Things to Remember about Costa Rica

Well it is hard to believe that 26 days have come and gone so quickly...I guess that happens when you are having a good time. Now that I have returned from my travels through Costa Rica, I thought I would share some of my top 5 lists.......................

~Essential Items for Any Backpacking Trip...

1. Earplugs...you never know when the person in the bunk next to you snores like a freight train
2. Flashlight/Headlamp...you will always need to look in your backpack or room when others are sleeping
3. Fast Drying Towel...a wet towel is never fun to carry around
4. Lock...use security boxes whenever possible
5. Flip Flops...good in the shower, for light walking and dress up too!

~Things I Will NOT Miss about Costa Rica...

1. Horribly dusty and bumpy roads
2. Rice and beans every day
3. Bug bites...especially in the mountains
4. Applying suntan lotion and mosquito spray everyday
5. Typing on a Spanish keyboard

~Things I Will Miss about Costa Rica...

1. Fresh pineapple and mangoes
2. Sounds of the surf crashing into the beach and watching surfers all day long
3. Lush cloud forests
4. Warm waters of the Pacific ocean, tropical fish, monkeys and toucan birds
5. The beautiful beaches of Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa

~Things I Have Learned about Costa Rica...

1. Knowing some essential Spanish phrases would have made travelling much easier
2. Public transportation is not as quick or accessible as first believed
3. Everything...especially the food...is much more expensive than expected
4. Coffee making is quite the complex process
5. The many differences among Costa Rica's regions...especially for such a small country

~New Spanish Vocabulary...

1. Plata = silver...good to know when jewelry shopping
2. Parada = stop...useful when travelling on the public bus
3. Cuanto = how much...used everyday for shopping, accommodations, travelling, ect.
4. Habla ingles? = Do you speak English?...my first question to anyone
5. Banco = bank...always looking for one

It has been a great experience travelling throughout Costa Rica. I have met many interesting people, learned a lot about various regions of the world and received many ideas for future travels...South America is sounding pretty good!!! To keep my travelling addiction under control, I may need to look into a new profession....I just noticed the Lonely Planet is always looking for people to help provide information for their books!!!! Thanks to everyone I met for making my experience a memorable one...backpacking is definitely the way to go...and to all the people who have been following along on my blog....I hope you enjoyed the adventure as much as I did. I look forward to planning my next destination. Until then...

Final Destination...Charlottetown, PEI

Well this is officially my final day of vacation. I headed to the airport around 10am for my 12:30pm flight to Montreal. The flight went without any problems and I arrived in Montreal, where I proceeded to go through customs and immigration...all went well, except I realized when I got home that my luggage was physically searched and everything was taken out and stuffed back in to my backpack....just my luck! I had to go through security for the third time in two days while in Montreal...I guess now I have been declared safe to be in the country and am not a threat to anyone's safety!!! Just when I thought all was going smoothly, I found out my plane to Charlottetown was going to be delayed for 4 hours due to mechanical problems. After a 5 hour wait in Montreal already, adding another 4 hours was not exactly something I was looking forward to....scheduled departure 1:30am!!!! While I was waiting for my flight, I ran into a former co-worker from the PEI Department of Education. He and I went for a drink to catch up and pass the time...there is nothing to do in the Montreal airport, especially when everything closes down at 11pm. Good to see you Rene. My flight finally arrived around 1am and we left Montreal at 1:40am...destination PEI....I actually had the same seat I had when I took this flight at the beginning of my trip!!!! At that time, I sat beside Mildred Dover...former Minister of the PEI Department of Education....I see a trend here! When I arrived in Charlottetown...16 hours after my first flight this morning...I ended up getting a ride to my parents place with a girl I met at the Montreal airport. She just moved to PEI from Halifax and is the new Operations Manager for Cows. This worked out great, as I had absolutely no Canadian money on me...thanks for the generous offer. As of 4:35am I can finally say my trip to Costa Rica has officially ended. It was a great time and I met some great people...now all I have to do is go through my 700+ pictures I took!!!! Until then...

Heading Home....via Houston, Texas

Well today was my last day in Costa Rica....very sad really. It is hard to believe that 24 days has come and gone so quickly!!!! I have had great experiences in Costa Rica and without any major incidents...only missing one water bottle and my headlamp. Today I hung out at the hostel until about noon and then headed to the airport. I am very impressed with myself...my bag only weighed 34 pounds....much more manageable than the 64 pounds it was on my way home after after my first backpacking trip around the world!!!! The flight from Costa Rica to Houston was non eventful... except for the food. It was the worst airline food I have ever eaten....way to go Continental!! Arrived in Houston around 7:30pm and waited forever to get through immigration. Did you know when you visit the US now, you must get fingerprinted and photographed...very welcoming!!!! I finally met up with my shuttle around 9:00pm and made my way to the Baymont Inn and Suites, Houston Intercontinental hotel....my accommodations for the night. It is definitely apparent that I have arrived in the US....I went from being called "lady" in Costa Rica, to being called "mam" in Texas....oh that southern drawl...brought back memories of living in North Carolina. One last night on the road....I am so looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, not carrying my groceries around and using a hairdryer!!! It should be an early night tonight, as I have a full day tomorrow...a noontime flight to Montreal....and then a 5 hour wait for my flight to PEI, arriving at midnight...this is definitely called the milk run!!! Until tomorrow...

