Pura Vida - Page 2 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**agriadam** · 05-12-2005, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by omisan@May 12 2005, 03:52 PM
Dunno, but the pool here did me wonders. All of a sudden, my outlook on San Jose is a lot more sunny.

I also realized I´ve been checking in WAY too much - damn free internet terminals...

If you didn't say it I was gonna

Get the "F" off the damn computer and enjoy yourself. We really appreciate all the updates but there will be plenty of time to tell us all about later.

Now get out their score some chicks

get drunk

and go crazy

not necessarily in that order. Have fun man

**space virgin** · 05-12-2005, 02:12 PM

LOL, well, whenever I'm bored in a strange city, I check in here fairly frequently too. Wait a minute, that's what I do at home! Huh.

Yay for espanol!

**voyd** · 05-12-2005, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by omisan@May 12 2005, 08:26 AM
does anyone know of a way I can resize photos in Windows without Phtoshop? This thing just seems to have the basics... I´m a graphics retard when it comes to Windows.*

Do you have Microsoft Photo Editor on there? My editor of choice!

**omisan** · 05-13-2005, 03:48 PM

Dammit, wheres the apostrophe key on a Latin American keyboard???

*whew*

Glad to be out of San Jose. Although my last night there WAS great. I followed all yer advice and got off my ass and went out. These two Canadian babes dragged me out with them for a night of destruction and mayhem. Turns out the little divey locals bar next to the Hostel Pangea is a karaoke hotspot on Thursday nights. I did Radioheads "Creep" to warm things up... ended the night with a rousing group rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" drank about 10 bazillion cerveza Imperials for $5, and ended up at this club complex called El Pueblo where we bounced to some killer latin dancehall reggae til the wee hours. $4 admission included 2 drink tickets, and they have a very heavy hand with the rum & cokes.

Needless to say, I nearly missed my 6:30 bus for Monteverde this morning. Riding in a hot, sweaty Costa Rican bus while still drunk with alcohol seeping out of your pores on the bumpy roads here is NOT fun. I was miserable upon arrival, so I splurged ($15) for the private room/shower at Pension Santa Elena..

I know its early in the trip, but you wouldnt believe how much I just needed to be able to shower and walk around my room nekkid.

After a bit of recovery, I made it up to the SkyTrek zipline tour. If youre ever in CR you HAVE to do this. The rush of flying around 40mph through the rainforest canopy, at some points 470ft off the ground, is indescribable. Got over my fear of heights REAL quick.

Think Ill take it easy tonight... emailing family and friends, a mellow dinner, maybe a few cervezas, then off to bed. Santa Elena just has this kick-back vibe, its beautiful all around, and the people even nicer than in San Jose.

Love you all... - o

**TimmyJames1976** · 05-13-2005, 03:54 PM

sounds great! that zipline woulda shrunk my nuts fo sure. i am diggin' the prices!

**worldwidemike** · 05-13-2005, 07:24 PM

Awesome, Omi! Say Hi to the jaguars in Monteverde Cloud Forest for me!

Seriously, sounds like you're having a good time. And I splurged for the private in Santa Elena, too...it was cheap enough...

worldwidemike

**omisan** · 05-13-2005, 08:07 PM

WWM - I believe the jaguars can only be spotted in the Corcovado preserve on the southwest Pacific coast, but if I run into anything remotely resembling one, I'm sure I'll be too busy pissing my pants and running away to say hello.

So my mellow night is going better than planned. I've vowed not to get sucked in by the lively group of yanks sucking on cervezas just outside my door. Need my energy for the rainforest, considering the mild hiking today nearly killed me. Maybe it was the booze in my system. I swear, my bloodstream now looks like a mixture of Cerveza Imperial and ron y cola.

Instead, I'm sitting here sipping some eeexcellent free coffee from Rainforest Cafe (not the same as the cheesy chain - these guys are a killer local coffee company), after having dinner w/ the hostel management and a Costa Rican wireless/networking honcho. It was REALLY surreal to be sitting outdoors in a vacation setting, eating fresh mariscos and talking geek shop, but I gained amazing insight on working in Costa Rica and business attitudes here. Now I'm wondering if I can chalk this trip up as a business expense

Tomorrow night they're having a "DJ party" at one of the local bar/restaurants... really wish I'd brought a crate of vinyl with me. After having regaled the locals of San Jose with my singing, I think I could have a future as an entertainer in CR. Rrriiiiiight... Still, I'll entertain any offers of employment.

In other news, I've found the ' key!!!!!!!!!!

**space virgin** · 05-13-2005, 10:58 PM

Key?

