We had a fabulous time in Costa Rica. We definetely got in some needed rest and relaxation. So, where do I begin?
Getting there:
The flight isn't too terribly long, around 6 hours. The whole trip required a little bit of planning, since our destination is approximately 4 hours from the capital. So we spent the first night in Alajuela (a town right by SJ airport). Next morning we take the taxi to the shuttle, which took us to Puerto Viejo. Road trip is looong and bumpy at times, but the scenery is beautiful.
Puerto Viejo:
Small town, rastafarian vibe. I felt out of place without dreads! Of course there are plenty of surfers around too. Restaurants and shops were mostly thatched wood type places. Commercialism hasn't really hit this town yet, with the exception of one mini mall that didn't seem to get too much foot traffic.
La Costa de Papito:
Fabulous bungalows! Restaurant and bar at this place had a great ambiance too. We also had breakfast served to us on our bungalow porch. Best part was being surrounded by nature. From our porch we saw colorful birds and igunas. Our second day there we saw the resident sloth crawling up a tree. We mistakingly thought we would see it again, so we didn't take any pictures. Wrong! I'm totally bummed about that.
Manzanillo:
Loved this place! Really, really loved it. We grew restless in Puerto Viejo and wanted more to explore. The local buses are cheap, so we were able to catch a ride for 520 colones each (about a $1). It's a small town at the very end of the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The beach is nicer than Playa Cocles (by La Costa de Papito), mostly because the waves weren't as rough and playing in the water was much easier and safer. Not to mention less people around. It's such a tiny town, and not too many people make the trip that far south. This worked out perfectly for us!
Hiking:
We found the coolest beach trail in Manzanillo. It ultimately leads to a place called Punta Mona (Monkey Point). This ended up being a two-day adventure. We attempted it the first day but didn't have enough time to get through it and be back to catch the bus to Puerto Viejo. So we came back early the next day to try it again. This is the best hike I've ever been on, but it was a bit challenging. The incline wasn't too tough, moderate/intermediate at the most. It was the MUD that made it tough! Trying to climb up or down without sliding on our asses was the real challenge! We're not sure if we made it to Punta Mona or not, they didn't have any signs that far in. I'm think we went in about 3 miles though. The trail got really narrow as fewer and fewer hikers seem to go that distance. Finally we decided to turn around and head back. Never saw one howler monkey, but I'm pretty sure I heard them a couple times. With so many weird noises around, it's hard to distinguish the birds from the other creatures of the jungle.
Food/Service:
At most places, the service is painfully slow. One day, I ordered what I thought was a fillet of talapia. One hour later, the entire fish is served to me, head and all, just staring up at me! Maybe that's why it took so long. As I try to enjoy it, a tiny cat pops up next to me, licking his lips in hope of one tiny morsel of the fish. The frustrating part is seeing surfers walk in after us who get served much, much quicker. Since I can't really understand what is being said, me and Tbear try to reason that they must ask for "fast food." I hope that's the case. Anyways, watching the clouds and cool weather roll in after I've been at a restaurant for over two hours was quite annoying. We had to skip the beach one day because of it. Slow service at other places happened about 3 more times before we finally gave up in Puerto Viejo. I even went to bed hungry one night rather than deal with another long wait. We found a great place in Manzanillo that was fast, cheap and delicious and we never went anywhere else after that!
Spanish:
So my one semester of Spanish was more helpful then not taking it at all. I was able to say some basic, necessary phrases when needed. I felt bad about not understanding or speaking more, especially when I see Germans speaking English and Spanish, in addition to their own language. Funny thing is, on the shuttle back to San Jose, everyone was American and we were the best Spanish speakers. So sad. A girl in the back of the shuttle asked the bus driver during our break if we "arriba now?", complete with walking fingers to make her her point. It was her way of asking if we were leaving now. Sounds like she learned her Spanish from Speedy Gonzalez cartoons. Suddenly I didn't feel so bad anymore.
Flight Home:
International travel can suck, especially when it comes to customs, having your bag checked multiple times, etc. Our flight was delayed out of San Jose, then the pilot tells us he can't fill the jet full of fuel because of strong winds or something like that. So we had to stop at Mazatlan to refuel before heading to Phoenix for our connecting flight. So our 6 hour trip ended up being about 12. Oh well, seems to be pretty standard stuff with travel, but it's always a drag.
Time with Tbear:
Priceless....
