The GypsyNesters

As Empty Nesters We want to Do More than Travel, We want to Explore

Recently it hit us, we have not been just traveling, but on a trek for the past fifteen years. We discovered that we didn’t want to simply visit places, we wanted to explore them…
CONTINUE READING >>

Recently it hit us, we have not been just traveling, but on a trek for the past fifteen years. It wasn’t intentional, it simply happened fairly soon after we set out to travel around in our beat-up old motorhome. We discovered that we didn’t want to simply visit places, we wanted to explore them.

It may seem to be a subtle difference, but not to us. Exploring means really delving in to an area. Getting a feel for the people, the culture, the food, and the history that makes each and every place unique. To us that is more in depth than typical travel as a tourist.

This also fit in well with our creation of the empty nest travel blog GypsyNester.com. We decided to start writing and photographing our adventures to share our research of the destinations and interesting or quirky sights we found.

At first, this was aimed at keeping our family and friends abreast of our adventures, and that was fairly easy because we stayed confined to the United States of America. This meant that we were only going to places that we could drive to.

This also meant that most everything was at least a little bit familiar to us, but we were still very aware of the vast differences from place to place. Eventually we took a few trips up into Canada and one jaunt down into Mexico. So we were learning to celebrate the individual characteristics of our destinations while staying on our home continent.

I mean, Seattle is nothing like Miami, or Maine is not a whole lot like Texas, and Newfoundland is certainly not at all similar to Puerto Peñasco. Yet we found many reasons to love them all.

As we expanded our travels we realized the need to be able to get online to search for information as well as campgrounds, restaurants, and local attractions was very important to our ability to continue our writing and posting to the website. No problem, our phones worked anywhere we had service.

One quick note. Back then (in 2010) there were still a surprising amount of places in the US that didn’t have cell service. It’s happily much better now.

However, much to our surprise a big change happened after a couple of years. It began when a car company was running ads directed toward empty nesters like us. They contacted us with an idea for us to drive their car up the Pacific Coast Highway and write about our adventure.

Our first reaction was that it must be some type of scam or that they were just trying to sell us a car. But it was legitimate, and it opened the door to dozens of other companies sending us all over the world to write stories for them. Wow! That is really the short version of events, but anyway…

We quickly learned that it was vital for our ability to research these exotic, far-flung destinations we were suddenly flying off to, as well as post online about them, to have reliable data service for our phones. No problem, right?

Wrong.

Back then having reliable service meant finding a new sim card for each country and keeping track of the tiny little buggers while we gallivanted across the globe. Then we would have to crack open the phone to replace the card each time we crossed a border, that is, if we hadn’t lost the seemingly microscopic speck somewhere along the way. Not very no problem, right?

Luckily, as with so many things, today’s technology has advanced to eliminate this frustrating problem altogether because no we can now use an Orange Travel eSIM almost anywhere we go.

Here’s how it works, eSIM means embedded SIM, so there are no more physical cards to change. Simply choose the country or countries that you will be visiting and download an eSIM profile for each of them. You can even have multiple eSIMs installed on your mobile device at the same time so that border crossings won’t mean losing service anymore.

And good news, almost all iPhones and Android devices support the eSIM software, just check for your phone on the Orange Travel website, then choose your destination from the over 100 countries available, then scan a QR code and start using your phone with no problems no matter where in the world you, or Carmen Sandiego, may go.

We also love that the service is reliable because an eSIM connects to local providers to ensure the best high speed data and network coverage. So right now we are exploring the jungles, beaches, and volcanoes of Costa Rica, and yup, eSIM works here.

Another huge reason this is important to us is that we no longer carry a bunch of photography equipment around with us. Now we use our phones instead of a camera, and with good data service we can easily upload any photo or video we shoot instantly.

No more downloading the pictures to our laptop, then waiting to upload them to our website or social media once we find decent WiFi. Nope, just hit send and we’re done. This way we never miss a thing. Well, almost never.

And here is something that fits in nicely with the eco-friendly spirit here in Costa Rica, waste is minimized because the SIM is fully digital. No plastic or electronic trash to dispose of and no pollution from the manufacturing process.

