Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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Saturday, April 21

The alarm was set for 6:45, but a little before 6 am the sun came streaming through a crack in the drapes and we were awake. I had ordered room service breakfast thinking I would be too rushed to get to the buffet, but there certainly would have been time. 

  

Instead, I grabbed my phone and sat outside on the promenade deck and texted the kids. (It was reassuring to get a text from T-Mobile when I turned on my phone that said…”Welcome to Costa Rica! Your T-Mobile plan gives you unlimited data up to 2G speeds and texts at no extra cost!! Calls at 20 cents/minute. Enjoy your stay!”

My early morning view.

While I was texting, Bob was walking laps around the ship. Breakfast arrived a little after 7:00 and at 7:45 we walked off the ship. A guy from Gio Tours was waiting right at the end of the gangplank holding a sign with our names and directed us to their bus on the pier.

I was surprised that we were in a full size coach bus since the email confirmation had mentioned that no more than 20 would be on the tour. Turned out to be 28, but by the end of the day, I was actually glad we were on the bus with comfortable seats, great AC and huge windows.

Once out of the dock area, the bus driver pulled over and we picked up our guide for the day, Jesus, and we headed out of town towards our first stop…to see the white-faced capuchin monkeys. On our way, we passed through Puerto Caldera…a large shipping port.

The monkeys were on a private farm and getting there required driving down some dirt roads. There were other groups of people with the monkeys when we arrived and were feeding them to get them to come down from the trees and pose for photos. Jesus had told us ahead of time that we would not be feeding the monkeys OR holding them. He also warned us not to wear hats or sunglasses when we got out of the bus.

Cattle & egrets.

 Jesus took our group away from the others and we had a great view as he told us a little about the monkeys. As we were standing there, they would come down and run around our legs. A couple of coatimundi were also nearby begging for the food that people were feeding the monkeys.

Because we had gotten an early start, we reached our next stop (a fruit stand) before any of the ship tours arrived. We were given skewers with bites of watermelon, pineapple and papaya and also a small sample of sugar cane juice. Many flavors of fruit smoothies were available to purchase and also roasted cashews.

Leaving the fruit stand, we drove on to where we would board boats for a trip down the Tarcoles River. Restrooms were available and while we were waiting to board the boats, Jesus poured a little water on a teak leaf that he had picked. He crushed the leaf and rubbed it in his hand and the water turned blood-red and dripped down his arm.

A crocodile was swimming by in the river as we went down a very steep ramp to the boat…the first of many more crocodiles that we would see.

The boat ride lasted a couple of hours and whenever Jesus or the boat captain spotted some type of wildlife, we would slow down or stop to get a better look. Besides the crocodiles I can’t even begin to remember all the other birds, iguanas, lizards, etc. that we saw.

A few of the birds we saw...

This was just one of several crocodiles laying on a beach...and most had their mouth open!

We followed the river all the way to the mouth where the wide river had large waves as it flowed out into the ocean. The day was hot, but it was comfortable on the covered boat with the breezes blowing.

Climbing the very steep ramp after our boat ride. 

Back in the bus we dove up into the mountains to a point where we could look out over the river basin and beyond to the ocean. The twisty, curvy road  up the mountain had sheer drop offs and was just a bit scary given the large size of the bus.

As we were driving, the bus driver pulled over and pointed to a couple of howler monkeys in a tree. We have "heard" these monkeys before but had never seen any!

We also saw some wild scarlet macaws, but my attempts at a photo were poor. Basically just indistinguishable bright patches of color in the trees.

It was about 1:15 pm when we reached the restaurant where we were to have lunch (which was included in the price of the tour.)

The food was set up buffet style and we had salad, rice, beans, a delicious potato dish, fried plantains and a choice of fish or chicken. Bob and I both had the fish which was delicious. Some sort of sweet juice was offered to drink and very delicious coffee. For dessert we were given a small, bar-type dessert made from coconut.

