Loooonnnnggg time since I've traveled!
It has been roughly 10 months since I last traveled. Last year, I was on the road with my backpack for 5 months. This year, so far, NADA! Very strange for me.
I’ve been orbiting in a limbo of sorts with a knee issue. At times, it hurt standing, sitting, sleeping, walking …you get the point. I was unable to walk around my yard and then required Advil.
Limbo: talking to doctors, getting appointments set up, then a second opinion and such. Also learning that it can be six months BEFORE a procedure can be scheduled. And then the recovery time, up to a year!
Thus, I waited. And I learned! I’ve been treating with nutrition, receiving acupuncture treatments, doing infrared treatments, stretching, doing trigger point work, and just about anything that made sense to me.
I got a red laser to treat acupuncture points myself, often, three times a day. The swelling vanished!
Some combination of things worked. By the time I was able to sift through the paperwork and buy the recommended knee brace, I didn’t really need it any more. I use it for challenging tasks…mowing, hiking, long walks, etc.
But suddenly, my day to day life improved. I was less exhausted from the pain. YAY! I could move around more freely without constantly paying attention to my knee.
That was when I realized I had stopped moving and was orbiting something loosely defined and non-ending. No one had an answer. So I came up with one.
I’m going to travel and see how it does. With my brace, trekking poles and other self-help devices, I’m setting off for Costa Rica!
Now, I’m learning how to pack again. It is weird packing for such a short trip! But I’m almost there!
From My Last trip
I traveled to the Osa Peninsula for nature and my birthday. This was at the end of Covid. I started by hanging out in nature. It was AWESOME! Sunrise near Bolita Lodge on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica outside Puerto Jiménez. A hike in. Peace and quiet. Private trails. Birds everywhere. Gorgeous sunrises. New friends from around the world! It was an awesome experience!
That was my most recent visit to Costa Rica toward the end of the COVID in 2021. It was a challenging experience dealing with requirements, finding isurance, testing and such.
It was also an opportunity to travel and see a couple places I had wanted to visit in Costa Rica for ages!
It was also shocking! I wasn’t prepared for the cost or changes in attitude I experienced!
The Oso Peninsula and Bolita Lodge were highlights. I went to a very nice lodge for my birthday. It was quite expensive, NOT in the jungle, needed transportation and a guide to get anywhere. It was noisy! Kithen staff started clanging and banging early in the morning. Contrast that to Bolita lodge which was in the jungle. I stayed in the outdoor hostel. A roof, open air rooms, hammocks, and sleeping with nature every night. The birds were amazig as were the guests I met there.
Costa Rica has Changed!!!
My first trip to CR was 1997. Everything was very different then!! It was a quiet country. Tourism was growing. The nation focused on “democracy, social well-being, environmental stewardship”. Everything moved slowly and organically. I wanted to walk to the bus station but was warned it was a dangerous neighborhood to walk through. I took a taxi, bought a ticket and went back the next day to travel to Monteverde. Rough unpaved lumpy roads got me there eventually!
The “Pink House” where I was staying in San Jose asked me if I had a place to stay in Monteverde? They called a friend. He got on the bus in Santa Elena and we rode half way to the Monteverde Reserve where we got off. He walked me up the hill to his home.
I had a private room with breakfast included. And he had a library! I mean, a huge library of plants, animals, everything natural. He was involved in the creation and development of the Santa Elena reserve and was a wealth of information! What an amzaing experience!
One highlight was the night tour. I love night tours! When I reached the reserve in time for the tour, it was drizzling. Because of the rain, I was the only guest!I had personal guide who knew the area well and helped me to a very inspiring nature experience!
Now, I’m heading back to see one new place I’ve not seen yet. It is Tortuguero known as the “Amazon of Central America”. It is essentially just South of where I was on the Rio San Juan in Nicaragua. And it is turtle season so with luck, I’ll see some hatchlings crawling to safety in the ocean.
Things that are different!
