Costa Rica – Part 1

MY COSTA RICA TRIP 

Costa Rica is a wonderful place for adventure travel and is also a great place for family travel because your children can learn so much about plants and animals as this beautiful country is so diverse.

We left Dallas and 100+ temperatures heading for Costa Rica.  When we arrived at the Liberia airport it was in the mid 80’s.  Our guide, Jose, picked us up and after we stopped and ate at a quaint little restaurant we began our journey into the valleys and mountains of Costa Rica.  Our first stop was a huge Guanacaste Tree that was about 200 years old.  This tree is used to make furniture and other wood items.  Our guide was great and he would stop along the way whenever he spotted something for us to see like a Spoon- billed Ibus, Black Belly Ducks or Egrets.  Jose had his binoculars available for us to use along with his bird books.  

Everything was so beautiful that once my husband asked if we were driving by a resort because there were so many flowers and blooming trees all around.  Jose said, no, it was just a Concrete plant. 

Most of the ranches make their fences from live trees by taking the tops off, put them in the ground and grow more fences.  Most of the cattle are Brahmas because they can move their skin to keep the insects off. 

We passed pineapple, mangrove, papaya, orange, lemon, lime, corn and even windmill farms that are used for power.  Costa Rica’s electricity comes from water, wind or geo thermo from the volcanoes. 

Jose pulled over all excited one time to show us a family of curl bill toucans.  Then we stopped to watch a tree full of howler monkeys.  We asked if they were always there, and Jose said, no, they were not plastic, they were real.  He had a cute sense of humor.

Then we rounded a corner and Lake Arenal came into view.  WOW…what a view.  We were up high with the lake down below, it was breathtaking. The flowers and trees were in such full bloom that we felt sure the tourism board had planted them.  But Jose assured us they were planted by nature.

I will let you know more of my trip soon.  Please go to ‘contact us’  with any questions you may have on Costa Rica or any other travel questions.