Livin' da Pura Vida! Osa good in the Osa Peninsula.....

Hot tub interloper!  This bird kept 
taking a dunk in our tub!

Our last day in the Arenal region really put the rain in rainforest – it was cloudy and wet pretty much all day, on and off. We had a couple of activities arranged – the first, a gentle hike around the base of the Arenal Volcano, where we could get up close to the lava-rock filled landscape and see the regeneration of the forest firsthand, following the last significant eruption back in 1968. We met our guide at 8am and took the short drive out to the trail head, where we parked up and headed in (the ticket office was amusingly situated inside a concrete fake tree). 

According to our chap, we probably wouldn’t see much in the way of wildlife as the secondary forest (the term used to describe anything that hasn’t been here for millennia, but has grown back) was not dense enough to support monkeys, sloths and the like. He was right as we didn’t see anything – including the volcano itself, as it was completely covered in thick clouds. It reminded me of that time in Bhutan when we’d driven to the Chele Le Pass – again, the highest point – and I could see sweet FA because it was too foggy – same deal here! We did see the lake, though, in the distance and it was nice enough to get out and stretch our legs for a couple of hours, so there was that I suppose.

The charming fake tree ticket booth 
entrance to Arenal volcano park

Nothing in the park is more than 60 years old 
- including this impressively big tree.
Nice buttresses, btw.

We made it!  See the amazing volcano
view behind us!!

And the equally impressive Lake Arenal!

After our hike, we returned back to the hotel to chill out in our room for a bit and dunk in our hot tub. We ventured out to one of the other restaurants in the property for lunch (there are 3 resorts in one here at Nayara) – it was still pissing it with rain, so we called for a golf cart to take us to the Terrace. I had a plate of Costa Rican vegetables – which was delicious. I’ve gotta hand it to the Costa Rican chefs – they know how to make veggies taste really good! I’ve been pleasantly surprised how healthy the food has been here – not much in the way of fried food, with a big focus on fresh, local produce – fruits, veggies, grains etc. Its been nice to be able to make healthy choices on vacation and not feel as if you are missing out on anything.

So tasty and healthy!!

Anyway, after lunch, it was time for a long nap before our last scheduled activity before we head out tomorrow – a sunset cruise of Lake Arenal. Alas, this also feel a little foul of the weather –
although the rain held off (mostly) during our 90 min cruise round the lake, there was no sunset to be seen, again because of the thick, dank cloud that was blotting the sun from view. We had
the same guide we’d had during the morning (glad we’d tipped him well after our hike!) and it was perfectly pleasant enough, with a short drive to the lake followed by a 90 min tootle round
Lake Arenal. We were the only two passengers on the boat – which was not particularly fancy – but our sunset cruise came accompanied with some cheese and wine, so that was nice. As well as some stupidly chunky life jackets (seriously – these things are as likely to choke you to death vs save you from drowning). The volcano did peak out from the clouds for a few minutes
(enough to pose for a photo) and we saw a few birds sprinkled here and there, so it was a nice enough way to spend our last evening before our next stop in the Osa Peninsula.

Definitely feeling some Spongebob Squarepants
vibes coming through here....

Why... that's all just for us?
You are simply too kind....

FINALLY.  The moody volcano decides
to put in an appearance, just before sunset.

 Me grinning like an idiot, while ManpanionTM
looks effortlessly cool.

The next morning, we bid a fond farewell to Nayara (bye bye hot tub pool – we’ll miss you) and met our driver for the short transfer to the airport for our flight down to Puerto Jiminez. We had opted to take an internal teeny tiny flight to the Osa Peninsula as the alternative was a 7hr drive – most of which would be on bouncy, potholed roads so that was a big NOPE. We stopped at the ATM en route to get some more local currency and soon we were pulling up at the regional airport just outside La Fortuna. Which was nothing more than a glorified shed, inside of which was a bar (deserted) and where our pilots were hanging out at one of the café tables, drinking coffee, and waiting for us. 

First time for everything! 
Pilot-powered baggage service.

As soon as we arrived, they jumped up to meet us, introduced themselves and then took our luggage from us and wheeled it – and us – over to the plane (which was a first!). They didn’t ask to see our passports, there were no boarding passes and we were the only passengers, so no worries about overhead bin space (also….there were no overhead bins). They loaded our bags on board, we got into the back of the plane (which looked like a 1980’s Ford Cortina), did up our seatbelts, they hopped in, fired up the twin propellers – and we were off! No fucking about – just point the plane towards the end of the teeny tiny runway, fire up the engines and off we go! 

