Costa Rica November 2013

Oct 28, Tue eve, Atenas, Costa Rica

Big old laptop in front of me, I‘m sitting in the lovely dining room at Atenas B&B, in the hills west of San Jose. Earlier, Mary, Annie, Jerry & I finished off a couple rounds of Flor de Caña (Nicaraguan rum) & grapefruit juice, with a chunk of fresh pineapple added. Considering the red-eye to Miami last night, I’m feeling surprisingly alert. We landed in San Jose late morning. 'Got escorted to the National Car rental, where, as expected, we ended up with a sizable add-on for insurance, despite my letter from MC, re our insurance coverage via the card. As we followed Highway 1 westbound, I took the wrong fork—the 2 lanes leading in to downtown Alajuela. It would have saved us half an hour if I had stayed left on the single lane that I now conclude was Highway 1. We didn’t see any road signs to help us choose. Hopefully we won't rue the decision to pass on the $12/day for GPS. While a relatively small country, travel times are easily under estimated. The rain started while we were on the road, but really came down, along with lightening & thunder, after we arrived at this hilltop B&B.

Mary knows Annie from her acupuncturist's office, from which Annie retired about 6 months ago. And from Salem's Saturday Market, where Mary sells organic, fresh-roasted coffee & Annie is a master gardener in residence at times. Her husband, Jerry, is a retired forester. We’ve been planning this Central American trip for months. One agenda is coffee: Mary roasts the coffee she sells at the market.  She hopes to connect directly with small organic coffee growers in our too-brief 2 & ½ weeks, ending with a visit to Arturo’s farm in Honduras. Mary met Arturo at a coffee fair in the States a couple years ago.

Oct 30, Orosi, Costa Rica

After a beautiful morning in Atenas, appreciating the lovely hilltop location at Atenas B&B, including meeting a Dutch couple who have spent a whole month in Costa Rica, we packed up & made our way to Café El Toledo, where we had a superb coffee tour with Gabriel. After his father became ill due to traditional coffee farm use of chemicals, 15 years ago they began to pursue organic alternatives. A work in progress, Gabriel is still learning & enthusiastic about better health for himself, his family, their workers & the land. Mary bought a kilo of green beans from him. Annie gave him some new information, from Dr Bruno, the acupuncturist she worked with, about arthritis & un-organic coffee.

For pics of Atenas, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/AtenasCostaRica#
(Hit “Slideshow”, then Back Arrow to return to blog)

After our 3-hour visit to Finca El Toledo, we hit the road, destination Orosi. I lost us a few minutes by turning the wrong way on Route 27—heading toward the coast by mistake. Turned around, we made good time until we encountered a stretch of freeway closed for construction. City streets near San Jose led back to the freeway, but we may have made the wrong decision in a round-about & again were stuck in surfaced streets for some time. We arrived in Orosi after dark, found a placed for dinner, where the owner called Walter for us. Walter is owner of Hostel Casa del Café. Originally from the Netherlands, he decided Holland was too crowed & over-regulated, so he began traveling, looking for a place to live. While visiting Cuba, he met Suzanna. Now married, they have 4 & 2-year old boys.

This morning, before breakfast (it gets light early here), Mary & I went looking for natural hot springs along the river. Following paths thru the coffee, we made it to the river, but no luck spotting the hot springs. It seems ironic to display on the tourist map of the area a prominent notation of the “best kept secret of locals”. In fact, despite the map & asking numerous locals, Mary & I had no luck finding the hot springs. Mid-morning, we went looking for coffee-wood carvers in nearby Cachi—Casa del Soñador. 'Nice brothers, with a quaint workshop, continuing the artistry of their father. Mary commissioned a carving of a hummingbird--from a coffee root—to display in her Songbird Java booth at the Salem Saturday Market. We went in search of Brewha, a hostel reportedly run by young northwesterners who also make beer. No wonder locals didn’t know them—we did find their location on the mountainside, with a “For Sale" sign on the fence. We visited Tapati National Park in the afternoon. Only about 10 km up the Orosi River from town, but very rough road—mostly rock & very bumpy. We made it & the road in the park was much smoother. We hiked down through the rain forest to the river. I “jumped” in, scooting downstream until I found deeper water. Next time I'll look for a deeper pool for my refreshing dip.