Since Costa Rica generates 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro, and recycles 60% of its waste, and has 25% of its land protected as National Parks, we can’t imagine a better place to go with an Orange Travel eSIM as a part of your green travels.

Of course, anywhere and everywhere is a great place to stay connected. But we can almost hear you asking, That all sounds great, but what about the cost?”

Well, how does around two bucks a day sound?

That’s right, for us while we are here in Costa Rica the price is about two Euros a day, and in some countries the rate is even lower.

Which means the time is right for all travelers to get connected and stay connected where ever we go thanks to Orange Travel.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

How Two Little Girls Saved the Rainforest of Costa Rica

While exploring the area around Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park, we noticed a rope strung across the road.

Curious, we started to pay closer attention and found that they were all over the place, tons of them.

We wondered what was up, and the answer was a bit surprising, most of the ropes can be traced back to a couple of nine-year-old girls. What?… CONTINUE READING >>

While exploring the area around Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park, we noticed a rope strung across the road.

Curious, we started to pay closer attention and found that they were all over the place, tons of them.

We wondered what was up, and the answer was a bit surprising, most of the ropes can be traced back to a couple of nine-year-old girls. What? That’s right, two kids with a big idea had a huge impact on the ecosystem of the region.

Let’s go back to the beginning and explain how we learned about this.

A Facebook friend suggested that while we were in Costa Rica we should check out Kids Saving the Rainforest if we had the chance and, chance would have it, we would.

We just happened to be staying near the Hotel Mono Azul, Blue Monkey to us gringos, which is the official meeting spot for tours of the Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Rescue Center and Sanctuary.

A short ride into the forest took us to the Blue Banyan Inn, which provides a home to the sanctuary and lodging for volunteers. As we chatted with a few of the longtime workers, we got the scoop on the remarkable story of how things all came together.

Back in 1999, two friends, Janine Licare and Aislin Livingstone, got the idea to raise money for a project to “save the rainforest,” so they set about selling papier-mâché bottles and painted rock paperweights from a “crazy cute” roadside stand.

They were shocked to discover that the money they raised was not enough to buy and save the entire forest, they were only nine after all, so they started small by making monkey bridges.

A capuchin monkey in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica — A capuchin monkey at Manuel Antonio National Park

So that’s what those ropes across the roads are! They provide a safe way for monkeys to get across the road.

Much better than power lines, which have a nasty tendency to electrocute a crossing primate from time to time.

Hearing their story had us excited to see what became of the project after fifteen years, so we headed into the forest to check it out.

Quite an operation has grown from those humble beginnings, placing bridges (over one hundred and thirty so far) in areas where monkeys often travel is still a big part of it, and those efforts have paid off big time.

Since beginning the program, the population of the once endangered squirrel monkey has more than doubled.

A squirrel monkey baby rides his mother's back on the grounds of Parador Resort and Spa in Costa Rica. — Baby squirrel monkey riding on his mother’s back at Parador.

The bridges were just the beginning; they have worked with Costa Rica’s National Park Service and schools to plant nearly seven thousand rainforest trees, and the Wildlife Rescue Center and Sanctuary is now in full swing.

To date they have saved hundreds of monkeys, also in addition to marmosets, tamarins, kinkajou, sloths, porcupines, parrots, and parakeets.

Our first stop was the hospital, where an orphaned three-toed sloth baby was getting a snack of hibiscus flowers.

If you think that‘s cute, you have to watch her in action:

Injured and orphaned animals are brought in from all around the area, treated, and ideally released back into the wild.

It is very similar to the highly successful system we saw in Australia at the Koala Sanctuary and the Australia Zoo.

As with those facilities, if it is determined that the animals are unlikely to fare well in the wild, or if they are not indigenous to the area, then they are kept on site and looked after for the rest of their lives.

Because of this we got to see a few species that we otherwise never would have encountered in Costa Rica.

One of those was a tiny member of the primate family, the common marmoset.

They are well represented in the sanctuary because they have adapted very successfully to breeding while in captivity.

