After my divorce I took a trip to Costa Rica. I spent the month of February there on my own backpacking around the country. These are notes from my journal.
This is day 3 in San Jose. I arrived Monday afternoon about 3pm. When I walked out of the airport, it was bright and sunny, about 25 C with a brisk wind blowing. The street was very busy with four lanes of traffic. Along the sidewalk were a number of bus stops with information as to the time the bus stops and it's destination. There was also a street vendor selling drinks and some type of fast food items. We nodded to each other in greeting. The airport is about 20 km from San Jose so my plan was to get a bus into the city and then walk to my hotel. I had told them I’d arrive about four pm. I found a spot, just off the sidewalk to reorganize my backpack. I wanted to replace the stuff in the outside pockets of my pack, passport, airline tickets, book etc things I needed for the flight with the map of San Jose, hotel address and phone, stuff I'd need to find my way around the city. As I removed the pack from my back the wind blew my straw hat off and out onto the street. I stood there watching it roll on it’s brim across the four lanes of busy traffic without any contact with the vehicles, and land in the ditch on the other side. I looked at all the traffic, busy in all four lanes, and wondered if I could get across the road without getting run over. I did some quick calculations and decided that the hat, bought at Wal Mart for the trip was not worth the chance of personal injury. My first gut wrenching decision in this strange country was fuck it I'll get a new one when I get to the city. Then I rearranged my pack. As I was hoisting the pack to my back someone from behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find the street vendor holding out my hat to me. Welcome to Costa Rica! This is going to be a great trip.
Now I was feeling great. The kind street vendor was a good omen. I had planned well. I had everything under control. This was going to be a splendid time backpacking around the country. I walked over to the information signs at the bus stop. Spanish, shit I forgot to learn Spanish before I came. Maybe I didn't have absolutely everything under control. Anyway after asking around, I board the bus to San Jose, a 20 km trip, not more that a half hour. I go to the back of the bus because I have this huge pack to deal with that I can't leave in the walkway. After about an hour, I have no watch, I'm beginning to get a little confused as to where I am. No one speaks English. I don't know what San Jose looks like when viewed from a bus window. Anyway I stay put for another half hour or so and find we are downtown in a city. Thinking this is San Jose I get off the bus and go into a bar on the corner.
The bartender says something in Spanish, "What will you have?", I reasoned. I point to a guy, the only other person in the bar, drinking a beer and say "I'll have what he's having". More good luck. The customer speaks English. He orders me a beer and it was very good. I'll order this brand in the future. I explain that I have just arrived in the country and that I’m going from the airport to San Jose. The guy laughs for quite a little while and then tells me I'm in a city about 30 km north San Jose. He explains when I tell him that the bus driver assured me the bus was going to San Jose, that the bus I was on really does go to San Jose from the airport. It's just that it goes through a dozen other towns and cities on the way. After drinking the beer and some pleasant small talk he tells me to go across the road to the other corner and get on the first bus that comes along. It will take me to the terminal in San Jose.
I follow his instructions and get on the bus. This is a chance for me to use the extensive research I have done prior to the trip. Case in point. All bus companies in Costa Rica are privately owned. They all have there own routes and terminals. With this knowledge I can determine the location of the terminal we are headed for by getting the name of the bus company and finding the corresponding reference in the guide book. I failed to find any reference to this bus line in the guide book. No problem. We arrived at the terminal about 6:30 pm and it was getting dark. I started asking passengers and the driver to point out the location of the terminal on the city map I had with me. None of the people I asked could help me with this task.
I started to feel a little pressured, perhaps a little unsure of myself, and then a young man starts talking to me in English. He asked me where I was heading. He then pulled out his cell phone and called the hotel to advise them I would be late but I would be there and confirm the reservation. I thank him and ask him to show me the terminal on the map so I can find out where to go next. I AM NOT GIVING IN TO THE TAXI ON THE FIRST DAY. No problem he says, walk with me. He then walked me to the hotel's front door and wished me a good vacation. Welcome to Costa Rica.
The walk, about 12 blocks through the downtown, was for me a guided tour. My companion pointed out every significant public building on the way and gave me a brief history and its current use. He also explained how the government provides free education right through to PHD level and free medical coverage including teeth and eyes. For this the people pay an sales tax of 21 percent and the country has no armed forces. He guided me through a large downtown park and explained the meaning of the various statues and other architecture.
