Central America: Nicaragua 2005

"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live
the life of your dreams."

Oprah Winfrey

This is the continuing account of my 2005 trip to the Central American countries of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize (see other postings in this series).

On March 9, 2005, my brother, Wayne, and I cross the Costa Rican border (see Part 1 of this series) and entered the country of..........

Republic of Nicaragua

Political events of the past decades, have had a huge impact on many outsiders' perception of Nicaragua, and the country's natural, historical and cultural attractions remain largely undiscovered by tourists.  First-time visitors to Nicaragua are often thrilled to find volcanoes, navigable rivers, colonial cities, Caribbean islands and deserted beaches - all without the floods of tourist seen elsewhere in Central America.  While it has a way to go in terms of tourism infrastructure, Central America's largest country is by no means a difficult place to travel.

We take a ferry to.........

Isla de Ometepe

An ecological jewel, Ometepe is still sparsely developed for tourism, making the island all the more attractive for those who like unspoiled nature and don't mind expending extra effort to see it.  Ometepe, meaning "between two hills" in Nahuatl, is formed by two large volcanoes:  Volcan Madera (1349m) and Volcan Concepcion (1610m).  Concepcion is still active.

***Please note the image quality is limited as these pictures were not digitally captured but rather are prints that have been scanned.***

We board a boat for Isla de Ometepe......

Isla de Ometepe off in the distance with Volcan Concepcion.

When we reach the island we grab a hotel and settle in.....

A view of Lake Nicaragua from the eating area of our hotel.

It's a 10 hour slog up and down the slopes of Concepcion.  Given that Wayne was just getting over Montezuma's Revenge, we opted out making the climb.

This is home for two days.  I took the picture about 10 feet out into Lago Nicaragua.

Freshwater tarpon and sailfish reside in Lago Nicaragua's depths, but are rare, as are the bull sharks that enter by the San Juan River.  I don't think these fishermen are interested in anything that large.

Nicaraguan laundromat. 

This backdrop is everywhere on Isla de Ometepe: Volcan Concepcion and Lago Nicaragua.

Three of the main forms of transportation on Ometepe:  walk, dugout canoe and horse.

We decided it was time to check out a different menu, so we walked up the beach to another hotel.  On the way night walk back we came across this turtle nesting!

After two days of chillin' on Ometepe we are on the move again, this time we are headed for the colonial city of.........

Granada

Nicknamed "the Great Sultan" in reference to it's Moorish namesake across the Atlantic, Granada is Nicaragua's oldest Spanish city.  Founded in 1524 by Fernandez de Cordoba (also the name of Nicaragua's currency) it stands at the foot of Volcan Mombacho on the northwestern shore of Lago de Nicaragua.

My home, the Casa Baltic,  for the next couple of weeks.  Originally we were renting it on a night-by-night basis, but Wayne was heading home soon and Easter was coming.  During Easter everything in this predominantly Catholic country grinds to a halt and hotel space becomes a premium....so I figured I stay put for a couple of weeks and I negotiated a weekly rate of $150.

Parque Colon.  This plaza forms the centre of town and it is here where Wayne and I would gather to people watch.

Granada is a quiet town that retains its colonial character.  It's streets are lined with Spanish-style houses with stuccoed adobe walls and large wooden doors opening onto cool interior patios.

The local market in Granada.

The Covento de San Fransisco, said to be Central America's oldest convent/church.

Laundry day at the MacPhee's residence!

Granada is easily conquered by foot OR you can take the horse drawn taxi known as coche's.

Why walk when you can have a beast of burden take you around....that's what I say!!!

Horses still form a large part of the transportation system in Nicaragua (it is a very poor nation), such as this horse-drawn Hearst.

The normal horse and buggy consist of one horse and a cart constructed from an old vehicle chassis.  Notice the boy trying to slingshot the pigeon from the first buggy?

Wayne walks along the Parque Colon while a Nicaraguan cowboy rides by.

Cooling down over a frozen cappuccino.  Wayne and I would sit here and suck down many of these each day as we people watch.....

....some of the people we watched were these school kids doing their daily warm-up exercises.

Calle la Calzada, one of Granada's principal streets, runs eastward to the ferry dock where boats depart for Ometepe Island.  These ancient trees line the street.

The Mercado de Artesania, where artists sell everything from colourful basketry, woven mats, carved and painted gourds, wood carvings, paintings and ceramics.

Souvenir shopper.

We took a tour to Volcan Masaya......

Volcan Masaya is one of Nicaragua's most interesting features as it actually encompasses a pair of volcanoes:  Masaya and Nindiri.  Between these two volcanoes are five craters including "Santiago" which is still quite active, often smoking and steaming and belching the occasional rock (notice the volcanic steam in the picture)!

Legends say that the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the area would throw young women into the boiling lava at the bottom of 'Santiago' to appease Chaciutigue, the Goddess of Fire.

The obligatory picture of 'da bye's'!

Our tour van had five passengers....all from Canada, needless to say, this trip was a blast.  We climbed high up on one of the volcano ridges to get a better view of the surrounding valley (notice the two kites in the background?).

Nearby Volcan Masaya is the serene Apoyo crater lake.....apparently the pristine waters are good for swimming and scuba diving??  Who knew??

The musician standing behind Wayne carries the xylophone on his back and plays it by bringing the sticks in his hands back and hitting the bars.  He was very good!  That's Laguna de Apoyo in the background.

The next day we decided to chill out for a couple days in the seaside town of.....