**omisan** · 05-14-2005, 08:32 AM

That'd be the 'apostrophe' key.. :P

So, wouldn't you know it, I ended up chilling w/ a bunch of people at the hostel last night and ended up getting dragged out to a bar/discoteca down the street. But I cut myself off after a few beers (more out of heat exhaustion than sensibility) and went and craaaaaaaaaaaaashed. God, sleep felt so good. If I weren't so keen to hit up the rainforest today, I think I'd be sleeping some more. *sigh*

Mosquito bite update: I have a grand total of 5 bites, which is pretty amazing for this area of the world. Woohoo!

Alright, off to the jungle...

**worldwidemike** · 05-15-2005, 03:36 AM

Then you're doing better than I did in Jamaica. I think I had five mosquito bites on the inside of my left foot alone -- let alone the rest of the feet and body!

Sounds like you're having an awesome time, Omi. Did you enjoy Monteverde? Did you hear the "booms" every now and then of volcanoes? I thought it was thunder, at first, and kept wondering where it was coming from on a cloudless day.

Keep the updates coming...we're enjoying them!

worldwidemike

**omisan** · 05-15-2005, 01:30 PM

I almost didn't want to leave Monteverde. The cloudforest was incredible, although what I *thought* were the booms of the volcano were actually thunder, and I got PISSED on. The emergency poncho could only do so much. Luckily, I met a girl from New York during the downpour, so I had someone to comiserate with on the way out of the Reserva de Monteverde. From there, we hitchhiked down the road and the rain had just start to let up. I hopped out to get a snack in the Monteverde village, then checked out the CASEM artists' co-op and picked up some stuff to bring home. After that, mild lactose intolerance be damned, I went to have the BEST chocolate milkshake EVER at La Lecheria, Monteverde's cheese factory.

Went for a twilight/night walk in the Bosque Eterno de los Ninos (Children's Eternal Rainforest). Unfortunately, lactose intolerance DID rear its ugly head at the beginning of the hike, so I had to run down the trail to catch up with the group after destroying the BEN office toilet and chugging their pepto bismol. I wasn't about to forfeit the $15 I spent for the tour, and dammit, I wanted to see some nocturnal life that didn't involve 15 bottles of Imperial.

I came back with my socks saturated. No jungle rot, thankfully, but it was nice to get into flipflops, pick up my laundry, and burn the trip's photos so far on to CD ($4 a disc, not bad!)

A quest for late night food ended up becoming a night out dancing - I don't know why this keeps happening to me - so I overdid it a bit and ended up crashing out until I had just enough time to hastily pack and catch my horseback ride...

Yup - Took the wicked Castillo trail from the top of Monteverde to Arenal Lake. You know, the one you´re not supposed to do if you´re a beginner (never ridden) nor if it's raining (god decided to piss on us, mostly just during the dangerous part of the trip). It was a bit terrifying at times, what with slippery rocks and river crossings, but I have to tell you guys - it was AWESOME. Another highly recommended activity if you ever get to Costa Rica.

So I just got into La Fortuna after a boat across the lake and a ride into town, and I gotta admit: I'm f'in broken. I was going to hike up to the Catarata de la Fortuna waterfall, but I think I'll collapse if I even THINK about a 7km uphill hike. My spirit wants to do it, but my body is saying, "no freakin way, man." I think I'll listen to it...

Still, I'm not trading this trip for anything in the world.

**omisan** · 05-16-2005, 03:19 PM

Hey all,

I'm alive and well after watching the Arenal volcano erupt up close and personal last night... Now in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, enjoying the beach vibe and happy to do NOTHING.

Internet access SUCKS here, so there's a whole line of people waiting. I don't wanna hog this thing, so I'm gonna save the updates 'til I have better access.

In the meantime, I'll drink fruity drinks for each and every one of you, and maybe, uh, catch a bit of the rasta vibe.

Ciao..

**space virgin** · 05-16-2005, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by omisan@May 16 2005, 10:18 PM
In the meantime, I'll drink fruity drinks for each and every one of you

Yes please! Since I seem to have ruined myself to bourbon and tequila while in your presence.

Glad you've survived the rainforest, horseback river crossings and volcanic eruptions!!

DreamsinRed · 05-18-2005, 12:54 PM

Glad you're enjoying your trip. I enjoyed your trip, too. I wasn't joking about copying your intinerary. But it seemed I wasn't the only one because I moved from Pension Santa Elena to Gringo Petes to Rockin J's with about 7 other people, not intentially, but we all just kept showing up. That horse back ride was crazy, wasn't it? This couple I was with held my camera and vice versa so we could take pics when crossing the rivers and my face looks hilarious. I don't remember being that scared but the pictures don't lie! Didn't get to see any lava though, but enjoyed my time in La Fortuna just the same. The people there were so nice. When I realized I had lost my camera bag (with credit card & bank card) at an Info Centre they couldn't have been nicer. They offered me their money and food at their friend's restaurant. But all ended okay when I got everything back the next day. And like I said, the pictures from the horseback ride were priceless! Pura Vida!

