The Hampton Inn is perfect and reliable. The people are nice and the place is clean. A+ all the way around for that place.  The next day we were picked up by Frank Chicas. That guy is good!! He also drove us from Puerto Viejo to San Jose and from the Hampton Inn to the airport the last day.  He gets you wherever you’re going in the least amount of time without ever scaring the hell out of you. I’m sure it’s hard to do both! He pays attention to his driving but he is also attentive and friendly to the passengers. That guy could drive us anywhere!! I’m not sure how or how much he gets paid but we tipped him well. He really seemed to appreciate it.

The Nature Air flight was perfect. I would fly them again. It was a no hassle check in, the Twin Otter is an awesome bird and the flight was quite enjoyable. We could have done without the long and obligatory stop in Sierpe on the way to Drake Bay. It might just have been because the Drake boat was broken down and they had to get someone else.

The Drake Bay resort is nice. We were about the only ones there. Herbert is a cool old dude and his wife and the rest of the staff is very nice too. The rooms were clean, the food was good and the tours offered were very reasonable, if not included. It’s a bit treacherous getting up their “dock”, but I guess there is nothing they can do about that. Victor, the boat driver, is a top notch boatman and very good fisherman as well. If you have anyone who wants to fish there, send them to Victor. (he is on staff at the resort) We fished in some seas that I never dreamt possible. Since we were wet all the time, the FREE laundry and boot drying service was very nice. We look forward to staying there again.

The rafting trip was fun and the crew from Exploradores is fantastic. They wear so many hats and do it quite well. They have fun joking with each other and the customers and really make it an enjoyable experience. The beach lunch they made for us atop one of the rafts was excellent. I would do that again with that group for sure. They were also very safety conscious and we never felt in danger. Their transportation/drivers were very good too.

Also while in Puerto Viejo, we went fishing on the Geronimo with a French guy who owns the boat. He isn’t much of a fisherman but we did see some Dolphins and his boat is nice. I’m not sure that I’d go back to PV other than to visit “my” sloth but Mike and Rich seemed to have a good time on rented bicycles, stopping at the chocolate places, then swimming off the calories (yeah, right). They said the National Park in Cahuita was somewhat underwhelming and that the trails were closed.

Sue Kempf(Oct 6-18,2008)

A lady at Azania was familiar with Aviarios del Caribe. That is the sloth rescue place. (Their address says it’s in Cahuita but it’s really in Penshurt.) We took a taxi there after we dropped our friends off at the National Park. The tour is $25 and includes a canoe ride around the grounds where we saw some wild sloths plus lots of other birds and reptiles. Once inside you see a video then go on a tour of adults and babies with a guide.

at the Sloth Rescue The guides are very informative, and while I thought I knew a lot about sloths, I found out a lot of what I know isn’t so. Even the guides at Corcovado gave us misinformation about them. One told us that over 200 species of insects live in their hair.  Not true, only the Sloth Moth lives in their hair. They eat the moss that grows in their hair. None of the sloths at the rescue center had moss or bugs in their hair. I’m not sure what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by the facility. It is BIG and very clean. You’d expect a stinky place, at least, but there was absolutely no odors anywhere. All the cages and enclosures are spotless and the sloths seem very content to be there. We were able to meet the owners, Luis and Judy Arroyo. They are incredibly pleasant and dedicated folks. They were very appreciative when we adopted a sloth. You’d think we gave them a million dollars.

Three of their grandsons work there and it’s really neat to see a family work together like that. There are quite a few volunteers but they employee 14 people full time. If you ever have a chance, you should visit the place. I know you would enjoy it and learn a lot too. It’s SO cute when they take the babies out to poop.From what I understand, they have rooms available on the premises too.

A great experience!

Sue Kempf

Costa Rica is the best place if your are an adventure lover or if you are addicted to adrenaline,there is a sport call Bungee Jumping, Basically is about going to a big bridge and jumping off, but is a lot more then that!

The best bungee jumping in Costa Rica is at the bridge in the Naranjo  called Old Colorado River Bridge, about 1 1/2 hours from San Jose( Costa Rica’s capital).After you park the car in a real good typical Costa Rican food restaurant you’re ready for adventure.

You will start walking on this huge bridge that it is  265 feet high, which makes it one of the ten biggest bungee jumping bridges in America.Then there is an bilingual instructor telling you the basic steps to do it. A few minutes later you will be sitting on the ledge  just saying “What am I doing” and the guy will tell you “please turn around and walk in this side”. Once you’re on the edge you just need to put your toes in the limit and count 5.You will hear everybody saying “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!!!!” you just feel how your body moves alone and a few more seconds you just feel this unique, great and amazing feeling of flying and freedom,  the weird part is that when you remember  how afraid you where before jumping you think that you will never do it again, but its the opposite, in the instant you leave  the bridge you just want to jump again.