San Juan del Sur

Located on the Pacific coast, San Juan del Sur at one time held some importance in the world of trade.  Before the construction of the Panama Canal, it was the starting point for the overland route used by all major trading companies in the world.   Now it has slipped into relative obscurity, except for one thing.....its beaches.

With little else to do, we head for the beach.....

The sleepy touristy port of San Juan del Sur with its score of small hotels and hostels, it attracts sport fishers, divers, surfers and the garden-variety beach potatoes.  

Looking out at the beach from a seaside restaurant/pub.

 The next day we head for the beach of Playa Majagual....

San Juan del Sur is the only developed beach among a baker's dozen of bun-shaped beaches strung along the coast like pearls from headland to headland, north and south.  This is Playa Majagual located about 12 km from San Juan del Sur.

The best way (if not the only way) to get to any of the many beaches is via water taxi, such as the one here....

We rented boogie boards and spent pretty much the entire time in San Juan (and area) body surfing the breakers.  Some fun!!!!

The sand is super fine here!

A tied up water taxi with only birds as customers. 

We head back to Granada and Wayne heads home leaving me with my rented house and the remainder of the trip on my own.  Given that Easter was fast approaching, I was advised that this is the one week that hotels are booked solid, buses seldom run and if you have a place to stay, your better off staying put.....so I did.  To past the days I took Spanish lessons.....

My Spanish teacher, Angelina Monico.

 While in Granada I met Carl, a bicyclist who had just biked around the world (took him 6 years and 60 countries).  Now he was paddling 'Pole-to-Pole' and he figure it was going to take him approximately 4 years (he was two years in already)....

When I met Carl he indicated he was about to be evicted from his hotel because it had been pre-booked for Holy Week and he couldn't find another hotel.  Brother Wayne had just left and I had an extra bed in my house, so I offered him to crash for a couple of days at the Casa Baltic.  He took me up on it! Here we are at Kathy's Waffle house, my daily breakfast eating establishment.

Carl the Aussie was half-way between his second epic biking trip, this one was from the top of Alaska to the tip of Chile.  Good luck mate!

 This is Holy Week in Nicaragua and the Nicaraguans are very fanatical about their Christianity.  Everyday leading up to Holy Thursday they set off firecrackers which was becoming more constant, until it sounded as if the revolution had started all over again.  They would start at 6:00AM and continue throughout the day, it got to the point where you didn't even pay any attention to them.  And the progressions in the streets....it started out simple enough, but everyday they got larger and the 'Jesus scenes' became more and more elaborate.  Thousands of devotees parading through the streets carrying a Jesus statute on the shoulders of shroud-covered men with a full horn band following and playing the "death march song from hell".  By Thursday everything had gone completely bonkers, especially when I saw three men being tied to crosses and hoisted up as if being crucified....the heat alone would have killed me, but this was not a real crucifixion... at least without the nails and the death....

Semana Santa (Holy Week or Easter to us North Americans) is a very big event in Nicaragua.  Everyday, leading up to Holy Thursday there are fireworks and these processions whereby the locals carry different statutes of Jesus around.  They go from house to house and a priest blesses the house and the occupants and then they move on.   

These elaborate statutes are stored in the living rooms of the devoted for a full year before being brought out to be paraded about town.  Each day the scene is different and the size becomes increasingly larger, until the thing is so big that it requires many men to carry it around.

They start at dusk and a person carries a portable generator in a wheel barrow behind so that the statute can be lit for all to see!!

Well folks that's my trip to Nicaragua.  Follow me in my next posting as I head for Guatemala.  Cheers!

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday March 9, 2005  5:48PM:  We got up early this morning and was very fortunate to find a guy going to the Nicaraguan border and he was only charging $5.00.  Of course, we jumped at the opportunity!  We were across the border within a hour.  We grabbed a cab with an American girl (Lola) to San Jorge and was on Ometepe by 2:30PM.  We're now at a hotel, part way down the first part of the island.  It's a really nice area right on the lake.  We went for a swim in Lake Nicaragua (very warm) and just finished watching the sunset and sucking on a cold beer!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday March 11, 2005  5:45PM:  Here I am in Granada, the old Spanish colonial city on the top of Lago Nicaragua.

Yesterday (Thursday 03/10/05) we awoke fairly early and decided to rent horses and do some exploring of the island.  Once again Brian is given the wild crazy horse!  This time I had a little more control, albeit not much.  After the exhausting 2 hour ride we made for the lake for a dip.  The lake's temperature is similar to the air temperature.....very hot.  That night we lazed around until 9:00AM and then went to bed and did some reading.  Wayne appears to have come down with Montezuma's Revenge, so there was precious little energy.

Today we were up again at a decent hour hoping to catch the bus to Moyogalpa (the largest town on Ometepe), but the hotel shagged up our bill, so by the time we got to getting that straighten out, we missed any hope of catching the bus.  Fortunately, we were able to hitch a ride with three Swedish girls straight to the ferry......well maybe not a real ferry but a boat.!!

Arrived in San Jorge and grabbed a taxi to Rivas and was able to get the chicken bus to Granada just as it was leaving the terminal.  During the ride I sat next to a guy from Kingston and he indicated that they were staying at the San Francisco Hotel, so we decided to splurge and do the same, but unfortunately they had no rooms, so we asked the hotel owner if she could recommend a place and she said she had a house for rent at $15pp.....perfect!!!

