THE TICOS GREEN KINGDOM. Costa Rica

From the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, a monumental sunsets of the Pacific, through the parks and the volcanoes of this little emerald jewel, the land of Ticos. An eden attack, immersion in nature, a green dream of a thousand hues. Welcome to Costa rica

 

The green kingdom of Ticos

It starts! Destination Costa rica .. I (Andrea) with Stephen, on the wings of "Mamma Swiss" leave Barcelona in a full spring and through the cloud Zurich, arrived late in Miami, salad Russian Latin-American, who welcomes us with the sun almost Oram at sunset and a 'terrible sultriness.
E 'May 20, the defect leads us to overcome some difficulties with the controls U.S. and smoking a cigarette, think of how to do since the delay made us miss the connection with American Airlines ..
That's it .. the unknown Martinair Air could help ... in four and quattrotto we are on board, surrounded by beautiful hostesses Netherlands but also from a voluminous Ecuadorian lady whIt starts! Destination Costa rica .. I (Andrea) with Stephen, on the wings of "Mamma Swiss" leave Barcelona in a full spring and through the cloud Zurich, arrived late in Miami, salad Russian Latin-American, who welcomes us with the sun almost Oram at sunset and a 'terrible sultriness.
E 'May 20, the defect leads us to overcome some difficulties with the controls U.S. and smoking a cigarette, think of how to do since the delay made us miss the connection with American Airlines ..
That's it .. the unknown Martinair Air could help ... in four and quattrotto we are on board, surrounded by beautiful hostesses Netherlands but also from a voluminous Ecuadorian lady who careless of my eyes a crack, I tartassa with the story of his life and we dá dentro up almost met. I am exhausted, I still have the buzzing in the ears of the story of infinity "Pili", when I arrive on the modern airport of San José, capital of Costa rica
City with little history, a time of old called Villanueva Belmonte, founded at the time of colonization Columbine, San José is dark and not very reassuring in the eyes of the weary traveler newcomers.
Hostal Pangea, in the district of Amon, will stay in our last night in San José: not bad, picturesque and very crowded, the hostel has always been the place of meetings and exchanges of knowledge and fleeting friendships that last for an evening .
Drink something and admire the beautiful view of San Jose from this infinite terrace.
The city, always relegated to a lower level than the first capital, Cartago, no major attractions, but still a must before, during and after each trip to Costa rica
The next morning we are in the company of some courageous Costarricense and we head by bus to the Caribbean. Destination Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
The breeze of the wind in the Caribbean greets us already in the first, must stop in Puerto Limón, armies of palms greet us, the sun hot and humid it caresses the skin, everything is illuminated, green, constant of this journey begins to dominate ...
Without a doubt, Puerto Viejo is a wonderful place. Surrounded by beaches black, white, abandoned and wild .. the Caribbean coast of Costa rica is a continuous series of bays, coral reefs, green palms, natural parks. Small clusters of huts colored damage that touch cheerful, people of color (a legacy of exploitation of the community Jamaican English), there is smiling, we like to Puerto Viejo.
Cecilia, the rich owner of Apartamentos Agapi, abbranca us, convince us and carries us into the whole, in the desert Playa CoCl.
Spend days with a beautiful sea green although the inclemency of the sky a little 'cloudy, fruit cocktail, fish cooked with ingredients typical of Caribbean cuisine, the evening listening to music, trips by bike in half of the forest in search of the most beautiful beaches. Often desert, given the low season, the post and 'real dream.