I’ve read that Monteverde now is very busy and has a “Disneyland” feel. I’ve decided to see it again before it changes more. I’ve been shocked by how much it has grown, how many private reserves there are, am overwhelmed with “tour companies” wanting to help me and such! Shuttles are expensive. Apparently no one takes local buses…it takes too long and is uncomfortable. Prices for shared shuttles range from $60 and up. If no one else signs up to share, private shuttles are $225 or more. Convenience! Speed. Do things fast. See the highlights with tons of other tourists. Wow!
I read a post cautioning people about taking the local bus. Someone may try to take your backpack! And the buses are not direct. You’ll have to stop and change buses at a station. And they are unpredictable. You may not get a seat. Etc., etc., etc….
I traveled with shared shuttle for long haul parts of my trip, some up to 12 hours. Those cost around $60. The rest of the time, I took local transportation. Often, I was the only foreigner on the bus and became a focal point of attention. I love interacting with locals, playing with kids, and seeing the country from a slow moving bus. I’ll take some shuttles for convenience especially for getting started with my trip. One shuttle just sounds fun! It involves a bus/taxi, a boat, traveling across a lake, another bus/taxi and then arrival in la Fortuna. I’ll be doing that!
Last, the bus was the only option and it took all day with at least three stops. However, I discovered on company that provided transportation involving horses! We got transport to a stable, got on our horses then rode up and over and down the mountain through the forest! Once at the lake, we got on a boat which dropped us at a shuttle which took us to Tabacon Hot Springs. Then, the shuttle took us and our backpacks (which had arrived by a van) to our lodging in La Fortuna! Such a memorable experience taking most of the day and costing $70!
Language and Such
I have seen Mexico change since my first trip there in 1988. Once I crossed the border with mom and dad to Nogales. We were walking around after having lunch in a favorite restaurant of theirs. We were on our way to a liquor store to buy real vanilla! One loud and aggressive man was trying to herd us into his store. “COME! Have a look!” I told him we didn’t need anything. He replied, “Be American! Buy something just for the hell of it!” I don’t remember his exact words but that is close enough.
That sentiment seems to be spreading and being reinforced by tourist who throw money at things. I saw recommendation for a budget lodge that was $240 a night and another for a cheap lunch that was only $40…both in US dollars.
Granted, there is some pretty cool stuff in the markets! But simply because it is in the market doesn’t mean it is good quality or low price. However, you will definitely have an opportunity to engage with the local culture and that is alway a rich experience for me!
Language!
New Friends...Puebla main market!
I met the people in the photo on the left at a food stall in a market in Puebla. They joked that they would leave some food for me and recommended a sandwich. Photos, laughs, good food and real connection…that’s what I love about travel. And they complimented me on my Spanish which I have studied since 2000. “You speak very well” they said.
Then, when I was leaving San Jose my last trip, I was criticized for mispronouncing one word. The lady knew exactly what I was talking about but I didn’t say it “properly”. Never has that ever happened. Then she began interrogating me about where I went and what I saw. After that, she was impressed that I visited the culture and history of the city, not just the tourist areas. I was ahocked at the grilling!
Clear Strategy for this trip!
I do my own travel planning. From the airport to lodging to transportation to discovering highlights I want to experience. If I watch 30 YouTube videos of “top 10 things to see” for any area, 90% of what they show is the same in all the videos.
I may see some of those, but I want to focus on the quality of experience!
First things first: enjoy! Here in the states, I am aware of living unconditionally! That means, I choose how I want to feel and follow the feeling. I focus on staying present, listening and feeling and not allowing external conditions to dictate my response and thus, how I feel. That works great for me and is part of the essence of living on “Planet Larry”. My world! My thoughts! My values. My choice. And my world is enriched by choosing to feel good and enjoy whatever life has going on in the outside world.
Travel to Costa Rica this time involves maintaining that focus. I’m clear on my purpose! I want to see old favorite spots and experience new natural worlds. And, I would like to do that in a quiet, intimate and non-crowded way. I am not a good member of the herd and prefer nature naturally.
I had a tour over 25 years ago that was amazing for me. For this trip, I have not seen it advertised anywhere. Great!!! Perfect!! I did find it and will go on a boat tour of a river and forest I want to see. Perfect!