I am an adventure guy who will try almost anything and the bungee jump that I did is one of the highlights of  my year.

Yesterday was so beautiful out that we decided to drive up to the Volcano at Irazu.  Located only 45 km from San Jose, it was just the right distance to travel.  The ride up to the volcano was amazing!  The views were spectacular and it was such a treat to see the real Costa Rica- the small villages, the dense, tropical landscape and the friendly people with their roadside stands.

It was such an amazing drive up to Irazu!  So very beautiful- the clouds floated above the forest and the temperature dropped about 15 degrees from the city.  There was almost no traffic and it was an easy drive- the roads were good all of the way up.  Every turn provided a new vista with an even more breathtaking view of the lush forest and fields or the beautiful city of Cartago.  The side of the road had dense foliage of large “elephant ear” type plants and tall pine trees.

Local farmers had set up on the roadside selling potatoes, onions, calla lilies, goat cheese and a variety of locally produced products.  We finally arrived at the entrance to Irazu and paid the entry fee- $10 for non residents and drove up to the parking lot and were instantly greeted by a group of friendly Pizote, also called the Coati which is a raccoon like animal.  They amused all of the visitors with their antics and were very friendly.  The Coati looks just like a raccoon except has a

longer snout and is longer and thinner than the animals that I am familiar with. They were enjoying the crowds and rummaging through the trash cans. The volcano was awesome!  It was hard to imagine the force that was required to create such an enormous hole.  Though chilly at the summit, it was invigorating to walk up to the edge of the volcano and peer down to the small lake at the bottom- yellow/green with sulfur.  This active volcano is the tallest in Costa Rica at nearly 3500 meters and provides amazing views.
The name Irazu comes from the local Indian village Istaru, which meant hill of trembling and thunder, which we were grateful wasn’t the case while we were there!  The whole area had an only moonscape feel to it- large “beaches” of a fine, black dusty sand and scarred rock walls where the blast ripped out the center of the mountain.

This was definitely a great day trip if you have part of the day to kill while you are in San Jose.  Close to the city and a beautiful drive- well worth the time!

Here you will be able to see the Irazu PHOTO GALLERY

Just outside of San Jose lies the Lankester Botanic Gardens(Official Site) - a place where you can spend a day outside and learn about the incredible variety of plants and orchids found in Costa Rica.  Make a stop at the country’s most famous church, the  “Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles” as you drive through Cartago on your way to this truly exceptional place.

The Lankester Botanic Gardens or Jardin Botanico Lankester was founded in 1973 and is part of the University of Costa Rica(Site in Spanish).  The mission of the gardens is to promote the conservation and sustainable usage of the epiphytic flora of the region.  They use scientific research, environmental education and various horticulture methods to achieve their goals of conservation.  Though officially started in 1973, the Gardens date back to the 1940’s when famed British horticulturist and orchid specialist, Charles
H. Lankester became interested in the native plants of Costa Rica.  He collaborated with the prominent orchidologists of the time and established a private research garden on his farm just outside of San Jose.  After his death, the magnitude of his project became apparent and the American Orchid Society and the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust combined efforts in an attempt to save the important work that he had done- the result is the Lankester Botanic Gardens.  The Gardens have the reputation of being among
the most important botanical institutions in Central America.

The Gardens occupy an area of over 27 acres and host over 3000 types of plants. Internationally recognized for the study of tropical epiphytic plants, with a special interest in orchids, the Lankester carefully and
thoroughly inventories and compiles database information that will be valuable for generations to come.

Lankester Botanic Gardens is open nearly every day of the year, closing only for Christmas, Good Friday and New Year’s Day.  The Gardens offer good accessibility for wheelchairs and is reasonably priced for all visitors. With most of the facilities out of doors, it is important to remember to wear comfortable shoes and rainwear during the green season.

Flamingo Beach Hotel was an amazing experience since my arrival, located in Northern Guanacaste this hotel provides an excellent location to see all the major places and attractions in the zone.

I really enjoyed the rooms since they offer you great space. The rooms are perfectly equipped with everything you will need.

There are wide common areas for guests, a big swimming pool and a great wet-bar, delicious restaurant and even a beach club.

Some of my friends also found a class 4 wave really close from the hotel, it was fun and exciting, in addition you can drive less than 30 minutes and get more surf points that I’m sure you will enjoy.

Please do not miss it!

The white water rafting is a sport where you can feel a big amount of adrenaline in a safe way,mostly because you are going with guides who live next to the river and have years doing rafting in the same river,so chill-out is not that dangerous.

Well a few weeks a go I did river rafting in the Pacuare River which is in the top ten of the world best rivers for rafting, normally is in class II & III but, depending in the rain of the last days the river can grow a lot more and become class IV and V which is in another level, but steel enjoyable.

