Volcan Arenal to Puntarenas. August 26 - 28, 2010

We decided to take a break and stay in the Volcan Arenal area on Thursday for one more day. We drove to the other side of the volcano and soon realized we were in tourist territory. The volcanic area is well known for it's hot springs and there were some beautiful resorts, all with hot springs and spas. Many very expensive. We checked out 4 of the best and one The Baldi Resort stood out. It was not the most expensive but it was absolutely gorgeous. If you are ever in this area of Costa Rica and want to splurge, this is the place. You can get a room (all face the volcano), breakfast and dinner, full use of resort facilities for $150.00 a night. We would like to splurge and stay there one night with the kids but.. no dogs allowed. We will however bring Danny and Nicole here to use the resort. That cost is $26.00 per person. We had also seen many smaller hotels and lodges and went into one called Carlos Lodge. Perfect. A cabina for us (again all face the volcano), dogs welcomed was $50.00 including breakfast. We talked to the manager and he agreed that when we return with the kids we can get 2 cabinas and they will take care of Winston for us whilst we go to the spa resort. We had thought we would have to take Winston and leave him in the RV, while one of us every hour or so would come out and walk him but now he has a place to stay and people to walk him so he's not cooped up. Excellent. We slept that night in bed with a full view of the volcano, again lots of hissing and smoke, no lava. Friday found us up and ready for what should have been a fairly easy drive to the port of Puntarenas, where we will stay at Danilo and Nidia's home. As we were getting back on the Panamericana there was a huge junction. mcDonalds, KFC, Burger King etc. Tom wants KFC. By now it is pouring with rain so we pull in, walk Winston and decide instead to go to a restaurant and eat and try to wait out the downpour. It was 4pm, when we left to a steady rain but not torrential with about 50 kms (30 mile) to Puntarenas. There by 5:30, Tom predicted. He is definitely not wired in to the psychic network. As we leave the town of Esparza, the traffic comes to a dead stop. We are sandwiched between 2 huge trucks - remember this is the Panamericana, the only truck route between Central America, Costa Rica and Panama. Truckers, people in cars, all are walking around. Probably an accident, it will clear in an hour or so was the verdict, these people are not part of the psychic network either. We sit, eat, sit, walk Winston, sit. It is dark and rainy. Tom reads his book, Winston sleeps, I sit. The idleness is killing me. We chat. Our worry is that the road opens, everyone moves and we do not know where we are going. 9:30pm. We decide to drive forward and at least see what is ahead. Tom puts on our emergency flashers and we take off on the wrong side of the road. Not a mile ahead, we come to cones and police. We are told it was a rockslide and though they are in the process of clearing, there was no time schedule. There was nothing to do but turn around and go back to Esparza. We had seen a Texaco station that looked as though there was plenty of parking. The Texaco gas station on the outskirts of Esparza. Only stay here in an absolute emergency, with zero other options. It is noisy, loud, did I say noisy. There is a bar/discoteque across the highway. They played music at a decibel level equivalent to those of jet engines until the extreme wee hours of the morning. Tom read, I tried to sleep, Tom tried to sleep, I read. Then the music stopped. Thank you God. Ten minutes later as dawn streaks the horizon, the trucks start up. The road is open. Gentleman, start your engines. They idle to warm up, their air brakes squeal, a cacaphony of beeps and horns belt out as they back up. Like I said, stay here only in an emergency. Sleep deprived, I get up and make coffee. We take off and half hour later are in Punarenas, we were so close but so far away. We find the house with no problems. Talk with Francis the housekeeper and get electricity for the RV. That settled, we walk across the street to the beach. Puntarenas is a port town for both ferries and cruise ships. No cruise ships today, so the town is quiet. The ferries transport vehicles and people from here to the Nicoya peninsula and we decide we may try it when the kids arrive to get us back from Tamarindo instead of driving. We get back to the RV and I grab a lounge chair and my book. After yesterday, I am gong to relax. Tom wants to explore more of the town so whilst Winston and I settled on the beach, Tom took off again, in the other direction. I had my eye on the ocean. After about 3 hours, the clouds atarted to form and I could see rain starting on the horizon. I folded my chair, sorted out WInston's leashes and we had just started to cross the road when the downpour began. By the time we got back to the RV, we were drenched and no Tom. I knew he just had on a T shirt so hopefully he can hunker down somewhere until the worst of it is over. After about an hour, the rain had abated and 20 minutes later in walks Tom, also totally drenched. We chat, read and eat dinner at the hotel next door. It was an early night, quiet and peaceful. No disco music, no trucks, just the way I like it.

