06.11.2010 - rain, coffee and an invisible volcano
On our trip to San Jose as it poured from buckets. Fields and meadows, but also many villages were flooded and roads were buried by landslides in several places. With heavy technology at least one lane was pushed free, so that traffic could roll again.
came out with plenty of late We in the afternoon on which, to the airport, lying in camp at Belén - but again, everything was under water. The large car park of a hotel we found the right place for the first night with our daughter. Shortly after the text message came from Catherine, she had landed on time in San José. After a few minutes we were at the Aeroporto and looked forward to the reunion. Basko also felt that before was something extraordinary. He was excited, and then as Kathi came through the gate, he was no longer tenable. Before we could stop it, he jumped out of the motor home, ran to our daughter and welcomed them in his own way. He jumped again and again and was curious Sounds of joy from him. The other passengers were amused by this spectacle and Basko was the main character. We were at least as happy as Basko and looked forward to the days together.
The first joint night is always special. Kathi had again some delicacies, an important spare parts for our air suspension and ordered the road maps and travel guides for South America brought with him. was seen as everything was still told to keep open their eyes could no longer Kathi. The next morning we were early on the legs, the sun had awakened us and promised a beautiful day. Kathi had no problems with jet lag and could not wait to start our little tour. The first path led us to a large supermarket in Alajuela, where we are spending spree for the next few days with food. Such a joint purchasing is always an interesting introduction to a foreign country. The product range had little to be desired, especially in the fruit and vegetable section, there was always something new to discover.
started after the first breakfast together, we Poas Volcano. The winding road led through vast coffee plantations uphill. Coffee grows on the volcanic soils here and the prevailing Climate on food. He is the most important export product for the region. A coffee plantation invited to tour, so we stopped the ride and learned a lot about the coffee cultivation.
The coffee plant is a very delicate little plant, which needs a stable climate without temperature extremes. The varieties grown here Arabica thrives best in between 600m and 1200 m, at temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. The rainfall is as important as the right soil conditions. After a maturing time of 6 - 8 months starting in September, the coffee harvest. From every bush, only the red fruits are picked and this process is repeated several times. The crop takes up to 12 weeks. This monotonous and poorly paid work is done to 95% of pickers from Nicaragua and Panama. After the mechanical peeling and drying the coffee beans that are sold primarily to North America and Europe, and roasted on site. The best coffee is exported, only the poor will remain in Costa Rica. A sad fact for a traditional coffee-growing country.
attempted After a long coffee tasting of all quality levels and tastes, we have our luck at Poas Volcano, unfortunately without success. The National Park was closed Since 16:00 clock and there was also no parking for the night. A few kilometers down the valley was the restaurant Mirador. After dinner, we asked the owner if we could spend the night outside the restaurant. He had a better idea and invited us to stay in the garden of his house. Despite the wind-protected location in the village shook and pulled an emerging storm all night on the mobile and the rain lashed from all sides. In the morning the storm had calmed down, some sunshine encouraged us in the hope of good visibility.
Even before the opening of the national park we were standing at the ticket booth and were then disappointed right when the park rancher told us that the volcano crater was completely covered with clouds. We had hoped that the clouds dissolve, but after a three-hour hike in the national park we have, through wet and frozen, abandoned. The famous crater of Poas Volcano remained hidden from us in the fog and invisible.
11/08/2010 - Volcano and Lake Arenal
the afternoon of cloudy and rainy day we used to go to La Fortuna and the nearby Arenal Volcano. After the steep descent from Poas, we drove north on the leading Road 9 to San Miguel, where the term street is a very positive exaggeration. The first 25 miles to the turnoff was a dirt road worst - dirty, muddy, often flooded by water. We watched with concern that we have only four-wheel-drive vehicles came to meet and hoped that the condition of the runway does not deteriorate further and put us not to stay. As the trail went downhill reversing was no real alternative. In San Miguel we took a load off the heart, from here the road was paved and we did it before nightfall to La Fortuna.
