Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Having recovered from the excitement of taking a hot bath with 40 strangers of various nationalities, it was down to more mundane events. Today (Saturday) we left the Arenal Volcano - still hidden by low hanging clouds - to head for the cloud forest.  

We were picked up from the hotel in an old school bus - yes a school bus just like you see on the American movies. There must have been around 40 seats; the windows were dark and misty. There were 3 passengers - we two and an oriental looking young guy who smiled but seemed to speak neither English or spanish. 

We were delivered to Arenal lake - it felt like a delivery - and deposited on a small boat, just we three again. The boat driver, captain would probably have given him a status he didn't look as if he merited, was cheerful and keen to show off any birds or reptiles along the shores. There were quite a few photo opportunities including turkey buzzards and egrets. The boat journey took around 40 minutes down and across lake Arenal. and still the rain came down. On reaching the other side we had to climb the slippery slope, Amanda with the help of a couple of 10-year-old boys who earned 200 colonies for their cheerful helpfulness.

There was much milling about while boats came and went and people slithered down or up the slope depending which way they were heading. We were not sure which was our transport; some people had numbers to match their bus.  We just had our names but, as always has been the case since we started our tour, our transport duly arrived, Bryan introduced himself and we embarked followed by our smiling young amigo. The road was dirt-track nearly all the way and full of potholes. We climbed and climbed up into the clouds, being bounced and thrown around in the back. At one stage, the road was just too steep and slippery for Bryan's mini bus and we had to reverse back down the hill 3 or 4 times before trying to charge up the slope. To the smell of burning rubber and smoking clutch we finally got up on the fourth attempt.  We cheered.  Bryan was relieved. The tyres were almost treadless.  When we reached the higher slopes, the silver lining arrived in the form of blue skies and sunshine!  The 40 km bus journey took over 2 hours with only the last couple of kilometres on made up roads. But who cares, it was warm and sunny and we had arrived safely at Monteverde, green mountain. We booked in after lunch.  Our room has magnificent views across the mountains to the lake.  We have a suite with two king size beds on two different levels. We will only use the one. After lunch we strolled down hills into town for a coffee in Tree Tops before taking a taxi back up the hills; makes sense that.

The beautiful Monteverde reserve came into being in 1972, when the Quaker community, spurred on by the threat of encroaching squatters, joined forces with environmental and wildlife organizations to purchase and protect an extra 328 hectares (811 acres) of land. This fragile environment relies almost entirely on public donations to survive. Today, the reserve totals 10,500 hectares (25,946 acres). Just thought you would like to know that!

Well tonight we did a night walk in part of the cloud forest looking for nocturnal animals, frogs and the like. We got lucky and saw a kinkajou, an olingo as well as a white faced coati. On a smaller scale we also saw a tiny frog, praying mantis, cricket, grasshopper, tarantula, sleeping birds and other things. All of this gave us an appetite so we walked to a nearby restaurant for a few beers and chicken and beef quesadillas.

Kingajou

Olingo

Tomorrow we are up early for a 7.00 am start and hike in the cloud forest reserve. Buenes Noches amigos!

More Pictures to follow.

Food Glorious Food

The national dish of Costa Rica is rice and beans aka gallo pinto.  The beans are small and black and the dish is delicious if a little samey after a while. No problem for vegetarians, it is always on the menu! We have eaten a couple of other unusual foods.....cassava*, and plantain**. Both delicious in small doses! 

We've had a pipas (madafu/green coconut) each in Tortaguero and lots and lots of delicious coffee. In the Tree House*** as in other places they decorated the top with patterns and pictures. A gin and tonic always goes down very well and the Tom Collins I had in the Volcano Lodge at La Fortuna was sublime. Less exciting was the blue cocktail sipped in Turtle Beach Lodge. The local cerveza called Imperial is very palatable. And not forgetting the local rum we had in the hot springs. 

Costa Rica isn't known for gastronomic delights and the hotel food has been pretty unimaginative on the whole, although perfectly edible. So, we thought we'd treat ourselves to a place called Trio in Santa Elena, the town close to Monteverde and our hotel El Establo. The guide book said it "has a classy contemporary open air dining room perched in the trees.......has a highly touted burger with figs and ..... does amazing things with tropical fruit". But it's closed and there is a tapas bar in it's place! So we will try one of the other recommended places. 

At every breakfast so far there has been a trio of fruit....pineapple, water melon and pawpaw. Freshly cut and each with a wonderful flavour. We are eating plenty of fruit, but not many vegetables. 

