My Costa Rica trip saved up one last surprise for me.
As I was flying back, via Canada again, I was able to see the impact of the worst snow storms they'd had for some time, which looked stunning as I flew over this part of the world. It was a stark contrast to what I'd just visited, but just showed how beautiful the world is.
I was up super early for my pick up for the volcano tour.
The idea was that the tour would leave early enough to beat some of the San Jose traffic.
We were told that the weather can be very unpredictable and can also change from minute to minute, so we could get some photos whilst there but it's not possible to predict until we were actually there.
One thing I did notice was just how cold it was once we'd started to climb. At times we were also driving through heavy fog, and it was amazing how the driver could see out.
When we reached the top, visibility was dreadful, but even in the space of a few minutes as the guide said, the cloud started to move creating a magical mist - definitely felt in places like something from Lord of the Rings. As the cloud shifted further, we could see into the crater, although due to the time of year and current heat it wasn't the vivid blue it has been at times. I did feel like I had got some decent photos considering.
We then left to a few more viewing points where again, you had to be so quick, otherwise you'd miss the visibility, but it was worth it.
We also had the opportunity to explore a local church in one of the villages, before the drive back to San Jose.
It was at this point when I was met with a confused receptionist in my hotel. I should add, I was staying at the same hotel we had used before the tour (organised by G adventures) and where they had dropped us off for the tour end. They use the hotel regularly. They seemed confused that I hadn't checked out.
I flagged that I had another night booked, but clearly this hadn't been communicated. It had been the thing that had worried me so much, because I had been querying this several times right up to the night before I left, as despite having paid for this extra night, I still hadn't had the confirmation, despite being told multiple times it was sorted. In the end it was able to be resolved, I could also remain in the room I was already in, but it did result in a stressful end to my holiday.
That said, I cannot fault the Chief experience officer we travelled with, who was phenomenal, and so knowledgeable. My overall experience in Costa Rica has been unforgettable for all the right reasons, and it's just a wonderful country.
We were due to have a bit of a leisurely morning before making our way back to San Jose, but unfortunately I was woken up by a shower in bed.
I discovered that the pipe on the second floor was leaking, so had to quickly move my things to ensure nothing got damaged. That scuppered my leisurely start to the morning, and planned relaxation, although in the end I did end up settling down by the pool for some sunbathing before a trip to the cafe that had easily become my favourite as they had such nice smoothies and vegetarian options.
Returning to San Jose felt long, especially as we knew the traffic would be bad trying to get into the city. We would be having a final group meal before leaving each other, but otherwise today was mostly a travel day.
I was still somewhat undecided about how to spend my final day (I'd have a free day before I flew home), so had spent a bit of time deliberating over this, although had ruled out Tortuguero due to it being impractical in a day.
In the end I settled on Irazu volcano, which was a short ride from San Jose and would be a half day tour, giving me the afternoon to pack and chill.
This was another jam packed day. It's definitely the sort of day I enjoy, but also one that's a nightmare to pack for.
We were due to catch a local public bus to Manuel Antonio national park (our G adventures guide would be taking us there), where we had a guided tour in the park. Once we arrived, it became pretty clear that we had reached one of the more touristy areas as there were a number of pop up shop all selling touristy merchandise whilst each tour group queued to get into the park.
The park is very strict on what you can and can't bring in, to protect contamination and disease spreading, so there are extra security checks in place. We'd been pre-warned about this, but it did make the queue take longer.
Once in we met yet another fantastic guide, and joined the hustle and bustle of the park. It is busy, and we were there in the height of the tourist season, but it's worth being aware that you're not going to get photos with no humans in them, especially in the routes the guides take you. Generally speaking most of the guides are respectful of each other, and all need to have certified passes to work in the park, but you will find a few guides trying to be more assertive than others trying to earn an extra tip by creating a better space for their group.
We were booked onto a guided tour, but you can just pay the entrance fee (included for free in our G adventures tour) and explore the park. Personally, I think it is worth the extra money for a tour because there is no way we would have spotted the wildlife we did, and again they had their lenses to help zoom in. One of the most exciting finds was when we discovered a sleepy porcupine who suddenly became a celebrity with hundreds of cameras pointing in his face (having looked like he'd just got out of bed). In a way, I felt kind of sad, and although no one was attempting to disturb him in anyway (too far away), it felt like we were intruding on his privacy. It was a big moment, because even for the guides this wasn't an every day occurrence.
We went on to see red crabs, howler monkeys, coatis and a mother agouti with her babies, plus more insects. It was a great tour.
Once finished we had time to explore the beach, which was mostly taken up by trying to queue for the toilets and to get changed (in hindsight we should have walked further down because there were more a bit further along the path with no queue (!), but we ended up queuing for the men's as it had less of a queue. Not in a nice condition though, so definitely bring hand sanitiser with you.
All hopes of grabbing some food were dashed as well, as aside from other insects being all around the food, the queues were also enormous. In the end, myself and a friend decided our best bet would be to grab a snack before getting the bus to where we would be picking up the catamaran later that afternoon.
We ended up having some delicious crepes, and both thought we'd made the most sensible choice.
