Travelogues

Rainy Season in Costa Rica -- under construction

COSTA RICA

Somehow I managed to sleep through most of the red-eye flight to Washington DC. From Dulles to San Jose, Costa Rica, Lora and I were wide eyed with our noses in the guidebooks. We were ready to explore the country as soon as we landed...

HOTELS
Rancho Armadillo (!!!!)
Definitely a great find.. and what I would call a stroke of good luck.

Lora and I were parked at the beach trying to find a hotel in our guidebooks that we could afford. It was probably going to be a hostel night, costing $10/per person. Maybe no hot shower, but a bed to lay our heads down. We must have looked like the most helpless girls, because an SUV pulls up beside us and an older man asks if we're lost.

We tell him we're looking for a cheap hotel and he makes a few suggestions. After he's finished, we thank him and turn back to our guidebooks. Wait, he says, how much are you trying to spend? I tell him $15, maybe $20. He tells us he owns a hotel up the road and he'll rent us a room for $20. Sure, we hop in our car and follow him up and up and up the road...

My jaw drops as we pull up to a mansion nestled in the hillside overlooking Playa Del Coco. The man is Rick, a former Chef from Detroit, who now owns the Rancho Armadillo. The bed and breakfast has a gorgeous pool and breakfast bar with an ocean view. We are given a clean room with a rainforest shower, told that breakfast is free, and even hooked up with a local dive charter.

One nights stay in Play Del Cocos turns into the rest of the week. The location of Rancho Armadillo is great for exploring all the beaches of Guanacaste. Dive chartes leave from nearby for local dives as well the Catalina Islands.

Rick even cooks us dinner two of the night. His barbecue ribs are to die for! We are given access to the kitchen and liquor cabinet and inside tips on places to explore that some guidebooks don't even know about.

SIGHTS
Lora and I went to the Volcan Poas but unfortunately we weren't able to see much because of the cloud cover. The rainy season was difficult in that way. We still hiked around and saw a snake on the road and stopped for fresh strawberries and local coffee.

Our next stop was the Volcan Arenal. The clouds obstructed our view of the active lava flows. We were still able to enjoy the hot springs and the next day managed to glimpse the top of the volcano. At Arenal, we joined a canopy tour and horseback riding in the jungle.

Once we reached Playa Del Coco, our trip was all about the beaches and diving. We joined a dive at a turtle shaped island and saw sharks and rays and many eels.

posted by Patricia @ 5:51 PM