In which Roz and Layla paddleboard in the ocean, are charmed by two men and read lots of books.

By Roz

After another delicious breakfast (the gays who run this B and B really are excellent cooks), we were off out on a paddleboarding expedition.  It was just the two of us and a very cheery American guide (who later told us, in true American style, of his plans to set up and run an import-export business from Asia). We were slightly ambivalent about the tour, because it was in the ocean and we feared we wouldn't manage two minutes without falling in. In true British style, we described our fears of falling from the boards to our guide in some detail - and our guide promptly thought that we'd probably never been out on a board before, and began managing our expectation down about how far we would go. So it was pleasing all round to step on to our boards and find (after a few waves of seasickness!) that it wasn't that much harder to paddleboard on the ocean than it is on a river. I suspect that our confidence in part came from the beautiful temperature of the water - it would have been a delight to fall in (in contrast to the Potomac River in DC, for example). And it was was very lovely: we were pretty much alone on the ocean (bar one random kayaker who we passed) and we made such good time that we ended up going a mile and a half to a small cove with a lovely sandy beach. We frolicked in the water and thought the snow that was falling on Washington at that very moment seemed very unlikely. We headed back the same way we'd come, chatting with our guide about paddleboard racing and where in the world to live - and delighting in the clear blue water and avoiding rocks. 

After this very satisfactory experience, we were dropped off in our hotel where we showered and then jumped in the pool. Eventually - fearful of burning - we dried ourselves and headed down the road for lunch. First, we went to the Falafel Bar (an unlikely food to be so enthusiastic about in Costa Rica...but it was delicious) and then to the cafe opposite for ice cream and a end of our books. Layla became antsy after a good while, fearing we would miss our bus to Alajuela (a small city near the airport) whilst I feared that getting the bus would mean our holiday was over and thus was deploying my best delaying tactics and so we headed back to pick up our suitcases and then back into Quepos to the bus station. As predicted, smugly, by me we were indeed somewhat early. So I sent Layla to buy ice cream whilst I settled down with Lorrie Moore's new book of short stories and tried to ignore the Spanish evangelist (the moment to find God is not in a bus station, in my view). After ice cream came the bus, and we hopped on. It turned out to be a fairly delightful journey - quick, but also going through villages to pick up more people which I always enjoy as I like imagining the lives of others. Whilst we travelled, I became enraptured by the new book I am listening to - The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert - and all in all was rather sorry when the bus journey was over.  We'd been deposited at the airport, which was a five minute bus journey away from Alajuela. 

I'd had my doubts about Alajuela, which we were mainly going to because of its proximity to the airport. But actually, I was wrong. It's by no means a place which a tourist would want to stay for days (or even a day, perhaps) but we enjoyed walking along the quiet streets to our hotel and spotting nice looking places for drinks, dinner and coffee. Having checked in to our hotel (and into a room with five beds, just for us!) we headed to a nearby restaurant and "cocteleria" though we shunned cocktails and opted for craft beers (followed by a strawberry milkshake in Layla's case...). There was a very jolly ambience, and the waiter was the loveliest and kindest we'd come across in our time in Costa Rica. (Next morning, we found ourselves similarly charmed by the hotel owner who just went out of his way to be nice...clearly there's something in the water in Alajuela!) We then went for a wander to the town square, which was very pretty if deserted (it was about 10.30) and then headed to bed, pleasantly surprised by the place we were in (and not just because of the multiple beds). 

Next morning - our final morning - we had breakfast in the hotel and then went out for a very quick look in Goodlight Books - a big English language secondhand bookshop (named after the Hemmingway short story) before hopping on another bus to take us to the airport. And now we are in the air and en route home. Costa Rica has been an interesting experience: I've had a brilliant time, but it was a bit like visiting a jungle version of Florida...

BOOKS READ WHILST AWAY

by Roz: The Magician's Assistant (Ann Patchett), The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman), The Subtle Knife (Philip Pullman), The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman), Flora (Gail Godwin), Sweet Tooth (Ian McEwan), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou), Bark: Stories (Lorrie Moore), the Human Factor (Graham Greene). Progress made with The Signature of All Things (Elizabeth Gilbert).

by Layla: We Are Water by Wally Lamb, The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman), The Subtle Knife (Philip Pullman), The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman), TransAtlantic by Colum McCann, The Dispossessed by Ursula P Le Guin, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Progress made with Flora (Gail Godwin), whilst The Many-Colored Land (Julian May) was abandoned. 