HOTEL ARANJUEZ This little hotel consists of a collection of 4 or 5 old colonial houses, some 1 story some 2 story, with a roof over the spaces between the houses. These "between spaces" house a laundry, a reading deck, a dining room, garden extension from the backyard. All the back yards have been combined and garden paths lead through thick plantings that make you feel like you're in the jungle. There are several small glass topped garden tables which are used to eat breakfast in the garden. The heavy vegetation attracts birds and animals. The many flowers draw the hummingbirds. The interior is old, hardwood everywhere, beautiful artwork, some beautiful furniture. Very pleasant and relaxing. And a good bargain. Room includes private bath, free safe, free telephone to anywhere in the country, free internet, excellent buffet breakfast, tour arrangement, all for 25 US per night including taxes.
The next day I checked out the downtown, it's just 8 blocks from the hotel. I visited the zoo, several parks, famous buildings and observed the general city life. There is a 20 block pedestrian mall right down the middle of the city. It is filled with every kind of store you can imagine. There are hundreds of street vendors yelling and it sound like a carnival midway, very busy, very loud. There are thousands of people.
In planning this trip I learned how easy it is to get around the city. All the roads are numbered. The streets start out at 0 street, the main street, with odd numbered streets on one side and even numbered streets on the other. The Avenues are the same only they run perpendicular to the Streets. 0 Street and 0 Ave is the heart of the city. 0 Street is a pedestrian mall that runs 10 blocks on either side of 0 Ave. 0 Ave is a pedestrian mall for 5 blocks on each side of 0 St. It simply couldn't be easier. It's so God dammed easy in fact that no-one thought of putting up signs to identify what road you are on. You have to count the blocks in any direction after starting out at one of the few identifiable locations around the downtown and then do the math to calculate what street you are on. I got lost more than once.
Tomorrow morning I leave on a 5 hour bus ride to the gulf coast, to a little town about 10 miles from the Panama border. I've rented a little cabin on the beach for 2 nights. This area has practically uninhabited jungle down the mountain sides to the coast. At this part of the coast there are several coral reefs.
The next day, Saturday, I traveled north along the coast about half way to the Nicaragua border to Lemon a large port on the gulf coast. I then traveled by boat through jungle on the inland waterway. Our destination is a little town called Tortuguero, Spanish for turtle, referring to the sea turtles that nest there. The trip is advertized as similar to a trip along the Amazon river. Tortuguero is on the edge of a large park that stretches almost to the Nicaragua border.
Journal Notes
Saturday Feb 10 2007
Location: Warf in Moin, 9 am
The taxi ride here was just over an hour. The boat to Tortuguero leaves at 10 am. It's another warm day, high twenties, just like every day here. There are lots of people showing up to meet the boats. The boats, about 20 of them, are about 18 to 30 feet long and hold from 10 to 25 people. There is no place close by to buy food to take on board. I have an apple and a large bottle of orange juice so I'll be OK. At least there are washrooms here.
Later that same day
I arrived in Tortuguero about 2 pm. It was a very nice boat trip. The captain stopped many times for us to photograph the birds and monkey and crocodiles or alligator or whatever they are here. My room is clean with private bath and shower, no hot water though. In this climate you really don't need hot water showers. The fee for the room is 15 dollars.
the village
Finally I met some Canadians. Problem, they all speak French and no English. I forgot to learn French before I came.I've signed up for a 3 hour canoe trip in the morning into the Tortuguero Park and game reserve. That will leave me an hour to get some breakfast before heading back to Moin on the boat.
eguana in tree
the village from the canoe
For a place, the gulf coast, that gets over 400 inches of rain it's been good. It's rained only twice and both times only during the night.
Journal Notes
Tuesday February 13, 2007
Location: San Bosco hotel, La Fortuna, 5 am
This is the nearest town to the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica's only active volcano. There is a viewing deck on the roof of the hotel. I got a picture of the volcano, it's top shrouded in clouds, when I arrived in town about 4:30 yesterday.
