Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Post #3 - Costa Rica
Hola Amigos,
For our final post until sometime in 2012, we write now about our "vacation within our vacation" Costa Rica. This beautiful country is where we slowed down and enjoyed the natural wonders around us. After the pace and nature of our travels thus far, the two weeks spent in Costa Rica was welcome.
After a long and layover-filled day getting to San Jose, we spent the night in the capital and picked up our rental car the next morning. We drove to the tiny village of El Castillo in the Arenal Volcano area. All the roads in Costa Rica are an adventure, especially those like the one to El Castillo which isn't paved. Add in the fact that it was still the end of their rainy season and you have some truly awful driving conditions. We were sure to get an SUV with ample clearance, and with some seriously defensive driving we had no issues. Our hotel in El Castillo had fantastic views of Arenal and its lake. Arenal has become famous for its intense activity over the last fifty years, though much of that has stopped within the last year. We didn't see anything that resembled lava or even ash, but the perfect "volcano looking" moutain is still beautiful. We spent three days around Arenal hiking, zip-lining, and swimming in perfect pools formed by perfect waterfalls. The area is lush, and we were lucky with the weather. We were able to do everything we wanted despite a little rain. Our last day was spent in the natural hot springs at Tabacon. The springs are unreal. They look like the Garden of Eden. The thermal activity of nearby Arenal provide perfect hot springs and Tabacon spent the money to make their grounds paradisiacal.
From El Castillo we took the beautiful drive around Lake Arenal and out to the coast on the Nicoya Peninsula. We spent five nights at one of the nicest hotels right on the beach in Tamarindo. One of Pat's cousin's best friends from college owns it, and he gave us a fantastic offer we couldn't refuse. He and his wife took us out to dinner and even gave us an insider's tour of the area. We are grateful to Judd and Jaqueline for all their hospitality. Tamarindo itself is often called "Tamagringo" for its party atmosphere, but we found it relatively laid back. Again we were there at probably the slowest time of the year, so we cannot comment on how crazy it gets in the winter. We had five days of sun and relaxation, however, so we don't really care. It seems the wet season ended literally on our second day there. We didn't see anymore rain our entire time, but apparently the crowds don't start showing up until Black Friday. It really was paradise. Playa Tanarindo itself is nothing to write about, but next door Playa Grande to the north and Playa Langosta to the south are gorgeous. At Grande an endangered leatherback turtle lays its eggs for much of the year, and very little development is allowed. We walked down to the end where a lonely taco shack serves cheap tacos to hungry surfers. We drove to some of the most beautiful beaches in the area as well, and they are plentiful. To the north Playa Conchal is perfect, while Playas Flamingo and Brasilito are only attractive. To the south, Playa Avellanas is again perfect and has amazing surf. Playa Negra is also picturesque. The sheer amount of undeveloped, perfect beaches really impressed us. We've never seen anything like it. Shuana was in her glory getting as much beach time as she could possibly handle. Pat was under a tree somewhere enjoying his book.
After a great stretch in Tanarindo we drove to the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula to Mal Pais. It was much quieter here. Our hotel was open but you woundn't know it driving by. The lobby was closed, the restaurant was closed, and we were the only ones there. A guy who spoke no English and staying in Room 2 came out and gave us our key. The hotel itself was great, but it was creepy with no one else around. It almost felt like a zombie movie where you get everything to yourself. The pool, the beach, the restaurants in town. The beach here is also perfect and the surf is incredible. We spent one day in Montezuma, a great little laid back surf town close to Mal Pais. We took a speed boat to Isla Tortuga, one of the country's most beautiful islands. Again the low season thing helped as people say it gets out of control with crowds in the winter. Since our hotel was essentially closed, we decided to splurge and spend our last real night at the ridiculous Flor Blanca, about ten minutes north of where we were. The five star resort consists of ten villas and one honeymoon villa and is right on the beach. It's also home to the best restaurant in the area. Again, since it was the dead-low season the prices were over half off, and we were able to swing it. Still it was an expensive thirty hours, but it was worth every penny. One sad but crazy story also happened here. We had just finished dinner and took a glass of wine out to the beach to look at the stars. As we were sitting there some species of dolphin or small whale suddenly washed up on shore. Pat and a few of the staff members ran over to see what it was and it flapped around. We thought it might have been trying to get back in the water, so Pat and two other guys pushed it back in on several pushes. As they were pushing the thing just died. Pat says it was moving and breathing on one push and the next it was not. Coincidentally we talked about mammals going off on their own to die before (the whale in the river in northern California), and this might have been the case. The dolphin was huge though, and it was beautiful. It was quite a thing to experience, but that's life. In spite of this, Flor Blanca is probably the nicest place we've ever stayed. Take a look at the pictures. It is luxury done right. It's sophisticated but understated. It was a perfect way to end our trip and take on the cold of New York for the next two months.
