Do you know the way to Monteverde?
10/29- Continued....
So we leave the hotsprings and we're all in nice dry clothes. We each grab a Chiky (a delicious Costa Rica cookie with choc. on the backside- yum) and set sail. We decided to take the route to Monteverde that goes around Lago Arenal. Little did we know that has the crow flies this route is short, but that the patchwork roads go... its not. case and point. But we take in the beautiful scenery of the land, Volcan Arenal in the panaramic view at all times, rolling hills sides, no wonder the Quakers settled in these parts. Also Lake Arenal is beautiful. A huge fresh water lake that actually has some of the BEST WIND SURFING in the world. Yes I know a little 80s but HEY its a fun adventure sport. Anyway we are on road. All is well but this one gets bumpy, and windy and you can imagine; fast and slow, bumpy and smooth, paved then not paved, then paved then NOT PAVED AGAIN... then it just becomes a dirt road, so were bouncing around, once in a while hitting an unavoidable pot hole- OUCH! Sorry hanzel. Destination Monteverde.
We know we are getting close because we see the ocassional sign with a little arrow that points to Monteverde, also some fine gentlemen en La Fortuna instructed us to take the road to Tilaran- accent on the A in RAN, and saying this, TilarAn.*clap.TilarAn.* clap...tilaran tilaran tilarAn *clap clap...Made quite the fun car song, so check point Tilaran- done... and we are making some good time. But then we get to a town and we just kinda cruise right through it.. But then there is this young kid in the road. Oh geez whats his gimmick, so we slow down as to not have anymore casualities on our belt, and the kid starts talkin to Hayley, well he quickly realizes "ella no habla espanol", so he comes over to Kenneth and my side of the car. I guess he is trying to sell us a map. He says that for 10$ we can buy a map of the area as to not get lost on the way to Monteverde. WTF kid there is really only one road to Monteverde and we just accidentally went off it. No big thing. But the real point of my story is this, the kid was also telling some story about how the local people here dont want tourist just turning on there farms, and the guy also has some tax sheet but he was mostly talking to Kenneth, so I couldnt get the dets. But after we obvisiouly didnt buy the map and we were headed in the right direction I tried to ask K what the kid was talking about... And this wasnt just so I knew but it was also so I could explain it to Hayley. Remember Im the sole translator... and well K doesnt care to tell me. UGH I cant stand it. I didnt want to buy the map but I did want to know what he was saying. I know that Im going to be spending sometime in Costa Rica and I want to be able to first off know whats going on, and second how to react. I KNEW the map thing was phoney, and that we didnt need it, but I gotta understand how these things work and when to say, "hey screw off" and when to say "no thanks" ya know... SO thats my rant.....
Ah so were back on the BUMPY road to Monteverde. It is actually really a beautiful scene with little farm houses and cows speckling the hillsides. Its about 430pm and I just hope that we get to Monteverde in time for the sunset. In 2006 I was blessed with this opportunity and it was not only one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in the world but... it made my entire Metereology 101 class come together. I am a hands on person, and learning about Adebatic cooling and heating in the lecture hall doesn't cut it for me, BUT if my Professor would have been there that night, I KNOW I would have gotten an A in that class- but alas, my B- remains (sorry dad, I didnt get all As in college- what fun would that have been)...
Okay destination Monteverde, and I hope we get there for the sunset, but then we realize that we also need GAS- oh Hanzel, your low. EEK! but oh well, were close and they'll have a gas station there, a big tourist place, they must. As we pull into the little downtown/centro area they are tons of people in the streets, most are young, mid 20s early 30s and almost all of them have papers and brouchers in there hands... oh great.. more of this. So this one guy is in the middle of the road, we have to slow down but we dont want to because we dont want to talk to him. mostly they just want people to stop so they can push their hotels or recieve a commision by sending people there- but Hayley has some guides and we really just want to find a gas station and move on from there... OOOSH Monteverde is cold! So naturally we are being hit with a change of climate, tired for the road and trying to find a gas station in a small town. K is calling shots, but isnt familiar with the area, and I have to translate to Hayley who is driving (she did a great job by the way- these Tico roads can be unforgiving) soooo we arent lost, but we need to find a place to lay our heads, but we also NEED gas... So we loop through the main town area and pull over to save fuel, meanwhile K was yelling NONONo not here, but UGH we had to because of the gas factor, and K had reason to not stop where we did because we were just in the sight of the barrecudas, I mean hotel spokes people... and they SWARM our car. Now Im not a baby, or a wimp, but honestly after the car ride the last thing I want is some randos cramming information about hotels down my throat. Its really an awkward scene, three guys on K and my side of the car hand us brouchers each saying there place is the best, blahblah blah... quite frankly they all look seedy (the guys) and I wouldnt trust any of them... plus its cold, were tired, and Hanzel needs gas. SO I ask one of the guys where the nearest Bomba is (thats CRican for gas station) and guess what?.... THEY DONT HAVE ONE! Fantastic. Just one more thing on our already full plate. So we gotta get to a hotel/hostel that we like, put Hanzel to sleep and figure out what were are going to do. ..