My trip here proved to be an interesting mini adventure. I left my hotel in San Jose with plenty of time to walk to the bus terminal so I did some sight seeing along the way. Upon arriving at the termimal I located the bus to La Fortuna at gate 12 in the terminal. I boarded the bus, a new air conditioned unit with TV's in the backs of the the seats so you can watch while traveling. Washroom on board. Very comfortable. I attempted to buy a ticket from the driver. This is common practice here. The driver informed me that I had to buy my ticket at the ticket booth in the terminal. By the time I stood in line and got my ticket and returned to gate 12 the bus had gone. I was told I could use the ticket on the local bus which was also going to La Fortuna. The local bus would take 3 plus hours instead of one and a half hours. The local bus turned out to be an old school bus, bench seats, no air conditioning and no TV. On this trip there were about 20 people on board when we left the terminal in San Jose. Along the way we picked up another 50 people or more and very few got off. At one point every seat had 3 to 5 people sitting and there were at least 30 people standing in the isle. The bus stopped at what seamed to me to be every onther ranch or farm along the way to let passenger on or off. There were complete families of 5 or more people along with loads of luggage. Although I expected chickens and goats as well there were none traveling on that bus that day. It was quite a trip.
town square with volcano in the distance
another view of town square
yet antoher view of town square
I had booked the cheapest hotel in the guide book, it cost 50 US a night. It is very nice with pool and lovely gardens. I reserved the room for 2 nights but after checking out the town I cancelled the second night to move on to Monteverde. I'd rather be in Monteverde than in this touristy town.
To get from here to Monteverde there are 2 options. One hire a cab, or mini bus, to drive around lake Andreal, about 6 hours and 150 us dollars, or two get a cab to the lake on the other side of the volcano then get a boat to cross the lake and then take a mini bus to Montverde up in the mountains. This second choice cost 13 us dollars. I chose option 2. We leave at 8:30 am.
When I stepped out of the room this morning to see what kind of day it is, I found it is warm 20 or so and the dawn is just beginning. The sky is cloudy and you can just make out the lower part of the volcano and the surrounding mountains. I brought with me a raincoat. Looks like I'll need it. Birds are waking up, the day is about to unfold. The hotel provides a free breakfast but I think I'll have time to walk around and take some pictures before breakfast.
Later the same day.
Well breakfast was good, cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple, scrambled eggs a pancake and of course rice and beans. Rice and beans is served with every meal. Sometimes just rice and beans, sometimes with spices, sometimes with chicken or beef, but always rice and beans. Note: after a month my body began to love rice and beans. I felt good and learned to like rice and beans.
Today's destination, Montevarde, is in the cloud forest in the central mountains just east of Guanacaste province (state). Guanacaste province is cattle country. Cowboys, horses, Texas. The jungle has been cut down to make way for grazing cattle. This is the driest part of Costa Rica. I had a good look at it from the air as we came into the airport. It's brown, brown, brown.
I'm just sitting back having returned from a walk around the downtown, enjoying the morning and watching the birds. This town is so touristy they are playing John Denver on the sound system here at the pool side breakfast patio. It's only 7 am and already I see many kids, all in their school uniforms, walking by. There is a large school just 2 blocks east of here.
Much of the cloud cover has gone and there is lots of blue sky now. The volcano is still clouded over at the top. Wow! I just spotted the top of the volcano through a hole in the clouds. I'm going to get my camera and sit in the observation deck and maybe get a picture of the top of the cone.
Journal Notes Tues February 13 2007.
Location: Amegos Bar, Santa Elena, mid afternoon.
Well, the trip from La Fortuna was quite interesting. A new air conditioned Mercades SUV picked me up at the hotel at 8:30. After picking up another couple at another hotel he drove us on a paved road to Lake Anreal on the other side of the volcano. This took about a half hour or a little longer. The SUV had an altimeter in the dash. I was facinated watching as our elevation changed. Sometimes the smallest things catch my attention.
Then we boarded a boat, a large pontoon boat with about 16 people on board, to cross over to the other side of the lake. I was sitting at the back of the boat when I realized that most people were turned around looking in my direction. After I realized that these people were not actually looking at me but rather looking over my head I turned around to see the volcano at the south end of the lake. This time it was not covered in clouds. We got some fine pictures of the cone.
The boat trip was nice, about three quarters of an hour.
Lake Andreal
I got a room in a little hotel but the only room left was a double 4 person room with private bath with 2 queen size beds and a large picture window overlooking a ravine. I booked it for 2 nights.
