Our last night in Costa Rica and trip home did not go as smoothly as we had originally hoped. We took an early morning $20 taxi ride to Tamarindo to catch our bus at 8:15. This was our last chance to ride on the traditional rocky Costa Rican roads before headed back to concrete highways. We arrived around 8 to wait for the Grayline bus. Most of the time we spent looking around for the bus to make sure we didn’t miss it. It was about 20 minutes late, but it eventually made it. The ride back to the San Jose airport was relaxing and comfortable in an air-conditioned ride. We made one pit stop at a cafeteria where we got another glimpse of howler monkeys. These creatures were not afraid of humans and dropped several melons on top of our vans. They had a little fun setting of alarms. There also were a couple wild macaws that flew right up to where we were eating. Only in Costa Rica.
We made it to the airport around 12, and found out that we couldn’t check in to the airport until 10 (our flight was scheduled for 1 am). The only store that was open around the airport didn’t even sell sandwiches. We purchased Peanut M & M’s and some Doritos for around $10. We finally found a small pizza shop near the exit of the airport where we each bought a personal pan pizza and a soda for $5. Now we just needed to kill 10 hours at an airport. I (Sauer) did a little souvenir shopping and bought some coffee/chocolates for the family. We then found a balcony above the main floor of the airport which was completely empty. We set up camp there and traded off between movies, the dot game, talking about buying cards, and sleeping. Aside from sitting on the hard floor, the wait wasn’t all that bad.
At 10 we rushed over to the Spirit booth to check in for our flight. We noticed that no other booths were open at this time meaning this was the only flight in the entire airport this late. We thought there wouldn’t be any problems with taking off on time. However, Spirit has a way of messing things up. There was some type of problem with the airplane (Spirit says weather, the lady at the front desk tried to say maintenance, who really knows what happened). Either way we had no idea how long the flight would be delayed and we would miss our connection in Ft. Lauderdale. We checked in and knew there was nothing else we could do about the situation till we heard more. By this time we were starving (we had two small pizzas, soda, M & M’s, and Doritos for a 10 hour span). However, nothing was open right away in the airport. We wandered around looking for a vending machine, but had no luck. Eventually they opened up a small shop around 12 am where we bought two waters and a $9 sandwich that we split. It was pretty basic with ham, cheese, and maybe lettuce. I was too worried to sleep so I ended up watching 3:10 to Yuma. Austin took a nap on the floor until they finally told us around 2 am to head to a different gate. Our flight had arrived and we were set to take off around 3 am. They still had no idea if we would get a connecting flight to Chicago and we were worried about missing our Megabus that we had already book there too. We finally left Costa Rica shortly after 3 and heading back to the US.
After filling out customs forms right away, they let us sleep on the plane till we landed around 7 am. We obviously missed our connecting flight, but hurried off the plane to find out more info about our new flight. We flew through customs with no problems and made a bee line to the information table. There we found out they book us another flight to Chicago but it was scheduled to arrive at 6 pm, much later than our Megabus. Since our final destination was Minneapolis we tried to get a different flight there. They told us we could talk to the other airline (US Airways?) and see if we could switch the ticket. Otherwise they could give us a refund of the cost of this ticket. They also gave us meal tickets for the airport equaling $28. Side note: Spirit Airlines did not go through this much trouble with us when our first flight was delayed for weather reasons leading us to believe it was something else. Anyways we headed off to US Airways to try and change our flight to Minneapolis.
We got to the US Airways information desk and found out a flight through them to Minneapolis was around $400, and our ticket was non-refundable. Nothing we could do there. Our options were to fly to Chicago with this ticket or book separately our own ticket to Minneapolis. We eventually decided to take our flight to Chicago (which was actually a flight to North Carolina and then Chicago) and book a $200 flight out of Chicago for Minneapolis. We got all ready and we went through the security checkpoint. We ignored a couple calls during the line from my mom because we figured it wasn’t urgent. However, when we got to the other side we found out that she found a flight for $150 from Ft. Lauderdale to Minneapolis in a couple hours. This was the cheapest and most direct flight so we had to take it. We booked those tickets quick and headed out to try and get our ticket reimbursed. We headed to Spirit first and they told us we had to call some number to get our money back. She also mentioned the little fact that we had already checked in so it looks like we are no shows right now. At this point we had about 13 minutes until our original flight was set to take off. So we sprinted back to US Airways and quickly asked that they cancel our tickets so it says we did not fly this flight. Afterword we called the Spirit airlines numbers and found out that they could see our information, but we needed to talk to an agent to get our ticket reimbursed. So we ran back over to Spirit airlines and started talking to another man. This guy was extremely rude to Austin by asking him to give him the short version of his story when that obviously wouldn’t explain anything. However, God works in mysterious ways and the first lady we talked to after we got off the airplane was working farther down at another desk. We talked to her and she knew exactly what to do. She set us up for reimbursement and it sounds like we will get the money back. Finally we were off to check in at another terminal for Chicago.
After going through security and finding our gate, we finally had a chance to breathe and enjoy our meal coupons. We bought two chicken Caesar wraps, some fruit smoothies, water, and chips for $28. A ripoff but it was all free to us. It tasted great after not eating a lot in the last 24 hours. I also got some Dunkin Donuts coffee, which we need to get in Minnesota. Our remaining flights went without any problems. We made it to Chicago on time, and grab some McDonald’s quick to hold us off till we made it back to Austin’s. We got to Minneapolis on time and were finally home. Anne was there to pick us up and drive us back to the Savat household where they had a nice dinner set up with black beans on the side. Our adventure to Costa Rica was finally over. Was it worth all the extra traveling/headache? I would say the trip was worth every penny. We enjoyed sites that we will probably never see again in our lives.