The attempts to keep them separated by sex have proven to be less than completely effective. From the looks of the little guys, we’d say it would be a good idea to never feed them after midnight, or let them get wet either.

Native to Brazil, these gremlins …oops… marmosets, were rescued from a scientific research facility, or at least the first generation of them was. Most of the other non-indigenous species were pets that either escaped their owners or had been abandoned.

But the bulk of the sanctuary’s residents are native species that will one day get to return to the rainforest.

While the center regularly cares for all of Costa Rica’s types of monkeys — capuchin, howler, squirrel, and Geoffroy’s spider monkeys – only three of the four were being tended to on the day of our visit.

There were no howler monkeys, which was good news in that it meant none were currently sick or injured. We had seen some in the wild so we didn’t feel like we were missing out too much, and there were plenty of other monkeys to see.

Squirrel monkeys overhead in a special enclosure at Kids Saving the Rainforest in Quepos, Costa Rica — Hanging out over our heads!

A few days earlier, on the grounds of The Parador Resort, we had encountered a group of Central American squirrel monkeys.

Now we had a chance to get even closer, and perhaps interact a bit with the rambunctious little rascals.

Their huge enclosure was specially designed so that visitors can pass right through the troop as they scramble alongside and overhead.

Many of the orphaned, rescued squirrel monkeys at Kids Saving the Rainforest suck their thumbs due to early weaning — Many of the orphaned, rescued squirrel monkeys suck their thumbs due to early weaning.

They seemed every bit as curious about us as we were about them, often stopping to examine us through the fence.

On several occasions they reached through the fence, usually in attempts to snatch a hat, button off of a shirt, or camera.

Were they just curious, or out to snap a few monkey selfies?

Note: The photo of the human finger is of a shelter volunteer and visitors are not allowed to touch or handle the animals at any time.

A smaller group of white-faced capuchins began to get a little boisterous when they heard the racket the squirrels were kicking up, so we headed down the path to see what they were up to.

These seem to be the most common primate in Costa Rica, we had seen them almost every day.

In fact, we had been lucky enough to see all of Costa Rica’s indigenous monkeys in the wild, except the rare Geoffroy’s spider monkey, so we were most excited to meet him.

Even in captivity it was a treat for us to see the Geoffroy’s spider monkeys because, not only are there very few, they generally do not live in the area around Manuel Antonio National Park.

They are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Unfortunately the pair here at the sanctuary will not be released back into the wild because the female is too old, and the male was a pet and is not suited for the wild life.

He demonstrated that point when he escaped one time, instead of heading out into the forest, he made a beeline to a nearby home and made himself comfortable in the living room.

These primates are all very intelligent creatures, so the staff has come up with creative activities to keep them entertained.

A favorite for both the volunteers and the monkeys is painting.

Blank pages with fruit and vegetable dyes are placed where the animals can get to them and let their inner Picasso out. The results are quite interesting, very avant-garde.

We got to check out several of the works in the gift area as we were leaving. Yes, even here we exited through the gift shop.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Find out more about Kids Saving the Rainforest – click here to visit their website.

DELVE DEEPER:

See where we stayed: Parador Resort and Spa

Find out more about beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park

Visit the animals of Costa Rica after dark!

See all of our adventures in Costa Rica!

Dog Sledding in Montana!

There are all kinds of fun things to do in the snow, but after trying it we have come to the conclusion that the best of them all is… dog sledding!
Much less bone crunching than skiing, and possibly even more exciting…
CONTINUE READING >>

As we began investigating Whitefish before our trip, we discovered a winter option that we knew we had to try… dog sledding!

Much less bone crunching than skiing, and possibly even more fun. Next stop Jeff Ulsamer’s Dog Sled Adventures just up the road a piece in Olney.

Poor little guy is pouting because he doesn't get to go this time — Poor little guy is pouting because he doesn’t get to go this time.

When we pulled up over one hundred dogs were barking their brains out. To be exact, one hundred and twenty-four according to Jeff.