For Orosi & Cartago pics, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CartagoOrosi#

Thurs, Oct. 31, Villa BelMar, Playa Hermosa

After an early breakfast at Casa del Café, we departed Orosi. Walter wanted us to stay longer, given no other guests & he welcomed our being good listeners. He as well at Jonathan at Atenas B&B advised against driving all the way from Orosi to Playa Grande on the north coast in one day, but we decided to go for it. As happened going to Orosi, we got stuck in congestion south of San Jose. Perhaps in part due to missing turn offs or leaving round-abouts the wrong direction. But, I think the highways are not complete, so it's impossible to entirely avoid traffic lights & city streets in southern San Jose. Highway 27, a toll road going toward the coast, was very nice. We expected Highway 1—the Panamerican Highway—to be similar. Not so. Old pavement, no passing lanes, even on hills. Lots of trucks. Even so, we got to the north coast by mid-afternoon. Less than an hour to Playa Grande, where we have reservations for tomorrow night, we decided to stop at the closest beach to Liberia—Playa Hermosa. Several weeks ago, we were considering Villa BelMar here in Playa Hermosa as a destination, but came across a couple of traveler reports that weren’t complimentary & chose Playa Grande instead. But, we were ready to stop as soon as we reach the beach & we found Villa BelMar all but empty. The pool is clean & refreshing. The beach delightful, the ocean too. Awesome sunset. 2 doors down the beach, we had a seafood dinner that matched the wonderful setting, Back to Villa BelMar, for another swim & cigar. It’s getting close to being late enough that I can sleep 'til dawn. Daylight comes early here, with darkness falling early too. While Costa Rica is essentially south of the US east coast, for some reason they are on Mountain time.

Fri, Nov 1 eve - La Marejada Hotel, Playa Grande

Early walk on the Beach in Playa Hermosa today, framing pics with trees. A local pointed out a big monkey in a tree. Soon there was a family. More time in the ocean & pool. Mid-day we packed up & visited Playa Coco (pretty bay with boats but littered beach) & Ocotal—very picturesque.

Pics of Playa Hermosa & Playa Ocotal - https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PlayaHermosaCR#

We arrived at La Marejada Hotel in Playa Grande about 4 pm. ‘Looked like a swampy area, a collection of junk across the street. Expecting to be unimpressed, owner Gail greeted us & quickly made us feel welcomed. Pizza & fish tacos at the restaurant next door, we got to the beach via a 3-miute walk, to catch the very end of sunset. We checked with park rangers—There may be leatherback turtle sightings after 10 pm tonight. If so, we can reportedly be quickly escorted to see them. We decided against trying to see leatherback egg laying who-knows-when during the night. With a downpour mid-evening & lots of lightening, probably wise. Early morning walk on Playa Grande. Even with the sun low in the sky, I’m shade-seeking, after getting more color yesterday than I thought. A fishing heron. Jerry doing his yoga amongst the rocks. Back to La Marejada for breakfast, then a boat tour through the estuary (Las Baulas Marine Park), sighting various birds, crocs & howler monkeys. AC quit working in Mary & my room. And, Mary noticed a steady trail of small ants. Gail, graciously moved us to another room. Originally from Boston, after 17 years in the US Virgin Islands, she came here 7 years ago. She & her kids were drawn to the excellent surfing at Playa Grande. Formerly an ER nurse, she gets called on medical emergencies, including people hauled out of the dangerous surf here. She mentioned being unable to save some. The Star Taco dreadlocks owner calls her his hero, after resuscitating a boy of a friend. On the advice of my buddy Paul’s son, Barry, a surfer who loves Costa Rica & will soon manage to return, we found little Star Taco & had a nice chat with the owner, a very nice & interesting guy . I was looking forward to a fish taco on the beach, but he explained fish doesn't keep so he doesn’t offer fish tacos. Checking in with the park ranger about the turtle observation overnight, I was told one leatherback laid her eggs. But, when that occurred seemed uncertain. The time to be prepared tonight is an hour later, with the changing of the tide. If they come ashore near high tide, that looks to be early hours of the morning, so we are going to pass of trying to sign on--$25/person, no see, no pay.

Sunday, Nov 3, early am, Playa Grande

To bed too early, waking up before dawn. Beautiful sunset at the end of a beach walk yesterday. After having Internet access at Atenas & Orosi, I can't get on here. The others can. And, I’m told I have signed on to the Marejada signal & it’s strong, still no Internet for me. So, I’m forced to take a vacation from checking my email. They will figure out apartments issues without me at home. I do hope I’ll have Internet access at future stops, that I haven’t somehow messed up configurations on this oversized, outdated laptop that I’m going to scuttle when I get home. Dawn is breaking. Mary’s awake too—we are heading to the beach for our last sunrise in Playa Grande.

