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1-29-10: Today we traveled back to San Jose in preparation for our departure home. We woke up early (5:30) to catch the Direct Bus back to San Jose. This was much less expensive than the van service we took on the way in. The bus ride from Montezuma to San Jose only cost about $12.

The first bus picked us up around 6:30 at the bus stop in the village, then took us to the ferry terminal near Paquera. This trip took well over an hour because the bus made several stops along the way to pick up additional passengers. The roads, as mentioned before, were also not very good. At the ferry terminal, the bus dropped us off and we all walked on the ferry to Puntarenas. This ferry was smaller than the one we had taken in, but the ride took about the same amount of time (one hour). After departing the ferry on the Puntarenas side, we boarded a larger, nicer bus. It had air conditioning, but no bathroom (I did not drink any water during the bus trip). The final leg of the bus ride back to San Jose took about 2 and a half hours, and we arrived at the Coca Cola bus station in down-town San Jose around 1:30.

The Coca Cola bus station is a very busy place, and in a bad part of town. However, if you’re aware of what’s going on around you and keep an eye on your things, you shouldn’t have any problems. We walked about 8 blocks back to the Best Western (a cab would have been too complicated with 7 people). The rest of the afternoon we relaxed at the hotel drinking water and beer, and eating food (we didn’t eat anything but a few snacks the entire day.) Everyone went to bed pretty early because we all had early flight in the morning, and needed extra time to get through security.

1-30-10: This was officially the last day in Costa Rica. It was a very early day; we got up at 4:30 to get the 5:00 shuttle to the airport. After arriving at the airport we paid or $26 exit fee and made our way through security; this took about an hour and a half. Then we boarded the plan, and made our way to Miami. We had a 4 hour layover in Miami, but about half of that time was spent getting in through customs, then back in through security. We met a really nice and interesting guy at the Sam Adams pub near our departing terminal; he bough us a beer and told us some interesting stories about his travels around the world doing development work.

The flight to Logan was uneventful, but we arrived early. This allowed us to catch an earlier bus back to Portland; instead of getting home at 1:30 am, we would get back 2 hours earlier. This was a nice set of events. Our bus driver back to Portland was very funny. There was no snow when we arrived back in Portland, due to all the rain that had been received the previous Monday. This was good, because we didn’t have to dig Beth’s car out of the snow. Arrived back in Hallowell around 11:30, and went to bed almost immediately, tired after a long day of travel.

Today was our day for Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, Costa Rica’s first nature reserve. Beth and I got up around 7:00, quickly had some coffee, and went down to town to catch the bus to the Reserve. After a 15 minute bus ride, we got off the bus in the village of Cabuya (the town right next to the Reserve) to get some breakfast, then purchased some snacks for lunch. We walked down the main road through town to the Reserve gatehouse.

It was $10 to get into the park, paid at the gatehouse. The walk into the beach took about an hour and half, along a forest trail. It was a very scenic walk, but very hot. We passed by a couple brooks, went up and down some steep hills, and saw lots of trees and other flora. The beach was very pretty, but not very good for swimming. There were lots of small rocks on the beach and the waves were very powerful. I got a couple bruises on my legs from rocks being tossed into my legs by the waves. It was quite windy, so it’s quite possible the swimming would have been better on a calmer day. Needless to say, I only stayed in for a few minutes to cool off.


We spent about an hour at the beach before we had to head back to Cabuya and catch the last bus back to Montezuma. I got quite dehydrated on the way back. We brought 3 liters of water between the two of us; another liter or two would not have been a bad idea. I was a little foggy when we made it back to the gatehouse and signed out.



We walked back to Cabuya and ducked into the first marked we passed for some much needed water. I downed more than half of a 2-liter bottle very quickly. We waited for the bus back to Montezuma on a shaded bench in front of the market. The bus dropped us off at the bus stop in Montezuma, then we went back up the hill for a shower and to get ready for dinner. By the time we went down to town for dinner, I was feeling exhausted; My brain was not firing properly during dinner.

After dinner, I had to head back up to the hotel and fall asleep. Everyone else went out to Reggae night at Chico’s for a little while.

Up around 7:00. The itinerary for the day was to take a boat trip out to Isla Tortuga for snorkeling swimming and sight seeing. Had some coffee at the hotel, then headed down the hill for some breakfast. I had a delicious meal of fried eggs with an aromatic tomato sauce, cheese, and a freshly made facasha.

We purchased a tour from Montezuma Expeditions. They would take us on a fast boat to Isla Tortuga, take us snorkeling, feed us lunch, give us some time to hang out on the beach, then take us back to Montezuma. Everyone getting on the boat for the tour met at the office in town around 9:15. Then we all walked down to the beach, got on the boat, and were off by 9:30. It was a moderately windy day, so there was a lot of chop on the 1 hour trip out to the island, but it was not unpleasant. The boat dropped the lunch cooks off on Isla Tortuga beach, and took the rest of us to a reef close by to go snorkeling.