In which Layla and Roz find themselves in a gay jungle.

By Layla

A four-hour bus transfer (with a stop to look at a river disconcertingly full of about 20 crocodiles!) brought us to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. With every hour it got hotter and more humid til we found ourselves checking in to a very attractive gay bed and breakfast in what was obviously the tropics. We hopped on the bus going up and down the street and settled down on a breezy patio in a restaurant called Avion, featuring an entire plane which they'd apparently bought from Nicaragua contra activity and turned into a bar - as you do... There were fantastic views over the Pacific Ocean and the jungle, and we sipped fruit juice and ate some lunch and felt excited about our new destination. 

Manuel Antonio is an odd area in some ways - very gay-friendly with several gay bars and clubs, very expensive, very well known for its wildlife (of which we saw a single monkey and an iguana), and the most popular national park in the country. We went down to the beach and rented boogie boards and spent the rest of our first afternoon catching almost every wave, under a brilliant blue sky, and surrounded by jungle. It was a delight. We finished it off with mohitos in a beachside restaurant, and some rather pleasant Thai food, and a peek at a local outdoors film screening of a western in Spanish. 

The next day we were headed into the national park itself. Much busier than Monteverde, we climbed our way over tourists attached to guides with binoculars searching for sloths... And found ourselves very hot indeed. The trail was sandy and leafy and went up and down a lot, but there were some beautiful views and we had a very pleasant morning, before we dashed for the air conditioning of a nearby hotel! Duly cooled, we caught a bus up to Cafe Milago where we ate a vegetable and hummus wrap and had drinks and read books before heading back to the beach for a spot of boogie boarding. After that we leapt onto the bus in our swimsuits for a return to the hotel's hot tub, and then a fancy dinner in La Luna, the restaurant next to our hotel. 

The following day we had booked another tubing adventure, having liked it so much at La Fortuna. We drove out to the river and it was even more fun than last time - whizzing over tiny rapids and floating gently down quieter bits of the river, admiring the scenery and getting burnt legs (and in Roz's case, blisters on her arms from excessively vigorous paddling...). We went into town to buy ice cream and bus tickets, then after popping home to change, settled for a read and a Jenga game and some excellent falafel at the Falafel bar... Then coffee at Cafe Milago... And then, impossible to resist - more boogie boarding! We are getting good! Afterwards we enjoyed more hotel hot tubbing, before going out for pizza at a restaurant with an old train carriage, and then venturing into one of the gay bars where we found ourselves the only ladies, but having forgotten it was St Patrick's Day, Roz was am inadvertent hit in her bright green dress... A surprisingly good gay scene here, if you're a man. And we had a cheerful drink before heading home to sleep. 

Today I'm writing this by the pool after a sunny breakfast. It cannot be true that we go home tomorrow!

In which Layla and Roz spot tarantulas in the jungle

By Layla

On our last morning in La Fortuna we waved goodbye to the volcano and hopped on a minibus with a group of US college kids on spring break, for one of the loveliest three hour transfers ever. After a short bus ride, we hopped off at Lake Arenal and boarded a little boat. Our luggage stacked at the front, we cruised across the ridiculously picturesque lake, the volcano looming beautifully on the horizon, the water sparkling in the sun. It is such a delight to be on holiday.

Sad when the boat hit the sand at the other side of the lake, we climbed out onto the beach to find the minibus that drove us down bumpy roads to our next destination: Santa Elena and Monteverde. Our hotel is slap bang in the centre of Santa Elena and within 20 minutes of arriving, we'd checked in, booked a hanging bridges 'sky walk', booked a jungle night hike, and climbed up into a restaurant set around a giant tree (the aptly named Treehouse Restaurant) where we were enjoying exceptionally delicious soup and salad and feeling very fond of Santa Elena.

