Blue Jean Frogs and Waterfalls

Wed, 1/26/11 – First thing in the morning Joel and Neil went on a hike with Johann and saw a tiny little frog called a blue jean frog because it has a red body but blue legs. Only about an inch long. Great views of the surrounding countryside and lush meadows nearby.

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Each casita has a patio with a swing and chairs and hammock. All built for relaxation and while the guys are out hiking Shawne and Lizz were definitely relaxing. Shawne even used the swings a bit.

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Many of the step stones around the pools had leaves pressed into the wet cement to make it look like a leafy fossil. Very cute.

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Late in the afternoon Neil and Joel went on another hike with Johann to a nearby waterfall. Neither one took adequate precautions for walking through a meadow in the late afternoon so both were eaten alive by mosquitoes. Luckily no dengue fever this time but a lesson learned.

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On the way they stopped to try some fresh coconut milk.
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There is wild life all around us. Lots of hummingbirds. Sitting out on the patio at night Lizz spotted fire flies. Quite a few once we started looking for them. Lizz and Neil have been waking up to the howler monkeys every morning, Joel and Shawne have still not seen them but did hear them that night. Tomorrow we move to a Tica hotel near Arenal Volcano.

Hot Springs & Wild Life Refuge

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Tue, 1/25/11 - The springs are very nice. There are 10 of them and you can bounce from spring to spring changing temperatures as you go.The hottest one is above body temperature but not sure by how much. They go from that to cool. It is fun and relaxing to go from hot to warm to cool and then back again. The biggest pool is great to just float in. Very relaxing. One of the pool rules is “no romantic scenes”. During the day, locals come and use the springs and picnic area but mornings and evenings we had them all to ourselves since we had rented the only two casitas.

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Joel went on a hike up the hill in the morning and saw a pack of capuchin monkeys, called that from their monk-like white faces.

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In the afternoon, Joel, Lizz and Neil visited a wild life refuge about half an hour’s drive from here. It was like a little zoo with all sorts of animals and birds. The scarlet macaws were fascinating. They fly in pairs making a horrible racket, mated for life. Bernie told us later that they are endangered since they don’t “re-marry” if they lose their spouse and are in high demand for capture. It sounds very cruel.

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Lizz took a tumble on some fresh, slippery white wash on the paths laid down without any kind of sign or warning for the unwary. A lawsuit waiting to happen in the USA.

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Joel, Neil and Lizz went hiking up the hill behind us but it is a little difficult since the rainy season just stopped and they have not yet had time to re- clear the paths so there are lots of vines and other vegetation getting in the way. Also it's fairly hot but then we have the springs rejuvenate everyone. We are eating most of our meals in since we are pretty remote. Bernie gave us some fresh eggs this morning so we are eating a lot of eggs. They have a new cell phone base internet connection which is very fast. We Skyped Nathan to test it out and there was very little time lag. We like to sit and watch the world go by. Saw a beautiful blue morpho butterfly, iridescent blue.

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Off To Bio Thermales

Mon, 1/24/11 – Monday morning we had a nice breakfast and our car rental guys, Wild Rider, brought our rental car over. It was a 2007 4x4 Hyundai Tucson, one of the most underpowered vehicles we've ever driven. The car guy gave us maps and lots more tips and we off, headed to Bio Thermales Hot Springs which is about 40 km east of the volcano/tourist town of La Fortuna.

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On the way, an iguana ran across the road in front of us. A different experience than raccoons or deer. We stopped for lunch at a place the Wilder Rider guy recommended, "Lands In Love". It is a vegetarian, Jewish kosher resort nestled into its own little valley about an hour south of La Fortuna. The food was absolutely wonderful, a place that will be on our short list next time back to CR.
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The roads were pretty good until we got within about two miles of Bio Thermales Hot Springs and then we got to the dirt road. “Road” is a rather upbeat title for the track we followed, but the bumps and holes were worth it. Joel and Shawne stayed in one "casita" and Lizz and Neil stayed in another one. The whole property was forest until Kathy and Bernie bought it four years ago. In that time they have built their home, barn, two casitas, at least half a dozen stone and cement pools that use the natural hot and cold springs, outbuildings and picnic areas and bathrooms for day use visitors.

We are the first guests staying in our casita. Simple but beautifully made with tile, cement and natural wood. Many little touches using branches in their natural shape i.e. shower rod, clothes rack, small tables. Other wood for beds, swings, chairs. Bernie appears to be the chief wood worker. He has a couple of young men who help him. Kathy seems pretty knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife. Johann one of the young men also doubles as forest guide and will take those of us who want to go on a walk later this week.

The place is pretty remote with limited food service but a nice kitchen so Joel took off to buy groceries before it got dark.

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First Class To Costa Rica

Sun, 1/23/11 - We left San Jose, California before the crack of dawn for our all day journey to San Jose, Costa Rica, with a few hours layover in Phoenix. We flew first class due to a bizarre quirk in how US Air handles its frequent flier miles. For the dates we wanted to travel, economy tickets were in the middle tier cost while first class was in the lowest tier cost and so first class and economy cost the same number of miles... so we can take a hint, first class it is! We met up with our daughter Lizz and her boyfriend Neil in Phoenix since they were joining us from Portland. All the flights were on time, smooth, nice. We stayed the first night at a beautiful B&B, Casa Bella Rita, just outside of San Jose. From the outside the Bella Rita is pretty unimpressive...
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... but inside it is a beautiful oasis, full of bright colors nice art work, and a couple of parrots. Looking out from the back patio there is a deep canyon with a river roaring along the bottom. Rita and Steve are the proprietors and Steve in particular reminds us of Shawne's brother Mark. Sort of an old hippie. Both gave us helpful information about Costa Rica. Their B&B is a very nice place to start our stay. We will come back at the end of the trip for our last night.

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