Life at the beach

Timing and coincidence has brought us to the beach for 2 months. We’re watching the house (and puppy) of a good friend of ours who lives one block from Cocles beach in Puerto Viejo. Instead of waking to the sounds of howler monkeys we hear the waves from the nearby beach. We’re also an easy walk to any number of restaurants, bars, and shops. We’ve been taking full advantage of the calm Caribbean waters that occur each September and October in this area and have been able to snorkel several times each week. We still make the trip back to the jungle a couple of times a week to visit but for the rest of this trip in Costa Rica it looks like we will be “beach bums.”

Friendly freaks…of nature

There seems to be an endless supply of strange creatures in Costa Rica. At least strange by Arizona standards. Within a few days of each other, these two moths visited our house (shown in photos). It’s a pretty easy assumption that their appearance helps them to hide from predators. And the toad, well, he apparently has taken a liking to dog food – much to the dog’s surprise.

The one that got away

Jaimie and Martha, our next door Tico neighbors, stopped by one afternoon to see if we wanted to go searching for camarrones (shrimp) with them in the river behind our houses. Within minutes we had changed into swim suits and were enjoying the cool waters of Rio Carbon. Jaimie brought a home-made spear and directed us to look along the tree trunks and under debris along the river’s edge. He successfully showed us how you can stick your hand into a hallowed tree trunk and pull out a shrimp. Gordie and Martha then discovered what they thought was another shrimp in another hallowed trunk. Gordie stuck his hand in and was almost immediately pinched. Determined, he stuck his hand back in and began the battle to remove this shrimp from its hiding place. We didn’t appreciate the viciousness of the struggle until he pulled out the animal’s claw which was at least 10 inches long (see photo). He tried again and pulled another claw. Somehow the creature retreated into the recesses of the tree trunk and never made it to the dinner table, but the claws were delicious.

Learning the language(s)

It’s no secret that I have been trying to learn Spanish. I find reading to be the easiest and I can struggle through writing (with the help of a dictionary). It’s conversation that I find most difficult. So, I was thrilled to happen upon 7 young students in the park in Zarcero who greeted me in English. Seizing the opportunity, I responded in Spanish. We continued this way for awhile. They were studying English in school and I explained that I was studying Spanish. It was great fun and I think I will begin to search out other Spanish speakers who are trying to learn English. It seems to put us all on the same playing field.

Topiaries of Zarcero

We were having a few problems with the rental car but didn’t want to waste time waiting to have the car fixed so we made arrangements to meet the mechanic in a town named Zarcero. Zarcero, less than an hour northeast of San Ramon, is a typical Costa Rican small town. The center of town features a beautiful park which sits in front of a large Catholic church. Here you will find some of the most whimsical topiaries imaginable. We spent about an hour wandering through the many topiaries while the mechanic fixed on our tie rod ends, right on the side of the road. Time well spent.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

At the crack of dawn we were up and heading from San Ramon to the airport San Jose to drop friends, Bill and DorisAnn, off for their flight back to Arizona. I always build in a little “just in case time” into the schedule to allow for any surprises we might encounter. In the past we have come upon bridges being welded together while we waited, protesters blocking main roads, random police inspections and cattle crossing the road. This day it was simply a flat tire that slowed us down. After a quick change on the side of the highway we made it to the airport and bid adieu to our visitors. We returned to San Ramon to relax. That evening we were back at the airport picking up two more guests, Robin and Melissa who were arriving for a 9 day stay.

Fishin’ for our dinner

I have been fishing numerous times in my life. I have caught branches, boots and a whole cadre of miscellaneous items, but never fish. So here I was at Stephanie’s place in San Ramon. We decided it would be fun to catch our dinner from the tilapia pond. Now, you may look at my photo and wonder how I can possibly call “that” a fish. For the record, I actually caught 3 of them – all similarly sized but all fish, nonetheless. Lucky for us some of the others had more luck catching “fry-sized” fish. What fun!

Stephanie’s place in San Ramon – a Slice of Paradise

Bill and DorisAnn’s vacation was almost over. They had already spent time at the beach at both the Caribbean (Atlantic) and Pacific oceans. We decided they should spend the last day and night in the Central Valley area. This is Costa Rica’s primary agricultural area and where most of the coffee comes from. The climate here is milder and less humid than by the oceans. We chose San Ramon for several reasons. It’s less than an hour to the airport. There is a McDonald’s, Papa John’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken at the mall. There is a mall. And most importantly, this is where Stephanie’s vacation rental is. Stephanie D. Feeney Arias (stefanie@tucanrealty.com) lives on 5 acres on the Rio Barranca just minutes from downtown San Ramon. The property is meticulously landscaped. Flowers abound. From the backdoor of the 3-bedroom guest house you cross over a small water feature to the stand-alone “rancho” overlooking the river (think “gazebo”). A well-maintained pathway leads from here to waterfalls on the property. There is also a tilapia pond, swimming pool, and larger rancho with a bar that’s perfect for parties and larger gatherings. But that’s not what makes this place so special. What makes it special is Stephanie. There are little touches throughout. Flower arrangements inside and out. Fresh fruit brought to your door. Coffee in the kitchen. Movie rentals. To put it in the words of our guests, “I could just stay here for the whole vacation.”