It didn’t all go smoothly as planned, but when does life ever go smoothly? God is still in sovereign control over our lives and everything worked out one way or the other. Until next time. Pura Vida!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Last of Costa Rica
Matt and I enjoyed the last evening in Costa Rica at Mauna Loa Surf Resort by walking to the beach once more to take some photos and marvel at God's beauty. We also went to Sauer's love: Lola's Restaurant where he got a fruit smoothie and enjoyed it with fantastic views of the Pacific. At sunset we walked back to the resort for pizza (we were going to eat at Lola's but it was closed). The food at Mauna Loa was great! I got a Margarita Pizza and Sauer ordered a Hawaiian. It was a very thin crust and they also brought us spices, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. During the meal, we also played a game of chess, which ended in a stalemate ha.
We would have liked to continue hanging out at the outdoor eating area, but the bugs were feisty. Thus, we walked over to the pool, which stays lit up at night, to stick our feet in and chat for a while before heading back to our cabina. There were many frogs hanging out at the pool.
After the pool we went back to the room to read a bit, watch movies, and enjoy the A/C. Sauer also took the opportunity to make fun of me (and deservedly so) because I have opted to not lift my arms for any reason because my shoulders, triceps, and upper back remain badly burned. (As I write this - noon of the next day I feel much, much better). I just hope that this will not be an issue when I begin hiking with a heavy pack on the 1st of June... So we set our alarms for 6:30 AM and hit the hay.
Side Note: Everyone native to Costa Rica is nice and helpful. I believe that I read somewhere that it is the happiest country in the world and I believe it. They may not have money or smooth roads, but dang they're happy. :)
We would have liked to continue hanging out at the outdoor eating area, but the bugs were feisty. Thus, we walked over to the pool, which stays lit up at night, to stick our feet in and chat for a while before heading back to our cabina. There were many frogs hanging out at the pool.
After the pool we went back to the room to read a bit, watch movies, and enjoy the A/C. Sauer also took the opportunity to make fun of me (and deservedly so) because I have opted to not lift my arms for any reason because my shoulders, triceps, and upper back remain badly burned. (As I write this - noon of the next day I feel much, much better). I just hope that this will not be an issue when I begin hiking with a heavy pack on the 1st of June... So we set our alarms for 6:30 AM and hit the hay.
Side Note: Everyone native to Costa Rica is nice and helpful. I believe that I read somewhere that it is the happiest country in the world and I believe it. They may not have money or smooth roads, but dang they're happy. :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Boom, Toasted!
I (Austin) am burned to a crisp. Wow. Currently I am debating whether a cold shower would be good for me or too painful. I was able to buy some aloe vera lotion and that has helped some.
So, last night, the 27th (Saturday) Sauer and I just relaxed at our "cabina" at Las Avellanas for our last night in that location. We reheated buttered pasta for dinner and had some toasted bread along with coca-cola. A pretty good meal. We enjoyed pineapple all afternoon (we cut it ourselves) and this morning for breakfast. During dinner we watched an episode of The Office and did some reading. We've been reading a lot of the Bible, on this trip I have now read all of John, Nehemiah, Joshua, Song of Solomon, and Hosea. It's been a great trip for free time to read.
There was a thunderstorm last night that had some pretty loud thunder. Sauer was crying because of the loud noises and bright flashes... (not really)
This morning Sauer woke up naturally at about 6:30 AM and me at 7:45 AM. We enjoyed a little more time on the hammock, Sauer took a rain shower (showering with shower water while the rain comes through the screen-only shower ceiling), and we made scrambled eggs and buttered toast along with grape juice and pinapple.
We packed up for the 1,645th time to move to the "cabinas" next store at Mauna Loa Surf Resort where we again have our own cabins. Also, as we were moving out, I bumped our candle off the coffee table and, being glass, it broke. Cya $4. As we moved out, we knocked on our owner's cabin, Isabel, at 11:30 AM. She shouted out, "I am bathing, just leave the keys on the picnic table." Will do, Isabel.
Here is where we have stayed during this vacation:
May 16: Savat household
May 17: Tim Quinn's apartment
May 18: Hotel in Fort Lauderdale
May 19-21: Sleepers Sleep Cheaper Hostel in La Fortuna
May 22-23: Sleepers Sleep Cheaper Hostel in Monteverde
May 24-25: Hotel Guanacaste in Liberia
May 26-27: Las Avellanas in Playa Avellana (by Tamarindo)
May 28: Mauna Loa Surf Resort in Playa Avellana (by Tamarindo)
May 29: San Jose Airport / On the Plane to Fort Lauderdale
May 30: Savat Household
As you can see, it's been a lot of moving around. We are ready to be in our own beds in the air condition with friends and family :)
Speaking of air conditioning, our new room at Mauna Loa has it! The resort is bigger than Las Avellanas with about 10 "cabinas" (so Sauer and I have our own cabin), wireless, A/C, an outdoor pool, a rec area, and a restaurant. Also, comfy hammocks and chairs hang everywhere! Although we still would have liked to stay at Las Avellanas the third night as planned (Isabel overbooked and had us moved), we are okay with the new set-up.
Sauer just returned from the local store. We have been testing the Tican (slang for Costa Rican) beers. We've had Imperial, Bavaria, and Pilsen.
So we just reserved our full plans for tomorrow. We are getting picked up at 7:15 am by the owners friend (he charges less than taxis and is reliable) to take us to Tamarindo for $20. Then, we are taking a semi-private shuttle from Tamarindo to San Jose for $40/person. We were considering taking a more expensive taxi to Santa Cruz and then a public bus from Santa Cruz to San Jose, but it was too risky for only saving $20 each. So, for convenience, an air-conditioned ride, peace of mind, and safety, we elected to spend a tad more. So, we are leaving Tamarindo at about 8:15 AM for San Jose International Airport and should arrive by about 12:30 PM. We will then have about 12 hours to wait until our 1 AM flight to Fort Lauderdale. Do we have to go through customs in Fort Lauderdale? We then have 61 minutes to catch our flight to Chicago. We should arrive in Chicago at 7 AM. Then, we need to get to downtown Chicago to take a 3 PM Megabus to Minneapolis, which will arrive at about 11:30 PM on Monday, May 30th. WOW.
