Four a.m. is way too early to start a vacation but there we were on our way to the airport, destination Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica for a week of sun and fun. We had decided at the last minute that we would give Costa Rica a try to see if we would go back for an extended visit at a later time. An all inclusive was the way to go, so we could go on a few excursions and not worry about meals. We landed at the fairly new Liberia open-air Airport and quickly made our way through customs and into the sunshine (only having carry on is a wonderful thing!). The ride to the hotel was interesting as roads in Costa Rica make the Dempster Highway seem like a paved godsend. By the time we arrived at our hotel (the absolute furthest one on Langosta Beach) it was late, dark and we were ready for a Costa Rican cerveza – or two. After quenching our thirst with Imperial we headed to our room and were greeted by a local. He was of the sideways walking variety (probably a “mouthless crab”) and we promptly escorted him out. We checked the room for further guests before hitting the hay. Welcome to the land of many creatures!

Day 2 was our chance to get acquainted with the beach, pool and sort out what excursions we wanted to try. The province of Guanacaste is well known for it’s beaches and is considered the driest zone in Costa Rica with an average of 65 inches of rain per year. We happened to pick the hottest and driest time to travel here. When not on the beach, ‘tropical dry forest’, cattle pastures and distant volcanic domes dominate the landscape. We eased into vacation mode by enjoying the lazy day and booking a sunset cruise from Flamingo Bay aboard the Lazy Lizard for the next day. After a long day in the sun we had a late dinner and headed back to our room. Again, we were greeted by a local upon our return. This was of the four legged gecko kind, and again we escorted our guest from the room. Returning to our room in the evenings was beginning to play out like “Who’s Who at the Costa Rican Zoo”, we were a bit leery about what would greet us in the following days…

After a morning on the beach watching tourists try their hand at surfing and the locals netting their lunch, we were ready to cruise by 2 p.m. On the drive to the cruise we were disturbed by the amount of garbage lining the ditches at the sides of the road and on the river banks. For a country that prides itself on ecotourism the recent boom in economic development and real estate is having a negative effect as locals struggle to balance new found prosperity with environmental values that attract tourist dollars. Unfortunately there is no solution in sight as the Liberia airport is continuing to expand to accommodate more tourism. We arrived at Flamingo Bay and after being dropped off at the side of the road with no instructions, made our way to the water in hopes that we were in the right place. We were. The Lazy Lizard was captained by an ex-pat from Calgary (go figure) with two local men (Luis and Jesus as his co-pilot!) pointing out the sites of interest and leading the snorkeling expedition. The waterfowl were plentiful and the sunset was gorgeous. Back to the hotel to grab some dinner – including gallo pinto (rice and beans which is a staple and usually is accompanied by beef, chicken or fish). Our room guest on this return was not interesting or entertaining and had eight legs and would not fit in the glass we used to escort our other guests out. We will leave it at that, but room checks were extra vigilant after we got rid of that one!

A 7:15 a.m. start to head to Palo Verde National Park for a float down the Tempisque River followed by a tour of the Matambu Coffee Plant. To get there required driving on the pothole ridden roads and being bounced around the back of the bus (the locals refer to said bouncing as a “free Costa Rican massage”) for about an hour, with a quick stop in Santa Cruz – blink and you will miss it. The town had closed shop due to the Easter holiday (Semana Santa – or holy week) so there was not much to see but the lovely park in the centre of town. Another quick stop at the side of the road allowed us to listen to and watch the famous Howler Monkey in action. The sound of a male Howler will make the hair on the back of your neck rise. Once arriving at the river and boarding the float boat we were rewarded with crocodile sightings, many types of birds and some very interesting fruit bats. The bats were about the size of a toonie when resting, and when in this resting state they line themselves vertically on a tree trunk. When they sense danger they move in a slithering motion to try and trick the predator into believing they are a snake so they will be left alone. After the float and a lunch of rice and beans we were bused to the coffee plant. We have a new respect for the organic coffee farmers in this country and what it takes to get a good cuppa joe each morning. The criteria for organic coffee beans is quite strict and farmers are held accountable for what they bring to the plant. The going rate for a basket, about the size of a bushel basket, of acceptable beans is about $1.20 per basket. A good bean picker can produce about 18 baskets per day and generally the entire family is recruited for picking. The tour included viewing the roasting station, gardens and compost area. We were rewarded for learning about the trade with some freshly ground arabica bean coffee (and promptly bought a couple of pounds for home).