We have decided to spend the holiday season with family before taking the last leg of our journey to Africa. Tentatively we're looking at January 15th as a departure date to South Africa. Our plan is to volunteer for the better part of two months before traveling throughout SA, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Tanzania. By mid-2012 we plan to be done and get back into "real life". Please, everyone reading this keep us in mind for any job openings around then! ;)
Thanks again for keeping up with our incredible, once in a lifetime trip. We have nothing but love and appreciation.
Until 2012,
S&P
For our final post until sometime in 2012, we write now about our "vacation within our vacation" Costa Rica. This beautiful country is where we slowed down and enjoyed the natural wonders around us. After the pace and nature of our travels thus far, the two weeks spent in Costa Rica was welcome.
After a long and layover-filled day getting to San Jose, we spent the night in the capital and picked up our rental car the next morning. We drove to the tiny village of El Castillo in the Arenal Volcano area. All the roads in Costa Rica are an adventure, especially those like the one to El Castillo which isn't paved. Add in the fact that it was still the end of their rainy season and you have some truly awful driving conditions. We were sure to get an SUV with ample clearance, and with some seriously defensive driving we had no issues. Our hotel in El Castillo had fantastic views of Arenal and its lake. Arenal has become famous for its intense activity over the last fifty years, though much of that has stopped within the last year. We didn't see anything that resembled lava or even ash, but the perfect "volcano looking" moutain is still beautiful. We spent three days around Arenal hiking, zip-lining, and swimming in perfect pools formed by perfect waterfalls. The area is lush, and we were lucky with the weather. We were able to do everything we wanted despite a little rain. Our last day was spent in the natural hot springs at Tabacon. The springs are unreal. They look like the Garden of Eden. The thermal activity of nearby Arenal provide perfect hot springs and Tabacon spent the money to make their grounds paradisiacal.
From El Castillo we took the beautiful drive around Lake Arenal and out to the coast on the Nicoya Peninsula. We spent five nights at one of the nicest hotels right on the beach in Tamarindo. One of Pat's cousin's best friends from college owns it, and he gave us a fantastic offer we couldn't refuse. He and his wife took us out to dinner and even gave us an insider's tour of the area. We are grateful to Judd and Jaqueline for all their hospitality. Tamarindo itself is often called "Tamagringo" for its party atmosphere, but we found it relatively laid back. Again we were there at probably the slowest time of the year, so we cannot comment on how crazy it gets in the winter. We had five days of sun and relaxation, however, so we don't really care. It seems the wet season ended literally on our second day there. We didn't see anymore rain our entire time, but apparently the crowds don't start showing up until Black Friday. It really was paradise. Playa Tanarindo itself is nothing to write about, but next door Playa Grande to the north and Playa Langosta to the south are gorgeous. At Grande an endangered leatherback turtle lays its eggs for much of the year, and very little development is allowed. We walked down to the end where a lonely taco shack serves cheap tacos to hungry surfers. We drove to some of the most beautiful beaches in the area as well, and they are plentiful. To the north Playa Conchal is perfect, while Playas Flamingo and Brasilito are only attractive. To the south, Playa Avellanas is again perfect and has amazing surf. Playa Negra is also picturesque. The sheer amount of undeveloped, perfect beaches really impressed us. We've never seen anything like it. Shuana was in her glory getting as much beach time as she could possibly handle. Pat was under a tree somewhere enjoying his book.
