Incomparable Costa Rica
I am excited to write about the amazing trip that I took to Costa Rica with my friend Tina. At the same time, I will never be able to do this country justice. It was my first trip and, it is now apparent, that you truly can't do and see the country in a brief eight days.. Also it seems that the most relevant things to do divide into two categories: exploring nature or partaking in the many exciting activities. We decided to explore nature. I am therefore unable to talk about zip-lining, white water rafting, surfing, sailing or the myriad of adventures that are available. One last thing, as you will see from the photos, don't expect to look perfectly pulled together. It is very humid so trying to look your best at all times is impossible; or at least it was for me. And if humidity doesn't get you, it also rains unexpectedly, often for extended periods. I eventually gave in; hair in a ponytail, shorts, and rain gear was my "go-to" look. Believe me, this is not my normal style nor is Costa Rica a place that I would typically select for vacation. But trust me; it is a remarkable place!
After landing in San Jose, we drove a bit over 80 miles to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is a small village nestled on the Pacific Ocean. We chose Gaia as our first stop; I can't recommend it enough. There are only 22 rooms, it is adults only, there is a great spa, a yummy restaurant, and a lovely pool area. But what sets Gaia apart is the service. The concierge was so accommodating and readily set up all of our activities. Every person on staff called us by name, knew our schedule and went out of their way to be helpful.
Gaia is noted as an eco-friendly hotel, located on 15 acres of jungle. They are also a nature reserve, housing a reintroduction program for the Scarlet Macaw. Macaws which have been domesticated are brought here as they are unable to live in the wild. They are housed in this beautiful jungle and as they reproduce, their offspring can then live on their own. It is a spectacular sight; there are over 80 macaws housed at Gaia. Gaia offers a guided tour of the reserve every day.
This will be the only photo where I am actually dry. This photo was taken in the Luna restaurant which was lovely: great service and nicely prepared food. We had a complimentary breakfast each day. We also had a wonderful dinner on our first night.
The following day we scheduled a tour with Joshua, the most fantastic tour guide who is employed by Gaia. Joshua studied entomology so he had quite a remarkable understanding of Manuel Antonio animals and where to find them. We saw iguanas, both green iguanas and spiny-tailed iguanas. There were beautiful butterflies throughout the park; there are actually 154 species in the park and over 1800 in Costa Rica. We also spotted frogs, birds, multi-colored insects and even a sloth. I have included some photos but since they were all shot with my iPhone, they are not the very best quality.
After the tour ended, Tina and I headed to the look-out area. On our way we saw a large group of howler monkeys; there were at least 20 of them. It was tough to get a shot but here is one of them moving over our path.
After over 300 steps (each way) we finally got to the lookout area. There is no way I can describe how beautiful Costa Rica is. The photo is of King's Beach just outside the town.
The following day we went into Quesos, a small town a few miles from our hotel. Quesos is known for sport fishing so there is a lovely marina which houses the fishing boats. Frankly, there is not a lot to do except take in the sights. The giant fish you see in the photo is made up of plastic bottles! Shopping is sparse, but there are definitely lots of souvenir shops!
Our final adventure was taking a flat bottom boat into the Mangroves forest. Mangroves are tropical trees that can survive in salty coastal waters and have the ability to store vast amounts of carbon. As such they are important weapons against climate change. Costa Rica is striving to not only maintain but also expand mangroves. You can see the river behind Tina and me. This is so silly but it reminded me of the Disney jungle cruise!
The most amazing part of this river trek was the group of white faced capuchin monkeys. These monkeys had absolutely no fear of our boat nor of humans. They came out from all directions, even came onto the boat. My favorite photo is one of the mother capuchin monkey with the baby on her back.
Since there is so much to cover, I am going to do a separate blog post on our next Costa Rica stop: Arenal. Stay tuned!