So here I am sitting in the kitchenette/courtyard writing my journal.  Wayne's in his air conditioned bedroom reading (he still got the shit-ens) and maybe later I'll watch a little television or go down to the bar for a beer....aaaah what the heck, I'll open another cold beer here!

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday March 12, 2005  11:06AM:  Last night (Friday 03/11/05) Wayne wasn't feeling very well so I went out by myself.  Had baby pork ribs at this restaurant....awesome feed!!  Came home and watched some TV.

Today we went to the Internet and made a call home to wish Father a Happy Birthday and now we're getting ready to go explore the city and do some grocery shopping.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday March 13, 2005  5:08PM:  Last night (Saturday 03/12/05) we headed out to do some bar hopping.  An activity that we've not partaken in very much since we've been here.  It was alright but one club was a disco....not for us.  The second was a speakeasy.....not for us.  The third was a little better......some live music and lots of eye-candy.

Today we took a tour to the Masaya volcano.  This is still an active volcano with steam and obnoxious sulphuric gases spewing out of its crater.  This was my first experience at seeing an active volcano from the lip.  We were able to look right down into the crater.  The tour also included a view of four other dormant craters.  From there we went to the town of Masaya and did some shopping in the artisans market.  I ended up buying a handmade woven hammock for $22 (this was a price I couldn't pass over - but now I have to lug it around).  The tour was fun because there were five of us from Canada.  We joked and carried on for the entire trip.

Tomorrow it will be a travel day as we head for San Juan del Sur....again by chicken bus.

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday March 14, 2005  3:07PM:  Today was a no-brainer day.  We were supposed to get up and head for San Juan del Sur, however it just didn't materialise.  I went to the Hotel San Francisco to see if I could get a weekly rate for the house and book it for two weeks.  I was able to get it for $150 per week!  I also asked the owner if there was any transportation to the coast and she indicated that another one of her guest was heading there and we were able to arrange private transportation for $15pp.  Wayne was also able to book a Tica bus to San Jose (Costa Rica) and I booked Spanish lessons for $60 for 20 hours.

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday March 17, 2005  1:57PM:  We arrived (Tuesday 03/15/05) in San Juan del Sur after making arrangements to get here with a driver from Hotel San Francisco.   We went straight to the International Joxi Hotel.  They had a room with air con and at $13pp, it wasn't the Hilton but it was close to the beach, so we took it.

After getting straighten away, Wayne and I head for the beach to have a swim.  The surf was pretty high and we were enjoying poor attempts at body surfing.  This young fella from California came along and told us we should rent boogie boards, as they are real cheap, and they're a great bit of fun.....so we did....and he was right, they are a blast!

That night we went to an expensive restaurant and for $40 we had a $4 meal.  What a rip off - oh well live and learn.

The next day (Wednesday 03/16/05) we were up early to catch the local water taxi to Playa Majagual.    This pristine beach is perfect.....cold beer at the only lodge, cool babes and a great surf.  Wayne and I spent most of our day surfing on the rented boogie boards....I love these things!!!

We arrived back in San Juan del Sur and had an excellent seafood casserole at Ricardo's.  We were back in bed by 9:30 and watched (yes our room had a TV) the 'Titantic'.

We had a taxi lined up to take us back to Granada this morning at 8:00AM and we there by 10:00.  Wayne left at 12:00 to head back to San Jose.  I'm going to miss him big time, as we had a good time and I appreciated his company.

Now I'm here writing in my journal and alone for the next 5 weeks (today is actually hump-day).  I got laundry and a shower to take care of and I expect that the next few days will be very quiet.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday March 20, 2005  6:24PM:  Here it is Sunday and there has been little happening over the last few days.  Basically, I've been sleeping-in when I can and taking siestas from 12 to 3.

Last night I went to the El Club and met an Aussie (Carl) who is bicycling from Alaska to Chile and has been on the road for 6 years.  Amazing how these people can do that.  I would get so lonely.

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday March 21, 2005  5:57PM:  Last night (Sunday 03/20/05) Carl and I went for pizza and ended up talking to these two women from Norway.  We went for a couple of drinks after.  They're volunteering in Guatemala City, so they were telling me all about that country.

This morning I was up bright and early and started my Espanol lessons.  Learning mainly the pronouns and common verbs.  So far it's going well, we will see how things are after all week.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday March 22, 2005  6:26PM:  How do I describe the events leading up to Holy Week?  When Wayne and I first arrived in Granada and we were walking around we caught glimpse of a group of people carrying a statute around town with a small horn band playing behind them.  With the onset of Holy Week these processions are getting bigger and so are the Jesus statutes.

As I was sitting here throngs of people, probably numbering 2000 came marching up my street with the Jesus in tow along with the Virgin Mary and some biblical scene.  The first two statutes were carried by several men on their shoulders with them completely covered in purple garments from head to toe.  The band following them is getting bigger each night as well and they play the same song....some kinda funeral marching song.  This is definitely worth seeing!!

Meanwhile my Spanish lessons seem to be going fairly well but they are requiring a fair amount of work on my part.  Definitely four hours of class time and 2 to 3 hours of after class work.

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday March 23, 2005  6:46AM:  Getting ready for Spanish lessons.  Well this is the beginning of week #7, only 4 weeks left.