We'll keep you posted on our travels!!
Aust & Matt
So, last night, the 27th (Saturday) Sauer and I just relaxed at our "cabina" at Las Avellanas for our last night in that location. We reheated buttered pasta for dinner and had some toasted bread along with coca-cola. A pretty good meal. We enjoyed pineapple all afternoon (we cut it ourselves) and this morning for breakfast. During dinner we watched an episode of The Office and did some reading. We've been reading a lot of the Bible, on this trip I have now read all of John, Nehemiah, Joshua, Song of Solomon, and Hosea. It's been a great trip for free time to read.
There was a thunderstorm last night that had some pretty loud thunder. Sauer was crying because of the loud noises and bright flashes... (not really)
This morning Sauer woke up naturally at about 6:30 AM and me at 7:45 AM. We enjoyed a little more time on the hammock, Sauer took a rain shower (showering with shower water while the rain comes through the screen-only shower ceiling), and we made scrambled eggs and buttered toast along with grape juice and pinapple.
We packed up for the 1,645th time to move to the "cabinas" next store at Mauna Loa Surf Resort where we again have our own cabins. Also, as we were moving out, I bumped our candle off the coffee table and, being glass, it broke. Cya $4. As we moved out, we knocked on our owner's cabin, Isabel, at 11:30 AM. She shouted out, "I am bathing, just leave the keys on the picnic table." Will do, Isabel.
Here is where we have stayed during this vacation:
May 16: Savat household
May 17: Tim Quinn's apartment
May 18: Hotel in Fort Lauderdale
May 19-21: Sleepers Sleep Cheaper Hostel in La Fortuna
May 22-23: Sleepers Sleep Cheaper Hostel in Monteverde
May 24-25: Hotel Guanacaste in Liberia
May 26-27: Las Avellanas in Playa Avellana (by Tamarindo)
May 28: Mauna Loa Surf Resort in Playa Avellana (by Tamarindo)
May 29: San Jose Airport / On the Plane to Fort Lauderdale
May 30: Savat Household
As you can see, it's been a lot of moving around. We are ready to be in our own beds in the air condition with friends and family :)
Speaking of air conditioning, our new room at Mauna Loa has it! The resort is bigger than Las Avellanas with about 10 "cabinas" (so Sauer and I have our own cabin), wireless, A/C, an outdoor pool, a rec area, and a restaurant. Also, comfy hammocks and chairs hang everywhere! Although we still would have liked to stay at Las Avellanas the third night as planned (Isabel overbooked and had us moved), we are okay with the new set-up.
Sauer just returned from the local store. We have been testing the Tican (slang for Costa Rican) beers. We've had Imperial, Bavaria, and Pilsen.
So we just reserved our full plans for tomorrow. We are getting picked up at 7:15 am by the owners friend (he charges less than taxis and is reliable) to take us to Tamarindo for $20. Then, we are taking a semi-private shuttle from Tamarindo to San Jose for $40/person. We were considering taking a more expensive taxi to Santa Cruz and then a public bus from Santa Cruz to San Jose, but it was too risky for only saving $20 each. So, for convenience, an air-conditioned ride, peace of mind, and safety, we elected to spend a tad more. So, we are leaving Tamarindo at about 8:15 AM for San Jose International Airport and should arrive by about 12:30 PM. We will then have about 12 hours to wait until our 1 AM flight to Fort Lauderdale. Do we have to go through customs in Fort Lauderdale? We then have 61 minutes to catch our flight to Chicago. We should arrive in Chicago at 7 AM. Then, we need to get to downtown Chicago to take a 3 PM Megabus to Minneapolis, which will arrive at about 11:30 PM on Monday, May 30th. WOW.
We'll keep you posted on our travels!!
Aust & Matt
Two Words: Waterproof Sunscreen
So last night at about 10 our black bean experiment finally ended. After about 3 solid hours of cooking they were finally ready to eat. Overall they tasted better than I had assumed, but we are in no way professional chefs. We mixed it with some fancy chips called Picaronas, but we both agreed the food didn’t have much taste. At least we stuck with it to the end. We both just read and went to bed pretty early again.
This morning we finally had a chance to sleep in. I (Matt) was only able to sleep till 7 so I listened to a couple sermons until Austin got up around 9. I decided there is nothing better in the world than a shower with no roof. It’s like being out in the wilderness with the sun beating down on you, but there is still the luxury of hot water. Mom (Judy), please install this before I get home in a couple days. We made a good old American breakfast this morning consisting of scrambled eggs and toast with grape juice. Afterword we made our way to the beach via a mud path. It started out as gravel, but eventually turned to mud water that we had to wade in ankle-deep through to get to the beach. Then, to get across the park to sandy shores, we had to wade in waist-deep through an ocean water channel of sorts to get to the beach. It was kind of weird and we didn’t know what to do at first until some surfer pros waded through before us.
However, the beach here is awesome. There were more people there today, but it was still pretty open. Maybe a total of 50 people within view along the entire beach. There are shells all around and we had some fun with some crabs running away from the water. The ocean itself is gorgeous and it’s surprisingly very warm. We swam for a couple hours and then decided to walk along the beach. Eventually we found Lola’s, which is a little restaurant right on the beach. We are hopefully going there tomorrow for some fruit smoothies and lunch. We then just spent another hour or two lying on the beach and headed back to the villa for lunch. Just like yesterday was ate buttered noodles and toast, but we also added some pineapple for a variety.
We thoroughly put on 30 spf suntan lotion on before we left so we thought we would be fine for a couple hours of swimming. Either we bought fake suntan lotion or ours is not waterproof because we are both roasted. Aside from reading and relaxing we spent the afternoon and evening taking cold showers to try and cool down the sunburns. We will be taking it easy on the beach tomorrow if we even decide to get into the sun.
