After a year filled with stresses associated with moving, changing schools (for some multiple times) and new jobs, our family decided it was time for a real vacation. A few years prior to this we had taken a family trip to Puerto Rico to "try out" the kids traveling somewhere other than the beach. All went amazingly well, so we decided this year we would go to Costa Rica. Furman and I had been before, and we thought the plethora of flora and fauna and interesting terrain would eliminate any cause for boredom. In this we were correct and this trip was amazing. However, I do not want to imply total peace, love and joy at all times. Just imagine a daily dose of, "Quit laying on me," "You are chewing too loudly" and "are we lost again?" and you will have the unvarnished tale of our journey.
Day 1
To begin we flew out of Orlando, FL as the fares there were the cheapest we had found in the our corner of the Southeast. We flew to Miami and then on to San Jose, landing about 5 p.m. MST on a cloudy, rainy afternoon. As our plane was towed to the disembarkation point, I began to have second thoughts as to how easy it was going to be to navigate our way through this country. After a long wait for a mobile staircase, a crowded shuttle bus to the gate door, and a quick trip through immigration, we exited the airport to cries of "taxi" from drivers whose personal space requirements were much smaller than mine. We looked out over a sea of yellow taxis and shuttle buses with a look of desperation. Suddenly, out of this sea of humanity and traffic our savior appeared. We have never been sure if he was an employee of the airport, the rental car companies, the hotels, or God himself, but, whoever he was, he took charge of our situation, and called our car rental company to have them send a shuttle to pick us up.
We had booked a compact rental car through USave, and we had every intention of going it alone with our google map printouts and the minimum of rental car insurance (since in America everyone knows rental car insurance is a sham, right?) But the weather, the lateness of the hour, and Costa Rica's spotty road conditions influenced our decision to go with the full coverage and a GPS -- a decision we never once regretted. Costa Rica is not a country that takes much stock in highway numbers, street names, etc., so having "Garmina" (as we affectionately named our guide) was the only way we were ever going to find our bed for the night.
Once Furman finished the 3 minute tour of the car features, we all piled in and eased out of the potholed "parking area" into what we hoped was not the wrong way on a one-way street! We drove in slow motion thru the city trying to do everything Garmina said to do when she said to do it...this took a little getting used to as the visual image lagged behind the actual. There were several moments of concern that something was hanging out of the trunk or that our lights weren't on when several cars honked their horns. But after checking as much as we could from within the car, we decided there must be another explanation that we would inquire about later. As we moved out of the city, the traffic became much less dense and immediate, but, unfortunately, so did the streetlights. Nonetheless, we plowed on up and down the mountains, counting down the miles until the next set of instructions were conveyed.
When we thought we couldn't stand another minute of "Ding, Ding, speed bump" or "Ding, Ding, dangerous bridge ahead," we arrived at our destination. As is the case with most buildings on a hillside road, the "parking lot" was a quick swerve into home base - Poas Lodge.
The chilly air was a shock as we exited the car. The temperature had dropped to sweater weather! As we entered the door we were greeted by a very friendly dog and a "Judd Nelson" look alike. After ascertaining who we were and introducing himself as Alan, our host led us to our rooms. Crossing the dining room to the stairs leading down, we stood stock still for a moment in total awe of the view before us. The wall of glass windows looked out onto the entire Central Valley, and gave the impression of looking down on thousands upon thousands of constellations.
The chilly air was a shock as we exited the car. The temperature had dropped to sweater weather! As we entered the door we were greeted by a very friendly dog and a "Judd Nelson" look alike. After ascertaining who we were and introducing himself as Alan, our host led us to our rooms. Crossing the dining room to the stairs leading down, we stood stock still for a moment in total awe of the view before us. The wall of glass windows looked out onto the entire Central Valley, and gave the impression of looking down on thousands upon thousands of constellations.