After a great stretch in Tanarindo we drove to the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula to Mal Pais. It was much quieter here. Our hotel was open but you woundn't know it driving by. The lobby was closed, the restaurant was closed, and we were the only ones there. A guy who spoke no English and staying in Room 2 came out and gave us our key. The hotel itself was great, but it was creepy with no one else around. It almost felt like a zombie movie where you get everything to yourself. The pool, the beach, the restaurants in town. The beach here is also perfect and the surf is incredible. We spent one day in Montezuma, a great little laid back surf town close to Mal Pais. We took a speed boat to Isla Tortuga, one of the country's most beautiful islands. Again the low season thing helped as people say it gets out of control with crowds in the winter. Since our hotel was essentially closed, we decided to splurge and spend our last real night at the ridiculous Flor Blanca, about ten minutes north of where we were. The five star resort consists of ten villas and one honeymoon villa and is right on the beach. It's also home to the best restaurant in the area. Again, since it was the dead-low season the prices were over half off, and we were able to swing it. Still it was an expensive thirty hours, but it was worth every penny. One sad but crazy story also happened here. We had just finished dinner and took a glass of wine out to the beach to look at the stars. As we were sitting there some species of dolphin or small whale suddenly washed up on shore. Pat and a few of the staff members ran over to see what it was and it flapped around. We thought it might have been trying to get back in the water, so Pat and two other guys pushed it back in on several pushes. As they were pushing the thing just died. Pat says it was moving and breathing on one push and the next it was not. Coincidentally we talked about mammals going off on their own to die before (the whale in the river in northern California), and this might have been the case. The dolphin was huge though, and it was beautiful. It was quite a thing to experience, but that's life. In spite of this, Flor Blanca is probably the nicest place we've ever stayed. Take a look at the pictures. It is luxury done right. It's sophisticated but understated. It was a perfect way to end our trip and take on the cold of New York for the next two months.
We have decided to spend the holiday season with family before taking the last leg of our journey to Africa. Tentatively we're looking at January 15th as a departure date to South Africa. Our plan is to volunteer for the better part of two months before traveling throughout SA, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Tanzania. By mid-2012 we plan to be done and get back into "real life". Please, everyone reading this keep us in mind for any job openings around then! ;)
Thanks again for keeping up with our incredible, once in a lifetime trip. We have nothing but love and appreciation.
Until 2012,
S&P
Monday, October 24, 2011
Post #2 - Lake Titicaca, Arequipa & Lima
Hola,
We left at 10:15pm by bus for the shores of Lake Titicaca. By 7am the next morning we were at the docks of Puno waiting for the once daily departure by slow boat to Amantani Island, in the middle of the lake. At nearly 13,000 feet, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Though not nearly as large as the great lakes of North America, it is still imposing at ninety miles long by forty-five miles wide and a maximum depth of almost 1,000 feet. The scene here is bizarre. It's pretty damn cold being so high up, yet the sun is stronger here than in most places we've been (also because of the altitude). You find yourself burning up while you're shivering your ass off. The landscape is mostly barren. It is sparsely populated, with small settlements along the banks of the lake and even smaller settlements on the remote islands in the middle, one of which was our destination for a night. The exception to this is Puno, the unofficial capital of the Peruvian lake district (Titicaca is shared with Bolivia). We spent a night in Puno but it's not very nice and is simply a hub to get to the lake (for tourists, anyway).