Not much happened after lunch. We spent a lot of time in the hammocks again and read/slept the rest of the afternoon. There was a group of howler monkeys next to our villa again. Hopefully they will stay quiet while we try and sleep tonight. Also there has been a constant battle against ants in our villa. I was bit twice within the first ten minutes here by a couple ants and we keep smashing them on our walls. That is one skill I will bring home with me from Costa Rica. For dinner we ate noodles and made up the rest of the black beans (We paid two dollars for them so we can’t just throw them away). The meals aren’t great, but they have been cheap and filling.
This is our last night in this villa and tomorrow we will be moving down the street to a different cabin. They have a pool and hopefully some better wifi!
Matt & Aust
This morning we finally had a chance to sleep in. I (Matt) was only able to sleep till 7 so I listened to a couple sermons until Austin got up around 9. I decided there is nothing better in the world than a shower with no roof. It’s like being out in the wilderness with the sun beating down on you, but there is still the luxury of hot water. Mom (Judy), please install this before I get home in a couple days. We made a good old American breakfast this morning consisting of scrambled eggs and toast with grape juice. Afterword we made our way to the beach via a mud path. It started out as gravel, but eventually turned to mud water that we had to wade in ankle-deep through to get to the beach. Then, to get across the park to sandy shores, we had to wade in waist-deep through an ocean water channel of sorts to get to the beach. It was kind of weird and we didn’t know what to do at first until some surfer pros waded through before us.
However, the beach here is awesome. There were more people there today, but it was still pretty open. Maybe a total of 50 people within view along the entire beach. There are shells all around and we had some fun with some crabs running away from the water. The ocean itself is gorgeous and it’s surprisingly very warm. We swam for a couple hours and then decided to walk along the beach. Eventually we found Lola’s, which is a little restaurant right on the beach. We are hopefully going there tomorrow for some fruit smoothies and lunch. We then just spent another hour or two lying on the beach and headed back to the villa for lunch. Just like yesterday was ate buttered noodles and toast, but we also added some pineapple for a variety.
We thoroughly put on 30 spf suntan lotion on before we left so we thought we would be fine for a couple hours of swimming. Either we bought fake suntan lotion or ours is not waterproof because we are both roasted. Aside from reading and relaxing we spent the afternoon and evening taking cold showers to try and cool down the sunburns. We will be taking it easy on the beach tomorrow if we even decide to get into the sun.
Not much happened after lunch. We spent a lot of time in the hammocks again and read/slept the rest of the afternoon. There was a group of howler monkeys next to our villa again. Hopefully they will stay quiet while we try and sleep tonight. Also there has been a constant battle against ants in our villa. I was bit twice within the first ten minutes here by a couple ants and we keep smashing them on our walls. That is one skill I will bring home with me from Costa Rica. For dinner we ate noodles and made up the rest of the black beans (We paid two dollars for them so we can’t just throw them away). The meals aren’t great, but they have been cheap and filling.
This is our last night in this villa and tomorrow we will be moving down the street to a different cabin. They have a pool and hopefully some better wifi!
Matt & Aust
Friday, May 27, 2011
Goober Madness
This post is from yesterday (the 26th) - haven't blogged for today yet.
Picking up where we left off. Our nights are always the most exciting parts of our days. Last night was more of the same. We spent the night eating up our “goober” brand PB & J’s (side note: why would you ever name food as goober? Does that sound appealing to anyone to say they are eating a goober? I will be pondering this question the rest of the trip). Our grand total for PB & J sandwiches has reached 12. I also have eaten 1,000 bananas (plus a few plantains) because they are dirt cheap. We also bought some off-brand granola bars and they taste as if they got their recipe a little off. They contained “prebioticos” which we had no idea what it was, but we are still alive. If you can’t already tell, I miss normal food. After dinner we spent the night reading/watching movies. There really wasn’t anything to do in Liberia outside of our hike in Rincon. Most of the time we find ourselves going to bed early so we can get up at 5/6 am to catch a bus. It gets dark at 6 here so I’m not complaining about the early nights. The less we go out at night, the less chance we have of getting robbed.
This morning we got up early again around 6:30 to catch a bus to Tamarindo and eventually to Las Avellanas Villas. We will have our own cabin near a secluded beach called Playa Avellana. Before the bus we headed to the bank again and took out some more colones (I feel like I have a whole in my wallet because it’s never full). We then headed to the bus stop and bought a ticket to Tamarindo for $2! In comparison the fee online for a tourist bus was $45 a person. Tamarindo also was only 87 Km away so we thought this would be a short trip. After getting hassled for taxis for about 40 minutes, we eventually got on our bus and headed for the beach.
We made it about 10 meters (I’m not sure how far that is either, but I thought I should try to use the lingo down here), when the bus stopped to pick up more people. This is not a good sign. We got going again so I thought this was a fluke. Wrong again. We stopped about 100 times in every tiny little city in between Liberia and Tamarindo. We would essentially drive in to the city and drive back out with a couple more people. A bus ride that would normally take about an hour lasted for 2.5 hours. We both agreed that it was still worth the money to take the public bus. At about 11 we finally made it to Tamarindo, but we had a slight problem figuring out where to get off the bus. We assumed there would be a bus station, but the driver just stopped in the middle of the gravel road and said this was the last stop. We were finally in Tamarindo.