It was some type of Piper plane – 4 seats in the back and the 2 pilots up front – and it was awesome. For the most part, it was smooth sailing, with only a few bumpy bits as we passed through a thick band of cloud about halfway into our flight. I have a strange inverse relationship to tiny planes and turbulence – while I HATE turbulence flying in regular size big jets (cue white knuckles), for some reason, in a smaller plane, turbulence just seems kinda, well, fun instead. As if the bouncing around is harmless as the plane is light enough to skim along the top of it all, like a dandelion seed dancing on a summer breeze, rather than being tossed around by some angry sky gods.

At this point, we hoped they weren't two 
random dudes in white shirts, hanging out
 at the bar, pretending to be pilots who were
 now stealing our luggage...

I guess this means we are private plane people
now, right?

Krusty all buckled up safely, looking forward to 
the flight

Let's do this!  See ya on the other side!!

Wondering what treasures await us in the
in-flight bar cart..... champagne, right???

Verdant Costa Rican countryside

The contents revealed.  Water and soda.
Umm...where's the Dom??

..."and on your left, you'll see the local
cemetery".....

After just over an hour, we were landing onto the airstrip of Puerto Jimeniz – this time, so tiny that there were no dedicated air terminal buildings at all! It was also right next to the local cemetery (yikes) which, I guess, is very convenient in case things go tits up. But fortunately, no problem today – we landed smooth as silk, were off the plane in a matter of seconds and met by a representative from our next destination, the Lapa Rios Lodge. A quick pee and an icy-cold coconut water later and we were on our way.

The transfer was about 45 mins by road to the ecolodge – the last half of which were on VERY bumpy roads (much to ManpanionTM’s disdain) and traversed some rather perilous looking bridges (with no sides). Thank goodness for our 4 wheeled drive vehicle! But we made it and were soon being checked into the Lapa Rios lodge which was to be our home for the next 3 nights. 

Errrr... shouldn't there be, like, a bridge
here or something??

Yikes.  Giving our Chicago pot holes a
run for their money...

The view from the restaurant balcony - you can 
just see the Pacific ocean at the very back

We were staying in one of the newest Premier Villas which boasted air conditioning (unlike the rest of the property) and, after the paperwork was done, one of the staff took us to our room. They must have drawn the short straw as it was a bit of a hike, to put it mildly.   We timed it later and it was a solid 6-minute walk from the reception desk to our room!  I know that doesn’t sound a lot – but it was exclusively on elevated bridges and steps, through the rain forest, which – given the humidity – got the old heart rate up stat!  

We eventually got to our room (fortunately the jeep had brought our luggage round via the back road) and the first thing that hit you was the incredible view of the Pacific Ocean from the large balcony deck.  The second thing that hit you was how fucking hot and humid it was inside the room.  It turned out that the much vaunted air conditioning was not working properly, so they turned on a couple of floor fans in the meantime and promised to look into it later that afternoon.  The internet was also not working - so they were definitely having a few issues that day!  

Managing to keep our spirits up on the loooooong
trek to our room!

Seems appropriate, no?  It took all the self-control
I possess not to nick this and take it home....

View of the ocean and forest from our private balcony

The room itself was big, dominated by a large bed with mosquito nets (but which didn't completely enclose the bed, so um....??) and a couple of additional seating areas.  As did the Nayara resort, it also had an outdoor shower - but overall it was not as swanky and luxe-y.  It also had some quirks that it took us some time to get to love - one of the main ones being that there were no glass windows anywhere.  Instead, there were simply mesh screen panels.   While it did allow the breeze to circulate and stop most of the bugs, it did absolutely nothing to stop you getting up close and personal with all the noises of the forest.  I guess that is also totally intentional - I mean, the main reason you are there is to get jiggy with nature - but when that nature is a Loud As F howler monkey screaming its tits off at 3am, you would be forgiven for wishing for some lovely double glazing at that moment. 

The gorgeous fiery-billed acari

The lodge was run on an all-inclusive package basis (with the exception of alcoholic beverages) - so it did feel a bit of a swizz that there was no fridge in the room with water or soft drinks (usually fairly standard in all-inclusive places).  In keeping with its focus on sustainability, there was also no room service offered (although they would deliver you a flask of coffee first thing in the morning) and no housekeeping either.  To communicate with the main lodge, walkie talkies were provided (instead of phones) and there was also no TV in the room (which we did not miss at all).  

