Aguila de Osa Lodge in the Southern Zone

Relaxing Get Away

We enjoyed the heat, peacefulness, and extreme beauty of the incredible rainforest on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica. Getting to the lodge is an experience in its self.

We flew Sansa Air on a one propellor plan from the domestic airport near San Jose International Airport to Palmar Sur about a 30-minute flight. From the airport in Palmar Sur, a tourist taxi picked us up and drove the 20 minutes to the town of  Seripe. From the boat dock in Seripe, we took a motorboat for a 45-minute ride down the river and out onto the Pacific ocean. The ride was excellent and very exciting as the boat maneuvered through the ocean waves meeting the river. At times the waves can be 5 or 6 feet high. We had wanted to fly direct to Drakes Bay but the airport was closed as the government was making the runway safer.

The lodge is situated on a hill so be prepared to climb steps and get your Stairmaster exercise a few times a day. But the climb is worth it as the view over Drakes Bay is fantastic and the bird life is fascinating from Toucans to hummingbirds.

There is always lots of opportunities to keep busy while staying at the lodge through the numerous tours they offer.

We had a fascinating tour of the Terraba-Sierpe Mangroves, the largest untouched mangrove forest on the Pacific Coast of Central America. The wildlife viewing was spectacular! A hidden world, accessible only by boat and home to over 1000 birds, including the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird found nowhere else on the planet, the ecosystem is absolute paradise.



On our trip, we saw American crocodiles,  rare birds, the mangrove tree boa, iguanas, Jesus-christ lizards (that walk on water), river turtles, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and the vicious white-faced capuchin monkeys . . . and then it happened . . . we looked to our right and there was the ant-eater sleeping in a tree.








Another day we decided to hike the trail to San Josecito beach from  Aguila de Osa Lodge. We were told the walk would take about two hours but with frequent stops to view the birds, wildlife and to cross a river it actually took three hours. During our walk we were confronted by a band of wild Capuchin monkeys - Elaine was hit on the head by one monkey with a huge stick and another shook a tree sapling at Bill, however, he stood his ground and we got a great video.

We took an excellent snorkelling tour to Cano Island.  Cano Island is a Biological Reserve and we had great visibility. There were schools of jackfish, lots of puffer fish, and a large variety of other tropical fish. Going out to the island we had an opportunity to see dolphins.


We hiked for over three hours along a path that leads into Cordova National Park as all our tours were completed.  We had an encounter with Capachino Monkeys as we wandered aimlessly down the path we had to ford a river.

Lying on the beach we saw flying fish skirting out of the water, dolphins and a humpback breached close to shore.


right in front of us. . . . after watching the leaf-cutter ants cross our path we continued on our way to the beach to meet the boat from Aguila de Osa that takes tourists snorkeling on Canso Isalnd.  No use walking back to the lodge over humongous trees, snake infested bushes, scary rivers, and scortching heat.

People at our lodge caught many fish i.e., 45 lb Marlin, snapper, grouper and lots of sail fish - great place to fish in Costa Rica

Looks like Nature Air is going under so we will have to rely on Travel Guard Canada to bail us out of the $685 USD owed to us . . . lots of stranded tourists on the islands off of Drake Bay - - - sitting ducks for the big cats, snakes, sharks, monkeys, and a horde of other night time predators

It was well over 90 degress everyday down in Drakes Bay so we are looking forward to cooler weather, hot springs, at Arenal (higher elevation) . . . as we drive up the bumpy lava roads

San Jose Costa Rica

San Jose is a large city located in a valley between several volcanic mountain ranges. In January and February, the valley has very strong winds that blow. This can affect airline travel as our non-stop flight was to stop in Liberia, Costa Rica when we departed from San Jose to take on fuel.

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and so has similar problems to any large city. We did not have any issues walking around and we stayed right downtown on the pedestrian street. The Presidente Hotel is a modern Costa Rican Hotel. With a great breakfast buffet that included eggs or omelet prepared the way you want. 

We visited the National Museum and learned about the history of Costa Rica. The museum is housed in an old fort. When you initially walk into a butterfly garden before actually seeing the historical displays. It is always an interesting experience to have a variety of butterflies hovering around.

