I returned early Tuesday am from my Costa Rican adventure! Nine days in the beautiful country of cloud forests, volcanoes, coffee plantations, churches, jungles and wonderful, helpful people! I landed at Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose, a modern airport. From there, I took a taxi ride to San Rafael de Heredia where my villa was located. A quick tour of
San Rafael and then dinner at El Barco de los Mariscos. I enjoyed the delicately blended flavors of sopa de mariscos and cinamaron con arroz. On Monday, we took the bus to Santa Barbara and then a taxi to Finca Rosa Blanca, a cofee plantation. I tromped through the coffee, wild iris, and banana trees and learned about the making of coffee. Then back to the Finca to taste test coffee. The next day, we took a taxi to the Museo de Cultura Popular and toured the home and gardens of a former president. Wednesday, we drove to Cartago to see the beautiful iglesia and tour the Lenkester gardens. Very peaceful in the jardines of bromelias and Japanese garden. Thursday...a drive up the mountain, through the cloud forest to Volcan Arenal. We stopped to dine at Los Lagos and I bought a richly colored painting of a bespectacled owl. Driving to the volcano, we climbed to the scenic lookout, but it was raining, so we couldn't see much. My daughter and I climbed the lava trail and were rewarded at the top with a panoramic view. Monkeys were next on our list, so we drove to Manuel Antonio National Park where I dipped my feet in the Pacific Ocean underneath the starlit sky. We spent the night at the International Backpackers Hostel. At 5:30am, the dawn became alive with the sound of howler monkeys and jungle birds. In the park, we watched curiously as monkeys leaped and played in the trees. Sunday I attended Mass at Iglesia San Rafael and walked through the outdoor market. We took the bus to Heredia where I shopped and purchased some items. Home now, but I will always remember this wonderful exciting country!
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