Costa Rica - Pura Vida!!

Costa Rica

We connected in Houston and arrived in San Jose. Our inbound flight was arranged Liberia via Houston to Edmonton. To upgrade to the club lounge it is $50.00 USD we opted out this time. We had a long stopover in Houston but there was plenty of restaurants and bars to kill time. Subway was out of lettuce and not very good. We stopped at Fox Sky Bar and they had Texas size servings to say the least. Our server suggested some good drink choices and was more than happy to make a couple girls a different one because they didn’t enjoy their Caesars due to the fact that didn't have Clamato juice (don't have it in Houston). Duty free was waiting at the airplane while we boarded with our purchases.

In Liberia there was a 250.00 USD charge for overweight baggage with UA so be careful not to pack too much or clothes that stay wet and get heavy. Also, no Liberia ATM’s worked with TD Canada Trust bank card so take money out prior to going to the airport.

It is very hot and humid make sure you bring clothing that dries fast and loose that can perhaps be layered if needed. Dress Conservatively in San Jose and La Fortuna/ Arenal. Monteverde is very rainy. They don't call it the rain forest for no reason, eh?

Swiss Travel

Daniel Arroyo, our representative of Swiss Travel was extremely accommodating and took care of all of our itinerary changes and needs in by arranging all our requests. Our Travel guide German Rojas was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate. He knew where to find wildlife and little hidden treasures. Our transportation throughout Costa Rica was a Motor coach bus. Our driver, Franklin Bosco, was experienced on the bumpy terrain the drives were safe and comfortable. I felt like I had made such a connection with German and Bosco by the end of our trip they were amazing. I think everyone should experience an escorted tour at one point in life! Love them love them!

Double Tree Cariari by Hilton San Jose

700 meters east from the crossroad of San Antonio Belen

San Antonio de Belen, Heredia

The standard room and bedding was very comfortable. The four star hotel is full service had 2 restaurants, a gift shop, casino, pool & hot tub, business center, Wi- Fi and excellent shuttle service. All the staff was very accommodating and friendly. Beers were about 6 USD and appetizers were moderately priced in the Las Tejas Restaurant. There was a hot deluxe breakfast in the morning. The mini bar was full of snacks, water bottles, drinks- import, domestic, and non-alcoholic drinks and the prices were relatively cheap. The front desk recommended a great restaurant called Nuestra Tierra downtown San Jose it served great fresh local food and the shuttle driver drove us and waited for us while in town. He suggested a local bar called Cuartel it played Latin, Calypso, and Reggae music and had live performers. This was a very nice Hilton property and I would absolutely recommend it.









Doka Coffee Estate Tour and San Jose Sightseeing

Had a tour guide teach about the process of coffee before it is ready to be exported. We learned about picking coffee berries to how the get roasted and ground into coffee beans.













We sampled coffee and chocolate and ate a local buffet style lunch while at the plantation.

There were many gorgeous flowers and a gift shop. The gift shop was a bit overpriced but you can purchase coffee, hand- made wooden coffee makers, local crafts, and souvenirs.

     

      

     

         After lunch we headed to Sr y Sra Ese wooden craft factory in Alejuela. This lovely factory has a beautiful setting with ponds, flowers, and wildlife. It is a factory that helps single mothers raise their children and still provide income. There are many wooden hand crafts you can purchase from jewelry to art. You can even get personalized items done such as shot glasses and key chains. Just make sure it's polished or you'll have problems getting it through Customs!

There are several markets to visit in Alejuela as well as San Jose. We visited the National Museum and Cartago Church in San Jose which has magnificent architecture and beautiful stained glass. San Jose is very Catholic so don't walk around in little tank tops you will get odd looks! The markets instead of shopping stores are inexpensive and you can bargain a bit.

