Stateside

Once again, Mike and I are stateside, having left Costa Rica on Wednesday. We may be back in familiar territory, but that doesn't mean we've paused our adventures. We have a very busy couple of weeks planned for this travel abroad intermission. I'm getting ahead of myself though, because I still have to catch you up on our last few days in Costa Rica.

We left Fortuna and the Arenal area behind as we pedaled our way toward the mountains and the airport embedded within them, some 120 kilometers away. The first day in our final stretch brought us to Ciudad Quesada. On our way there, however, we stopped to watch some crazy biker kids practicing their stunts by the side of the road. I had to hold Mike back from attempting the jump with his bike fully loaded. After all, I didn't want a repeat of his stunt from a few days before (See the Side Note at the bottom of this post for a recounting of a previous incident). Anyways, back to the stunt bikers...







He didn't stick the landing, but he didn't break his neck either. This time.



The kid acting as a prop for this jump very nearly became a pancake...or tortilla...or something very flat and squashed. Unfortunately, Mike and I didn't really see any carnage.

After reaching Ciudad Quesada, Mike and I went to bed pretty early because we suspected the next day would be a bit tough. It certainly had its ups and downs, but mostly ups.

We started climbing before we even left CQ since it was situated on a hill at about 2000 feet above sea level. Our highest point of the day brought us to 5400 feet, so as you can imagine we got a bit of a workout. We netted about 3400 feet, but we probably grossed about 5000 with all the twisty hills.

Luckily, the weather cooperated all day long, for a change. It was nice and cool when we left, which is perfect for climbing hills. True, it was so foggy that I couldn't see the 1000 ft. ravines on the other side of the guard rails, but the fog also meant that most of the drivers were very cautious and courteous. If it had been hot and humid and sunny, I'm not sure we would have made it through the day. That combo does not complement steep and hilly.



I'm being swallowed up by the fog in this picture, and I'm only about 10 meters away from Mike.

I was a bit bummed that we were missing the spectacular views we were earning with every inch, but that slight was quickly made right once we reached the top. We must have timed things perfectly because the sunshine popped out as we started our descent and we could finally see the fantastic views.



A view of one small village (and the steep roads leading to it) on our way down.



Another hillside view.

We made it to Zarcero, our halfway point (kilometer-wise) of the day, at about 1:00. What a cute little mountain town! I'm sure I was in a fantastic mood because I'd already finished the hard part of the day and because I felt like Superwoman and because the sun was shining, but it really was one of the quaintest towns we've come across. We stopped for lunch across from THE central park of all Central American central parks. It was phenomenal! The church (a standard central park feature) was adorable, but the sculpted bushes really took the cake.



The church was so picturesque.



Here it is from another angle, with some of the sculpted bushes. The entire walkway directly in front of the church was lined with "M" shaped bushes, forming arches.



Yet another angle.



I love the crazy artsy way Mike has framed this picture.



Some of the bushes were shaped like animals and what-not. This one's a stegasaurus.



The flowers were beautiful too, and Mike even caught a hummingbird in this photo!



When Mike goes on his photography missions, I watch the bikes and anything else within my view. This dog was lounging near me for a while. Looks comfortable, doesn't he?



This van passed by as soon as Mike got back too. It's advertising a type of hair gel. Supposedly it holds as well as gorilla snot.