For tomorrow, I have booked a Sky Trek tour. From the advertising flier, "We have 11 cables ranging in length from 120 feet to 2310 feet and with a height of 60 to 480 feet." You sit in a harness and roll along a thin cable from one platform to another. There is also a walking path with several suspension bridges that are well up in the trees.
Journal Notes
Wednesday February 14 2007
Location: Hotel Santa Elena 6:30 am
I just got back from breakfast and a picture taking walk around town. It's been light for some time now but the sun has not come up over the mountain tops yet. I have to go to the Sky Trek office in a little while to catch my ride out to the park. It's about 20 c now, the wind is calm, cloudless sky. Why do they call it the rain forest? All the plants, flowers trees etc are dripping water. I guess its from the heavy dew as it did not rain overnight.
Later the same day.
Just got back from a wonderful experience. We started by zipping around on 11 different cables.
Loved every minute of it. Shortly before the bus left for town a racoon like animal came tentatively into the garden. It was wary of the few people sitting quietly among the flowers. We got some pictures of it sneaking through the flowerbeds heading for one of several metal trees holding 4 hummingbird feeders each. Suddenly, it jumped up on the feeder stand and proceeded to grab one feeder and pull it up to him were he turned it on it's side and drank the sugar water as it flowed out of the feeder.
I have this afternoon and evening in town. I have a 6 am bus that will take me to the Trans America Highway. This highway runs from the USA all the way down through Central America and continues right through South America. Anyway, from what I can understand I can catch a bus at the highway and head north to Liberia, Costa Rica's second largest city. From there I can get a bus to the Pacific coast. I hope to travel south along the coast to southern Costa Rica then find my way back to San Jose to catch my flight home. The Pacific coast is just one beach town after another for about 200 miles. There are a few outstanding parks and nature reserves along the way.
I'm still considering making an attempt to climb Mt Chirripo on the way from the coast to San Jose.
Tomorrow, I hope to reach a fishing village called Brailito on the northwest coast. I don't know if I can get there in 1 day or not. I guess it depends on bus connections. It's only about 150 miles away but who knows what the roads are like. The guide book only gives bus schedulers from towns to and from San Jose so it is a crap shoot to try to get from one town to another directly. The people here are helpful though, so I think I can get from here to there in one day.
The northwest coast is called the gold coast. It is the original tourist area of Costa Rica. It has some of the biggest all inclusive resorts. The up and coming tourist district is now the central Pacific coast near Manuel Antonio park. This is where the Hollywood movie stars have their vacation homes. It is the highest priced real estate in the country.
The southern Pacific coast is mostly still wild. Many resorts have fly in access only. I don't know if I'll have time to make my way there.
Journal Notes
Wednesday February 14, 2007
Location: Amegos bar, Santa Elana
I've just been walking around town, checking out the stores. There is one very large store, built on several levels. It's like a mini mall. There is a large grocery area, liquor store, ladies ware, tourist stuff, a bakery, and art gallery, stationary and others.
I dropped into the bus station and bought a ticket to the highway. The man said I'd have to wait 15 minutes at the highway to catch a bus to Liberia. Tomorrow's trip is firming up now. The bus transportation here is outstanding. Except for the intercity express routes, where they run new air conditioned buses, you can have the driver stop anywhere along the route to pick you up or let you off. I've seen people standing at the end of their driveway, rural areas, farms ranches etc, and the bus stops to pick them up. The fare is very low. It costs about 1 Canadian dollar per hour of travel. A 5 hour trip 5 dollars.
Back to the stores in town. There is a restaurant called the Tree House. It is actually built around a huge tree.
Many of the building's interiors are fitted out with beautiful hardwoods. Doors, trim paneling, display cases, furniture, lots of hardwood.
There is not much to do here if you don't count the several surrounding rain forest parks and reserves. The town itself is dusty and noisy. Lots of tourists, bus loads of them coming and going all day. There are hundreds of young people staying at the many inexpensive hotels and hostels in the area. There are loud parties at night and dogs barking and traffic. All the buildings are open to let the air through so the noise also comes in. In the morning there are many roosters crowing even before there is light.
There is no quiet spot in town, no little park or square or fountain or pond.