Another amazing thing of the Pacuare is that remember you are in the middle of  the virgin rainforest, the things you will see and hear are not likely to be repeated ever again. The day I went it was a little rainy but that didn’t stop me from looking different animals like parrots, sloths, toucans an other really cool animals like the red frog that it is really hard to find. These 18 miles of river with 52 different rapids really help me to have my perfect get-away from the city and from everything.

In the middle of the trip I pass through this unique waterfall called Huacas with 130 or 140 feet that drop in the middle of the river, a few steps from where you will pass!!It is amazing!

Well at the end of the adventure they took me to an Exploration Center,  in Siquirres ,where i took a shower and eat,  and just before they take me back they pass a video showing all the pictures that they took in the rapids.

On the way back in the  streets of Siquirres we passed through the middle of different green mountains with a few clouds, there’s no part in these trip that I didn’t love.

If you love to feel adrenaline and nature, these is something you have to do in Costa Rica.

Check out some of the pictures of the Rafting Pacuare on the PHOTO GALLERY

It’s a beautiful place surrounded by nature in front of the beach. The hotel staff was really nice with us, they had great service and the food in the restaurant was awesome. It is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for nature and enjoy the beach without many people around you.

I stayed in a very nice standard room close to the pool and the restaurant. The rooms are very comfortable equipped with TV, air conditioning, minibar, amenities and each deluxe room has a small private Jacuzzi. There are also suites fully equipped with kitchen and 2 rooms.

Bahia del Sol hotel is located in a small peaceful beach named Potrero. Our visit took place around Independence Day so there were costarican typical parties in town due to the holiday. It was a lot of fun.The hotel also is very near to other beaches such as Flamingo, a beautiful white sand beach, which is one of my favorites beaches because the sea is crystal clear. A few minutes away is Playa Grande and Tamarindo two beaches famous for surfing.

Personally, I would recommend this hotel is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for a comfy place to stay, relax and enjoy the beach
PHOTO GALLERY

Hello people, it has been a hectic weekend at the office with everybody planning a vacation down to paradise, beautiful Costa Rica!. So I decided to tell you the story of one of my last weekends exploring this country.

I recieve the great assignment of visiting Guanacaste and checking out the Ocotal Resort, I ask a friend of mine if he wants to come with me on a weekend vacation and he jumps at the idea!, Friday comes and we’re ready, after some minor issues…(oil change, my friend habit of leaving important things on his house… buying a new spare tire since his was used like two days ago).

The road to Guanacaste from San Jose is one of the best in Costa Rica, and my buddy is a really fast driver, so after about 5 hours of road, two restaurant stops and 3 getting lost, we arrive!. A sleepy guard opens one of the security gates, the friendly staff at the hotel greet us and gives us the keys to our room. so no sight seeing or much exploring on Friday, just a thorough investigation of the hotel’s pillows.

After a good night’s sleep, I’m ready to check out the hotel! We head out to have breakfast(included in the package) the fruits are fresh, they have menu selection and the staff is helpful. Afer about 45 minutes, we are stuffed and resting on the restaurant’s chairs enjoying the scenery. We decide to do some light gym work so we head to the Gym, woah!, completely state of the art, with flat-screen tvs and a personal trainer, what more could you ask for! I worked the eliptic machine and did some weights, not more after the monstruous breakfast.still sweating I Idecide that its a great idea to plunge into the warm hotel pool water that is right next to the Gym.

I swim a little and we finish it up by going to the private marina and checking out the beach, drinking a couple of “Piña Coladas” to fend off the heat. I would say that my experience at the Ocotal Resort was great and I would not hesitate to visit it again, the place IS secluded and private, so don’t expect much of a party  atmosphere, perfect for relaxing.

Hope to give you more of these positive and great reviews

Alessandro

PHOTO GALLERY

Just outside of Cartago, you’ll find the beautiful Orosi Valley.  This is truly one of Costa Rica’s hidden gems and for me it is one of my favorite day trips from San José.  Spend the day driving around the lake and take inthe incredible scenery of lush hillsides covered with coffee plantations andthe Costa Rican countryside.

Make a stop at the “Casa del Sonador” or “House of the Dreamer” where you’ll be able to pick up some unique and original Costa Rican artwork and have a chance to see local artisans at work.  This simple two story wooden building is a piece of artwork by itself and is filled by the sounds of a river rushing by, the wind through the pines and the sculptors carving away at their handicrafts.  This is where Macedonio Quesada, a famous sculptor and artist lived and worked until he passed away in 1995.  Now his sons carry on the tradition, bringing life to pieces of coffee roots and wood from the area.  If you’re looking for something truly unique, hand made by Costa Rican artisans - then this is literally the house of dreams for you!

Make a weekend out of exploring the Orosi valley, spending a night at the
Rancho Rio Perlas , a peaceful and welcoming mountain resort and spa.

Here is the PHOTO GALLERY of this experience.