Thursday, January 11, 2024

Costa Rica Days 11-14: Manuel Antonio Part Two: Hanging Around

Outside of Manuel Antonio Park, we had lots of fun, too. We ate at several spectacular restaurants with incredible views of the ocean, coastline, and jungle in between. Most notable was La Luna, where we went for a sunset dinner after our first day in the park. We'd highly recommend a stop here! We had checked out the menu online and thought the photos looked nice. When we arrived, we were a bit surprised by just how fancy it was (like, a golf cart picks you up from the parking lot and drives you up to the resort fancy). The meal was oustanding, complete with a complimentary bread plate (they brought grilled zucchini with a balsamic drizzle for Erin), and a homemade passionfruit sorbet palate cleanser. Yum! And the views? Well, we think they speak for themselves. 



Photo courtesy of Adventure Girl :)




There was another amazing moment when a group of scarlett macaws flew by, only this time, we were actually above them, looking down on their spectacular colours.      

We also had some fun at the public beach, and lots of time by the pool at our place.            

Building a sand taxi

Our typical homemade dinner: taco bowl


We considered going zip lining but Adventure Girl had her hesitations and we knew from experience that you have to be ready to step off that platform or else it could be a pretty unsuccessful outing! 

Instead, we opted for something that's more difficult to change your mind on at the last moment: parasailing! We had watched many people take off and land, while we were lounging on the public beach. It looked so smooth and relaxing, and Adventure Girl was game! So we signed up for a sunset ride and before we knew it, we were getting strapped into the wet harnesses. 

We were given a quick run-down on the steps: walk quickly forwards, hold up the bar, then drop our hands to the straps and sit back. It all happened so fast - one moment we were standing on the beach; the next, we were flying up, up, up! 

Craig had paraglided a few times previously and he was right in his description - it was more like floating than flying because it was so effortless. It almost felt like we were sitting on a couch in front of a green screen, it was so relaxing and surreal!


We flew along the coast of the National Park, where we got to see the three beaches clearly, and the spots where we'd seen the capuchins, then the three troupes of monkeys earlier that day. We floated above a V of pelicans, and watched our own shadow dance along the treetops. We filmed the whole experience on our go-pro and will be re-watching it many times, for sure. 

Then, we prepared ourselves for the landing, which didn't end up being all too stressful. Lots of frantic unclipping of carabiners but all heads stayed above water. Note that our go-pro footage is way more harrowing because it was strapped to Craig's chest which did go under water! 

The next moment we were on the back of a jet ski, hanging on, being shuttled back to shore. 

It was an incredibly expensive 15 minutes but such an amazing experience. And, Adventure Girl? She was joyful throughout and immediately wanted to go again, quoting that the take off and landing (ie: the most thrilling parts) were her favourite! 

2024 sure has been off to an exhilerating start!



To follow along with Adventure Girl's recount of Costa Rica, visit: http://www.highfiveadventures.com/p/adventure-girl-costa-rica.html

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Costa Rica Days 11-14: Manuel Antonio Part One: Monkeying Around

 
Manuel Antonio beach 

Why return to Costa Rica? Craig and Erin travelled here 12 years ago (pre-blog days) and the allure of venturing someplace new is always hard to resist. However, we loved it so much last time. We knew there would be amazing wildlife viewing, the flight wasn't too far, and we appreciate the stance Costa Rica is taking on sustainable tourism and environmental protection. Plus, there were parts we hadn't gotten to last time on our "travel-like-a-local, hike-our-butts-off backpacking trip" from our late twenties. Manuel Antonio was the main one.



At the top of our lists for what we hoped to see this trip were macaws and squirrel monkeys. Having checked both off over the past week, we now focused on finding the big names for F to see: Sloths and Capuchins. 

We decided to join a guided tour for our first visit to the park. Andrew was fantastic - great sense of humour and a wealth of animal knowledge! He led us (very slowly) through the park trail system (from the Main Gate, along Sloth Trail to Manuel Antonio beach). Along the way, he showed us a huge variety of animals through his scope. There were 9 of us in the group; everyone was very kind and quiet, and we got lots of viewing opportunities. Here are some of our top pics: 

A mother hummingbird on her nest

A rainbow grasshopper 

A patriot crab

A two-fingered sloth

A sleeping bat

A demon spider

A three-fingered sloth

A slaty-tailed trogon (cousin to the quetzal)

The following two days, we opted to go without a guide and explore on our own. For each of our visits, we got up at the crack of dawn (thanks, in part, to our friendly bird alarm clock that could not be deterred from a 5 am call out), which meant we were always in the 7 am park opening arrival window (you must pre-book park tickets online). We also would have chosen that time anyways because we hate crowds and love that early morning hour of the day.