I also sell rastoni undeterred lie down on the trees their products home, the girls go, the music starts in the morning and ends late at night, the palm trees still sway, the scent of coconut, eyes haunted by the shades of green, the few tourists present, this is the relaxation that wonder ..!
We leave Puerto Viejo and after a second night in the cells (as he calls Stefano) Pangea accommodation in San José, we head south. We expect the grandeur of the South Seas, the Pacific Ocean.
The journey by bus winds through the hills of the verdant Central Valley, then go down to Jaco and the Pacific coast. The spectacular coastline rises and lowers, the glimpses of the dark blue sea, its waves of violence and a scene other than the Caribbean accompany us until the arrival in Quepos, a town a few kilometers from the nearby park and the famous Manuel Antonio.o careless of my eyes a crack, I tartassa with the story of his life and we dá dentro up almost met. I am exhausted, I still have the buzzing in the ears of the story of infinity "Pili", when I arrive on the modern airport of San José, capital of Costa rica
City with little history, a time of old called Villanueva Belmonte, founded at the time of colonization Columbine, San José is dark and not very reassuring in the eyes of the weary traveler newcomers.
Hostal Pangea, in the district of Amon, will stay in our last night in San José: not bad, picturesque and very crowded, the hostel has always been the place of meetings and exchanges of knowledge and fleeting friendships that last for an evening .
Drink something and admire the beautiful view of San Jose from this infinite terrace.
The city, always relegated to a lower level than the first capital, Cartago, no major attractions, but still a must before, during and after each trip to Costa rica
The next morning we are in the company of some courageous Costarricense and we head by bus to the Caribbean. Destination Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
The breeze of the wind in the Caribbean greets us already in the first, must stop in Puerto Limón, armies of palms greet us, the sun hot and humid it caresses the skin, everything is illuminated, green, constant of this journey begins to dominate ...
Without a doubt, Puerto Viejo is a wonderful place. Surrounded by beaches black, white, abandoned and wild .. the Caribbean coast of Costa rica is a continuous series of bays, coral reefs, green palms, natural parks. Small clusters of huts colored damage that touch cheerful, people of color (a legacy of exploitation of the community Jamaican English), there is smiling, we like to Puerto Viejo.
Cecilia, the rich owner of Apartamentos Agapi, abbranca us, convince us and carries us into the whole, in the desert Playa CoCl.
Spend days with a beautiful sea green although the inclemency of the sky a little 'cloudy, fruit cocktail, fish cooked with ingredients typical of Caribbean cuisine, the evening listening to music, trips by bike in half of the forest in search of the most beautiful beaches. Often desert, given the low season, the post and 'real dream.
I also sell rastoni undeterred lie down on the trees their products home, the girls go, the music starts in the morning and ends late at night, the palm trees still sway, the scent of coconut, eyes haunted by the shades of green, the few tourists present, this is the relaxation that wonder ..!
We leave Puerto Viejo and after a second night in the cells (as he calls Stefano) Pangea accommodation in San José, we head south. We expect the grandeur of the South Seas, the Pacific Ocean.
The journey by bus winds through the hills of the verdant Central Valley, then go down to Jaco and the Pacific coast. The spectacular coastline rises and lowers, the glimpses of the dark blue sea, its waves of violence and a scene other than the Caribbean accompany us until the arrival in Quepos, a town a few kilometers from the nearby park and the famous Manuel Antonio.