Monteverde to Arenal Volcano. 65 miles. August 25th, 2010

This without exception was our most grueling drive to date. We knew we would have to drive the same route out of Monteverde to get to the volcano and the stretch of road between Monteverde and Tilaran is just jaw jarring, not to think about the stress on the RV. Ourfirst stop was a small woodwork shop that we had passed on the way in specializing in rosewood carvings. There was some beautiful wood carvings all done on site by the owner. We settled on purchasing a small bowl, cutting board and a wine holder, all exceptional quality and then it was on to see Danilo at the farm. This was a welcome break from the drive. Danilo has built a fantastic barn for his 4 horses, two of whom are pregnant. This barn looks better than some of the houses that we have seen. Lucky horses! We also checked out the rest of his property. Winston had a great time, running and sniffing everything. The beagle in him comes out so much more in the countryside with it's unique animal smells. We stayed about an hour and it was with reluctance that we set off but we knew we still had a long way to go. After Tilaran we circled Lake Arenal and across the dam towards the volcano. According to one of our guidebooks we would be able to park at the Observatory Lodge. This entailed another off road, bone shaking experience of about 15 kilometers. As we got closer, we could hear the volcano and see clouds of smoke erupting from it. There are 7 active volcanoes in Costa Rica, Arenal is the only one that erupts with molten rocks and lava, 2 others emit gases and smoke and the other 4are currently sleeping. We were looking forward to stopping and getting a break. It was 4:15 when we arrived at the lodge and the guard informed us that no-one but guests could get in after 4pm. We begged and pleaded but he was rudely adamant. We asked for him to call the manager for us and he refused. Perplexed we inquired if there was a restaurant at the lodge and we were told yes, but that is also for guests only after 4pm. We later found out that was not true but for whatever reason, maybe the guard had some bad experience with Rvers (hard to believe) or just didn't want to let us in (we tried to stay polite with him) but the reality was we had no where to go. We had parked just below the gate entrance and decided to cool our tempers, walk Winston and think. Darkness falls around 6pm here and we knew we could not drive back down the road we had come. In addition, I was frustrated because I so wanted to have a good view of the volcano in the hope that we could see a true eruption. Let me tell you, I was wishing evil on the guard as I vented. As we walked down the road just about a block, we came to a small private park operated by 3 men. We chatted with the man at the entrance and explained our our dilemma. No problem, said Lion (his name, no kidding), you can either park where you are or come into our park. We have an observation area and I will light the tiki torches so you can view the volcano. Our faith in the local people restored, we decided to leave the RV, where it was and take hime up on his offer to view the volcano. We walked back to the motorhome, ate, fed Winston and took off again for the reserve. Winston was allowed also. To get to the observation area, we had to cross a very rickety, wooden suspention bridge and follow the lit tiki torches to the viewing area. We sat and sat. The volcano seemed like it was almost within our reach and we listened to it huffing and puffing with intermittant explosions of fumes and smoke. We were fascinated but I really wanted to see molten red rocks and lava. By 9:30, we were tired and stiff from sitting. Manfred, their resident biologist stopped by and so did a young french couple who proceeded to set up their tent. They were going to watch all night. Tom and I decided to call it a night and go to the RV. We settled in, gave Winston a treat and I opened my book to read a little. "BOOM"!! I swear we felt the RV rock a little. "That was the volcano" I said gloomily "and we missed it". Sure enough, if we had only stayed another 30 mins. It was supposedly spectacular with a huge burst and 3 distinct rivers of flowing lava and I missed it. When we come back with Danny and Nicole, I am praying that I will see one. As we slept we could hear the spurts and hisses that the volcano constantly makes, how cool is that!