Being the geeky planner that I am I already knew the menu by heart, and had even included it in the "black book" I created that contained all the paperwork we might need for reservations, insurance info, etc. I knew exactly want I wanted to order - a casado with chicken! After everyone looked things over, all but the youngest went with a casado - some with shrimp and some with chicken. (The youngest couldn't venture out of her comfort zone just yet and ordered a hamburger.) After our orders were taken we just sat looking out at our surroundings, feeling a little like Alice in Wonderland stepping out of a world of chaotic drivers, bumpy roads, and iffy directions and into a peaceful, gorgeous land where the world was perfect. Above the wall of windows hung a chalkboard of interesting facts about the area - elevation 2,708 m (8,124 ft.), the types of animals seen around the area - including Puma (oh my!) and cute local sayings. We were so charmed! And the food, I can say now, was the best we had while in Costa Rica. Alan was a wonderful cook and really outdid himself. And so it was, after our tummies were full and we finished staring at the stars and city lights, we headed off to bed. The rooms were chilly, but there were lots of warm covers on the beds. After a nice, hot shower we crawled in for a much needed good night's sleep.
Day 2
As I seem to do when I travel, I woke up at the crack of dawn (those who know me realize what an anomaly this is). Curious to see the view in the daylight, I peaked out the curtains, and was rewarded by a stunning vista of grassy slopes with cows grazing that gave way to the wide valley below. Clouds were rushing in below us changing shape as quickly as I blinked. I decided I needed to share this experience and woke Furman. After a few minutes of staring, Furman rushed outside with his new toy (camera). Soon the girls woke and were starving, so we called the photo shoot done, got dressed, and headed upstairs. We began helping ourselves to fresh fruit, juice, and coffee, and then were offered a choice of pancakes or eggs. Everything was delicious and we ate at a leisurely pace enjoying the changing colors over the mountains and valley as the minutes passed. Alan told us that on clear days you could sometimes see all the way to the Pacific Ocean out to our right. While it was clear, we were never sure if what we were glimpsing was ocean or sky.
We arrived at the park right on time, and, after paying the fees (parking and individual), we headed to the overlook. We were amazed at how winded we were as the incline was not overly steep, but then remembered we were 8,900 feet above sea level. Unfortunately, Volcano Poas' crater was shrouded in heavy clouds when we arrived, so we stood around admiring the extreme silence and the stinky smell that wafted up periodically. A sign indicated visitors were limited to 20 minutes, which I suppose had to do with the sulfuric steam that emanated from the crater. Finally, we trooped back down the walk until we reached the Botos Trail that lead us to the Botos Lagoon. We experienced mostly clouds and mists there too, but enjoyed the plenitude of flora and a little fauna too. Our favorite plant was definitely the Poor Man's Umbrella! Many of the leaves were huge, and the girls had fun playing around with them. Then there were the squirrels at the lookout for Botos Lagoon. They were quite tame, to the point of being a little creepy--or maybe it was just too much cloudy weather. We kept hearing lots of birds, but could never see them, and hoped we weren't missing out on the Resplendent Quetzal! After finishing the trail, we perused the quite touristy souvenir shop and informational display room. Still hoping for a glimpse of a live volcano, we decided to make one last trip to the crater. By now the crowds had begun to arrive so the silence was nonexistent, but we were rewarded by a few peeks at the crater and a fumarole or two. 
After driving back to Poas Lodge we gathered our gear, and said good bye to Alan and his sweet dog. 
Finally, a little jittery from our caffeine hit, we hit the road for Arenal Observatory Lodge. We enjoyed the trip through winding roads, "dangerous bridges and speed bumps," and beautiful vistas. Toward the end of the trip we were all getting a little punchy, hungry, and in need of a restroom. How we made it for the last half hour of gravel roads I will never know, but I clearly remember the relief I felt as we pulled into the correct location.
Once in our rooms we threw our bags down, and headed straight for the restaurant. The waitstaff were very kind, and helped us order our meal without judging our Spanish. We decided not to worry about cost since we had unintentionally skipped lunch. The kids even got Shirley Temples (or the Spanish equivalent).
Day 3
After a breakfast highlighted with wonderful freshly squeezed fruit juices and fresh fruits, along with all the other buffet accompaniments, we ventured off on a hike on one of the property's many trails. We didn't see a lot of wildlife, but enjoyed the quiet beauty of the plant life. Once we were finished, we headed out to La Fortuna to get some colonnes.
