Puntarenas, Costa Rica – March 29, 2014

It was a hard night, the cabin is so hot.  At first I thought it was just because of facing the sun all day but I think there is more to it.  When we come back today we will call down and report to get it repaired.

First I keep forgetting to put in the temperature each day, but I will go back and update the blogs when I get home with the temperatures so others sailing around the same time can know what to expect. 

Today it is FREAKING HOT!  Is that a technical term?  HOT, muggy and well HOT.  There is no wind at all which increases the temperature to STUPID HOT.  And it is only 7 am!  We are docked here, and there is another ship here with us a Fred Olsen Ship.  Seems odd to be sharing a pier with another ship, it has been such a long time since we have been in port with another ship.

So back to the temperature.  Today the Patter states it is 32C 90F but it actually got hotter than that.  Sunrise was 5:39 and Sunset is 5:49.

We have a private tour today planned that Trish from our Roll Call is coordinating.  We love adventure activities and zip lining and a few years ago we went to one that is no longer open.  We found this park and she decided to coordinate it. 

The park is www.Adventureparkcostarica.com we originally reserved with them with a small deposit and depending on the numbers that we got the price would go down. 

The tour including transportation from the pier to the park.  25 minutes of off road truck adventure with scenic views.  25 zip lines in total.  2 rappellings over a waterfall.  One suspension bridge.  On two of the lines you have the chance to jump into a spring water mountain pool.  Lunch also.  They also have a superman ride that is a small amount more. 

I don’t quote the prices here since prices change often and it depends on the numbers.  So check with the company for the current prices.

We head ashore for 8 am and we walk the length of the pier.  Currently the pier is full of tour buses but later on there is a complimentary train/shuttle that will take you to the entrance to the pier. 

Remember it is very hot so bring water. 

We are met and directed into a van for the ride to the park.  We are a tight squeeze in the van (we are 14) and the air conditioning is not the best.  The ride to the park was about 40 minutes.

When we get there we are stunned at the view and make note that they also have accommodations here too.  Boy would it be nice to stay here some time.

We are all  harnessed into our apparatus.  They had about six guides for our group.

We then board a large off road truck for the ride up the mountain to start our zip line adventure.  Note this is a bumpy ride and definitely off road so be prepared.

They explain how to do the zip lines and we are off. 

It is a lot of fun and we really enjoyed the rappelling lines too, a little scary at first but once we got the hang of it, it was fun.

Make sure to bring bug spray and sunscreen, and if you want wear a bathing suit so you can enjoy the springs.  The guides did have water for us.

me rappelling

we stop at these falls, you can go in if you want

One woman did get very dehydrated and did have some issues but they were very quick at coming to her aid and getting her cooled off.  There were not many lines left so she went tandem with one of the guides for the remaining lines to the end.

After the zip lines we then did the superman ride.  It was fun but not very comfortable  -- those straps go into areas I am not sure I want them to go into.  The ride was not as good as we have done at the other park but still pretty fun. 

Once we got back to the main building we were served a nice lunch of chicken, beef or vegetarian meal.  Soda, beer, water were extra. 

We found the entire set up to be very professional.  The guides were fun but boy were they ever players and they were very flirtatious and was a bit disappointed when one said, you can have a beer and you can buy me a tequila…. Really!  Heck I could be their mother! If I had to do this tour again I would of aimed to keep the group to a more manageable size.  I believe we were 18 people in total and it was just too long waiting for everyone to go.  A group of 10 or 12 would be best I think.

We were then driven back to the pier – again not much air conditioner so be prepared.

They dropped us right at the pier and we decided to just head back on board.  But if you want to you can easily shop at the many stores along the beach.  There are numerous restaurants and shops in town too that are walkable.

We come back to the cabin and it is HOT.  We call down to the Purser’s desk and report and about an hour later someone comes up to check and there is an issue.  He does something to the thermostat and then takes off the grate to the AC unit and that helps too.  It still isn’t perfect but much much better. 

Tonight we are going to make it back to the dining room.  They are also offering the German Buffet and I would love to go to that but miss the dining room too. 

We also watch the movie Nebraska on the cabin tv and enjoyed that. Have really enjoyed all the movies in the cabin.  We have managed to see all the Oscar nominated movies on board this voyage. 

Tomorrow we are in San Juan Del Sur and hope to make it a beach day.

