Arenal 1968 or Boys Being Boys

We hire a private guide for the day and meet Andre in the hotel lobby.  Andre has a bachelor’s in Ecotourism, a masters and three separate certificates allowing him to work as a tour guide.  The government is very serious about the ecotourism trade and keeps very high standards for anyone in the industry.  It shows and is very much appreciated.  Andre has us start out at the 1968 Lava Flow. 

In the 1500s, the volcano near what is now Arenal Lake erupted.  The area was remote and sparsely inhabited by indigenous people, but the accounts of the eruption did not survive the generations.  The activity long forgotten, in the 1960s, the single peak of about 3500 feet was called simply Arenal Mountain.  The area was a destination for its therapeutic hot springs which ran about 80F.  On July 27, 1968, the water temperature in the hot springs shot up to over 120F, causing panic but no organized response.  On July 29^th, the volcano erupted creating three new vents on the western side.  Over the next three days the volcano buried three villages and dozens of lives were lost.  The volcano remained very active until 2010 becoming a tourist attraction to watch the daily lava flows.  Over those 30 some years, a second peak was formed, now about 5500 feet high.

Today were touring the jungle and hills that were formed by the lava flow.  It’s the rainforest jungle of movie sets, lush and dripping with furry vines and exotic plant life.  It makes for a great hike and Andre makes the flora and fauna even more interesting by telling us of their adaptations and co-existence strategies.  We add to our animal image collection, photographing wild parrots, poisonous snakes (he was a little guy, but still poisonous…) and more crazy varieties of birds. 

Done the hike, Andre asks us what we would like to do next.  I suggest a local lunch, somewhere he likes.  On the way, we get to talking about the good roads and the not so good roads.  He mentions a rugged short cut and asks “is this four wheel drive?”

“Yes, what do you have in mind” I answer.

“Well, it would involve driving across the river”

“I’m in”

Mandy looks at me, you know, that way, but already knows that resistance is futile.  

We lunch at Amigos Restaurant, a “Soda”, the typical open air place found in every small town serving traditional fare.  Casados is the go-to dish, a delicious plate of rice and beans served with vegetables and local meats.  Although every Casado is different, its flavor signature is uniquely Costa Rican and scrumptious.  Leaving lunch we continue bouncing down the dirt trail and arrive at the river.  Mandy is thrilled.  We hop out, plan our crossing, engage the 4WD and plunge in.  The first part is the deepest, coming about half way up the doors.  The trick is to just keep going.  And we did.  We come out the other side, and U-bee after about a mile.  No pause this time, just straight in.  We loose purchase a couple times, jolted downstream a few feet but recover.  Emerging back to dry dirt, Mandy finally allows herself a breath and looks at me earnestly.  

“So you’re pretty much an idiot”

“You knew that going in” I smile back.

We bounce back past the Soda, and turn onto a new dirt road, this one headed steeply upward.  We reach the Arenal Observatory for our last hike.  We’re not there for two minutes when we spot a Keel Billed Toucan, complete with rainbow colored beak of cereal box fame.  Down the trail we stop for a few minutes to watch a big red crested woodpecker plying his trade.  We hike a big loop to a waterfall, hanging bridge and ending up at the observation tower.  The observation tower was erected to keep an eye on that pesky volcano incase it gets active again, but it’s the last place we’d want to be in the event of geological activity.  The tower is not much more then a bunch of sections of steel scaffolding stacked on top of one another, the 148 step structure held loosely in place with some steel guide wires.  It starts to rain heavily as we get there but we head up anyway.  So worth it.  The platform puts you about 30’ above the canopy with sweeping views of the forest, the lake and of course, the volcano. 

It’s a great way to end our time in this part of the country.

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Costa Rica Day 3: Hanging Bridges or More Fun Then A Barrel Of...

We meet Andres and Anthony, our guide and driver for the day, in the lobby after breakfast.  It’s just a short drive to Mistico, a privately held rainforest sanctuary catering to the ecotourism trade and famous for its hanging bridges.  We only make it half way when Anthony pulls the little van over on the side of the road.  Andres sets up his powerful spotting scope on a tripod and points across the street up in a tree.  “White hawk, very rare to see here” he explains in an excited whisper.  We take turns with the other couple in the van looking through the compact telescope.  Before I can get my camera out of the case, Andres shows us his first trick of the day.  He asks Mandy for her phone, holds it up to the scope and takes fantastic pictures of the hawk.  Game on. 