Alajuela...last day in Costa Rica

I was once again up early today at 5am. I packed up my things and headed to the bus around 6pm. The bus to San Jose was pretty much non eventful. This was the third time I was on the road out of Monteverde to the main highway and every time the mountains look so different. There were not that many people on the bus for the first couple hours, but then we had to pick up all the passengers from a bus that broke down. The next 2 hours the bus was packed with about 10 people standing in the isles. I am exhausted today and tried to get a little shut eye during the drive. At one point I woke up and saw a man selling snack foods going down the aisle....I am not exactly sure where he came from or when he got off, but this sort of thing always surprises me...even though you see it all the time. At one of the bus stops I found this really delicious coconut candy. It reminded me of fudge to some extent...glad I did not find this earlier!!!! When I got on the bus in Monteverde, I told the bus driver I wanted to get off at the airport stop. He appeared to understand, but when I got off at the airport...along with two other people...and went to get my backpack, he came right off and started going off in Spanish at me and the guy who was helping me get my bag. Now at first I thought I had done something wrong, but if other people were getting off and I told him I wanted to get off at the airport, I could not imaging what the problem was. I just let him yell away...it makes no sense yelling at me in Spanish when I could not understand a word he was saying!!!! So when he was done, I proceeded to get my bag and grabbed a taxi. My hostel, Hostel Maleku, was about a 3 minute drive from the airport. It is a nice little place with internet, free lockers, a good kitchen, free breakfast, towels and a free shuttle to the airport. Everything I will need during my one night stay here. When I arrived at the hostel, I ran into a guy that I met while waiting for the bus in Montezuma. He is heading back to England tomorrow as well...you never know who you will meet again when you are backpacking. Not long after I arrived at the hostel, one of the guys from my bus arrived as well. I asked him if I may have done something wrong by getting off the bus at the airport and he could not think of anything at all...I will chalk it up to some sort of miscommunication and leave it at that. Once I got settled in to my hostel, I decided to spend the afternoon looking around the area. Alaguela is outside San Jose by about 15 minutes and is not a touristy section of the city...it is where the airport is located and a good spot to stay the night before you leave on a flight....I like it much better than San Jose as well. One of the big differences here, compared to where I stayed in San Jose, is that the area is layed out on a grid and the streets are somewhat named and labeled...this made it much easier to manoeuvre around. The main area is about 10 square blocks, with Parque Central right in the middle. This park area had lots of locals sitting around chatting, while the cathedral that is located right next to the park was having some sort of a church service. After checking out the area a bit, I decided to get a mid afternoon snack and relax for a bit. I ended up at Coffee Dreams Cafe where I had the most delicious chocolate brownie with ice cream and a sour guava iced drink....delicious and it hit the spot!! It is hotter here than in Monteverde...right now it is about 23 degrees, where it is only 15 degrees in the mountains....a refreshing change from the 40 degree weather along the Pacific Coast. After having my snack, I looked around a bit more....lots of little shops, fruit and vegetables stands, shoe stores, an indoor market and one small mall. Before heading back to my hostel for the evening, I dropped by one of the many bakeries in the area....they are everywhere in Costa Rica...and I picked up a little pastry for after dinner. This is my last night in Costa Rica and my flight leaves Thursday at 3pm. I plan to have a relaxing evening tonight at the hostel and rest my feet. Somehow after walking all over this country, I managed to get a blister on my last day here!! What is up with that???? Actually, I am retiring my worn out sandals and leaving them here. They have served me well over the past 9 years, taking me to many parts of the world...they will definitely be missed!!! Until tomorrow....