Las Orquideas Hotel, Santa Elena.

Well, two things are for sure. One, we had certainly ruined a section of the lawn at the hotel and for sure Nidia and Danny are one of the most delightful and charming couples we have met. As we all perused the gouges and ruts that now make up part of their landscape, Danny and Tom came up with a plan to extricate the RV from it's present location and they didn't kick us out. They had already came up with another location for our second night here. As Tom twisted and turned the steering wheel following Danny's instructions, it became obvious to both of them that we would not get out without help. "I'll tow you out" said Danny as he went to get his SUV. He attached a chain to the RV, Tom got into the driver's seat and again following Danny's instructions started slowly steering the RV as Danny towed. "Whoa" he yelled, Tom braked but not in time. Now we had taken out a few flagsones that made up a walkway. Finally, after two more starts and stops, Danny pulled us clear of the garden and had us located in our new spot. Still grassy but with better drainage. Now we could see the extent of the damage in all it's glory or goriness as the case was. "We are so sorry", we kept saying over and over to Danny and Nidia. "We will pay for any repairs or help out". They kept assuring us not too worry. Tom asked if they had a rake. They found one and we spent the next hour or so raking the deep ruts until they were at least flatter and putting the broken flagstones back in place. Just as we were finishing, the rain started again in earnest and we were glad we were on safer ground. We had wanted to go into town for dinner but the rain just kept coming down. Since we have decided to come back here to stay once Danny and Nicole arrive, we knew we would have other oppotunities to see the town so we contented ourselves with a dinner of salami, cheese, barbequed chicken and crackers with a glass of Chilean red wine. As the rain peetered out, I walked Winston and Tom chatted with Nidia. We learned that she is Italian, her father was from Naples and she and Danny have been married 42 years. Besides the hotel, they have other property in Costa Rica, a farm which we had passed on the way here from Tilaran and a house in Puntarenas. Their farm grows the coffee that they serve at breakfast, some cattle and pigs and 4 horses. The next morning we go in to breakfast and Nidia sits with us and chats. A little later, Danny arrives and we talk about their farm and home. Since Danny is going to the farm after breakfast, we agree that we will stop and visit on our way to Lake Arenal and the volcano. Also, after he finds out that we plan to stop in Puntarenas on our way to San Jose, he insists that we make use of their home there. He says we can't get onto the property because our RV is too tall but there is parking to the side and we can hook into power. He gives us the contact information of the housekeeper who lives on site and says we can use the house to shower etc. Their kindness is overwhelming to us, particularly considering our less than auspicius start but if ever you are in the Santa Elena/Monteverde area of Costa Rica, consider a stay at their hotel. It is beautifully maintained with amazing views and extremely reasonable. At present it is $25.00 per person which includes breakfast. As we prepare the RV for moving, I once again visit their mirador that overlooks the canyon. With Santa Elena, the jungle and the three waterfalls clearly visible, it is a stunning view and a reminder of the diversity that makes up Costa Rica.