We ate under a large outdoor pavilion and as we ate it began to thunder loudly. The back of the restaurant looked out onto a jungle area and with the sounds of birds combined with the thunder, Bob commented that it was like being in Jurassic Park! Bob is a squirrel lover and he got excited when we saw a group of very small, red squirrels playing in a tree next to where we were eating.

The bus stopped at a large souvenir shop but before we went in, Jesus told us that unless we wanted the really high-end coffee to wait until we made a stop at a grocery store downtown to buy any coffee or hot sauce. He also handed out small packets of Costa Rican coffee…a gift from Gio Tours.

At the grocery store, not everyone got off the bus. Coming from a community that has a very large Hispanic population, much of what was in the store looked familiar, but I was most intrigued by the different types of packaging. Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard…all were sold in the squeeze-type packages similar to how baby food is packaged. Also, milk…non-refrigerated and sitting on the shelf.

Our day in Costa Rica had turned out to be a great one. We have done a lot of tours and in my opionion our guide, Jesus, would rank right at the top of all the guides we have had. I especially enjoyed seeing all of the wildlife, but having the stops for shopping and lunch added a nice variety to the day. Two thumbs up for Gio Tours!

The bus dropped us all off at the gates to the pier around 3:30 pm which gave u some time to wander through the many, many stalls where people were selling crafts, t-shirts, wooden products, jewelry, etc. Through the noise, I could hear the sound of something like a flute and as I suspected, it was the animal shaped whistles that the EXC host on the ship had mentioned. They are pottery-type material and are made to look like many different animals depending on which way you turn it. The little melody that the vendor was playing sounded so interesting that I convinced Bob it was something our grandkids would enjoy. They were $5 each or 2 for $9 so we bought 2. (Back on the ship I attempted to play one of them and could only get squeaks and squawks. Guess we should have paid closer attention!)

The music sounded so good when the vendor was playing. When I try, it is just noise! :( 

A note was waiting at our cabin saying that the port of Corinto, Nicaragua was being skipped the next day due to political unrest. A few minutes later, the captain made the same announcement explaining that the rioting that had been taking place in the capital had spread throughout the country and they decided that it was not safe to stop there. The Nieuw Amsterdam had also cancelled their stop there as well.

Just a couple of weeks prior to the cruise, I had found another couple via Trip Advisor who were looking for someone to share the day with a private driver named Reynaldo Romero and that was to have been our plan for the day. I quickly emailed him while I still had cell service to let him know that we would not be stopping in Corinto. Even though I can’t speak from personal experience, the reviews I read online for Reynaldo were outstanding and I was impressed at the promptness which he would respond via email to my questions.

After a little last-minute texting to our kids, the phone went back on airplane mode. Feeling very sticky and sweaty, I took a quick shower but just didn’t feel like getting dressed for dinner. (Even though we didn't make it to the dining room, here is the menu!) 

Instead we stayed very casual, watched the sail away and then went to the Dive-In for dinner. I had a hot dog and fries and Bob had a hot dog and a hamburger…all were great!

The sun was setting and I couldn’t help but run outside and get a few photos.

The entertainment in the main theater was several video segments from BBC Earth called “Frozen Planet.” The soundtrack for the video was a live performance by the ship musicians. We had seen the same production on our fall cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam and I loved it just as much the 2^nd time.  

Limon, Costa Rica

After a wonderful sea day on Tuesday we arrived in Costa Rica on Wednesday, July 8th. The ship wasn’t due to arrive until 10 am so we were able to sleep in a bit, have breakfast and then head up to our “private deck 7” to watch the ship dock.

The day was a bit hazy and gray and made the mountains along the coast blend in with the sky and sea…all various shades of blue. The ship maneuvered around a small island before finally docking.

No souvenier shops or Carlos & Charlies at this dock…just a big parking lot and lots of shipping containers. As we got closer and closer, the dock started to fill up with all sorts and sizes of tour busses.