These First World Grumbles aside, of course, the main attraction was the view - both of the ocean and of the surrounding forest.  The back deck was nicely appointed with a couple of chaise lounges as well as a big hanging bed thing, so it was a perfect place to sit outside and soak it all up.  And we didn't have to wait long - with a giant SQUAWK and ruffle of brilliant colored feathers, two Scarlet Macaws landed on the tree right next to the balcony!  Turns out it was an almond tree, so the birds spent a solid 20 mins chomping away on the green almond fruits - giving us plenty of opportunity for pictures.  No sooner had they flapped off, then a pair of fiery-billed aracaris (a type of toucan) breezed in to take their spot!   And while they were also chowing down on the almonds, a family of spider monkeys were crashing around in the big umbrella tree next door!  So much wildlife!!!!   

Scarlet macaw taking a face-plant 
after avoiding the caracara attack. 
It was fine. 

Later on, it got a little too close for comfort when a yellow-headed caracara decided to attack a couple of scarlet macaws in that same tree - prompting one to fly away in a panic, directly right at me!  It almost hit me but swerved at the last minute and ended up crashing into the bushes just below, wings fully splayed out!  After a moment, it gathered itself back together and flew off, apparently none the worse for its encounter - but it certainly gave me a bit of a shock (especially as I was so absorbed in taking its photo, I had no idea what had actually happened to cause it to launch itself at me, until ManpanionTM filled me in!)

First of many, many 
monkey sightings....

We managed to tear ourselves away and head back to the main lodge for lunch - which was where we discovered the other key benefit of the Lapa Rios lodge - the team who were creating magic in the kitchen!  The food was simply outstanding.  In the three days we were there, I think I only had one bite of food that was underwhelming (it was a rather dry pork medallion) - everything else was just incredible.  So fresh (exciting!), flavorful and healthy in the way that made you happy - like "YEAH, I'm eating healthy and it tastes amazing" vs "I'm eating healthily and I feel sad".  There were plenty of plant-based and vegetarian choices, which I ended up choosing quite a bit of the time - and they were GOOD.  I had a cauliflower steak for dinner one night and it was bloody delicious.  I fell in love again and again with the plantains, papaya and their little basket of fresh breads at breakfast (warm cubes of corn, squash and banana breads).   Their poached eggs were cooked so perfectly, it made me want to weep with joy.  ManpanionTM had a beef tenderloin for dinner one night that he rated as "one of the best" he'd ever had, so we were very very happy with all the feedz during our time at the lodge.  The level of sophistication of flavors was a very pleasant surprise, given we were in the middle of the jungle!

A red-rumped agouti spotted on the
boardwalk back to our villa.  Member of 
the rodent family - but much cuter than our
city rats!!

As part of the Lapa Rios experience, the lodge offered a number of activities each day where you could get out and about and explore your surroundings.  Most of them were hiking based and varied in terms of time of day, level of difficulty and wildlife focus.  For our first full day at the lodge, we opted to do one of the moderate hikes, the Osa Trail, which was a 5km walk through the primary rainforest see here.  We met with our guide Daniello at reception at 8.45am, along with a nice couple from Texas, and headed to the guide hut where he showed us on a map where we would be hiking.  There were also rubber boots to borrow if you wanted (we both had our hiking boots, so opted out - we changed our mind for subsequent hikes!) plus a big box of Gandalf-like walking sticks (cue us both shaking them in the air and intoning "You Shall Not Pass!").  Even though the trail was easy enough and mostly downhill, the sticks were necessary as the ground underfoot was extremely slippery in places, with thick red claggy soil that clung to your boots and got a bit squishy in places due to the overnight thunderstorm.  Fortunately nobody fell (unlike my recent hike in Isle Royale which I will eventually get to writing up) but you certainly had to pay attention where you were placing your feet - not least to make sure you weren't inadvertently stepping on a critter of some kind!  

Into the jungle...