The first thing you hear is the whistle of the police redirecting traffic, then you see the vendors rushing to set up their wares:  ice cream, cotton candy, sweets of all sorts, etc etc....it's only at this time do you see the throngs of people coming towards you, like a tide coming in.  Thousands of people...and each day the Jesus scene changes.  Today it was Jesus and the Romans....and the band is getting bigger (today there were 4 tuba players).  The scene is lit up by some guy wheeling a generator around.  And the thing you notice is the incense that fills the street.  I'm actually looking forward to Good Friday!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday March 24, 2005  9:19PM: I'm always amazed at the fervour religion invokes into mankind.  It's probably the second strongest emotion next to love!!  Today, while walking to my Spanish lessons, I saw three guys being tied to crosses and then hung up in the sweltering heat as if they were being crucified.   Amazing devotion.

Tonight I wandered down to central park and was amazed at the throngs of people......literally thousands.  Of course I wandered over to check it out...in fact as I walked up the Xalterva Calle, the crowd just got bigger and bigger.  Xalterva Calle has three or four churches on it and the crowds were walking from one church to the other.  Apparently I must have missed the reason for this, but the crowds in the street reminded me of the Carnival in Athens, Greece, that I experienced three years ago during Easter.

Today I made all my travel arrangements for Guatemala.  Booked a flight, arranged a taxi, booked return hotel and bus back to San Jose.....very productive day.

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday March 26, 2005  8:42AM:  Just finished breakfast.  I bought frosted flakes, yogurt and milk at the market three days ago and that's been my breakfast every morning since.

Well as religious ceremonies go, yesterday was somewhat disappointing, it being Good Friday, I expected more, but it appears Holy Thursday is the big day for celebrations.

Yesterday (Friday 03/25/15) I did precious little, watched a couple of movies, checked email, went to Mona Lisa's for Italian pizza, in bed by 11:00PM....what a party guy!!

Today is my last day of Spanish lessons and then I only have one more day before I head for Guatemala.

Central America: Costa Rica 2005

"I've been travelling on a wing and a prayer
By the skin of my teeth by the breath of a hair
Travelling where the four winds blow
With the sun on my face - in the ice and the snow

But oh Lord we pay the price
With the spin of the wheel with the roll of the dice
Ah yeah, you pay your fare
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there."

George Harrison,  Any Road

On Thursday February 9, 2005 I flew to San Jose, Costa Rica with my friend, Al Spurrell (for one week) and later, my brother Wayne (for three weeks), to start the first leg of a 2 1/2 month trip that would see me in four of the seven nations that comprise.......

Central America

The seven nations of Central America occupy a land area about the size of Mexico.  Despite its diminutive size, this narrow isthmus is a remarkably varied part of the world, with an array of landscapes, diverse cultural influences and attractions ranging from the ruins of ancient Mayan cities to the Panama Canal, one of the engineering triumphs of the 20th century.

Confined within this compact region is an incredible array of ecosystems and habitats, including tropical rain forests, jungle river systems, volcanic lakes, coastal wetlands, hundreds of idyllic Caribbean islands, white sand beaches and the world's second largest barrier reef.

In addition, Central America's position is at the intersection of divergent cultural influences including the archaeological wonders of Tikal in Guatemala.  The dynamic culture of the indigenous Maya still thrives in the region and is evident in the rich hues of intricately woven tapestries and the lively markets of Guatemala's highlands.  The region's Spanish colonial cities are the best legacy of a different era; among the best-preserved of these are Antigua, Guatemala and Granada, Nicaragua.

Central America's flora and fauna are exceptionally rich and diversified, with hundreds of plant and animal species from the North and South American continents spilling into the isthmus that bridges the gap between them.

We flew from home to......

Costa Rica

Nearly 27% of Costa Rica is protected in the form of a national park system and this leads to many adventure opportunities such as paddling through rain forest, scuba diving, watching volcanic activity from the most active volcano in Central America and just hanging out in the quiet villages and towns.

Costa Rica has had democratic elections since the 19th century and is now one of the most peaceful nations in the world.  Armed forces were abolished after the 1948 civil war, and Costa Rica has avoided the despotic dictatorships, frequent military coups, terrorism and internal strife that have torn other countries in the region.  Costa Rica is also the safest country to visit in Latin America.

***Please note the image quality is limited as these pictures were not digitally captured but rather are prints that have been scanned.***

We landed in Costa Rica's capital city.......

San Jose

Compared with other Central American capitals, San Jose is more cosmopolitan, even North American in character.  There are department stores and shopping malls, fast-food restaurants abound.

Let the games begin!  Our first night in Costa Rica.

We didn't waste anytime in San Jose and early the next day we were picked up at our hotel for a three hour drive up into the Costa Rican highlands where we started a two day whitewater rafting trip on the......

Rio Pacuare

The Pacuare River, whose headwaters begin on the Atlantic slope in the Talamanca mountain range runs about 108km until reaching the Caribbean Sea.  With rapids ranging all the way up to class V, the Pacuare is easily Costa Rica's premier white water rafting river. National Geographic called it one of the world's top 10 river trips in the world, not just due to its challenging rapids, but also because of the stunning scenery that lines its shores.

High up in Costa Rica's Talamanca Mountains.

They call it a rain forest for a good reason.  We were soaked long before we ever got near the river!

It was literally pouring out as we started off down the river on the first day.

The Pacuare River Resort deep in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle.  

Our cabana for the night.

Our sleeping quarters.  

After a hard day of paddling, a gourmet meal is in ordered!

A view of the Pacuare River from the Resort grounds.

Some of the friendly (or curious) wildlife flying around the resort.