The stars of Manual Antonio National Park: Monkeys, monkeys, monkeys

Manual Antonio is Costa Rica’s most visited National Park, as well as one of its smallest, covering only 1,680 acres. Yes, the beaches are drop-dead gorgeous. Yes, the ocean views are breathtaking. But there are many other parts of Costa Rica that could compete with these features. What makes Manual Antonio National Park so exciting is the wildlife. Specifically, the monkeys. Almost guaranteed sightings! I lead friends, Bill and DorisAnn, across the expansive beach and through a small stream to the Park entrance. At least it WAS the Park entrance the last time I was here. The ranger directed me to the new main entrance along an unmarked road behind the main street – already complete with souvenir shops. I left my friends and wandered off to the new location to buy tickets. I returned, tickets in hand, and we entered the Park through the “Exit.” Taking this alternative way through the jungle allowed us to avoid all the crowds. We lost track of Bill a short way down the path – lack of communications I guess – so DorisAnn and I continued along. First we spotted a group of small, endangered squirrel monkeys. We then took a side path that indicated it was heading toward “Cathedral Point.” The path was steep, dark and deserted. Suddenly we heard a “crash,” saw a large palm frond fall to the ground, and heard a great commotion. Much to our surprise there were white-faced capuchin monkeys frolicking all around us. Dozens of monkeys delightfully chattering as they playfully chased each other from branch to branch, heading down the hill toward the beach. We followed suit and went to the most popular beach in the park, Manual Antonio beach. Sure enough, the capuchin moneys were entertaining the crowds by the beach. A swim in the ocean and many monkey photos later, it was time to leave. Since we had come in through the Exit, we were now leaving through the Entrance. Turns out it is all uphill – pretty steep hill at that. I guess they knew what they were doing when they made this the Entrance. Oh, and yes, we found Bill again. At the hotel.

Destination: Manual Antonio

Manual Antonio National Park is only 80 miles south of San Jose yet it takes several hours to get there. First there are the winding, mountainous roads. Then there are the “required stops” along the way (Tarcoles Bridge and Jaco for example). However long it takes to get there, it is well worth the time. We made it there before sundown and were lucky enough to get the last available room at our favorite hotel, Verde Mar Hotel. The hotel has a large, friendly lobby, swimming pool, wireless internet and reading material. Our room had sleeping for 4, a small kitchenette and bathroom with hot water. But what really makes the Verde Mar our favorite hotel in Manual Antonio is the location. The hotel features a jungle walkway that connects the property to the beach. At the beach there is a restaurant and bar with numerous tables and benches. A short walk down the beach and you are in the middle of town and at the National Park. With the town so close and a kitchen in the room we were able to make light meals and snacks at a fraction of the cost of eating out, allowing us to splurge a bit on locally caught fish at the beach restaurant. (Photo, view of town from the beach)

A brief stop at Playa de Jaco

Playa de Jaco was one of the very first beaches we feel in love with in Costa Rica. It was a funky little surf town with cheap hotels, friendly beach bars like Clarita’s and a magnificent ocean. Today it has evolved into a sophisticated beach destination with numerous high-rise condos and hotels, well-groomed streets and shops the likes of which are reminiscent of Palo Alto or Scottsdale. Personally, I miss the old Jaco. Change is inevitable.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific in a day

We got an early start leaving Puerto Viejo (on the Atlantic side of the country) so we could avoid traffic going through San Jose in the Central Valley. Our destination? The Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica and in particular, Manual Antonio National Park. It’s a pleasant 2 lane mountainous road out of San Jose through towns such as Atenas and Orotino to the Costanera Highway and down to the Central Pacific Coast. Along the highway you’ll approach the Tarcoles River Bridge and probably notice a number of cars pulled over and people standing on the bridge. Here is your chance to see crocodiles as up close and personal as I would ever want to get. Although they look harmless and even lazy, as they lounge along the river’s edge, they can reach 12 to 15 feet. A few hundred yards away you’ll see cows grazing – I have always wondered if they ever encounter each other. We also saw two of the crocs at water’s edge checking out a beautiful water bird. Luckily the bird decided to leave and the crocs slipped back into the muddy river. (Gordie, in photo, is practicing his friendship techniques).