La Fortuna, when Furman and I had visited before, was a quaint village with a few restaurants and shops - a very local affair. Now, it was more touristy, with lots of shops and a restaurant on every corner. The only thing that hadn't changed much, however, was the banking system. After finding a spot to park, we headed to the impressive Banco National building expecting to spend a few minutes. The girls and I waited 30 minutes outside before Furman came out to confess he hadn't made it past the entrance lobby due to the crowd, and had just used the ATM machine. Since we had to get a fair amount of cash for a hotel later on in our stay, we knew we would have to come back later. But, later was later. We were ready to see what La Fortuna had to offer! We stopped in a few of the shops, and enjoyed seeing the hammocks, belts, and earrings in such bright colors.
As it grew later and the girls' tummies grew empty, we decided to look for Soda Parada, which we had read was really great for both authenticity and the pocketbook. After a few missteps we found it, and settled down to a delicious meal. We found ourselves quite entertained by two different telenovelas (Spanish soap operas) playing on the TVs around us. Since we couldn't hear consistently due to the ambient noise of the town, we decided we would make up our own dialogue, and it seemed like we were actually getting things right -- man loves girl, man breaks girl's heart, man is jealous of girl, man tries to kill the competition, man gets back together with girl. After we finished the story line as far as we could, we left to look around some more.
We checked out the La Fortuna Catholic Church in the center of the square, but there were folks inside, and we didn't stay long so we wouldn't interrupt them. When Furman decided it might be a good time to try Banco National again, two of the girls wanted to do a little more shopping. Since the unairconditioned shops were sweltering in the mid-day sun, Lamar and I went to a park across the street, and sat down to people watch. A vividly painted van came around every 10 minutes or so blaring information about Arenal tours, etc., and groups of uniform clad school children made their way home. When the other two tired of shopping, we all moved to a spot on a bench in the shade that had freed up. From this new vantage point we noticed an older man crossing the street. He had a cane, and seemed to be struggling a bit in the heat to get across quickly enough to avoid the traffic. But, as with most Costa Ricans, he didn't seem to be worried about his safety. I guess that trait is inborn. As he got to our corner, he noticed us, and came over. None of us were too sure what was going to happen next, but, as it turned out, he just wanted to say hello. Since he spoke only Spanish and we spoke poquito Spanish, we didn't get farther than "Buenos tardes" and a shake of the hand, but it was still a very pleasant interaction.
Day 4
The next morning was clear again, and, of course, we took more pictures while sipping coffee, but afterward we decided to try a more adventurous trail on the property -- the Old Lava Trail. It was pretty steep all the way down to a stream that separated the volcano from the rise that the observatory sits on (presumably this is what would keep the lava from flowing to where we vacationed). The map indicated that the trail continued on the other side of the stream, but after much traipsing around, we couldn't find a clear marking that warranted the wet clothing we would experience if we crossed to explore, so we contented ourselves with playing in the water, and watching lizards sunbathing.
After lunch we were treated to an afternoon of rain, and retreated to our rooms to entertain ourselves with the books/games we had brought to "weather the storms" of travel. When it seemed to let up a bit, my oldest two decided they wanted to join me on the Waterfall Trail. As we set off with our ponchos on, we began to notice that the light was dimming a bit. We barely made it under a shelter before the rain began coming down in torrents. Once it rained itself out, we made a split decision to continue our walk, figuring the trail's short length would ensure our return before dark. Just shy of the trail head we passed a drenched pair of girls who told us the falls were very beautiful, but the path was a little scary. I figured they must be new to this rain forest thing, and, thus easily spooked. Nonetheless, I did note that the fading light would probably make the trail a lot darker, and urged the girls to hurry along. We entered the trail, which was set snugly under a dense thicket of trees and bushes. The light instantly decreased by 50%. Thankfully, the trail was well maintained with some sort of interlocking mat under the dirt so that the raised bits poked up and gave traction. Unexpectedly, there was an audible snap of a twig or branch somewhere off to the left that the girls didn't seem to notice, perhaps due to the noise their ponchos were making. I paused a moment to see if I could spot the cause of the noise, but didn't see anything. Feeling a little less sure of what I would do if some insane monkey jumped at us, I quickly caught up with the others, and urged them along with what I hoped was a calm, assured manner. After an uneventful rest of the walk, the trail opened out on to an outcropping of rocks. There before us was a wide expanse of rushing water, high enough to create a windy mist that whipped our hair and ponchos around in a wild dance. It was breathtaking to feel the force of the water as it pummeled to the pool below. We stood there for a long time watching the wonder before us. Its beauty was even enough to keep me from warnings of slipperiness as the girls stepped down closer to the pool. They were old enough to handle this on their own now. I could just take a moment to myself to admire the amazing sight before me.