I did not have much success with the snorkel but, the flippers were great. Water kept getting into the nose seal and air tube, plus it was my first time snorkeling so it was a little claustrophobic. I ditched the goggles and snorkel on the boat and went back out for a swim with the flippers. After that, I got back on the boat and took some photographs of the scenery while everyone was in the water and there was room to move around.

After snorkeling, the boat took the group back to the island for lunch. The beach on Isal Tortuga was perfect; whit coral sands, turquoise waters, nested in a grove of palm trees. Lunch was good; fish, red sauce, grilled potatoes and beer (cerveza). After lunch we had a couple hours to explore the beach and do some swimming. I took a lot of photographs, then went swimming, and then swimming again. The crew called us back to the boat when it was time to go and everyone got back on for the trip back to Montezuma. The wind had died down by late afternoon when we headed back so the ride back only took about 45 minutes.



After arriving back in Montezuma and getting off the boat we went to the market for some water, beer, and food. Then, back to the hotel for some rest and re-hydration. A half dozen or so White Faced Capuchin Monkeys were hanging around the hotel grounds. The stuck around for about an hour and I got some good photographs; they were not afraid to get within 10 feet of us.

We prepared and consumed a really nice dinner at the hotel. Cheese, bread, olives, fruit. We passed plates around the table and shared bottles of wine. There were a lot of guests in the common area that night, so we stayed up socializing with them before going to bed.

Had a nice breakfast at the hotel, then jumped on the local bus to begin the trip to Santa Teresa. The plan was to hang out on the beach, watch the surfers, have some lunch, do some swimming, and watch the sunset (the beach faces west across the Pacific). We got on the bus at the bust stop in Montezuma, then switched over to a larger bus in the interior town of Cobano. After about an hour on the 2nd bus, we entered the town of Santa Teresa, and the bus dropped us off in front of the path leading to the beach.

The waves and currents at the beach were very strong; small children would have trouble in this water. The surfers were out about 300 feet from the shore where the waves coming off the Pacific were breaking. We swam, relaxed in the shade, had beer and food. I turned pink as a cooked lobster. The sunset was quite spectacular; the sun turned bright orange before dipping below the ocean.

We left fairly quickly after the sun went down to walk and find some food in town. We walked along the main (well, the only) road through town. The dust was quite bad. Winter is the dry season in Costa Rica and none of the roads are paved. I had a delicious meal of marinated strip-steak with french fries made from plantains (maybe the best french fries I’ve ever had). After dinner we got a Tourismo van (essentially a taxi – there were 8 of us heading back) to take us back to Montezuma. The van ride back was only about $5 per person all the way back to Montezuma. Went to bed pretty soon after we got back to the hotel.

Woke up around 8:00, had a light breakfast and coffee at the hotel, then headed out for the day. Stopped in town for some snacks, then headed to Montezuma Falls. The first set of falls was an easy, 30-minute walk from the center of town. There was a nice pool of fresh water at the bottom of the falls and everyone went swimming. The lower falls was bout 40 feet high.

Next, we continued on up to the upper falls. This trail was much more difficult. The first part of the trail was steep hand-over-hand climbing. Then it leveled out for awhile before going, quite literally, straight down a steep rock slope to the upper falls. It was very steep, and potentially very dangerous of someone lost their footing or grip. There was about a 20 foot drop down a rock cliff, with nothing but a length of rope to hang onto.



At there upper falls there were a couple of pools to swim in and several places to jump into the water. I abstained from swimming, but everyone else went in. After awhile, I was ready to head out, but Beth, her sister, and her two friends that came on the trip wanted to stay. I walked back to town with another guest at the hotel who met us up there. It was a hot walk back; I was over-heated and hungry when I got back to the hotel.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel. Had a dinner of pasta and meat sauce and a cabbage salad. After dinner, we went down to town to have some beer in the street. Went for a short walk with Beth on the beach, then headed back up to the hotel for sleep.

I was a little foggy this morning on account of the beach party the night before (too much wine). Walked to town for a delicious breakfast burrito and fresh fruit juice at one of the cafes in the village. After that, I had to go back to the hotel and sleep for another couple hours; I felt much better after the nap.

I stuck around the hotel for the rest of the afternoon, writing notes about the vacation so far and taking a few pictures. Generally taking it easy, with no shirt on, wearing flip-flops. The daytime temperature was in the 90s the entire time. Later in the afternoon I went for a walk down the shore away from town with Beth and her dad. The shore in the opposite direction from the beach was very rock, and large waves crashed into them created a lot of sea spray. The rock in the area is all volcanic; dark and jagged.

