March 1, 2017
We are in flight now and I have our itinerary to consult. Our first destination is a place called Bajos del Toro or Cloud Forest. We get there by driving 1.5 hours up into the hills of the Central Valley. The area is in the heart of Costa Rico where woodworking and cattle ranching traditions embody country living. We will climb above cattle country into the cloud forest, which we are told will be “cool”. Although close to the capital this tropical forest will be full of plant and bird life. El Silencio Lodge, our home for the next three nights, is in the center of this “misted paradise”.
From there we will drive 3.5 to 4 hours to Linda Vista, the put in point for rafting the Pacuare River. After a couple of hours on the river we arrive at Pacuare Lodge, our accommodations for 2 nights. “Nestled” between the river and a wilderness reserve, the lodge has no electricity. However, we will be surrounded by tropical rainforest full of colorful birds and butterflies and at least one waterfall. We will be hiking several hours in the Talamanca Mountains to visit a group of people from the indigenous Cabecar tribe. That should be an interesting experience.
On departure from the lodge, we spend 3.5 hours rafting class III and IV rapids before reaching the take out. Been years since we have rafted. Sure hope we remember what to do as we will each have a paddle and will need to use it. Once off the river and changed into dry clothes, we will fly from a strip near the take out called El Carmen Squirres to San Isidro. That, at least, is a recognizable place on the map.
From there we will be driven to Alta Gracia, a country hacienda near San Isidro. This will be home for the next three nights. Here we will explore Los Cusingos Bird Reserve with a bird expert, something we are not. Hope he shows us some pretty birds we can photograph. In addition to bird watching, we will be able to ride horses, mountain bike, attend cheese and chocolate workshops, or enjoy the “state-of-the-art” spa. You can guess which one Mark will choose. I am undecided.
From Alta Gracia, we will drive back to San Isidro and fly to Golfito, which is also pretty easy to find on the map. A car will take us from there to Puerto Jimenez on the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf), a large bay in southwestern Costa Rica, ringed by beaches and forestland brimming with wildlife. From the dock we will take a “30 minute scenic boat ride” to our last lodge, Playa Cativo, where we will be for 4 nights on the beachfront of an island. Activities while there include exploring the Parque National Piedras Blancas, kayaking along the Rio Esquinas and, at last, a day of nothing.
On March 12 we fly from Golfito to San Jose and then home. We are about to land in Dallas for our lay over before going on to San Jose. Hopefully, I will be able to send this message from there and follow up with other posts along the way. If you don’t hear from me, either we are truly out of touch or I am having too much fun to stop and write. 🙂
Have a happy day, Julia
Mark in Dallas Airport 3/1/17
Adventures with Julia 
Comments
Wow what an adventure. Sounds magical to say the least. Have a grand time. I bet the food and drinks will be wonderful too. Luv bt
Dear JULIA AND MARK,
My great Grandfather, Manuel Aguilar, was president of Costa Rica for 2 months. There was a coup and he was replaced by Manuel Antonio ,National Park named for him. Have enjoyed your travels.
Maria Aguilar Howard
Wow. How interesting is that! What did he do to get ousted? Just think, you might be living in Costa Rica if he had continued as president. Have you been to Costa Rica? If so, what are your impressions? Otherwise, How have you been? Life is flying by and we are all older and older and so many friends are failing or have gone. I hope you are well. We are still well and so are determined to travel while we can. Have 2 more trips planned this year and one for 2018 already. Hope we stay healthy. No reason to stay home now that Mom has gone to be with Jesus and Mary. May her spirit be happy. Many blessings to you, Julia
Julia,Can’t believe you haven’t been to Costa Rica yet – hooray for pura vida! so glad you are hooking up with a bird guide – they are the best and will have lots of info about all the flora and fauna. All your agenda is great – I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Say hi to the quetzals for us – it was our first sighting.Karen Brown 530.273.1208
Sounds like an active adventure in beautiful surroundings. Have a great time! W
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HI Wylene, Let’s remember to set a date for lunch in mid-late March. It has been way too long since we have visited.
Hugs, Julia
Oh my gosh…….Another fantastic Julia and Mark adventure! !!! Be safe and have a fabulous time. Hope to spend some time with you when we return in April😄 Hugs,Carolyn Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4, an AT& T 4G LTE smartphone
April it is. We will look forward to a good visit then. Love and Hugs, Julia
Have a most enjoyable time. The two of you have been very busy these past few months.
Now is the time to enjoy another of your travels.
Lynn Ray
¡Ten un viaje maravilloso! Disfrutaré siguiendo sus aventuras. Mucho amor.
Hope you are having a good time in Costa Rica. It is a wonderful place to visit, if a bit too warm these days. Iceland was about perfect. Cool, but not cold. See you when you return. Hugs, Julia
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