We drive across the top of the huge dam that creates the northeastern edge of Arenal Lake and arrive at the park.  Waiting just past the gate we see some new species of hummingbirds, green and blue body with a crimson tail.  I’m getting better with the lens and can stop image the speedy bird from 100 yards.  At 200 yards, Andres spots a Yellow Throated Tucan, our first of the trip, black with a golden chest, green eye and bright yellow beak.  This is already a better day then we hoped for.

More great spotting as we walk deeper into the park.  Flowers that look like birds.  Birds that look like cartoons.  Wild colors, and our guide tells us the wild stories of adaptation and survival that match.  About 30 minutes in we are delighted to see our first monkey, the creatively named White Faced Monkey (also referred to as Capuchins).  We’re able to catch a few pictures and we are thrilled.  Animal sighting, like fishing, is still very random – some days you strike out even in the best spots.  We know what a fortunate day we are having, seeing pretty much everything we had hoped for.  That’s when our luck changed, for the even better.

We start walking again but don’t get far.  Another monkey.  And another, and more.  A troop of white faced swing in, attending to their monkey business, eating, playing, talking and general monkeying.  Not far behind, a group of Spider Monkeys enter the scene.  Andreas explains that that these groups being together is highly unusual and probably a territory dispute.  It’s nothing shy of a monkey party right over our heads and it goes on for 20 minutes.  We’re able to get great pictures, amazing videos and just stand and appreciate the spectacle. 

Party over, we continue on, seeing owls and bats, rare and common birds of all colors.  The bridge crossings are beautiful, swinging bridges suspended by steel cables, bouncy as you walk, with great panoramic views of valleys created by the river below.  Andreas stops once more.  Looking up we see the big brown Howler monkey.  Horse racing has the trifecta.  Hockey has the hat trick.  We’ve just scored the Triple Lindy of Costa Rican hikes, seeing all three types of monkeys in a single outing.  We see more leaf cutter ants and each time we hear more about them, the more fascinated we are.  Andres picks up one of the tiny ants to give us a demonstration of their strength.  He holds a thick leaf the size of my head in front of the ant and the ant instinctively grabs on, holding the object many hundreds of times its body weight.  It’s no wonder so many scientists devote their entire careers to these little buggers. 

The tour ends and we head for lunch at Restaurante Tiquicia, a local favorite.  We are greeted by Jose, the owner, who welcomes us warmly to the open-air space.  We go “dealers-choice” for drinks, letting him bring whatever he chooses.  I get a colorful drink with rum and fresh squeezed fruit.  Mandy is served a Costa Rican Margarita, replete with an entire Imperial, the national beer.  It’s bigger then her, but she’s inspired by the ants and muscles through.  Jose suggests the steak, gesturing to the pasture out back, and we add the ceviche, local seafood chopped onto small bites, cooked only by marinating in lime juice and finished with local spices.  Both dishes are expertly prepared and served beautifully and simply.  Jose is another warm and genuine soul, taking time to tell us about his restaurant, community and country.

Headed back to the hotel, we stop for a roadside massage.  Spa Arestetio seems to exist in a converted house part enclosed, part open air and all informal.  It’s empty when we walk in and we’re asked to wait a few minutes.  The owner calls two masseuses who apparently drive from home and arrive quickly.  For a mere $35 per person, our sore muscles are expertly attended to for an entire hour including a mud facial.  (Spoiler Alert: the images below contain no images of me a towel and mudface, so you’re just going to have to imagine that part.)  The leave with that happy-buzzy-stoney feeling one has after a good massage.

Back at the ranch, we are greeted with the Happy Birthday treatment by housekeeping (I musta checked the “special occasion” box when booking.  I pretty much always do…)  On the floor of our room, a big mock birthday cake made of towel origami and roses, a line of rose pedals and river rock and Feliz Cumpleanos!  They were the most delicious towels we ever ate.  Dinner on property at Amor Loco, the stylish gourmet restaurant featuring purple velvet sofas and a small stage.  Tonight’s act features a guitar player with a looper and a violinist doing great renditions of classic rock favorites.  Craziest interpretation of Pink Floyd we have ever heard.  We fall asleep happily to the thoughts of the countless gifts Costa Rica has given us today.