I cannot find a bookstore with English books, the exception being guide books. Maybe I can get a book in Liberia tomorrow.
Journal Notes
Friday February 16, 2007
Location: Quepoes
Well, I got settled into a nice clean little hotel right here in the centre of town. Showered, shaved and clean cloths. It doesn’t seem as hot now.
There is an Internet Café in town so I'll be able to get off a couple of emails later.
Right now I'm relaxing with a beer and watching all the people out on the street.
After I left Santa Elena on the 6 am bus to the highway, I was able to catch a bus to Liberia almost right away at the highway. Then after reaching the terminal in Liberia I found a bus heading for the coast that was leaving in 10 minutes so on board I went. The road to the coast was again dirt. The temp was about 35 c and it was very rough and dusty. I got to Basilito at about 3 pm. The hotel recommended in the guide book had been purchased by a couple from Sydney, Australia. I talked to the owners when I arrived. I then had a beer with Fred, an American living in town. He lives half the year here and the other half in Atlanta, Georgia. He earns his money buying property here and then building a house and selling it. Anyway the couple from Australia redecorated the bar with a lot of Australian stuff, and it was well done. Among a hundred other things there was a piece of wood, a slab off the side of a tree trunk really, with the bark still on, with a bunch of shark bites in it. It had a small piece of wood sticking down to form a keel, like you see on surfboards. The sign said, "This is the original surfboard the owner (can't remember his name) use to win the world championship surfing competition in 1952." The whole bar was done with that "Crocodile Dudee" sense of humor. They rewrote the menu as well, with an Australian flavor. This however caused them to double the price of the rooms and meals. Oh! and the beer too.
Many of the beach towns along this northwest coast are not towns at all. More like a bunch of small hotels, restaurants and bars strung out in little groups along the road that runs behind the beach. The beach is beautiful. It was almost sunset when I finally got into the Pacific Ocean. I walked along the beach in and out of the water and watched the sun set. After dark I walked around the area for a while then went back to the hotel and to bed early.
At 6 am next morning I got the hell out of Dodge. I didn't like the dust and the hot weather. It was too hot to go out in the sun during the day and although the room was air conditioned there was nothing to do but read a book. TV here is in Spanish. As you may recall I forgot to learn Spanish before I came here.
Now I'm on the central Pacific coast and its green, with paved roads and towns and stores and people and an exceptional park that I will visit tomorrow. It is said that the beaches inside the park are among the finest in the county. I got a room at this little hotel right in the centre of town.
I was checking the map and realized I am only about 100 miles from Mount Chirripo. the highest mountain in the country.
Farmers market
Century 21 Office
Down town hotel
Journal Notes
Saturday February 17, 2007
Location: Italian restaurant, Quepoes 6pm
I'm sitting in an Italian restaurant, very nice, table cloths, linen, fresh flowers on the tables, very nicely decorated. I'm just relaxing with a beer thinking about my day at the park.
I was at Manuel Antonio park for nearly the entire day. It is spectacular. 4 beaches, forest trails, high lookouts over the ocean, wildlife, BEAUTIFUL.
The first beach inside the park.
The coastline from up on the moutain side.
from another vantage point up on the mountain side
the second beach inside the park
an ugly tourist
me nad my mom resent you being here
the large public beach just outside the park entrance.
as above
the road to the park
at the public beach
carved masks made by local indians
I even walked back the 7 km to town. I climbed 1000 ft up the side of a mountain to magnificent view of the ocean, and the jungle covered mountains steeply rising from the water's edge. The rock, the ocean, the trees and the sky, breathtaking, I was moved to tears. I swam at all the beaches except the last one. The tide was coming in and the next beach was on the other side of a steep rock outcropping. There was about 3 feet of beach left in front of the rocks when I arrived at beach 3. After swimming and eating some fruit I had with me, it wasn't that long, I have no watch, I headed for beach 4. When I got to the rock there was no beach left, in fact I watched a couple wade through waist deep water to get to beach 4. They may still be there. I however headed back.
a restaurant in an old military plane. This is a US bomber used in the contra wars in Nicaragua
Oh! the meal is here. No rice and beans to be seen. I am a lucky man. Beef tenderloin in cheese sauce, green beans, whole boiled potatoes, slice of red pepper and a grilled cauliflower --- what sprig, branch what do you call those individual branches ---. It tastes as good as it looks. Wow.
