JAN 26-27, 2013 GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA

DRAFT


Jan 26, 2013  TERRY's Birthday AUSTRALIA DAY  HANGING BRIDGES & GUANACASTE

615 BREAKFAST 715 DEPARTURE - I was cold in bed last night if you can believe it and had to get up and use my wrap for a blanket - all we had on the bed was a thin cotton sheet - and no we didn't have the air conditioning on!  We woke up to a very pretty morning with the sun shining through breaks in the clouds while we had an early breakfast - my best yet, fresh pancakes cooked to perfection with fresh papaya and fresh coffee.  Terry was disappointed because of our early start the pastries weren't ready!

We had an excellent day with some tough driving, but very interesting scenery and adventure on the suspension bridges - and we remarked during the day how glad we are that we took the extra time to tour Costa Rica after arriving here after or Panama Canal cruise  no time like the present as they say!

Around the beautiful MANOA property this morning before we left I managed to catch photos of a couple of colourful birds including the Northern Jacana, Passerini's Tanager (black with blue beak and red chest) and the tiny, but spectacular, violet crowned wood nymph (hummingbird) sitting on its' nest.

We set off heading North towrads the lake along the base of ARENAL volcano up into the clouds - everyone exc

Schools everywhere, even in remote areas, even to 1 single classroom (about 10 in CCosta Rica) where only 1 teacher and 1 student - CR very proud of Education system.  Some kids have to walk 1 or 2 hors through jungle to schools, so President granted bicycles to kuds to get to school - even hprses where bicycles were not practical. There is over 96% literacy rate in Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica school uniforms are mandatory: blue pants and white shirts in elementary school;  high school uniform is blue pants navy shirt  7am - 5pm in high school 5days each week Monday -Friday.

high school vocational and academic,5 years to 5th grade, English first foreign language (some in City teach French as second foreign language) not fluent in English - then to private institution if they wish to become fluent or better.  Basic test for Bachelors diploma for secondary education must pass for entry into University.  Vocational High school - last year specail training in many areas if they don't ave resources to go to University right away, get an extra year of trainig for computers, hospitality industry, mechanic etc  Meanwhile can work jobs in neighbouring towns or city to get jobs for these kids.
  +1 year for vocational

Public UNIVERSITY (no dorms so long commutes for many kids) + 25 private Universities

130 stop in Liberia atthe main shopping centre for40minutes - time to hit the ATM and get some cash (we could get US $ here which was good) then the Supermarket - very large with everything you might need, and we bought wine, gin and tonic!
  This was where we ran into at least50% of folks from the bus since we wllbe staying at the J W Marriott Guanacaste for the next 2 nights.

lake dame 40% of CR electricity  70% in CR by hydro electric plants 22 miles long
2 villages flooded now underwater
right now 30 feet low (2nd time in 2 years due to dry) rainfall doesn't keep depth of lake (El Nino or Nina) so when low the roofs of the villages can be seen and are still intact.


We took 2 hours to hike the hanging and suspension bridges at ?  
eyelash viper (la bacaraca)
white nosed coati (like a cute racoon)

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canopy level 60 to 70% of biodiversity of rain forest but is least explored level of forest.
We departed from Arenal Hanging Bridges at 10am started back down the mountain and on our trip to West Pacific Coast.  We drove North around Laguna de Arenal lake on highway 142 to Tilaran (about 2 hours) passing through the new town of Arenal (the old Arenal town was flooded when the dam was built), and Guadalajara at the North end of the lake.  The road was paved well but quite narrow, and Marcus did a grand job of stopping on a dime when we came almost head on with a truck going in the opposite direction.  The road was up and down and very winding.  As much as we don't like bus tours with 40+ guests, this really is the best way to see Costa Rica and absolutely in excellent accommodations and luxury transport.  Certainly our driver Marcus must have nerves of steel on the roads we have travelled, to say nothing of his skills getting around seemingly impossible tight corners and small spaces. Along highway142 around Laguna de Arenal there were an amazing number of hotels, lodges, resorts and restaurants. It seemed over built and that may account for the "se vende" for sale signs signs we seemed to see on almost every piece of property and restaurant and hotel!

This area gets lots of wind during the dry season from December to April - more on the West end of the Lake than the East end and has become very popular with windsurfers. It has become known as one of the 10 top places in the world for wind surfing.  There were white caps on the lake as we came around the Northwest corner and at least 20 windsurfers out on the lake enjoying themselves.

We crossed the Continental Divide around 11:20 and learned that he water from the lake is taken West into Guanacaste through 3 tunnels to three power plants (Santa Rosa ??), and the water is also used for irrigation in Guanacaste - the driest province in Costa Rica which sees no rain for 5 months at a time. The vegetation changed noticeably now looking drier, not such dark green foliage as in the rain forest.  We stopped for buffet lunch in Tilaran (excellent chicken pieces, grilled fish, salad, rice, mashed beans and taco chips, watermelon juice and a great cocot cookie) at the Restaurante Trojan.  They also had a gift store selling ice cream (Linda bought us all one and I immediately dropped the chocolate on my white linen top!) and again beautiful wooden bowls and vases. I bought a beautiful pair of circular spotted ? wooden earrings, they make beautiful wooden items in Costa Rica. and in this area they specialise in using the mango trees wood.  

Just before we left the restaurant we gave the friendly little dog outside 4 small sausage we had saved from breakfast- he was thrilled and wagged his tail like crazy!  Every day we have seen terribly thin little dogs everywhere 9as well as well fed dogs) and promised myself to bring something along for the next one as a treat so today was the day!
At 1220 pm we continued South to join interstate CI1 which headed West to the Pacific Coast and Guanacaste named after the beautiful umbrella mango tree.  Guanacaste has lots of huge 2,000 to 3,000 acre haciendas which are passed down from family to family.


Just prior to reaching the highway we passed the extinct volcano CHOPO with very red soil and lots of very narrow strata evident, then we drove through the local town of CANYAS (like sugar cane) which has a rice processing plant. Costa Rica grows only 17% f what they consume and import the rest from Nicaragua and Honduras.  MIRAVALLES  (North of here is one of the two active volcanoes in Costa Rica (the other being POAS). East of Miravalles is RINCON DE LA VIEJA erupted last in 1806, and SANTA MARIA last erupted in 1916, both now dormant.  Only 5% of CR electricity power is generated using oil - and an amazing 95% comes from renewable resources including windmills, solar power, and water.  On the highway we passed over the very straight and wide man made canal carrying the water from Santa Rosa to Guanacaste.  We passed a small town and airport called Agua Caliente and we wondered if the air traffic controllers say to the pilots "You're in Hot Water now!!"