It was then time to get onto the boat. I had been apprehensive about this because there were multiple drinks included in the tour and it felt like a booze cruise which tends to attract a certain type of audience Certainly this was the appearance of some of the other people waiting when we were boarding, but it turned out that the louder type had ended up on a different boat, with this one being more family friendly, which suited me perfectly. My hopes for the tour were to see more wildlife, as well as enjoy some sunset photos as my journey was coming to an end.
In the end, I still didn't see any dolphins, although I did get to do a bit of snorkelling, although was still struggling with my mask, however...
We suddenly began to slow down, as a number of boats had stopped around a certain spot. In front of us was a beautiful humpback whale. It was the most magnificent sight, it's quite impossible to describe. The majestic beauty of this enormous creature still makes me tear up (and at the point that I'd seen it, I hadn't had any alcohol, and was incredibly emotional). It was just beautiful. Catching the tail as well was so special. I will never forget that moment.
I also enjoyed some dancing whilst on the boat, and the cocktails were something else - I only managed two!!!
As the sunset, I was left feeling sad that this trip was drawing to a close. I'd met some lovely people, had an absolutely wonderful holiday...I was really sad it was ending. It had been a while since I'd travelled, and Costa Rica had made me fall in love again.
Another change of scenery today, with us leaving the cooler climate of Monteverde for the tropical temperatures of Manuel Antonio national park. It was quite a lengthy drive, but again watching the outside change as we drove along meant the time passed in no time. This was something I've discovered about Costa Rica, no matter how long the journey, there is always something to see outside the window, that you really can't take your eyes off the outside.
When we arrived at our hotel, we had a bit of a walk round the town for orientation, but otherwise it was a bit of free time that was quite welcome.
I did spend the afternoon looking into another night tour, as I felt the jungle night tour would offer something different to what we'd seen already. Despite my best efforts this proved to be a labour of love, because each tour I tried to book, cancelled because of short notice/not enough participants. I had pretty much exhausted all possibilities when it struck me that we were staying in a hotel/hostel combo and they nearly always have tours or connections with tour companies. They struck gold, and were able to book me and a friend on that evening.
Another fantastic guide for the tour as well. This was the tour when I really fell in love with the frogs and toads, because they were in full chorus, and many of them were out for us to see. Our guide knew where to find them, but also could recognise their individual calls, so knew where they would be posing for us. They were definitely little show offs, so photogenic 😆.
We also had the chance to see more sloths, basilisks (also known as Jesus Christ lizards, as they can walk on water...), and my friend became brave around tarantulas, which tonight were not hiding. One of the spiders we met didn't hunt its prey through webs, but through chasing them, which I found pretty interesting. There were also some caimans and alligators.
It was a wonderful tour, and I would absolutely recommend anyone trying to book onto something similar.
Oh my word, what a DAAAY!
It was fantastic that we were able to combine the hanging bridges with ziplining as I'd really wanted to do both things, and the itinerary thankfully made both possible, due to the numbers of people interested and where both were located.
The hanging bridges were a series of bridges in the canopy of the cloud forest, giving us the chance to walk across the forest and see the different flora and fauna, as well as hear the birds again.
We didn't see much wildlife although there were a couple of capybaras, which we enjoyed watching. It was really interesting looking at how the different trees had fought for space in the forest, some strangling other trees in an attempt to create their own new tree. Once this happened, the inner tree would die, and there were places where it was possible to climb up the inside of the tree, which was pretty cool (without causing any damage).
It was then on to the highlight for me, which was the Ziplining. I've been obsessed with this since I heard about it in Zambia, but ended up going for bungee jumping (probably the right decision). These are extensive ziplines, including one which is 1km long, and many are high up in the canopies, which really feel like you are flying.
They really ease you in, so the first few are gentle, short, and low to the ground. My first one really threw me because I was gripping similar to how I do for uneven bars, and you actually need to loosen the grip, which feels counter intuitive when you want to be holding on to something. I felt like I was going to get stuck, which freaked me out a bit, but was able to free myself due to my sheer upper arm strength. (later I saw someone else get stuck, and they are well equipped to sort you out, even if you're stuck further along the line).
Because the first part is easier, it means anyone who has had enough can bail out easily before the ziplines increase in height and length. I was not going to be doing that though, and by far the most rewarding were the longer ones because you had a chance to enjoy the view from below (maybe not so much if you're scared of heights). It was incredible - the only disappointment was that it was over too soon.
One of the lines they give you the option of going in the superman pose, so you really feel like you're flying. This was by far the coolest thing. I do think a tight core helps speed you up as well.
The final zip was a tarzan swing which was not dissimilar to a bungee but you are going forwards and not upside down. Again this was super cool, and my legs could barely stand up when I was on the ground again, because of the adrenaline. An amazing day, which I highly recommend to anyone.
I do wish there was an option to have go-pro cameras as part of the experience. You were allowed phones, but they had to be secured to stop them falling out, and it made it hard to film the experience, so I do think upselling the experience could have added to this.
In the evening, my friend and I went to visit the Frog Pond again, to catch the frogs at night, where we had a bit more success, before grabbing a bite to eat.