After walking about 500 m, we found a taxi that would take us to our villas. However, we broke the cardinal rule of taxi riding by not setting a price before we got on. He also made us sign some sort of insurance waiver before we took off which made us somewhat nervous. (It took a really long time to fill out the form, since we had to give him our social security number, passport number, and home address…this was a joke from Austin Take it easy moms – we actually just had to give one of our names and sign it). He turned out to be a friendly guy with a not so friendly price. A 20 minute taxi ride to our destination cost $40. We will not be calling him back for our return trip. Anyways it is now 12 and we made it to Las Avellanas Villas. This is the “luxury” portion of our trip. I say that term loosely because we will still be eating spaghetti for almost every meal. Essentially these villas are in a plot of land that doesn’t resemble the rest of the countryside. The plants and trees were all planted in specific formations around the villas for added privacy. There are five cabins on the lot and we were given number five, the one farthest away. The villa itself is great. We finally have space to put our clothes and our own kitchen. The deck has two hammocks which are perfect for accomplishing nothing during the day. The shower is unique too in that there is no roof over the top of it. (Just a screen – so you could essentially take a shower in the rain). From the hammock, you really can’t see anything but tons of trees and plants that were planted by the owners, it’s beautiful. The place was designed by a famous Costa Rican architect and it seems like he thought of just about everything. That’s the best I can do for a description until you can see the video for yourself.
So after we checked in to our villa, we spent the next couple hours relaxing and settling in. We* took naps (*we = Matt)/read in the hammocks for a couple hours. We then headed to the store and bought some cheap pasta for the next few days. We somehow ended up killing all the power in our villa though and ate semi-cooked noodles. Not a problem though because after lunch we headed to the beach. The road there is a boardwalk (you literally walk on boards nailed to posts above the marsh) through the marshes, but we ended up on a secluded beach on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. There were probably 10 people there total, but it was also raining.
After the beach we ate more noodles (expect this to be a trend in the next couple blogs) and are now trying to cook up some black beans. Why black beans you say? I think we are asking ourselves the same question right now. Supposedly they need to soak for 2 hours and cook for 2 hours. Aside from cooking the beans all night, we are probably just going to read and watch some TV. (We would relax on the hammock at night since even those have a light directly above each of them in the ceiling – what an architect – but the bugs are vicious and frogs keep scaring Austin).
Tomorrow morning we plan on going back to hang on the beach and check out Lola’s, a local restaurant that should have epic fruit smoothies. Pura Vida!!
(side note: as I (Matt) am writing this note, there are howler monkeys screeching outside our villa. They are only a couple feet tall, but have a loud growl. I have been practicing my howler monkey call the past few days, and it’s improving. They were eating some sort of fruit in the trees right outside of our villa, and we got a good view of them. One of the momma howlers was carrying her baby on her back. It was a great experience and one that would never happen in Minnesota)
Picking up where we left off. Our nights are always the most exciting parts of our days. Last night was more of the same. We spent the night eating up our “goober” brand PB & J’s (side note: why would you ever name food as goober? Does that sound appealing to anyone to say they are eating a goober? I will be pondering this question the rest of the trip). Our grand total for PB & J sandwiches has reached 12. I also have eaten 1,000 bananas (plus a few plantains) because they are dirt cheap. We also bought some off-brand granola bars and they taste as if they got their recipe a little off. They contained “prebioticos” which we had no idea what it was, but we are still alive. If you can’t already tell, I miss normal food. After dinner we spent the night reading/watching movies. There really wasn’t anything to do in Liberia outside of our hike in Rincon. Most of the time we find ourselves going to bed early so we can get up at 5/6 am to catch a bus. It gets dark at 6 here so I’m not complaining about the early nights. The less we go out at night, the less chance we have of getting robbed.
This morning we got up early again around 6:30 to catch a bus to Tamarindo and eventually to Las Avellanas Villas. We will have our own cabin near a secluded beach called Playa Avellana. Before the bus we headed to the bank again and took out some more colones (I feel like I have a whole in my wallet because it’s never full). We then headed to the bus stop and bought a ticket to Tamarindo for $2! In comparison the fee online for a tourist bus was $45 a person. Tamarindo also was only 87 Km away so we thought this would be a short trip. After getting hassled for taxis for about 40 minutes, we eventually got on our bus and headed for the beach.
We made it about 10 meters (I’m not sure how far that is either, but I thought I should try to use the lingo down here), when the bus stopped to pick up more people. This is not a good sign. We got going again so I thought this was a fluke. Wrong again. We stopped about 100 times in every tiny little city in between Liberia and Tamarindo. We would essentially drive in to the city and drive back out with a couple more people. A bus ride that would normally take about an hour lasted for 2.5 hours. We both agreed that it was still worth the money to take the public bus. At about 11 we finally made it to Tamarindo, but we had a slight problem figuring out where to get off the bus. We assumed there would be a bus station, but the driver just stopped in the middle of the gravel road and said this was the last stop. We were finally in Tamarindo.
After walking about 500 m, we found a taxi that would take us to our villas. However, we broke the cardinal rule of taxi riding by not setting a price before we got on. He also made us sign some sort of insurance waiver before we took off which made us somewhat nervous. (It took a really long time to fill out the form, since we had to give him our social security number, passport number, and home address…this was a joke from Austin Take it easy moms – we actually just had to give one of our names and sign it). He turned out to be a friendly guy with a not so friendly price. A 20 minute taxi ride to our destination cost $40. We will not be calling him back for our return trip. Anyways it is now 12 and we made it to Las Avellanas Villas. This is the “luxury” portion of our trip. I say that term loosely because we will still be eating spaghetti for almost every meal. Essentially these villas are in a plot of land that doesn’t resemble the rest of the countryside. The plants and trees were all planted in specific formations around the villas for added privacy. There are five cabins on the lot and we were given number five, the one farthest away. The villa itself is great. We finally have space to put our clothes and our own kitchen. The deck has two hammocks which are perfect for accomplishing nothing during the day. The shower is unique too in that there is no roof over the top of it. (Just a screen – so you could essentially take a shower in the rain). From the hammock, you really can’t see anything but tons of trees and plants that were planted by the owners, it’s beautiful. The place was designed by a famous Costa Rican architect and it seems like he thought of just about everything. That’s the best I can do for a description until you can see the video for yourself.
