Last day in Costa Rica

Imagine a postcard picture of a stretch of beach with white sands, turquoise water, blue skies, palm trees, and gentle surf.  That was where we were today.  After a three hour drive, we arrived at Manuel Antonio National Park.  It was busier on the roads today, because of the weekend - plus this weekend is special in Costa Rica:  tomorrow is Independence Day.  But we arrived safely, hiked through the park (with tour guide) to the beach.  The kids loved it, and would probably still be there if I had not dragged them away to return back to our condo.

We saw a couple of sloths, some squirrel monkeys, howler monkies, and white-face monkies.  We saw some pesky racoons, some iguanas, and lots of hermit crabs.

We traveled with John and Jan today, and also the other family from Calgary:  Brett and Skye, and their two kids Aila and Trinity.  I am glad we could spend time with them.  It made the vacation much more enjoyable.

When we got back to the condo, John and Jan went out for dinner with another tennant, Herschel.  The rest of us combined forces for a nice spaghetti dinner - no more rice and beans for us!  Now the kids are in bed early, and we wake up at 3:30 (!) so that we can get to the airport in time for our 6:30 am flight back home.

It has been a wonderful vacation!

Tour day 5

Today was our last tour day, and it was a good one.  We went to the Poas volcano first thing in the morning.  The road goes up pretty much right to the top, with only a short walk to the viewpoint for the crater.  It is quite magnificent.  The crater drops about 100 meters or so from the viewpoint, and at the bottom is a steaming lake of hot, sulfuric acid.  Not a nice place to swim.  Steam vents jet steam into the air continually, but it dissipates pretty quickly.  Fortunately for us it was a beautiful, clear morning, so we had a clear view of the entire crater.

It is interesting just to walk around up there - it is called a "cloud forest" - and look at the flora.  And of course spot birds.  But we did not have too much time for that, because we had another sight to go see.

Next we drove a rough, windy, hilly road to the Lapaz Waterfall Gardens, which is situated further down the mountain.  It is a beautifully arranged garden and wildlife observatory.  It has birds, of course, butterflies, snakes, frogs, cats, and oxen.  And the waterfalls are quite picturesque.

Then we had a nice lunch at a restaurant on the mountain, including a taste of agua dulce con leche, which is basically water with cane sugar and some milk.  The kids played in the pool with their new friends Aila and Trinity (from Calgary) when we got back, and now we are winding down early for tomorrow's busy schedule.  Our last day here will be a trip to the beach.

Tour day 4

Today we saw crocodiles!  We even fed 'em.  And we saw a lot of birds too.  John took almost 1000 pictures.  Happy sorting...

We managed to avoid rush-hour traffic problems on the way out this morning, and drove down a very nice highway to the coast.  There we embarked on a walking tour of Carara National Park, hoping to see some exciting wildlife.  We did see some, although not as much as we hoped.  The best time to see it is in the early morning, but we would have had to leave the condo at 4 am to do that.  No big snakes, unfortunately.  But we saw lots of ants.  Lots and lots.  And lots.  Part way through we came to an "Indiana Jones" suspension bridge:  we named it such because it was blocked off to prevent foot travel - probably because it was in need of repair.  But we found a trail that went around it, down into the dry creek bed and up the other side.  The hike lasted probably 1.5 hours, although it was not strenuous at all, and the trail was well kept.  It was interesting to listen to the different bird sounds (too bad we could not see the birds much of the time).  The loudest sounds came from the secadas, though.  Glad we don't have any of these around home.

We then drove to the Tarcoles River for the boat tour.  This river is much wider than the Sarapiqui River that we toured yesterday.  And we were very close to the ocean as well.  We saw lots of new birds - different species here on the Pacific side versus the Carribean side.  And of course the crocodiles.  Amanda will describe those in more detail.  They were definitely the highlight, at least for me.

After the boat tour we had a nice lunch on the shore of the river in an open air restaurant (they did not seem too concerned about the crocodiles).  Then we drove back, again avoiding any rush-hour problems in San Jose.

For dinner we found an excellent restaurant nearby called Grandma's House, run by a Canadian from New Brunswick.  Great food.  Ask Ben how many pork ribs he ate.

Tomorrow:  another volcano!

Tour day 3

Today was the best day yet.  We did a fantastic chocolate tour, and followed that with an awesome river boat tour.

John and Jan joined us today.  There were just the five of us - we have had the tour guide basically all to ourselves.  We drove through rush-hour traffic in San Jose out to the northern part of the country, where we started with a tour of the Tirimbina Chocolate research center.  They grow cacao trees there and make chocolate the traditional way.  We hiked over a suspension bridge (the longest one in the country) and through the jungle to an outpost where our guide, Michael, gave us an excellent presentation on the history of chocolate.  We got to break open a cacao seed, suck on the beans, taste fresh beans, taste roasted fermented beans (nibs), grind them into a powder, add sugar and cinnamon, make a hot cocoa drink, and sample some chocolate made right there.  It was great!  Definitely a highlight.  We will have to try making some home-made chocolate now.