We walked down to town for dinner at restaurant that would be having the final playoff football game on a giant projection screen (Saints vs. Vikings). I had a really delicious meal: Tropical Chicken. It was a piece of grilled chicken with a whole lot of fresh fruit and a fruit sauce. Watermelon, pineapple, etc. The saints won the game and will be going to the Super Bowl against the Colts.

After dinner we bought some beers at the grocery and sat along the street. There were street performers. Drummers, guitarists, people throwing flaming batons. Early to bed.

I felt better in the morning. With all the traveling complete, this was the true start of the vacation.

We had a simple breakfast of fresh fruit and bread, purchased at the grocery in town. Walked into town to get some water to re-hydrate myself. After that, we changed into our beach clothes and headed to the beach for some sun and surf. The ocean was as warm as bath water. Waves were rolling in and breaking close to shore, knocking me under water a couple times when I was not paying attention. Beth and her Father stayed in the water for a solid 2 hours; I was in and out during our time at the beach. I spent more time in the water than I have since I was a child. I loved it.

Before leaving the beach Beth and I went for a short walk farther down the beach, then we all had a beer and some snacks at a little cantine that was right along the beach. After that we made our way back to the hotel through town. The street was lined with vendors and their tables displaying arts and crafts for sale. Lots of hand-made jewelery.

Later in the evening we had cocktails and made dinner back at the hotel, which had a nice shared kitchen for the guests to use. We were invited to a beach party by one of the workers at the hotel. Several other guests also came along, and we all shared a van down the road to the party (it was a couple miles away). There was a DJ, a bonfire on the beach, and lots of drinking at the party. The beach was very pretty at night. After a few hours, everyone piled back into the van and headed back to town on the bumpy dirt road.

1-21-10: This was the travel day from Maine. Beth and I took her car to Portland, parked and took a bus to Logan Airport. Boarded an airplane to Houston, then changed planes and continued on to San Jose, Costa Rica. Arrived at San Jose International around 10:30 pm. Beth’s sister Hadley and her friend Allena had already arrived from the west coast of the US. We waited for Beth’s parents to arrive outside the airport. It was pleasantly warm; maybe in the mid-70s. After Beth’s parent’s (Elna and Otto) arrived we took the hotel shuttle to the Best Western in central San Jose. After checking in, we got a cab (van) to takes us to a place for some food and beer. San Jose was not an inviting place at night. All the shops and store fronts at the street level were closed and covered with iron gates. There were prostitutes on various street corners and there was hardly any traffic (no people on foot, cars, or otherwise). After eating, the van took us back to the hotel and we all went to bed.

1-22-10: I woke up early, around 7:30, excited to do some exploring in San Jose. After some breakfast, I walked up to the upper balconies of the hotel ( it was a 4-floor building) to see the view of the city and the surrounding mountains. It was quite spectacular. San Jose is like nothing you would ever see in North America. Tin roofs, concrete buildings, narrow streets, no big cars. Next, we took a trip out into the streets. This being mys first time in the city, I left my camera behind. The reading I had done about the city indicated petty crime, such as pick-pocketing, was coming so I was not comfortable taking it out into the streets. The city was loaded with people during the day, a stark contrast to the night before. All the stores were open, selling shoes, bread, to leather goods, designer jeans, and many other things I probably didn’t see. The sidewalks were very narrow, only wide enough for two people to pass on a side, and the streets were all one lane, and loaded with taxis, vans, and delivery trucks. On the sidewalk vendors were selling fresh avocados, news papers, fruit, and lottery tickets.

Two blocks from the Best Western was the central market of San Jose. This was a large airplane hanger -like structure packed with…everything. It was full of vendors. Fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, leather goods, souvenirs, spices, herbs.. If you wanted a prepared meal there were plenty of tiny little food stalls where you could pull up a stool and get something to eat. Think of it as an ad-hoc supermarket. If your local grocery store were made up of 100 different independent vendors, each specializing in a certain product, it might be like the San Jose central market.

The van we rented to Montezuma arrived a little after 1:30 pm.. The van was nice because you could open the window and take pictures of the countryside. The ride down to the Pacific coast consisted of a lot of mountains and steep switch-back roads. Some of the corners were a little harry; no guard rails, lots of other traffic, and long tips to the bottom. But our driver was good, and so was his van. We reached Puntarenas around 4:30. The van dropped us off and we walked on the ferry that would take us across the Golfo deNicoya to the Nacoya peninsula. The ferry ride took about an hour, and was timed perfectly, as it allowed for a spectacular sunset.



After dark, the ferry arrived and we got into another van that would take us the rest of the way to Montezuma. It took about an hour over dirt and (possibly) paved roads. The van dropped us off right in front of our hotel around 8:00. After checking in at the Luna Lena, we dropped our stuff off and walked down the hill into town to get something to eat. I’m not sure if it was the water or the heat, but I did not feel well and headed back up to the hotel after dinner and went to bed.