Amazing Adventures in Monteverde

Although the weather in Monteverde was very nice yesterday, last night the wind blew... and blew...and blew. Another sleepless night in this little town for me. Got up today at 6am, had some free breakfast at my hostel and bought my bus ticket to San Jose. At 8:30am I was picked up by my shuttle that was taking me to the Reserva Santa Elena. This reserve is 310 hectares in size and much smaller than the more popular Monteverde Cloud Forest. It was first opened to the public in 1992 and is now managed by the Santa Elena high school board. This cloud forest however, is at a slightly high elevation than Monteverde and since it is less visited, more authentic and untouched....this is what I like. Once I entered the reserve I knew I had made the right choice. The vegetation was amazing. Even though it is not the raining season at the moment, it does rain here frequently, so everything is very lush and green...you could actually hear drops of water falling off the leaves from time to time and feel the mist in the air. It is very difficult to describe the true beauty of this area....and pictures only capture a little glimpse. Since I only had 3 hours to spend there, I decided to hike the Youth Challenge and Encantado trails. They were about 4-5kms in length and all paths were fairly well marked. Aside from the two high school groups I ran into....thankfully I was able to loose them at some point early one...there were very few people around. It was sooooo peaceful...aside from the sounds of water dripping from leaves, you could hear all kinds of birds chirping, crackling noises, water running from nearby streams and the odd voices of people walking in nearby trails. It felt so removed from everything around...you could actually hear the sound of small birds flying...their wings really do make fluttering sounds. I took picture after picture and could have stayed there all day....I felt a bit rushed at times since I had to be somewhere else at 12:30pm, but enjoyed every minute. Just down the road from the reserve I had booked the suspension bridge and canopy tour package at Selvatura Park. I arrived for my 12:30pm start time, only to find out that it really was not until 1:00pm. I thought I would check out the restaurant to grab a bite to eat before I left, only to find out it was way too over priced, so it looked like lunch was not in the plans for me today. This would be the only day I did not bring something to snack on... and after 3 hours of hiking and 4 more hours to go, it was not a smart move!!! At 1:00pm I headed off on my 1 hour suspension bridge walk...now if I had known it would be so similar to the reserve I had just been at, I probably would not have done this. The good thing however was that I did get a different perspective of the forest by walking along the bridges through the middle of the canopy. There were 7 bridges in total, and although they did move slightly when several people were walking on them, they really were not that much of a big deal. One bonus during my hike was when I spotted the rare quetzal sitting in a tree. This is the official bird of Guatemala and probably one of the most amazing birds I have ever seen....stunning green, with hints of ultra blue and a little bit of black. Its tail was about a foot long and it looked like it was sparkling in the sun. Apparently there was a female in a nest in the tree, but I did not see it. I tell you, there were some very excited bird watches around me when this bird was spotted. This was at the end of my suspension bridge walk and when I arrived back at the information booth, I headed down the hall to get suited up for my zip lining experience. This was one of the main things I wanted to do while in Costa Rica and I can tell you it was nothing but spectacular!!!! There were about 40-50 people in our entire group and we were first bused up to the entrance to the first platform. Once we arrived at the top, we were given some instructions on how to zip line without killing yourself...yes I said killing yourself!!! Things to remember: keep your strong arm behind you on the line, do not squeeze the line to stop, never put your hand on the line in front of the pulley ...that is if you want to have your fingers back..., keep your knees bent, legs up and lean back....and enjoy the ride!!!! This zip lining company had 13 cables ranging in distance from 76 meters...the first one...to 1km in length...yes I said 1km!!!! For someone who is afraid of heights, I think I did pretty well on my first line...a little shaky in the knees and not sure exactly how I was going to stop at the other end, but it all worked out fine. There were 10 specialists helping us move through the cables...one on each end of the line...and everyone one of them were great. Once we got off the first line, we were immediately clipped onto the second line and within 10 second back on our way...this was probably the best way to do things...it kept you from being able to think about what you were doing. The fifth line was one of my favourites...650 meters of pure bliss. It took about 30 seconds to complete and it was INCREDIBLE....you could see the clouds with the sun peaking out, the suspension bridges below and the most beautiful canopy I have ever seen. I even let out a couple hollers along the way...what a rush!!!!!! We continued along the lines, sometimes doing a bit of a hike to get to the next one, other times connecting to the next line right away. My only real fear once I got the hang of things was walking up some of the platform stairs where you were hooked onto the cable...this is where being afraid of heights can really make you shaky in the knees and a bit light headed... but I made it through either way. The final cable was the longest one and I went down it with a guide and one other person. I was not sure how I was going to like this, but it was another one of my highlights. At this point in the day...5pm..., the clouds started to roll in and there was mist in the air. As you were going along the cable you went from seeing the canopy below and feeling the wind in your face, to having the mist on your face as you entered the clouds, to being able to see nothing except white all around, to finally seeing the guide at the other end waiting patiently for you to arrive...arrival safe and sound. At this point we had the option to do a tarzan swing...now after 13 cables several kilometers long, I decided to opt out of this one....I was feeling more like Jane and less like Tarzan at this point and did not think I could handle the several second free fall that you had to do before you actually swung on the rope. Either way, this was one of the most incredible things I have ever done and would definitely do it again...especially in such a beautiful place as Costa Rica. Once we finished the canopy tour we headed back to the information area where, of course, our picture was waiting to be purchased. They took these pictures on the 3rd run when most people were still a bit timid...sorry folks, I did not buy mine. I tell you though, I think I was looking pretty spiffy all decked out in my harness and helmet!!! Within about 20 minutes our shuttle arrived to take us back to our hotels/hostels and I was beat....and starving!!! I had a quick bite to eat, caught up on some last minute souvenir shopping and headed to bed early. I know I am going to be sore in the morning after a full day of hiking and zip lining...especially after spending the past couple weeks just lazing around on the beach. My body will not know what hit it...thank god for ibuprofen!!! I am heading to San Jose early in the morning tomorrow for my last day in Costa Rica. Until then...

Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste to Monteverde

Well all good things must come to an end, and it is time for me to leave Playa Hermosa and the Peninsula Nicoya for Monteverde. I took the Gray Line shuttle to Monteverde and left at around 8am. It is approximately 150km southeast...in land and at a much higher elevation....so much cooler as well. Although it does not sound that far away, I did not arrive in Monteverde until 1pm!!!! The shuttle drove about half way and we stopped for 30 minutes at a restaurant area to stretch our legs and grab a snack. While I was sitting waiting to move my things to another shuttle, a Scarlet Macaw flew right by me....my God they are beautiful. I have never really seen them fly before...they are huge...and noisy. It turns out that there were about 15 of them flying around. I sat for about 15 minutes just watching them groom one another, bicker and fly from tree to tree. Apparently they mate for life...some of them must have been having some marital squabbles by the sounds of it!!!! Once I changed shuttles I was the only passenger on board...usually these shuttles are full with about 12 people on board, so this was kind of nice. Unfortunately, the not so nice part was veering off the paved highway onto another dusty and bumpy Costa Rican road...you have got to love Costa Rican roads!!! The next two hours were spent banging around, trying not to hit my head on the window when we hit one of the massive pot holes in the road or when we tried to swerve to miss one...I will not be complaining about the roads a home for a long time after this!!! Along the way my driver stopped at a little house to pick up some organic mangoes. They were simply sitting in a little hanging basket at the gate...he told me they were very cheap at only 100 colones each...that is about 25 cents!!!! I can see why he stops here all the time. I arrived at my hostel Cabinas Vista al Golfo at about 1 pm....tired and hungry. Since I arrived early in the day, I decided to see if I could do a coffee tour in the afternoon. After checking out a couple tours at my hostel, I decided to do the Don Juan Coffee Tour. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but I was assured it was an authentic local coffee farm...and that it was. When we arrived, Don Juan himself came out and shook each of our hands...he is in his 70's and such a friendly man. Our tour guide was excellent...he had grown up on his grandfather's coffee farm and picked berries from the age of 5. He has also been drinking coffee since that age as well...9 cups a day now!!! I had no idea there was so much involved in making coffee...I am surprised it is not more expensive. There used to be three kinds of trees that Costa Ricans used to make coffee....two that produced twice as much berries as the third. They would combine the fast and slower growing coffee beans to create blends and produce much more coffee this way. In the mid 90's the new government changed the laws on this and all coffee in Costa Rica now must come from the Arabic coffee been and must be 100%...no blends. This is one reason why Costa Rican coffee is such good quality...so now instead of quantity, they are focused on quality. There are several stages that must take place before the coffee bean is actually roasted and ready to sell. The berries must be picked...all berries are hand picked in Costa Rica...mostly by people from Nicaragua. Inside the berry are two beans. The beans are taken out of the berry and they are covered in a sugary coating...this coating is taken off by soaking the bean for about 30 minutes. The good beans are separated from the lower quality beans and then they must be dried...this is done on huge patios and takes several days...the beans must be turned every 5 hours and must not get wet again or they will be no good. Sometimes they are put into green houses to avoid having them get wet...it rains here a lot. Once they are dried, there is another layer of the beans that must be removed...the husk. When the husk comes off it is used to make coffee paper...recycle is the name of the game here. At this point the coffee beans are ready to be roasted....it does not even smell like coffee until this point. They put the beans in a roaster and the longer they are roasted the darker they get....espresso beans would be the darkest. The longer roasted ones have a stronger taste, but they have less caffeine...I had no idea!!!! Our guide for instance drinks dark roast because he drinks so much coffee. Once we finished our tour we were taken back to where we started and given an opportunity to taste test some of the different roasts. It was really good actually...I hope I am able to sleep tonight though! Costa Rica's economy was built on the coffee bean and I found this history to be really fascinating to learn...I did not learn any of this in school!!! Once I got back to Santa Elena...this is the town I am staying in...I did a little shopping and headed back to my hostel for a little dinner. Off tomorrow to check out the cloud forest and do some zip lining....stay tuned!!! Until then....