After a delicious lunch at the research center we drove off to the Sarapiqui River for a boat tour, in a drenching downpour.  This turned out to be quite a treat.  We saw a wide variety of birds and other animal life like howler monkies and iguanas.  Our guide Juan Carlos was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and John snapped probably hundreds of pictures.  The rain stopped after awhile, and we cruised down and up the river in a leisurely fashion, looking for the next sighting.  The boat driver's son (about 10 years old?) was uncanny at spotting interesting wildlife amongst the trees lining the shores of the river.  The icing on the cake was a pair of Spectacled Owls found just as we neared the dock.

And then the drive back to San Jose for more rush-hour traffic.  All in all, the best tour day so far.

We all went for dinner at a nearby restaurant, which presented a nice buffet (seems to be the preferred way to serve dinner so far).

Tomorrow:  Carara National Park and another boat cruise.

Birding in Costa Rica

Well, we've been in Costa Rica for three days, two of which were spent doing some fantastic birding!  Our guide for the two days is a very knowledgeable birder, who knows the birds, their calls and their habitat - he took us on a tour-de-force for the two days - we saw a lot of birds, but also learned a lot as well.  If you want to follow up on this idea of getting a guided birding tour in Costa Rica, have a look at this blog:  http://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/

I've just downloaded about 700 photos from the last 2 days and need to sort through them all, before posting much here.  However, I do have 2 photos that I took at the Costa Rica Nature Pavilion today (www.costaricanp.com).

Here are two photos that I took today, one of a Tiger Heron (first) and then of a Sun Bitter (second)...

Tour day 2

Today was a very long day.  We left at 7:30 am and did not return until 9:30 pm.

We drove a road that made the Hwy 4 stretch between Parksville and Tofino look straight and level.  I have never seen so many hairpin turns.  I think we spent 6 hours on the road today.

We visited the Arenal Volcano, although really the volcano was just a backdrop that was only partially visible most of the day - although it did peek out at around 4 pm for a full view - until the rains set in.

We visited a tourist shop, saw the world's biggest ox-cart, came within reach of a two-toed sloth, rode some crazy water slides, and oh yeah just zipped 3 km through the trees hanging from a wire.

Okay, the zip lines were very fun.  I even got to ride Superman style on one of them.  Ben and Amanda did great - no doubling up needed.  It went by almost too fast, because we were the only ones there.  The tourist sites are in general pretty sparsely populated right now; it truly is the off-season.  But today we were lucky:  no rain until about 5:30 pm.

After the zip lines we went to the Baldi Hot Springs and Resort and played in the pools for a few hours.  They built a series of cascading pools, fed by the springs.  Some had wet-bars in them.  Some had waterfalls.  One had a really neat grotto that led into a cave that turned out to be a sauna.  And the water slides really were crazy.  But the water was really hot, and it was a hot day, so we spent most of our time in a teeny pool that had the only cool water in the place.

We had dinner in a covered open-air restaurant where people would normally watch the volcano, but tonight it was nothing but blackness due to the rain.  Quite an unusual setting.  The food was good.

Tomorrow:  the Chocolate Tour.

Tour day 1

Today we did a tour of San Jose.  The day started off with clear blue skies and the chirping of unfamiliar birds.  We had breakfast in the atrium, provided by the tour outfit.  Mark the owner gave a spiel on the various tour packages, and I signed us up for the Highlight tour.

We began the tour at noon, and headed out in the tour van, driven by Hopper and narrated by the tour guide, Juan Carlos (the regular tour guide Christian is on vacation this week).  Driving in San Jose is an experience all its own, and I was certain we would be in an accident several times.  Very often we were within inches of cars or buses or motorbikes on either side, or in front or behind us.  Traffic laws are optional, it seems.  For instance, a stop sign ("Alto") apparently means "slow down and check for a gap."

We drove past several parks, a stadium, some residences of dignitaries, some historical buildings, and other interesting sights, all the while with Juan Carlos relating bits of Costa Rican history.  We hopped out (just by pulling over to the side on a busy street, cars honking their horns behind us) and walked down a busy pedestrian-only shopping street, then toured the National Theatre, which was very impressive.

Then the infamous tropical rain set in.  It poured buckets for a good while, and streets turned into rivers.  We snapped a pic of an "urban waterfall".  But the locals take it all in stride - what else can you do?  At least it was a warm rain.  Most people walk around with umbrellas, but still wear light summer clothing.