Our three hour boat ride to Amantani brought us first through the floating islands of Uros. We've read it has become much more touristy than it once was, but still we have not seen anything quite like them. The Uros are a small race of people that took to the water to avoid the much stronger Inca Empire. Too weak to remove the people already inhabiting the proper islands on the lake (such as Amantani), the Uros literally built their own. The reeds that grow naturally in the lake (closer to the shores, attached to the floor/mud) form thick, clay-like roots, which the Uros cut into pieces. These peices actually float, and they cut many pieces off and then tie them together to form the base of the island. The Uros then take the cut reeds themselves and pile them up on top of their own roots. When you step onto the "island", it feels like you're stepping onto a huge waterbed. The people put large huts on the islands for living, also made out of the reeds. One for their bedroom, one for their kitchen, even one for their bathroom. They even have small "ponds" within the islands that act as a fishtanks for caught fish so they can't escape. As a kicker, their traditional boats are also made completely out of the same reeds. At their most grandiose they look like Viking ships made out of reeds. The whole experience is extremely surreal. Of course Pat managed to fall through the "floating islands". The guide book warns you to watch out for rotten patches, but Pat didn't read this bit until afterwards. He was waiting on line to use the bathroom towards the edge of one of the islands when this woman brushes him aside and cuts the line. Opposed to getting into a quarrel, Pat decided to simply go to one side of the very rustic facilities (they were made of reeds for God's sake) and do his number one business. Well it didn't work out. What's worse is Shauna saw the whole thing as she was also waiting on line. As Pat approached the edge, the floor suddenly gave way and he was knee deep in what we hope was mostly water and reed root. It smelled, however, and it was a little too close to the bathroom for comfort, so who the hell knows. Pat was furious (and embarrassed). He wanted to scream at the bloody British woman who butt him in line and blame her entirely, but instead he just swore over and over at no one in particular. Shauna, once she saw he wasn't going to disappear through the island entirely, was doubled over in laughter. The laughter didn't subside (pun intended) for a long time, as Pat remembers it. The rest of our boat was silent as Pat stormed on, and the only sound to be heard was Shauna's incessant giggling. Leave it to Pat to actually fall through the floating islands of Uros.
Luckily we had our packs with us and Pat was able to change for our journey to Amantani. Doing the best he could to put the incident behind him, Pat put his best face on and at least pretented to enjoy the trip. It was cold, but it was uniquely beautiful. Like we said before the landscape is mostly barren, but in the distance you can always see the snow-capped mountains of the high(er) Andes. We finally arrived at Amantani and took in the unique culture of this remote place. Here combined with its sister island of Taquile offer a glimpse into the far past. Both islands are quaint and quiet, with little to no electricty and customs and traditions that stretch back millennia. On Taquile, for example, the men where different color hats depicting their social status. Red and white hats indicate being single where red and blue indicate marriage. No doubt the islands have their own natural beauty, but the trip out there was worth it more to see a place that is mostly unaffected by the extreme changes seen most everywhere else on the planet. The faces of the people were amazing as well. To live in such a harsh climate one must adapt. As we said earlier you were shivering as the sun beat down on your skin. We tried to stay out of the cold while reapplying sunscreen once an hour. The locals did no such thing. Anyone over the age of twenty seemed to have a face made of leather, wrinkled prematurely by the harsh wind and sun. Nowhere else on earth can a people possibly have faces like those around Titicaca.
Our next stop was Peru's second city of Arequipa, about six hours by bus away from Lake Titicaca. After over two weeks of constantly being cold, wet, sunburned, and generally uncomfortable, we treated ourselves to three nights at a decent hotel in this stylish city. Sitting in a fertile valley below three snow-capped volcanoes, Arequipa is beautiful. With trendy restuarants and bars, we stretched our legs and relaxed for a couple days. The city is also home to two genuinely unique attractions. One is the Monestary of Santa Catolina, where over five hundred people once lived in chaste living in devotion to God. A city within a city, the monestary is a beautiful sanctuary with picturesque courtyards and alleyways. It's a look into what life was like for a small but powerful group of people from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. The other great attraction is "Juanita", the Incan girl sacrificed to the mountain gods five hundred years ago. One of only four children ever found, Juanita is a first hand account of what religious practice was like before Columbus (and Pizarro after him). The girl was found by an American climber in 1995 on top of one of the highest volcanoes in the world, at 20,500 feet, after an eruption exposed her burial site. She is still amazingly intact, fingernails and all, and sits in fetal position at negative five degrees Fahrenheit behind glass to preserve her present condition. It is well documented that the major pre-Columbian civilizations practiced human sacrifice to appease their gods, and Juanita is absolute proof. If Juanita was not a royalty before her death, she and her family certainly were afterwards. The Incans would choose only the finest child (no physical difficiencies, other attributes the Incans found pleasing) to sacrifice, and it was supposed to be a great honor. The mountains and volcanoes were gods in and of themselves, and it was believed that if they took care of the gods, the gods would take care of them. Seeing as how the Andes were the heart of the Inca Empire, one can see why it was important to keep the mountains happy. It was fascinating to learn Juanita's (named after the climber who found her) story, and scientists continue to learn much about the Incas through ever-improving technology.