Ginger's Restaurant/Bar... Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

Ginger's was such a pleasant surprise, I did not want to miss the opportunity to share my evening. I headed down to the restaurant at about 5pm just as the sun was starting to go down. When I arrived the restaurant has just opened and there were very few people there...this soon changed however. Since I was going to the movies at 7:30pm and I did not know how safe it was to walking around in the evening on my own, I thought I would go early to dinner. What a beautiful place...open air concept, very modern and chique...Lonely Planet describes it as more NYC than Costa Rica. To start off the evening I decided to go with my waiter's suggestion of a Mojito...great choice... a nice run based drink with lime and fresh mind leaves. It was still very hot outside, so this really helped quench my thirst. Ginger's menu is made up of various tapas...small appetizer size portions...so to start off with I had the Honey and Thyme Grilled Pear Salad. Delicious....such a great combination of caramelized walnuts and blue cheese, off set by the pear. I can still taste it! By the time I finished my salad the sun had set and the deck area was all lit up by soft moon lights along the perimeter. While I waited for my next tapas, I had a great chat with my waiter. He told me all about the surrounding area...to my surprise he felt that the majority of the large homes on the hillside were owned by Canadians. In fact, the owner of the restaurant is also Canadian...she had it built about 6 years ago. My second tapas of Ginger's Ahi Tuna finally arrived and I was not disappointed. This is Ginger's signature dish of seared tuna...with the perfect amount of pepper to add to the flavour...fruit salsa and ginger salad...amazing!!!! Now a birthday dinner would not be complete without dessert, so I decided to have the Grand Marnier Moccacino....a shot of expresso and Grand Marnier over ice cream, with whipped cream and bittersweet chocolate sauce drizzled on top. It was served in a tall glass with a spoon and a straw... since the ice cream melted so quickly you ended up with a dessert and a drink in one. A great way to finish off a fantastic meal....absolutely perfect!! It is hard to beat celebrating your birthday with friends, but if you have to do it along, this ranked right up there. At about 7pm, after enjoying my meal while listening to a little Eric Clapton in the background, under the twinkling stars of a Costa Rican summer night, I decided to head back to my villa. It was about a ten minute walk and I arrived just in time to see my movie. The movie theatre was not that busy, except for myself and ten other Americans...good lord!!! The Hurt Locker is certainly not an uplifting movie, but it really made you appreciate what you have in life...war is an awful thing. I headed up to my villa to finish off my last evening in Playa Hermosa at around 10pm....caffeine does not agree with me....I was wide awake until about 2am from the expresso!!! I will definitely miss Hermosa Heights and the lovely people here...it has certainly been one of the a highlights on my trip. Off to Monteverde tomorrow. Until then...

Birthday Celebrations in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

Buenas Tardes...Good Afternoon... and Happy Easter!!!! It is another beautiful day here in Playa Hermosa and a perfect one to be celebrating my birthday. Yes, today is the big 38....did I just say that out loud!!!! Well at least I am celebrating it in style...sun, beach, good food and a few drinks. Today I plan to go to a local restaurant called Ginger's. It is a beautiful open air restaurant that was designed by a famous Costa Rican architect and it specializes in Mediterranean food. It has had rave reviews, so I thought I should treat myself and check it out. I am also going to the movie theatre on my resort. With my package I get one free movie pass and I am going to the Oscar award winning moving The Hurt Locker. Since today is my last day in Playa Hermosa, I got up early and packed my backpack. This takes a bit of planning as you want to make sure things are placed in the right spots so that the pack sits well on your back and also so you have easy access to the things you will need more frequently. Once I was packed up, I headed to the pool for some coffee and fried banana for breakfast...yes I am drinking coffee while I am here...a little bit anyway. Costa Rica is known for its coffee and its bananas, so if you are going to be here, you might as well try it out. I am not a coffee drinker, but I am pretty sure the coffee here is very strong....it takes lots of milk and sugar to make it drinkable for me. After breakfast I spent a couple hours at the pool...it is very quiet here, as many people have checked out today and are heading back home after the holiday week. I was planning to take the public bus to Monteverde tomorrow, but since it is going to take all day and three transfers....surprise, surprise... I decided to bite the bullet and take the shuttle. It is a huge ripoff...the Interbus is not running and would have cost $29, so instead I am taking the Gray Line, which is $45. I think I have become a lazy backpacker!!!! Since I will be getting in around noon, I hope to maybe do a coffee tour when I get there....I will see. At around 11am I decided to make a call home to chat with my family who were having Easter dinner at my aunt's...I was surprise to have Happy Birthday sung to me over the phone by everyone at her house...nice surprise. Muchas Gracias...thank you very much...to all those who sent Birthday wishes. I almost forgot it was my birthday...you loose track of time when you are travelling for long periods of time. After my call home, I decided to do a little shopping...only 5 days left in Costa Rica and I have some things I want to buy...and then headed to the beach for a bit of a walk. It was very quiet at the beach as well...this is how I like it. I love the sand here....I could walk on it all day long....I will really miss it when I leave. I think it is even nicer than the sand in PEI...and that is a big deal coming from me!!! Planning to head to my villa for a little lunch, hang out at the pool for a bit and then get cleaned up for dinner. Can not wait to check out this restaurant. Until tomorrow....