I've eaten and totally relaxed. I can now feel the physical results of my day's outing. I walked about 15 km plus swimming and climbing around on the side of the mountain.
Never mind that. The waiter just brought me ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and he's coming right back with a coffee and a Costa Rican liqueur. I feel soooo good now. This is a fine restaurant with fine service. Bloody good to be alive.
Later the same day.
There is a festival going on in town. They had a parade with many horses and a couple of carts or wagons. Some of the horses were prancing. The riders wore numbers on their backs so I guess they were being judged in some way. Very colorful but I don't know what’s going on.
Journal Notes
Monday February 19, 2007
Location: Uvito, 10 am
I am at this little village of Uvito, south of Dominical. It is hot here, very hot. I came here to fly on an ultra light aircraft out over the ocean and around the parks and beaches nearby. If you are lucky you can see whales just off the coast. After spending 4 hours locating the guy that runs the flights, he informs me that they are not flying for the next 3 weeks. I wondered why, did a plane crash? Did the whales get the pilot? Well it probably sounded better that it really is anyway. Still I was looking forward to the experience.
Speaking of Dominical, it is a surfing town, great beach, great surf. The bus stopped there for a brief time on the way to Uvito. The beach is colorful and busy. Lots of people selling their wares, beach towels, objects d'art, very festival like feeling. On the way out of Dominical, when we passed the soccer field, every town or village has one, I saw two large birds fly along the edge of the beach toward me and then circle around the soccer field. They were about 20 feet up. They did not even have to come that close before I realized they were Macaws. The blue and red and yellow and black, I had no idea they were so big. Anyway they flew together in formation right in front of me then circled the field and out over the jungle and out of sight. Although Costa Rica has lots of wildlife it is a rare thing for a tourist to stumble across it while out on his own. The park guides will show you 100 times as much as you will see on your own.
Since the ultra light flight is not on I'll get a bus to San Isedro de El General, a small city on the Trans America Highway, just at the foot of Mount Chirripo. From there I can spend tomorrow preparing for the climb and then climb the mountain on Wednesday. I wonder how I'll do. I know this is a big test, physically and I guess mentally. I've trained for it, sort of, by walking 10 km every day, regardless of the weather for the last 10 months. I've walked on level ground, abandoned rail lines. As I understand it the trail to the top of the mountain is uphill, significantly so. I have no idea what walking 20 km up a mountain to 11,000 ft is going to be like. The guide book said the temperature at the lodge, at the 10,000 foot level, often goes down to freezing at night. I have a light jacket and a summer raincoat.
The way they run this operation is; the tourists check into the ranger station, at the base of the trail, on the day before the climb and reserve a bed at the lodge for the next day. The next day you climb up the mountain to the lodge at the 10,000 foot level. There you rent sleeping bags and get a good night's sleep, then in the morning, all rested and refreshed, you climb up the last 4 km and 1,000 ft to the summit. From there if it is clear you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After attaining the summit, you then walk down to the village at the base of the trail. This sounds pretty good to me. Coming down should be easy enough but do I have the strength and endurance to get up there?
Journal Notes
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Location: San Jose, 4:30 pm
I just arrived at the Hotel Aranjuez this afternoon. It was nice to get cleaned up, arrange to get my laundry done and book a tour to a volcano in the morning and the La Pass waterfall in the afternoon. I asked about white water rafting but it has been so dry that they are not operating now. I decided to return to San Jose mostly because of the weather, everyday is near perfect here, and I like the little hotel and it's staff. It's almost like coming home.
On Monday, I arrived in San Isedro de El General in early afternoon and lunched at the bus terminal. This is a small city up in the foothills of the mountains. There is a large public square in the centre of town with a very large Catholic church taking up one whole end, a city block. (A local explained to me how to tell the relative population of a community this way. A small village has a town square and church. A town has a town square a church and a bar. A large town or small city has a square, a church, a bar and a hotel. A medium to large city has a square, a church, a bar, a hotel and a McDonalds. In the centre of another side of the square is the hotel I stayed at and the rest is retail space and commercial buildings. The square it's self is filled with gardens. Walkways lead through these gardens past various fountains, garden sculptures and architecture. It's nice. I sat in the middle of the square in late afternoon and looking northeast I could see Mount Chirripo looming above the street scape. This mountain climbing thing has me obsessed. It probably explains the unease I was feeling. I walked around the downtown for a while trying to relax. At sunset I sat in the outdoor patio in the restaurant in front of my hotel. It was a pleasant couple of hours having dinner and drinking beer, watching the action on the street and in the square.