Another week to go and we will be back in the UK and starting our next dieting regime! 

Buen provecho! 

*Manihot esculenta, with common names cassava, Brazilian arrowroot, manioc, and tapioca, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family native to South America.

**A cooking plantain or plantain is one of the cultivated varieties of the genus Musa whose fruit is intended to be consumed only after cooking or other processing, rather than being eaten raw. 

***the Tree house is apparently one of the world's top ten bizarre restaurants! Built around a half century old fig tree, it's a unique setting. 

Feelin Hot Hot Hot

The highlight of our trip so far came at the end of our hike round the national park at Arenal, the volcano. More of that later. 

Our afternoon started with an explanation of how they know that Arenal went back to sleep at the end of 2010. It had awoken with a vengeance on July 29th, 1968, destroying three villages and killing around 80 people. We saw the lower slopes, but the peak was covered in cloud. 

On our walk we learnt lots from Isaac our guide, who said if it moves, don't touch it! Apparently there are 750 snakes in Costa Rica including the eyelash snake who likes to curl up in beautiful yellow flowers! No more sniffing beautiful yellow flowers then! 

We saw lots of birds including a rainbow toucan and a fiery tailed toucan and Isaac was delighted to point out a white hawk, King of the forest. 

We also came across a white faced coati! Whilst the below isn't our photo, we think we have a feasible one on the 'good' camera! 

The Coati is a raccoon-like omnivore, but is more slender and possesses a longer snout. It is a nosy, busy little creature with an insatiable appetite. The Coati is gregarious and noisy as it travel about in groups of from 6 to 24, holding its tail almost erect and chattering with others.

This grizzled gray-brown mammal grows 30 to 55 inches long and stands 8 to 12 inches high at the shoulder. It can weigh from 10 to 25 pounds. Males are almost twice as large as females.

The Coati has a long snout that is white near the tip and around the eyes, which often have dark patches above. The Coati has small ears, dark feet and a long, thin tail (as much as 2 feet long) with 6 or 7 dark bands.

Coatis are diurnal, spending most of the day foraging for food, which includes insects, lizards, roots, fruits, nuts and eggs. They are very fond of fruit, especially the manzanita berry.

A little further along Isaac suddenly got very excited and produced a pen knife to dig out the volcanic mud in a layer beneath the 'ordinary' mud. David dug some up too, so we are now carrying a bag of mud along with our luggage! 

Next stop was a magnificent waterfall which no one could be persuaded to go in with Isaac! 

It looked very exhilarating...maybe 30 years ago I would have done it. 

We traversed three hanging bridges without too much trauma, although I was reminded of a recurring nightmare I had as a child about crossing a hanging bridge with a raging torrent below. 

Some of the filming of Jurassic Park took place here in Costa Rica and we saw one of the scenes! As were the Peru scenes in Paddington! 

Back in the van we (2 Mexicans, 2 Ticos, 2 Italians, one American, one Scotsman, one Canadian and us) were driven on appalling roads to a pond by the side of the road. It was pitch black by now. With just the light of the moon and a torch, Isaac climbed a tree and brought us a fine specimen of a red eyed tree frog. 

Amazing creature that looks just like a leaf when it's in it's camaflarged state. 

And so to the highlight..... Picture the scene.....we are with a bunch of strangers and our guide pulls up at the side of the road. Tells us to strip down to our swimming costumes and leave EVERYTHING in the van. iPhones, cameras, money, passports, shoes, towels, everything..... And his 'mate' will guard it while we head off bare foot into the blackness. Across the road and down some slippery, presumably volcanic rocks, to a hot spring. Talk about adrenalin rushes.... Holding hands with a 75 year old woman (not sure who was helping who) we made it to the top of the waterfall where two Ticos (male Costa Ricans) took each hand and threw/hurled/launched me into the pool below!  It was like being in a giant hot tub with 40 or so others. Underfoot there were rocks and stones and the water coming from the top was like a natural massage. Health and safety where are you? We were given plastic cups of Costa Rican rum and sprite and a mud pack smeared on our faces. 40 mins or so later we emerged dripping to make our way back up to the van and back to the hotel! 

And to cap it all.....it wasn't raining and didn't rain all afternoon! 

Hidden or Sleeping

Our hotel is called Volcano Lodge and, as the name suggests, it is situated next to a volcano. But don't worry, even though the Arenal Volcano is Costa Rica's youngest and most active volcano, it is currently sleeping.  It is also hidden by low level cloud, so despite us traveling al this way we have seen nuffin'!  Tomorrow we are going to hike to the volcano observatory in the hope the clouds might lift and give us an eye full.  If not, we will just have to look at photos and read all about it. And bathe in the hot, volcanic springs - such hardship!