Finally, as the light began its final descent into sunset, I had to insist we head back at a jog. None of us spoke until we were back on the paved road near the pool, and the raised voices of a party of young adults lifted the spell of quiet. We were back in our time and place. Lamar and Furman had come down for a little hot tub swim after the rain, so the big girls ran back to the room to change. I noticed some of the other guests had some yummy looking bar drinks, and headed off for a few for us. That next hour was one of the the highlights of our trip, as we totally relaxed into our vacation, free from all the travel worries, time changes, and work issues that we had been fighting off since setting off.
Day 5
Furman and I awoke early, as had become usual for us, and were treated to a bird's eye view of the Spider monkeys moving through just outside our door. Our second floor rooms were the perfect vantage point to enjoy the show. I thought for sure the girls would awaken with all the noise, but they never did. I guess the noises sounded pretty familiar, so it didn't faze them!
After another delicious breakfast, we packed everything up, and set off for the next adventure - Tortuguero, which is only accessible by motorized canoes. The beginning of the adventure was amazingly easy, since for the first two hours on Highway 4, we had the wide roadway all to ourselves -- no dangerous bridges for us. We had planned to stop at a fast food type restaurant we saw advertised on a billboard for a quick bite, but the "Burger King" didn't look easy to navigate, so we decided to give it a miss, hoping we would find another option before boarding the canoes. We turned off at Guapiles to follow the local directions provided by the owner of the next place we were staying, Casa Marbella. The directions were all very exact...for those folks who knew what a banana crossing looked like. Since we didn't see folks carrying bananas on their heads like the Chiquita banana woman, we missed a turn to Campo Dos. But, after some broken Spanish conversation with some kind, local folks we got back on our path. The most difficult portion of the journey was the next 22 km (13.6 mi) on dirt, gravel roads going approximately 5 miles per hour -- on full bladders! When we finally made the last turn into La Pavona we mistakenly thought the small, nicely painted building with RESTROOMS painted in ENGLISH was actually open and available. Actually, the male side was open, but the female side was not. We were so pushed for time that we decided not to press too much to go into the male side. A large tour bus turned the corner as we were getting back into the car, and we were panicked as we knew the boat was scheduled to leave at noon -- it was 11:53 a.m. We arrived at the "gatherer of parking fees" at 11:56 p.m. We hurriedly paid our fee ($20), found a parking place under a covered parking area, and grabbed our bags, running to the open cafe cum boat rental kiosk to get our tickets for the boat ride. The girls and I then threw our bags down, and stood in a small line for a quick potty break. I was most impressed with the girls' ability to overlook the obvious lack of cleanliness in order to capitalize on the only available ceramic toilet in the immediate area. Since the sink to wash hands was located outside near the food counter, I was concerned my germaphobe would freak out before I could explain the logistics, but she was a real trooper and just followed direction without comment (a departure from the norm). We hurriedly grabbed our bags, and hauled ourselves down to the riverfront where we were the LAST people to be considered for boarding. There was some discussion among the boat drivers, but, finally, they agreed to let us go with this group of riders instead of having to wait several hours for the next group. We were extremely grateful, and would have gladly all sat in one seat to make it work, but, thankfully, we were able to each have a seat. The canal heading to the Parismina River, which is where Tortugero National Park is situated, seemed to have a lot of debris and sandbars to navigate, and the trip took about an hour. But with the breeze in our faces and the stress of rushing behind us, it seemed to pass quickly.