We left Zarcero at a reasonable time, thinking that we could bust out the last 25 kilometers quite quickly since they were predominantly downhill. Our plan worked pretty well for a while. Then, on one of the really long downhills my tire stopped cooperating. Flat in seconds. As usual, Mike was zipping ahead of me down the hill and didn't witness my predicament. He also had the tools I needed to repair the tire. Oops! With few options, I began to walk downhill looking for a random bike repair shop (a slim possibility, but a possibility nonetheless) or a kind soul with a pickup truck. A guy with a motorcycle stopped to help, but that didn't do much good. I wasn't about to abandon my bike to go find Mike, so the motorcyclist wanted me to climb on the back of his bike and somehow carry my bike under my arm as we went downhill. As if! That thing weighs almost 100 lbs. with all of my gear on it (as I discovered when I tried to check it on our flight back to the States). He then seemed to think that if I took all of the bags off and piled them onto his motorcycle we could make it downhill that way. After a few ridiculous suggestions, I thanked him and just started walking downhill again. Luckily, I finally flagged down 3 gentlemen with a truck. They pitched my bike in back and we set off to find Mike, who had faithfully been pedalling his way back up this extremely long and steep hill. My knight in shining armor. He didn't just ditch me as I suspected he might. In fact he was quite worried since he saw a couple of ambulances pass him on the way up. I'm glad they weren't for me! We were reunited, a bit more quickly than would have otherwise been the case thanks to the guys in the truck, but we still had to patch the tire. By then end of that ordeal we barely made it to Sarchi by nightfall. It was definitely one of our longest days!

The next morning brought the last biking day of our trip as we intended to get to Alajuela, just a few short kilometers from the airport, that evening. The central park in Sarchi featured a giant Carreta, which is a traditional wooden ox-cart. They generally have very elaborate designs, and this one was no exception.



Here's the ox-cart, complete with a yoke (that's what they're called, right?).



I couldn't get it to budge. I suspect Paul Bunyan's blue ox Babe might have managed, but we couldn't find it.

We passed a few more interesting sights on our way to Alajuela, then finished up our day with some last-minute souvenir shopping and some repacking.



An elaborate front gate depicting a cock fight.



Lychee-like fruits for sale by the road.



Our bikes all folded and stashed in some boxes that we picked up in town. We looked crazy hauling those boxes down the middle of the street, I'm sure -- especially since Mike's beard already makes him look homeless.

We caught an early morning cab to the airport and left Costa Rica behind on Wednesday morning. Now I'm in Iowa City and Mike is in Buffalo. I'll fill you in on stateside happenings in some other post.

I hope you're not expecting a neat summation of our 3 month bike trip in Central America, because I can't imagine how I'd sum it up. All I know is that it was fantastic and we're looking forward to the rest of our journey as well (both here in the States and later in South America). I hope you keep traveling with us!!

Side Note: I almost forgot! I have to tell you about Mike's accident the other day... Let me start by setting the scene:

[The opening shot pans through the luxurious Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa. The image glides slightly out of focus past steaming waterfalls and tropical foliage, eventually coming to rest on the pool featuring a wet bar and several hot springs patrons. As the image comes into focus, you can see that the guests are having a fine time sipping their pina coladas and chatting with the amiable bartenders. The camera then pans right, zooming in on an animated conversation between the two lead characters, Mike and Jackie:]

Mike: I am a champion underwater swimmer and I challenge you to a contest that will put your aquatic abilities to the test!
Jackie: Uh-huh...
Mike: I doubt you have the strength of character to complete the daunting task I lay before you.
Jackie: You do, do you?
Mike: Here are the terms: we shall dive beneath these steamy waters and propel ourselves forward without breaking the surface for as long as possible. We will take turns and the victor will be the competitor who has conquered the depths and vanquished the other by covering the greater distance. Undoubtedly, I will prove the master in this task, which requires much skill and moral fortitude.
Jackie: Right-o. So, you want me to go first?
Mike: I am a gentleman, and ladies always go first. You may commence your attempt now, but remeber that you will have only one chance to prove your competence in this complex task.
Jackie: Here goes. [She dives beneath the water and resurfaces very near the opposite side of the pool. She waits for Mike to make his attempt.]
Mike: M'lady, your aquatic journey seems but a feeble attempt to challenge my underwater prowess. Observe as I best you in this competition of physical stamina and psychological manipulation. [With dramatic flair he launches himself from the starting line. Before traveling more than 5 feet he resurfaces, sputtering and moaning as the water turns red around him.]
Jackie: What the hell? Are you okay?
Mike: 'Tis only a flesh wound inflicted by the fierce creatures of the deep.
Jackie: Bullshit, we're in a swimming pool at a fancy resort. It has a wet bar, not sharks.
Mike: Can you not see how the skin has been torn from my lip and noble chin? My handsome whiskers have been stripped from my visage!
Jackie: Yeah, I can see alright. What did you do? Scrape your face on the bottom of the pool?