Toucan or not Toucan

We spent a very happy couple of hours this morning watching the birds...first from our breakfast table and the from our verandah. We saw red ones, blue, green, yellow and black and top of the list a gorgeous so called rainbow toucan! 

Popped into La Fortuna and had coffee with the Swedish pair we had met at the previous hotel. Booked a tour for tomorrow and did lunch.  Still raining....back to the hotel to be met with this clever towel display! 

It Rains in the Rain Forest!

As dry as it was most of yesterday, it has poured today. In a brief respite, after showering and putting on some dry clothes, we made it to lunch. It seems that the spread is the same for each lunch and dinner except for the meat or fish that goes with it all. Tomatoes, cucumber, coleslaw, rice, beans, pasta and for lunch today - pork. It was good!

After lunch we sat in the comfy seats in the open bar area, watching the rain pouring down and temporarily flooding the surrounds. I can think of worse places to be marooned. We have no plans for the rest of today, given the rain, so we will relax and read and blog our way to dinner.  We were told by our guide that the average rainfall in this area is 8 metres - not sure if that is a weekly, monthly or annual figure! The rain is noisy as well as wet! (Update it is annually)

No phone signal or wi-fi so we are blissfully unaware of what is happening in the rest of the world.

It rained buckets, cats and dogs and full on tropical stuff ALL night and in the morning we were issued with black bags to cover our stuff.

Poured all day today (Wednesday) too. But we have arrived at hotel number three and it's fabulous. 

All creatures great and small

Whilst at Turtle Lodge we saw a selection of birds and reptiles and mammals.. Most of our photos are on our 'good' cameras so can't show them on this blog post, but will add them to our book when we get home. 

Apart from our night time boat ride, we had a crack of dawn boat ride and two walks...one self guided on a great path in the dry and one guided on a muddy trail (we were wearing wallies thankfully) when it poured and poured so much so that we only did 40 mins of our promise hour and a half. 

The wildlife is interesting and definitely different! Meantime this is called a lobster claw! 

Turtle beach lodge

Did we mention we are in the wrong season for sea turtles? 

It didn't matter as we knew before we booked! But after a lunch of Gallo pinto, the ubiquitas rice and beans we took a walk along the beach on the Carribean side of Costa Rica. It's a peculiar experience for someone used to the Indian Ocean.. The palm trees are there, the waves are the right height and the sea and sky are blue. The sun is shining and the flotsam and jetsam that litters the beach is a familiar mix of coconut shells, plastic bottles, palm fronds and old bits of rope, sea shells and bottle tops BUT the sand is black. Very odd.

Our rustic Banda is just a stones throw from the beach and the sound of the surf pounding the sand is non stop. 

We drifted our way through the afternoon reading and sleeping and then after dinner of rice and beans we set out on a night boat ride to spot some nocturnal rain forest wildlife. Incredibly it has hardly rained since we got here and we survived the two and a half hour trip in an open boat without getting wet. 

Heading into the jungle

Up early to head to the jungle, we were asked to be in reception by 6.20. Our transport and guide Raimon duly arrived and squished us into the back seat of a 16 seater bus (there were 17 of us). He talked about his country for the first hour or so of the journey and was interesting although I couldn't retain much I do remember he said:

Top industry is agriculture....export of bananas, pineapple and coffee, 2nd tourism and third, production of microchips for companies like Intel

Costa Rica is the newest/youngest country in the world having been formed by plates colliding under the ocean. They have six active volcanoes. And several mountain ranges. 

Bananas are grown in fields and the fruit is covered by blue plastic bags to protect it from the insecticides that are sprayed by aeroplanes. Harvesting the bananas is done by groups of three men who use machetes to cut the fruit and then use sponges in between each banana to protect the fingers so they get no bruising or blemishes. They carry them on their shoulder and in the factory the bananas are cut into hands of 7 or 8 fingers each and the ends are sealed with varnish and then packed to be sent overseas. I have no idea where the bananas we see in Aldi or the Coop are from...note to self, find out. 

We saw pineapple fields as well and Raimon told us that they have to be careful the pineapples dont grow too big otherwise they can't be exported. 