Samara to Santa Elena/Monteverde. 114 miles. August 23rd, 2010

We had looked at many maps and guidebooks and one thing was clear, the road to Monteverde is without doubt the worst they had ever driven and now both Tom and I concur. First of all, there is no "good" road up here. Whichever route you take, you end up driving the last 25 to 30 kilometers on a rocky, gravelly road. This entails driving at a speed of about 5 - 10 mile an hour, if you're lucky. We elected to come via Tilaran which is supposed to be a little longer than the road direct from the PanAmericana but with less of an incline and mountainous turns. In other words, easier for the RV. It took well over 5 hours to do the journey and we were completely tired of the jarring and bumpiness of the road by the time we arrived into the small connected towns of Santa Elena & Monteverde. We had the name of one hotel located just outside of town that another RV had stayed at and that was going to be our first stop. After a couple of missed turns in town and asking a few different people for directions, we eventually found the hotel. The owners, Nidia and Danny are delightful and suggested we park right on the lawn one one side of the hotel. Also, they have internet and do not charge RVer's for parking, breakfast, if we want it is $5.00 each. Fabulous even though both Tom and I have an agreement that if we use someone's facilities we try to compensate them in some way. As Tom drove, I got out and with Winston, were chatting with Nidia. Suddenly there was a sound of wheels spinning and I saw the RV slipping. I yell and Tom got out. Cripes! Nidia then told us there had been more rain than usual for this time of year. We were stuck and not only stuck but had managed to tear up and put deep gouged ruts into their beautiful lawn. It was getting dark and even though we were not quite lined up properly, decided to deal with it in the morning. We got our power cord and Nidia plugged us in. The hotel is a B & B, with no bar and serves only breakfast. No matter. We got ourselves a couple of beers and walked Winston around the property, trying not to look to closely at the damage we have done. At the back of the hotel is a walkway that bridges out over a canyon. Although we can't see anything due to the clouds, we can hear a waterfall and river in the background. As night comes, we see the town lit up as it spreads into the surrounding hills. It is a beautiful sight. We discuss dinner and decide to keep it simple and microwave some taco meat we had done a few nights before, chop up avocado, grate cheese and with salsa make our now famous "gringo tacos". As we chat and get back into the RV, we grimace at our parking job and the lawn and hope our hosts, Nidia and Danny will be as delightful and friendly in the morning.

Playa Samara, Costa Rica. August 23rd, 2010

Samara worked out just fine for us. There is a reef offshore which made for some nice breaks for Tom to boogie board in. In addition, it is not crowded so he doesn't have to compete for waves with surfers and other boarders. Winston was allowed to roam free and made good use of his time by wading through the swamp area, playing on the beach with other dogs and digging in the sand to find the perfect spot to take his naps. It's a dog's life! I walked the beach and caught up on my reading. The only drawback is no internet, hopefully at the next stop. We hung out in Samara for four days mainly because of the weekend and driving anywhere in Central America on Sunday is awful. Everyone, it seems, takes to the road and goes to the playas. On Monday we have decided to go inland to the rain and cloud forest area of Santa Elena/Monteverde. We have eliminated this spot for bringing the kids. There is cabinas but I don't think even Winston would sleep on the beds, it is just too rundown. Too bad because we love places where we are right on the beach wih an unobstructed view of the horizon. However both Tom and I agree, we would come back only for those reasons. It was fitting that our last morning here ended the way it began when we arrived. The group of wild horses came through our camp, grazed, hung out and we got to admire them up close as both them and us checked out the view.