He explained that the barking was because the teams were being set up with the sleds, and the dogs that were not chosen to pull were pretty upset. They love their jobs! So we showered some of the unchosen with affection – they are incredibly friendly dogs – and readied ourselves for the run.

Getting ready to dog sled in Whitefish, Montana! — All warm and cozy and ready to dog sled!

We wedged our way into a comfy, warm sled and, without a word from our driver, we were on our way. Instantly all of the racket stopped. We slid through the forest with surprising speed, and an even more surprising lack of sound.

Turns out that the cracking whips, yelling of “mush,” and constant barking of the teams are just movie make-believe. In fact, we’ve never seen so much tail wagging in our lives!

In real life the dogs respond to subtle signals from the driver. Most of these are made by shifting the sled, but a few are audible, including periodic “good dogs.”

The team also works on feel, knowing when the sled picks up speed down a hill, or to pull harder on the way up one.

For over an hour we glided through Stillwater State Forest with goofy grins pasted on our faces. It was impossible not to smile watching those eight huskies pull us along.

Actually, we asked about the dogs and they are not necessarily pure bred huskies. They are mixed husky, German shepherd, greyhound, and other breeds that mostly come from a line of rescue dogs that Jeff has been refining since 1979.

Through the years more dogs have been rescued, and the ones that have the right mix of temperament and desire to pull are added into the bloodline. Some might not have any husky in them at all.

In fact, perhaps Jeff’s most famous dog, Bowser (star of local parades, festivals, and fundraisers), is a Blue Tick Hound. Don’t tell him though, he thinks he’s just one of the guys and loves to pull a sled.

After the ride we warmed up by the fire with hot chocolate, fresh cookies, and some conversation with Jeff and the folks from the other sleds.

Then it was time to say goodbye to the dogs and make way for the arriving next batch of riders. As we pulled away, the barking told us that the team selection was underway, and rumor had it that Bowser was going to get to pull this time.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See more:
– Sled Dogs & Snow Ghosts – Whitefish, Montana in the Winter
– A Winter Wonderland Aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder

New Year’s Eve on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Looking to spend New Year’s Eve in The Big Apple? The Brooklyn Bridge is both free of charge AND priceless…
CONTINUE READING >>

Looking to spend New Year’s Eve in The Big Apple?

Millions do every December 31st, but enduring the crowds and craziness of Times Square sure didn’t appeal to us.

There are numerous clubs with parties and bands all over town, fancy restaurants with special dinners and enormous price tags, hotels with rot-gut champagne packages, cruises on the rivers, and even a lung-busting midnight fun run through Central Park.

But we found a fast growing new tradition for our New York New Year revelry – walking across The Brooklyn Bridge. Both free of charge AND priceless.

We began our crossing at about a quarter past eleven, which gave us enough time for a stroll across the bridge and then get back to the middle in time for the countdown to midnight.

The views of the Manhattan skyline, the river, The Statue of Liberty, and the other bridges would make for a fantastic walk on any day or night of the year, but since we had the chance, why not on the eve of a new year?

With about ten minutes left until the big moment, we crowded our way to the center of the bridge. It was packed with revelers, which was not a bad thing since the wind had picked up and the temperature dropped down.

We gladly shared our body heat and excited smiles.

Just before midnight a the countdown began, 3…, 2…, 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hugs and greetings were exchanged between strangers and loved ones alike while fireworks brightly exploded in several locations around the city. Champagne corks popped and toasts were offered as everyone celebrated.

Awesome!

Spice Up Your Holidays with a Tamale Party

Do you need some spice in your life? Here’s a festive holiday idea!

Whether it’s a tamale party or your own special holiday tradition, please be sure to get together with family and friends this year.

Enjoy each other… CONTINUE READING >>

Our visit to Southern California last year could have never been complete without calling on The Negretes, a family I have known my entire life. I literally have no memories without them being there.

Lorri and I have been friends since our first day in kindergarten. Family legend is that while lined up to go in to our classroom, one of us turned to the other and said, “Do you want to be my best friend?” The other returned by answering, “OK.” We took each other by the hand and entered our new lives together.