On Tuesday, yesterday, I got up a 4 am hoping to find a place to get breakfast before catching the 5 am bus out to a little village at the foot of Mount Chirripo. There was nothing open. I decided I could wait until I got to the mountain to get breakfast, like there was a choice.
I arrived in the village of San Gerardo de Rivas about 7:30 am. Actually I took the bus past the village, to save walking, to the end of the line which was a school about 3 km further on. Me and the kids got out and I soon came to realize, after the bus headed back down the road, that the ranger station was back in the village, so I walked the 3 km back down. I located the ranger station and to my surprise there were beds left at the lodge on the mountain for that night.
the ranger station
It was 4 km to the beginning of the trail so I had lots of time, 45 min or so. Along the road leading to the trail's start, there were a few small hotels, restaurants, and a small grocery store. I took advantage and went shopping. There were lots of vegetables and meat but I had no way or desire to cook them. They had no fruit. My shopping spree netted me a small package of cookies, two, count'em, bags of M&Ms and a bottle of orange juice. This I rationally decided would be enough for a 2 day hike after all, I knew there was plenty of water available on the trail.
I made it to the beginning of the trail before 9 am.
the starting point
About an hour or so out a guy from Barrie Ont. caught up to me. His name was Manny and he was an experienced hiker and mountain bike rider.
Manny and I at the half way point.
this is where we are going?????
There was a rest station at the 7 km mark with washrooms and water and benches to sit on. We met 3 other hikers there, a man and women from Holland, he was an airline pilot, and a man from Finland. We talked about how difficult it had been thus far, how we were half way there and it was still early and that the second half could not be any harder than what we had already experienced. I can assure you it was. We, adventurers that we are, switched into positive thinking mode and easily convinced ourselves and each other that it was better to continue up to the lodge than to return to the village below. I personally had deep reservations. I decided to continue, knowing that if I could not make it to the lodge I would not have time to get back down before dark. The five of us set off up the trail.
a town in the valley
Despite the extreme physical and mental effort required to climb ( for me anyway) we did stop and look around frequently.
see that face. I've been up since 4 am no food yet today and we've climbed about 3000 ft. Where can I get a pizza and beer?
the vegetation changes with the higher altitude
even when you're feeling bleak there's always something to cheer you up it you look around.
We reached the "lodge" at about 4 pm. I was totally exhausted. I was beyond exhausted I was ill.
this is as far as I could go, 11,132 ft. the lodge is just a few hundred feet away.
Manny and I were assigned bunks in an otherwise empty room. A short time later the 2 young American women we had seen on the trail were assigned the other two bunks in the room. Shortly after Manny and the women went to the common areas to socialize and prepare dinner. I went, wet and cold, to bed and to sleep.
Three am. next morning
Manny and the women are preparing to hike to the summit and tried like hell to get me to go with them. I simply can't climb any more. I watched them head out with their little flashlights heading to the summit. I so wanted to go with them.
the summit
Now sitting alone in this barn of a room I'm cold, slept out and have no where to go till dawn. But wait, I have the flashlight in the emergency kit. I used it to pack up my stuff and headed down the trail. It's cold and there is a strong wind. The sky overhead is clear and there are billions of stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life. There were so many stars that there was almost no black space between them. The sky looked like one of those Hubble telesope pictures where the stars look like they are in clouds. The clouds of stars are of different colours, pink, green, red, orange, purple. Everyone should find a way to be up on a mountain on a clear night to see the stars. You feel sooo small and yet you are a part of this universe just like very other thing. It's magical.
About 2 km down the trail the batteries in the flashlight went dead. I was unable to proceed, so I sat on the trail expecting to wait until sunrise. Without moving I became cold almost immediately. Now I was in trouble. I could not travel up to the lodge or down the mountain in the dark and if I just sat there I risked getting hypothermia. I was shivering. I remembered hearing that people with hypothermia can make poor decisions and I had been doing so well up to now. It didn't seem fair. This was very funny to me, I laughed out loud at my predicament.
