Costa Rica Expeditions - Rain & Cloud Forest Odyssey??

[omegaet]

hissmonster...hope you and your Mom have the trip of your life.....buy a package of "Dr. Scholl's Moleskin" just in case either of you develop a blister during your hiking adventures......ride a zip line for certain!



Please report back to all of us upon your return (and post some photos)!



Enjoy!

[jsattapr2]

hissmonster, how was your trip to Costa Rica?

[hissmonster]

Happy Holidays all!



It's been a whirlwind since our return, so please accept my apologies for the late posting.



The trip was wonderful.



We did have our challenges though, namely Mother Nature! We got caught in one of the biggest torrential downpours on record.



Now I know what you may be thinking--Bummer, bad luck.



Don't.



It gave me some of the best landscape photo ops ever.



This was really shoulder season for Costa Rica (the time between high-low season; or in this case between the rain/dry season) which means that while the weather is unpredictable, the streets/stores/etc are less crowded; prices are better and there is less worries about "high season" crimes (such as pick-pockets).



With the unbelievable rain, finding wildlife out and about was a challenge at Tortuga Lodge: most creatures were curled up in balls in the canopy waiting out the heavy rains. Yet, I got my best photos of a sloth (up close and personal) here. He acted like a hired model ready for his "close-up".



The lodge was practically all ours and absolutely beautiful. But I will tell you, if you plan on going be prepared for the following:



No phones, TV or telephones in the rooms. No air-conditioning and an open-air feeling as there are no solid outer doors or glass in the windows(just screening). There are no elevators so if you get the penthouse, you will have to walk up a flight of stairs. There is no room service, unless you want to request it at the front desk and then the restaurant is right there, just go in. The only other thing you need to be ready for at Tortuga Lodge is the rain and its consequences.



The tours go out: rain or shine, although the heavy rain shut down the national park (too much debris in the water) I had several ponchos and was soaked by the time I came back. My recommendation for gear here is to dress for rain and getting wet. Wear tankini tops and board shorts(you know the type that come toyour calf) and you won't mind the rain. Also, weather proof your cameras. Nature shots are everywhere. The birds, reptiles and monkeys will still be picture-worthy, but if your camera gets soggy, you have lost those moments. Read up on the best methods towaterproof your camera and then take elastics/tape/& Ziploc storage bags as back up. Buy rice too. Why? If you camera gets so wet that it stops working rice can absorb the excess water.



Crocs!!! are a must. There are puddles and when we were leaving the docs were submerged under water, which meant we had to wade through water to get to our plane. Crocs are fabulous! they deal w/ wet/dry conditions unphased.



Leave the fancy clothes at home(one woman @ the hotel w/ us said "where am I going to wear my cocktail dress?"). For this entire trip we never needed anything more dressy than lightweight pants and short sleeve tops. So save theroom in your suitcase for souvenirs. (when they says a 25lb restriction for all onboard luggage, they aren't kidding).





That said, I LOVED IT! There was a total Tree-house feel, but the most luxurious tree-house you will stay in. The staff is wonderful and the food is served not "Family-style" which brings to mind everyone sitting at one table passing around the rolls, but more like a prix fix dining or chef choice (one meal - the same for all tables).



We were treated like we were the only ones there and I absolutely loved the waiters following me around with coffee pots and steamed milk saying "con permisso" every time my coffee cup started getting low.



They took special care of mom too. As I have said, mom has some health problems and I was worried about how she would fare, but Costa Rica Expeditions bent over backwards to see that she had a good time. We added a tour ofthe Volcano to the end of our trip and they set us up w/ a private guide and driver.

The guide was William and he was fabulous. Not just in his knowledge of the area,plant and wildlife, but in the added attention he gave mom & me (providing me w/ photo ops I wouldn't get on an average tour). Marcos, the driver spoke broken English that was better than my Spanish, but we got along just fine and I owe him a huge hug for the Baslisk lizard photo I got for my neice (it was the only thing she wanted from CR).



Monteverde was wonderful and the monkeys there were great. They had "lunch" with us, trying to steal lightbulbs from the restaurant, playing peek-a-boo in the windows and challenging me for a piece of pineapple I used to get their attention. The one shot that I've named "Fierce Monkey" has been entered into a photography contest.



On the way to Monteverde, I road up w/ one of Costa Rica Expeditions white water rafting guides and he has sold me on going back next fall for rafting and turtle nesting. Mom if she is up for it will go w/ us but she will hit the spa while Dee & I (dee's my sister) hit the rapids and then meet up w/ us for the turtles.



The funny ending to this story is that I left Boston in 32 degree weather w/ a pending snowstorm, arriving in Costa Rica's stormy 70's (temps). The guides were complaining it was cold, which made me laugh. I will take that kind of cold, because I came home to an ice storm which was followed up w/ a snowstorm. It's odd wearing summer clothes and being greeted at the airport w/ boots and a parka.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi H and thanks for the great trip reports. Nice to see a great trip to Costa Rica off the beaten path! You were really able to experience all Costa Rica offers.

[omegaet]

hissmonster...what a great write up! Glad you had a great visit to CR and glad your Mother held in like a trooper. Why not get the LL_Moderator to set up a blog for you, so you can further elaborate on your journey and post some photos as well?



btw...did you go on a zipline?

[kyshel]

great review of your trip/travels/service--all the little things we like to know about!
Hope you'll copy it to the destinations/Central America page so others can locate the review easily.