Pachira Lodge in Tortuguero 

www.pachiralodge.com

This jungle lodge had very beautiful scenery we were greeted by staff members with tropical drinks. The rooms had an exclusive and secluded setting. It is easy to get lost on the way back to the rooms in the dark so you require a flash light. Comforters are a little bit out dated but the beds are comfortable. The wildlife opportunities are amazing at this hotel and it is very likely to get woken up by howler monkeys. There is a spa and the pool is shaped like a turtle. Drinks are expensive but food was included in our room rate. Drinks are about 10 USD and food was local buffet style. The National Park is a quick boat ride away. This was by far my favorite hotel and I would recommend this to a nature lover and wildlife enthusiast. Which brings me to my absolute favorite part of the trip:

Tortuguero Boat Tours

       The only way to get to Tortuguero Village and explore Tortuguero National Park is by boat and the scenery is unbelievable. Our tour guides helped us to see lots of plants and animals. Animals such as: sloths, lizards, caymans, monkeys and birds. The guides were extremely knowledgeable about the areas and knew exactly where to look for wildlife opportunities. This is a haven for bird watchers.

           The Village of Tortuguero is a quaint little village with bright colored architecture and statues. You can easily walk through the town to the Caribbean ocean. There are locals that sell you fresh coconuts with coconut milk in them for about $2USD. There are also significant turtle nesting ground conservation efforts. This is an experience I would absolutely recommend! There are lot's of programs in place to assist during turtle season which is actually rainy season for Costa Rica.

Magic Mountain Hotel

3 Km West of the Catholic Church of La Fortuna, the same route to Arenal Volcano National Park

San Carlos, Alajuela

                  This hotel had great scenery and a beautifully maintained garden. The balconies faced on to the pool and had a great view of Arenal Volcano. There was Lina’s Restaurant, sport bar restaurant and pub, a swim up bar at the pool, hot tubs, Magic Grand Spa, and Wi- Fi. The front desk staff members were a bit rude and un-knowledgeable. They did not understand the difference between a debit card and credit card, haha. The restaurant and bar staff was very accommodating and incredibly friendly. The swim up bar has a happy hour as well as the sport bar. There were a lot of bugs in the room and too much chlorine in the pool made my hair turn green. Breakfast was local food buffet style. Wasn't my favorite hotel. Wouldn't stay longer than two nights maybe three. Only needed to see Arenal Volcano. Which was AN AMAZING VIEW! And the Tabacon Hot Springs were so beautiful!

       Tabacon Hot springs

These natural thermal hot springs were wonderful. The ground of the pools had volcanic rocks and the pools were lovely. The bar serves snacks such as popcorn and drinks are about $10USD. There were many different pools and temperatures. There is a spa and yoga wellness center. Unfortunately, we got there very late just as the sun was going down and missed a lot of photo and exploration opportunities. Also the paths were dangerous and someone slipped and hurt their foot. More time is necessary at the hot springs and arriving earlier as well. Dinner was served and included with our entrance fee. It was buffet style but way to much shellfish and the tongs were being used in other dishes- cross contamination. Not good for someone with a bad shellfish allergy. Had to leave the restaurant for some fresh air it smelled so strongly. They do have themed dinner nights which I was unfortunate to come on the seafood night. These hot springs were so beautiful with such a lush surrounded. My suggestion would be to spend a full day here or stay at the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa! I would much rather stay here then Magic Mountain!

         Arenal Volcano and Arenal Lake

         It is a great hike to see the best views of Arenal Volcano and Lake for anyone even with low to moderate fitness levels. It was beautiful scenery. There were plants, bird watching, and wildlife along the way. Once at the top of the hike the views of Arenal Volcano were spectacular. The Lake is man-made but it works as a hydroelectric dam to produce energy and provides many activities such as windsurfing, fishing, boat tours, and kayaking. Bring water along the hike and a camera for sure!