The Pacuare River Resort offered treetop cabana's situated about 20 feet off the ground......

People staying in these treetop cabana's can walk out their front door and  walk along a suspended walkway up high in the tree canopy.

We finish the whitewater rafting trip in a village called Sequirres and from there we grab a couple of buses to.........

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

A small village (known locally simply as Puerto Viejo) on the Caribbean side with long swaths of white sandy beaches, this area is a prime surfers' destination with the country's biggest and most powerful waves.

After a long and painful bus ride from Sequirres we arrived in Puerto Viejo at around sunset.  The next day we went exploring on rented scooters.......

A 13km road heads southeast from Puerto Viejo along the coast pass sandy beaches and rocky points through the small communities of Punta Uva and Manzanillo.

Beaches stretched for miles with no one on them!

The beaches did have these turkey-like birds on them??

The next day we decide to go kayaking in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.......

Our guide and his fast-talking boss.

Mangroves growing at the mouth of the river we will be paddling on.

Starting out with great expectations of seeing caymans, alligators, monkeys, quezales and snakes....

February 14, 2005 and no need for a wetsuit!!  

I've paddled in worst places!!!  But still no caymans, alligators, monkeys, quezales and snakes.... 

End of the navigational river.  Never saw any caymans, alligators, monkeys, quezales and snakes....but at least the paddle back is all downhill!!!!

Al Spurrell, our guide and Captain Daly heading back to Manzanillo.

It took a lot of beer to convince Al that he could get a better sunburn on the Pacific coast and that we should leave the quaint little Caribbean village of Puerto Viejo the next morning.  He was reluctant to give up this little part of Paradise, but in the end he agreed!

The next day we flew to the Pacific coastal town of.......

Playa Tamarindo

Playa Tamarindo is a small community residing on a sprawling and attractive beach.  Both surfing and windsurfing is good here while non-surfers will find quiet stretches of ocean to play in.

Arriving in Playa Tamarindo.

The Tropical Hotel (as seen from the pool).  I would get Montezuma's Revenge after Al flew home and I'd end up spending a week in bed at this hotel.

The day after we arrive we go scuba diving in the Pacific.......

Warming up for the big dive in the 24C Pacific Ocean.....yes bye!

.....and our second dive around a huge rock.  Saw a school of hundreds of Spotted-Eagle Manta Rays here....awesome.

The next day, while Al was waiting to fly back home, we rented scooters and went exploring.....

Easy Rider.

Now this is what I'm talking bout.

The sun sets on a great week with my buddy Al.  

I fly back to San Jose just long enough to hook up with my brother, Wayne, who would travel with me for the next three weeks.....

Wayne and I planning the next leg at the Costa Rican Backpackers Hostel.

The next day we head for.......

Monteverde

Monteverde is a small community founded in 1951 by North American Quakers who bought about 150 hectares and began dairy farming and cheese production.  This cloud forest reserve attracts thousands of visitors a year, and small wonder, the area's elevation is 1200M to 1600M, and the cooler and cloudier climate here is a pleasant change from the tropical heat of the lowlands.

We arrive in Monteverde via the local chicken bus just as the great rains began so we took the first hotel that was offered with transportation.....

Home for the next few days....our own little cabana with a little kitchenette.....aaah fresh coffee.  Some good!

The next day we went for a walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.  This reserve was created when the Quaker Settlers arrived, they preserve a third of their property to protect the watershed above Monteverde.  In 1972, about 2000 hectares were added.  

Wayne exploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.  

Thick jungle without the crushing humidity.

The Contenental Divide was our hiking destination!

Looking back at the side of the divide where all the water from the mountains drain into the Pacific Ocean.....

....and the side of the divide where all the water from the mountains drain into the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day we go ziplining in the Monteverde area.....

Wayne flying through the air on one of the 16 cables (with an average lenght of 150 metres) with an average height above ground of 60 metres.

Wayne coming in fast!

The grand-daddy of them all.....600 metres long and at times, nearly 150 metres aloft.  That's me at about 1/2 way!!

Now that's what I'm talking about!

The ultimate rush, the Tarzan Swing.  Similar to bungee jumping.....you climb up onto the platform and jump.....

....the 22 foot  jump sends you free falling before the swinging kicks in.  

The next day we head for.......

La Fortuna

La Fortuna is the nearest village to the spectacular Volcan Arenal (1633M), which looms 6km to the west which is the real reason we came here.  "La Fortuna" is Spanish for "The Fortune", and it is aptly named due to it ample supply of tourist and its extremely fertile lands, however it got its name due to sparing from the Volcan Arenal's eruptions.

To get to La Fortuna we take a mini-van up the mountain to the Great Divide.  From here we are paired up with horses and we proceed down the other side of the Great Divide until we reach Lake Arenal.....

I had never been horseback riding before so this should be quite the adventure!!!

The Lake Arenal in the far distance is where we are headed on the horses.

The trail chenged every minute or so....deep dense jungle one minute....open area the next...hard rock underneath and than knee deep mud.  

The horse portion of the trip took 3 1/2 hours.

There were three river crossings, while not the Nile, they were at times deep (up to the horses belly).

Upon reaching Lake Arenal we take a water taxi to the other side....

After three and half hours in the saddle, I think Wayne is ready to crash!!

Volcan Arenal in the distance as we cruise along in the water taxi.

The water taxi takes 25 minutes across the lake where we pick up a real taxi that takes us to La Fortuna.

