Family Trip
Costa Rica
December, 2007
Introduction
Setting the Stage
Getting there and back
Overall Plan
La Mansion at Manuel Antonio
The bedroom at La Mansion: the other room was almost as nice
The view off our balcony, toward Manuel Antonio Park Beach
The next morning we enjoyed their (included) breakfast that featured fresh fruit and your choice of several main courses and the excellent Costa Rican coffee. Susan, Lee, and I took a walk down the hill to a small beach close to the resort. While there, we saw a tree sloth with a infant up in the trees overhead. This beach really didn't look very good for swimming or snorkeling, so we headed back up the hill. Since we didn't have anything planned for that day (Manuel Antonio park is closed on Mondays) we checked at the front desk and a guy there recommended a "Mangrove tour" of Damas Island. It sounded good to all of us so we signed up for the tour, which included lunch. When the van arrived to pick us up, I wasn't real surprised to see the guy who suggested the tour driving the van… he just happened to be at the front desk when I was asking. After a 30 minute van ride we (and about 7 other people) boarded a boat for a tour, looking for animals, especially monkeys. The guide, Juan, made it interesting as we found various habitats around the waterways, but no monkeys. We did find a Silky Anteater, a small and relatively rare anteater that lives mostly in the mangroves. Juan also found a Tree Boa (constrictor) and brought it into the boat for everyone to see, then released it back to the mangroves.
Juan is showing the Tree Boa around the boat.
Susan, Lee, Liz, and Michael enjoy lunch after the mangrove tour.
That evening, Christmas Eve, a reception and a special dinner at La Masion was included in the package, and a very nice dinner it was.. A 5 course meal including a very nice variation of "surf and turf", wine, and all the trimmings, including a coffee liquor called Café Rica served over ice. The staff continued to be very attentive during the reception and dinner.
For the next day (Tuesday and Christmas day) we had scheduled a tour of the Manuel Antonio park and had to get an early start because entrance to the park is limited; late comers may not get in and this was expected to be a very busy day at the park.
Liz, Susan, Lee, and Michael waiting to start the park tour.
One of the White-Faced Monkeys at the park.
A view of one of the three beaches at Manual Antonio Park.
That evening there was another reception (featuring some pretty good Sangria) before a buffet style dinner in the patio area. This was buffet done first class! There were numerous very attractive and tasty dishes. While dining, the owner of La Mansion stopped by our table and introduced himself and he was a friend of the owners of Elegant Adventures, so he knew we were their neighbors. I am certain that all guests at La Mansion get very good treatment, but I suspect that we got a little "extra" special treatment. (But, hey… it was fun!!)
The next morning (Wednesday) we packed up and got in the van to ride to the Arenal volcano area.
Magic Mountain at Arenal Volcano
Many highway bridges are one-lane. You may wait 10 minutes for your turn.
One view along the road from Manual Antonio to Arenal Volcano.
The view out our room and balcony at Magic Mountain.
A view of the volcano at dusk from a park in La Fortuna.
The next morning (Thursday) we enjoyed the included breakfast (lots of fresh fruit, eggs, bacon or sausage, breads, etc.) and spent the morning goofing off and walking into town again, where Michael and Liz found two paintings to go in their house. We relaxed and then had a pizza lunch at a restaurant close to the resort. At 2:00 the van appeared to take us to our tour of the Arenal Volcano and other activities. The tour included a visit to the park and a walk part way up the volcano, as far as the general public is allowed to go. There were numerous signs about "Zone of high volcanic risk". On a good day you might be able to see red lava around the top of the volcano, but on this day the top 500 ft or so of the mountain was covered by clouds, although you could occasionally hear a faint rumble.
A much closer, but cloud obstructed, view of the volcano.
The next morning (Friday) promised to be interesting. Before leaving for the Arenal tour we had booked all of us on a "Canopy Tour", otherwise known as "Zip-Lines". Steel cables are strung between mountain ridges, you put on a harness and are hooked into a pulley that is placed on the cable and you go for a ride. And it can be quite a ride!! It was misting and/or raining lightly much of the morning so you really couldn't see very far, especially when zipping along at 30 mph or so. On the shorter (about 200 M) lines, you could see the landing area from the take-off point, but on the longer lines (like 540 M and 980 M) you really had no idea where you were going to end up. Of course, when you're in the middle of a line and look straight down several hundred feet, you can see very well!
Susan zipping along one of the shorter zip-lines. (What?!, you don't recgonize her??)
Saturday morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, packed up, and waited for the van to take us to the Cloud Forest and Villa Blanca.
Villa Blanca at the Cloud Forest
Some of the flowers along the nature trail.
Relaxing by the fireplace in our room. We HAD to finish that bottle of wine.
An example of the food at Villa Blanca. It tastes as good as it looks.
Sunday morning some of made it up in time for the 6:00 AM "Bird Watching Tour". For a real birdwatcher this would probably have been very good, but for us "interested but not dedicated" types, it was a little disappointing. Perhaps the main problem was that it was (as usual) very foggy and the birds that would be colorful in clear air conditions all looked gray in the fog. The guide could identify the birds and point them out in a book which showed all the colors, but, looking through the fog, all I saw was gray birds. The guide did point out some other interesting items, like the large Leaf-cutter ant colony and the story behind the beautiful little church overlooking the resort. The tour was supposed to be 2 hours long, but we finished at about 90 minutes, which was fine with me so we headed in for a tasty and welcome breakfast.
The walkway toward the common buildings at Villa Blanca.
We then packed up and relaxed while we waited for our 10:30 van back to the San Jose airport. Villa Blanca was very nice and we enjoyed our visit, but unless you like to relax a lot, sitting around and reading and such, a couple of days there will probably be enough. There are limited activities close by and many of the other activities you might want to do are an hour or more away by car.
Return Trip
Waiting for our flight at the San Jose airport. I think they're ready to go home.
General Comments
Photo Album
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