Day 6: Bus-Ferry-Bus-Trek

We woke up early this morning to go to the "Hike at your own risk" catarata/waterfall at our hotel.  After crossing a "Danger - Do Not Pass" sign, we got a little freaked out about being lost in the jungle or being bitten/attacked by an animal/insect.  We saw a river but never caught a glimpse of la catarata.

After breakfast we (and our new friends Chris/Shannon) were picked up to start our jeep-boat-jeep journey to Monteverde.  Turns out the tour should be called bus-ferry-bus.  While we were sitting on the boat, waiting to deport from the most non-descript, unofficial-looking boat port ever, Travis says, "that guy looks just like a guy I knew in college."  It took a bit of coaxing for him to yell the guy's name to the other boat but it was him!  Small world.  The friend, Kane, yells back, "Is that your wife or your mistress?"  Funny dude.

The 2nd bus drive to the town of Santa Elena (the main town outside the cloud forest) was about two hours up a rocky, gravel, unpaved, not safe road.  But we survived!  Our hotel, Trapp Family Lodge, is about the furthest lodging away from the Main Street in Santa Elena but the closest to the Cloud Forest Reserve.  The room is BIG and on the 2nd Floor... no bugs!!  After check-in, we took a taxi to town and ate at the driver's mejor restaurante - Tico Sabor.  Travis ordered a chalupa and was surprised that it didn't look like a Taco Bell chalupa.  Turns out it tasted better, too.  We made our way through town and the souvenir shops and decided to make the trek back to the hotel since we had plenty of time to kill.  Good idea at the time but it was almost miserable.  Well, it was miserable for Trabi (as the locals call him).  We think it was about 5k, all uphill (seriously!) on a gravel road.  We stopped at a few little tiendas along the way (the art gallery was really cool) and made it back right around dusk. 

The closest thing to a street sign that we saw during the entire trip! 

 I love this picture.

Trabi taking the final, uphill steps to the hotel after our long walk.

Side note:  There was a restaurant in town call Sababa.  They served falafel.  Whaaaaat?!

We had a lovely dinner at our hotel and are now listening to the wind howl outside.  On a bizarre note, we just turned on the TV and found Hawaii 5-0 on one of the few English channels.  The show started with a girl being killed when the zip line she was on was cut.  Can't wait to go zip lining tomorrow!  [Travis wants me to note: if anything happens tomorrow, split the assets three ways: parents + puggle]

Day 5: Meat Soup and Pina Coladas

We woke around 7am to enjoy yet another buffet breakfast (gallo pinto, huevos y pino!) before our busy day.  The bus picked us up at 8:15am with another couple - our new friends from LA, Chris and Shannon.  We then went to the "We Rent Horses" place where I was given Lucero and Travis got Chena.  The horses were absurd.  At least 4 or 5 kicked another horse during the ride and they did not follow commands AT ALL.  It was only comical after the ride and was actually quite scary during the ride.  Luckily, Travis did great and my horse only kicked one person.  Oy, Lucero. 

The ride brought us to a waterfall near Arenal that was breaktaking.  I've never seen anything like it.  We had to walk down some very steep stairs but were able to swim at the base of the waterfall.  Travis "forgot" his suit so it was just me and our new friends.  The water was clear, cold and so much fun. 

We made it back to our hotel, had a quick lunch and changed out the backpacks before we were picked up for outing numero dos.  Our tour guide, Marcos, led us on a hiking trail at the base of the volcano.  We learned: the view we had of Arenal yesterday only happens 70 days per year because it's usually covered by clouds; Arenal was originally called the Sugar Beat (?) Hill because people didn't know it was a volcano, until; 1968, it errupted.  Rocks were thrown at 600 MPH at temperatures up to 850 degrees, killing 86 people and covering an entire town.  The volcano erupted from the side so now one side is (still) green but the other is black from burns.  Our hike took us to a view of the volcano behind us and Lake Arenal in front of us.  It was beautiful.  We had to climb over displaced rocks to get to the mirador (viewing point). 

After the hike, we were dropped off at Ecothermales, the most amazing hot springs everrr.  It felt like we were in the middle of the jungle as we moved from 3 big pools and 2 smaller ones, drinking 2 pina coladas each along the way.  Hey, we had to take a break from the hot water!  The hot springs exceeded our expectations.  We then went to dinner where we were the only ones in the restaurant along with one family from the same tour.  Travis was so enamored with his appetizer, appropriately named "Meat Soup" that he busted our his Espanol for the first time all trip to tell the waiter, "perfecto."  My vegetarian meal... well, let's just say that I'm pretty sure it wasn't vegetarian.  We got back to the hotel arond 9pm and are pretty tired from the horses, the waterfall, the hikes, the hot springs, the eating and the drinking.  Pura Vida!

Fun Facts:
* Costa Rica has 5-6% of all the world's animals/plants which is amazingly high for a country the size of Rhode Island.
* Hydrangeas are blooming everywhere.
* 100% of CR's energy is green coming from a hydrodam, the volcano and wind turbines.

Day 4: Parasio

We slept past 6am for the first time in dayz and it felt great.  After our last breakfast at Tortuguero, we hit the canals to head back to dry land. 

(road block)

After a 1 hour canal ride, 1 1/2 hour bus trip to Guapiles for lunch at Selva Tropical, and crazy autobus ride for just over 2 hours with Jonathan, we arrived in La Fortuna and Arenal Parasio. 