From Arequipa we flew to Lima for a couple days in Peru's capital. At almost nine million people, the size compares with New York. There are abundant slums but there are also modern European-like neighborhoods. We stayed in the fashionable Miraflores, again opting to end our trip in relative luxury after "roughing it" for most of our trip. We took in the catacombs of San Francisco as well as the main plazas of Central Lima. Our favorite part, however, was experiencing the city on foot in the neighborhoods of San Isidro, Barranco, and Miraflores. Trendy restaurants and bars abound in all three, and the Pacific Ocean crashes against the cliffs of the latter two. There are nice beaches, golf clubs, and parks. There is obvious money here, and seeing the mostly white, Spanish descendants stands in stark contrast to the dark, native South Americans we saw everywhere else. We only spent a day and a half here, but Lima (at least the neighborhoods described) is a place where most of our friends and/or family would find themselves comfortable for a while.
Our time in Peru was fantastic, but it's time now for the beach. We head for Costa Rica, where hopefully we'll find lots of sunshine.
Until our next entry,
S&P
We left at 10:15pm by bus for the shores of Lake Titicaca. By 7am the next morning we were at the docks of Puno waiting for the once daily departure by slow boat to Amantani Island, in the middle of the lake. At nearly 13,000 feet, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Though not nearly as large as the great lakes of North America, it is still imposing at ninety miles long by forty-five miles wide and a maximum depth of almost 1,000 feet. The scene here is bizarre. It's pretty damn cold being so high up, yet the sun is stronger here than in most places we've been (also because of the altitude). You find yourself burning up while you're shivering your ass off. The landscape is mostly barren. It is sparsely populated, with small settlements along the banks of the lake and even smaller settlements on the remote islands in the middle, one of which was our destination for a night. The exception to this is Puno, the unofficial capital of the Peruvian lake district (Titicaca is shared with Bolivia). We spent a night in Puno but it's not very nice and is simply a hub to get to the lake (for tourists, anyway).
Our three hour boat ride to Amantani brought us first through the floating islands of Uros. We've read it has become much more touristy than it once was, but still we have not seen anything quite like them. The Uros are a small race of people that took to the water to avoid the much stronger Inca Empire. Too weak to remove the people already inhabiting the proper islands on the lake (such as Amantani), the Uros literally built their own. The reeds that grow naturally in the lake (closer to the shores, attached to the floor/mud) form thick, clay-like roots, which the Uros cut into pieces. These peices actually float, and they cut many pieces off and then tie them together to form the base of the island. The Uros then take the cut reeds themselves and pile them up on top of their own roots. When you step onto the "island", it feels like you're stepping onto a huge waterbed. The people put large huts on the islands for living, also made out of the reeds. One for their bedroom, one for their kitchen, even one for their bathroom. They even have small "ponds" within the islands that act as a fishtanks for caught fish so they can't escape. As a kicker, their traditional boats are also made completely out of the same reeds. At their most grandiose they look like Viking ships made out of reeds. The whole experience is extremely surreal. Of course Pat managed to fall through the "floating islands". The guide book warns you to watch out for rotten patches, but Pat didn't read this bit until afterwards. He was waiting on line to use the bathroom towards the edge of one of the islands when this woman brushes him aside and cuts the line. Opposed to getting into a quarrel, Pat decided to simply go to one side of the very rustic facilities (they were made of reeds for God's sake) and do his number one business. Well it didn't work out. What's worse is Shauna saw the whole thing as she was also waiting on line. As Pat approached the edge, the floor suddenly gave way and he was knee deep in what we hope was mostly water and reed root. It smelled, however, and it was a little too close to the bathroom for comfort, so who the hell knows. Pat was furious (and embarrassed). He wanted to scream at the bloody British woman who butt him in line and blame her entirely, but instead he just swore over and over at no one in particular. Shauna, once she saw he wasn't going to disappear through the island entirely, was doubled over in laughter. The laughter didn't subside (pun intended) for a long time, as Pat remembers it. The rest of our boat was silent as Pat stormed on, and the only sound to be heard was Shauna's incessant giggling. Leave it to Pat to actually fall through the floating islands of Uros.