That simple child-like question was the beginning of an amazing friendship – one that spanned generations. Lorri and I found out that we lived in the same neighborhood, in the exact same tract home design, in the same bedroom within those houses.

Our mothers became best friends, and Sally was my mother’s constant companion through thick and thin, until the day my mother died of cancer in 2001. Lorri selflessly shared “Mommy Sally” with me from that day on.

Prior to our visit it was decided that we should have a tamale party. It was close to the holidays and I have many cozy memories of getting together with the entire Negrete clan to share the love and companionship that comes with making the massive amount of tamales needed for the season.

The whole family would come together, catch up, share laughter and cook together. The meal afterward was a celebration filled with love. And there was always enormous piles of tamales left over to take home to share with friends and neighbors as Christmas gifts.

I was beside myself with excitement, I hadn’t been to one of these occasions since childhood and couldn’t wait to share the experience with David.

Sally had been roasting the meat all day, so her home was warm and well-scented when we arrived. I’ll quote her recipe as I go, as I feel tradition is better served when passed on in the giver’s voice.

“Cook a big shoulder or butt pork roast until meat is so tender that it shreds easily (5-6 hours)
depending on the size. Season with favorite herbs like oregano, chile – the sky is the limit -and salt and pepper.”

Margaritas are a key ingredient at a tamale party. Sally’s husband, David, was our bartender for the evening and David never disappoints. While he blended and concocted, the rest of us pulled the pork, prepared the tamale fillers and toasted life.

“Along with the meat, you can add variety of goodies. Our fave is Green chiles and cheese. Use your imagination.”

Sally and David had made a special trip for the masa. There are only two ingredients in plain masa, corn and lime, but the process is time consuming and it is not suggested for the novice, especially in the large quantity needed for a party.

“We buy our masa at Carrillo’s in San Fernando. We go there because of long-standing good reputation. They also have a restaurant with yummy stuff. It is best to call ahead to order your masa, especially around the holidays. Tamale making is very popular in Hispanic neighborhoods like San Fernando.”

“When you order, you can choose from plain, red – which is what we buy – and sweet. The red has a mild chile flavor and that adds depth to the overall flavor. Masa can also be purchased at all Mexican markets.”

“Form tamales in specially packaged corn husks (also available in Mexican markets). These husks should be soaked in warm water to soften (about 1 hour) prior to assembly of the tamales.”

This is the fun part. The Negrete kitchen is large and an island is set in the middle. We all gathered around, facing each other, sharing stories from our childhoods and the time that had passed since we last saw each other.
David sure got an earful of the antics of Lorri and me, including the time we used a bench in my backyard as a stage. We WERE the Supremes, hairbrush mics and all.

We used sweet masa for the dessert tamales, again, feel free to jam with the ingredients. We stuck with the traditional pineapple and raisin.

Once each tamale’s filling is finished, tuck in the bottom and roll ’em up.

Tear strips from the husks to tie it all together.

Party-goers come and go from the island, to the bar, to the living room. The stories get more and more jovial. Soon Sally started manning the stove top.

“Steam cook finished tamales for about 1 hour until masa is firm and serve. We use a purchased sauce from Carrillo’s. You can purchase a good Mexican enchilada sauce at the market. Enjoy!!”

And boy did we! Not only had we made enough to stuff ourselves silly, we brought bags and bags along with us to share with everyone we encountered for weeks.

Tamales freeze exceptionally well and it’s just a quick pop into the microwave to revive them. I’ve been known to eat ’em straight out of the fridge using the husk for a holder.

Whether it’s a tamale party or your own special holiday tradition, please be sure to get together with family and friends this year. Enjoy each other.

On a sad note, as I am writing this post, Sally lost her own battle with cancer. It was very close to a year to the day from when she threw a tamale party for me. She was the most giving soul I’ve ever known.

A rare combination of vibrancy in life and calm within a storm. I will miss her counsel and her constant reminders that there is good in everyone. She could have invented the phrase “Maybe she’s just having a bad day.”

My days are so much better because of Sally.

Seriously folks, try her tamales. And be good to each other.

Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Costa Rican Jungle Bike Ride

While investigating the incredible creatures of the Costa Rican night at the Parador Resort our guide, Danny, asked if we would be interested in taking a bicycle tour through the jungle the next day.

He didn’t have to ask twice… CONTINUE READING >>

While investigating the incredible creatures of the Costa Rican night at the Parador Resort our guide, Danny, asked if we would be interested in taking a bicycle tour through the jungle the next day.

He didn’t have to ask twice.

The next morning we set out bright and early on what would be the most unique bike ride of our lives.

Our first clue that this would be a very different kind of outing was when we noticed a little green snake on our spokes just as we were getting ready to start.

He wasn’t bothering anything, and he was kind of cute, so we snapped a couple of photos and waited for him to move along.

Once our wheels were reptile free, we set out down a dirt road that disappeared into the dense forest.

As we rode along the rustic roadway, we noticed that trees had been planted in straight rows along the side of the road.

On closer inspection, we could see that they were used as fence posts. With an even closer look we found that the trees had grown around the wire making for a permanent connection.

Deeper into the growth we stopped to check out an interesting seed pod that looked like a seashell. Nearby, we found a number of plants proudly presenting bright red flowers. Crimson seemed to be the most common color, at least in this part of the rainforest.

As we learned at the weaving cooperative in the tiny village of Chincheros, Peru, the landscape is filled with plants and bugs that can be used to create vibrant dyes and pigments.

Danny demonstrated one of these by simply rubbing a leaf between his fingers and turning them blood red. This definitely had some practical joke possibilities, but instead we moved on.

Wildlife seemed a bit scarce, or at least they weren’t showing themselves much. We were mostly surprised by the lack of monkeys, since they seemed to be abundant everywhere else we had been in Costa Rica.

We did get a chance to get up close and personal with a few critters though. In addition to our reptilian send off, we saw several other fascinating lizards and interesting insects.

A couple of hours into our explorations, Danny had us dismount and led us down a steep path descending into the depths of the rainforest.

All he would tell us was that a surprise awaited us at the end of the trail.

The mysterious payoff did not disappoint. In fact, after pedaling for several miles through the tropical heat this emerald pool beneath a refreshing waterfall was a joy to behold.

We asked if it was OK to jump in, but it was just a formality. Almost nothing could have kept us from cooling off from the jungle sun in that inviting water.

We swam and frolicked for quite some time, but began to notice that we were getting a little hungry.

Danny had one more surprise up his sleeve, and it was a doozy. The last thing we expected to find out here was a sumptuous picnic spread out before us.

We devoured fresh fruits, tortillas, and Costa Rica’s famous coffee, made in a simple yet ingenious contraption known as a chorreador.

The ground beans are filtered through what looks disturbingly like an old sock. Luckily looks can be deceiving, because the finished product yields some of the best java we have ever had the pleasure to sip.

Yet another revelation during our day of two-wheeled discovery.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See all of our adventures in Costa Rica!

YOUR turn: Would you ride a bike through the jungle?

A HUGE gracias to Parador Resort and Spa for providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

Journey to the Most Active Volcano in Costa Rica

Costa Rica sits right smack on the Pacific Ring of Fire and we couldn’t imagine a visit without seeing one of the country’s six active volcanoes.

Our journey covered an amazing amount of territory in one day. We saw everything from urban to small town, cloud forest to volcano, without ever once getting lost. And for bonus not-getting-lost points, we still had time to spend a pampered afternoon lounging in nature’s hot tubs…. CONTINUE READING >>

While staying in San Jose, Costa Rica, we had a burning desire to see well beyond the city limits.

Wanting to take a day trip, but not wanting to go through the hassle of renting a car, procuring maps and driving through the pitch-dark jungle at night, we instead booked a last-minute adventure with our buddies over at Viator.

Our journey covered an amazing amount of territory in one day. We saw everything from urban to small town, cloud forest to volcano, without ever once getting lost.

And for bonus not-getting-lost points, we still had time to spend a pampered afternoon lounging in nature’s hot tubs.

