15 days in Costa Rica – The Costa Rican Postcards
After considering options and asking friends and colleagues, my wife and I decided to spend our vacation time in Costa Rica. We rented a 4×4 Suzuki Jimny and drove through the Northern part of Costa Rica. Here is a small selection of what we saw along the way.
Day 1: Taking the bus in San Jose
Mr. Bus Driver in San Jose. Taking the bus in Costa Rica is very inexpensive and a great way to see the country if you have a lot of time and patience, as the buses can be quite full at times.
A man walking with a wheel barrel in the streets of San Jose and graffiti in the backdrop of a man smoking something looking up at clouds shaped like a skull and cross bones.
This is part of a line up for buses that continued for 4 blocks
Day 2: San Jose’s guided tour of the tourist sites
Taking a guided tour will cost about $40.00 per person, but it’s totally worth it. You get to learn about San Jose and visit many different tourist spots such as Parque Central, Teatro Nacional, Museo del Oro Precolombino, and a few other spots. The guide told interesting stories about their culture and history. At the end of the tour they took us to a Jewelry Store/Art Gallery, where Becky purchased a very nice ring.
Outside the Goya Museum
A wax statue in the Goya Museum
Kites in the trees in Parque Central
Hanging out at the park
The finest historic bilding in San Jose, the Teatro Nacional was built in 1890.
Foyer - This foyer features pink marble and a surfeit of crystals, gilt mirrors, and gold-leaf embellishments. The foyer displays murals that show scenes of Costa Rican life.
Auditorium - The red and gold auditorium has three floors, a horseshoe shape, and wrought- iron seats. The stage can be lowered and raised.
Auditorium - Rotunda ceiling with a mural of cherubs and deities.
Auditorium - Teatro Nacional
From the famous artist Francisco de Goya
From the famous artist Francisco de Goya
Kids playing on top of Museo del Oro Precolombino
One of many dozens of species of butterflies at a butterfly garden in San Jose.
Day 3: Taking the bus to Sarchi
This town is known for their crafts and is famous for their wooden furniture, but in our opinion their leather rocking chairs are something to be desired. What they are also famous for is their beautifully painted ox-carts, what the locals call “carratas”.
Day 4: The Orosi Valley
This part of the trip was were I fell in love with Costa Rica, discovered 4-wheel drive, and learned that just because a GPS says it’s a road doesn’t mean it’s true. The steep paved roads that lead into the Orosi Valley were a pleasure to drive on. If you’re renting a car get the rental agent to show you how 4-wheel drive works. The GPS lead us into a back country road and we got stuck because the 4-wheel drive was off when we thought it was on. Buy a road map here in Canada before you leave because they are hard to find in Costa Rica – if you can’t find one where you live, order it online from National Geographic.
We stayed at the Orosi Lodge, www.orosilodge.com – Family run business, we loved everything about this place. If you can, get a chalet – the balcony view of the (sometimes active) volcanoes will be most wonderful thing to see first thing in the morning, keeping in mind that “morning” in Costa Rica begins around 5:45am.
Ujarras - The ruins of the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepion, built in 1963. This is the oldest church in Costa Rica. A popular tourist destination.
A large gorge hemmed to the south by the Talmanca Mountains
A man selling crayfish at the side of the road
What could be more appetizing than a large bag of live crayfish.
Casa el Sonador - The Dreamer's House - The bamboo and wood home of the sculptor Macedonio Quesada Valerin 1932-1994. Craved figures representing the town gossips lean out of the upper story windows. At the bottom left is a rendering of the last supper. This is a family business, and is still operating.
Casa el Sonador workshop
The famous woodcarver at Casa el Sonador
The raging river tumbling out of the cloud forest.
This bridge connects to the Village of Orosi - local people use to to travel faster between home and work.
A rushing river near Orosi – a photo that Becky got many gray hairs over while I was taking it (standing in the middle of a bridge along the roadway that has little view around the corners for speeding cars).
Orosi Valley Market
Day 5: Orosi Valley and Tapanti Macizo National Park – Never trust your GPS
Landscape of the Orosi Valley at sunrise, at the top right you see a smoking volcano - Turrialba. I wanted to get a closer view of the volcano and below you'll see the view at the side of the road.
Bottom right is a closer view of the smoking volcano.
A waterfall at Parque Nactional Tapanti-Macizo la Muerte
On top of Cloud Forest
Every day at 4pm a mist ascends from the trees. Hence the name Cloud Forest
Dogs are everywhere in Costa Rica, a lot of them do not have a home.
Day 6: Tortuguero Village
Another boat along the river into Tortuguero
A Basilica lizard hanging out in a tree by the river in the village of Tortuguero
A view of the river from Miss Junie’s in Tortuguero
Some of the local kids and teens playing soccer – Caribbean Sea in the background
One of the calmer days on the Caribbean coast
Sun setting over the Caribbean Sea
Day 7: Parque Nacional Tortuguero tour & Heading West to Rio Celeste (Arenal)
Early morning in Tortuguero – about 6:30am, just after a nice rain and just before a 3-hour tour in a Mangrove boat.
A river-side bar and restaurant in Tortuguero.
This and the two photos to follow are some of the jungle shots from along the river.
Sunset along the highway on the drive toward Rio Celeste (North toward Nicaragua)
Day 8 and 9
A mealy parrot in the tree with the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel Resort & Spa (framed by palm leaves)
One of the gorgeous “cabinas” at the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel about an hour North of Arenal
Day 10: Further West to Montezuma on the Nicoya Peninsula
Views from the ferry between Puntarenas and Paquera
Day 11: Santa Theresa on the Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula
Sunset over the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica
20 minute exposure
Day 12 and 13: Quepos & Manuel Antonio
Caimans in the Fincas Naturales Refuge
Becky and I during our ATV tour – we had just come from a refreshing swim in a waterfall pool.
Well-deserved nap-time in the Costa Rican mountains after a great home-cooked meal!
Day 14: En route to Poas Volcano Lodge
I took this photo around sunset when the mist was already settled. There’s a lot more trees in the background, so this photo only really existed in that moment – one of my favourite from the trip.
Day 15: Poas Volcano
By the time we reached the volcano’s summit the morning mist had settled in and there wasn’t much to see, so I took a fancy to this dew-stricken spider’s web in the bushes beside the summit.