So we follow one of the guys to 'his' place. This guys looks like this job is snorting coke, maybe he doesnt do it that much, but he is to skinny and too tired to just promote hotels all day. Since we have to weigh our options, we had to start somewhere. We take the road, and somehow this guy is there waiting for us outside of the hostel, playing with a slinky. We go inside but, Que Asco. And the guy is there playing with the metal toy telling us that its 8$ a night, and the rooms are tiny, musty, lowceilings that make it and like prision cell and im just thinking, what a weirdo. I mean really?! I wouldnt leave anything alone in that room. Plus the sun has set, its cold, and well... they guy just gave me the creeps, mala vibras... Maybe Im being judgemental, but it all just gave me a funny feeling. Great, now what... But there is always light at the end of the tunnel and just up the way there is a place call Vista del Gulfo. Just by walking in the place I get a calming vibe. there is a young man working behind the desk who is move then helpful and he just seems really relaxed and chill, so or busqueda ends there and we decided to stay the night, 12$ plus breakfast and hotwater, plus a kitchen to work with! NICE and there was internet access and Jorge, the office guy, gives Hayley and I a discount on the ZIP LINING tour we have lined up for the morning! 10$ off! Pura Vida Jorge, and Vista del Golfito! buena vibra, buena nota.
Once in our rooms we din with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and wash away the day.. and what a day it was... recap- rocking kareoke the night prior, dead bunny, waterfall rappeling- with british family, bunny burial, hotspring debate, natural hot river, K loses his shorts, winding road to Monteverde, bombarded by hotel creeps, and missing the best sunset in the world, then finding Vista del Golfito. One for the best Hostels we've been too! What a day indeed.
next blog- 10/30- saturday- the day they celebrate halloween.
So we leave the hotsprings and we're all in nice dry clothes. We each grab a Chiky (a delicious Costa Rica cookie with choc. on the backside- yum) and set sail. We decided to take the route to Monteverde that goes around Lago Arenal. Little did we know that has the crow flies this route is short, but that the patchwork roads go... its not. case and point. But we take in the beautiful scenery of the land, Volcan Arenal in the panaramic view at all times, rolling hills sides, no wonder the Quakers settled in these parts. Also Lake Arenal is beautiful. A huge fresh water lake that actually has some of the BEST WIND SURFING in the world. Yes I know a little 80s but HEY its a fun adventure sport. Anyway we are on road. All is well but this one gets bumpy, and windy and you can imagine; fast and slow, bumpy and smooth, paved then not paved, then paved then NOT PAVED AGAIN... then it just becomes a dirt road, so were bouncing around, once in a while hitting an unavoidable pot hole- OUCH! Sorry hanzel. Destination Monteverde.
We know we are getting close because we see the ocassional sign with a little arrow that points to Monteverde, also some fine gentlemen en La Fortuna instructed us to take the road to Tilaran- accent on the A in RAN, and saying this, TilarAn.*clap.TilarAn.* clap...tilaran tilaran tilarAn *clap clap...Made quite the fun car song, so check point Tilaran- done... and we are making some good time. But then we get to a town and we just kinda cruise right through it.. But then there is this young kid in the road. Oh geez whats his gimmick, so we slow down as to not have anymore casualities on our belt, and the kid starts talkin to Hayley, well he quickly realizes "ella no habla espanol", so he comes over to Kenneth and my side of the car. I guess he is trying to sell us a map. He says that for 10$ we can buy a map of the area as to not get lost on the way to Monteverde. WTF kid there is really only one road to Monteverde and we just accidentally went off it. No big thing. But the real point of my story is this, the kid was also telling some story about how the local people here dont want tourist just turning on there farms, and the guy also has some tax sheet but he was mostly talking to Kenneth, so I couldnt get the dets. But after we obvisiouly didnt buy the map and we were headed in the right direction I tried to ask K what the kid was talking about... And this wasnt just so I knew but it was also so I could explain it to Hayley. Remember Im the sole translator... and well K doesnt care to tell me. UGH I cant stand it. I didnt want to buy the map but I did want to know what he was saying. I know that Im going to be spending sometime in Costa Rica and I want to be able to first off know whats going on, and second how to react. I KNEW the map thing was phoney, and that we didnt need it, but I gotta understand how these things work and when to say, "hey screw off" and when to say "no thanks" ya know... SO thats my rant.....