          El Establo in Montverde

          4Km before reaching the Monteverde Reserve

          Puntarenas

  

Gorgeous setting, different level hotel rooms but it was hard to get to places and shuttle service wasn’t very good. It was very loud and easy to hear other people in the hotel. It had a spa, pool, and restaurant but the service was moderate and it was a little expensive. It had a little man-made pond and our balcony looked onto it. The hotel offered excursions such as zip-lining. There were great wildlife viewing opportunities at the hotel. The rooms had large comfortable beds and big showers with glass doors. Tramonti was an Italian restaurant nearby the food and wine was delicious and reasonably priced. There was a great local bar called Tavernas in town with outside seating areas. Beers were about 2USD and a taxi was only about 6 USD. There are licensed and unlicensed taxis. Licensed taxis only run until 10PM. Unlicensed taxis cannot make it up the hill to the hotel rooms so you have to walk up to your rooms if you choose to take one. It is a Great hotel for nature lovers.

       

Montverde Night Walk

            This tour is a great opportunity to view nocturnal wildlife. It usually rains so make sure you wear a rain coat and dress warm. It costs $25USD and you can just pay cash upon arrival. It is harder to see the wildlife with a big group due to noise. So be quiet too see more animals. Animals include owls, possums, toads, and frogs, tarantulas, sloths, bugs and snakes. The experience is worth it for an animal lover.

 

Monteverde Reserve and Sky Walk

         We went on a hike through the Monteverde Reserve there were lots of wildlife opportunities especially birds. Entrance fee is $9USD and only 3 % of the reserve is open to tourists the rest is strictly protected. It can be difficult going with a large group because the noise scares away the animals. We saw a lot of birds including the Resplendent Quetzal. We saw different kinds of vegetation and trees. There were hummingbird feeders by a little coffee and souvenir shop. The Sky Canopy walked consisted of 6 canopies and there was great views and wildlife opportunities even howler monkeys on the bridge. Definitely for nature lovers.              

Sky     

         Trek Monteverde Zip line Canopy Tours 

  This was an experience of a life time. Definitely appeals to adventure travelers. In was a combination of 11 high, long, and fast zip lines. It costs about $70USD. There were instructions given and the workers were in charge of equipment and a harnesses being fastened up it was incredibly safe feeling. They had a little restaurant up top of the lobby which had views of zip liners. The food was acceptable but took a little while. The staff went home in a shuttle before our group did so we had to wait for about an hour for the shuttle to come back for us. There was also a big group ahead of us which slowed it down a lot. You get to take a Sky Tram- a cable car up to the top it’s a quick ride but it’s very high. Not for those terrified of heights. The experience was amazing and the views were beautiful. It started raining pretty heavy though so wear a waterproof/ resistant jacket and dress warm. Also, you can get very dirty while zip lining-wear something that can get messy. This is definitely an excursion I would recommend to an adventure traveler.

     

       

           El Jardin

           This is a great place to stop along the way to Monteverde. The food was moderate tasting and price but the shopping was fantastic. There were so many handy crafts and reasonably priced. It is a great place to find souvenirs and to explore the botanical gardens. There were also butterfly gardens.

        Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa

        Playa Arenilla, Golfo de Papagayo, Guanacaste

www.hiltonpapagayoresort.com

        We were greeted with tropical drinks, moist towels, immediate check-in and shuttle service to our room. There was a spa, two restaurants, pools, bars. The shuttle service around the resort was fantastic. The bar staff was knowledgeable but somewhat unfriendly. There was a swim up bar as well. There were lots of activities to do on your own and scheduled as a group such as Kayaking. There was a little secluded island you can Kayak to and there was cacti, hermit crabs, and butterflies along over the place. You can also go Kayaking and snorkelling on your own though. There was always an unaffiliated individual off the property selling excursions and trips to Nicaragua. He was very pushy and the hotel had more affordable pricing for motorized water sports for example. The hotel rooms were comfortable and had an amazing view of the ocean. There was a front desk agent 24/7. The staff members were somewhat unprofessional and we got a phone call at 4 o’clock in the morning from someone who worked in the resort and barely spoke English. It was uncomforting but the front desk offered to change us rooms. It is about 20 minutes from Liberia Airport and 30 minutes by plane to San Jose. The resort is a quick drive to Coco Beach which has an active nightlife we visited Lizard Lounge. The bar staff was very accommodating and music was local Latin dance music. The cost for a taxi into town cost about $20USD. The taxi driver waited for us in town and let me leave our belongings in his vehicle. I would recommend this resort to couples and honeymooners but for a five star hotel the service wasn’t as good as anticipated.

