Ed Drozek:  

Costa Rica, Feb 16 to March 1st, 2014. Some changes noticed since I visited here with my son in 2003: the capital, San Jose, in the highlands has grown in size, but many narrow (and one-way) streets are creating traffic congestion. After two days seeing some sites around San Jose (including a tour of a coffee plantation), my wife and I headed north to the Tirimbina Rain Forest Lodge in the Sarapiqui area for two nights. Some minor delays getting there due to road repairs (but good to see these improvements in the back roads.) After crossing a very long [pedestrians only] suspension bridge, there is access to lots of trails through the forest. While there we attended a demonstration of Chocolate making done in the traditional manner (on a former Cocoa plantation that is part of the lodge territory now). Besides a few visitors like us, the lodge has specialized hikes both day and night to learn about the various critters, and conducts classes for children from the local villages to teach them about the environment. From here we drove (in our 4WD Terrios rental car) to Arenal, near to one of the still active volcanoes. While there we spent an afternoon and evening at La Casona Rio Fortuna, a "nearly 100-year old, two storied wooden country estate" where we learned about local customs, visited an elementary school to see folk dancing from some of the students, and helped prepare a traditional meal back at the estate. This estate was once the home of a president of CR, but the new owners have converted it for use as the base for a Cultour. The next day we did a three hour nature hike (the "Sky Walk") in a forest near to the volcano and rode a gondola to the top of the mountain afterwards for lunch. The hike has a lot of changes in elevation, so one must be fit, have good hiking shoes and some bug repellant! After two nights there, we drove around lake Arenal and up to the Monte Verde Cloud Forest staying at the Ecolodge San Luis (nestled just below the main cloud forest). This campus is run by the University of Georgia (USA), with local staff and students who work with the visitors when not conducting research into the flora and fauna of CR. Accommodations were very comfortable, the staff super-friendly, and we took advantage of several of the hikes and presentations there. You can even milk a cow in the small herd there if you are so-inclined (which my son and I did during our visit there in 2003). After two nights there, we drove to the Pacific Coast, near the Manuel Antonio National Park in time to do a nature hike where I got to see both a two-toe and three-toe tree sloth and other critters in the coastal Forest. The next morning we drove south to Dominical staying at a comfortable hotel consisting of four-plex units near to a large swimming pool and the River. Very quiet A/C in the room for a change! The next day we made a round trip south towards the border with Panama to tour the Osa Mountain-Village overlooking the coast. Moises showed us around that day. The residents are growing organic foods and have a Tilapia fish ponds there. All property owners get to share in the various foods raised there. Foreigners have been buyi...Expand for more