We finally landed at Tortugero Village in a nondescript area where lots of other boats were pulled up to the bank. As soon as we stopped moving, the breeze stopped too. Instantly we were hit with the mugginess of the air. We disembarked, taking in the colorful wares in the open-air market beside us as we tried to get our bearings and find our hotel. Someone in the throng of people surrounding us heard us asking where the Casa Marbella was located, and were kind enough to lead us to our hotel. As Furman checked in, the girls and I walked onto a beautiful deck area that looked out over the river. It was so quiet after all the noise at the landing. We were led to our rooms on the second floor. The accommodations were very nice, though I doubted the ceiling fan in our room would make a dent in the heat that continued to press against us. Our request for an additional fan was granted, and we asked about reserving a turtle tour. We were informed that there were four sets of tours that occurred each evening - one from 8 - 10 p.m. in the national park, one during the same time slot outside the national park, one from 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. in the national park and one during the same time slot outside the national park. The ones in the national park had an extra charge of $10 added for the entry fee into the park. You had no control over which time slot/area you were granted as the entire process was run as a lottery. All the requests for tours were put in by a certain time and the resulting groups were announced at a later time. We threw our names in the hat and set off for lunch/dinner (it was 4 p.m. by this time).
When we arrived back at the hotel, we found out we had "won" the 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. slot in the public beach area. While we were a little disappointed in the time we were allotted, we were excited not to have to pay the extra fee for the National Park access.
We headed back up to the rooms to figure out what we were going to do next. We were all still very full from our late lunch, so we weren't feeling rushed to try out one of the numerous restaurant choices I had tediously compiled. Katherine wanted to see whether a certain shop was still open so she could make a purchase she felt compelled at that moment to make. We needed more bottled water, so, Furman set off with her to forage for supplies, while the other two girls and I read/vegged. The air was very hot and humid despite the extra fan the hotel staff had brought, and I began to feel slightly nervous at spending the entire next day and night wandering around, feeling miserable in the heat. "Most of the world lives like this with no choice," I thought to myself. "I should be able to do this for 48 hours." But, when Furman returned, I could not make myself stick to the plan. I felt in my gut that we needed to leave, or we would feel we had squandered the last days of our big vacation, which we had been planning for so long. I felt slightly better when, after voicing my feelings to Furman, he readily agreed. We both admitted that the only reason we had come to Tortugero was to see the sea turtles in the wild, laying eggs. We felt that once we had seen them, we would not have anything really new and different to do. While the village was neat, it would not take a lot of time to explore, not to mention that we couldn't do anything at the beach but stroll and sit. So, with heavy hearts, we decided that in the morning we would ask to cut our stay short, and find another spot to investigate. I went downstairs to the communal area to find some travel guides for Costa Rica, and spent the next hour or two perusing our options. We decided to first see if "Garmina" could find the place I had booked to stay for our last night, and, if it looked like an interesting area, we would see if they would let us come a night early. If not, then we would move on to the Orosi Valley, which is a place neither Furman nor I had visited on our previous trips, and, thus, would be "uncharted territory."
With that decision made we settled in to the snacks and water that Furman and Katherine had purchased, deciding that it would be OK as a substitute for dinner. I was grateful that the kids were so willing to roll with punches like this along this trip without complaining. They were probably thinking how lucky they were to get to eat Twinkies and Ho Hos for dinner!
At 10 p.m. we traveled to a resort somewhere outside of town, and crossed the lawn to a tarmac which, thankfully, was closed to air traffic at the moment. On the opposite side we met with a government official who handed us our permits. He said they had a couple of turtles in different egg laying stages that had begun later in the previous tour time slot, so they had allowed those folks a little extra time. He assured us that they would be clearing out by the time we got to the location.
We set off down a trail to the beach with our little flashlights lighting the way. We were no longer in an inhabited area, so there were no lights about, and the moon was now covered with clouds. Still, once our eyes adjusted, we were able to see pretty well. As we traveled the guide informed us that we would first be seeing a turtle laying her eggs in a hole she had dug during the earlier tour. Depending on the number of layings she had performed this season, she could lay anywhere from 30 to 150 eggs. The smallest laying is generally the last one of the season.
