Arriving in Costa Rica
Today, I woke up to an exceptionally early riser known as the "Howler Monkey". All week he has been joined by the neighbourhood rooster and hound dog as they not only awake the local residents (and me) but in their own way, begin their day by checking in on each other. It cracks me up as one by one they respond to each other's sounds. This lasts for about 10 to 20 minutes, although today was much longer because of the rain. I think they wanted us to know they don't like to get wet!
Brent and I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica on December 27th. We stayed over night before heading to Salinas Bay. We didn't prebook a car, instead listened to the advise of others, and negotiated in person. Although the negotiations were sort of mute, as it is high season and surprisingly, even during COVID, the number of cars to rent proved to be limited and quite costly.
We ended up renting a car from Payless for a week even though we are here for two months. We were hoping the cost would go down after the holidays and the locals go back to work. I think when renting a car here, I'd consider the following:
Negotiate the price if you can-most things in Costa Rica can be negotiated
Try to pay in cash
Rent a 4 X 4 - most roads are sketchy
Prebook if coming during the Holiday Season - maybe a short period of time and then extend
Research the insurance; they usually offer basic and full (very costly) - you may get coverage through your credit card
You can drive with a normal license. Unfortunately, I lost mine and only had a temporary one they wouldn't accept (my sister has Expressed my permanent one and we await its arrival)
Rent from a company that has offices throughout the country if you are travelling around (may prove useful if you need them)
After renting the car we headed to Salinas Bay across from the Nicaraguan Border and the town of La Cruz. Here, we stayed in the dorm style accommodations at the kiteboarding school. It had a very rustic kitchen with limited supplies but we managed to make most of our meals, including a four-course New Years eve dinner for five. Brent got a few kiting sessions in and we explored the area. Surrounded by wide open ranges, by far agriculture and ranching are the predominant industry, along with tourism.
We drove the coast south to Cuajiniquil Bay, a part of the Gulf of Santa Elena and north of Santa Rosa National Park. It is in the Gulf that you can witness Humpback Whales during their migration season.
On the first of the New Year, we made the trek to La Fortuna. Here there is an abundance of activities to keep you occupied, but we focused on hiking and more kiteboarding. We stayed at Hotel Castillo del Arenal in El Castillo, for around $40US, including a fabulous breakfast. We had most of our dinners here too. Chef Rodrigo caters not only to local Costa Rican cuisine including your traditional rice and beans and plantain, but he also manages to create equally tasty dishes with other non-traditional ingredients. He often made sure he customized my vegetarian options with ingredients grown right on the property. Fermin, the hotel manager, was so attentive to our arrival needs and quite frankly, the staff were so friendly and helpful. Even though you need a car to get here and around to the attractions, it is worth the quiet respite the hotel has to offer.
While in the area, we hiked the Arenal Volcano from two spots; the first from the Observatory and the second from the 1968 Lava Trail. The Observatory offered amazing views while hiking pretty flat trails through farmland, and although we didn't eat at the restaurant, the views from the outside platform were amazing. Although, not a lot of wild mammals in the area that day, there were some pretty birds.
We also hiked Mystico Park, again not too far of a drive from our hotel. Mystico Park offered beautifully kept grounds and many hanging bridges as we walked a couple of hours through the rainforest. Again, not a lot of wildlife but a beautiful waterfall and stunning views. I swear the monkeys and sloths are avoiding me!
Our last hike was through the 1968 Lava Trail. It was the most strenuous of the three hikes. It was about a 6km hike up and down steep, rocky train. Bring lots of water. It was truly fascinating to see the lava rocks and the natural lake that was formed when the Volcano erupted in '68. It finally stopped in 2010. It really is a fascinating area:Arenal Volcano