Catching up in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

Today I thought I might take the local bus to Playas del Coco in search of cheaper internet and to do a little market shopping. As it turns out, the bus is not as accessible from here as I thought and a taxi each way would be $15... so I decided to stay put. I got up today at 6am, had breakfast at the pool bar...such a treat...and layed in the sun for a couple hours. The sun is so hot between 10am and 2pm, that I try to do other things around the area. Since I was not going to Playas del Coco, I decided to head towards the beach and see what else there was to do. Along the way I stopped in at a hotel to see about internet and finally, internet I could afford...$2/hour. I had lots of catching up to do, so I spent 3 hours there!!!!! As usually the clouds rolled in after lunch as I was heading back to my villa. Decided to sit around the pool and enjoy another afternoon in the sun. It really is nice to have a pool to go to whenever you want....I love it!!! Today is the last day of most peoples vacations in Costa Rica, so they were out in full force at the pool. It started to get a bit rowdy...and not that relaxing...so I headed to my deck to read a book. As I was walking up, I noticed a little friend.....some sort of lizard living in the rocks by my deck. I think he was more scared of me than I was of him, but I was able to get a photo before he ran down into the rocks....they are very cool to watch. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing at my villa...once again...I should be well rested when I get back!!!! I am starting to get a bit antsy. As much as I love the sun and the beach, 11 days of lazing around is about enough for me. I am looking forward to my next destination for a bit more action and cooler weather. I was very tired tonight and headed to bed around 8:30pm...I know, I am a lightweight!!!! Looking forward to my last day in Playa Hermosa. Until then...

Beach, Mountains and Vegetation...Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

I was up early today and had breakfast at 8am before heading to the beach. I thought I would try and arrive before most of the people. I do not think the beach is usually this busy, but because it is Easter....one of the biggest vacation times in Costa Rica....everyone is enjoy some down time at the beach. This time I decided to take the first entrance to the beach. There are two entrances to Playa Hermosa and this one is only about a 10 minutes walk from my villa. The road to the beach has more development than the second entrance. There are lots of beautiful homes...all gated in...as well are many resorts, hotels and a couple restaurants. There is also some construction going on...sign of what is to come. After taking some photos of the beautiful flowers and plants along the way, I finally arrived at the beach around 9am...and yes there were lots of people there already!!! There is so much traffic, they even have people directing cars for parking. Ticos tend to sit in the shade when they are at the beach...unlike us Canadians!!!! They sit under the trees that line the beach and put blankets or tarps in the branches to create more shade. When I arrived at the beach I decided to find a secluded spot at the very tip of the beach. The second entrance to the beach appears to be much more crowded with locals, so this end suited me fine. After I got settled, I went for walking along the 1 km stretch of sand...about 20 minute walk. Along the way I saw a group of people having a Good Friday church service on the beach. They were carrying a cross and were using a megaphone so everyone could here. There were also lots of memorials set up as you walked along the beach, with flowers, candles and crosses. The beach here is just like any other beach in Canada...lots of people swimming, sea-dooing, wet banana for the tourists, people building sandcastles or burying themselves in the sand. When I got back from my walk, I went for a swim....SO nice and refreshing...I really like this beach!!! Today the tide is out and the water is very clear...I could see all kinds of tropical fish swimming around...COOL!!! I love how there is only sand under your feet...no seaweed, rocks or shells...although I did come across one beer can! I decided to leave the beach around noon in search of the internet. I have WiFi at my villa, but not a computer, so it no good to me. Internet seems to be very rare and very expensive here. So far I have found one spot for $6/hour and another for $4/hour....this is 3 to 4 times more expensive than anywhere else I have used the internet! After catching up on a bit of emailing and taking some more photos, I arrived back at my villa around 2pm...there is so much to take in. I cooked some lunch...fresh watermelon and pineapple, rice with fried egg, fried tortilla with melted cheese and iced tea....YUMMMY!!! I think I want a rice maker now...they are great! I also found out how Ticos spice their food here...Lizana Salsa...the sauce I was given in Playa Santa Teresa. This sauce is really good and I completely understand why everyone uses it on all their food. I went for an afternoon swim at my resort to cool off and then decided around 4pm I would check out the mountain. Today there are clouds in the sky which makes it much nicer to walk around and a perfect time for a hike. The walk up the mountain was VERY steep...my legs are going to hurt tomorrow!! The homes along the way are incredible, with the most amazing views...they also have beautiful iron bars on the windows and on the gates....stunning to look at. Hermosa Heights where I am staying consists of 42 acres...this includes 10 villas for rent and a variety of private homes and condos all the way up the mountain. I could not stop taking pictures...everything is so beautiful...unfortunately sometimes the sun does not cooperate and washes out the true colours. I bet it is even nicer in the rainy season when everything is much more green. Along my hike up the mountain a couple guys from Hermosa Height drove by on a backhoe and asked me if I wanted a lift...I am thinking now maybe I should have taken it after all!!! When I was almost to the top of the mountain, I came across a "garden". Being the curious type, I decided to check it out....and guess what I found???? A Medicinal Garden!!!! Now I could not resist taking some pictures...maybe against my better judgement. Some very interesting names for the plants...Pura Vida Costa Rica!!!! Once I got my photos I decided to head out...lord knows whose "garden" this belongs to. I headed back down the mountain at around 5pm and spent the next hour soaking my muscles in the jacuzzi...I must be getting old!!!! I spent the rest of the evening relaxing with a good book on my deck, making another delicious meal and enjoying another night in my villa with some refreshing tropical drinks....with ice cubes!!!! Until tomorrow......

Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

I have decided to check out the resort area before heading to the beach today. I had to turn off the AC as I am not used to it and I think it makes me sleepy...it was very hard to get up this morning. All the staff are so helpful and very friendly...I am so glad I chose this place to stay for the next 5 days. The guests at the resort are very different from a hostel however. Almost everyone speaks Spanish and they are all in large groups...typically families. They do not really go out of their way to socialize with you, which creates a really different vibe. This is find however, because I think I need a bit of down time to just enjoy things on my own. As I was walking to my villa, the waiter at the pool bar/restaurant came up to me and asked me if I wanted breakfast...he wanted to make sure I knew it was free. To my surprise, it was HUGE...coffee, juice, fried plantain, gallo pinto...which is beans with rice...natilla...which is really the same as sour cream...and you could of had ham and eggs as well!!! This type of food really gets you started for the day. I spent the morning laying at the pool and enjoying my lounge chair...the things you miss when you are backpacking!!! After I hadenough of the pool, I decided since I had a rice maker, I wanted to make some rice. I had no idea how to use it though, so the maid came by and gave me a lesson...how awesome is that!!!! It was all in Spanish, but I think I have it town pat....the rice was so good at supper. After I made my rice I decided to head to the beach. It is about a 15 minutes walk to the second entrance to the beach from my villa. Since Thursday was a holiday, there were LOTS of people at the beach by 2pm. Playa Hermosa is a gray sand beach that stretches about 1 km from tip to tip. The sand is very soft and there is not a shell or rock to be seen...it is really nice. The water here is cooler than in Playa Santa Teresa and without waves...it is a swimming beach for sure. The air is also much drier here...it is kind of refreshing not to be sweating so much...but it is still HOT!!!! I stayed at the beach for about an hour and then the tide was pretty high, so I decided to head back to my villa. The are lots of huge, beautiful homes on the mountain side overlooking the water. They are mostly owned by foreigners. There is not much to do in Playa Hermosa. Although tourists are here in some capacity, the town has not become very touristy yet...but give it time and I am sure that will happen...unfortunately. There is a supermarket, a few real estate offices, a couple shops and restaurants along the 2 km stretch of the town. Once I arrived back from the beach, I had a refreshing swim, made some dinner, had a couple of summertime drinks and watched a movie...this is the life!!! Until tomorrow...