Then I thought "what kind of batteries are in this little flashlight". AA the same as in my camera. I managed in the dark, to take the batteries out of the camera and get the flashlight working. Time to move on down.
I made good time getting to the 7 km mark at the rest station. By this time it was dawn and I did not need the flashlight anymore. After resting for about 20 minutes I started out again. I really had trouble getting down the last 7 km because rest did not add any strength to my legs anymore. By the last 2 km I could go no more that 50 meters before I had to sit down and rest for longer and longer periods. By the time I reached the road at the bottom of the trail I could no longer walk, hell I could not even stand up.
I let myself fall, as gently, as possible into the ditch at the side of the road. About 45 minutes later a guy in a pickup truck came by and asked if I wanted a ride into the village. I told him that would be very helpful. He said get in the back, there were 4 or 5 women riding in the back of the pick up. I said I don't think I can climb into the back. He said You've been up on that mountain I' sure you can get into the truck. I walked over to the truck, threw my pack in and tryed to climb in myself. The women, or some of them pulled me into the truck. He drove me to the ranger station. Here I retrieved my backpack and went to the restaurant next door.
The people in the restaurant spoke English and I was able to get a good meal and negotiated for a taxi to take me to San Isidro de El General. From there I got a bus to San Jose. Along the route to San Jose, through the mountains, the bus driver pointed out 2 different spots where you can drive up the mountain in your rented car to a spot where you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I don't think I'm a better man for knowing this. I think I'd rather not know it's that easy.
So here I am in San Jose. I wanted to see what this old man of 60 still had. I climbed well over 10,00 ft and managed the thin air, I guess I did alright.
Thursday 22, 2007
Location: Hotel Aranjuez, 6:45 am
This morning I can really feel the extreme effort of coming down the mountain yesterday. My legs are sore and my big toes are sore. That is because of all the steep downhill walking. I walked for hours, leaning back trying not to slip and fall. As a result my feet slipped forward into the toe of the shoes, cramming my toes into the front of the shoes. I even have blood blisters under the toenails.
I'm just waiting for breakfast at 7 am. Then I'm going to a volcano about 30 miles away and then to La Paz Waterfall Garden near there. There is also a stop at a coffee plantation.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Location: Hotel Aranjuz, 7 am
I really enjoy the buffet breakfast here. Lots of variety and all you can eat. Great. And it's included in the cost of the room.
An Indian from a reserve south of San Jose will be here at the hotel selling hand made masks. These masks are made of wood and hand painted. They are used in the Little Devils Festival which is a play re-enacting the coming of the Spanish back in the 1500's. The festival is held in February each year at the reserve.
There are a number of these masks decorating the walls of the hotel. I hope to buy one for Geoff because he collects masks.
Yesterday I went on a tour to the Poez volcano about 30 miles northeast of San Jose. The volcano has 3 craters, the biggest one is a mile across and is apparently the 2nd biggest in the world.
The view from the top of the mountain, looking over the city in the valley below is just spectacular.
We then traveled to the La Paz waterfall garden. Here we saw a large hummimgbird garden with many many varieties of hummingbirds darting arround everywhere.
Fortunatly a bus picked us up at the bottom and drove us back up the hill.
We also tured a coffee plantation.
An added feature on this tour was that the bus picked people up at their hotels. This allowed for a tour of the city as we picked people up and later dropped them off at hotes all over the city.
Today is a rest day. I'm going to go downtown to the central market to look around.
Later the same day, 3 pm
I've been downtown all day checking out the stores and stuff. Not much to say except it's nice to relax and enjoy the city. I have 1 more day here then back home. There is virtually no reporting of anything from Canada. I've been wondering what the weather has been like there.
I have a resurvation at a well known restaraunt, Cafe Mundo. This restaraunt is so well known that is does not even have a sign out front. I walked past it when I was here 3 weks ago and didn't even know, and I was looking for it. I had a map and everything but I still did not find it. I know where it is now though. The restaraunt is famous because of it's many works of art by one of Costa Rica's most well know artists. The food is great too.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip to Costa Rica. I highly recoment a visit there.
Happy vacationing
Jim
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