A Great Start to A Costa Rican Adventure
This is the first of three reports on the Shonts family vacation to Costa
Rica.
Day 1: We arrived at the International Airport in Alajuela (just
outside San Jose) around 5:30am.
TIPSTER:
While a "red eye" isn't always ideal, our direct flight from Denver to San
Jose turned out to be a great decision. Less time in airports and in the air
allowed us to enjoy almost two extra days of adventure.
As soon as we got off the plane, we could feel the heat and humidity. Ahhhh....a
tropical climate in March! The immigration line was short and everything went
smooth. We hailed a taxi which took us the short trip to Pura Vida, where
we were greeted by Berni and his three dogs - Max, Yagi and Lobo. Berni told
us to make ourselves comfortable and enjoy the grounds (which is easy to do...
they are well kept and beautiful) for awhile until breakfast was served at
7:30am.
We sat down in the lovely dining area - a beautiful covered patio overlooking
the gardens - and were served what would be the first taste of Pura Vida,
a cold glass of pineapple-orange smoothie with a star fruit garnish. Yum.
That was followed by healthy servings of fresh fruit (pineapple, mango, grapes,
bananas, papaya, pears, apples and more) garnished with fresh flowers just
picked from the gardens. That probably would have been enough, but the staff
then brought us a sweet little bowl of yogurt with granola and a fruit garnish,
followed by bread pudding with rum sauce. Oh, did I mention the coffee? It
was incredible. I was certain this is what heaven will be like.
Even though it was not yet check-in time, Berni let us settle in to the Katydid
casita. We all took a nap and freshened up a bit - much needed after an overnight
flight. We then set out on our first adventure - a taxi ride to a local Tico
restaurant called Princesa Marina, where we enjoyed traditional Costa Rican
food. It was here we had our first taste of ice cold Imperial - a local beer.
We gave it thumbs up!
From there we caught two more taxis (traveling as a group of 6 has its unique
challenges) to take us to Zoo Avenue. Upon entering we thought $15 admission
was a bit high, but when we were done we all agreed it was well worth the
price of two movies. It provided a nice introduction to the wildlife we would
be seeing in the days to come.
Once again, we caught a couple taxis and returned to Pura Vida where we enjoyed
the gardens while sipping on refreshments (Imperial for the adults and some
fabulous fruit juices for the kids) and watching the kids play hide-n-seek.
We played cards, showered, and headed up the path for our first dinner prepared
by Nhi.
In an intimate candle lit alfresco setting, we enjoyed a delightful 3-course
meal. First course was a seafood salad served in a radicchio leaf, followed
by parmesan encrusted tilapia with a fresh tomato sauce served over rice with
haricot verts, topped off with homemade frozen mango cream with toasted pistachios.
It was two hours of taste sensation and family conversation. Quite a blessing!
It was time for bed... and while there was a lot of activity on the street
outside Pura Vida gates, we felt safe and sound knowing Max, Yagi and Lobo
were standing guard.
On to La Carolina...
Day
2: Thursday morning started just like Wednesday - an amazing breakfast
with tropical fruits center stage. Following breakfast we packed our bags
into a van marked "Touristo" owned by our new friend, Esterling. Berni said,
"If you don't agree he's the best driver around, we will refund your money."
Berni jokes about a lot of things, but he's also a wise businessman and we
quickly learned he was serious about this. Esterling is 26 years old, has
a great command of the English language, is genuine and funny, has an entrepreneurial
spirit, and it is very apparent he loves people and the tourism business.
He kept us entertained for five hours during our transfer from Pura Vida to
our next destination. Among our favorite stops was a market where Esterling
taught us how to pick out a good mango. (I've since used his tips and have
enjoyed the best mangos I've ever eaten in Colorado.) He also stopped on the
side of the road by a tree from which he picked a large pod, opened it and
treated us to a wonderful discovery - guaba. I call it nature's candy; the
pods contain black pits with a fuzzy, white, wonderfully sweet outside coating.
While stopped, he bought a bag of fruit from a Tico on a bike wearing mud
boots. They were water apples - another sweet treat. He also took us to a
"soda" or Tico restaurant with ice cold coke in glass bottles (a new discovery
for the kids) and simply scrumptious chicken tacos which were more like fajitas.
It was here we had our first taste of plantains. Hmmm - we were not too sure
about them just yet.
TIPSTER:
Get a personal driver, rather than renting a car! This is probably the single
best decision we made. It ended up costing the same as a rental car for that
period of time, we learned SO MUCH from Esterling and Randall, the kids behaved
great (far fewer squabbles than usual) and we were able to fully engage in
the experience with far less stress.