We stopped for breakfast of rice, beans and egg and fresh watermelon, pawpaw and pineapple and good coffee and then had a quick snoop around a butterfly park at the back of the restaurant. Back in the bus we carried on to the port where we put our luggage on one boat and got on another to head for Tortaguerno village. On the way we saw two cayman and lots of birds. We also saw toucan earlier in the day. The village was interesting with the river on one side and the ocean on the other. All the buildings were on stilts as it floods twice a year! Picked up another boat and finally arrived at our hotel for the next two nights. 

Filibustering Around San Jose

We thought Sunday would be a good day to filibuster; we didn't' yet know what it meant but there was plenty of it going on in the past.  More of it later.

After breakfast at 7, comprising fresh fruit,  scrabbled eggs, rice and beans, toast and coffee we set off to explore the capital. First stop was Parc Espana where we hoped to see a chunk of the Berlin Wall and a statue of Christopher Columbus; we found neither but it was a nice green park!

 On to the city centre and coffee at Alma's one of the 'most beautiful cafés' in the city located in the National Theatre. Ceiling frescos were all part of the charm.

From there we decided to walk the length of the city centre, taking in all the shops and sights to our planned lunch stop.

  We passed a couple of McDonalds, a couple of Burger Kings, KFCs, and  Pizza Express on our way to Machu Picchu a locally renowned Peruvian Restaurant. There I had sea food soup followed by king Prawns and Amanda, octopus in olive oil and avocado followed by a chicken stew.  It tasted better for the long walk and beers to go with it.

After lunch we wandered back along Avenue 1 which is parallel to the central avenue we'd walked before. The whole road system is a grid of straight lines which makes it very easy to follow the map. 

We remarked on the lack of obvious tourists and tourist gift shops and then we found a whole street of them! A glorious riot of colour and trinkets and souvenirs from key rings to bags, wooden carvings, paintings on feathers, real butterflies, t shirts and all the usual stuff. Davie bought a Panama hat and very fetching he looks in it don't you think? 

We were making for the Parque Nacional. Meant to be the nicest park in San Jose. Right in the centre is a dramatic statue of of the Central American nations driving out the American filibuster* William Walker! We also saw the statue of Juan Santamaria, one of Costa Rica's national heros. 

Filibuster William Walker launched several expeditions into Latin America. For a time he ruledNicaragua, although he was eventually forced to return to the United States. In 1860, he was captured and executed in Honduras.

*A filibuster or freebooter is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution. The term is usually used to describe United States citizens who attempted to foment insurrections in Latin America in the mid-19th century, but is also applicable in the modern day.

Filibusters are irregular soldiers who act without authority from their own government, and are generally motivated by financial gain, political ideology, or the thrill of adventure. The freewheeling actions of the filibusters of the 1850s led to the name being applied figuratively to the political act of filibustering in the United States Congress.^[1]

Unlike a mercenary, a filibuster leader/commander works for himself, whilst a mercenary leader works for others.^[

It's a long way to Costa Rica, it's a long way to go!

So, we left the house just after 5am on Saturday morning and arrived at our hotel in San Jose 26 hours later! Costa Rica is 6 hours behind the UK and so our body clocks were telling us it was way way past our bedtime when we finally got into bed at midnight. 

The first half of the journey from Birmingham to Newark was uneventful..the six hours hanging about in the airport was dreary, but at least we could have a walk about. It was the second flight from Newark to San Jose that was horrible. Tiny seats, the plane stuffed to the gunnels, no leg room, nothing to eat or drink unless you paid for it and even the films were pay per view! The flight was delayed leaving and was incredibly bumpy...we were in the very back row! Enough to put us off going long haul again and certainly not with United. 

Arriving in Costa Rica was great. Passport control and customs very efficient and a man was in the baggage hall with a board with our names in it.....Luis met us outside and drove us to the hotel about 30 minutes away. The hotel is gorgeously quirky with local sculpture and paintings everywhere you look. And an old fashioned record player in reception! 

The receptionist originally gave us a room on the third floor....we asked if it was nice and he said yes, but not as nice as a room on the ground floor, and switched us to that one! Turned out to be the disabled bedroom...two enormous beds, a built up loo and a lovely walk in shower.

Lots of literature to read in an envelope left for us by the tour company and finally our hotel warns in it's welcome folder....."should we get a tremor, very common in Costa Rica, remain calm. If you feel that you have to get out of your room, the safest places are the pool area and the bar/restaurant". Both sound great places to us....so let's start exploring.  

   

16 things you might not know about Costa Rica

IMAGE CREDIT: 

ISTOCK

Costa Rica is as well known for its beautiful natural landscape and bustling biodiversity as it is for its wonderful, happy residents. Here are 16 interesting facts about Costa Rica that help make the country a truly singular place.