On Day Two, we were surprised by the lack of crowds. We didn't pass any tour groups as we retraced our steps from the day before. We wondered if it being a Saturday morning actually meant there would be less people (we knew many would be heading back home on the weekend after New Year's). 


We took a different trail once we reached the main junction and headed towards Playa Gemelas. Craig had read that there was a little connector trail in that area that was popular for monkeys sightings. We paused at the fork in the trail, debating which way to go (Adventure Girl was not keen on taking the "monkey" path because it headed uphill). As we stood there, we suddenly heard loud screeching from the non "monkey" route and without needing to consult each other, we turned right and headed towards the noisy outburst. 

There was no one else on the path (that was human). We quickly spotted rustling in the leaves and discovered that there were monkeys in the trees on either side of the path - and above! There were both howlers and capuchins. As we stood in one place, twisting our necks back and forth, trying to decide where to look, we spotted another family in the mix - there were squirrel monkeys, too! It was a feast for the eyes! We stood there, entranced, watching all three troupes search for breakfast and interact in their own unique ways. We ended up sitting on the ground and just taking it all in; we were there so long watching. 

We have lots of great video footage...sorry for the crummy photo quality

When we finally had our fill, we deemed that a roaring (well, howling) success and continued the short distance left for the Gemelas Beach. We walked down a few steps and were in paradise! 




This private little cove looked out of a movie set. A few people came and went but there were moments when we had it all to ourselves. 

On our walk back out of the park, the atmosphere had changed. There were people EVERYWHERE. Large tour groups completely blocked the paths. We heard many people saying the word "sloth" in numerous languages, and were able to spot what all the fuss was about: there was a mother slot in the tree with a baby. We don't have amazing pictures because we only had our phone cameras with us and we didn't have a guide with a scope this time, but it was pretty cute! 

On Day Three, we were feeling pretty tired, and also satisfied with the amazing animal viewings we'd had over the trip so far. We opted for the mangrove path to avoid the many tour groups and get ourselves on the other edge of the National Park. Along the way, we did see a new mammal for Adventure Girl - a raccoon. It was sniffing its way along the edge of the boardwalk and looked up at us curiously. 


We spent a couple of hours at Espadilla Beach, in the park. It was the sandiest beach so far on this trip. There are rip currents so we stuck close to shore and played a lot in the sand. It is really nice to be at the beaches within the park because they are void of people trying to sell you stuff, dogs, loud music, jet skis...The downside is that you are not allowed to bring any food into the park. There is only so long you can last without nourishment on a hot day with a half hour walk ahead of you to get back out of the park. Something to consider if you're planning a visit here. 




We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Manuel Antonio and Quepos area. Stayed tuned for Part Two where we'll share what we got up to outside of the National Park. We can assure you...we were flying high from all the fun we had! :)

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Costa Rica Days 8-10: Whale Watching

We moved on to our next accommodation outside of Quepos. It was a small complex with a great-sized pool that was almost always empty. We passed a fair bit of time here, enjoying swimming and bird-watching. A real highlight was watching four scarlett macaws fly just overhead our first evening here. 

Standing on the whale tail


We also did a day trip to Uvita, home to Ballena National Park and the famous whale tail sand formation. Not only does it look like a whale, but there are many actual whales that migrate by. We hopped aboard a boat and skimmed our way across the water towards a reported spotting.




Adventure Girl had been a bit nervous about the idea of going on a boat and wearing a life jacket. But her face spread into a wide grin as we bounced along the waves. Then the boat stopped, solitary amongst the rise and fall of the ocean. We waited patiently where our captain had heard a mother and baby humpack had been seen. We listened intently, hoping to hear that unmistakeable puff of air of a whale clearing its blowhole. There were 14 of us aboard the boat and everyone wanted to be the first to spot a whale. 