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Costa Rica Day 2: Ants Marching

We sleep well in the big four poster bed and wake up excited for our day.  Breakfast buffet is exceptional with amazing attention to detail.  Café con leche served in a French press, honey dripping straight from the hive in a contraption made to do just that. 

Dressed for a hike, we drive about 15 minutes to Ecocentro Danaus, a private ecological preserve.  About 25% of Costa Rica is preserved by the government and another 15% is now preserved by private entities, restoring once devastated lands to natural habitat and encouraging responsible ecotourism.  We are paired with Amanda, our guide for this morning.  She explains that this park is only 20 years old, the land having been restored after being virtually clear cut.  We would have never guessed the forest is lush and dense.  She has powerful binoculars hanging from her neck and explains the species that we’re likely to see.  Five minutes in Amanda points out a long line of leaf cutter ants, each ant carrying a chunk of green many times larger then themselves.  She explains that the line can go on for several kilometers as the ants insist on a certain type of leaf and have very high quality standards.  She goes on to explain that the ants don’t eat the leaves but emulsify them and use them to feed a mushroom they grow for food.  “Damned industrious farming” I think to myself as Dave Mathews’ Ants Marching plays in my head.  She points out other exotic plants and features and we head into the butterfly preserve, netted space designed to raise local species before setting them loose into the world.  Great colors and lots of fun. 

I’ve upped my lens game for the trip, buying a high-quality zoom for my DSLR, one of the grey ones you see on the sidelines of football games.  I’m hoping to put it to good use, and I don’t have to wait long.  As we approach the pond, we spot a boat billed heron perched on a log by the water’s edge.  The lens is fast and bright, performing just as I had hoped, capturing great images in the cloud filtered light.  Amanda points up, high in a nearby tree at what appears to be a furry brown and white pillow.  Focused in, he’s a big three toed sloth, just slothing there in his branch.  Around the other side of the pond we spot more herons, this time a mother in a nest with two chicks.  Already the lens is worth it.  With Amanda’s help, we shoot an amazing array of plants and animals and get a good understanding of the place we are in.  Amanda is excited and almost speechless as she spots a bespectacled owl, a rare get in these parts and only the second time she has ever seen one.  Click, click, click, click as we take tons of exposures.  As we are leaving, we see that the sun has burned off the clouds and we get a rare opportunity to see the entirety of Arenal Volcano.

Headed back towards the hotel, we stop for lunch then head into the Ecothermales, one of the many hot springs in the area.  The same chamber that caused the volcano to erupt in the 1500s and again in 1968 now serves to heat some of the springs to 122F.  In some places the springs are nothing but warm rivers, in others entire resorts have been developed around them.  Ecothermales is one of the more quiet of these places, with 6 or 7 pools, each running into the next and getting a little cooler as they get further from the source.  We start at the coolest and work our way up, only lasting in the hottest for a few minutes.  A brisk dip under a cool waterfall brings our body temperatures and heart rates back closer to normal.

Back at the resort, dinner is at Asia Luna, an Asian/Latin fusion restaurant.  We purposely pick the most fusion dishes, including the Kani roll, a crab sushi topped with grilled plantain.  The flavors mix amazingly well.  Tired muscles and good wine make the for a great night’s sleep.

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Costa Rica Day 1: A Long Day of Travel or Gold at the End of the Rainbow

COSTA RICA DAY 1: A LONG DAY OF TRAVEL or GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

In Las Vegas, there is a legendary “Black List” of card counter and cheats, those never again allowed into any casino.  If such a list exists among car rental agencies, I’m sure we’ve now made that fabled status.  But I get ahead of my self…

COSTA RICA DAY 1: A LONG DAY OF TRAVEL or GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

Fortunately, Saturday’s predicted snow never materialized.  But they certainly got the forecast right for Sunday, temperatures falling from 45F to just 3F in a matter of hours.  We have a direct flight out of EWR Monday morning so to avoid the drive, we camp out in the airport Marriott.  Not bad for an airport hotel, freshly renovated.  Besides, Since I’ve known Mandy, I’ve been promising to take her to dinner in the Ironbound section of Newark. 