We arrived at the site, and joined another couple of groups on the beach. The nesting site was at the edge of the beach just under the trees. The groups were taking turns going to the turtle so as not to overwhelm the space, and allow everyone a chance to see well. When our turn approached, I wasn't sure what to expect. We've all seen science shows and how the turtles look when they are laying their eggs. I'm here to say that the scene really does look exactly as it is depicted on those shows. The difference is that you can feel the presence of this giant, prehistoric-looking mother as she is doing the work at hand. The "Mama Turtle" is in a trance while she lays the eggs, and, thus, is amenable to the sea turtle program volunteers' presence at the nest, and even to the gentle prodding of her appendages as measurements are taken, and tags are attached, if none are present already. I guess it's kind of the like what happens to us human mothers when we get an epidural, and become oblivious to the pains of childbirth. Anyway, it was truly an otherworldly, Jurassic Park kind of feeling to be a small part of the process of creation. Of course no photography was allowed, so we only had our memories to replay the moment for the rest of our lives.
When our time was up, we went back to the beach, and talked with our guide about the different questions we had. After the last group went through we were asked if we wanted another peak since we were such a small group. Of course we said yes! What a treat!
After that we walked back down the beach where another turtle was in the camouflage part of the process. During this part of the process the turtle throws sand out in front of her so that it looks like the nest is a little ways away in the other direction. It sure looked like a difficult job to accomplish with giant flippers.
When we headed back down with the larger group, we were treated to a glimpse of the beginning of the process, when the turtle comes out of the sea! Unfortunately, we were all so excited to see the turtle that our exuberance scared it back into the sea to try for a little quieter place to lay her eggs. After a few more minutes the camouflaging turtle finished, and began to make her way to the ocean. We were told to leave a wide alley so she would not feel threatened as she left. I know to say it was amazing again seems so trite, but words really can't do justice to watching this 3 - 4 feet wide Green Sea Turtle slowly pull herself down the sloped beach toward the waters of her home. We all clapped as she swam back through the waves. It just seemed like the best way to share our joy of the moment.
At last it was time to head back to the hotel. I took one last breath of cool, breezy air and turned into the coastal forest. At least this experience would be enjoyable to think about as I lay sleepless tonight!
Day 6
Once we got to Dos Campos we made sure to make a bathroom stop before loading back into the car. We had a pretty uneventful trip over the island, with traffic only picking up just outside of San Jose. "Garmina" could not seem to grasp the location of the place we had made reservations for, and we decided it was probably not in as isolated a spot as we would have liked. We stopped and called the number of the Orosi Lodge and were assured there were rooms available. We typed in their info in "Garmina" and set off for our destination.
By the time we arrived the sun was setting. We headed in with our things and enjoyed looking at all the artful décor and local crafts on display while we checked in. The inn keeper led us through a beautiful garden courtyard to the rooms, which were situated on the first floor with a hammock just outside our door. Each room was very nicely appointed with a small kitchenette stocked with drinks and snacks. The hotel, and I assume the city as well, followed sustainable practices, which extended to the toilet, and, thus, no paper went through the pipes. It took us a little while to come to grips with this, but once we realized it wasn't going to be a major olfactory issue as the waste receptacles were emptied often, we relaxed about it and went with the flow (no pun intended).
Once we settled in, we parents had a cervesa from the refrigerator, while the kids took turns in the hammock. We checked out the view from the second floor which was beautiful. Since the sky was clear, we could even see Volcano Turrialba smoking in the distance. Finally, we could wait no longer, and set off to find sustenance at one of the recommendations from the staff. The town was well lit and quiet, and we felt totally safe wandering around. We settled on Bar Restaurante Coto by the soccer field, and had a very nice meal with a very kind, attentive waiter who didn't let our bad Spanish stop him from telling us some fun things to do around town the next day.
We headed back for a few card games and bed so we could be rested for our last full day in the country.