Our "room" is our own casita with an absolutely breathtaking view of Volcano Arenal.  The resort has natural hot springs that flow from the top of the "hill" (heated by the volcano).  You can walk up the hill and chose your hot spring pool out of 12 options with the hottest water at the top and coolest at the bottom.  There is also a wet bar in the lower pool but we haven't checked it out yet. 

We had dinner at the restaurante and it was the best meal I've had so far.  It was tipico Costa Rican - or typical Costa Rican - and consisted of gallo pinto (rice and beans), grilled vegetales, corn tortillas (keepin' it G-free), egg, salad and a grilled plantain.  We're now back to our room and watching CSI: Miami.  Because that's what you do when you're on your honeymoon in a foreign country...

Side note: During our long drive today, I realized how simple life is here and how every stereotype about Americans is true.  When did our country become so egotistical, materialistic and "busy."  Pura Vida.

Day 3: Canal Tour Through The Jungle

Things we learned after Night One in Tortuguero:
 - There are no sheets on the bed.  Just a big blanket in the closet.  Why?  Because we're in the jungle.
 - There is no A/C.  See above (we're in the jungle).
 - There is no glass on the windows.  Just screens and shutters.  Because... we're in the jungle.
 - There is one TV in the whole complex.  At the bar, of course.
 - There are no phones in the rooms but they'll still give you a wake-up call... by knocking on your door.  That's how things roll in the jungle.
 - Wuggle is still hanging out in our shower.  Which means I still haven't showered.  But who cares?  We're in the f'ing jungle, yo.

We went on two canal tours today; one before breakfast and one after.  The first trip was rather uneventful but a few spider monkeys put on a little show.  The second tour was incredible!  We saw several caimans, which are basically mini-crocodiles, turtles, birds, iguanas, river otters, spider monkeys and howler monkeys, and -the best- a Jesus Christ lizard. They call them that because they can walk on water, which we openly laughed at when we heard.  But then we saw it.  The little guy just scampered across on two legs.  It was awesome.  The canals were beautiful, the water was dark, the wildlife was incredible and the whole experience was breathtaking. 

Spider Monkey

 Jesus Christ lizard

 Boa.

 A baby caiman.

 The mama caiman... watching us closely.

 This guy was pissed.

 Can you see his white face?!

After lunch and a stop at the pool, we went into the town of Tortuguero.  It was a very small Main "Street" (no cars) with several little stores and restaurants.  One convenience store was selling gluten-free pasta AND hamantaschens!  Whaaaaat?!  We walked back down the beach to get back to the lodge with our new friend, Sari, from New Jersey.  I tried to keep the little stray dog that followed us back but Travis wasn't having it.  Sad.  Had some live music at the bar before dinner (Harry Belafonte, anyone?) and now we're enjoying our last night in Tortuguero before our new adventure tomorrow.  Oh, and I took a shower.  Wuggle has moved on.  Perhaps when the poor soul unclogged the toilet he was scared away.

Travis' new friend in town.

 We bought a coco loco from this guy with the machete.

Our friends!  They escorted us down the beach.  I wanted to keep the little one.

Day 2: Feliz Navidad!

Our tour guide, Mario, and driver, Julio, picked us up at 5:45am.  We made the rounds to 2-3 more hotels in downtown San Jose to pick up more Laguna Lodge (Tortuguero) visitors.  We drove through Braulio Carrillo National Park, made a pit stop at Selva Tropical for breakfast and a butterfly pavilion tour, got a "natural massage" on the gravel roads and finally arrived at the boat dock to complete the journey through the canals. 

Our Turismo van

 I love this butterfly - doesn't it look like a fish?!

 This plant is called Hot Lips.  Seriously.

 Our first wildlife sighting!  Funny story about this sloth... it was still there two days later when we returned from Tortuguero. 

Side note: Do you know C.R.'s #1 export?  Not bananas (#2 - and we passed the Chiquita plantation!).  Not coffee, flowers or fruit (all good guesses).  Microchips.  From Intel.  Whoa.

The canal ride took almost an hour but was a very cool experience.  Laguna Lodge, and a few other hotel-types, are along a long, narrow strip of land with canals on one side and the Caribbean Ocean on the other.  The lodge is relaxing and peaceful.  The restaurant serves all our meals in an outdoor covered hut.  Every room has two rocking chairs on a covered porch to observe the surroundings.  And!  I got to pull the "honeymoon" card for the first time.  Thanks, but no thanks, for room 32 with three twin beds.  Free upgrade?  Yes, please. 

Laguna Lodge, Tortuguero, CR

We slathered up with sunscreen at the pool and laid out for approximately five minutes before it very suddenly began raining.  Hard.  We sprinted back to our room and sat on the porch watching the rain and two iguanas flirt until it was time for a "hike" with Mario.  We took a nice little walk down the beach and turned around when we stumbled upon an airstrip that was right next to the beach.  It was crazy.  After a few photo ops, the torrential downpour began again.  Out came our super cool matching bright blue ponchos and we hustled down the runway to get back to the lodge.  We have since discovered a gecko (nicknamed "Wuggle" after our beloved son) in our bathroom so I'm trying to avoid showering until our next destination.  That means going Saturday night through Tuesday afternoon without a shower.  Katie would be proud.  Travis has also clogged the toilet and apparently the front desk staff has limited hours... it stinks... this is an adventure... wish me luck.

The happy groom on the Caribbean Ocean.

 Our brief pool outing.

 See the female iguana?

Here comes the studly male!

Don't make me chase you up that tree, woman!

 You never know when you'll need a pay phone.

Just a few bats.  No big deal.

 One of my favorite photos from the trip. 

The random airstrip. 

Happy Honeymooners! 

Wuggle!