City > Bogota ($330: Momondo)

• But boat will be at Shelter Bay or Linton Marina, near Colon.  Plans: all involve bus & taxi from marina to airport:

• fly Panama City Albrook > Bogota ($675, Momondo) > Armenia ($78); bus to Montenegro; 

• fly Panama City Albrook > Bogota; buses Bogota > Montenegro (5 1/2 hrs, $22)

• Fly Panama City Tocumen > Pereira (Copa, $259); buses to Montenegro (best & cheapest).

• Booked flight 4 PM Dec 26: Tocumen > Pereira, Copa CM 665 ($258.75).  Will take taxi + buses to Tocumen from the boat.  And bus from Pereira to Montenegro 2 hrs).  Emailed Bruce to help me get from a cafe of his choice in Montenegro to the Finca.

• Now some planning: have 25 days until I arrive at boat on Dec 14:

  • Nov 20-22: Santa Elena / Monteverde 

  • Nov 23-24: buses and boat to Bahía Drake

  • Nov 25-27: Bahía Drake, Isla Del Caño

  • Nov 28: travel back to San Isidro de El General.

  • Nov 29: meet with Andrea and Asdrubal

  • Nov 29-Dec 1: with A & A at Perez Zeledon

  • Dec 2: bus to Panama

  • Dec 3-14: Paso Canoas > David > Cerritos Punta > Sendero Los Quetzales, Boquete, Lost and found jungle hostel (bus from David to Changuinola), Volcan Baru, Santa Fe, Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montaña, Parque Nacional Coiba, Parque Nacional Soberania, Panama Canal

  • Dec 14: arrive at boat

  • Dec 15-25: San Blas islands aboard Serenity 

  • Dec 26: fly to Colombia

  • Dec 27 - Jan 3: Finca 

To do:

• Santa Maria Night Walk ($25, 5:30 PM)

• Valle Escondido (Cerritos Plano, $20)

• Bosque Nuboso Monteverde: bus 6:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM - from Banco Nacional; return 6:45 AM, 11:30 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM.

• Butterfly garden

• The frog pond (Ranario): 9:30-4:30, frog pond to 8 PM

• Sendero Bajo Del Tigre: Bosque Eterno de los Niños. 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM.  Night hike 5:30 PM (guided, 2 hours, $23; make reservations); Transportation $4.  Daily: $12; 

• Kinkajou night walk: 5:45-8, 7-9, 8:30-10

Nov 20, 2019: Mora’s Place B&B, Santa Elena /Monteverde ($23)

Mauricio

577 colónes = 1 dollar

Frog pond: after 6 PM (Denny)

Monteverde > La Fortuna: taxi-boat-taxi ($35, 4 hrs)

• Late breakfast in hotel then walked (in very light rain) to:

• The frog pond (Ranario Monteverde: $20).  Personal tour (I was the only visitor).  I would not have seen the poisonous little devils without the guide’s help.  Will return tomorrow evening: they are more active at night.  Amazing collection of butterflies and bugs from Costa Rica and around the world.

• Butterfly Garden ($17).  Not many around, but took some nice photos.  Bought little boxes for my sobrina nietas.  Leaf cutter ants!

• Santuario Ecológico ($17).  Half cloud forest.  Didn’t spot practically anything, but good exercise - I found myself pretty tired when the trail went uphill.  Need to get in better shape!

• I was the only tourist for all 3 activities.

• Caren’s latest plan: Fly to boat in Panama; sail to and hang at San Juan islands > transit Panama Canal ~Dec 28 (price doubles to $1600 in 2020) > Archipelago de Las Perlas

• 585 Costa Rican colones = 1 dollar

• Learn how to take 1 second photos (to blur waterfalls)

• Kinkajou night tour ($20?): very interesting.  Tarantula, red-eyed frog, yellow venemous snake, fruit bat, sloth (my first!  But way up a tree, very hard to spot, even with binos.)