The museum explains the challenges that Costa Rica endured before developing an export economy through the sale of coffee. Costa Rica does not have a military and they do not allow hunting of animals. Their goal is to be the first carbon-neutral country by 2023. To help achieve this goal there are large areas that support natural environments.

Between the National and Jade museums, you can find an artisan market. The market is set up with small stalls and narrow walkways. You can find a variety of tourist items from wood items, mounted butterflies to hammocks as well as shoes, backpacks etc. Remember to bargain and if on stall has an item you like the next stall will probably have the same item. 

The Jade Museum is expensive for foreigners. The museum houses a variety of artifacts from pottery to jade jewellery. The displays are modern with lots of opportunities for hands-on experiences and they use a lot of technology to help explain the displays. If you are interested in seeing the selection of jade make sure to open up the display case on the top floor. It is a good idea to take the elevator to the top floor and work your way down to the main floor.

The opposite west of the Museums and just off the pedestrian walkway by the modern square you will find the National Theatre of Costa Rica (Opera House). We took a tour of the Opera House. This structure is very similar to the Opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The main floor can be raised and the seating removed to create a dance floor or dining area. There is a lot of history and architecture detail in the National Opera House. On the second floor is a ballroom and the countries Presidents private box.

If you are interested in shopping take a stroll down the promenade. This is always a great way to see what a city is like. You will find a variety of small shops with everything that a family needs.

We stayed at the Hotel Presidente on the pedestrian street. This hotel was recommended by a friend and was centrally located. The hotel has free parking for their guests. Breakfast was included in our room rate and was excellent. You could have traditional Costa Rican breakfast or they would cook you an omelette or eggs. Staff were very friendly and helpful. They will also recommend restaurants. We had an excellent meal at Tin Jo Asian Resturant near our hotel.

 

Want a great view of the city head towards the district of Escazu (suburb) of San Jose. We had the opportunity to visit Mirado Tiquicia night view of the city was fantastic. The night we went dinner featured a Costa Rican buffet that you could watch them cook and was served right from the pan. There is also an a la carte menu. The cultural dance performance was an added highlight.






















From San Jose, we rented a car and drove along highway 2 towards the south to see the Quetzal bird.  To read more check out the Central Highlands blog.

Central Highland of San Jose

The Journey to see the Quetzal Bird

The road becomes challenging to drive as you travel up the mountain south of San Jose but it is still passable. We had a reservation at Trogon Lodge near San Germaine. There are numerous lodges, cabins and hotels to stay at in this area. This is not as commercialized as Monteverde and is a cloud forest in the area. Recently with the heavy rains portions of the road have had landslides so you need to be careful when driving. The areas of concern are well marked and some repairs had been made.



The National Parque is located on the main highway before the turn toward Trogon Lodge.


The lodge was an excellent choice. We had a quiet room up the hill with a wonderful balcony that allowed us to watch the hummingbirds feed on the bushes near our room. The central highlands are cool at night in February and the temperature did get down to 4C. There were gas heaters that the staff light in the rooms each night and we were provided with hot water bottles nightly to warn our bed. The meals were good as served buffet style, they even catered to my lactose
intolerance. We eat breakfast and dinner each day at the lodge.

Hummingbird feeding on the flowering bush.

Male Resplendent Quetzal Bird

Since we came to this area to see the Quetzal bird we were up at 5:30 am to start our adventure. First a quick coffee and then we were off in the dark.  What we ended up doing was drivings along the road back towards the main highway. Everyone stops on the road and walks around looking for the elusive bird. The morning we went there must have been between 30 and 40 people all looking for the male Quetzal to see the beautiful long tail.

We found lots to do in the area. We hiked to the waterfall on the lodge property and did all the trails. Farther down the road is a nice area to hike to another waterfall and bird watch.








When we drove out toward the main highway again we stopped at Maria's Cafe. There is a bird feeder around back that attracts a variety of colourful birds.

The biggest challenge driving into the lodge was the road going from the highway to the lodge is narrow and extremely steep in a few areas. Be sure to gear down. If you are not comfortable with the drive you can always arrange a driver.

If you continue south on the number 2 highway to Palmar Sur and get to  Drakes Bay and then continue on highway 34 to San Antonia where you can visit Manuel Antonia National Park. Give yourself enough time to visit each area before returning to San Jose and on to your next destination. 