So after we checked in to our villa, we spent the next couple hours relaxing and settling in. We* took naps (*we = Matt)/read in the hammocks for a couple hours. We then headed to the store and bought some cheap pasta for the next few days. We somehow ended up killing all the power in our villa though and ate semi-cooked noodles. Not a problem though because after lunch we headed to the beach. The road there is a boardwalk (you literally walk on boards nailed to posts above the marsh) through the marshes, but we ended up on a secluded beach on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. There were probably 10 people there total, but it was also raining.
After the beach we ate more noodles (expect this to be a trend in the next couple blogs) and are now trying to cook up some black beans. Why black beans you say? I think we are asking ourselves the same question right now. Supposedly they need to soak for 2 hours and cook for 2 hours. Aside from cooking the beans all night, we are probably just going to read and watch some TV. (We would relax on the hammock at night since even those have a light directly above each of them in the ceiling – what an architect – but the bugs are vicious and frogs keep scaring Austin).
Tomorrow morning we plan on going back to hang on the beach and check out Lola’s, a local restaurant that should have epic fruit smoothies. Pura Vida!!
(side note: as I (Matt) am writing this note, there are howler monkeys screeching outside our villa. They are only a couple feet tall, but have a loud growl. I have been practicing my howler monkey call the past few days, and it’s improving. They were eating some sort of fruit in the trees right outside of our villa, and we got a good view of them. One of the momma howlers was carrying her baby on her back. It was a great experience and one that would never happen in Minnesota)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Rincon De La Vieja
Tuesday evening, May 24th:
We decided to get some groceries at the local supermarket and withdraw money at the ATM (from Citi actually). Afterwards, Sauer and I spent some more time reading before dinner.
For dinner we went to the hostel's restaurant because we heard the food is decent and the price is cheap. We both got a tender loin, and with mine I got fried onions, rice, and a salad. With his, Sauer got sauce, fries, and a salad. Each meal was tasty, quite filling, and only about $7. We also had a $2 Imperial (Costa Rica's beer) to celebrate my birthday.
After dinner, Sauer and I planned our hike for the following morning by paying for $20 round trip transportation (about an hour each way). We headed off to bed early, each of us laying down by about 8:30. We've gotten into the habit of watching parts of a movie each night, where he watches on my iPod and I use the small red laptop. We're currently both watching The Green Mile, which neither of us have seen.
Wednesday, May 25th:
We got up at about 6:00 for our 7:00 AM truck to Rincon de la Vieja where we were planning to hike. The bus consisted of a standard small SUV, with two extra sideways-turned seats in the very back. So it fit five comfortably and two uncomfortably. Since Sauer and I were the last in the truck, we sat in the back. You either had to lean forward and look up or lean back and look down. It was a very uncomfortable ride.
What's annoying is that this 1-hour ride was probably 15-20 miles away from the hostel, but since the roads are so terrible, the driver averages 15-20 miles per hour. Yeah.
We got to the park at about 8:10 AM and prepared for hiking. Here were our options:
1. Hike to the Rincon Crater. 16 km round trip, takes about 8 hours.
2. Hike to Cataratas la Congreja, a beautiful waterfall. (http://www.google.co.cr/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/33248373_4e2782d800.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/80462338%40N00/page2/&usg=__YAFytr4zG3Fbyipp6Ps0asJvQU8=&h=375&w=500&sz=63&hl=es&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=xMMYXNXfAYAJwM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=153&ei=cpHdTeiYAs2Ctgej-4W5Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcataratas%2Bde%2Bla%2Bcongreja%26um%3D1%26hl%3Des%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D409%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=123&vpy=115&dur=318&hovh=180&hovw=240&tx=141&ty=88&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0) 10 km round trip. Takes about 5 hours.
3. Do Las Pailas. A 3 km tour of volcanic activity such as mud pots. 2 hours.
We selected options 2 and 3. In hindsight, it was the right decision. After stopping along the way for tri-pod photos, we arrived at the waterfall by about 11:15 AM. Along the way, the hike is quite interesting because you pass through different types of terrain, between rainforest and dry savannah/desert. We saw white-faced monkeys, some small pig/boar-like creatures, millions of ants, and some pretty birds.
Then, finally, we reached the waterfall! It was incredible!!! Hopefully you have already clicked on the link above... if not, please do so immediately. The waterfall is very secluded and contains beautiful, crystal-clear water. So, after asking many people about the safety of the water, we swam in it! It was cold, but quite refreshing.
When we were about to leave (we were alone that whole time) another group of four Americans came to go for a dip. We also had lunch at the waterfall, and boy, I have never and likely will never eat lunch at such a pretty setting.
As soon as we started to hike back, it started to rain...hard. It was pouring. For the first 2 km, we jogged through the desert-like landscape as water flooded the traditional path. I basically skipped from bank to bank of this new, small rain "river" to keep from stepping in the water or the deep wilderness. Didn't matter, we both got drenched immediately. It was crazy.
We made it back to the information center at the entrance of the park at about 1:00 PM, very wet. After sitting for 15-20 minutes, Sauer and I opted for Option 3 (above) to see some volcanic activity before our ride left at 4 PM. The hike was pretty fun, and we finally got to see the third type of monkey: The Howler. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REPoVfN-Ij4 We also saw some mud pots and bubbles made from volcanic activity, where the mud/water pools can reach 224 degrees F. We finished the hike at about 3:00 PM, had a second lunch (again consisting of PB&J, a banana, and a granola bar). This time we brought a liter of peach juice that we had drank at the waterfall.
We left at about 4:00 PM and made it back before 5:00 PM. We're now just hanging out for the evening until we catch a bus to Tamarindo in the morning (our hostel is by Playa Avellana so we may have to taxi from Tamarindo if there is no bus).
Maybe tonight is a good time for a Coke...