..Manuel Antonio

End in lugubre Cabinas Ramirez, companions in huge red crab, coacis of all colors, red ants and a series of colorful birds, try to settle this complex in some 'good .... But the cries and portfolio should give us a cut.
The scary room, bathroom as well, the recommendations of the master too short .. these cabins do not look like a good choice. Quickly leave the room and let that pull air into the beach, the first contact with the water of the Pacific freddino, drinking a "batida en agua" with the purple sky announcing another breathtaking sunset.
The park that we visit in the days to follow does not disappoint our expectations: the course guide from $ 20 does not deserve punishment, we see the monkeys on their own, the iguanas (although then we will know that they are distant cousins) are everywhere, qusi the sloths are invisible, a horrible ragnaccio us the teaser, small raccoon are watching us in amazement, some hive, a few words .. toucan driving and serves no use. We learn a lot 'of things but at the end of the day is not that we have helped so much. But if the park is worth seriously, it is due to its phantasmagoric beach: Playa Manuel Antonio. Simply fantastic: when compared to the Caribbean beaches that or Thai, the beach is wider but the motion of the tide devours the beach, reaching the branches of palm trees collapsed by the fury of the wind, kisses ever green trees .. Vegetation is the stratospheric contour in this bay of wonders, simply beautiful .. and in fact crowded with "gringos" and bianchicci amazed.
Repaid due colones and return the second day, just to pay tribute to this monument of nature, in this Eden of water and forest.
There smiles the sun, the food is good, the "casados" abound, the "cock Pintos" saziano there in the morning, fruit drinks and the alcohol will quench yielded us a little drunk the night.
Rather than go back between the jaws of crabs in that tavern horrendous, we prefer to stay out .... Between the paths of the park meet the dreaded doctor Betge, ticinese seeking business in Costa rica, stand-by el'hostess of swiss (as U.S. ) Najpa. Father and daughter, seen on the flight from Zurich to Miami and meet, there are nice and we decide to go to dinner together in the nearby village of Quepos.
Mexican food in a drink and a super fruit cocktails and rum in a trendy clubs, before you say hello. We discover that the nice doctor Betge, which seems a little 'the incarnation of an old kapos a German concentration camp, explains that they came here to invest its Swiss francs in the purchase of plants ... wood Tek says that will make a lot of money. We doubt .. do we leave from there but we see that Costa rica appears to truly be a super hypermarket Plant ... What strange contradiction! On the one hand, it is sold and selling, the other is condemned the cutting of a tree in the same way of the assassination of a man ... Sometimes I am not back.
More travel in these parts and more I realize the overwhelming power the U.S. on these countries, contradictions such as these are typical here as in Cancun, as in Managua, Panama City or San Pedro Sula.
Let Manuel Antonio with some reservations and we arrived after an endless journey with Simón sympathetic to La Fortuna ...
Here, as Michael Douglas does not let the green stone, but only a glimpse of the Arenal volcano, terror and fortune of this beautiful and peaceful village.
Costarricense I are doing well, are peaceful and kind, maybe just a note ... that we can ispanoparlanti for years, it is not possible to begin a speech in the language of the Quixote, without first going to the distant phonetic English?
The volcano has a voice of fire, so seriously, for the last time in 1968, killing 80 people and burying two agricultural villages since then sometimes back to take away the lives of some careless tourist guide, including it seems intended for a long hibernation.
It celebrates the 49th anniversary of the district of San Carlos, one of the more wealthy districts of the country, the town is celebrating ... the series of parades Jacks, traditional dances, speeches and celebrations. The festive atmosphere makes it more genuine, like a scene from a movie ... catastrophic strand of the festival in the country, a sleeping volcano, we the players ... Fortunately not happen anything. People have learned to know and respect the volcano ... I wanted to get here: Costa rica appears to be one of the few countries in the world that has no doubt been able to enter into a different relationship with nature that surrounds him: respect, observation and preservation . It seems to be light years ahead of many European countries that are preening, hiding inside their huge environmental disasters.
In the days to follow we visit the beautiful waterfall of the Rio Fortuna, a jet of blue water, in a green and lush canyons, natural pools, the forest nebulae, the mist tropical .. wow!
Despite a persistent rain we decide to trust the expert hands of a guide that will lead us into the bowels of the park of Arenal Volcano, a trip into the journey, a mission in the mud and under a blanket of dark green, the trees that you touch, you breathe , the eyes of monkeys urlatrici you gaze, the sloths you ignore the stifling humidity that enters the blood, oxygen, oxygen and even oxygen.
Last step ... that worthy conclusion .... The hot baths of the complex Baldo ...
A series of artificial ponds in a super fake but great. Hot Springs, by 39 º degrees to 67 º terrible ... we do not want to leave, who is moving here. We quench with a piña colada space, sitting with the wheel covers up to us to life, the fumes of sources, vegetation, the night ... che bello!
Back to San José, usually 4 hours of travel ... Pangea all'ostello last night, shocking meeting. Matias Mahia, great master of reiki Tijuana, unknown to us ... and we know it overwhelms me. Recounts his life, the basic theories of reiki, a different philosophy, a way of understanding the difficult but fascinating world. His presence brings warmth brings joy ... his eyes seem to be those of someone special. Still talk of a night away on a terrace illuminated by bright lights of San José that will not sleep, but words are not thrown to the wind, are important speeches, coincidences are not coincidences.
Costa rica green goodbye, goodbye to the friendly Ticos we will review ...?
Matias says he sí ...

Good trip, Pura vida a todo el mundo ...

Andrea