Back to Town

breakfast

katie's email prompted us to ask several
times and in several ways
is the road good? will we be delayed?
"no, I just came back, it'll be great"

pack up
drive out of town

puma rescue center
rescue animals and try to (three rs)

pumas
parrots
monkeys

souvenirs
lunch
peanut butter
bread
strawberry jam
caramel
pineapple jam
cheese
crackers
water
on the tables

drive back
stopped for ripe mangos
and pineapples
ate one
kept one

windy mountain road
full of trucks
stuck by the bridge for 1:15

in san jose late
nice hotel
pool

kids jump in
cold
kids get out quickly

eat dinner
american style restaurant
return the cars
no new dents
no new dings
everything checks out
I hope

back to the hotel in a taxi
the long way
(cause we're dumb tourists, I guess)
it probably cost an extra $1

pack
prepare
sleep

Rain Day

breakfast
suspension hike

diapers

dinner
tilapias angel
you choose the fish
they fry the fish
very fun

Lazy Day

breakfast

dad's off on a tour
and his camera
lazy day

alex reads james and the giant peach
katherine reads 6 books
cuddled in moms room

in town for
money
fruit stand
lunch
pizza

katie & andrea leave
on the bus
normal fare for andrea

dinner
heliconias lodge

Trees

an alarm went off about 2 am
tried to get back to sleep
but it doesnt arrive
2.30
3.00
4.00
4.30
5.00
very very tired
drive to meet fred
breakfast
gallo pinto
huevos fritos
chocolate

very bumpy roads--used the 4x4
remote farm full of trees
trees trees trees
hiking to see the five groups of trees
later off for lunch
ceviche
drive to freds factory
factory tour
shelves
bookcases
doors
all very beautiful

meeting amy
another hike
along the ridge
native trees
down through the forest
to the river
and the swimming hole
to swim for an hour
until the rest of the family come
and want to try the waterfall jacuzzi
then a walk back
and a discussion

dinner on the road
to heliconias lodge
mom says give us something fast
soggy french fries
fried pork ribs
looked like bacon
tasted like bacon
sometimes nobody wins

6 km from the lodge
motorcycle rider assists foreigners
rides ahead into town
we've passed
he honks and points
and we take the rough mountain road
to heliconias lodge
in the rain forest

Busy Day

meet at 7:40
breakfast 7
zip-line

loralee
katie
erik
andrea
laramie

bad news

giovanni hunting in town
finally found someone who knew his uncle
who had his phone number

spa / hot springs
everybody
lounging around
drinking pina colada
monkeys
swimming

dinner in a decent pizzeria

giovanni
midnight frog tour
blue jeans frog

pack up bags
sleep

La Fortuna

hike down
pack
family photos
pack
beach 1 hour
travel

icecream
mango
coco
maracuya

drive
road closed
no signs
ack
missed the turn and asked directions
"Go 10 km, turn left after the gas station
you'll be on the highway you want to be"

missed the first road
took the second road
through san ramon
along a windy road
through the mountains
and one way bridges
to arrive in town
and make a wrong turn down the one way street
quickly corrected
because the hotel is back the way we came
up a road
almost half paved

green lagoon
! room
beautiful
unfinished--moulding
only 1 chair--needs 6
beds for 6
grout not cleaned out of shower
no place to stow luggage
no closet
no way to exit when locked--fire escapes?
no privacy
no curtains
exposed wiring / plumbing
no toilet paper holder
smells like varnish
lights not well explained
floor dirty when walking barefoot
no lamps
no wifi
incomplete landscaping
path incompletely lit
trail unfinished
not good for kids
not good for groups
good for 1 couple no kids / older kids / honeymooners
no safe
no fridge

dinner
partially delivered

rough night
loralee and rebecca
laramie and alex
katie and katherine
guess who slept the best?

but the beds were soft and new and wonderful
the best we slept on in costa rica

Jungle

surfing
overnight in the jungle
no ice cream
1.8km hike
roadside hawk