Costa Rica Awaits!

Costa Rica A Meca of Experiences

This is our third trip to Costa Rica. The first was a stop in Limon on the Caribbean side from a cruise ship.

The second trip was a visit to the area of Puntarenas and Manual Antonia National Park on the central Pacific the side of Costa Rica. This was our first birding experience in the country and we saw huge crocodiles in the Tarcoles River.  Quepos is an interesting town to base a stay in this area.

This time was our longest stay. We visited three lodges, spent time in San Jose, and went to Arenial in Alajuelato enjoy the hiking and hot pools. 

San Jose is a large city but there are several museums that we were interested in visiting. We chose to stay at Hotel Presidente right downtown so we would not have to drive to the museums. As with any large city you need to take precautions but we felt safe during our visit.

In the San Jose area, we travelled south of the city to the upper highland for our stay at Trogon Lodge. This lodge is located in the mountains and is close to the national reserve for the Quiszell bird.

Our next lodge was located in the Southern Zone near Drakes Bay. We took a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport. Aguila De Osa lodge is located in an area that can not be accessed by car and was an interesting area to visit. We were able to take several tours from the lodge during our stay.

Our last stop was in northwestern Costa Rica near the Arenial Volcano in the Alajuuelato area. This was our luxury stay at the Nayara Hotel. We spent time hiking, relaxing and visiting the hot spring pools.

What an awesome time in Costa Rica and would recommend a visit to this country to everyone interested in more than just a beach holiday. If you also want the beach there are resorts near Liberia. You can fly to Liberia and can avoid San Jose completely.

South Baja California - Mexico

The Baja California peninsula is a beautiful area to travel. It is very safe part of Mexico and is frequented by Americans and Canadians. On the east side is the Sea of Cortez which was named the aquarium of the sea by Jacques Cousteau. The west side is the Pacific Ocean.

You can easily fly to the Sourthern Baja from Canada and land at San Jose del Cabo or Loreto. Cars can be rented from both airports and dropped off at the other airport. We rented from FOX rental car and decided to purchase the Mexican Insurance so we would have no problems when it was time to leave. It is important to purchase Mexican insurance even if you think you are covered on your own policy.  Don't purchase insurance online before arriving as you may not be covered. We have heard stories that people are not allowed to leave Mexico if they have an accident until it is solved or the vehicles are repaired when you don't have local insurance.

When traveling in Mexico you will be constantly approached about going to a time share presentation. Be aware that you get nothing for free without giving up your time and a very successful marketing presentation. Buyer Beware!

There are a variety of accommodations available in Cabo San Lucas and Jan Jose del Cabo. You can choose all inclusive, partial inclusive and hotels or hostels without meals. Bus transportation is available but remember that the drivers speak Spanish.


Driving from Cabo to La Paz the capital of Baja Sur is an easy drive. Part of the road is a divided highway the remaining is two lanes without shoulders. When we drove there was very little traffic and took about two and a half hours. There are mountains on the left called the Sierra de la Laguna.

We choose to stay downtown at the HBlue Hotel. The hotel is located downtown which allows you to easily walk to restaurants and the Malacon. The top of the hotel has a pool and a lounge area. This is a great spot to watch the sunset. La Paz faces west which provides for beautiful sunsets along the east side of Baja California.

We went to La Paz to have the opportunity to snorkel with the Whale Sharks. We choose to go with VIP Tours as their reviews are excellent.

We had an excellent trip and the opportunity to snorkel with the sea lion pups.

Snorkel Trip

From La Paz we continued to drive north on Highway 1 to Loreto. The highway after La Paz changes to a two lane road with no shoulders. Traffic drives fast on the highway and there were no police the whole trip. When you enter a town watch out for the toupees or bumps in the road to slow the traffic. The drive is easy and  will take about three and half hours. The desert was beautiful to drive through as the rainy season had just ended and the plants were still green. You pass through the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains.

South Dakota And The Black Hills

South Dakota

The roads are well maintained in both North and South Dakota.  Welcome to the Black Hills in the south west corner of the state.

Spearfish Canyon near Deadwood

We stopped in Deadwood which takes you back to a gold rush town with numerous gambling establishments. The town has been rebuilt to look like the 1800 with enactments of guns fights on main street.  Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried in Boot Hill Cemetery (Mount Moriah Cemetery).