**omisan** · 05-18-2005, 11:19 PM

Alright, I'm still alive, this time after getting from Puerto Viejo to San Jose via the coolest transport option yet.. more details later. Right now, I have to craaaaash, as I have to catch my taxi to the airport in 5 hours. Going home SUCKS, but I'm leaving very very satisified.

p.s. dreamsinred, damn you for getting pictures on the horseback ride. I had too much of a deathgrip on the saddle and there was too much rain for me to dare to take my camera out.. but I got some when it stopped raining.

**space virgin** · 05-18-2005, 11:56 PM

Glad you had a good time!

Enjoy your flight home. haha. I hate those goddamn pre-8am flights.

We expect a full debrief upon your successful return to slavery. I mean your computer.

DreamsinRed · 05-19-2005, 12:47 PM

I only managed to take pictures when the horses were still as I also had a death grip on the saddle. The crazy girl I was with actually had a thin stick and was slappin' her horse's ass (not hard) for the fun of it! And then she would come up behind me and slap my horse's ass and my horse would take off without any warning leaving me holding on for dear life. Between the horseride and the zipline I learned that I'm one big pollo!!!

**space virgin** · 05-19-2005, 03:37 PM

^ Speaking as someone who has ridden, trained and competed (with) horses for almost 20 years, and who also owns a riding crop (and knows how to use it judiciously, as far as horses [and people, haha] are concerned), I can say without a doubt that that is one of the stupidest things anyone could ever do, especially to someone else's horse.

Here are a couple of things that are only *slightly* more stupid than that: deliberately lighting yourself on fire to see how bad it hurts, jumping off a cliff to see if you can fly, and / or poking a sharp stick into a grizzly bear's eyeball.

**omisan** · 05-19-2005, 11:03 PM

Ok, I'm home and finally using the computer, albeit in a rather drowsy manner... I've been up since 4:45a Costa Rica time, so I am fully on autopilot right now. I was going to put together the last leg of the report tonight, but I'm still waiting for that second wind. In the meantime, here's my favorite photo from yesterday, despite the crap quality of those waterproof disposables...

Told you I had a fun way of getting back to San José!

**omisan** · 05-19-2005, 11:36 PM

Hmm... something about laying in my own bed and playing with my own Powerbook gives me the little energy I need to finish up this li'l travelogue.

Let's see.. Monteverde.. check.. La Fortuna.. Check. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I went to the hot springs at Baldi Termae after the volcano hike. HIGHLY recommended. From what I've heard about the more trendy and more expensive Tabacón springs, this is way better. And guys, HAWT girls in bikinis abound at this place. 'Course, one can't help but be hot when they have 11 different temperature pools there, one of which goes to 67ºC

I was somehow able to keep both my feet in there for about 20 seconds, before I realized that my nerves were bursting into flames.. but the other ones.. muy comodo! Especially the ones with a swim-up bar.

The Interbus ride from La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo was pretty sweet. Up until the transfer point, I was the only one in the van, so whenever I whipped the camera out, the driver would slow down so I could get a better shot. Also, although he spoke English pretty well he stuck to Spanish unless absolutely necessary to switch so I could get more practice. These guys rock! So I bought him a beer at the rest stop before changing vans... on the next one I met this crazy Portuguese guy who spoke as many damn languages as I do, so we were having fun switching back and forth and confusing the fuck out of ourselves. Driving through Limon (huge, poor port town) was a bit of a downer, though, but the driver perked us right back up by buying a round of coco y caño, coconut juice spiked with raw, freshly ground up sugar cane. Diabetelicous!

We had to stop in Cahuita to let a German couple off, and as I got out to stretch, it wasn't 5 seconds before a dread rolled up on a bike and offered to sell us weed. Already, I knew that the Talamanca region was way different than the rest of CR.

I have to say, I'm not as enamored with Rocking J's as everyone else seems to be. Yes, it is a cool place, and yes, it has the most party-hardy atmosphere of any place in the region, but that doesn't make up for some naaasty ass rooms and even nastier bathrooms. Oh well, at $3 a night, I guess you can't complain too much, but let's just say that stoners and fratboyish surfers aren't the ideal clientele if you want people to keep their own shit clean. Still, I managed to meet a shitload of cool people there (mostly Coloradoans and Canucks for some reason), and despite the overall dirtiness, would still recommend the place, at least for a couple of nights so you can give it a shot.

So as promised, I finally DID relax and do nothing, and even get to bed at a reasonable hour, and gooooood laaawwwwd did it feel good! I think the torrential-is-too-strong-to-describe-it downpour helped me get to sleep, as well.I missed the sunrise (living in the West Coast, I never get to see those over the ocean), but I did wind up renting a bike and pedaling down to Punta Uva, one of the most picturesque and perfect beaches you'll find in the whole country. I spent the whole morning/early afternoon frolicking in the water there, and now I have th e sunburn to prove it.

I think I'm starting to hallucinate fro llack of sleep.. Time to go bye bye!