Tips 
                                            

·         Convert money into Colones and bring American too.
 

·         Constantly buying water can add up. Try to refill bottles as often as possible with filtered water.

·         Not all ATM’s work. Look on the bank of your debit card the symbols must be present at an ATM to use it. You may need to try more than one type of machine. There is an exchange rate and usually a bank fee. Make sure your bank knows you are going to be using it (even if only for emergencies) out of country and where you are visiting and transiting.

Motion Sickness

          You can purchase patches you put behind your ear and work for up to 72 hours. I would definitely recommend these to someone who gets motion sick it’s a good alternative to Gravel which makes you drowsy.

Sunscreen

          Wear sunscreen and reapply it. The UV is still very strong even with overcast.





Anyways thats my Costa Rica Experience. I love it there it is an absolutely beautiful destination. The most amazing fresh fruit and culture. Friendly locals - so safe. Not to mention eco-friendly and there is no Military! How amazing it that. I want to go back as soon as possible. I want to see the turtles next time too!! That's all for now. PURA VIDA!!! By the way Pura Vida is a saying very common if you say it to any local they will probably give you a thumbs up or hang loose with a shit eating grin on their face. It's like a way of like it means Pure Life. It's an awesome saying !! Pura Vida ... :)

Ontario

So I just got back from an awesome conference in Niagara on the lakes. I unfortunately was unable to visit Niagara falls. But oh well I will see them one day I am sure I will be back. We stayed at White Resort and Spa. Didn't see much of the spa too busy! Oh my goodness, What a work function!! I totally got a room to myself which was fantastic. Holy those rooms were massive. The hotel is fantastic for big work parties and conferences. The service was awesome and all the staff were so friendly!! Great place for weddings and groups! They didn't mind that we were all terribly loud but closed down the bar early to start settling down some rowdy flighties. :P Even the guests were friendly (I mean its kinda hard not to be when there is a massive group of people running around with Day of the Dead Make-up on). It was a blast and very successful. At Flight Centre we work hard and play hard. I really enjoyed the seminars put on by our suppliers and have the biggest desire to go on an escorted Contiki or GAdventures tour.

I am going back to Toronto in about two weeks for a couple days. I am excited to do a bit of Christmas shopping and maybe some site seeing. Last time I was in Toronto I stayed at the Fairmont Royal York! I flew into the Billy Bishop Island Airport with Air Canada and took the free shuttle right to my hotel. I got lost the first time I walked in there and couldn't find the lobby. There are a ton of shops, a little cafe, barber shop, restaurants, and clothing & jewellery stores on the bottom floor. The hotel is totally haunted! The 8^th floor is haunted by some man and the 19^th floor and up is restricted. Apparently, I worker hung himself in the stairwell. And sometimes people can hear music and loud noises coming from the floor upstairs which is an empty ball room shut down due to "fire regulations" and never re-opened. It’s totally creepy I was terrified some weird things happened- nothing crazy but just eerie. Everything was an arm and a leg in that hotel. Wi-fi was like $20.00 a day, water was $8, and room service was a lot as well. The pool was a bit small but just what I needed. Hot tub, sauna, and steam room were so relaxing. Fitness room was good but the lockers were difficult. The rooms in the hotel were small but what do you expect from such an old hotel. The shampoo and conditioner smelt like roses but kind of cologne as well. Yes, I smelt like that for two weeks! Spent Thanksgiving there as well, not a lot of restaurants were open but my co-worker and I had a “turkey dinner” at Casey’s across the street. Ate at Casey’s a lot it was great food at a great price point. Good for soup, sandwiches, burgers etc. There was a Tim Horton’s right next door to the hotel. We got breakfast and Coffee there every morning. If you show up at like 6:45 or 7 you just miss the morning rush as the herds of people filling the streets starting their days. I swear it is the most bizarre thing to watch women dressed to impress in pencil skirts and good looking business men hoping on bikes you can rent pretty much everywhere with a credit card. Ladies in their high heels and men with briefcases just stepping over (literally walking over top of) homeless people curled up on the ground sleeping where the warm subway air blows up through the vents.