The next day got us up and ready for 6:40 a.m. to take a hike through rainforest and hanging bridges in a private nature reserve in the Tenorio Volcano foothills. After a 1 1/2 hour free Costa Rican massage our driver pulled over to show us the legendary two-toed sloth. Unfortunately he was in true sloth mode and not active, so we saw a bundle of grey-coloured fur wedged between some branches of a ficus tree. On to the reserve and our guide warned us numerous times to watch where we step as snakes are plentiful. We left the glaring sun and within minutes were engulfed by the dense foliage while watching the ground intently for anything that slithered. We were surprised when one of the hikers looked UP and saw a vibrant green parrot snake just above our heads. Luckily he was not a poisonous snake, that one came later. The hanging bridges allowed us a birds eye view of the rainforest and to take in the sheer ‘greeness’ of it all – even in the dry season. In the last legs of our hike, our guide stopped us and pointed to a huge leaf. We weren’t sure what we were supposed to be seeing at first, but then he pointed out the sleeping baby pit viper curled up on a portion of the leaf, hidden in plain sight. Without an experienced guide, we would never have noticed it. We finished the hike with a beans and rice lunch, an introduction to Maria, the abandoned wild pig (collared peccary) that adopted the family who runs the facility, and a beautiful view of Lake Nicaragua. We finished the day with a dip in the pool at the hotel and a couple of cervezas to celebrate our hike and cool off. No room guests this time (that we know of, but then again we never saw the snake on the leaf now did we??), but we did see an armadillo in the garden so maybe it got rid of any potential visitors.

Another 6:40 a.m. morning took us to Rincon de la Vieja (Old woman’s nook) National Park to experience the transition from dry forest to rainforest and see what we can see of the geothermal activity. It was a long drive and the scenery changed from small villages to large agricultural areas. The houses varied from ramshackle to quaint but most were very small consisting of 2-3 rooms in total. The garbage at the sides of the road lessened the farther we got from the beach areas. Once we (a group of about 10 people) arrived at the park we had a guide to show us what there is to see (and what we might not see!). The trail was rugged with rocks and tree roots to navigate, and then stretches would open up into the dry, dusty, hot gravelly sections. We were able to spot a lot of lizards and birds, including a small tucan with bright orange on his head. We also were entertained by the antics of a coatimundi – a racoon like creature that has no fear of humans. The fumaroles gave off a pungent sulfur smell, and the bubbling mud pits confirmed volcanic activity in the area reminding us of a tropical Yellowstone. The hike was good and the area interesting although we only got to hike one of many trails in the park. In future we would do the hike on our own as opposed to a large group hike as we can hike at our own pace and ability and do more trails. Lunch (rice, beans and other goodies) was great and by the time we got back to the hotel, it was time for a dip in the pool and some cervezas, of course.

Our final full day was spent on the beach and by the pool. ‘Pura vida’ – pure life or everything’s great, and ‘con mucho gusto’ – with much pleasure, are two phrases used daily by Costa Ricans, which may explain their relaxed and pleasant demeanor. A relaxing day in the hot baking sun was the perfect way to round out the trip. We got to view a spectacular sunset on the beach and enjoyed watching the locals catch dinner. We had a great meal (steak for Ken, fish for Cameo) with some vino tinto before getting ready to head back to Canada.

On the day of our departure we were able to lounge by the pool for the morning as our flight did not leave until 5 p.m. Let me tell you, there is nothing like a long line at the airport, and an even longer flight to erase the bliss that was experienced hours before at the pool! That day was the hottest we experienced that week, and the mass of Canadians leaving Costa Rica was enough to drive even the most serene person snakey. Thankfully we only had carry on luggage so we were able to by-pass the luggage search lines (oh, and they did go through everything for those that had luggage!) and grab a beer in the open airport and wait for the long leg home. The discussion aways turns to whether we would come back or not, and it was a resounding yes – but differently. Probably to a more lush part of the country, for a longer period of time (naturally) and more independently. This trip however was to get a taste of Costa Rica…and the taste has left us wanting a bigger slice.

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One Response to “Tamarindo Costa Rica”

1. Hoopie Says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 8:02 pm

   very nice, but did you see the legendary Costa Rican Land Rover ???
   You guys rock ! can’t wait to see all the pics.
   welcome home
   talk to you this weekend

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