1. OVER A QUARTER OF THE LAND IS DEDICATED TO CONSERVATION.

Tourists and locals alike are drawn to Costa Rica’s natural beauty—and are committed to preserving it. With 20 national parks, 8 biological reserves, animal refuges, and protected areas, 26 percent of Costa Rica’s land is protected.

2. TOURISM IS THE COUNTRY’S LEADING FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNER.

All that natural beauty and the diverse landscape with two oceans and access to countless adventure activities have made Costa Rica a great vacation destination. In 1995, tourism overtook bananas to become Costa Rica’s leading foreign exchange earner. Tourism reached an all-time high for Costa Rica in 2013 with 2.4 million visitors.

3. COSTA RICA IS HOME TO FOUR UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated four locations in Costa Rica as World Heritage Sites for their universal cultural and natural value. They are: La Amistad National Park, Cocos Island National Park, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, and the Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís.

4. COSTA RICA IS ONE OF 23 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD THAT DOESN’T HAVE A STANDING ARMY.

Costa Rica dissolved its national army in 1948, and the abolition of the military was written into the national constitution in 1949. Twenty-one countries, including the United States, signed the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance in 1947, pledging to provide military support to Costa Rica (and any other signee) should they need it. In 1980, the United Nations University for Peace was created and housed in Costa Rica.

5. IT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCIES IN THE WORLD.

According to the World Bank, Costa Rica's life expectancy at birth is 80 years. This figure is higher than that of the United States (which is 79). The Nicoya region of Costa Rica is also one of five Blue Zones—“longevity hotspots” populated by the longest-living people in the world—on the globe. All that natural beauty and happiness must be good for you!

6. THERE ARE OVER 200 VOLCANIC FORMATIONS IN COSTA RICA.

Of these, approximately 112 have shown some type of activity—60 are considered dormant, which means they don't currently show signs of activity, but could possibly become active again. Arenal is the most active volcano in Central America, while Poás is the second widest volcanic crater in the world, and Irazú is Costa Rica’s tallest volcano.

7. COSTA RICA IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN LAKE MICHIGAN.

At 19,730 square miles, Costa Rica occupies slightly less territory than Lake Michigan (which measures 22,394 square miles). The country contains 801 miles (1,290 km) of coastline.

8. COSTA RICA IS HOME TO MORE THAN 5 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S BIODIVERSITY.

Costa Rica may not be a large country, but it packs a lot of life into its borders. While Costa Rica only occupies .03 percent of the world's surface, it boasts the globe's highest biodiversity density. The country is home to more than 500,000 species! And, with nearly 3 percent of the world’s biodiversity contained in its borders, Corcovado National Park has been deemed “the most biologically intense place on the planet.”

9. THERE ARE TONS OF BUTTERFLIES IN COSTA RICA.

Seriously—there are so many butterflies. Costa Rica contains approximately 90 percent of the butterfly species found in Central America, 66 percent of all neo-tropical butterflies, and about 18 percent of all butterfly species in the world.

10. THERE ARE ALSO OVER 50 SPECIES OF HUMMINGBIRDS.

Of the 338 known species of hummingbirds, about 50 live in Costa Rica. The smallest Costa Rican hummingbird (the male scintillant hummingbird) weighs only two grams. The largest (the violet sabrewing) weighs an average of 11.5 grams.

11. COSTA RICA RESIDENTS ARE CALLED TICOS AND TICAS.

Costa Ricans colloquially refer to themselves as Ticos (male) and Ticas (female). This stems from their practice of adding the diminutive suffix "tico" to the end of most words. For example, un poco means "a little" in standard Spanish. The typical diminutive is un poquito (a little bit), but Costa Ricans would instead say un poquitico.

12. TICOS AND TICAS IN LOVE USE A SWEET TERM OF ENDEARMENT.

Costa Ricans use the term media naranja to refer to their soul mate or other half. It literally translates to "half an orange."

13. MOST COSTA RICAN RADIO STATIONS PLAY THE COUNTRY'S NATIONAL ANTHEM AT 7:00 EACH MORNING.

The national anthem, unofficially called "Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera" ("Noble homeland, your beautiful flag") was first played in 1852 to welcome United States and United Kingdom diplomatic representatives. The song, with music by Manuel Maria Gutierrez and lyrics written by Jose Maria Zeledon in 1903, was officially named Costa Rica's National Anthem in 1949.