Note on $ exchange: I knew better, but the gal at the airport enticed me with a better rate for exchanging more $--from 425 to 435 colones/$. Most everywhere we’ve been in Costa Rica, $s are welcomed, at 500/1. Meals at restaurants are expensive—often about $15/person, by the time the 13% tax is added on. We keep looking for attractive sodas—where locals eat--but end up at tourist spots. Last day in Costa Rica & border crossing reported in Nicaragua blog.

Pics of Playa Grande & the estuary - https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PlayaHermosaCR#

Nicaragua 2013

Early morning, Mon, Nov 4, San Juan del Sur, Nica 'Sitting on the balcony at Hostal Ariki, in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Roosters are crowing, but I can’t see light in the sky yet—again, too early to bed, slept well but awake early. Making our way up the Costa Rican coast yesterday, checking out beaches & hamlets, I forgot we were low on gas. Once I noticed it, we were told the nearest gas station was about 30 km away. It was turn-off-the-AC & coast when possible, but we made it to the gas station. What is it with me & rental cars? About 5 years ago, I ran out of gas on the way back to the airport from a family reunion.

When planning the trip, we debated where to drop off the rental car. One alternative was in the city of Liberia---catch a bus to the border. One travel writer wrote about chaos at the border, with a long line of trucks . I opted for braving it to the border. Indeed, there was a very long line of trucks & trailers, but the road was open to bypass them. I expected to see the National Car Rental office approaching the border, but suddenly we were there. Once we off-loaded, AFTER GOING THROUGH Costa Rican Customs, I asked where the Nat’l Car Rental office was. I was told back at the bomba—the gas station about 3 km before the border. I drove back there, only to be told the office was back at the border. On return, I began catching glimpses between the trucks & trailers--of a row of offices, amongst them the National Car one. I arrived about 4:50 pm. The office closed at 5:00! Already checked through CR Customs, all our bags sitting by the border, I hate to think how it would have played out if I had wasted a few more minutes! The car agency gal gave the car a quick look & signed me out. She probably wouldn’t have caught the drooping lic plate, if we hadn’t fixed it. Leaving Atenas B&B on day 2, the steep exit caught the rear license plate, causing one side to droop. Gabriel at El Toledo coffee tour gave us a partial fix with a screw, but it still hung lower on the the R side. Approaching the border, we took a detour in to the town of La Cruz, to a supermercado, to buy a small tube of super glue. It did the trick. I walked quickly back to where I'd left the others & bags—they had put all our bags in a big cart, pushed by a local. But within about 50 meters, a uniformed gal told him he’d reached his limit, so we unloaded everything & began pulling & carrying over the border. Soon a pack of guys from Nicaragua began grabbing our bags. Another big cart, all bags in, we all tried to keep an eye on the cart while we got processed through Nica Customs. In all, it maybe took 45 minutes to cross the border The cart & crew of several got us to a cabbie—‘Not big, but his hatchback was tied in place after most of our bags were stacked in. I carried a couple small ones on my lap, delighted to be in the front seat, so I could talk with the cabbie about our destination, Hostal Ariki. We hadn't decided for sure if we were going to stay in San Juan del Sur. But nightfall was at hand as we left the border & it was the closest alternative. We found Casa Ariki on line. The taxi driver wasn't familiar with it, but, with the address & after asked a few people in the street, we arrived. Friendly greeting from the young proprietor, Baldo.

Mary, Annie & Jerry were dazed on arrival, from being crammed in the back seat & inhaling exhaust fumes for the duration of the 45 minute trip from the border. We got bags in to our rooms & followed Baldo's rec--to a waterfront restaurant for dinner—thatched roof, open to the bay. Several rounds of Flor de Caña (Nica rum) went well with our fish dinners.

Now I can see the beginning of the day—San Juan is surrounded by nearby mountains. I’m going to see about a 1-way car rental to Esteli, in northern Nica. By the time we pay 4 bus fares & consume time getting places, a car rental may to the way to go, if the drop off is possible.

San Juan del Sur, Tue am, 11/5 My interest in another rental car was out-voted—too expensive, gas in additional to rental + insurance. Plus, bus travel is part of the full experience of traveling with Guia Juan (that would be me). We consulted with Baldo & Sarah, our friendly hostel owners & decided on a pickup ride to Playa Hermosa, after lunch until sunset, about a half hour ride on much improved road post Survivor Nicaragua filming there. I elected to ride in back. Lots of surfers at the beach, but waves weren’t breaking right for most of them. I caught a few body surfing, but no thrill rides. A few minutes before the splendid sunset, which just happened to frame a sea-stack, given our location, my camera battery ran out! Mary & Annie both promised to share their pics with me.