[End scene. The camera fades to black.]

Arenal

We've had a fantastic few days in the wonderland surrounding Lake Arenal and its counterpart, Volcano Arenal. There's a lot to see and do in this area of Costa Rica, so we've been taking it easy on our bikes. Though we've covered less than 100 km since I last wrote, we've been busy!

After biking uphill from Tilaran on Wednesday, we got our first view of Lake Arenal. During the high season, this is a haven for windsurfing and kiteboarding since the winds are high. The electricity-generating windmills on the hills around the lake also attest to the gustiness of the area. Since the lake is man-made and dammed, as well, this is where most of the power for all of western Costa Rica is generated.



Those windmills on the top of the hills surrounding Lake Arenal.

We were expecting the heaviest amount of tourist traffic yet as we started our ride around the lake, so we were surprised when very few cars passed us. After about 15 km we discovered why: a HUGE chunk of road was gone. We rolled up to a giant mud pit in the road, impassable by anything with more than 2 wheels. We had little trouble pushing our bikes into the ditch and back up, but other vehicles had a bit more difficulty. We saw crates of produce being unloaded one-by-one on one side of the ditch and hand-carried to a waiting truck on the other side. Any tour bus passengers headed that way have to disembark their bus, pick their way through the muck, and reboard another bus waiting on the opposite side. Any uninformed drivers of personal vehicles are shit-out-of-luck because there simply aren't any detours that won't take you at least 200 kilometers and 5 hours out of your way. Needless to say, we were suddenly enlightened as to why there weren't too many tourists or vehicles of any sort around. Not that we minded.



Here's that huge hole in the road. Apparently the road was simply washed out by some heavy rains (not surprising). Construction is ongoing to install some better drainage and a proper bridge.

The area around the lake is a bit geared toward your European tourist -- or at least that's how it seems. Every other resort is run by a Swede or boasts German eats. I felt like I was in Epcot Center. Luckily all this kitsch doesn't detract too much from the beauty of the area!

Plenty of the time we found ourselves winding through stretches that would have seemed completely remote if it weren't for the nicely paved road. The trees and plant life are amazingly diverse and colorful here. We also found loads of monkeys, bright and chirpy birds, and even a few pizotes (I think they're related to raccoons, but they look like really fuzzy little bears with long tails. They're sooo cute, and friendly enough to chase after cars). All of this beautiful plant and animal life was periodically punctuated by a gorgeous view of the lake or the volcano looming overhead. Arenal may just be my favorite place from this trip.



A moth on a pretty blue background. We also saw several blue morpho butterflies the color of the background, but they wouldn't stay still long enough for Mike to photograph them.



A monkey performing some acrobatics for us.



And another one stretching or scratching his back. (The pic's a bit out of focus, but that's because I took this one.)



Mike actually found this emerald basilisk lizard at the Tabacon hot springs, but I thought I'd put him with the rest of the animal photos.

On the first day of our Tour de Arenal we stopped at a great little gallery just beyond the hole in the road. It's called the Casa Delagua and features the work of an artist named Juan Carlos Ruiz Soto. We had a nice chat with him and I bought a small painting of the volcano. If you're interested, I linked his web site on the left. Neat stuff.