This part of Central America sits right smack on the Pacific Ring of Fire — volcanic activity is nearly constant — and we couldn’t imagine a visit to Costa Rica without seeing one of the country’s six active volcanoes.

That would be a sin — like missing out on the monkeys — so Volcán Arenal would be the focus of our excursion.

Our day started with a spin through the country’s capital and biggest city, San Jose, as our guide, Julio, regaled us with history and highlights while slipping seamlessly from Spanish to English to accommodate all of our fellow travelers.

The world's largest ox cart in Sarchí, Costa Rica — The world’s largest ox cart in Sarchí.

A few miles up The Pan-American Highway, we made our first stop in the small town of Sarchí. The area is known as the furniture-making center of the country.

In addition to housewares, the town’s Corrales family became famous for building ox carts.

The carts were used to carry coffee down from the plantations in the mountains to the Pacific Ocean for shipping and became so iconic that Sarchí commissioned the construction of the world’s largest ox cart in 2006.

The whale of a wagon stands in the main square and holds a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

When we exited the main road on our way to the west side of Volcán Arenal, we climbed higher into the mountains and the sun disappeared as we wound our way through a cloud forest.

These unique ecozones are found only in a few places on earth, where the land is shrouded in clouds almost every day of the year.

A thick jungle thrives in the constant moisture that forms when the humid tropical air rises into the mountains.

Hugging the curvy mountain road, we were treated to a beautiful surprise around every corner.

Once we crossed the crest of the range — and breaking back into the daylight — Julio pointed out the classic conical shape of Arenal, Costa Rica’s youngest and most eruptive volcano.

It felt eerie to be In the shadow of one of the world’s most active volcanoes as we pulled off the paved route and followed a gravel road up to the national park observation area.

On the short hike to the Arenal observation area we were highly impressed by the most air plant-laden trees we’d ever seen. On closer inspection, many of them were also fruit laden.

Using his hiking stick, Julio stretched up and treated us to ultra-fresh guava by knocking a few from the treetops. Believe us, until you’ve had a guava that fresh, you haven’t lived!

The viewing area is set in a large open space with a panoramic view of the valley, Lake Arenal, and on a rare, perfectly clear day the entire western side of the mountain is visible.

Standing on the platform, we watched and waited, hoping for a break, as clouds whisked by Arenal’s.

The summit played peek-a-boo with us for about a half an hour before the clouds won the day.

Though we didn’t see the entire mountain, Julio was nevertheless thrilled because we did get to see about ninety percent of the cone.

And it was clear enough that lava flows and ash from recent eruptions were easily identifiable as the west slope of Arenal has been highly active since 1968.

The east side has been spared the rivers of molten rock and explosions, earning the name La Fortuna, The Fortunate.

We considered ourselves to be among the fortunate, as we were heading that way to lounge in the heated water that springs forth from the mountain at the Baldi Hot Springs Resort.

Our visions of a hot pond in the middle of the rainforest was blown out of the water.

Baldi has twenty-five separate spring-fed pools, each getting warmer as they rise up the mountain/ volcanoside.

Each pool has a unique personality with waterfalls, bridges and even full-service bars right in the naturally-heated water.

There are waterslides for kids and thrill seekers, and a full service spa for the more sublime, but we were more than content to simply soak our cares away.

See more photos of beautiful Baldi Hot Springs Resort!

After several tranquil hours making our way down from one pool to the next, we enjoyed a spread of Italian and local dishes at the resort’s buffet at the base of Arenal.

Then it was back aboard the bus for the ride back to San Jose.

Making our way back through the cloud forest in the dark, we were doubly sure of our decision to leave the driving to someone with experience at wheeling through the pitch-black jungle.

And after the hot springs, a bus nap was much appreciated!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Big thanks to Viator for providing this explosive adventure! As always, all opinions are our own. To see more about this tour, click here.

See all of our adventures in Costa Rica!

Creatures of the Costa Rican Night

When the sun sets in Costa Rica, the jungle comes to life!

<– Just look at these little guys!