I found a guide that takes people on a night tour of a private reserve that does not take many or large groups of people. He specialized on helping people experience the quiet and intimacy of the forest at night! Other tours, the guides call each other when they spot something and suddenly, other groups merge into a noisy mash in the forest.
I’ve got about four priorities for this trip and plan to spend extra days in each. I don’t plan on doing tours every day but I do plan to walk, explore, find local family restaurants and local off-the-beaten path experiences. Yay!
Keeping in alignment with my clear intention, things always work out!
Now...letting go, listening, staying present.
So now…. What?
I’ve read a lot, contacted different transportation and tour companies as well as my hostels. Gotten advice. Learned what reservations I really need to get in advance because of it being busy turtle season. The essential reservations are already made. Some, those will get clear as the flow of the trip reveals itself.
I’m feeling my way through this! Today, I booked a couple reservations and learned what I need for taking public buses over part of my journey. I will learn more about that as I reach the villages I’m staying in before moving on to the next village.
When I’m in Monteverde, I definitely want to go to the cloud forest reserve early morning! The birds and wildlife are more active and the tourists are not! I bought a ticket to the reserve and then asked my hostel about the schedule for the public but going there. SURPRISE….No Where in all my reading did anyone indicate the public bus no longer exists! Ha! Planning! The hostel told me they do have a shuttle that leaves at 7:00 am and is $8 round trip. The taxi’s can charge $20-$30 each way.
One hostel has been very strange to work with. It’s highly recommended. Responses are very slow and incomplete. I looked today to see if there is another place I could stay that felt better. They all are about the same? And in the midst of that search, I found another website that had the exact same room for half the cost I had booked initially. I cancelled and rebooked! I love the location of the hostel and they have a couple services I’ll enjoy!
A friend commented about how much work I am doing to get ready. It’s not “work” but it does take effort to get enough information so that when I travel, I am more aware of options and better able to adapt on the fly. Plus, I see what I want to see on my schedule without stumbling along with a tour group which, as an organized tour, would cost $$$$$ more! Yes, thousands more than what my trip will cost me. Plus, I get to connect with local culture..people, food, traditions, lifestyle, music and such!
I read a request on a facebook page for Costa Rica stating essentially: “…we have one afternoon and one evening and want to see everything. What do you recommend for us?” Translate: hurry, hurry, not much time, got to check cool things off our travel list, and move on quickly.
That is a very different style than my travel style!
Honestly, after my last trip to Costa Rica, I didn’t think I would come back. It is a more wealthy tourist experience which makes connecting with local culture and local people more challenging. However, the alure of seeing the wildlife and finding an affordable flight shifted my reluctance.
Now, knowing it is expensive compared to the rest of Central America in pretty much every aspect, I’m settling in into accepting it for what it is. And, focusing on savoring my experiences with nature and wildlife.
I’ll post photos below from my trip to parts of Costa Rica from four years ago. I spent most of my time in nature and the Caribbean Coast. When I was in local communities, I loved it! The city and tourist areas, that was more of a strain!
Narrowed to Four experiences!
The hub to begin is San Jose, the main airport for me this trip. From there, I’ll shuttle to Monteverde/Santa Elena and spend several days.
On from there to La Fortuna. This will be the bus, boat, bus shuttle portion of my trip. Here again, several days. Time to explore and time to chill and relax.
Next, I’m going to Sarapiqui. Hopefully, this will be a local bus experience. One bus change but only an hour more than shared shuttle but $60 less. And an experience!
Sarapiqui is a quieter area, fewer tourist, different type of ecosystem and remote. I’ll explore here a few days.
Then, I hope to take local bus to Tortuguero. That involves a bus from Sarapiqui. Change in Guapiles. Change in Cariari. Reach the boat dock and take the one hour plus boat to the village of Tortuguero! This is my final stop. It’s known as the “Amazon of Central America” and the place that inspired this adventure!
Experiences my last visit to Costa Rica.
Stay tuned!
Let me know if there is something specific you would like to know about! I’m happy to have you along on this journey!