few miles beyond the place at The foot of the Arenal volcano, we found next to the Tourist Information a nice pitch and taught us for the night. The Arenal volcano is now the most active volcano in the country, although up to his first ascent in 1937, believed not even to a volcanic origin of the then completely overgrown mountain. On 29 July 1968 broke the Arenal with a huge explosion and has since been permanently active. With short breaks, he repeatedly raises from glowing rocks and lava flows on the slopes of the volcano to the valley and cold. Some days, this show is to watch several times. We believed, however, not because we get to see an outbreak. On the night we heard the Grumbling and rumbling of the volcano. Immediately we were wide awake, jumped out of bed, put the camera in a tripod position, and - once again saw nothing. The volcano was hidden behind a thick cloud cover, only a slight reddish glow came through the clouds, or had we been disappointed. We waited a while and then put us to sleep a little disappointed. The next day, the nocturnal outburst was confirmed by the tourist office.
The morning brought in a hot bath river water of the Rio Arenal us the refreshment, which we would have liked to almost 30 degrees Celsius air temperature. Pleasant was it anyway, in which to lie with boulders accumulated water pool and feel the soothing effects of warm water. On the beautifully situated lakeside road then we rolled around noon to Nuevo Arenal. The road led us past beautiful lodges and elegant hotel. Many emigrants has here created his little paradise. Most impressive is the Hotel Los Heroes, with a bit of Switzerland was taken to Lake Arenal. Hotel and restaurant are lacking typical Swiss chalets, and neither the original nor a mountain cows mountain railway. Once
in Nuevo Arenal we spent two quiet days on which we have known place, right on the lake shore. In the morning we were awakened by howler monkeys and were lucky, a whole troop of monkeys in the trees on the lake can be observed. Two of sloth, a toucan and many coatis us came before the lens. The Arenalregion for us is the most beautiful area in all of Costa Rica.
11.11.2010 - On the Nicoya Peninsula
Our trip took us to the Pacific coast to the northern shore of Lake Arenal around to Cañas on the Panamerican Highway and on to Liberia. From here it was not far to the Nicoya Peninsula and its Pacific beaches. On the north of the peninsula is Playa Panama, a small village with a quiet but not very attractive beach. What we are still regarded as a particular case met us with a few exceptions, all along the coast of the peninsula unkempt, with driftwood and garbage polluted beaches and dirty water. Many rivers and streams pour broth into a foaming sea, so we passed up swimming in the Pacific at most beaches.
Even at Playa Grande, one of the most important nesting sites of the leatherback turtles on the Pacific is their path to the beach through piles of driftwood blocked. Up to 180 Females of this world's largest turtle species were already observed at the same time laying eggs on this beach. 1991 Playa Grande as a Marine National Park Las Baulas. Since then, we must at night only with a guide for observation on the beach. With U.S. $ 25 this is not a very cheap thing, and then the disappointment was great for most visitors. Only one leatherback turtle came ashore tortured over the barrier of driftwood and buried her eggs in the soft sand. Several groups of tourists were out for a brief moment in the vicinity of the turtle, only to quickly make the next group space. We had the impression that it less about animal welfare rather than went to commercial. A similar impression we had in other reserves and national parks. For the night tour at the turtle beach, we had paid as much as a National Park Annual Pass in the U.S. for up to 5 people. We were glad that we had advance notice of other tourists and decided against the Centre. Many marine biologists also warn against these things to recommend to disturb at all the animals in their eggs.
Then it was run down to Playa Samara, another tourist center on the west coast, but again the beach and the water is dirty, the place seemed a bit and uninviting. In the evening stroll, we found a car rental and reserved us for the next day a small off-roader. The southwest of the island is still original, some of them very poor and without proper roads - there are only tracks with a lot of mud. Here our Suzuki felt really comfortable. Even with the water crossings of small rivers, he made a good impression. On the Rio Ario was but then last stop for us. Here we had no chance, even horses were up to their bellies in the water. We turned around and drove back on a dry runway. It was a great trip, only Petra complained about the hard suspension of the small Suzuki. You can not have everything.
