As part of traveling independently, a person ends up sometimes in places that they wouldn’t have necessarily chosen had they planned ahead. Liberia, Costa Rica is one such place. I started out yesterday from Playa Del Coco and couldn’t make it all the way to La Fortuna on the public bus (cheapset way to go). I almost got stuck in an even less desirable place and quickly got back on the public bus and backtracked to Liberia. I’m going back to La Fortuna today and from there to Tortuguero to go to that huge wildlife park they have there.
« New Sections on the Way!
I’m all caught up on the photos for now…again, these are to give you a rough idea. Any pro would know the content is not bad (if I do say so myself-course I take what I like and am partial to it…but the instrument used has poor reproduction capabilities. I’m using a Sony Handycam HDR-HC1, which is a small consumer level video camera utilitizing the new HDV standard (and it also takes stills, too). The video is fantastic when viewed on an HDTV and the DV Conversion feature works great for editing in DV mode on a Laptop. Here are some fun photos from Costa Rica.
I love this dog! I call him “‘Sup, Pup?”. I bet he’s still sitting there in that same place greeting folks as they pass by!
More Photos from Costa Rica! For the rest of the bunch, go to Photos or click on the Photos link under the Page area in the navigation bar at right. 
Requires Flash (place your non flash content here.)
WT
New Sections on the Way! »« More Photos! (than you can shake a stick at)
OK, so here’s a little update that hopefully will be of interest…this is a cool little application that I’ve used quite a bit to figure out what time it is at home and if I’m calling in the middle of the night (I used this without fail after I woke someone up just to say ‘I’m having a great time-what about you?’)
WorldlyTraveler’s Personal WorldClock
I’m currently in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This is a beach-centric town with surfers, strip malls and even a TCBY! You can buy a surfboard, a yoga outfit, high-priced therapuetic soap, a ‘Bali’ style massage with two massueses at once, some really nice wood boxes and any kind of drug you want without walking more than 100 yards! Really, the drug thing isn’t a problem here, it just kind of something that just exists to serve a certain type of visitor and the unsavory types seem to know one another and only approach one another (although I was approached multiple times-uh oh). The people offering such things also offer cool jewelery and surfing tips!
I have found the Costa Ricans to be very kind and friendly and like the Thais, don’t have a mean bone in their body. Crime is non-violent down here so apart from the normal vigilence of watching your stuff (which you need to do anywhere in the world), you are pretty much free to enjoy the country without having to watch your back. Some people might disagree, but that is my WASP opinion at present.
I’ve bodyboarded and surfed in Playa Grande, toured canopies in Monteverde and Hacienda Guachipelin, ridden horseback to hotsprings and whitewater tubed in Hacienda Guachipelin and whitewater rafted in The Pacuare River (beats Colorado whitewater hands down), hiked in the Santa Elena Cloudforest and eaten a lot of good food. The weather here is great and the rainy season seems to come and go. It hasn’t rained on me for 3 days but when it does rain it doesn’t mess around! I’m enjoying myself here and looking forward to diving and visiting the Carribean coast.
WT
More Photos! (than you can shake a stick at) »« Quick Itinerary – Northern Thailand
After a few days in San Jose to recuperate from my long, long trip from London (feeling sorry for me yet?), I struck off on my itinerary which took me first from San Jose to La Fortuna. La Fortuna is famous for the second most active volcano in the world (it just moved into second place two weeks ago), Conical Volcan Arenal. Visitors from far and wide come to see the fiery tumble molten rocks down the side and hear the beast groan.
I saw and heard the aforementioned and it was nothing short of COOL! Apparently not all visitors get to view activity since the cone is shrouded in clouds quite often and activity can vary greatly, but some activity is always present. Local information was sketchy, but the volcanoe saw some major activity just the day before I got there and had been quite active two weeks before then as well. This baby is a must-see if you’re in Costa Rica!
I took a tour where we hiked on some old avalanche lava fields and also through the jungle where we saw Toucans and all sorts of ants (leafcutters and army ants, mostly). The tour then continued to Tabacon Hotsprings which of the two in town, is the best. I watched Arenal belch fire and rock while I enjoyed my steak after soaking to the point of prune-ness in the natural flowing waters and somewhat natural soaking areas. It was definitely worth it the price of admission. I went with Eagle Tours who I found to be very professional, courteous and thorough. The guide, Walter, knew literally everything there was to know about everything we encountered. I was very impressed! I highly recommend Walter and Eagle Tours for your visit to La Fortuna/Arenal!
Also, if you hope to take pictures of the activity on Arenal, please be aware that the photos that show red lava during the daylight hours on the web are not real!!!! You will only see the red color at night which means you need a tripod to set your camera on. Night mode works well on video cameras if you have that function.
Happy Fiery Eruptions!
WT
Traveling Tips for Thailand »« Where’s Craig Now?
After a very expensive tromp through Europe, I’m in the land of clouds and green. I was worried about Costa Rica being hot this time of year-far from it! It’s cool and moist as they’re in the beginning of their wet season. It is cloudy a lot with some sun and plenty of rain.
Here’s where I’m at… San Jose, Costa Rica
I am planning my itinerary in Costa Rica and a local Tico (Costa Rican) is giving me tips for a great time. There are plenty of things to do! I will try to post my Itinerary…I have it in an Excel spreadsheet right now…I’m organized this time. I want to do everything I can!
Where’s Craig Now? »« Where’s Craig Now?
As part of traveling independently, a person ends up sometimes in places that they wouldn’t have necessarily chosen had they planned ahead. Liberia, Costa Rica is one such place. I started out yesterday from Playa Del Coco and couldn’t make it all the way to La Fortuna on the public bus (cheapset way to go). I almost got stuck in an even less desirable place and quickly got back on the public bus and backtracked to Liberia. I’m going back to La Fortuna today and from there to Tortuguero to go to that huge wildlife park they have there.
Where’s Craig Now? »« Where’s Craig Now?
