2013 Costa Rica Adventure

[Gonecruisin]

This is really useful information. Thank you everybody! La Chica said she heard the same thing about San Jose and has decided she is content with doing a quick local thing/museum in the morning and then just enjoying the hotel for the rest of the day. Sounds good to me!

Got my shots yesterday (Hep A & B, thyphoid and flu). My arm is sore and I feel like I'm battling the flu. This is why dont usuallly get the flu shot. Have to go back in a month to get Round Two and then final round in 6 months. Life time immunity is worth it though, especially since I don't plan on stopping traveling any time soon.

I've been reading up on the country and am fascinated by what I've found so far:
Can't wait to try my first churro - a fried dough type of thing.
"Sodas" in Costa Rica aren't carbonated beverages but diners!
How can you not like a place whose president is named Laura Chinchilla?

 

[familygoboston]

Hope you feel better soon...try a bag of frozen peas on your injection sites! Helps!

 

[Gonecruisin]

Guess what came!

Our box from Adventures by Disney It was sent to our TA which I thought was odd (it was opened too? ) but no matter. I was expecting it to arrive any day now since our trip is a month away. I won't spoil what's inside for those who want to be surprised when theirs arrives but I will say it's a fun way to get your travel documents

You know what this means?! It's officially ok to start packing!!!

 

[sayhello]

Guess what came!

Our box from Adventures by Disney It was sent to our TA which I thought was odd (it was opened too? ) but no matter. I was expecting it to arrive any day now since our trip is a month away. I won't spoil what's inside for those who want to be surprised when theirs arrives but I will say it's a fun way to get your travel documents

You know what this means?! It's officially ok to start packing!!!

Congrats!!! It does make it more real! When do you leave?

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

Guess what came!

Our box from Adventures by Disney It was sent to our TA which I thought was odd (it was opened too? ) but no matter. I was expecting it to arrive any day now since our trip is a month away. I won't spoil what's inside for those who want to be surprised when theirs arrives but I will say it's a fun way to get your travel documents

You know what this means?! It's officially ok to start packing!!!

So... What did you get in the box?!? It's so exciting to receive it since you know the adventure is soon to come!

 

[Gonecruisin]

sayhello: We leave on March 15th!!!

tufbuf: I sent you a PM

 

[sayhello]

sayhello: We leave on March 15th!!!

tufbuf: I sent you a PM

Wowza! You're almost there!

Sayhello

 

[Gonecruisin]

It really is starting to come up fast! Got my 2nd round of shots on Friday. Time to make sure the shorts still fit before I put them in the suitcase

We've been battered with snow here in Boston for the last month and it's made me a little jittery about what I might face in March. I checked my horoscope it seems to suggest I'll be ok. I checked Farmer's Almanac - it says rain for my departure - good - but major coastal storm for my return - extra day in Costa Rica???

 

[sayhello]

It really is starting to come up fast! Got my 2nd round of shots on Friday. Time to make sure the shorts still fit before I put them in the suitcase

We've been battered with snow here in Boston for the last month and it's made me a little jittery about what I might face in March. I checked my horoscope it seems to suggest I'll be ok. I checked Farmer's Almanac - it says rain for my departure - good - but major coastal storm for my return - extra day in Costa Rica???

If you're going to have a delay, you'd definitely want it on the way back, not on the way there! I'll keep my fingers & toes crossed for you!

Sayhello

 

[familygoboston]

Wow, almost time!! How exciting Gonecruisin! Two weeks to go, we saw several people on our flight from Miami to Bos this weekend coming back from CR, made me wish I was going back
No worries, Puxatawny Phil said an early spring this year, it's all good! This weekends slush fest had my non traveling family emailing me while we were in WDW last week, all worried...I said I'm here now, I dont care!
But alas and alack, the plane took off and landed (ten minutes early!) without incident and we are back in slush-ville!

Have a great trip, cannot wait for your review (and I hope...pictures!)

 

[Gonecruisin]

Early spring?!! Got 18 inches of snow this weekend. I was really concerned about what Mother Nature might have in store for us this week but the reports so far are clear skies and sun, Sun, SUN! Fingers crossed it stays that way. I'm actually anticipating to have zero weather issues and nothing but good luck the entire time :rosecoloredglasses:

La chica and I are all packed, ready to go. Just need Friday to hurry up and get here so we can leave. Up at 3 am, first flight out of Boston, lunch in San Jose

The weather in Costa Rica??? On Friday - Day 80; night 66
Extended forecast is for more of the same; maybe even warmer towards Liberia

I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!!

 

[sayhello]

Early spring?!! Got 18 inches of snow this weekend. I was really concerned about what Mother Nature might have in store for us this week but the reports so far are clear skies and sun, Sun, SUN! Fingers crossed it stays that way. I'm actually anticipating to have zero weather issues and nothing but good luck the entire time :rosecoloredglasses:

La chica and I are all packed, ready to go. Just need Friday to hurry up and get here so we can leave. Up at 3 am, first flight out of Boston, lunch in San Jose

The weather in Costa Rica??? On Friday - Day 80; night 66
Extended forecast is for more of the same; maybe even warmer towards Liberia

I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!!