Kevin Costner has spent time in this area and tried to build a hotel to bring people to the area.  His dream did not happen but instead he created  Tanaka: Story of the Bison.  This museum has live presentations that shares information about the local Locota people and their life with the Bison.  Make sure that you visit the sculpture out side depicting a Buffalo Jump.

From Deadwood we drove highway 85 heading to Custer City before going to our cabin in Custer State Park.  This was a relaxing drive where you pass several lakes.  The area has a lot of camping and cabins both private and forestry services.




Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain that is being sculpted to show that the Lokota people have great heros.  It was started June 3, 1948 and is still being worked on and will not be completed for many years.  The project is only funded with private donations and money made at the visitors centre.  When visiting the memorial you can learn about the indigeniour poeple in the Indian Museum of North America. The artist studio gives you some insight into the construction of the Memorial.

Crazy Horse Model

Custer State Park
This is a wonderful park that you can experience a variety of geological formations and natural areas to enjoy. There are several beautiful drives in the park.

Road through the rocks.

The Needle

Jewel Cave
Is a national park that is extensive cave system that has not been totally explored. There are several guided tours that you can take. You enter the cave by an elevator which takes you down several floors so that you can explore some of the large cave areas.











Mammoth Site  located in Hotspring SD is the largest in situ (bones left as found) mammoth dig site. The site has a building covering what was a sink hole when the Colombian and Wolley Mammoths got trapped in the pond and died.  The have currently found the remains of 61 Mammoth by counting the number of tusks they have found in the 25 feet that have been excavated.  They believe that there may be 65 feet in the pit that has not been uncovered.





Mount Rushmore
(George Washington, Theodore Roosenfelt, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln)

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower in Wyoming is the northern outer edge of what the park service considers the Black Hills.

This land mark was used in the movie Close Encounters of the third kind. This was the 40 anniversary of the film.

South Dakota is a great area to visit. There are lots of opportunities for hiking, exploring different rock formations and don't forget the badlands park.









Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

Located in the Black Hills in South Dakota. This park is know for the buffalo roundup held in late September. Every year the calfs and female plains buffalo are roundered up to check on their health. Shots are administered and the calfs are branded. The area can only support about 1000 buffalo so the heard is culled at this time. Buffalo are autioned off later in the year and this provideds an income source for the park.

People from all over the world come to witness the buffalo roundup. People wanting to watch the roundup are to be at one of two specific viewing sites prior to 9 am.  This means you are on the road early to ensure that you get to the site and park on time. This event is well organized and can handle the large crowds. They have large tents set up to serve breakfast and sell memorbilia. They also being in a lot of pot a potties.

North Dakota September 2017

You can cross the boarder from Saskatchewan at several point into North Dakota.  We choose to drive highway 85 south and stayed overnight in Dickinson ND.  This town offers a lot of choice and services.  Mendora is much smaller and looks like a frontier town with false front buildings.

North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

This area is where Roosevelt came to ND after graduating.  He was a conservationist and wanted to protect the natural resources.  He returned to the east and married his wife.  She died in childbirth and his mother died the same day in the same house.  At 25 years of age he went back to North Dakota and established Elkhorn Ranch north of Mendora to work raising long horn cattle and recover before returning to politics.

North Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The park is divided into two sections.  The North Unit has a road that goes into the park and you can see how the little Missouri river has shaped the land.  You can drive through the park to the lookout at the end of the road.

painted canyou

Painted Canyon is  a quick stop off of the interstate 95. It is a great place to be introduced to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and if you are lucky you might even see a Buffalo/Bison.

South Theodore Roosevelt Nathional Park

The South Unit is located north of Mendora ND.  There is a loop road through the park that allows you to experience the area and if you are lucky you will see wildlife.  We saw a coyote, american bison, and deer  There are several hikes both long and short waiting to be tackled the park.  You can camp in the south unit and there is a picnic area.



We stayed in Dickinson and there are a lot of services in the town.  We had car problems and end up leaving our car at the Ford Dealership for them to repair while we continued on our trip to South Dakota.

After leaving Dickinson we traveled south along highway 385 through North Dakota.  This road is quiet remote with limited traffic compared to the State Highway.  There is a small sign on the highway when you cross into South Dakota.