We saw some beautiful yellow flowering trees (yellow oak) along the road.  The scenery changed from lush green to drier brown cattle ranches.  We saw several “banditos,” local cowboys on horseback moving their herds.  We have yet to see chicken farms that might supply all of the chicken on our menus!

Yellow Oak

            We stopped in the town of Liberia for a two-hour break to wander, browse, and get lunch.  Four of us opted for a local restaurant.  Marge and I split a quesadilla with cheese and beans (of course), a beer, and a fruit smoothie and a piece of lime pie.  It was okay.  It was so hot we were happy to get back on the bus. 

Liberia town square

Iglesia Inmaculada Concepcion de Maria

         We drove an hour out of Liberia to our next lodge, Buena Vista. We stopped on the road to look at nine howler monkeys in the trees above the road.  It was a good photo op. 

         Buena Vista was originally a hacienda and has a huge property.  After a little rest and a quick dip in the pretty pool (with a swim up bar but no pool towels) we gathered at 5 PM to go watch the sunset.  We walked up a hill and looked west to the Pacific Ocean in the far distance.  It was a pretty sunset and a nice area to view it from the “sunset bar.”

Howler monkeys

Howler monkeys

Howler monkeys

Sunset at Buena Vista Lodge

Sunset at Buena Vista Lodge

Sunset at Buena Vista Lodge

Buena Vista Lodge grounds

Buena Vista Lodge grounds

Friendly, smelly peccary

            We walked uphill alongside the water slide ($15 for 5 trips down the slide with an inner tube - walk up, float down) and beyond to the beginning of the canopy zip line ride.  We were given instructions and then off we went.  There were 10 cables and 11 platforms up in the trees.  It was easy and thrilling.  The guides were wonderful.  They hooked us on, sent us off and helped us off at the next platform.  We slid on pulley wheels and used our reinforced glove to pull down on the cable to slow up or stop.  On the last cable I asked to ride it upside down like I saw one of the guides do.  That started several other creative zip rides.  It was very disorienting and exciting being upside down.  We also bounced up and down on one long cable ride.  Nothing tame about our group of senior citizen kids!  While standing on one of the platforms we watched a mother and very little baby howler monkey playing in the branches above us.  The zip-line was a blast! 

Zip Line Map

All instructed, equipped, and ready to go

Proof that we did it!

Proof that we did it!

            After our ride we walked back and deposited our gear then reconvened for our horseback ride to the thermal pools and mud baths for those who wanted them.  We mounted up on the little CR horses with Spanish saddles.  They were more like Western than English but instead of a pommel in front to hang onto, it had a broad, elevated fan.  It was not easy to hang on. These horses would not get into a single file line.  I ended up at the back of the pack but my little horse wanted to be in the front and kept maneuvering to try and get there.  Marge and I had not been on horses since the 1960’s but we caught on quickly and managed to trot along and stay on going up and down the steep hills along the trail. 

Richard, Marge, Bobbie

Friendly horses

Gale

           After about 30 minutes of bouncing up and down, we arrived at the thermal pools.  We changed into swim suits and had the option of steaming in the spa, then putting hot mud on our skin, letting it dry for 5 to 10 minutes, get hosed off and then soak in the pools.  Marge read her book.  I skipped the mud and hot temperature pools but soaked in the medium temperature pool (85 - 95°) and then the “cool” pool (75°).  The pools are fed by a hot spring resulting from the volcanoes.  It was neat to float and look up at the forest canopy.  One of the zip line cables went right across the area also.  After an hour some of the group rode the tractor wagon back to the hacienda and lunch and the rest of us rode our horses back.  Another fun activity.

Thermal pools

Hot water!

Gale in a milder pool

            After lunch we rested and used our nice big pool.  Leo led a short walk through this dry forest.  Four of us followed along.  The winds came up after noon and it was very windy, maybe 40 to 50 MPH.  Dirt was blowing around and it was hard to hear or see any wildlife.  We did see two or three large rodents, called agoutis.  They looked like baby peccaries.  We thought the wind would blow the insects away, but it didn’t.  Two of us got several bites on our legs.

Buena Vista Lodge - view from outside our room

           We drove out of the dry forest where there is no rain for six months and then it rains almost continually for six months.  We entered the area where cattle ranches have replaced the forest and then into areas fed by large irrigation canals.  This area grows a lot of rice.  We also saw many teak tree nurseries or farms.

Farmer with his ox cart team

            We stopped for a restroom break at the “mercado” while Jose filled the bus with fuel.  Next we stopped for a short walk on the black sand beach at Caldera on the Pacific coast.  We ate lunch along the ocean at Puerto Caldera.  It was hotter than sin!  We were happy to reboard the air-conditioned bus.           

Beach at Puerto Caldera

Our river boat

Night Heron

Crocodile

Black Neck Stilts

Lizard on a branch

Mangrove trees

            Mangrove trees are interesting because their roots are able to filter fresh water out of salt-water and survive in this environment.  We went in far enough to find the cute little tree crabs. 

Tree crabs

Tree crab

Crocodile protecting his piece of beach

Turtle

Ahingas drying their wings

Ahingas

            On our way to Jaco and our next hotel, we stopped at an oceanside park with a bunch of wild almond trees and found several pairs of scarlet macaws close enough to photograph.  They are beautiful red, yellow, and blue and quite large.  They mate for life and are usually found in pairs.