Aust & Matt
We decided to get some groceries at the local supermarket and withdraw money at the ATM (from Citi actually). Afterwards, Sauer and I spent some more time reading before dinner.
For dinner we went to the hostel's restaurant because we heard the food is decent and the price is cheap. We both got a tender loin, and with mine I got fried onions, rice, and a salad. With his, Sauer got sauce, fries, and a salad. Each meal was tasty, quite filling, and only about $7. We also had a $2 Imperial (Costa Rica's beer) to celebrate my birthday.
After dinner, Sauer and I planned our hike for the following morning by paying for $20 round trip transportation (about an hour each way). We headed off to bed early, each of us laying down by about 8:30. We've gotten into the habit of watching parts of a movie each night, where he watches on my iPod and I use the small red laptop. We're currently both watching The Green Mile, which neither of us have seen.
Wednesday, May 25th:
We got up at about 6:00 for our 7:00 AM truck to Rincon de la Vieja where we were planning to hike. The bus consisted of a standard small SUV, with two extra sideways-turned seats in the very back. So it fit five comfortably and two uncomfortably. Since Sauer and I were the last in the truck, we sat in the back. You either had to lean forward and look up or lean back and look down. It was a very uncomfortable ride.
What's annoying is that this 1-hour ride was probably 15-20 miles away from the hostel, but since the roads are so terrible, the driver averages 15-20 miles per hour. Yeah.
We got to the park at about 8:10 AM and prepared for hiking. Here were our options:
1. Hike to the Rincon Crater. 16 km round trip, takes about 8 hours.
2. Hike to Cataratas la Congreja, a beautiful waterfall. (http://www.google.co.cr/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/33248373_4e2782d800.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/80462338%40N00/page2/&usg=__YAFytr4zG3Fbyipp6Ps0asJvQU8=&h=375&w=500&sz=63&hl=es&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=xMMYXNXfAYAJwM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=153&ei=cpHdTeiYAs2Ctgej-4W5Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcataratas%2Bde%2Bla%2Bcongreja%26um%3D1%26hl%3Des%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D409%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=123&vpy=115&dur=318&hovh=180&hovw=240&tx=141&ty=88&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0) 10 km round trip. Takes about 5 hours.
3. Do Las Pailas. A 3 km tour of volcanic activity such as mud pots. 2 hours.
We selected options 2 and 3. In hindsight, it was the right decision. After stopping along the way for tri-pod photos, we arrived at the waterfall by about 11:15 AM. Along the way, the hike is quite interesting because you pass through different types of terrain, between rainforest and dry savannah/desert. We saw white-faced monkeys, some small pig/boar-like creatures, millions of ants, and some pretty birds.
Then, finally, we reached the waterfall! It was incredible!!! Hopefully you have already clicked on the link above... if not, please do so immediately. The waterfall is very secluded and contains beautiful, crystal-clear water. So, after asking many people about the safety of the water, we swam in it! It was cold, but quite refreshing.
When we were about to leave (we were alone that whole time) another group of four Americans came to go for a dip. We also had lunch at the waterfall, and boy, I have never and likely will never eat lunch at such a pretty setting.
As soon as we started to hike back, it started to rain...hard. It was pouring. For the first 2 km, we jogged through the desert-like landscape as water flooded the traditional path. I basically skipped from bank to bank of this new, small rain "river" to keep from stepping in the water or the deep wilderness. Didn't matter, we both got drenched immediately. It was crazy.
We made it back to the information center at the entrance of the park at about 1:00 PM, very wet. After sitting for 15-20 minutes, Sauer and I opted for Option 3 (above) to see some volcanic activity before our ride left at 4 PM. The hike was pretty fun, and we finally got to see the third type of monkey: The Howler. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REPoVfN-Ij4 We also saw some mud pots and bubbles made from volcanic activity, where the mud/water pools can reach 224 degrees F. We finished the hike at about 3:00 PM, had a second lunch (again consisting of PB&J, a banana, and a granola bar). This time we brought a liter of peach juice that we had drank at the waterfall.
We left at about 4:00 PM and made it back before 5:00 PM. We're now just hanging out for the evening until we catch a bus to Tamarindo in the morning (our hostel is by Playa Avellana so we may have to taxi from Tamarindo if there is no bus).
Maybe tonight is a good time for a Coke...
Aust & Matt
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Liberia, Costa Rica
Last Night (Monday, May 23):
Sauer and I napped after our all-day excursion to Monteverde. We then cooked up some pasta, shared a liter of peach juice, and had a baguette. We were able to chat some more with the 4 gals and 1 guy from the UK traveling through Central America. A few of them have been traveling for 7 months now. We also met a Canadian (Toronto) couple also traveling after having graduated from college. It's always fun to chat with other travelers in hostels, since we all have the same mission: to frugally travel.
We spoke to the owner's wife/gf regarding how to get to Liberia the next day. Her news made us a bit nervous: there's only one way - take a public bus to Chomes (doesn't exist on the map) and then transfer to a bus headed for Liberia. The first bus was to leave at 6 AM. Wow. A bit intimidating, since we previously had only dealt with bus shuttles (such as from San Jose to Arenal, and Arenal to Monteverde).
After dinner I was able to read some Charles Spurgeon: Prayer & Spritual Warfare and he may be my current favorite writer. He has a very big view of God and the promises of the Bible. After showering one last time, Sauer and I packed up some of our stuff and headed off to bed.