Day 7
In the morning we made our way piecemeal to the café area. We began with tall compotes of fruit and yogurt, and then branched out, with some of us getting croissants, muffins,etc., while others had eggs, sausages, etc. All of the food was cooked perfectly, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
After breakfast we settled on heading to Parque Nacional Tapanti to begin our day. The trip there was filled with the "normal" dangerous bridges, with the addition of one truly pre-Columbian looking one. We managed to get across if fine though.
When we arrived at the park we were surprised to be the only car there. After paying our fees we headed to the bathroom, and then spent a few minutes looking through the exhibit room to check out what kinds of animals we might see.
We spent several hours hiking around, hoping to see a sloth or toucan, but, alas, we did not. We did see a pretty waterfall on the far mountain rise across the river and some amazingly giant rocks.
When we had enjoyed as much as the Parque Nacional Tapanti had to offer, we headed off to find lunch and whatever else we might encounter on our way. We had heard about a lakeside cafe on Lago de Cachi, but, when we arrived, we found it was a little more geared to tourist buses than to family travelers like us. So, we headed back to Cartargo to try another restaurant.
Along the way we happened upon the House of the Dreamer, the studio of a local artist who was known for his wood carving. We stopped in for a minute, and were charmed by the Last Supper carved into a side of the cabin wall and the faces carved into branches of all types of wood. We spoke with the carver himself, took a tour of the facility, and met his pet dogs. We bought a few of his pieces, and had him pose for a picture to boot.
Once back in Cartago we had lunch at another soda which was not as good as Bar Restaurante Coto. We headed back to the hotel for a little siesta after all our hiking and sightseeing. Later, Katherine and Furman headed into town to try and get a peek in the church, and do a little shopping. When they returned they had only accomplished the shopping piece (surprise, surprise) since the church was already closed to visitors.
That evening we decided we wanted to go back to the Bar Restaurante Coto since we had enjoyed ourselves so much the night before. This night we were the only customers and were treated even more kindly than the previous night. We all practiced our Spanish, even the shy ones of us, and learned a little more about the area from the local's point of view. It was the perfect end to our stay in the Orosi Valley.
Day 8
We started our day early since we wanted to get to the airport in plenty of time for our mid-afternoon flight. The breakfast was just as perfect as the previous morning, and we savored it knowing this day would be a very long and arduous one. Little did we know what was in store.
Everything worked out just perfectly as we headed into the city, found a bite to eat at a fast food restaurant (yikes I even think it was McDonalds), dropped the car off at the rental place and rode the shuttle to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time, and even boarded the plane on time. That was where the karma wore off.
We sat on the plane on the tarmac for an hour and a half because the pilots found there was a problem with some part of the engine. Since the mechanics who came out couldn't fix the situation on site, they decided to tow us back to the gate and deplane us while they fixed the plane. Once there we all sat around another while or so waiting for news. Finally, the voice on the loudspeaker addressed our flight and said the plane would not be leaving today. We were promised overnight accommodations, dinner vouchers, and a flight out at 6 a.m. the next morning. This meant we would have to be at the airport at 4 a.m. and thus have to arise at 3:30 a.m. We sat there in disbelief. An added wrinkle to the problem was that Furman and I had arranged a secret trip to the Harry Potter Theme park in Orlando the next day!
After talking with the airlines about any possible other alternatives, we finally had to admit defeat and accept the overnight vouchers. I broke the news to the kids about the Harry Potter adventure we had planned, and you have never seen a sadder, more pathetic group of people than all of us sitting on the floor against the wall crying and moaning as if someone had died. Suffice to say it was a low moment.
To move on...since we had no checked luggage (we always travel with a single backpack each) we were able to get to the hotel shuttle earlier than the rest of the passengers, which was the ONLY bright spot at that point. Once checked in we began to use the free international phone service to change the reservation in Orlando, and clear the extra time with the dog sitter.
Day 9
Everything went off without a hitch and the day was long, but we were sooooo excited to get to Orlando we couldn't stand ourselves. While we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica and would go back again in a heartbeat, we were very glad to be home, and looking forward to our next adventure!