Then, all of a sudden, there they were - mother, then baby, rising to the surface, showing us their backs. We got lots of views of them, since newborns can't hold their breath for long yet. Our guide told us that this mother looked very relaxed with us closeby (that some mothers only rise once, then move on when they see boats). We enjoyed our time watching them, then headed onwards towards a dolphin spotting.


Our guide had told us that we were unlikely to see dolphins because they live further out in the ocean where they can hunt their favourite fish: tuna. But our luck continued and we got a great show of the spotted dolphins (probably 20 or so) surfacing over and over. There was also a baby with this group - so small and sticking right beside its mama. It was a real treat to see them interact. 

From here, our boat took us to some nearby caves, then to a swimming spot. There was coral but it was 8 meters down so it was a bit too cloudy to try to snorkel. 

La ventana


Back on land, we headed onwards to a lovely lunch spot up in to the jungle hills. We were pleased to find gluten and lactose-free pizza (as well as an extensive cocktail list), but even more excited when we heard, then spotted, two howler monkeys outside the restaurant. After hearing them so often, it was great to finally get to see them. We got a great view of them munching on some leaves. 






Yes, the cocktail is smoking!

Howler monkey munching 

We crossed our fingers that our luck would continue on our next adventure: into Manuel Antonio National Park.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Costa Rica Days 6 & 7: Private Paradise

We hopped in the car on Day 6 and headed out early with all our stuff. (We did carry-on only for this trip, which included F's travel booster in one of our bags and we were loving having so little!). Although we were only travelling 300 km, it was scheduled to take 5 hours of driving time plus stops. The road only got up to 80 km/hr for a few short sections; it was mostly 60 or 40 as we wove through small towns and communities built right along the road. 

We crossed a river with crocodiles...can you spot them on the shore?

The further we got, the more affluent the houses looked, and the shops and signs started to look more touristy. We kept our eyes peeled along the route but saw no toucans or monkeys. Despite all the howling we had heard in Playa Conchal, we still hadn't had our first monkey spotting and it was highly anticipated. 



We found a restaurant right along the route to stop at for lunch - El Caballo Blanco. If you're ever in the area, we'd highly recommend stopping there. The portions were huge (we walked away with dinner in our to-go boxes), the service fast, and the food delicious. Erin had the Carribean chicken thigh with rice and beans and fried plantains (yummm!!!), Craig had the breaded fish fillet, and Adventure Girl scarfed down the BBQ ribs and fries. :)

After what felt like an eternity (an 8.5 hour travel day), we crawled into our rental property in a small, natural oasis amidst the palm plantation monocultures. This was the last-minute place we had to book for two nights when our original host had disappeared. It was a little out of our budget range so we were really hoping it would feel worth it. It took about 20 minutes for it to exceed our expectations. 

The sun was setting as we lugged our things up to the stitled house. We quickly threw things into the fridge, and stripped down to dip into our private pool. It was serene. As we paddled around the small pool, we spotted a toucan, lots of egrets, and a hummingbird. The grounds of the property were lush and buzzing with life. This promised to be a lovely stay. 


Our own private sanctuary

The next morning we arose to an entre troupe of squirrel monkeys making their way through the trees around the property. We sat there, entranced, as they leapt from branch to branch, playfully pulling leaves down over their faces to peek-a-boo us. They were quiet, with occassional chasing along branches. It was made all the more magicial by the fact that this was the species of monkey that had eluded Craig and Erin on their first trip to Costa Rica. 


When the family was mostly finished passing, we slipped quietly into the pool and enjoyed watching the last few pass us by. 

A little while later, we readied ourselves and headed out to a nearby hike Craig had found that included canopy rope bridges and natural waterfall swimming holes. We were glad to have arrived early, with only a few others around us in the pools and no one in sight when we crossed the bridges. Adventure Girl lived up to her name as she led the way across one swinging bridge to the next. (You can check out her blog for her own recount of the trip). 



Juvenile Whiptail

We were a bit disappointed not to find any poison dart frogs but happy enough to have also avoided any snakes. A blue morpho butterfly, some neat lizards and a millipede were the wildlife highlights. 