The Ironbound section, so named for the city’s long-gone metalworking industry and the industrial revolution era buildings with cast iron facades, is a blue-collar melting pot with an amazing restaurant scene.  Most notable are the Portuguese restaurants and bakeries, a true foodie destination long before “foodie” was a thing.  An early Sunday dinner at The Spanish Tavern is on today’s schedule.  The restaurant is unapologetically traditional with smartly dressed and very professional waiters.  The menu is largely unchanged since the 1930s, the family deciding to perfect their dishes over the decades instead of chasing culinary trends. And perfect they did.   For Mandy’s first meal here we keep with the classics.  Paella, lamb chops and a big plastic pitcher of Sangria.  The paella is loaded with fresh seafood and succulent sausage, served in a big pot over saffron rice.  A single order would have been dinner enough for two with plenty for lunch the next day.  The lamb chops were sublime, simply done with salt over an open flame.  The Sangria, loaded with fruit but not too sweet, is the only way to go.  We sit among the large families and hipsters, feeling lucky that such a place still exists.

We wake early and shuttle to Terminal C.  Easy check-in and security despite the shut-down.  Newark airport is pretty bad by any standards but showing sign of improvement.  United has renovated the entire terminal, so food offerings vastly improved and virtually every chair has its own tablet and charging station.  The flight is an uneventful 5 hours non-stop to Libera, Costa Rica.  We land to a delightful 90F and breezy and sail through baggage and customs to rental car. 

Our little Suzuki SUV is very basic and perfectly adapted to the place.  About 45 minutes in we hit Canas, the first major town down Route 1.  We make a left onto a shopping street, basic concrete buildings joined with no particular theme and mostly homemade signs.  Hungry and in search of an authentic experience, we stop at a tiny eatery, drawn in by the fried chicken and crispy plantain strips in the front window case.  The place has exactly four mismatched tables, each with equally mismatched chairs.  Time to break out our international language skills… wait, we still have none.  We order the pollo (we do know that much) and some other dish from the delightful (and patient!) woman we assume to be the owner as she’s pretty much the only person working there.  We find our table, not hard as there are only two unoccupied.  First round is thighs, cut into chunks, breaded and fried.  Crunchy and juicy and very satisfying.  We see two men at another table drinking a brightly colored juice and pantomime to the owner.  She brings two big glasses of freshly squeezed pineapple juice.  Mmmmmmm, this country is working out just fine so far.  A man walks in with a little girl, we assume the owner’s husband and daughter based on the speed with which the girls invades the woman’s handbag to dig out the iPad.  Our last dish also features fried chicken, this time a whole breast (told you we couldn’t read Spanish), served with rice, black beans and delicious pickled tomato salad.  The bill, a whopping $12USD.  A little coaxing for a few pictures and we’re down the road.

Or should I say up the road. Or around the road.  We’re headed deep into the rainforest, which involves mountain passes and less-then-paved surfaces.  Readers of our past entries have already guessed this means nothing good for our rental car.  After an hour, we turn off the main highway.  There are chunks of the secondary roads which spontaneously turn into loose, rutted gravel, bouncing contents and passengers off the ceiling.  Just two more hours to go.  Almost to the top of the first mountain we come across the largest wind farm I have ever seen, maybe hundreds of turbines slowly turning in the hot winds, large herds of cows grazing happily unaware in the fields below.  The juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient, technology and nature, is not lost on us.  A light rain begins, bringing out the widest rainbow we have ever seen.  It stays with us for a full hour, much of the time where we can see both ends. 

Down the other side of the mountain we approach Lake Arenal, the biggest in the country.  Route 142 skirts the north side of the lake with terrifying blind curves up and down the steep inclines.  When the road is good, it’s good.  When the road is bad, we think the suspension is going to come through the floorboards.

We arrive at our resort around dusk, gold at the end of the rainbow.  Our long day of travel rewarded with kind reception, warm face towels scented with vanilla and mint and a fruity rum drink.  The lobby is beautiful, natural woods, local art and plenty of exotic tropical flowers.  Our villa is stunning, an octagon of about 1000 square feet with equally beautiful indoor and outdoor showers.  Sliding doors lead to a porch which wraps around three sides, the dense jungle preventing us from seeing any other villas and carefully cut, just a little, to present a view of Arenal Volcano.   The porch is big enough to feature a hot tub, a pair of oversized chairs, a two-person hammock and a small dining table, and still feel spacious.  Not cheap, but very reasonable considering Conde Nast rates as the top resort in Central and South America.

Light dinner is in order, so we sit at the wine bar and order some tapas.  The staff is genuinely friendly, the little dishes presented beautifully.  A lovely ending to an adventurous day.

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