We have a shuttle ride to historic Granada at 9:30 am. Plenty of time for breakfast at the Gato Negro, an ex-pat coffee shop/bookstore, with a menu that is something of a blog by the opinionated ex-pat owner.

For pics of San Juan del Sur & Playa Hermosa, Nicaragua, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/SanJuanDelSurNica#

Wed am, 11/6, Miss Margrit's B&B, Granada

The van from San Juan to Granada yesterday went smoothly. We had the whole van to ourselves & our luggage. Rosa was here to greet us. In addition to teaching English, she works for a non-profit coffee coop outside of León, affiliated with an organization back in Pennsylvania, where she hails from. And, in exchange for the penthouse suite, Rosa helps Chris out with this fabulous B&B. Chris, from England, named the house after his mother. Per Rosa, he has built the B&B in recent years, adding on to the historic front part of the house. We walked to the central plaza, on our way to the Garden Café for lunch, then to Iglesia Merced, for pics, including the fabulous stained glass windows & the spiral staircase to the tower, with views over the cathedral to Lake Nicaragua.

Friday morning, Nov 8, Hotel Austria, León, Nicaragua

Headliner for our stay in the colonial city of Granada was Miss Margrit's—Chris’ B&B. Lovely place, friendly, helpful people, refreshing pool, great breakfasts. Chris was away when we arrived, taking a fellow Brit to climb the big volcano on Ometepe.  Despite returning exhausted, he was cheerfully helpful. The devotion of his rescue doggy, on Chris' return, following a couple of days of separation, was adorable.

We took a horse-drawn carriage ride, including along the Lake Nicaragua shoreline. We didn’t have time for a visit to the nearby islets in the lake. We had the carriage drop us at the market, which was not attractive. I readily followed Mary—usually an avid market shopper-- to the exit, when she began feeling claustrophobic. Our plans for visiting Matagalpa, coffee-region of northern Nica have been scuttled. We got an email from owner of the B&B where we had reservations--a family emergency has led to closing the B&B down. Otherwise, we might have taken our chances with chicken buses, collectivos & taxis to get to Honduras. But that prospect, with all our luggage, isn’t appealing. I went to offices of both international bus lines, Tica & Transnica. I’ve found both their websites to be rather limited. Tica does not go through Esteli, the larger city in the north, where we would pick up the international bus. Transnica has one bus a day. It does stop in Esteli, but arrives, IF on time, in Tegucigalpa at 9 pm--inadvisable time to be getting off a bus with lots of luggage, even tho' we are looking forward to being greeted at the bus station by Arturo, whom Mary met at a coffee fair in Portland a couple of years ago. Tica’s route is via León, no where near Matagalpa, departing Managua at 5:30 am. Granada is more than an hour from Managua. Managua was devastated by an earthquake in 1972. Considered one of the prettier cities of Central American, rather than rebuild, the city spread out, in a hap-hazard, unattractive way, so visiting Managua is no longer on the to-do list of most travelers.

For pics of Granada, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/GranadaNicaragua#

Chris arranged a minivan for us, for the trip yesterday from Granada to León. Roberto was our nice driver. More than enough room for the 4 of us & all our luggage. For $35 each, we stopped for over an hour at Apoyo Lagoon, the Crater Lake of Nica—with shoreline steps away, water clear & warm, kayaks waiting. Pretty spot. Next, the climb to Catalina, a town filled with artisans, many specializing in pottery. We met one of the older artists, now 80, who has been making pottery since she was 10, following in the tradition of her parents & grandparents.  I bought a couple of candle globes—with openings to reflect the candle light. Then lunch on the crater rim, the Apoyo Lagoon below, Granada & Lake Nica in the distance. Lovely day. Roberto was a conservative driver (a reassuring rarity in Latin America!). In the rush to unload all of stuff, we left a camera & my pottery buys in the van, which Roberto brought in to us before he left. Down the road a ways, he spied Mary’s bag with her swimsuit & serape, turned around & brought them back to her. Yes, we will give Roberto & his tierratour.com kudos on TripAdvisor!