Back home, Craig got the wood barbeque going and grilled up some sausages for us to eat in the garden. We saw more squirrel monekys as we ate, along with a couple of iguanas, and a green basalisk. It was definitely worth the extra bit of budgetting and was a fabulous way to end a spectacular year for our family. Cheers to 2023!


Friday, December 29, 2023

Costa Rica Days 2-5: Playa Conchal

If you've read our first Costa Rica entry, then you know that we arrived in the dark. When the sun rose the next morning, we were able to see just how lucky we were. We'd been given a unit on the top floor of a small apartment building perched overlooking the forest. In the distance, we could see the ocean, and our ears quickly filled with the singing of tropical birds and the deep grunts of nearby howler monkeys. 


A 15 minute walk down the dirt road brought us to a sandy beach. We were pleased that it seemed mostly to be filled with locals and as a result we've already used more Spanish than we did over two weeks in Spain. The water was warm and the ocean floor sandy, and there were gentle waves perfect for leisurely splashing in.


There was also a pool on the grounds of our hotel with a large deep end and sweeping views of the surrounding forest and hills. A restaurant helped us get through our first full day before we could venture back out on the bumpy roads to secure some groceries. 

F working on her dives!

Craig and Erin realized that it had been a long time since we'd ventured to Central America, or anywhere of the like. We'd been to Costa Rica, specifically, for Christmas 13 years ago, but since the arrival of Adventure Girl, travel hadn't included somewhere quite this adventurous. 

F got her first glimpse of a very different way of life than ours in Canada and is so far handling the change well. This includes things like cold showers, frequent power outages, rundown public bathrooms without toilet paper, etc, and seeing people's homes that look very different from ours. She seems to be understanding some of the benefits of a life different from what she sees in Canada as well as appreciating what she has. 


It is with great pleasure that we also announce that Adventure Girl has shown a keen interest in continuing her own travel blog (she wrote her first post before we even did!). Her first piece is up on her own page at: http://www.highfiveadventures.com/p/adventure-girl-costa-rica.html

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Costa Rica Day 1: A True Christmas Story

You'd think it would be a good thing when you can say that a 7 hour international flight plus arrival through customs and immigration goes smoothly. But buckle up because the beginning of this trip is about to get bumpy! 

We're going to skip through the annoyances at the car rental place because really, who has ever had a quick, positive, economical experience at one? (The answer is No One. Ever.) So let's just say we're now two hours (and $700) behind schedule, meaning we're travelling cross-country in the pitch dark on the night of Christmas Day when we can only assume everyone has been consuming. We make it within 5 kilometers of our booked accomodation without any incidents and then we turn off on to the side road. Remember, there are no street lights here. With trees arching over the roadway, it's pitch black. We begin to encounter holes in the road that can only be described as craters deep enough to swim in. Roots entangle the sections that were originally flat. We slow to a crawl as we dip up and down and pray our newly acquired rental car does not get stuck. Adventure Girl is in the back, engrossed in a podcast episode of Chester's Book Club. (Thank you Mom and Chester for this incredible distraction). It takes us half an hour to go these last 4.5 km but we finally make it, hours past when we thought we would arrive. 

At this point, we realize Craig's SIM card that he pre-ordered is not working and we have to find someone cleaning up at the accommodation's bar to get us on to their WIFI because we still don't have check-in instructions from our VRBO host. Thankfully there is someone there to help us but when we get logged on, there is still no word from our host. Craig tries calling the off-duty bookings office of the complex we're in and they've definitely heard of the person we've rented from. They used to be a renter of one of the units...with an emphasis on "used to." 

Now, we're pretty well-travelled people. Check our sidebar, if you don't believe us. We've run in to a little scam here and there over the years. But to be preparing your seven year-old for the fact that the three of us might be spending the night in the back of our now not-so-sparkling rental car after a 14 hour travel day is not a place you want to be in.

We are incredibly relieved to be able to say that this lovely Costa Rican gentleman saved us. He found us a unit in the complex that was available for the next five nights and he reduced the cost so it was close to what we were paying for the original place. We trucked all our stuff up to the third floor of the building and were able to put an exhausted child to bed in an actual bed. Not the best start to our trip, but here's to hoping that it can only get better from here. 

Erin's not pregnant and there was space at the inn but this story had a few too many connections to a familiar Christmas story for our liking!