Ah so were back on the BUMPY road to Monteverde. It is actually really a beautiful scene with little farm houses and cows speckling the hillsides. Its about 430pm and I just hope that we get to Monteverde in time for the sunset. In 2006 I was blessed with this opportunity and it was not only one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in the world but... it made my entire Metereology 101 class come together. I am a hands on person, and learning about Adebatic cooling and heating in the lecture hall doesn't cut it for me, BUT if my Professor would have been there that night, I KNOW I would have gotten an A in that class- but alas, my B- remains (sorry dad, I didnt get all As in college- what fun would that have been)...
Okay destination Monteverde, and I hope we get there for the sunset, but then we realize that we also need GAS- oh Hanzel, your low. EEK! but oh well, were close and they'll have a gas station there, a big tourist place, they must. As we pull into the little downtown/centro area they are tons of people in the streets, most are young, mid 20s early 30s and almost all of them have papers and brouchers in there hands... oh great.. more of this. So this one guy is in the middle of the road, we have to slow down but we dont want to because we dont want to talk to him. mostly they just want people to stop so they can push their hotels or recieve a commision by sending people there- but Hayley has some guides and we really just want to find a gas station and move on from there... OOOSH Monteverde is cold! So naturally we are being hit with a change of climate, tired for the road and trying to find a gas station in a small town. K is calling shots, but isnt familiar with the area, and I have to translate to Hayley who is driving (she did a great job by the way- these Tico roads can be unforgiving) soooo we arent lost, but we need to find a place to lay our heads, but we also NEED gas... So we loop through the main town area and pull over to save fuel, meanwhile K was yelling NONONo not here, but UGH we had to because of the gas factor, and K had reason to not stop where we did because we were just in the sight of the barrecudas, I mean hotel spokes people... and they SWARM our car. Now Im not a baby, or a wimp, but honestly after the car ride the last thing I want is some randos cramming information about hotels down my throat. Its really an awkward scene, three guys on K and my side of the car hand us brouchers each saying there place is the best, blahblah blah... quite frankly they all look seedy (the guys) and I wouldnt trust any of them... plus its cold, were tired, and Hanzel needs gas. SO I ask one of the guys where the nearest Bomba is (thats CRican for gas station) and guess what?.... THEY DONT HAVE ONE! Fantastic. Just one more thing on our already full plate. So we gotta get to a hotel/hostel that we like, put Hanzel to sleep and figure out what were are going to do. ..
So we follow one of the guys to 'his' place. This guys looks like this job is snorting coke, maybe he doesnt do it that much, but he is to skinny and too tired to just promote hotels all day. Since we have to weigh our options, we had to start somewhere. We take the road, and somehow this guy is there waiting for us outside of the hostel, playing with a slinky. We go inside but, Que Asco. And the guy is there playing with the metal toy telling us that its 8$ a night, and the rooms are tiny, musty, lowceilings that make it and like prision cell and im just thinking, what a weirdo. I mean really?! I wouldnt leave anything alone in that room. Plus the sun has set, its cold, and well... they guy just gave me the creeps, mala vibras... Maybe Im being judgemental, but it all just gave me a funny feeling. Great, now what... But there is always light at the end of the tunnel and just up the way there is a place call Vista del Gulfo. Just by walking in the place I get a calming vibe. there is a young man working behind the desk who is move then helpful and he just seems really relaxed and chill, so or busqueda ends there and we decided to stay the night, 12$ plus breakfast and hotwater, plus a kitchen to work with! NICE and there was internet access and Jorge, the office guy, gives Hayley and I a discount on the ZIP LINING tour we have lined up for the morning! 10$ off! Pura Vida Jorge, and Vista del Golfito! buena vibra, buena nota.
Once in our rooms we din with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and wash away the day.. and what a day it was... recap- rocking kareoke the night prior, dead bunny, waterfall rappeling- with british family, bunny burial, hotspring debate, natural hot river, K loses his shorts, winding road to Monteverde, bombarded by hotel creeps, and missing the best sunset in the world, then finding Vista del Golfito. One for the best Hostels we've been too! What a day indeed.
next blog- 10/30- saturday- the day they celebrate halloween.
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