Friday, July 17, 2009

Still in Costa

So we left monteverde and traveled to San Jose for one night!!!  Then we went to the national park of La Tortugero (Turtles)  This place is you can only get to by plane or boat.  It was so so so beautiful miles and miles of black sand beaches!!  The town is a perfect union of tourists and locals.  it is the first place on this trip that you could truly see the way people live!!

we set out on a turtle watch at 8 pm. we waited at a shelter with our guide till a ranger from the park radioed us then we went down to the beach to see the turtle lay eggs.  The ranger said that once the turtle digs the nest she is in the zone and does not notice people watching her.  you can not have any lights or cameras because the turtle uses the moon to guide their laying.  She laid about 100 eggs and then buried them and went back to sea.  it was amazing.  i have never seen anything like this it was so intimate and surreal.

the next day Laura and i rented a two person kayak and went through the national forest.  it was so remote it was just us and the river and jungle for as far as the eye can see!!!

So yesterday we tried to head to bocas in panama but our bus got a flat tire so we missed our connector.  we ended up in Chauita for two more nights.  hopefully tomorrow we will be in panama!!!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Wildlife up Close and Personal

Hey guys so we are in San Jose for the night.  The past few days have been crazy busy.  We first went to Arenal there we booked a tour with a guide named Mr. lava lava he organized a evening at the hot springs and lava sightings.  We went to the hot spring and it was crazy!  the only thing natural about this place was the water everything else was like hot spring gone vegas.  Swanky pools and swim up bars.  There were 20 hot springs in all ranging from 70 degrees to 150.  There was even some crazy water slides!!  At 5 Mr. lava lava picked us up to take us to the volcano we stood in the rain and got eaten by lots o skeeters.  (he did provide rain coats)  there was no lava to be seen.  he took us back to the hot springs for dinner and more soaking.  Then at 10 he picked us up and took us back to the volcano and there before our eyes lava was exploding and flowing down the volcano the power of nature was amazing.

The next day we went to Monteverde via a boat the ride alone was so green hilly and beautiful.  In monteverde jen and i went on a night hike.  We saw a tarantula, sloths (with babies)  leaf hoppers, walking sticks, caddy dids, a Pygmy tree frog and so much more.  So So cool.

Tonight we are in San Jose and tomorrow off to the remote area of Totugerro to see sea turtles lay eggs.  There is no cell service or internet so see you all in three days.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Cahuita, Costa Rica AKA Heaven on Earth

Well we made it over the border and to the beach town of Cahuita.  This two road town is where a bunch of Rasta folk got sick of the island and made their own place on the mainland of Costa Rica.  It´s a chill town with a few places to eat one bar to drink and two beaches one with white sand and the other with black!

We´re staying at a wooden guest house run by a girl from Minnesota and her rasta boo.  It looks a lot like my room at camp but the porch has two hammocks and I´m not going to lie I could spend the rest of my trip here!!!

Yesterday we took a hike on the white sand beach that is part of a national park there was a trail along the beach for about 8 km.  While hiking we saw raccoons, lizards, crabs, monkeys, and these monkeys make such a loud noise we thought they were wild pigs!!!  The trail ends at an Italian guy´s house with a pool, cabana and a mean pasta dinner, now that´s a sweet way to end a hike!!  Instead of hiking back we got a ride in a back of a pickup truck from a Tica family who lives in Cahuita and was just hanging out at their friend´s pool.  The perfect combo beaches that rival a corona commercial, cold beer and pool and food right from Tuscany!! 

Tomorrow we are off to watch a volcano erupt!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

It's cold in Bouqete!


Gabrielle tried to leave us on the first but the airports were all closed due to the swearing in of the new president.  intresting beings that the air panama website sold her a ticket for that day!!  After her airport debacle the 8 of us took off for Bouqete Panama which is a mountian town that is famous for extreme sports and coffee (my kind of place)!  when we arrived in the late afternoon we decided to journey to a natural hot spring about 15 km outside of town.  the taxi dropped us off at the end of the road, the lonely planet guide book neglected to mention it would be a 45 min hike from there through a cow field and a major hydro electric construction sight.  after we finally made it we paid the woman whos land it was on and enjoyed a great hot soak.  it was so beautiful and refreshing (said that anyone who soaks there enjoys great health benifits)  not going to lie i feel great though not sure if it is due to the spring or the joy of  not working!!
the next morning we went zip lining through the rain forest.  the ride up there was as ms ortiz described it like the oregon trail but the view was amazing.  i met a couple that had just finished producing the show i´m a celebrity get me out of here.  they were cool to talk to!!  we zipped throught the forest on 12 different platforms.  more of a thrill than an actual eco site!!!
the next day i tried to hike this famous trail.  we asked taxi cab driver to take us to the trail head which according to the lp was only 3 km from the trail.  when he dropped us off we proceded to walk uphill in the hot sun.  about an hour in I bailed and jen anita and i walked back down hill.  we had a picnic lunch next to a river and then hiked on the remote rode for the way back to town.  on the way back we were stopped by a couple who was inspecting their bridge.  they owned a coffee planatation.  we chatted to them about coffee farming.  they were awesome they were 80 and let me tell you if i look that good when i´m 80 i´ll be in business!!
at night here in the mountians it gets very cold and rainy. today the sun has not come out at all and it is about 65!!
tomorrow we head out to the beaches of costa rica