14.11.2010 - Monte Verde and Cerro de la Muerte
over the large bridge at Puerto Moreno, we drove back to the mainland and then on the Panamerican Highway south to Rancho Grande. Here the road branches off to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Shortly after the junction we have read two backpackers who were with her big Kraxen on the road. If you think this type of travel would be reserved only for young people, is wrong a lot. The two Belgians were together 141 years old (66 and 75). Every year they travel in this way another Area and this time it was Central America. The interesting conversation with the two gentlemen we shortened the trip over the steep gravel road to the nature reserve. This track has had to be quite good, although this turned out several cars with tire damage. A German tour group was waiting for a replacement bus after two tires were cracked within 5 minutes. Many other approaches to national parks and other natural attractions are only cope with four-wheel vehicles and thus inaccessible to our Ford Transit.
The next day we stood at the entrance point 08:00 clock, every day, because only a limited number of tickets sold be. The private reserve of Monte Verde is the best known and most visited Costa Rica - but this morning was a little busy. We had the park almost to ourselves. The cloud forest reserve is located right on the Continental Divide, it will affect climate from the Atlantic and from the Pacific side. Drastic Klimaumschwünge is not a rarity and the high rainfall and humidity favor a unique flora, ranging from orchids and bromeliads to various climbing plants, ferns and mosses. Hardly a tree is not completely covered with moss.
On a well-marked path is the nature reserve hiked, have crossed rivers and waterfalls and are run on a suspension bridge through the treetops. Unfortunately, we saw the many birds residing here, mammals and reptiles, very little. Most of the animals we have seen in Costa Rica outside of national parks and nature reserves. Nevertheless, Monte Verde was a great experience.
About Puntarenas we drove the coast road 34 and then go south. The Pacific coast was something cleaner. We spent 2 days in Playa Herradura, Dominical before we left for the Pacific coast and the steep winding road to San Isidro turned off the.
In San Isidro de El General, as the place is right, we met again at the Pan-American Highway, which reaches the stretch to Cartago at 3300 meters at its highest point. Beside the road is the Cerro de la Muerte, the height of death. The term dates from the time when the pass with ox carts crossed up here and many people froze to death or died of exhaustion. Even today it is in the dense fog often result in serious accidents, so the name still has its place.
The peak offered us a fantastic view. The peaks of the Cordillera de Talamanca were garnished by a loose cloud cover in the north-east spit of the active volcano Turrialba thick clouds of smoke and in the west we saw behind a haze of the Pacific. Only a short while we could enjoy the panorama, then came the wind and everything fell into dense clouds.
18/11/2010 - Irazu volcano and farewell
went from the highest point of the Panamericana is 2000 meters downhill to Cartago, Irazu the small town at the foot of the volcano. Cartagos main attraction is the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles. It was built in 1926 and is the most important pilgrimage site in the country. Across the country, Panama and Nicaragua are the pilgrims who pass through then humbly on his knees sliding the whole Church and in some cases the church courtyard to get to the altar with the statue of the little dark-skinned Virgin.
It was interesting to see how not only old people, but also teenagers through the church slipped at the altar then stood up, her earphones contracted the disease of the MP3 player and embraced by her partner left the church .
Cartago begins just behind the ramp the volcano. It went up again a height of 2,000 feet, until we, in dense fog, before the entrance to the park stood. Today we wanted to do something clever. We gave ourselves a time limit of three hours and were waiting outside the entrance. Everything was in the thick haze, the visibility was only about 20 meters. Kathi asked sadly: "Do we have no luck again?" Suddenly the clouds broke, within minutes the sky was blue and the sun was shining. We paid and headed to the large parking lot. At an altitude of 3432 meters of the volcanic crater was impressive before us. The almost round main crater has a diameter of about 1000 meters. On the ground, in 300 meters depth, it had a small green crater lake formed. The time was just enough to run around the crater and some pictures to shoot, as a new fog and clouds all subsequent re-transformed into an impenetrable laundry.
Our final aim was to campsite in Belén, where we spent one last day together with our daughter. The next morning it was said good-bye. For a long time we are only the memories of this joint two weeks left holidays.
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