The road to our next destination, La Carolina, was like a four wheel drive
road in the mountains of Colorado - quite rocky and rough. As soon as we arrived,
we knew it was worth the trip. We were welcomed by Spanish speaking Tico women
serving fresh 'limonada'. They showed us to our lodging which was the "coolest
camp cabin ever" - very rustic, and incredibly clean and inviting. A beautiful
tropical floral arrangement provided a welcoming splash of color.
Once settled in, we decided to explore a bit. The boys fished in the river
using homemade cheese for bait and we all took a dip in the wood heated stone
hot tub next to the river, which the staff diligently kept stoked throughout
the day. We enjoyed a home cooked authentic Tico meal of rice, beans, a warm
"salsa", cole slaw and pork - and more 'limonada'.
After dinner, some of us fished while others played cards or sat by the fire
chatting with other guests. By 9:00pm it was time to blow out the candles
and go to bed. It was an interesting night for sleep. There were so many new
noises, but not one traffic sound or hum from a device run on electricity
- just pure nature!
A day of learning and fun at La Carolina...
Day 3: We woke up early - it was hard not too with the early
sunrise and nature sounds. Breakfast consisted of rice & beans, bread with
a yummy jam, scrambled eggs, 'limonada' and coffee. We watched two young Tico
men removing "parchment" from the coffee beans to prepare them for roasting
from our porch before breakfast. They used what looks like a giant mortar
& pestle - very heavy. The coffee is oh so fresh and delicious!
After breakfast we took a hike through the property. As we crested a hill
and looked around it felt like we were in a scene from "Jurassic Park" - with
cows and horses in the place of dinosaurs. The path led to a stream which
we walked beside for a long time. It was thick with plant and wildlife. We
saw what must have been millions of ants marching along a path they had made
which was about 3-4 inches wide. We followed them for at least 80 to 90 feet.
The kids also saw a Bluejean Toad, and we stopped near a pool in the stream
to fish.
Our
hike was followed by a very fun adventure with Luis and John - two of the
staff at La Carolina. They took us to a nearby pond. They drove to the top
of a hill beyond the pond because it was a clear day and they wanted us to
see Lake Nicaragua. Then they drove back down to the pond and we piled into
a flat bottom wood boat with a plastic tarp canopy. It was as if we were in
a private estuary. There were birds everywhere! They took us to the other
side of the pond to an area with a lot of grass and let the kids fish for
a bit. They helped us with our Spanish and then asked if we would like a cookie
so we said "si" and were introduced to the best little sandwich cookies....
Chiky's!
We returned for lunch and had, you guessed it, beans & rice - accompanied
by a warm salsa, cole slaw and fried fish - including one small one we caught
at the pond.
Later in the afternoon, Juan took us for a 1-1/2 hour horseback ride. It was
amazing! Every horse was so gentle and so responsive. Juan was very patient,
so helpful and like all the Ticos we've met - anxious to show and teach us
about the environment and Costa Rican way of life. We had rice and beans,
vegetable salsa, coleslaw, chicken and 'limonada' for dinner (we were sensing
a trend).
Good-bye to La Carolina... we hope to return again soon!
Day 4: Saturday morning I woke up quite refreshed. Some of
us hiked up the trail with Alejandro (the cowboy that we refer to as "Costa
Rican Chuck Norris") to watch him milk cows, and even got to try our hand
at it.
We watched birds before, during and after breakfast. A red-headed woodpecker
was guarding the bananas and chasing other birds away. We also saw a large
Blue Morpho butterfly and a 3-toed sloth with a baby. The sloth was well hidden
and I'm sure I never would have found it, but Juan took us over and pointed
it out.
After breakfast we packed our bags and then went on another horseback ride
with Juan. Paquito (the sweet boxer who lives there) went with us. We saw
a 2-toed sloth climbing down a tree - a fun discovery because they don't move
much and are generally nocturnal.
After lunch it was time to leave. I was sad. La Carolina was simply a charming
place - from the comfortable lodging, to the sites and sounds of wildlife,
the feel good food, all the wonderful activities and the staff who worked
so hard to ensure our stay was enjoyable.
TIPSTER: La Carolina is not for everyone... if shopping malls
and theme parks are your deal, you may want to think twice! Personally, I
can't think of a better place for a family vacation and would recommend staying
3-4 nights minimum. It is a delightful, affordable way to experience the beauty
and essence of authentic Costa Rica.
To be continued... look for our next report
where we head to the Arenal Volcano.