Caravan Costa Rica Tour---Pura Vida!

Our Caravan tour of Costa Rica began with a flight to San Jose, where we were greeted and transferred to the Barcelo San Jose Palacio. Before dinner we had a meeting with our tour director, Karen a local Costa Rican young woman and the rest of the group. Early the next morning we headed to Poas Volcano with Toski, our bus driver at the wheel, it was cold and rainy as we hiked up to see the crater....no luck! Thick clouds covered the crater, so we hiked back to the bus. A local lunch with entertainment was followed by a coffee farm tour. Up early we packed up the next morning we were off again to Tortuguero with a stop for lunch and a butterfly farm where I met Cassandra, a little girl that became my butterfly guide. We stopped at a banana plantation and watched how they are processed for shipping, even walked out in the field to see the bunches covered in blue bags. Arriving at Cano Blanco we boarded our boat for the trip to Laguna Lodge in the jungle at Tortuguero, stopping to get a good look at a big Croc.

We found our room, but didn't get a hot shower the first night.....in Costa Rica the "C" stands for caliente-HOT not COLD! Gave us a big laugh after we figured it out! Tours of the canals the next day provided us a close up look at the creatures, flora and fauna. We walked the Caribbean beach and the streets of Tortuguero, buying a unique glass necklace. The next morning it was a boat ride back to our bus, then a tour of a pineapple plantation, in fact a Texas based company, Collins Street Bakery. We arrived in La Fortuna at the base of Arenal, but the summit of the volcano could not be seen because of the clouds. A long soak at Baldi, the local hot springs was very relaxing and a great way to spend the day. The next day after long drive we cruised the Rio Frio and even reached the border with Nicaragua where we posed for photos.

The Hanging Bridges were next on the agenda, so off we went on a long hike with breathtaking views......we were able to do all the bridges. Lake Arenal was beautiful and I wished we had more time to explore it, but we had to keep on schedule. After a long, long, long drive down a terrible road we reached the J W Marriott resort at Guanacaste......WOW! It was like living the lifestyle of the rich and famous........awesome! The next morning after a delicious breakfast I rented a kayak and went paddling in the ocean while Dale worked out in the gym, then we spent the remaining part of the day around the pool. Caravan had arranged an open bar for us, so we enjoyed a drink before dinner. On our way back to San Jose, we stopped at Monteverde for some ice cream, then lunch and shopping in Sarchi, finally we stopped in Grecia to meet Karen's mother and puppy, Lulu.

Arriving in San Jose we checked into the Aurola Hotel in the downtown area. Caravan had a special farewell dinner planned that night with entertainment.....a very nice end to a great tour. The next morning everyone was off to the airport....except us....we were ready begin the second part of our trip.

The tour was great, we saw lots, and had a great time, made some new friends.

Pura Vida!

New Fishing Rod!

A foggy drive down to the coast, a nippy 46 degrees as we unloaded the boat at sunrise. The bay was as slick as glass, the first rays of sun danced across the surface producing beautiful patterns on the water. I was eager to try out the new fishing rod Dale had bought me for Xmas. We managed to bag 5 nice red fish before heading home....a great day! On the way home we stopped at a seafood market and... bought some fresh oysters....living near the Gulf Coast has its benefits!!!