70th birthday adventure in Costa Rica

In the latter part of March, 2017, we flew from Tucson to San Jose, Costa Rica, via DFW, for my 70th birthday.  Virtually the only movies we watch are on aircraft, so it was nice to fly with AA's new 737-800's, with seat back monitors. We spent the night at an hotel at San Jose airport, and were picked up next morning for the 4+/- hour drive to Puerto Veijo and Banana Azul Hotel. The weather, over the mountains to the Caribbean Coast was a bit wet, and the driving standards in CR took a little adjusting to. As did the humidity. Our room at Banana Azul was very nice (air con!) with a private little yard and plunge pool. Which had a large crab in it! We did a bird walk on our first morning in heavy rain, which was abandoned after an hour.

The Koi in Banana Azul's restaurant pool came and begged! This guy was big!

Sunset at the beach

Sunrise at the beach

The bar people/wait staff were awesome! Which was good, as we spent some time there.

Lemon mint cooler

Our patio

One of our tours was the Jaguar Rescue Center, where this very venomous (and sleeping)

critter was safely behind glass. Our driver cheerfully regaled us with tales of the bushmaster, get bitten, die. We were very happy not to see one.

Crocodile

3 toed sloth

We visited an indiginant peoples chocolate factory, although chocolate making home would be more accurate. This little girl was quite interested in the foreign visitors.

 

The little girl's mom, who demonstrated chocole making to us. She is running a banana leaf over a flame, which melts wax in it and makes it flexible.

From Puerto Viejo we were driven back to San Jose, where we spent the night, before flying down to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa peninsula, in a Cessna Caravan.

Waiting for the big boys to clear the runway.

Nothing like living next to the runway! Puerto Jimenez.

And here we are, Puerto Jimenez with the captain sorting the luggage.  

We were picked up and driven to Luna Lodge. One of the several fords on the road.

Our bungalow.

The roof.

The bar/restaurant staff at Luna Lodge were great!

Sunset at the beach.

Sunrise at the lagoon for my first ever kayak ride!

Sunset at the beach

The ride back to Luna Lodge, 4x4 is recommended!

One of the several river crossings on the Luna Lodge road.

We chose not to take the two+ hour drive back to Puerto Jimenez, instead we had a ride on a small Cessna! This is the "airport" at Carate.

Jungle!

Puerto Jimenez landing.

Our Cessna Caravan ride back to San Jose.

Captain adjusts something.

First officer has the controls.

And we're off!

At this point, my camera died!