We had a lovely dinner in Da Vinci and it was so nice to see Mark and Lorelei again.  I had the crab and artichoke dip to start – very good.  Then the apple soup which I found to be not to my taste but Bernie loved his.  For my entrée I had the Pha Thai dish which I enjoy usually once a cruise.  It isn’t like my favorite Thai restaurant at home but it is pretty good.  For dessert I see they have my favorite walnut raspberry spring rolls and my first order comes and they are cold, not even warm and this dessert really needs to be served warm so the spring roll shell is crispy not chewy.  Mark gets me a new one that is hot and crispy and yummy.  But I have to say if someone had never tried this dish and got it cold they would be rather disappointed. 

Sadly this cruise is lacking in the food quality, now don’t get me wrong I am still finding lots to eat and lots of yummy things but food is often overly salty and not hot when it should be.  We have found this with pancakes, eggs, toast, French fries, and many items in the buffet.  I have yet to get cold milk with room service for cereal or even cold yoghurt.

The World Music Project is the show tonight in the Princess Theater but the times are not conducive to our schedule. 

We wander around a bit check in with friends as we meet them in the corridors. 

Once we get back to the cabin we notice that the air conditioner is still not performing as it should.  We notice that the Purser’s desk has called and left a message following up on the AC issue from earlier.  When I call them back they are very helpful and offer to send someone to the cabin.

The next person arrives to check the AC – the room temperature is at 24.5 C and whatever he does seems to create the air flow that is needed and the room starts to cool off.  We actually wake up in the middle of the night and grab the duvet that we had placed on the chair and use it to cover up.

Puntarenas Costa Rica

This is our third time here and we really were torn at what we wanted to do.  We were hoping our favorite adventure park would have been opened by now but sadly no because we would of done that hands down!

Instead we booked an Eco River tour thru Princess for a cost of $69 per person, but once we got on board the price had rise to $75 (but we were charge the price we originally booked at). 

Again we never do Princess tours, and swore we wouldn’t do it again but this was the only option to see the river tour and wildlife as I couldn’t find anything private.

We met in the Princess Theater at 8:30 and right away people are complaining around us and then we are shuttled off to the pier and an air conditioned bus, and thank God it is because it is HOT, very HOT.  This is their hottest month they said and I feel like I am sitting beside a barbecue.

We are on our way and our guide is very knowledgeable and gives us great information about the country and the city and what we are going to see.  The drive is about an hour long.

We arrive at the park and there are about five large buses there and it is very busy and I start to get worried, oh no is this how it is going to be? 

two scarlet macaws in the trees along the banks

Right away we make our way to the boat and we are sat two by two and we travel for about an hour and a half up the river seeing 17 different species of birds and mammals.  Check out the pics!

When we return to the main area we are excited to see two scarlet macaws right in the tree near us!  What a treat.  We are served cold beverages (water, ice tea or Imperial Beer) and then fruit and oh my that fruit was so good.

We are back on the bus and I am having trouble keeping my eyes open so I doze off and on for the ride back.

When we are back at the boat we decide to head out to town to try and find a pharmacy to get some cough syrup for it seems our colds have gone into our chests.  Thankfully we find one open on a Sunday.

The heat is just too much so we both agree time to head home to the ship and air conditioning and a bite to eat, we are back on around 3:30.

Barb and Craig come over for a glass of wine and Bernie and I try to decide what to do for dinner tonight.  Neither one of us is really hungry but wouldn’t mind something small and we really don’t want to dress for dinner.

We throw on our bathing suits and t shirt and shorts and head up to the Horizon Court for soup, roll, cheese and some olives. 

The enclosed pool is very quiet only two others are in the pool and we swim for a bit and then make our way to the Lotus Spa and the sauna hoping that it will help with our chest congestion and it does.

We are back in the cabin and we both think an early evening is just fine.  Tomorrow we are in Nicaraguan. 

October 13 - Puntarenas Costa Rica

Puntarenas Costa Rica

This is our second time here, last year we were here and we went to an adventure park and had a great time.  This time we thought we should venture out and see more of the country.

We arrive bright and early - 7 am - and the pier is very very long, you can see the buses lining up

We had booked a tour ahead of times with Greenway tours in Costa Rica.   The tour was called 6 in 1 Puntarenas Highlights.  Our guide was at the pier first thing and we got in the van with Rob and Shelley and two other couples and we were on our way.

Our first stop was at Tarcoles River Bridge where we get out and walk across the bridge to check out the crocodiles in the water below.

 

this is the view from the bridge

 

Crodiles just below us

and they are BIG

and they look hungry

We get back in the van for a short drive to Carara National Park, here we get out start our walk throughout the park and our guide identifies the various plants, birds, insects and sounds.  Oh did I tell you how freaking hot it is.

