Rob and Anna's travel adventure

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica - with PHOTOS

Anna´s entry:

Located on the Caribbean side, it is a prime destination to
the country biggest and most powerful waves. However, the reason for us going there was Gandoca-Manzanillo wildlife refuge. We took a 5.5 km coastal trail through the preserve and were really impressed with it. Though the trail in parts was muddy and wet (even now, a week later we are still trying to clean our hiking boots), the nature, coastal scenery, and animals were well worh it. I can not wait to post the photos we took! We spent the entire day in the forest and the coast, and saw the following species - spider and howler monkeys, tayra (related to black panther), goat spiders, red frogs (those are so cute, about an inch big, and llok like small strawberries), wild parrots, lots of crabs, iridescent butterflies, tropical fish, etc.

Another thing that made it very pleasant for me in Puerto Viejo was the place we stayed at. Well, actually, we had to change our accommodations at first... The first hotel we stayed at was full of surfers high on drugs - they virtually we walking around with their pipes ready to lit up. Anyway, we moved to a different place, and what a treat it was! Run by a German couple, and being inexpensive, we stayed in a house in the middle of a lush tropical garden. Needing a little rest after all our early a.m. hikes, we spent one of the afternoons in a hammock, it was so nice with all these tropical blossoms around us. We also had an excellent kitchen set up for us to use, and we cooked a home made meal. I must admit that so far I have observed that Germans run the best kept accommodations, so from now on I am looking for places to stay with a German name on them.
Also, the owners were experts in Costa Rican living, and are into natural medicine made from locally grown plants and fruits. They let us taste one made from a local tropical fruit called cheese fruit. Supposedly, it treats all illnesses if you drink it regularly on the empty stomach. It was a fun experience, but the remedy tasted awful - bitter-sower, and stinks like like a spoilt cheese. We also learnt from them what it was like to live away from their home country for years - and apparently they have no desire to return back to Germany - they feel that the beauty and tranquility of Costa Rica can not be repeated in their home land. After Purto Viejo de Limon, our next stop would be in Panama.

posted by Rob and Anna @ 6:29 PM