Luckily we had our packs with us and Pat was able to change for our journey to Amantani. Doing the best he could to put the incident behind him, Pat put his best face on and at least pretented to enjoy the trip. It was cold, but it was uniquely beautiful. Like we said before the landscape is mostly barren, but in the distance you can always see the snow-capped mountains of the high(er) Andes. We finally arrived at Amantani and took in the unique culture of this remote place. Here combined with its sister island of Taquile offer a glimpse into the far past. Both islands are quaint and quiet, with little to no electricty and customs and traditions that stretch back millennia. On Taquile, for example, the men where different color hats depicting their social status. Red and white hats indicate being single where red and blue indicate marriage. No doubt the islands have their own natural beauty, but the trip out there was worth it more to see a place that is mostly unaffected by the extreme changes seen most everywhere else on the planet. The faces of the people were amazing as well. To live in such a harsh climate one must adapt. As we said earlier you were shivering as the sun beat down on your skin. We tried to stay out of the cold while reapplying sunscreen once an hour. The locals did no such thing. Anyone over the age of twenty seemed to have a face made of leather, wrinkled prematurely by the harsh wind and sun. Nowhere else on earth can a people possibly have faces like those around Titicaca.
Our next stop was Peru's second city of Arequipa, about six hours by bus away from Lake Titicaca. After over two weeks of constantly being cold, wet, sunburned, and generally uncomfortable, we treated ourselves to three nights at a decent hotel in this stylish city. Sitting in a fertile valley below three snow-capped volcanoes, Arequipa is beautiful. With trendy restuarants and bars, we stretched our legs and relaxed for a couple days. The city is also home to two genuinely unique attractions. One is the Monestary of Santa Catolina, where over five hundred people once lived in chaste living in devotion to God. A city within a city, the monestary is a beautiful sanctuary with picturesque courtyards and alleyways. It's a look into what life was like for a small but powerful group of people from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. The other great attraction is "Juanita", the Incan girl sacrificed to the mountain gods five hundred years ago. One of only four children ever found, Juanita is a first hand account of what religious practice was like before Columbus (and Pizarro after him). The girl was found by an American climber in 1995 on top of one of the highest volcanoes in the world, at 20,500 feet, after an eruption exposed her burial site. She is still amazingly intact, fingernails and all, and sits in fetal position at negative five degrees Fahrenheit behind glass to preserve her present condition. It is well documented that the major pre-Columbian civilizations practiced human sacrifice to appease their gods, and Juanita is absolute proof. If Juanita was not a royalty before her death, she and her family certainly were afterwards. The Incans would choose only the finest child (no physical difficiencies, other attributes the Incans found pleasing) to sacrifice, and it was supposed to be a great honor. The mountains and volcanoes were gods in and of themselves, and it was believed that if they took care of the gods, the gods would take care of them. Seeing as how the Andes were the heart of the Inca Empire, one can see why it was important to keep the mountains happy. It was fascinating to learn Juanita's (named after the climber who found her) story, and scientists continue to learn much about the Incas through ever-improving technology.
From Arequipa we flew to Lima for a couple days in Peru's capital. At almost nine million people, the size compares with New York. There are abundant slums but there are also modern European-like neighborhoods. We stayed in the fashionable Miraflores, again opting to end our trip in relative luxury after "roughing it" for most of our trip. We took in the catacombs of San Francisco as well as the main plazas of Central Lima. Our favorite part, however, was experiencing the city on foot in the neighborhoods of San Isidro, Barranco, and Miraflores. Trendy restaurants and bars abound in all three, and the Pacific Ocean crashes against the cliffs of the latter two. There are nice beaches, golf clubs, and parks. There is obvious money here, and seeing the mostly white, Spanish descendants stands in stark contrast to the dark, native South Americans we saw everywhere else. We only spent a day and a half here, but Lima (at least the neighborhoods described) is a place where most of our friends and/or family would find themselves comfortable for a while.
Our time in Peru was fantastic, but it's time now for the beach. We head for Costa Rica, where hopefully we'll find lots of sunshine.
Until our next entry,
S&P
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