Flight Centre’s main office in Toronto is pretty much attached to the Eaton Centre right in Dundas Square. Around the square I witnessed street performers (some weirder than others some were actually really good), Preachers, Crazies, and an Abortion protest. Freedom of speech, right? It was really neat being right in the downtown while the city was alive during the day. There is a pretty good food court in the bottom of the Eaton Centre. Great Mediterranean place!

Restaurants I enjoyed while in Toronto were:

Earls: They had a fantastic little outside area with heaters and blankets it was so great and chic. We drank wine and ate great food. Even once we had the guilty pleasure of ordering it and picking it up on the way back to the hotel and just munching out in our beds!

Green jeans: GREAT BLOODY MARY’S (I can’t have Caesars cause I’ll die- I am definitely deathly allergic to shellfish). But if a Caesar drinker enjoys them like I do my bloody Marys than you’ll definitely enjoy them too. My co-worker had one and she loved it. It had a skewer with sausage and pickles! The macaroni and cheese was the best I have ever had and the burger was giant!

Jack Astors: Don’t forget to JACK IT UP. Haha, they have great slushy beers. The location in Dundas square was great they accommodated about 10 of us last minute right at lunch time we all ate and drank and the service was fantastic. We went there several times while there.

Ohkay, now that I have talked about restaurants I enjoyed I have to say I love Elephant and Pub Castle but this time I was unimpressed.

 I filled out a Survey for the restaurant I will share it with you:

Elephant & Castle Pub

212 King Street West

Toronto, ON   M5H 1K5

416.598.455

It was an awesome location. I love Elephant & Castle Pub I am from Edmonton and just moved to Halifax so there aren’t any of these pubs there. I was super excited to come to this one because I was in Toronto staying at the Royal York. The tables were a bit small and a bit crowded- hard to order a lot of food and drinks especially ordering appys. Maybe putting the share plate (which was three appys split between two people) on one big plate instead of separate ones would have helped. There was the cutest old couple they looked like they were one on of their first dates almost seated close by. But then right next to us there was a couple snogging. The waitress walked up to us and was quite rude, maybe having a bad night or something. I asked if they served scooners and she replied no only bar food? So I had a pint of Keith’s which I have really started to enjoy since I have been out East. It came quickly and was nice and cold with almost perfect head on it. The appys came quick but some other guy brought it out not our waitress which had seemed to disappear.  The other waitress bumped into our table a bit as she "covered" our servers section. It seemed like this server just thought she was doomed from the beginning for a tip from us. She didn't come back and check to see if our food was good. Which was awesome I love dip fried pickles there they are fantastic an absolute must have! Our server didn't come back until we asked the girl who was covering her section for our bill. We waited a very long time and then our original server came and just dropped it off came back with a debit machine. I gave her a 13% tip not the greatest. I was willing to order another drink and dessert but I didn't get asked or sold really. The server was obviously having a bad day. I would have given her a great tip if you were a little nicer to me! Other than that I love this pub and I would give it a second chance at this location because of how much I have enjoyed other locations!

When I go back I will try it again. I got a response from Elephant and Pub and it sounded genuine I appreciated that they said they would actually take my suggestions into account. When I visit this location again I will eat my dip fried pickles and hopefully it will be a better experience. I’d love to see if my feed- back actually did anything, haha.

Still lots of places to visit in Ontario. I'll get around to them. I'll be back in Toronto soon. You'll be reading more about my shopping, not staying in a haunted hotel (hopefully), and probably more about what I ate. We'll see- stay posted.