For dinner we thought we would try a nice restaurant nearby, only to find after slogging a few blocks through the rain that it was closed for another hour.  So we settled for Denny's, which was just across the street.  Oh well.  But the meal was tasty enough.  I had Tilapia Ranchero, with a delicious apple pie for dessert.  And a delightful mango smoothie - the hightlight.

Tomorrow:  Arenal Volcano and a Canopy tour.

Arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica!

Well, we made it safe and sound, without incident.  I am sitting in the atrium of the Taranova Villas Palmas typing this in, while Amanda and Ben are getting ready for bed.  John greeted us, but went right to bed - he and Jan are going to be up at 5:30 am for some birding.

The trip was fine, and we have all our luggage - except for the camera that I left on the kitchen counter.  Doh!

More updates later.

Greg

Trying some Costa Rican food

We read a little about Costa Rican food this week. Their biggest staple is black beans and rice, which they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner in slight variations. So it is no surprise that their national dish is Gallo Pinto, which is black beans and rice fried together with onions and seasonings. They also eat a fair bit of corn , which they make into tortillas, empanadas, and tamales. The kids were excited to hear that the exotic fruits and desserts are in plentiful supply. I let them eat some Dulce de Leche by the spoonful for dessert and they were in heaven!

We cooked Gallo Pinto and Olla de Carne (a beef stew) for dinner the other day. The Olla de Carne had all sorts of vegetables in it that I've never tried before. I went to T&T market to find them. They were:

1. Yucca root (also known as cassava or tapioca) is a white fleshed tuber with thick, waxy brown skin. I cut the ends off, then ran my knife along the outside to take the skin off. In some cases it had a woody core that needs to be cut out, in which case I quartered it length-wise and then ran my knife along the middle to remove the core. I then diced the remaining flesh and kept it in a bowl of water until I was ready to use it so that it didn't discolour.

2. Chayote is sometimes known as a "vegetable pear". It certainly looks like a wrinkly pear. It has very thin skin that comes off easily with a vegetable peeler. It has a bit of a core, so it too needs to be cut in quarters so that the core can be removed. The flesh has a crunchy texture, similar to a cucumber, but it is slightly sweeter tasting.

3. Taro has white flesh with purple veining running throughout it. I cheated a bit and bought taro that was already peeled and sectioned. Apparently you are not supposed to eat taro raw because it contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can contribute to kidney stones. Cooked taro is fine.

The Olla de Carne ended up being delicious. Everyone enjoyed it. I particularly liked Chayote and plan on using it again in my cooking.

Recipe adapted from http://enlacocina.michunche.com/2010/12/olla-de-carne-costa-rican-beef-soup.html

Olla de Carne - Costa Rican Beef Stew

2 Tbs oil 1 cup onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup celery, diced 2 lbs bone-in beef, cubed beef or rib pieces cut into about 2 inch pieces water ½ lb yucca (cassava), peeled and diced ½ lb taro, peeled and diced ½ lb carrots, peeled and diced ½ lb potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cups chicken or beef stock (or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in water) ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ½ lb calabaza squash, peeled and diced 1 chayote, peeled and diced 1 green plantain, peeled and sliced 2 cups corn, frozen or fresh 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 1 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped 1 tsp achiote paste (annatto) - optional Salt and pepper to taste

1 Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fry until they start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. 2 Add the garlic, celery, and 1 tsp salt. Cook for another 3 minutes. 3 Add the beef along with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes (until the meat is almost tender). 4 Add the yucca, taro and carrots to the pot along with the chicken stock. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. 5 Now add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, calabaza squash and chayote to the pot. Continue to simmer for 15 to 25 minutes. 6 Add the plantain, corn, cilantro, oregano, and achiote. Cook for 10 more minutes, or until everything is tender. 7 Taste and adjust seasonings.

Servings: 8

Toucan (Amanda)

Toucans are a kind of bird that live in Costa Rica. They usually live in forests or rain forests. Because they live in forests their wings aren't very big because they usually don't have to fly far and they don't migrate. Their bodies are mostly black with yellow, white or orange bellies. They have light-weight, colourful beaks, and depending on what species they are, the beaks can be any colour between yellow, green, orange or red. Their beaks are often longer then half their body length and their tongues are about half a foot long. Their tails have sockets so they can flip their tail over their back and onto their head and they usually do this when they sleep. They make a loud squawking sound. They usually lives in holes in trees that have been made by other animals. They lay 2-4 white eggs at a time. When the baby birds hatch they are completely featherless. The parents of the Toucan babies feed and protect the babies until they are older. Toucans usually live in pairs or in small groups called flocks. They mostly eat fruit, but they also eat bugs and small lizards. Some of the Toucan's predators are big birds of prey, wild cats and humans, while smaller animals like snakes and weasels sometimes steal their eggs.
                                                  

Toco Toucan

Keel-billed Toucan

Scarlet macaw (Ben)

The Scarlet Macaw is a large, red, yellow and blue South and Central american parrot that lives in Tropical forests. It has very long twin tail feathers. It`s very beautiful feathers are more beautiful on the under side. It`s wingspan is 44-48 inches long. It is 81 cm (32 inch) long from head to tail. It`s call comes out as screeches, squeaks and screams that can be heard up to 2 kilometers away. It eats fruits, nuts and seeds.

