My Journey Round The World

Such an amasing park! After one crasy night in Tamarindo, we finaly managed to take the bus to Santa Cruz, then Nicoya in order to reach Barra Honda National Park. We arrived just on time to start a visit to the cave. Apparently we were the only tourist for the all week – what a pity, as it is an amasing park. We did see more animals than anywhere else! On our way to the cave, our guide show us different plants & fruits such as Amapola & Coquito – kind of redcurrant but on a tree – that we could eat on our way up. We heard & saw howler monkeys as well as different birds. The visit of the cave was quite impressive – especialy the way down & up on the stiff ladder! We came back pretty dirty… We had the chance to sleep inside the reserve & had a good breakfast before heading back to Nicoya where we finaly separated. Guys went back to another beach and I made my way to San Jose, in order to be sure to be on time for my flight to Peru the next day

After the disappointment visit of Monteverde Biological Reserve – 17$, we couldn’t see anything as it was really cloudy & most of the trails were closed for renovation. Sebastien & Tanguy managed to drag me to the beach… We ended up at Playa Grande by night, hoping to see some turtles. Unfortunatly we didn’t It was 25$ to spend the night on the beach waiting for them. We were pretty dead after the bus travel we had that day… After speaking with 2 German tourists who didn’t see any for 2 days, we decided to give up & go back to the hotel. Good night there & wake up with a bath in the swimmingpool before breakfast Great!

After breakfast we decided to head toward Tamarindo. What a surprise when the taxi driver let us walk to a peninsula – as it was quicker this way (at least for him!), telling us that we should be able to cross by foot… It was fun! Walking for 15 mn with our backpacks – well I just had to carry the small one while Seb & Tanguy carry my big one, lucky me as it was really warm! – & arriving on this peninsula where we finaly had to cross by boat…

Visit a bit disapointing – expensive entry for little to see as trails were on renovation – but still we had fun & could make some picture even if weather wasn’t exactly good… On the way back we were lucky not to wait for the bus! When I asked at one time was the next one, a guide told me that he was going back to Santa Elena & he could bring us there Lucky us, no need to wait 2 hours there

Hello you who are looking at my blog from time to time, I’ll be really happy to have some news from you here!  How are you over there?

• How are you over there?
• How do you like it?
• …any comments for improvement and/or to make me feel I’m note doing this blog for nothing & that you’re enjoying it a bit too…

I’m trying to update it as much as possible – still lot to tell you! - a laptop would have been a great tool! There is WiFi everywhere! Back to San Jose after 4 wonderfull days with 2 crasy french guys – Tanguy & Sebastien – between Monteverde, la Playa & Parque Nacional Barra Honda… Unforgetable moments! Tomorrow direction Perou to meet Ariane & Gregoire for the Machu Pichu trek!!! Great patchwork pictures will arrive later as Ariane is having a break with me She deserve it!

I look forward to receiving some news from you soon…

I’m having great time but don’t forget about you for sure!

Read you soon!

 

As I was really disapointed of this last tour, I decided to move to the cloud forest – Monteverde – the next day. What a wonderful landscape, crossing the lake to the other side of the volcano as well as the bumpy road to Santa Elena! Arriving there, same story, hostel are jumping on you. During the crossing I was with a Belgium guy – Luc – from the previous hotel. We ended up in El Tucan hotel, with really friendly landlord but so noisy place!!! After a quick check in the city, I decided to hike which seems to be the only free spot here: Cerro Tres Amigos (3 friends hill – 1842m ascending ruoghly 300m, in 3km…) recommended by our host.  Seems to be a sign… I met 2 special french guys Tanguy & Sebastien on the strenuous way to the top, with whom I spent the next 4 days. We had lot of fun going down the mountain – from where we didn’t see anything! Too cloudy…  - talking about our life experiences! They invited me for diner in there hostel & to join them at 6:30am for the cloud forest tour the next day.

 

As soon as you arrive somewhere in this area, all tourist agencies or hotels are welcoming you. As I didn’t want to end up on my own, I just ask 2 foreigners if the found a place to stay. We went together to visit 1 hostel, really basic but with a wonderfull view on the Arenal Volcano! I shared the room for 6 dollars with a friendly canadian & danish guy. I won’t recommend the Red Lava agency who brought us there – really good for convincing & selling their products but not really good regarding the service! I booked a lava tour through them, visiting the national park – beautifull but really short time there, pity! Better to go on your own with a local bus as you get a map at the entrance & treks are well indicated. Still we could see some animals – as the beautiful rana frog - and discover some plants but no lava as the volcano is not really active at the time! Sustainable tourism is not really respected with them… How many plants will die after the passage of all this tourists group!!!

Arriving in San Jose, I decided to leave the next morning to La Fortuna in order visit the Volcano & the National Park. I made my way with local bus there. People are really helpfull & I ended up ¨chatting¨ with a friendly guy while buying my ticket as well as in the bus. Everything went well until I realised he was intensively flirting with me, saying that I was cute, plus some other things that I didn´t get… I started feeling a bit unconfortable but lucky me I knew he wasn´t going to the same place as I was & still he was behaving himself – Anyway in a bus I was safe! Anyway, I could´nt move. Local bus are quite comfortable, when you´re sitting… However, as in Guatemala, they are filling up the bus as much as people can get in. People might be standing for the whole trip. It was the first time since I started my travel in Central America that I saw a men giving his seat to a woman – ok he was going out at the next stop, but still! Usually, even when they are old or with small kids it doesn´t help! And the landscape was wonderful the whole way!!! On the evening I went to see the volcano by night – with moon & stars it was beautiful & ended up in hot spring before going to bed. Great!