Daniello was extremely knowledgeable and, over the course of the next 3hrs, pointed out more birds, plants, trees, insects, fungi and the like than I could possibly ever hope to remember!  Particularly notable were the strangler figs, winding themselves round some of the huge ancient mahogany and blackwood trees.  There were also trees that had spikes on their roots - to stop critters from eating them, or  ones with evil-looking spines on their trunks to stop monkeys from climbing them.  We saw tons of termite mounds - both on the ground and perched high up in the trees and Daniello showed how you could totally confuse a column of army ants by drawing a moistened finger across their path on the forest floor, thus breaking the pheromone chain that they use to navigate by.  It was fascinating to watch them become instantly disoriented and turn back in the opposite direction, until the distracting scent had sufficiently dissipated and the march could resume.  As army ants have a very nasty bite, we figured we should move along quickly before they worked out who was messing with them!  We did see a number of monkeys (spider monkeys) plus a brilliant turquoise blue cicada!  So much cuter than the disgusting red-eyed monstrosities we get back home!  At the end of our hike, we were picked up by the lodge's jeep - and just in the nick of time, as it started to rain.   We were going to originally do another hike in the afternoon but the rain was pretty set for the day, so instead we had a leisurely lunch then chilled in the room and read our books before it was time for dinner.

A cheeky monkey!  
You can also spot a primate in the tree behind him.

Blue cicada

Spider monkey, just hangin'
and chillin'

One of my fav chill out spots on the back
deck - perfect for watching all the
hummingbirds flitting around
the tropical flowers

Yikes!  Be careful where you put
 your hands!

The next day was our last full day in Lapa Rios - and Costa Rica - so we decided to make the most of it and sign up for a couple of hikes.  I also decided to go on an additional morning bird hike (starting at 5.45am - ManpanionTM opted out in favor of more sleep) as I was into birds when I was younger - and Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world for birding.  There are many species, even within Costa Rica, that only live within the primary rainforest of the Osa Peninsula - I don't think we saw any of those, but our 2hr excursion started with the spotting of an adorable sleeping Crested Owl .  Took me right back to our wedding celebration in Scotland!  We also saw green parrots, more macaws, a kingfisher, lots of raptors, some more spider and howler monkeys, a Costa Rican species of racoon, egrets, and tons of songbirds.  We finished the hike on the beach nearby, where we also saw herons and pelicans, crabs and iguanas.  On the short drive back to the lodge, we also saw squirrel monkeys - that's 3 for 4 on my Costa Rica Monkey Bingo Card - only the white-faced monkey left to spot!  So we saw a LOT - and it wasn't even 8am yet!!  

Red-breasted meadowlark

Not a bird.  

Whembrel

Also not a bird.  FINALLY - the squirrel
monkey appears!

Squirrel monkeys are smaller than the
spider and howler monkeys.  And much
cuter, too.

White-nosed coati (a type of
daytime raccoon)

Crested owl - note how the feathers over 
the eyes are a lighter color, giving the 
impression it's awake, while it's
actually asleep

Gray-capped flycatcher

Gorgeous beach

Green kingfisher

Bananaquit flitting around in the bushes

Yellow throated toucan

Finally!  A photo of the
 hummingbird!!

I met ManpanionTM for breakfast after which we had a nice long time to chill out and relax until our next hike at 3pm.  One of the other guests who did the birding tour clued me into this brilliant app called Merlin, created and run by Cornell School of Ornithology, which can identify birds by their song as well as photos.  Basically think Shazam, but for birds.  It was brilliant and I happily spent a few hours recording and identifying all the birds in the nearby vicinity.  You download (for free - and no ads!) location specific bird packs, so that its loaded up with the birds you are likely to find in your area.  It really was a lot of fun to play with -and after a while, you could easily pick out the different bird songs (the two most common ones, in case you are interested, were the chestnut-backed antbird and the black hooded antshrike).  It also managed to identify the species of hummingbird that I'd seen flitting about as the Rufous-tailed hummingbird (I FINALLY managed to get a picture - not gonna win any photography awards but at least you can tell what it is!).  I'm already looking forward to downloading the Midwest bird pack and using it when I get home.  (Mum - I'll come load it onto your phone for you). 

Anyway, after I'd given the Merlin app a thorough testing, it was time to head out for our afternoon hike.  This one was billed as an easy hike - a short drive out of the lodge, then heading through the secondary rainforest and along the beach (including the same stretch I'd visited in the morning).  It had been raining on and off throughout the day but the rain managed to hold off until right at the very end of the hike, so that was good.  We had the same guide that we'd had on the Osa Trail the day before (again, I was grateful that we are generous tippers otherwise.... awkward) and he was again excellent in his ability to spot wildlife - either from a distance or that was otherwise well hidden.  