Playa Santa Teresa to Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

My shuttle picked me up today at about 8am and I was on my way to Santa Cruz. The first two hours of the trip were on crazy roads....lots of pot holes, hills, dust...I almost felt sick. Even the shuttle driver said he did not like that part of the drive...and he has to do it every day!!!! The drive to Santa Cruz was about 3 1/2 hours in total. Along the way we dropped off a couple people in Nicoya who were travelling on to Samara. I wanted to go there on my trip, but with it taking so much time to travel around I decided not to...maybe next time. On our route to Santa Cruz we passed through several small towns, saw some cute little houses, and there were lots of cattle that were way too skinny...they are all like this in the hotter areas of the country. We also passed lots of people driving ATVs...this is how many people get around due to the road conditions. The funny thing is that they wear ski goggles to keep out the dust...good idea I guess. I was dropped off in Santa Cruz along the main road at a bus stop. I was told to take the direct bus to Liberia...easier said than done. I tried to get on four buses to Liberia in an hour before I got the right one...I do not think it was direct however, but it got me where I wanted to go. A very nice Tico man helped me get on the bus, as he spoke very good English. The bus to Liberia was a little over an hour and cost about 800 colones or $1.50. The bus was full...this is one of the busiest days to travel...so I stood the whole way with my pack at my feet. One woman offered me a seat, but I figured with my big bag, it would be better to just stand with it and make sure nothing happened to it...she was very sweet. I arrived in Liberia at around 2pm. This is the second largest city in Costa Rica and nothing really to brag about. It is located in the northern part of the Peninsula Nicoya where it is much dryer. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was all the fastfood chains...McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, ect...very Americanized. Once at the bus station I bought a ticket to Playa Hermosa....685 colones or $1.15...there are several places with the same name, so you need to make sure they know which one you are going to. It is about an hour bus ride back in the same direction and then off toward the coast. I hung around at the bus station and tried to relax a bit. It is a very busy spot, with lots of people, buses coming and going and people selling fruit, vegetables, drinks and souvenirs...I thought I would try out a coconut milk drink right out of the shell. All I can say is YUCK....it was NOT for me!!! When I finally figured out which line to get in for the bus...thank God because I think every taxi driver came up to me trying to get me to take the $25 taxi ride to Playa Hermosa...I found a seat and enjoyed the ride. At this point I was exhausted from the day and ready to be at my final destination. I arrived at Playa Hermosa at about 4:30pm. From where I got off the bus it was about a 5 minute walk to Hermosa Heights, were I rented a private 2 bedroom, 2 bath villa for five days. I know it sounds a bit much, but it was on sale for 50% off and I could not resist....and thankfully I did not. I think I am in HEAVEN!!! Hermosa Heights is a mix of small villas along the mountain side. There is lots of beautiful vegetation and at the entrance there is an ATM, security, a spa, gym, movie theatre, mini put golf, basketball court and a sports bar. The town is not that developed, so it has less of a touristy feel, but once you look up the mountains you know that tourism is well on its way. Huge, beautiful homes all over the place...mostly owned by foreigners. The hillsides are definitely for sale!!! As you walk up from the entrance to the complex there is a pool...two tiered...with two waterslides. There is a jacuzzi at the top, with a waterfall and a swim up bar/restaurant. My villa is just up from the pool in a nice secluded area. It has A/C, a kitchen, a safety box, a nice deck over looking the pool area, a 42" flat screen TV, a rice cooker...of course... and a washer/dryer.....this is SO exciting!!! Every piece of my clothing is smelly and dirty...I could not wait to do laundry. Laundry service is very expensive in Costa Rica...about $16 per load and I saw Tide for sale for $21 for a 32 load bottle...good thing I brought my own!! Once I got settled in, I walked up to the supermarket and bought groceries for the next 5 days. A full breakfast is included everyday, but I plan to cook all my other meals and enjoy everything this villa has to offer...nice change really. Once I put the groceries away, I went for a swim...so nice, did my laundry while I cooked dinner and then watched a bit of TV...this is luxury after backpacking for 16 days. I spent part of the evening sitting out on my deck enjoying the gorgeous evening. I sat in the jacuzzi and just watched the stars glistening above...so peaceful...it feels very removed from everything. Tomorrow I plan to check out the town and the beach and get myself more acquainted. Until then....

Final day in Playa Santa Teresa

As today is my final day in Playa Santa Teresa I decided to get up early, enjoy my free breakfast...this is nice to have. During breakfast I chatted with a couple from the US/Canada and got some good tips on travelling to Playa Hermosa tomorrow. I headed to the beach at around 9am and spent the good part of the morning there. There are lots of beautiful shells on the beach during low tide and I even found a sand dollar!! Today the surf is much smaller than it has been the past few days. It is low tide and there is much more of a breeze. I saw a couple women getting surfing lessons...I think I would have been brave enough to try surfing today, but I guess it was not meant to me. Since the waves were not as big, I was able to finally get in the water a bit more and cool off...this was such a treat. The wind picked up around noon...sand was actually blowing in my face...so I went to the hostel to have a bit of lunch. I decided to walk towards town to try and find a shop I was at yesterday, but for some reason I was not able to find it. After walking about an hour along the road, I decided it was too hot and heading along a road to the beach. I had never been to this end of the beach before and it was even more beautiful...lots of photo opportunities. The sand was much finer at this end...almost like home. The tide was coming in, so the beach was not as deep. Since this is the Easter holiday, there are lots more locals here now. Many of them camp out along the beach or at one of the campgrounds in town. I arrived back at the hostel around 4pm...very tired and hot and decided to book the shuttle to Santa Cruz tomorrow. You need two people to book the shuttle and since no one else was travelling onward to Liberia, they said they would take me to a drop off point along the way and I could get public transport from there on. Not exactly what I wanted, but since the ferry is still not working very well and it would take me five transfers and about 12 hours...if all worked out on the public bus system...I decided I would fork out the $45 and take the shuttle part way. It was a long day today in the sun and I was very tired, so I watched one more sunset on the beach and later hung out with some of my roommates at the hostel. Even shared a bit of watermelon with Vilma...YUMMY!! Maybe I should have tried some yoga to relax, it is available everywhere here...goes well with the surfing I guess. One of my Tico roommates went to the supermarket today and bought me some Lizano Salsa as a gift. This is a sauce that I was told to buy that Ticos use on almost everything they eat. Can not wait to try it!!!! So I am heading onward to Playa Hermosa tomorrow and am interested in seeing what the day brings. Until then....