Quetzal (Ben)

Quetzals live in the cloud forests of central america.. They are what most people say is the most beautiful bird on the earth. In mating season male Quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form a train usually three feet (one meter) long. Quetzals have blue green and red colors that really help them pop out when flying, but hide in the rain forest. They eat fruit, insects, lizards and other small creatures. They use their powerful beaks to hollow out nests made from dead logs, trees and other soft wooded things.

Howler Monkey (Ben)

Howlers in Costa Rica normally hang out in mango trees. If you try to steal their mangoes, they will pelt you with mangoes and if you get too close, they will pee on you. A Howler monkey lives in a troop and only has one baby at a time. Howler monkeys are fruit and vegetable eaters. Their tail is so strong that it is as if they have a third arm. Their tail can even hold food. Howlers are some of the loudest monkeys on earth. They live in central and south america. 

This is a male mantled Howler.

Glass Frogs (Amanda)

Glass Frogs live in Costa Rica. They are usually a lime green colour with a see-through belly, but some are completely see-through. You can see their organs through their bodies if you flip them upside down. They are about 3 to 7.5 cm (1.2 to 3 in) long. The frogs lay their eggs on leaves that hang over moving water, so that when the eggs hatch the tadpoles fall into the river. They sometimes protect their eggs until the eggs hatch. On the other hand, Glass Frogs have been known to eat their young. Some of the different kinds of Glass Frogs that live in Costa Rica are the Fleischmann’s Glass Frog, the Powdered Glass Frog and the Bare-hearted Glass Frog.

We love birds...

One of our big reasons for going to Costa Rica is that we love birds, and there are probably more kinds of birds in Costa Rica than almost anywhere else on the earth.  With the help of a local guide, we hope to see many kinds of birds in a variety of habitats.

We are also excited to spend some time with our son-in-law and two grand-kids!  Some of the activities they have chosen sound a little scary - like zip lining through the top of the forest.  That should be fun, but I bet we'll be going too fast to get a good look at the birds.  On the other hand, we might zip right by one, which would be very cool!

Fer-de-lance (Amanda)

The Fer-de-lance is a snake that lives in Costa Rica. It is a highly venomous snake that is usually between 4-7 feet long. It is a light beige or brown colour and has distinct triangle shapes on its back. It has long fangs and a high venom production. It is the most poisonous snake in all of Central America. Some people even call it the three step snake, because if the bite is bad the bitten person only makes it about that far. It lives in quite a few parts of Costa Rica, but it especially likes banana farms because of all the mice. The Fer-de-lance eats mice and other small rodents when it's young and eats bigger mammals when it's older. The really big snakes sometimes eat small birds. When it is annoyed, the Fer-de-lance vibrates its tale and then sometimes strikes. Mother snakes give birth to live young instead of eggs, and can give birth to any number between 10-80 young.

Super Happy to Go (Ben)

I am super happy to go to Costa Rica because I will get to go on zip lines, learn Spanish, go to a volcano, try out the new way of not wiping but washing your bum when finished on the toilet (yes I know it’s weird), and try new foods. But that’s not the half of it. I'll also get to go to the rain forest and see toucans, scarlet macaws, and maybe even a quetzal. I’ll get to go to the Gold Museum in San José. Did I mention that the volcano I’m visiting will be active (Ya I know freaky right?)? I hope to get a picture while I’m there.

See you at San José
Ben

Excited To Go (Amanda)

I'm excited to go to Costa Rica because:

-It is a whole new country
-It's full of cool plants and animals
-It has different cultures then us to learn about
-People there usually speak Spanish
-It has rain forests, volcanoes and parks to explore
-It's warmer there then it is here in Vancouver
-We get to go see where they grow coco beans to make chocolate
-We get to try Costa Rican food
-We get to go zip lining

We are going on a tour that takes us to see some of these things, but I am especially excited about going zip lining because I've never been zip lining before, and I'm curious to see up in the trees. I'm also exited to go see one of the active volcanoes. I've been trying to learn a bit of Spanish but it's pretty hard. I'm excited to see some of the plants and animals and I'm especially excited to see the different birds. There are some creepy things there in Costa Rica, like this snake called the lance-de-fer which is very, VERY poisonous so I hope we never see one. We are going to be staying in San Jose which is the capital of Costa Rica.