The next day we hike up to......

La Catarata de Fortuna

Approximately 6km from the town of La Fortuna is the La Catarata de Fortuna (or the La Fortuna waterfalls) that emerges from the dense jungle greenery plummeting some 70 metres into an emerald pool below....

The beginning of the 6km hike into the La Catarata de Fortuna.

The ever present Volcan Arenal.

It was very hot out and the waters at the base of the falls was chilly.....very chilly.

At the base of the Fortuna waterfalls.

The next day we rent scooters and set out to explore........

Wayne, Beth Doman (a girl from Victoria BC) and myself rent scooters and head for Volcan Arenal.

A perfect view of the Volcan Arenal.  The volcano was dormant until 1968; in that year huge explosions triggered lava flows that killed 80 people.  

The lads!  Climbing Volcan Arenal is definitely not allowed as hikers have been killed by explosions but we did proceed pass this point for another 2 - 3 kms.

Coatis (something between an anteater and racoon), we saw these critters many times but they were especially friendly near the Arenal slopes.

End of the road for us.....Arenal's lava fields is as far as we can go.  Arenal retains its almost perfect conical shape, and with its continuing volcanic activity, Arenal is everyone's image of a typical volcano.

The next day we head for Liberia near the Nicaraguan border where we intend to cross.  It is here that we hear on the daily news about a bank robbery that went bad in Monteverde.  Nine people were killed and several were held as hostages for nearly 28 hours, including Dorothy (an American girl we had hung out with while in Monteverde).  The newspaper clip below confirms that our friend, Dorothy, was OK (she's quoted in the clip).  

Well that's it for our time in Costa Rica as we now continue onwards to Nicaragua (see the next post in this 2005 series)......Cheers!

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday February 10, 2005  7:50PM:  Al and I arrived in San Jose at around 2:00PM.  Got a taxi to our hotel, the Fleur de Lys.  We decided to stay at this place for our first night, but it's expensive, so I don't plan on staying here afterwards.  

San Jose is a different sort of place, quite cosmopolitan actually, lots of North American fast food places and English is widely spoken.  I had forgotten my razor, so we went for a walk to try and find a place to buy one.  I was surprised at the complete lack of cafes and bars.  Thought we might find a place with an outdoor cafe but no such luck.

Tomorrow we go whitewater rafting and it's a two day trip.  I don't think I'll spend much time here in San Jose after Al leaves.  I'm not a big city type guy and this city doesn't hold a lot for me.

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday, February 12, 2005  9:32PM:  Arrived in Puerto Viejo today.  We finished the whitewater rafting on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and decided to come here to save a day of bus travelling but I'm not sure if it's a place to go scuba diving so we may have to reconsider.

Friday morning (02/11/05) at 6:50AM the tour company picked us up at the Fleur de Lys Hotel and took us for a three hour bus ride up into the Costa Rican rain forest.  Rain forest comes by its name honestly......it poured all day.  Mine you, it's a warm rain, but after all day......

We started out from the launch site and paddled about 10km.  Most of the rapids were relatively small and not real challenging.  There was me, Al and three couples in two rafts.  We reached the Pacuare River Lodge at around 3:00PM.  What a spot!!  We were assigned a cabana right next to the river.  The lodge is very remote and has no electricity but they have an amazing garden and the food is wicked.  Unfortunately, after a true gourmet meal and a few beers, I was ready to pass out, so I made my way back to the cabana and called it a night.  Believe it or not, but the rain forest can get quite chilly in the night and I didn't have a good night because I was cold.

Next morning (Saturday 02/12/05) the sun was out full tilt and it was hot.  Naturally I didn't apply enough sun block and now I'm paying a heavy price.  Burnt to a crisp....damn.

We got on the river at about 11:00AM (everything moves on Tica time).  The next part of the river was much more rapidity (is that a word?) with Class IV rapids, but I think it was the scenery that amazed me.  Awesome waterfalls and jungle for the next 20kms.

After the trip we arrived at the take-out town of Siquirres.  It was at this time that we decided to grab a bus to Puerto Limon and then on to our current destination of Puerto Viejo.  We arrived here after a very rough bus ride at around 6:00PM, so the sun was just setting and we decided to grab the first hotel we came across.  Not the greatest place in the world but it'll do until we can look for a better place tomorrow.  In the meantime this place was recommended in the Lonely Planet book.  Later we went out and had a fantastic supper for $15 per person.  Had amazing squid and a couple of cold cold beers!!!  After the meal I tried to check my e-mail but I couldn't sign on, hopeful I'll have more luck tomorrow.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday  February 13, 2005  2:49PM:   Got up this morning with both of us convinced that we had to find other accommodations.  There was a dog barking outside our window for a good part of the night.  So after Al had his food fix (by can that fella eat) we started to look for alternative accommodations, which we found in the form of the Hotel Casa Verde.  A beautiful hotel set among a great little garden and it even has a swimming pool.  Not bad for $23US per person.

We decided to rent scooters and drive to Manzanillo, the last town on the coast and not far from the Panama border.  We were gone for four hours and had a real hoot!!!

I went to take out money at the only bank ATM in town but it is not CIRRUS connected so now I'm without any cash.  Hopefully I can cash some traveller cheques soon.