We finished our first day at an Eco-lodge called La Ceiba. It wasn't our first pick (a little pricier than we would have liked), but we missed the other places we were looking for somehow and it was getting late. The driveway was ridiculously long and steep, but once we actually made it up to the hotel we had a very nice view of the lake. The German couple running the place was very nice and made us an elaborate breakfast in the morning (included in the price of the room). The best part about this lodge was the enormous ceiba tree on the property. Supposedly it's over 500 years old, about 60 meters tall, and famous all over Costa Rica.



Here I am standing at the base of the Ceiba tree.



And here's a view of the whole tree. I'm still standing at the base, as Mike has helpfully pointed out. In fact, he copied my image and stacked it 25 times in the picture. Not that that is even an acurate representation of the tree's height since the perspective is from a hill above it...

The next day on our Tour de Arenal we splurged BIG TIME. We stayed at a top-notch hot springs resort at the base of the Arenal volcano. It's called Tabacon, and I posted a link to its web site on the left too, if you're interested. The hotel room was plush and we were even supplied fluffy robes, but the best part by far was the hot springs resort. Built right in the midst of the jungle, the resort had multiple pools of varying temperatures tucked away between trees and flowers. Some of the pools looked like typical resort pools with slides or fake waterfalls or wet bars, but there were others that were more carefully integrated into the surroundings. Many pools were very natural-looking, and Mike an I weren't really sure how much of the place had been constructed and how much was pre-existing. There were waterfalls and rocky streams everywhere. The black volcanic rock lined many of the pools and slightly smaller rocks made up the bottoms. It was heavenly to sit in those hot springs after all the biking we've done, and especially nice once the rain started coming down. Since we were staying at the hotel, we had access to the hot springs for both our check-in and our check-out days. We took advantage of both and didn't leave on the second day until after 3:00. We purposely planned a very short day of biking to a town called La Fortuna.



A nice stock photo of resort lounge chairs.



A pretty plant by the pool.



Even the food was pretty.



Here I am sitting in one of the waterfalls at the hot springs. Not the most attractive expression on my face, but I'm sure you've come to expect that by now -- besides, that water was HOT! Can you tell how much darker my arms are than my legs? They see a lot more sunlight. You can also kind of make out my sandal tan. That'll be cute with my shoes for Kristen's wedding.



Even the streams at Tabacon were hot.



There were beautiful plants and flowers surrounding all of the pools.



Mike is lounging in one of the hot springs and I'm the photographer for a change.



Mike getting pounded by a hot waterfall.

On the way from Tabacon the volcano sent up a few puffs of smoke in a small eruption. We still haven't seen any lava, but at least there was some activity. It's quite a sight, towering overhead.



Here's a pic of that ashy eruption.

Today we're just chilling in Fortuna before our last stretch of biking. I'm dreading the last couple of days because we have to bike several thousand feet up to get to the airport. We only have about 120 km to go, but they might be our hardest yet. At any rate, I'll be ready for a bit of a break back in the States.

Here are a few more pictures related to past posts:



The Taiwanese Friendship Bridge.



The mosaiced front of the Catholic church in Cañas, decorated by artist Otto Apuy.



The church's unusually-themed jungle stained glass window.



I don't believe I've mentioned this before... Every so often we come across this symbol painted on the pavement in the road. I did a bit of research and found out that they mark the spot where a pedestrian has been killed by a motor vehicle. The symbol serves as a sort of memorial and a warning. There are far too many of them on the roads, if you ask me.



Mike was convinced that the Cat in the Hat was hiding from us behind this hill.

Okay, that's it for now in terms of pictures, but I'll fill you in on the latest poll. We had to patch or replace my tire tube 6 times between September 10th and 12th! It was pretty damn frustrating. Had to do it again just the other day, too. Hopefully, it will hold out for our last three days of biking!

Wet and Wild!

