For dinner at the hotel we shared a really good quesaidilla....then trundled off to bed!
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Travel Day Saturday, Nov 1, 2019
For dinner at the hotel we shared a really good quesaidilla....then trundled off to bed!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Sunday Nov 3, 2019 Guanacaste, Coffee and the Beach
Early start this morning. We had to have our bags out by 6:00, have breakfast (an awesome buffet) then meet as a group with our Tour Manager for trip details and instructions. We have 32 travelers on the bus, half from Boise the other half from all over (England, Florida Rhode Island)
We were on the road by 8:00. First stop was the Doka Coffee plantation. Beautiful gardens and a great tour of the whole process of making coffee. The drive up to this 3800 foot elevation was along a winding, curvy road. Kudos to our bus driver. We appreciated our guide's procedure of mounting the day's map in the front of the bus.
After our tour, back down the mountain and onto Route 1, the Pan American Highway. Not much of a road; two lanes and very heavy traffic. Lunch stop at a buffet/souvenir shop which had a beautiful garden and butterfly house in the back.
Our afternoon snack stop was quite a treat! Out behind the store were some large trees which had a bunch of squawking Macaws. We had a brief visit by a Toucan and I was the ONLY one able to get his picture!
The entire afternoon has been spent driving downhill to sea level. As we go down in altitude there is marked difference in the flora and its gets much drier. Coffee and sugar cane has become cattle ranching. It looks a lot like Hawaii and although the scenery is pretty, the roadsides are not - lots of ramshackle homes and junk yards.
We arrived at our hotel by 4:30. Its called Nammbu-Playa Carrillo in the region called Guanacasta. We aren't sure what we've gotten into! It's nothing like what we were expecting. Its a 3 year old modern hotel/resort situated on the hillside overlooking the bay and beach (except you can't see through the trees). We are all complaining that this place, as nice as it looks, is no place for a bus full of old people. Lots of up and down, lots of stairs, and it looks like getting down to the beach is no picnic! (We'll find out tomorrow!) It does have an inviting pool!
It's hot and humid but at least our room has A/C. We had a fine meal at the hotel restaurant with our "new" friends. Tomorrow we have an "off" day to enjoy this resort and just chill. It may be a boring day!
We were on the road by 8:00. First stop was the Doka Coffee plantation. Beautiful gardens and a great tour of the whole process of making coffee. The drive up to this 3800 foot elevation was along a winding, curvy road. Kudos to our bus driver. We appreciated our guide's procedure of mounting the day's map in the front of the bus.
After our tour, back down the mountain and onto Route 1, the Pan American Highway. Not much of a road; two lanes and very heavy traffic. Lunch stop at a buffet/souvenir shop which had a beautiful garden and butterfly house in the back.
Our afternoon snack stop was quite a treat! Out behind the store were some large trees which had a bunch of squawking Macaws. We had a brief visit by a Toucan and I was the ONLY one able to get his picture!
The entire afternoon has been spent driving downhill to sea level. As we go down in altitude there is marked difference in the flora and its gets much drier. Coffee and sugar cane has become cattle ranching. It looks a lot like Hawaii and although the scenery is pretty, the roadsides are not - lots of ramshackle homes and junk yards.
We arrived at our hotel by 4:30. Its called Nammbu-Playa Carrillo in the region called Guanacasta. We aren't sure what we've gotten into! It's nothing like what we were expecting. Its a 3 year old modern hotel/resort situated on the hillside overlooking the bay and beach (except you can't see through the trees). We are all complaining that this place, as nice as it looks, is no place for a bus full of old people. Lots of up and down, lots of stairs, and it looks like getting down to the beach is no picnic! (We'll find out tomorrow!) It does have an inviting pool!
It's hot and humid but at least our room has A/C. We had a fine meal at the hotel restaurant with our "new" friends. Tomorrow we have an "off" day to enjoy this resort and just chill. It may be a boring day!
Monday, November 11, 2019
Monday - Guanacaste Hangin' Out with some Body Surfing
Beautiful sunny day, hot and humid right from the get go! First things first, I hiked down to the beach to find out how difficult it might for us old people. Its not too bad, although I can imagine there could be accidents. There concrete steps going down the hill, a bit irregular and no hand railings. Once on the road below, one has to walk single file about 1/4 mile and over a one lane bridge to get to the beach. Meanwhile, the locals are speeding by in old pick up trucks and motorbikes.
Once down to the beach, its is spectacular! Beautiful sand, warm water, nice waves. I went back up the hill to meet Sam for breakfast before we both went back down to the beach. Sam was a trooper navigating those treacherous steps!
We could easily have spent the rest of the day there, but it was clear that sunburn might be a real issue. I do not recall the last time I went body surfing, but it was awesome! We hiked back up the hill for a light lunch at the hotel restaurant, then spent the afternoon by the pool reading our books until dinner time.