DIARY ENTRY: Monday  February 14, 2005  2:37PM:  Arrived back from a kayaking trip up a jungle river in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, although I'm not sure why they call it a wildlife refuge as the only wildlife we saw was a couple of lizards.  The trip itself was a good paddle but an expensive one given the among of things we saw.  We were up at 6:20AM to get ready and find some food.  Al didn't eat his steak last night so I expect he was famished.  The only place we could find was a coffee/soda place and we had a bowl of fruit and toast.  Our taxi arrived at 7:40AM and we headed to Manzanillo.  We had to get a boat out to the refuge and from there we launched our boats.  The river was your typical slow moving mangrove style river.  Really interesting to paddle and it felt good to get out.

So this is Valentine's Day!!  Got back from Manzanillo today and went for a swim in the hotel's pool and also had a jacuzzi.  Now sitting here sucking on a beer.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday February 15, 2005  10:35PM:  Al went to bed at 9:20PM and I just couldn't force myself to go to bed that early for another night.  Our diving isn't until 8:30AM and it's just to early now.  My body clock has adjusted fairly well at this point in time.

Today we left Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side and got a bus (at 7:00AM) to San Jose.  It took about four hours.  From San Jose we flew (Al is on a time line) to Playa Tamarindo (cost $75US).

The countryside on this side of Costa Rica is completely different from the other side.  No rain forest here....and hot.....maybe 4C or 5C higher.  The vegetation is very different  as well, whereas before we had heavy rain during the night, I'm told it won't rain here for weeks.  this of course, causes the vegetation to be more arid tolerant.

We arrived here around 4:00PM and checked into the Hotel Zullyman but I think tomorrow we'll switch to the Tropical Hotel.  Both have pools and are your typical "resort" style lodgings.  I've noticed that the hotels here are much more expensive but as Al pointed out, the food is cheaper!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday February 16, 2005  2:09PM:    Just got back from diving off the Pacific side of Costa Rica.  It was pretty awesome, especially the school of Spotted-Eagle Manta Rays.  Must have been a couple hundred or more in the school and they swam right in front of us.

The water temperature was approximately 80F (according to my dive gauge) but you would hit cold areas where the temp would drop to nearly 70F.  Unfortunately, for my second dive I lost my dive goggles....damn I hate that.  I was cleaning them and they slipped right from my hand......$259 down the drain.  Our second dive was around a rock but the fish (and current) was not near as good as the first dive.....actually I must get ready to go over and pay for the dive now as I forgot to do so before setting off.

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday February 18, 2005  1:40PM:  Just spent a good portion of today on email trying to key in addresses.  I guess I had so many that it wouldn't let me send without checking to see if I was spamming people.

Today Al left and it hasn't hit me yet that I'm here now alone for the next 7 days.

Yesterday (Thursday 02/17/05) we were going to take it easy but instead ended up renting mopeds and going to Playa Flamingo.  It was a hoot and we both agreed the meal we had at the small soda stand was the best we had since being here.  Tonight I'm off to see the Downchild Blues Band at El Grille (wherever that's to).

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday February 21, 2005  4:15PM:  I didn't realize so much time had passed since my last entry.  Guess I had nothing much to report.  Well I didn't get to see the Downchild Blues Band after all.  It turns out they were playing about 30 minutes from here and that would have meant an expense to get there and back plus the cost associated with being there.

Saturday (Feb. 19/05) I hooked up with 3 Americans and we decided to go to a concert.  Big mistake.  The band was a bad cover band and it cost $10US to get in.  We didn't stay long enough to finish one beer.  After that we headed out looking for a bar but couldn't find one with any amount of activity.  Finally called it quits around 1:00AM and came home.

Sunday (Feb. 20/05) was a day of rest......good thing cause by 4 or 5PM I was starting to feel ill and last night if I was up 5 times I was up 50!!  Montezuma's Revenge in a big way.  So today, like it or not,  I'm forced to lay around.  I'm only now feeling a little better although I still have some diarrhoea.  

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday February 22, 2005  2:38PM:  Still sick.....self diagnosis is dehydration in a big way from the diaherria I suffered yesterday.  I am forcing liquids into me but again I'm forced to lay around.   Thank God I have air-conditioning, otherwise I would probably be a lot worst than I currently am.

I just went to the grocery store and picked up a pastry with meat.  I also need to start eating so I'll force this into me for now.

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday February 25, 2005  1:27PM:  Well again its been a while since my last entry.  One of the main reasons for this is of course I've not really done anything real exciting to write about.  Basically Wednesday (02/23/05) I was feeling much better but realized that my best line of defense was to take it easy.....so I did.  I did take a stroll down to the beach but stuck close to the hotel and the coolness of my room.

Thursday (02/24/05) I was in top form and spent a good portion of the day down on the beach playing somewhat childlike in the surf.  The water temp is about 28C and it was quite pleasant just to have the waves crash over me. 

Today I plan on doing exactly the same thing and until the heat of the midday has passed, that's exactly where I'm headed.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday February 27, 2005  9:59AM:  I arrived in San Jose around 12:30 Saturday (02/26/05) and checked in to the Costa Rican Backpackers Hostel.  Later that night Wayne arrived.  It was surprising he got here as quickly as he did (10:54PM).  I was sitting in the TV room when I heard him asking the front reception about me.  He was pretty pumped after travelling for a day and half.

Now I'm waiting for him to climb out of bed and get the show on the road.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday March 1, 2005  6:23PM:  Well we were unable to get a bus to Nicaraqua so we instead took a bus to Monteverde (Santa Elena) in northern Costa Rica.  It was quite the journey (about 4 1/2 hours).  The bus stopped and picked up whomever flagged it down.  The last 35kms was over a dirt mountain road and it took about 1 1/2 hours.  