For pics of Apoyo Lagoon & Catarina, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ApoyoLagoonCatarina#

In contrast to soulless Managua, León is an intact colonial city, with the largest cathedral of Central America. 1 & ½ hours north of Managua, we have seats purchased for tomorrow morning & have the luxury of getting to the bus station at a more reasonable hour--to hop on the international Tica bus about 6:30 am, with arrival mid-day in Tegucigalpa. The Austria Hotel is just a block from the plaza & cathedral. It doesn’t have the character of Miss Margrit’s, but it’s pleasant enough. I took a bath in the big tub last night. The AC works well, important in this city noted for being hot, in a country which is already warm by my Pacific NW standards. Rosa (at Miss Margrit's) was going to try to put us in touch with her coffee cooperative, located in the mountains above León, but so far no email link from her. We are here near the end of the rainy season in Central America, referred to as the “Green Season”. While somewhat north of the equator, their “summer” is December to April. First night in Atenas, near San Jose, we had a huge lightening storm, buckets of rain. Jonathan told us we could expect mornings to be dry, afternoons rainy. While we’ve had some pm rains (including last night during dinner, lightening in the sky), overall it’s been less rainy than I expected. A tropical storm is now raging outside the Austria Hotel. Just minutes after we got back here from our excursion to Las Peñitas for sunset on the beach, followed by Pargo (fish) dinner. The most amazing sunset, including rocks & crashing surf in the foreground, a rainbow behind the beach. Our arranged taxi failed to arrive on time. 20 minutes later, the last bus of the day came by & we hoped on,. Back at the hotel, we are told they tried to get word to us that the taxi was delayed. Now the desk person tells they can’t line up a 5:30 am taxi—‘sounds like that taxi service is boycotting us since we didn’t wait for them!

For pics of León, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/LeonNicaragua#

For pics of the fabulous sunset at Las Peñitas, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/LasPenitasNica#

Honduras 2013

Comayagua, Sat eve, Nov 9, Hotel Posada de mi Viejo

We were there over an hour ahead of time, but we could not sleep, knowing the one & only Tica Bus today to Honduras was coming by León, reportedly about 6:30 am. It did stop for us, just before 7, & began it’s international trek. Border crossing was WAY easier than the gauntlet from Costa Rica in to Nicaragua. The Tica guy took our passports & $8 each, either payment for leaving Nicaragua or for entering Honduras. We stood outside the bus for about 10 minutes, got back on & continued our way toward Tegucigalpa. Not crowded, I found an empty seat, so Mary could put her leg up. Pretty countryside, very green (now the end of rainy season). When the bus rolled in just before 1 pm, Arturo was waiting for us. He met Mary almost 2 years ago at a coffee fair in Portland. A coffee farmer here, he & Mary have exchanged emails & planned this visit for months. Art is from Puerto Rico, a 20-year retiree of US military, now the proud owner of 21 acres of coffee in the mountains outside Comayagua, a historic city that was the first Honduran capitol. Art also works as a contractor on the US Army base here. None of us slept well last night, anxious to catch the bus this morning. Mary is already asleep & I’m heading that way.

Sunday night, Nov 10, Comayagua

Art picked us up after breakfast & took us to Finca El Rosario—his coffee farm in the Montecillo Mts west of here. Probably only 25 km as the crow flies, over 1 & ½ hours by road. Near the community of San Jose, at about 4500 feet elevation. He is building an eco-lodge, has lots of plans for improvements to his coffee production & providing a special experience for travelers. We spent about 3 hours walking the finca, talking about his plans, snapping lots of pics. On return to town, we went to Don Ricardo’s restaurant next to the church & central plaza, where, over jalapeno steaks, chicken fajitas & drinks, the animated conversation continued.

Tue am, 11/12, Comayagua

Packing to head home. Yesterday we visited the local market, cathedral, with allegedly the 2nd oldest bell tower in the world & historic center of Comayagua. A local tourist guide managed to befriend us. We could have figured out going up the bell tower for noon ringing on our own, but he took me to a place in the market where I got some Honduran cigars at better prices than the shop on the plaza. Art brought green coffee beans, to fill up the extra bag I brought along. We thanked him for everything, promised to return to stay in his El Rosario eco-lodge when it’s completed. Maybe we can fly here, go visit Matagalpa, across the border in Nicaragua, the coffee region we didn’t get to, due to transportation issues & too little time to get from there to here.

For pics of Finca El Rosario & Comayagua, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ElRosarioSanJoseComayagua#

Tuesday night, Nov 26, Edgewood, WA

A couple days after getting home my cough began. Repeat of a year ago, when I came back with a cough from our trip to Cuba & the Yucatan. I'm still coughing, but I have faith that I'm getting better. Mary & I agree—next trip I need to shed the distorted perception of myself as a 20-something backpacker—cover less territory, más tranquilo.