Rob checks out the wildlife

I am sorry I can't remember the name of this animal but it is of the racoon family

After spending about forty minutes here we head back to the van for a visit to Santa Lucia Village, which personally I thought was beautiful but really could of been missed.  It was a resort that has built a small village in the back with a church, store, even a western saloon, go figure.

These are cocoa pods, you crack it open, dry the pods and you get a small cocoa pod

We are now heading towards Orotina Town about 20 minutes away.  Our guide wants to know if we want to stop for an authentic lunch, and we are all game.   We arrive and are led to the kitchen where our guide shows us the lunch menu.  Food is cooked on this fire stove. 

their specialty is beef tongue, which one couple ordered and I tried



we ordered chili rellenos, yummy

Of course a couple of cans of the local beer - Imperial - below Jasper enjoys it too

the owners' granddaughter

We now make our way back to the pier.  The tour was good, but not great.  Felt we missed out on and was not delivered what was promised, but still for the dollar amount it was a good tour.  But I am sorry I can not recommend Greenway Tours.

We are dropped of at the pier and there are still a lot of people trying to sell us tours or help out.  Not a lot of ships come here so be prepared this is how people make their money.  We are looking for a grocery store and just want to walk around a bit. 

So we are walking and Bernie is ahead of me by about 15 feet, and as he walks by a dark store front the busker outside is trying to draw Bernie in saying "sir do you want beer, wine, cigars, women, sex?" Bernie laughs and as I approach and I say laughingly "if he is going to get sex, he is going to have to get it from me".

Here is Shelley and Rob strolling down the streets of Puntarenas

We find the grocery store and we pick up the few things we need.  We hand out pencils and Canadian tatoos, below is the security guard who is so happy to get the tatoo he puts it on his arm right away.

From the beach we get a great shot of the ship.  All along the beach you will find vendors selling all kinds of stuff.

 

We get back on the ship around 5 pm and shower and relax for a bit and check out the documentary "The Brave Who Built the Panama".

Puntarenas Costa Rica - September 23

Puntarenas Costa Rica

We are both really excited to be landing in Costa Rica. It has always been a dream of ours to visit this country and now we can actually say we have been there. We pull up along side the long pier very early. As we look down from our deck we can see stingrays in the water, in the distance we can see dolphins. Allready this place has us in it's grasp. It is a little overcast, but again the heat is stifling.


This picture is from our cabin, and you can see the dock is very long. However they did have complimentary shuttles to the end of the pier. We walked. Make sure you bring lots of water.

We had arranged a tour prior to arriving with our Cruise Critic gang. We wanted to do some adventures and so we all booked Tura ba ri. We had a group of about 15 and transportation was included. We boarded a mini bus with air conditioning (yes). Check out their website.

http://www.costa-rica-adventure-tour.com/



On the way we stopped in a park and was shown a sloth, yup that is it there, looks like a coconut in the tree but it is a sloth. One day I will get to hold one, but not this time. Check out everyone pointing him out.



This is why we have a mini bus, so we can cross this very narrow bridge. I was nervous. Also this river is full of crocodiles!!!

We arrived at the park and we processed our payments and were given wrist bands in accordance with the adventures you wanted to take part in. Bernie and I signed up for the canopy ride and the sensational cable ride and lunch.

We are outfitted in our harnesses

Then a short lesson - do we look worried?

And we are off




Here Bernie is flying thru the sky. This shot was taken by the staff and then you could purchase the shot for only $7, which I thought was very very reasonable.

disclaimer, this was taken near then end of the canopy ride

After the canopy ride you need to take a short cable car ride back down to the starting point.

here is the view -- amazing

We head straight for the sensational ride. We climb to the platform and get suited up. Sort of feel like a caterpillar. We are hooked up by three cables and hang there and the ride is about a mile long and I can't even see the end. Bernie volunteers to go first.

Here I go......

Here is the video I took of the entire ride. Seems like we are going so slowly but really it was fast.

Again we have to walk down a beautiful path and get on the cable car again to head back to the starting point.

We head back to the bar/restaurant and toast with a beer. Yeah we did it!

We try the local beers.

Lunch was included in the tour. Here is a sample of what we had. Very good.

We head back to Puntarenas. We can see a storm coming in and the winds have picked up. Along the beach many vendors have set up selling their items.

The clouds darken and the rains will start any minute. We decide to head back to the ship early.

We take cover on our decks as the skies open and the rain comes down. Nothing will dampen our spirits. Cheers.

Jerry, Rose and Bernie CHEERS, hey Jerry where is the champagne?

The rains don't let up and the lightening starts and the thunder follows. What a light show, which continued throughout the night. It was the first time I had ever been in a lightening storm while sailing. At times the crack of thunder felt like it was hitting the ship.