Tomorrow we are off to the coast.
Waking up, alongside the usual stress and chaos of ensuring I had everything, and that awkward, third and fourth emergency wee (why is it whenever you're going on a long journey you always need to go more than when you're just chilling at home?). I had a laugh about this with one of friends on the tour, so glad I'm not alone in this....
As I was up so early, I had the pleasure of being able to hear the many birds singing around the gardens that decorated the hotel. I was sad that I didn't have longer to sit and enjoy them, as it really was relaxing and there would have been many opportunities to try and photograph many beautiful birds (as other guests clearly were).
Sometimes I do think I pack too much into my trips, and whilst this was a booked tour, it did leave me to reflect more about future trips and opportunities just to relax and take in the nature and surroundings.
That said, I did end up having the opportunity to do this a lot whilst sitting on the bus because the scenery outside my windows, everywhere I looked continued to impress.
Our first journey would take us to catch the boat, before a lengthy trip which would see us leave the lowland rainforest, volcanic area of La Fortuna and climb into higher altitude to the tropical cloud forests of Monteverde. We would also see the temperature change quite significantly from what had been a pleasant, slightly humid climate to a much fresher temperature where we would definitely need hoodies to warm us up!
It was really fascinating watching the scenery changing as we drove.
We reached Monteverde by lunchtime, so had the opportunity to visit some of the local sites on offer. Myself and a new friend made on the tour went to visit the orchid gardens, which was home to a huge variety of different orchids and generally a stunning place to relax and wander around. We then went to the Frog Pond, which is home to 25 different species of native frogs and toads and again gave us a chance to spot different frogs, although some were a real challenge to see, especially as it was during the day. You're allowed to come back at night on the same ticket, so we decided we would do this the following day.
It was then time to leave for one of our included activities - a night time walk through the cloud forest. Definitely not for the faint hearted, especially as there was a breeze picking up! It did feel very horror-film-esque, especially as the first thing we saw was a scorpion.
The tour guide was again, brilliant. I felt safe throughout, but I had no idea really what to expect. I did think there were probably too many tour groups, although due to the narrowness of the paths, it was hard to work out whether it felt busier because it was dark, but I wonder if it did impact seeing some more wildlife. There was a sighting of an ocelot (I think), but I wasn't quick enough to catch it on camera.
We did, however, see a tarantula hole (so our spider must have been somewhere), and a very poisonous snake and a basilisk...
Sadly our scorpion had died by the time we made it out of the scary cloud forest, which weirdly we were all sad about.
Tomorrow I'm off to do something I've wanted to do for years. Ziplining! I cannot wait.
Today I was the only one brave enough to sign up for whitewater rafting. I ended up having a private minibus to take me to where the rafting started, which was a little way out from where we were staying.
I found out the tour company we had booked with also seemed fairly exclusive as it would just be me, a couple and the guide, which was pretty nice compared to some of the other groups who had a lot of people to manage, although it did mean we had to work harder!
I had opted for the grade 2/3 option. 1 is pointless and 4 was probably pushing it in terms of my bravery levels. That said, my main barrier did seem to be my co-ordination or lack of and I did struggle initially to understand the instructions until I got the hang of it.
The guide was super patient and once we were in the water we were off. It was a great experience, and really exhilarating. Some of the rapids were definitely more of a challenge than others, but at least we stayed afloat.
I was super impressed with the photographer who managed to kayak through the rapids with a camera. Pretty awesome.
After lunch, I was back in La Fortuna and had the afternoon free. Our guide had sent through some ideas of things to do so I looked into booking onto a wildlife tour in the afternoon, which was a short Uber drive away. What was great was a couple of the group also wanted to come too.
We'd managed to sneak onto the last tour of the day, and had hoped to miss the downpour, but no such luck there, although we did manage to see some worker ants, and parrots before we saw our first sloth up close (having seen some from the road). We also saw an iguana (I think) chilling precariously on the branch of a tree. It's crazy how they manage to do this.
We then ducked for cover when the downpour finally came, expecting this to be the end of our wildlife spotting, as they, like us would want to seek shelter, but were fortunate. When the sun came back out again, our guide managed to spot a mother sloth with her newborn baby (less than a day old!).
Sloths are not the most exciting animals, they spend most of the day sleeping, not dissimilar to koalas, and when they do need to get anywhere, or eat anything, it takes them an incredibly long time to do anything. However they do look incredibly cute. A trend I found across all the tour guides in Costa Rica was that they were 1) extremely knowledgeable on everything and passionate about their job, which made every single tour an absolute delight 2) they were geniuses at spotting seemingly impossible to see creatures but also carried these telescopic lenses, perfect for helping us less experienced to see them more visibly, and great for zooming in on mobile phones to get even better photographs. This really helped when trying to spot our baby sloth.
We were later rewarded with the national bird of Nicaragua and also some frogs, including the famous red eye tree frog which very quickly became my favourite creatures from the whole trip. Our tree frog was a bit dozy as it was nighttime for him, but it was still a pleasure to see one of Costa Rica's most iconic creatures.
The evening was marked by a nice group meal, before an early return to bed as it was due to be an early start the next day.