We arrived and it was getting dark and starting to rain (Monteverde is in the cloud forest). There were many hoteliers trying to get our business but in the end, because it was starting to rain, we took the place that provided transportation.  Good thing, the cabin turned out to be the best I've stayed in; 2 beds, kitchen, cable TV and all for $15pp.

We got back from a walk in the rain forest at around 3:30PM.  It was quite the hike through the forest and the trails were in excellent shape.  Never saw much wildlife....in fact never saw any.  We actually walked up and stood on the continental divide.  This is where water runs either to the Atlantic or the Pacific Oceans.  After the walk we stopped at a hummingbird place and saw some awesome birds in action.

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday March 2, 2005  2:41PM:  Just got back from a couple hours doing a zipline.  The course we did had 16 platforms with the longest cable being 600 metres (it was also the highest at 50 metres).  The tour starts with a quick lesson and then the four of us (a couple from Spain) take to the sky.  

The rides average about 150 metres....quite the adrenaline rush!!  However the biggest rush comes from the Tarzan Swing.  This thing is basically a rope (with all the appropriate safety features) that you attach to yourself after climbing up on a platform.  Than you jump off and swing back and forth for a few minutes.  I expect it is similar to bungee jumping but sine I've never done bungee jumping, I could be wrong.  The BIG rush comes from the 20 foot free fall at the beginning.

Wayne and I discussed things and we've decided to stay in Monteverde for one more night (after tonight) and then take the horses to Volcano Arenal.  From there we can grab a bus to the town of Liberia.

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday March 5, 2005  5:16PM:    We ended up staying in Monteverde for an extra night.  As Wayne pointed out it was climatically comfortable.  We didn't do anything but last night we went out with Dorothy (American girl we had met).  We went to the Bar Amigos where a live band was playing really good salsa.

Today we had to get up fairly early to catch out trip to La Fortuna.  A mini-bus took us back up the mountain where we connected to the second phase of our journey.....horses.  I had never been on a horse before so this was going to be an experience!!  We were matched according to size and off we went.  

The trail we took was back down the other side of the mountain, through jungle, pasture and three river crossings.  It was very exhilarating and I cannot describe how the trail chenged every second minute or so....deep dense jungle one minute....open area the next...hard rock underneath and than knee deep mud.  And the three river crossings, while not the Nile, they were at times deep (up to the horses belly).  And speaking of horses, as I said earlier, this was my first time on a horse and my horse was obviously wild.  The other horses obviously did not like mine horse becauseevery time he got close they would attempt to kick him.  One was successful but it was my shin that took the hit....damn that hurt.  Whenever we came to anything resembling openness he would gallop like something coming out of the gate.  I couldn't slow him down.  I was petrified...almost fell off....seriously.

After 3 1/2 hours we came to Lake Arenal where a water taxi picked us up for a 25 minute lake crossing.  Now we are at the Cabinas Los Palmos, a $10pp room.  The Volcano Arenal is sitting about 3km to my right.  I have a perfect view.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday March 6, 2005  6:22PM:  Today Beth Doman (Wayne's friend from Victoria BC) awoke us at 7:30AM.  We had agreed to walk to a waterfalls with her and an Isreali guy that she had met.

The walk to the waterfalls was all up hill and although the sun wasn't shining it was quite hot.  The walk was about 2 hours and by the time we got to the falls I was wiped.  However the waterfalls itself, was great.  A cool clear pool at the bottom was quite the reward.  Wayne and I stripped down andmade for the water....cool and refreshing, it lowered my core temperature back down to normal.

On the way back down our friends from the horseback ride passed us in a truck that they had hitched a ride in and they got the driver to pick us up.  They told us about a baseball tournament taking place in town and of the fiesta after.  We decided to check it out and basically spent the rest of the day watching local baseball and drinking beer.  We're getting ready now to go for supper and after we will check out the fiesta!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday March 8, 2005  4:00PM:  Here I am in Liberia sweltering in the heat (38C).  We rented scooters yesterday (Monday 03/08/05) in La Fortuna for 5 hours.  It was great!!  We went to the lava fields of Volcano Arenal and saw the active side of the volcano.....very neat!  Since Wayne and I were parting company with Beth Doman (Victoria girl), we decided to get Mexican food for supper.  

Today we were up early to catch the first of an extensive journey via local buses to Liberia.  Got a bus from La Fortuna to Tiliriania (3 hours).  Got an old school bus to Canas (1 hour).  Finally got another bus to Liberia (1 hour).  Total travel time plus topp-overs.....8 hours.  Total distance.....120kms.  Gotta love these third world transportation systems.

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday  March 9, 2005  5:48PM:  Last night (Tuesday 03/08/05) we stayed at the Hotel Liberia in Costa Rica.  A real furnace of a place with the temperature so intense that sleep was limited.  We had gone to a really fancy restaurant earlier (decided to treat ourselves).  Well at $15 each we had 4 beer and one of the best fish suppers I ever had....totally awesome.

Woke up this morning to a sad event.  The News was reporting that several armed robbers had entered the only bank in Monteverde and that 5 people were dead and there were several hostages.  They showed the names of the hostages and one of them was Dorothy (an American girl we had hung out with).  This hit home hard as it was the only bank in town and both Wayne and I had done our banking there, plus of course, the fact that Dorothy is among the hostages.....very sad.