When we had enjoyed as much as the Parque Nacional Tapanti had to offer, we headed off to find lunch and whatever else we might encounter on our way. We had heard about a lakeside cafe on Lago de Cachi, but, when we arrived, we found it was a little more geared to tourist buses than to family travelers like us. So, we headed back to Cartargo to try another restaurant.
Once back in Cartago we had lunch at another soda which was not as good as Bar Restaurante Coto. We headed back to the hotel for a little siesta after all our hiking and sightseeing. Later, Katherine and Furman headed into town to try and get a peek in the church, and do a little shopping. When they returned they had only accomplished the shopping piece (surprise, surprise) since the church was already closed to visitors.
That evening we decided we wanted to go back to the Bar Restaurante Coto since we had enjoyed ourselves so much the night before. This night we were the only customers and were treated even more kindly than the previous night. We all practiced our Spanish, even the shy ones of us, and learned a little more about the area from the local's point of view. It was the perfect end to our stay in the Orosi Valley.
Day 8
We started our day early since we wanted to get to the airport in plenty of time for our mid-afternoon flight. The breakfast was just as perfect as the previous morning, and we savored it knowing this day would be a very long and arduous one. Little did we know what was in store.
Everything worked out just perfectly as we headed into the city, found a bite to eat at a fast food restaurant (yikes I even think it was McDonalds), dropped the car off at the rental place and rode the shuttle to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time, and even boarded the plane on time. That was where the karma wore off.
We sat on the plane on the tarmac for an hour and a half because the pilots found there was a problem with some part of the engine. Since the mechanics who came out couldn't fix the situation on site, they decided to tow us back to the gate and deplane us while they fixed the plane. Once there we all sat around another while or so waiting for news. Finally, the voice on the loudspeaker addressed our flight and said the plane would not be leaving today. We were promised overnight accommodations, dinner vouchers, and a flight out at 6 a.m. the next morning. This meant we would have to be at the airport at 4 a.m. and thus have to arise at 3:30 a.m. We sat there in disbelief. An added wrinkle to the problem was that Furman and I had arranged a secret trip to the Harry Potter Theme park in Orlando the next day!
After talking with the airlines about any possible other alternatives, we finally had to admit defeat and accept the overnight vouchers. I broke the news to the kids about the Harry Potter adventure we had planned, and you have never seen a sadder, more pathetic group of people than all of us sitting on the floor against the wall crying and moaning as if someone had died. Suffice to say it was a low moment.
To move on...since we had no checked luggage (we always travel with a single backpack each) we were able to get to the hotel shuttle earlier than the rest of the passengers, which was the ONLY bright spot at that point. Once checked in we began to use the free international phone service to change the reservation in Orlando, and clear the extra time with the dog sitter.
With a little better outlook on life, we decided to scope out the dinner options. The vouchers we had from the airline were for Denny's, and, I know this may sound elitist, but we were not going to spend the end of a very stressful day at Denny's, with no adult beverage option to soothe our frayed nerves. The only other restaurant close by (not counting the casino) was a Costa Rican chain called Rostipollos. Since we had purchased travel insurance, and had verified their coverage for the meal, we decided to fully enjoy all Rostipollos had to offer. While the atmosphere was chain-like, the food was surprisingly fresh and tasty.
Once were well sated, we headed back to the hotel for baths and a cat nap.
Day 9
We awoke, dressed, and grabbed breakfast to go as we headed to the airport. When we arrived NONE of the American Airlines personnel were present. NONE! We were livid. We waited until 5:30 a.m. for someone to arrive, and, when they did, they informed us that the plane was not repaired yet, so the departure had been moved to 2:30 p.m. That was the last straw! My husband requested we fly on another airline that would eventually get us to Orlando. Thank goodness the woman helping him had some sense and agreed. We were booked on Continental, which flew to Houston before heading to Orlando. We would be travelling all day instead of a few hours, but we were so grateful to be getting out of there we didn't flinch.
Everything went off without a hitch and the day was long, but we were sooooo excited to get to Orlando we couldn't stand ourselves. While we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica and would go back again in a heartbeat, we were very glad to be home, and looking forward to our next adventure!