Being in “steerage” on deck 1 is very handy on port days…no fighting for an elevator…just walk down one flight of stairs and get off the ship. Extra easy for us since our cabin was in the front of the ship where the gangplank was located.

I had booked a tour with Charlie Soto of OkeyDokey tours. Here is the email I received:

i hope you doing well, and many thanks for e mail me , Yes i really recommend you the A-2 tour ...6 hrs , only $99 each include Bananas plantation to see the process, country side, the wonderful tortuguero canal boat ride through the jungle to see animals; nonkeys, sloths, toucans, lizaeds, iiguanas, birds a lot, Jungle Breeze canopy & rain forest to do the zip line 10 plattforms, Bonita beach , View point for pictures, and city , full air conditioned van , the $99 each include admission fee for the tortuguero canal , zip line, refreshments, fresh fruits and thipycal lunch at the rain forest or the beach , no extra charge, wear: t shirt, short pants, hat, sneakers or tennis shoes, you can pay me cash at the end of the our, i would like to be at the pier holding a sign: okeydokey & your name on it 1 hrs after arrival time to give you an perfect introduction of my beautiful country , thanks a lot, would be an honor, Blessings from Costa Rica

Although the email said to meet the tour one hour after arrival, we decided to go ahead and get off the ship shortly after it had docked. There were several guides for OkeyDokey waiting on the dock holding signs…it only took a few seconds to find our name and Rey, who would be our guide for the day.

He showed us to the van and we waited while the rest of our group showed up…we waited about 20 minutes or so. I think we were to have a few more in our group, but after waiting a bit more we just left. As we left the port, we passed by a large city park that Rey seemed to be proud of. He explained that the trees were painted white to protect them from bugs.

Driving through Limon reminded me of Jamaica or Roatan from past cruises…very poor. The homes all had bars on the windows although many did not have glass or screens. Most houses had a small courtyard in the front…also enclosed by bars…where kids were playing and laundry had been hung to dry.

I wasn't able to get many good photos with the van moving...this home is actually one of the "nicer" ones we saw. Notice there is a satellite dish on the roof!

Our first stop was the Tortuguero Canal. After a quick visit to a very rustic bathroom, we boarded our covered boat.

As we sailed down the canal Rey would point out animals and the boat driver would pull over and stop so we could take pictures.

Most were so well camouflaged that taking a picture was pointless…I did try nonetheless. ;)

If you look closely there is a "Jesus Christ Lizard" on the rock...it got it's name because it runs on the water.

Here is a sloth sleeping in a tree. I had to use the zoom on my camera and it still just looks like a furry blob. Rey said they only come down out of the trees once a week to poo.

Along the shore we spotted quite a few very old and run down boats. According to Rey these had been confiscated from drug dealers. It rained a bit, but the boat was covered so it wasn’t a problem.

Back in our van, we were offered bottled water, Cokes, or Costa Rican beer. We drove out of town and started up into the mountains headed for Brisas de la Jungla…Jungle Breezes canopy tour.

Once we arrived at Jungle Breeze, we were outfitted with harnesses, helmets and heavy leather gloves. Two employees gave us a short orientation using a small section of cable strung by the equipment building.

Since we were already at the top of the mountain, we walked up just a few steps to the first platform. There are two cables between each platform and you are attached to both with webbing and a carabineer from your harness. This was the hardest part of ziplining...especially if you were short. I would have to stand on my tip-toes or jump so that the staff could get me attached to the top cable.

Once you reach the next platform, one line is disconnected and hooked to a cable around the tree before the second line is disconnected. At no time was there any chance of falling. After we were done I told Bob that I really should have been scared…but I was having too much fun (and if a 53 year old lady can do this…anyone can!) The youngest in our group was 11 years old. She was a bit nervous at the beginning…but was having a ball by the end.