Yay! I can't wait to hear about it!

Sayhello

 

[familygoboston]

Early spring?!! Got 18 inches of snow this weekend. I was really concerned about what Mother Nature might have in store for us this week but the reports so far are clear skies and sun, Sun, SUN! Fingers crossed it stays that way. I'm actually anticipating to have zero weather issues and nothing but good luck the entire time :rosecoloredglasses:

La chica and I are all packed, ready to go. Just need Friday to hurry up and get here so we can leave. Up at 3 am, first flight out of Boston, lunch in San Jose

The weather in Costa Rica??? On Friday - Day 80; night 66
Extended forecast is for more of the same; maybe even warmer towards Liberia

I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!!

Yeah, it's been a little crazy here in NE this winter! All the more reason to go to CR,. Have a wonderful trip! Looking for a full report to when you return!

 

[Gonecruisin]

Hola! We're back!

We had a fabulous time. Costa Rica was beautiful. Our guides were the best. Our tour was adventurous. But not everything was pura vida and this trip report will explain what I mean. Get ready for an honest review (mostly positive so don't worry. The negatives are mostly minor.)

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE REALLY REMOTE

 

[Gonecruisin]

Our Delta flight left Boston at 6 am. Smooth sailing to Atlanta where we caught our next flight to San Jose CR. On this leg of the flight we met a nice college student named Ted who had spent a summer working in a pizza shop in CR and offered us tips like: American money is accepted just about everywhere, English is spoken just about everywhere, Pilsen beer is better than Imperial though neither are all that great.

Once we landed in SJ and made our way through customs, we spied a friendly face holding a sign with our name on it!! Our local Disney Rep! She instructed us to take our bags to the driver outside who would take us to the van and sure enough ... that's exactly what happened. Once another ABD family arrived from Canada, we were on our way to the beautiful Marriott Hotel

 

[Gonecruisin]

THE GOOD

This was my favorite hotel of the trip. It was worth every penny. Open air, spacious, extraordinary service, delicious food, beautiful grounds. Turning every corner brought a new and breathtaking scene.

The rooms were 5 star

We had a tiny balcony overlooking the stunning grounds, opening the door let in a warm breeze

We dropped our bags and went exploring.

Two crystal clear pools, empty now but that wouldn't always be the case.

A fun deck with gas fire tables thingys for cocktails or even dinner.

So we ordered few appetizers and drinks: (food pictures!!)

Guacamole

shrimp and avocado

scallops with coconut risotto

All delicious. I highly recommend each of these. Even the beer (it wasn't that bad!)


Time to work off those calories.
An Exercise Path

which seemed to end in a dead end but that was ok because that was where we discovered this guy

the hotel's neighbor (get it?) who was as curious about us as we were about him.

But the day's travels caught up with us and we made our way back to the room for a nap where we were surprised to find ...

cocktails!!!

They were actually non-alcoholic, more of a fruit juice drink but they were soooo good. What a nice unexpected welcome. A simple touch that won me over completely. We slurped them down as we gushed about our good fortune and then took a nap .... for 5 hours

 

[familygoboston]

Excited to hear about your trip! Sounds like it was a good trip! Can't wait to read the rest!!

 

[emesmom]

We are leaving on our trip Saturday. Anything in particular we should know about before we head out?

 

[Gonecruisin]

We are leaving on our trip Saturday. Anything in particular we should know about before we head out?

Have fun !! I know you will but still needs to be said. What to know? Let's see.... It's hot. Really hot. Leave the fleece at home, you won't need it. You will need long pants or long shorts for the ziplining and horse back riding but if you don't have them, you can still go, you'll just be less comfortable.

Bring more sunscreen than you think you need - we ended up buying more because we went through one large and one small bottles. Bring benadryl or something and bug spray (although the guides have this and loads of other stuff in their first aid kits) - La Chica suffered from some sort of allergy when we crossed the Continental Divide where the flora was blooming and complained of noseeums biting her legs. I however was fine on both accounts. Souvenir shopping was limited so don't be surprised if you come home with less than you thought you would.

Oh! That "Day Bag" they have you pack to go to Tortuguero is actually an OVERNIGHT Bag. Totally different, right? I was prepared to pack a bathing suit and change of clothes only to find out I needed pjs and toothbrush etc. We were given a very nice bag - one per family though some families managed to bring more, I'm not sure how. Me & La Chica managed ok but missed the rest of our luggage terribly lol

What else did I wish I had known??? OH! In Tortuguero, right after second breakfast, you will be taken on a long hot sunny boat tour of the river and see lots and lots of amazing animals but you will melt under the scorching sun. There was no roof on the boat - good for animal viewing but bad for sunburns, of which there were many. I eventually wrapped my legs in my raincoat, hot because it's basically plastic but it kept me from getting burned. La Chica was not as lucky. Bring a hat, extra sunscreen, water - you'll be glad you did.

Let me think of more

 

[tufbuf]

Do they still give away the foldable tote bag? Thanks for the tips! Very helpful!! To the pp, I suggest getting REI or similar shirts and pants/shorts that has some UV protection at the same time keeps you cool.