What a fantastic adventure it was to the colorful land of
Costa Rica in late February. Costa Rica
means “rich coast” in Spanish and everything about this country has richness to
it.
As we flew in, my first impression was how green and lush
the country looked from the air. Green
became a very prophetic word, as the country is not only green in color but
also green as in sustainable and extremely mindful of their natural resources. This is a green utopia!
If there was ever a column that I wish I could include color
photos this one would be it. But if you
are interested in seeing the more colorful side of this travelogue, I am
referencing PPG Paint Colors that
match my memories of those I experienced in my travels.
Our first stop was on the Pacific coast in the little town
of Tamarindo - a beach lover and surfers’ hot spot. Our hotel was El Diria, right on the ocean. Drifting
Dune warm sand, cool breezes and water the colors of Surf’s
Up, Idyllic Isle and Aquarium immediately took the rest of the world
away.
Sitting under gently swaying palm trees, drinking Orange
Ice mango margaritas, watching the sky change from blue to a
kaleidoscope of the shades of Evening Glow, Flame Yellow, Opal Fire,
Sahara Sun, Firecracker and Crossfire at sunset one says, “It doesn’t
get any better than this.”
Breakfast in the open-air grass hut was a colorful buffet,
especially of the native fruits – papaya, pineapple, mango, watermelon, passion
fruit and bananas - one of Costa Rica’s largest exports.
A long beach walk turned into a colorful serendipitous
excursion. One of the native “Ticos”
approached us and offered a trip up the Tamarindo River. So we took a chance, looking at one another
and saying “Are we sure we are coming back?”
The little wooden boat, with a deck of bright Mockingbird blue and chairs
the color of Catamaran, was so inviting.
Diego promised an afternoon of
floral and fauna and he delivered. He
knew the territory of the river where we saw herons, ibis, egrets and the
elusive monkeys. I wonder what they
think of us making fools of ourselves trying to get their attention?
On the way back, we stopped for lunch in a secluded outdoor
restaurant, the “Great Waltini’s” where a sign over the bar proclaimed “Just
another day in Paradise.” Hearts of palm
salad, scallop ceviche and mango margaritas provided delicious refreshment
after a hard day of sightseeing. And if
that had not transported us enough, massages on the beach, under the palm trees
were just fabulous.
One does not need to worry about being a “fashionista” in
Coast Rica. All you need here are
sandals, shorts, tee shirts and a bathing suit. When you feel like “dressing-up” buy a
multi-purpose sarong. I chose one of Asparagus
green and white.
For those of us who love a little souvenir shopping the most
fun was choosing from a colorful flock of small hand-painted wood bird callers
that mimic the native birds. I had quite
a collection to bring back to friends.
On the third day it was time to go inland. A driver fetched us in his minivan. Off we
went from paved roads up narrow, dirt roads with no guardrails. How do these drivers do this day after
day? They admitted they go through lots
of brakes. We twisted and turned for
hours, hanging on for dear life while taking in the spectacular views, as far
as of the Pacific Ocean.
Along the way, many buildings and homes in the little towns were
painted in an array of colors and various combinations such Isle
Royale, Wine Blush pink and Blue Violet, and Sunbeam and Lavender Vista. They were charming!
Our destination was Monteverde and Hotel Belmar, a cedar
chalet set into the side of the mountains. Everywhere it was a pleasure to be
in the open, clean air. Partaking lunch on the porch while overlooking
the natural landscape of shades of Wild Mulberry bougainvillea, banana
trees and the cloud forests was a relaxing way to prepare for tomorrow’s
excursions.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is world renowned
for protecting what has been labeled as the most famous cloud forest in the world
with over 100 species of mammals, 400 birds, 120 amphibians and reptiles,
thousand of insects and over 3000 plants and 500 different species of orchids.
The Quetzal is one of their most elusive and almost extinct
birds. As luck would have it, one was
perched in a tree where our guide spotted it.
He put my camera on his telephoto binoculars and I have a wonderful
photo of it. Its vibrant plumage is shades
of Tint
of Turquoise, Tropical Tide with a breast of Rum Runner red and a beak
of Flame Yellow.
The cloud forest tour was amazing as our guide Oscar, was a
true naturalist, devoted to finding the most minute plants and bird nests. At one point we were able to watch a
hummingbird fly to and from her nest and look into it to watch her feed the babies.
His advice was “Stop, look and listen
and even smell” to really appreciate nature.
At every turn, we discovered something new - White-Faced Capuchin
monkeys, the Toucanette - a native small bird - and so many gorgeous species of
green trees and plants. From Mint
to Jewel, every shade of green is here!
From diminutive plants to the soaring heights of over-scaled trees and leaves,
it was an amazing walk, in a country where forests cover thirty per cent of the
land.
The same day we visited the Humming Bird Reserve, the Butterfly
Gardens and Treetop Walkways. This is a
series of suspended bridges and paths, which gave us a vision of the forest
from a different perspective. You start
at ground level and end up walking all the way to the treetops in the Cloud
Forest Canopy. One bridge was over 515
feet long over the forests below. It was
a long day of breathtaking eco-tourism.
Watching a Golden Glow sunset over the forests with the clouds slipping by
from the veranda, sipping a glass of wine, was the perfect ending to a glorious
day.
Now on our way to our last stop on our tour, the only
inclement weather was a joy when it brought out two rainbows on our way down
the mountains to Lake Arenal. We took a
small boat across the lake as the Fog gray clouds hid the top of
Arenal. At 5,437 feet high with a
perfect conical shape, it is Costa Rica’s most active volcano.
Just outside the small town of La Fortuna is the secluded
hotel Nayara, without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever
stayed. Sitting in the open-air lobby drinking
a welcome drink of tropical fruits I was surrounded by the Golden Cricket walls, Fresh
Peaches sheer curtains, Holland Tile floors and contemporary
floral patterns on dark wood Balinese furnishings. Talk about “eye candy!” You can take the designer out of the country
but you can’t take the designer out of me.
The accommodations are individual casitas with high ceilings
of bamboo and dark timbers, decks with chairs and multi-colored hammocks, an
outdoor Jacuzzi and the ultimate luxury, an outdoor shower with a floor of Crystal
Lake blue stones.
The walkways from the casitas were lined with lush foliage
and tropical flowers – Burnt Red anthurium, Hot
Pink Kiss ginger, Calypso Berry heliconia and many
varieties of Plum Perfect orchids.
This is paradise!
Views of the top of the volcano peaked through as clouds
wafted their way across the sky during our meals on the verandas. The area is also known for its hot springs
and spa treatments. Mud massages in the
open-air rooms were incredible!
One of the highlights of the trip though – and we waited all
week for the one we heard was the best – was zip lining over the forests. My companion was a little hesitant about this
adventure but like my Mother said “You are not hesitant about anything.” No way was I coming back home without
experiencing this adventure.
The adrenaline kicked in as we took the tram up almost 3100
feet. After two short “training cables”
it is your last chance to take the tram down.
Then it’s hang-on for the thrill of a lifetime!
There were 8 cables – the highest was 656 feet; the fastest
was 50 miles per hour; and the longest was 2050 feet. I was hollering “Wow!” as I zipped over the
forests, taking in every second of this exhilarating experience. Even my companion said “Excellente! I could do this again.”
Never have I had a more wonderful, relaxing vacation. From A (the Arenal Volcano) to Z (zip lining)
Costa Rica has something for everyone. Make
sure you put this colorful country on your bucket list. As the sign at the airport stated, “Welcome
to Costa Rica – the Happiest Country in the World.” I couldn’t agree more and I can’t wait to
go there again!
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