We set the alarm for 4:45 AM. This is always scary, at least for me (Austin), since our alarm is from our watch that we bought at the airport and has a quiet beep alarm. But, it hasn't failed us yet...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011:
We woke up at about 4:30 and decided to stay up until the alarm went off (why risk it). We packed up our things and left the hostel to walk about 5 minutes to the bus stop/station. After purchasing a $2 ticket for a 2 hour bus ride to Chomes, we boarded the bus. The UK group was with us also. The first ride was fine, since we were able to nap on and off along the windy mountain roads. We were nervous, however, since Chomes appeared to be the 5th stop and was supposed to happen at about 2 hours on the dot. After about 2 hours, 15 minutes, the bus finally came to an actual cross-road, the first one, and it was a highway. The driver turned around and said "Nicaragua, Liberia, (and he said a few more)" so we hopped off and grabbed our bags. We spotted a cement slab where a few others were standing on the highway and made sure that the bus we were taking to Liberia would pick us up here. No more than 5 seconds later, the Liberia bus came. How great! Although the timing was great, Sauer and I both had to use the restroom but simply did not have time. Oh well, we'd better hold it for two more hours! This bus was only $2 more. Ha! Instead of taking a $40 or $50 bus directly, we essentially went directly and only paid $4. What a deal.
The second bus was running from about 8AM to 10AM, so it started getting hot on the bus, and we both started sweating pretty badly. But, we made it to Liberia, the final stop. We actually walked to our hostel in a matter of minutes and checked into our rooms by 1030AM. Went very smoothly.
Once we'd checked into our hostel, we both took cold showers. (There's only one dial on most showers - who needs warm water in such a hot country?)
Our place is called Hotel Guanacaste but functions like a hostel. It actually has pretty bad approval ratings on hostelworld (68%) but we think that this is because people expect a hotel, not a hostel. It's not too bad. It has a couple of courtyards, a restaurant/bar connected to it, free towels, iguanas everywhere, a fan in the room, and we only have to share the bathroom with one other bedroom. For only $9 a night, I'm not complaining. (Although, I have killed about 75 ants crawling across our wall... I think I've killed the entire group).
It is sooooo hot! According to weather.com, it is 88 but feels like 95 degrees. After Sauer and I bought some groceries and withdrew more money, we decided to just chill for the rest of the day (It's only 2:30 PM).
The reason we came to Liberia was to hike at the Rincon National Park and since the park is only open 7 to 4, we didn't have time to go there today, since we're 10 or 20 km away. We will be there all day tomorrow, however, where we will hike to the crater of a volcano and a waterfall that is well known as a very beautiful swimming hole.
Back to reading, catch you later!
Austin & Matt
Sauer and I napped after our all-day excursion to Monteverde. We then cooked up some pasta, shared a liter of peach juice, and had a baguette. We were able to chat some more with the 4 gals and 1 guy from the UK traveling through Central America. A few of them have been traveling for 7 months now. We also met a Canadian (Toronto) couple also traveling after having graduated from college. It's always fun to chat with other travelers in hostels, since we all have the same mission: to frugally travel.
We spoke to the owner's wife/gf regarding how to get to Liberia the next day. Her news made us a bit nervous: there's only one way - take a public bus to Chomes (doesn't exist on the map) and then transfer to a bus headed for Liberia. The first bus was to leave at 6 AM. Wow. A bit intimidating, since we previously had only dealt with bus shuttles (such as from San Jose to Arenal, and Arenal to Monteverde).
After dinner I was able to read some Charles Spurgeon: Prayer & Spritual Warfare and he may be my current favorite writer. He has a very big view of God and the promises of the Bible. After showering one last time, Sauer and I packed up some of our stuff and headed off to bed.
We set the alarm for 4:45 AM. This is always scary, at least for me (Austin), since our alarm is from our watch that we bought at the airport and has a quiet beep alarm. But, it hasn't failed us yet...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011:
We woke up at about 4:30 and decided to stay up until the alarm went off (why risk it). We packed up our things and left the hostel to walk about 5 minutes to the bus stop/station. After purchasing a $2 ticket for a 2 hour bus ride to Chomes, we boarded the bus. The UK group was with us also. The first ride was fine, since we were able to nap on and off along the windy mountain roads. We were nervous, however, since Chomes appeared to be the 5th stop and was supposed to happen at about 2 hours on the dot. After about 2 hours, 15 minutes, the bus finally came to an actual cross-road, the first one, and it was a highway. The driver turned around and said "Nicaragua, Liberia, (and he said a few more)" so we hopped off and grabbed our bags. We spotted a cement slab where a few others were standing on the highway and made sure that the bus we were taking to Liberia would pick us up here. No more than 5 seconds later, the Liberia bus came. How great! Although the timing was great, Sauer and I both had to use the restroom but simply did not have time. Oh well, we'd better hold it for two more hours! This bus was only $2 more. Ha! Instead of taking a $40 or $50 bus directly, we essentially went directly and only paid $4. What a deal.
The second bus was running from about 8AM to 10AM, so it started getting hot on the bus, and we both started sweating pretty badly. But, we made it to Liberia, the final stop. We actually walked to our hostel in a matter of minutes and checked into our rooms by 1030AM. Went very smoothly.
Once we'd checked into our hostel, we both took cold showers. (There's only one dial on most showers - who needs warm water in such a hot country?)
Our place is called Hotel Guanacaste but functions like a hostel. It actually has pretty bad approval ratings on hostelworld (68%) but we think that this is because people expect a hotel, not a hostel. It's not too bad. It has a couple of courtyards, a restaurant/bar connected to it, free towels, iguanas everywhere, a fan in the room, and we only have to share the bathroom with one other bedroom. For only $9 a night, I'm not complaining. (Although, I have killed about 75 ants crawling across our wall... I think I've killed the entire group).
It is sooooo hot! According to weather.com, it is 88 but feels like 95 degrees. After Sauer and I bought some groceries and withdrew more money, we decided to just chill for the rest of the day (It's only 2:30 PM).
The reason we came to Liberia was to hike at the Rincon National Park and since the park is only open 7 to 4, we didn't have time to go there today, since we're 10 or 20 km away. We will be there all day tomorrow, however, where we will hike to the crater of a volcano and a waterfall that is well known as a very beautiful swimming hole.
Back to reading, catch you later!
Austin & Matt
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