Join your GypsyNesters on a walk through a world of amorous amphibians, screeching owls, hidden-away bats and the other creatures that lurk in the dark of Costa Rica… CONTINUE READING >>

The grounds of the Parador Resort in Costa Rica are treated like a nature preserve.

This was the intention from the very beginning, and was incorporated into the design and building of the hotel.

The biodiversity of the surrounding forest was not only sustained, it was actually increased by replanting much of the natural habitat for the indigenous wildlife.

So on our first day we set out on one of the many trails to check out some exotic animals, but struck out pretty badly.

If not for a troop of capuchin monkeys that we stumbled upon near the end of our walk, we would have been skunked completely.

This didn’t make us very confident in our chances for animal encounters on the night tour we were scheduled for that evening.

If we couldn’t see them in broad daylight, how in the world would we in the dark?

The answer was simple, by knowing how to look. Turns out there were tons of critters all around us; we just sucked at spotting them.

We had only taken a few steps away from the hotel when our guide, Danny, pointed out a screech owl up in a tree. In an instant he had him in his flashlight beam and we were looking the wise guy right in the eyes.

Making our way down some stairs we encountered our next nocturnal native, a cane toad. Also known as the giant toad, this is the largest amphibian in Costa Rica, probably because no one messes with them.

The two bulges on the side of Mr. Toad’s neck are chock-full-o-toxin, and kill most anything unlucky enough to eat him. Over time, most everybody in the animal kingdom has learned to leave the cane toads alone.

While we were watching the toxic toad, we kept hearing a thumping sound, something like a big stick beating on a log. The pitch blackness made it all the more surreal, what in the heck is going on out in the jungle?

Well it wasn’t really in the jungle after all, the goings on were in a small, man-made frog pond just a few hundred yards away.

Yup, a bullfrog, or rather several bullfrogs feeling rather romantic, was raising all that racket.

Once upon our discovery, Princess Veronica attempted to conjure up a prince by giving one of the loud-mouthed amphibians a smooch.

Guess she picked the wrong frog, because she’s still living in a very small castle on wheels.

The bullfrogs were not alone in their pool; there were several other representatives from the scores of frog and toad species that call Costa Rica home.

Without a doubt, the most famous of these is the Red-eyed Tree Frog. Let’s face it, these guys take a great picture, but it almost has to be at night.

In the daylight our little buddy Agalychnis callidryas hides on the leaves by staying perfectly still, keeping those bright red peepers closed, and being just the right shade of green.

Guess Kermit never thought about that advantage, it makes it a little easier being green.

While we were entranced by the red-eyed guy, Danny found another example of one of Costa Rica’s forty three different types of tree frogs. He brought the pair, who were locked into some serious night fever, over to show us.

The pair appeared completely oblivious, or at least it was going to take a lot more than a few humans messing with them to break the mood.

Most all of the frogs seemed to think it was the right time of the night, and some of the toads too.

We learned how to determine the difference, toads can be identified by their bumpy skin, perhaps that’s why they have been tagged with causing warts.

Having our fill of the amorous amphibians, we set out deeper into the darkness to see what we could find.

Danny led us to what looked to be an ordinary tree — that is until we turned upside down and looked into a small hole in one of the limbs.

A pair of bats was hiding inside, leaving us scratching our heads in wonder.

How in the world does he find these things?

Our last encounter of the evening was with a three-toed sloth hanging from a branch.

While these guys are not nocturnal, it’s hard to tell because they hardly move even when they are awake.

Their diet of leaves provides very little energy, leading to a very low metabolic rate of less than half that for most mammals their size.

By the time we returned to the hotel we had seen a cane toad, four types of frogs, two sloths, several birds, and three species of bats.

Guess that proves that with the proper guide there is plenty of easily observable wildlife, even in the dark.

But hey, we spotted that troop of white-faced Capuchin monkeys with no help at all. So if all of the animals would swing from tree to tree while chattering and making lots of noise, in broad daylight, we’d be good.

Needless to say, we’d be going back out with Danny the next day.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Visit the Parador Resort and Spa website

A HUGE gracias to Parador Resort and Spa for providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

See all of our adventures in Costa Rica!

ORDER NOW - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Search…