A couple of good wildlife sightings today. I got a fairly good photo of a Boat-billed Flycatcher with its bright yellow breast, white under the neck and a black headband. Sam was sitting on the back patio and saw a Coatimundi scamper by! Of course, there were Iguanas hanging round the pool.
Tomorrow we head for the Monteverde "Cloud Forest".
Note: Some comments about this place:
Once down to the beach, its is spectacular! Beautiful sand, warm water, nice waves. I went back up the hill to meet Sam for breakfast before we both went back down to the beach. Sam was a trooper navigating those treacherous steps!
We could easily have spent the rest of the day there, but it was clear that sunburn might be a real issue. I do not recall the last time I went body surfing, but it was awesome! We hiked back up the hill for a light lunch at the hotel restaurant, then spent the afternoon by the pool reading our books until dinner time.
A couple of good wildlife sightings today. I got a fairly good photo of a Boat-billed Flycatcher with its bright yellow breast, white under the neck and a black headband. Sam was sitting on the back patio and saw a Coatimundi scamper by! Of course, there were Iguanas hanging round the pool.
Tomorrow we head for the Monteverde "Cloud Forest".
Note: Some comments about this place:
- The pool is awesome, the food is great, the beach is spectacular
- The room is HUGE but poorly equipped - no reading lights, no tissues, no clock,
- The property is very hard to get around due to steep sidewalks, no handrails,
- Getting down to the beach can be a real problem for some folks
- I would be curious to know about Collett's decision to pick this property for our bus full of old people. Maybe it only nice place around?
- So, for a group of seniors I can't give it a very good review,
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Tuesday the Monteverde Cloud forest
We awoke to another beautiful warm humid sunny morning. After a nice buffet breakfast we were back on the bus by 8 heading for the mountains in the central part of the country along the Continental Divide.
We drove for about an hour and a half on the same road we came down yesterday stopping at the same cafeteria for a snack and a picture of the macaws. Then we headed Northeast up a narrow windy steep mountain road ultimately to an elevation of about 6000 feet feet. The views are spectacular and lush green. It is amazing that our giant motorcoach can make it along these narrow mountain roads. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
Our lunch stop was a small town by the name of San Elena which appears to be primarily a tourist town for people visiting the forest and it's activities. We had a great lunch at a unique restaurant called The Tree House.
After lunch we continue through the village of Monteverde and to the main entrance of the park....Monteverde Cloud Forest and Biological Preserve. Costa Rica has taken control of a large swath of land for environmental protection. We then took a gentle 2 hour walk through the trails where Grievin gave us detailed descriptions of the amazing variety of plants. The weather is dry but cool and damp.
After our walk we drove back to Monteverde to our hotel, a place called El Establo Mountain Hotel & Private Reserve. It appears to be a series of nine hotel buildings scattered in the forest along the side of the mountain. THIS PLACE IS EVEN LESS NAVIGABLE THAN YESTERDAY! Steep walkways everywhere. Fortunately, the restaurant is nearby. We got some good sunset views from our room.
Our dinner in the main Lodge restaurant was excellent.
We drove for about an hour and a half on the same road we came down yesterday stopping at the same cafeteria for a snack and a picture of the macaws. Then we headed Northeast up a narrow windy steep mountain road ultimately to an elevation of about 6000 feet feet. The views are spectacular and lush green. It is amazing that our giant motorcoach can make it along these narrow mountain roads. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
Our lunch stop was a small town by the name of San Elena which appears to be primarily a tourist town for people visiting the forest and it's activities. We had a great lunch at a unique restaurant called The Tree House.
After lunch we continue through the village of Monteverde and to the main entrance of the park....Monteverde Cloud Forest and Biological Preserve. Costa Rica has taken control of a large swath of land for environmental protection. We then took a gentle 2 hour walk through the trails where Grievin gave us detailed descriptions of the amazing variety of plants. The weather is dry but cool and damp.
After our walk we drove back to Monteverde to our hotel, a place called El Establo Mountain Hotel & Private Reserve. It appears to be a series of nine hotel buildings scattered in the forest along the side of the mountain. THIS PLACE IS EVEN LESS NAVIGABLE THAN YESTERDAY! Steep walkways everywhere. Fortunately, the restaurant is nearby. We got some good sunset views from our room.
Our dinner in the main Lodge restaurant was excellent.
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Today is our day to do some wildlife viewing on the Cano Negro River, near the town of Chiles, not far from the ocean and the Nicaraguan bor... -
Beautiful sunny day, hot and humid right from the get go! First things first, I hiked down to the beach to find out how difficult it might f... -
Early start this morning. We had to have our bags out by 6:00, have breakfast (an awesome buffet) then meet as a group with our Tour Manage...