Tamarindo to Samara. 59 miles. August 19th, 2010

Our second day in Tamarindo was great. We relaxed, played at the ocean and the maid/cleaner at the cabinas did all of our laundry for us. After filling our RV with water, we bid Johann (the manager) adios with the possibilty that we will be back in a couple of weeks with Danny and Nicole in tow. Samara is another beach town headed south towards the gulf and once again there were no references in any of our literature of places to stay. The driving was uneventful but a couple of notes. The roads are terrible, full of potholes, cattle and other hazards. However, the countryside is clean and free of trash. After Mexico and the rest of Central America, this was easy on the eye. It is plain to see that Costa Rica and the Ticos take the eco (as in ecology) very seriously. There are plenty of trash cans around for disposing of garbage and even, in some places, recycling containers requiring you to separate recyclables from trash. Being Californians this is a welcome sight. Samara is bustling with tourists when we arrive but the streets are narrow. We head out of town towards the north. Cross a river and drive towards what looks like small cove. But, nowhere to park the RV. As we turn around and go back down the street, we pass an American couple walking their lab. They wave us down. "Did you come all the way from California?", they ask, checking out our license plate. "Yes and we are going all the way to Argentina". This always invokes similar responses of mostly enviousness at our adventure. We ask about a place for the RV and they direct us back the way we came, cross the river, take the first right and at a fork in the road, turn right again. They said there was a campsite there. As we approached the campgrounds we thought they were closed. Huge piles of dirt were piled on both sides of the road but as we pulled up on the beach, we saw a restaurant area, albeit closed and two men in their twenties. We chatted with them and they were open but not the restaurant and directed us to an area where we were able to park the RV so our door opened towards the ocean and still able to hook into power. This was all we needed. The campsite itself was seedy and a little trashy but with our unobstructed views of the water and beach, we knew we would be happy. As we settled in a group of horses appeared on the beach and as the sun was setting they looked as though they were enjoying the view as much as us. Tomorrow Tom is going into the water to board.

Playa del Coco to Playa Tamarindo. 49 miles. August 17th, 2010

As we were getting ready to leave the soccer field area, there was a knock on the door. Police. Not the usual but some government agents. Seems things were ok but they wanted to check our vehicle permit and passports. After they checked them, they said they would fill oout a form which both they and us would sign. We would keep the form with the permit and if we are stopped in the future to show the form and it would be understood that a check was made and should save us some time. They also said to be careful where we park as petty theft is an ongoing problem. They had no suggestions on places to stay in Tamarindo but since it is a famous surf beach, Tom wants to check it out. The drive is uneventful but the countryside is lush and vibrant. Tamarindo is indeed a beach town but as we drove through town, we realized that parking was going to be a problem. The streets are narrow and most of the entrances have low arches making it impossible to pass under with the RV. We get to the end, make the loop and decide to go through the village one more time. We stop at two hotels but neither would give us permission to park. As Tom went to ask a third hotel, he noticed a narrow driveway leading to Tsunami's Surf School and Cabinas. The hotel also turned us down, so he went to chat with the surf school people. We were pointed to a small area in the back that seemed ideal to us, particularly since our options were growing smaller by the minute. For $20.00, we could park, get electricity and water for the motorhome, also hot showers and WiFi were available and the beach is right across the road. Perfect. We settle in and discover that there is a communal kitchen for cooking and checked out the cabinas. The town is minutes away, same for a grocery store and both Tom and I agree, that this is one of the places we will put on the list for possibly bringing Nicole and Danny. This is a hip, young, surf town and would be ideal for the kids as there is some nightlife plus plenty to do during the day. After we park, Tom grabs his boogie board and with Winston we head to the beach. To get to the beach, we follow a wooden bridge across mangrove swamps. Crocodiles! With a lot of rain recently, the crocodiles have headed downstream and have been sighted on the beach. We are assured that as there is plenty for them to eat, they don't bother with people or dogs. Hmm. I am not convinced and pledge to keep an eye on Winston. Don't want to do the rest of the trip with a three-legged dog. As Tom was enjoying the wave action, Winston and I were content to play on the beach and then back to the RV to prepare dinner. We had steaks marinating. Our last two from Costco in Acapulco. The beef so far has been pretty dismal. The cattle are thin and I suspect that they are slaughtered and eaten immediately, no aging process here. Just as Tom is preparing the grill, a tour bus pulls in and off come about 20 Italians. It turns out they are on a 3 week tour of Costa Rica and Panama and it is with a lot of shouting and yelling that they get settled into rooms and cabinas for the night. They watch enviously as Tom cooks the potatoes and eye our steaks. Smells good, was the general comment, envy prevalent in their voices. We smile and agree. Yes, once again good fortune was with us. We have managed to find a great place to stay, safe and secure. The owner/manager is delightful and we look forward to a good meal with a nice Chilean red wine. We decide we will stay one more night just to relax and play. Starting to get that Tico feeling.