Lesser Antillean iguana

Family of spider monkeys enjoying the
fruits of the forest

Fabulous roots - twisty and turn-y to provide
additional stability as they don't penetrate far 
into the ground

Daniello and I looking for monkeys

Gorgeous bare-throated tiger heron

Alpha male capuchin monkey 
checking us out

The hike lasted about 2hrs and we saw a TON of monkeys - a huge family of spider monkey first, then another pack of howler monkeys and right at the end, on the beach, we finally saw some white-faced or capuchin monkeys.  Monkey bingo card, complete!  I defy ANYONE to see those monkeys and not immediately think of the film, Outbreak.  Daniello warned us that these monkeys can be aggressive and would attack if they felt threatened.  They react particularly badly towards female voices (due to the higher pitch) and also if they see you smile as they interpret the baring of teeth as a hostile act.  So basically no talking and no smiling, ladies!  He also warned us to keep our distance from the tree that they were all hanging out it (and there were a LOT of them) as it is toxic to humans and would give you a nasty rash.  We took all this to heart and carefully approached the tree to get a better look - making sure to stay together and behind Daniello.  Even still, because there were a few little baby monkeys in the group, the alpha monkey started to get aggravated and started coming closer towards us in an aggressive manner.  Daniello made sure that we stayed as a group and quickly helped us exit the area, staying in front of us with his big stick - so we weren't really in any danger - but he did say that if you had been walking by that tree on your own, it would have been different as the monkeys would likely have surrounded you and chased you and tried to bite you!  So we were all very grateful to him and it goes to show that there is always value in visiting these places with the local experts.

Monkey wondering if he left the oven on

and thinking about his life choices..

On the move - towards us!

The two little baby monkeys the alpha
male was protecting

green tree frog

Our final activity of the day was a night time tour - leaving at 5pm for a couple hours walking through the resort's grounds, looking for critters that only come out at night.  Think frogs, snakes, spiders and the like.  Yes.  I know.  Why I would WILLINGLY go out looking for these things is questionable judgement on my part but - hey! - when am I ever gonna be back in Costa Rica, so you gotta try these things, right??  Adding to the already spicy prospects for the evening was the looming thunderstorm that had finally closed in around us - this time, both ManpanionTM and I opted to use the rubber boots that were on offer - just to be on the safe side.

And yep.  Within the first 10mins of setting off, the heavens opened.  It POURED.  Now, a bit of rain on a rainforest night hike is actually good as it helps bring the critters out - too much rain, though - and nope.  We stayed out for about an hour before calling it a night (usually the tour is 2hrs long) and we did see some stuff - including the green tree frog which was the star of the show plus an extremely venomous snake - but not the abundance I think we would otherwise have been expected to see.  I discovered that my purple shell jacket is no match at all for the Costa Rican rains as it stopped being waterproof after about 25mins!  At least the rain wasn't cold - but both ManpanionTM and I were completely soaked through by the time we got back to our room!  We shucked off our wet stuff (there's no way that will be dry in the morning before we leave!), changed into some dry clothes and waited until the rain eased off enough to allow us to walk over for dinner.  

AARRGGGHHHHHHHHH.
So. Many. Orb. Spiders.

Rainbow locust

AAARRRRGGHHHHHHH!  
What is this HELLSCAPE CREATURE??

Super deadly poisonous snake - you 
would be well and truly effed if this sucker
bit you.

DOUBLE AAAAAAAARRRRGGHHH

Another tree frog

One last spectacular meal later and that was it.  Our time in Costa Rican was drawing to a close.  All we had left was the reverse transfer back to San Jose (again via little puddle jumper flight) and our 5hr United flight back to Chicago.  The little puddle jumper flight was shorter this time, only about 50mins, and we landed at the domestic terminal (round the back) and were met by a ground crew lady in a high vis jacket who walked us into the terminal building.  I imagined that's how super rich and famous people travel all the time - so it was definitely a novel experience!  We had a few hours at San Jose airport before our flight, so I spent a happy hour or so exploring the excellent shops which were crammed full of local coffee, chocolates and hot sauces - all with abundant samples to try!  If you are able to get hold of any, cafe Britt is an excellent purveyor of both coffee and chocolate - so I bought a fair few as gifts for people (and myself).  And good news - I just checked and you can get it here in the States, so yey! https://www.cafebritt.com

So that, as they say, was that.  It was a terrific trip and it felt as if we'd been away for a lot longer than a week!  We managed to pack quite a lot in - but we never felt rushed, which I think is the sign of a great vacation.  Thank you, Costa Rica, for a fabulous week - we loved every moment of our time with you.  Maybe we'll see you again sometime in the future.

PURA VIDA!

PS I've uploaded a couple of videos - not sure if they will work, so LMK!