The ziplines vary in length…if I remember correctly, the longest was about the same as a football field in length. They encouraged everyone to try…but if someone didn’t like it, there was a chance to bail out at the 5th platform...this was just before you did the longest zipline.

Here is a video I made of Bob on the long section of the zipline. He disappears from view...but you can hear that he keeps going and going.

The platforms were about 8 feet in diameter and built around trees…and most were VERY high.

Depending on the platform there might be as many as 4 or 5 of us waiting to be connected to the next section. We would sort of hug the tree and work our way around it. Sometimes it would be 5 or 10 minutes before it would be your turn…but the waiting gave us a chance to take in that amazing view and listen to the sounds of the jungle.

Other times you would get to a platform and immediately be connected to the next line and sent on your way. I can’t begin to tell you how exhilarating it was to fly through the air above all of the trees…I would do it again in a heartbeat!

There is an open air restaurant at the start of the zipline and this is where we had lunch.

We were given a plate of rice & beans, slaw, cooked green bananas (not plantains…I asked), and chicken. When we were all finished they brought out a platter of watermelon and fresh pineapple that was delicious.

I wondered around a bit taking pictures of some of the huge bamboo plants and other colorful plants growing nearby before we got back in the van and headed to our next stop...the banana plantation.

Some of the people in our group were worried it was getting late and wanted to skip the banana plantation but Rey insisted we go for a short time (and I’m glad he did).

On the way to the plantation...

Unfortunately we got there later in the day and the workers were all gone, but we did get to see how bananas grow and hear a bit about what happens to them from the time they are picked until they show up in the grocery store.

I don’t want to sound like an encyclopedia, but I’ll give you just a few facts. :) Each banana plant only produces one bunch of bananas and then is cut down.

The bananas are covered with a blue plastic bag that is treated with pesticides and protects the bunch. The bags have small colored tags that indicate when the bananas will be ready for picking. So for instance...on one day they harvest all bags that have a "red" tag. The banana plant "stems" are soft so to provide stability, each plant is tied with string to another plant...which is tied to another plant...and so on. It produces sort of a spider-web affect through the plantation.

Men called “mules” haul the bunches of bananas to where they are floated in a big tank of water and graded according to size. This truck was full of “reject” bananas going to be used to make baby food.

The tour was to include a stop at a look-out point where we could take pictures of the ship in the port. Again some on the tour were worried that it was getting late but didn’t want to miss stopping at a grocery store to buy coffee. Rey decided that perhaps we should “vote” to see which stop we should do and shopping won out…but just barely. I was OK with this decision since I wanted a chance to purchase some coffee.

Rey went into the grocery store with us (while some chose to stay in the van) and showed us different kinds of coffee. There was also a representative from one of the coffee companies who helped me pick out some espresso beans for my daughter-in-law. I took a picture of the cash register display after buying several bags of coffee and a bottle of vanilla…converted into US money…$12. When I realized how cheap it was I ran back and got a few more bags!

Just down the street from the grocery store was a drugstore...I hadn't noticed the big sign on the front until I got home and looked at my photos!

We were to be back on board the ship by 5:30 and Rey dropped us off at the pier at 5:00. There was a sort of a “flea market” set up that we wandered through…but didn’t buy anything. Several were selling the same kind of coffee we had just purchased…but it was slightly more expensive. Many stands had jewelry for sale. I was tempted, but decided to wait since I was planning to make some purchases in Panama.

This guy was standing guard by the gangplank...

Overall I was very pleased with our tour with OkeyDokey…however we did miss a couple of the stops that had been mentioned in the email. I heard some people from another tour talking about visiting the beach…and describing the huge waves that were crashing into the shore. I’m sorry we missed that (although we did catch a glimpse of the waves as we drove back to the ship.) We also did not get to go to the look-out point for pictures. The canal tour seemed overly long to me and perhaps that is why we ran out of time for the other stops.

Sailing away from Costa Rica…on our way to Panama...