14. COSTA RICA DIDN'T USE STREET SIGNS UNTIL 2012.

While a GPS will display street names in Costa Rica, locals use landmarks (past and present) to give directions. To get to the National Theater in San Jose, for example, you would take a "left-hand turn 100 (meters) south of the People's Bank." While San Jose residents readily used street names and numbers until the early 20th century, the practice fell off following a population boom in the 1950s and '60s.

In 2012, the city undertook a $1 million project to reintroduce street signs and a more regulated postal system to San Jose.

15. COSTA RICANS LIVE BY PURA VIDA.

Costa Ricans will often greet one another and bid farewell by saying "pura vida." But pura vida, which translates to "pure life," is more than a turn of phrase to Costa Ricans—it's a state of mind. Costa Ricans take every opportunity to live life to the fullest.

16. COSTA RICA RANKS NUMBER ONE IN THE HAPPY PLANET INDEX.

With pura vida as their philosophy, it comes as no surprise that Costa Ricans are considered to be some of the happiest people on Earth. The Happy Planet Index uses three criteria—life expectancy, experienced well-being, and Ecological Footprint—to determine the overall happiness levels of 151 countries across the globe. With a score of 64.0, Costa Rica tops this list. (The United States, for comparison, has an HPI of 37.3.)

There is still even more to discover in Costa Rica. To see what overworked Americans are discovering in Costa Rica, visit SavetheAmericans.org.

January 8, 2015 - 12:00am

Costa What?

Costa Rica is a tropical choose-your-own-adventure land according to the guide book. It sounds an amazing place with "world class infrastructure, visionary sustainability initiatives and no standing the army! Apparently more than one third of it has some form of environmental protection. Fantastic wildlife spotting opportunities, wonderful views and perfect beaches - we can't wait to get there!

With so much to see and do in Costa Rica, our itinerary takes in  six of the recommended top 20 things to do........

1. Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
A pristine expanse of virginal forest totalling 105 sq kms, Monteverde Cloud Forest owes much of its impressive natural beauty to Quaker expats, who left the US in the 1950s to protest the Korean War and helped foster conservationist principles with Ticos of the region. But as fascinating as the history is, the rela romance of Monteverde is in nature itself; a mysterious Neverland dripping with mist, dangling with mossy vines, sprouting with ferns and bromeliads, gushing with creeks, blooming with life and nurturing rivulets of evolution.

2. Volcano Arenala and Hot Springs
While the molten night views are gone, this mighty, perfectly conical giant is still considered active and worthy of a pilgrimage. There are several beautiful trails to explore, especially the magnificent climb to Cerro Chato. At its base you are just a short drive away from the area's many hot springs. Some of these springs are free, and any local can point the way. Others are, shall we say, embellished, dressed up, luxuriated - dip your toes into the romantic Eco-Termales, for starters.

7. Parque Nacional Tortuguero
Canoeing the canals of Parque Nacional Tortuguero is a boat borne safari, where thick jungle meets the water and you can get up close with shy caimans,s river turtles, crowned night herons, monkeys and sloths.  Sandwiched between extravagantly green wetlands and the wild Caribbean Sea, this is among the premier places in Costa Rica to watch wildlife.

10. Wildlife Watching
Monkeys, crocs, toucans and iguanas: Costa Rica's menagerie is a thrill for wildlife enthusiasts. With world-class parks, long-standing dedication to environmental protection, and mind boggling diversity, the country is hoe to scores of rare and endangered species. Simply put, it's one of the globe's best wildlife-watching destinations. In fact, visitors hardly have to  make an effort; no matter where you travel, the branches overhead are alive with critters, from lazy sloths and mischievous monkeys to a brilliant spectrum of tropical birds.

11. Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
Although droves of visitors pack Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio - the country's most popular (and smallest) national park - it remains an absolute gem. Capuchin monkeys scurry across idyllic beaches, brown pelicans dive-bomb clear waters and sloths watch over trails. It's a perfect place to introduce youngsters to the rainforest and splashing around in the waves you'll feel like a kid yourself. There's not much by way of privacy, but it's so lovely you won't mind sharing.

13. San Jose
The heart of Tico culture lives in San Jose as do university students, intellectuals, artists and policitians. While not the most attractive capital in Central America, it does have some graceful neoclassical and Spanish colonial architecture, leafy neighbourhoods museums housing preColumbian jade and gold, nightlife that goes on until dawn, and some of the most sophisticated restaurants in the country. Street art - of both officially sanctioned and guerrilla varieties - add unexpected pops of colour and public discourse to the cityscape.