So, the last couple of days have been very . . . wet. It rains everyday here, usually from about 2:00 on, but that's not even the whole story. Before I can even see a cloud in the sky I'm drenched, because when it's not raining the sun beats down on me with scorching intensity. My cheeks were sweating so profusely today that it probably looked like I was grieving a loss. I was sweating like a guilty fat man being given a lie detector test in a sauna . . . on the sun. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore heat, the clouds rolled in and began dumping rain. That's when I got cold. It's still raining now, 8 hours later, and I'm afraid Mike and I will have to rent a canoe for tomorrow instead of taking our bikes on the road. Sheesh!

Anyways, our bike trip from Nicoya yesterday was a doozy. We took a crazy route (the only one really) that led us snaking around the mouth of the river that spills into the bay separating the mainland from the peninsula we had been on. The only problem was that the bridge on the route was not where the map said it was. We took a massive detour that added about 15 kilometers to our day, which we had already planned to be a long one. The bridge was lovely though. Constructed by the Taiwanese and pleasantly named the Friendship Bridge, it is the pride of Costa Ricans who snap photos of its unusual design. Despite the detour, we pressed on (through the rain) and made it to Cañas before nightfall.

The coolest thing about Cañas is its zany Catholic church. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well this particular church has been attacked by artist Otto Apuy, and, as our guidebook claims, "is unlike anything on display at the Vatican." The entire front of the church is covered in tiled mosaic, as are many of the other features on the outside of the building. There's the traditional shepherd and some crosses, but there are also some rather trippy designs. The large stain glass features a jungle scene rather than something explicitly biblical. Sadly, the inside is as boring as most of the churches we've seen. I'll put up pictures of the mosaics soon.

Today we biked only a short distance to a town called Tilaran, but the ride was mostly uphill and we wanted to take it easy after our long day Monday. Next, we'll slowly work our way around Lake Arenal towards the volcano on the other side, which is known for its regular fireworks shows. Speaking of fireworks, I now have some pictures of our fireworks-less Costa Rican Independence Day:



An un-enthused parade dancer.



This drummer boy was kind of getting into the spirit.



A pile of maracas being sold a few feet from the festivities.



Some interesting boats off the coast of Coco, Costa Rica.



A boy and his bike on the beach (which had nice rocky outcroppings).



Sand fight! The sand in Coco is very dark and almost has the consistency of mud.

Well, that's it for now. Take care, everyone! We'll be seeing you soon!

What?!? No Fireworks?!?

So, Independence Day turned out to be a bit of a flop. I was hoping for some crazy, colorful festivities, but we either missed them or they plain didn't happen. We got up in time to see the parade, but it was pretty dull compared to some of the impromptu parades we've just happened across on our trip. Basically, it consisted of various groups of school children marching, playing instuments, and dancing (sort of). None of them did so with much enthusiasm -- probably because it was so hot. The bands were almost entirely made up of drummers, which makes for more of a racket than anything. One of the bands had a saxophonist and a trumpeter, but we watched them pass by slowly and I didn't hear those brass instruments once. The dancers (if you could call them that)were kind of amusing though. There was one group of girls in mini-skirts, button-down long-sleeved blouses, black ties, dark sunglasses, and white knee socks that marched by very slowly, stomping only their left feet with every step. They looked like crazy robots. Sadly, after the parade, nothing else happened. No fireworks or anything at night either.

Mike and I spent the rest of the day on Saturday walking along the beach, taking photos and looking for seashells. It was nice. A little rainy, but so is every other day here.

Today we biked southeast to a town called Nicoya. We're trying to schlep our bums over to the volcanoes as speedily as possible since we want to have a bit of time left to chill in the hot springs before heading to San Jose and leaving Central America. Nicoya is more of a stop-over than a destination, but it's nice enough.

I don't have much for news since I posted just the other day, but I wanted to add a little something before tacking on these photos!



Pacific sunset viewed from a hilltop in La Cruz, Costa Rica.



One of the boys in costume, dancing in the central park of La Cruz.



And the girls, all lined-up in their pretty dresses.



Here's a contrast for you: from pretty little girls to parts of a dead cow by the side of the road. Eww!