The sky walk was a lot of fun. We drove up into the jungle and embarked on a really cool hike that was punctuated by six hanging bridges suspended over the treetops far below. Not one for those without a head for heights, but it was beautiful. The forest looked almost fake, its greenery so brilliant it might have been invented for a Disney film. Very lovely. We went round the whole circuit twice before catching the shuttle back to town for tour number 2: the jungle night hike.

The point of hiking in the jungle in pitch blackness is to spot animals, birds and insects that aren't usually visible during the day. In view of the majority of these creatures being spiders and snakes and scorpions and the like, I was unsure of my enthusiasm levels and rather hoped these animals wouldn't make an appearance. Alas I was foiled and we hiked up and down, through black foliage and across black streams as our guide shone his torch and exclaimed "Look! Big shiny eyes!" We saw a few mammals I've frankly never heard of (a bit like a stoat in appearance), two frogs ("very beautiful. Big red eyes!"), two snakes ("only a little bit venomous"), a tarantula, a scorpion, and some butterflies and birds. Apparently not a bad haul. As my small torch scanned the ground near my feet for creepy crawlies, I wasn't too sad when it was time to return to civilization - which in our case took the form of dinner, drinks and live music in the Treehouse...

It turns out that travelling to a cloud forest in the mountains is not a guarantee of balmy weather. As we tried to sleep last night, a vigorous wind whipped its way through our windows and teeth chattering, I wished for a giant duvet. Morning came with the wind still whipping, which wasn't encouraging for two girls planning to take the 7:30am public bus to go hiking in the Monteverde Cloud Forest...

We shivered as we bought our tickets into the National Park but luckily the trees provided a bit of cover and we ended up hiking around pretty much the entire park. The trees and scenery were very cool, and the trails sprawled around the perimeter, up and down, past waterfalls, bridges, and views of the continental divide. We popped back halfway through for coffee and cake... Then continued til four hours later we'd conquered Monteverde Cloud Forest. Fab.

After some carrot soup in the adjacent restaurant, we walked down the road a couple of kilometres to the Monteverde Cheese Factory, just in time for their 2pm tour. I've been on wine, coffee and chocolate tours aplenty - but this was my first cheese experience! The place was opened by Quakers fleeing US army conscription in 1954 and collects milk from the local area to make a wide variety of cheeses. The tour was brilliant in a slightly rubbish/kitsch way. We saw photos of the original Quakers learning to make the cheese. Photos of cows. Views of the cheese making equipment. And the best bit - cheese tasting. What fun!

We were eyeing the pavementless 4k walk home with some lack of enthusiasm when quite improbably on the deserted road, a taxi appeared and conveyed us back to the hotel and a sunny veranda with beer, then a fancy restaurant. Today: transfer to Manuel Antonio National Park area!

In which Roz and Layla float down rivers and don't jump off a cliff

By Roz

We left you as we were about to go whitewater rafting. (In Layla's last blog entry she omitted to mention that I had been for a run that morning. I assume that this was guilt on her part for not bringing her own running stuff or at having no urge to go running...) Rafting proved to be fab. A not very long bus journey deposited us, and a disappointing number of other tourists, by a very pretty river. Our very best efforts to avoid being put in a boat with children were ultimately foiled but our fellow rafting companions (a couple and their two daughters) turned out to be perfectly nice and the children only slightly braver than us (a relief for all of us). We were talked through the safety instructions, and Layla and I listened as though they were all that stood between us and death (and not at all as though we had done it before). Death turned out not to be particularly likely, not least because it is the dry season in Costa Rica, and thus the waters are quite low (and hence not terrifying). Nonetheless it was brilliant to go down the river, past the odd nameless animal and beautiful bird. We stopped off for a fruit snack, and I made a spectacle of myself by eating far more of the pineapple than was my share (what can I say: I like pineapple and I have very little shame...). Not long afterwards, we were inelegantly getting out of the boats, and were back on to the bus for a very late lunch (3pm). 

We were taken to a local house / restaurant, which they were very keen to emphasize was "really old" (100 years - Layla and I tried not to snigger) and greeted with shots of moonshine, which both Layla and I dodged, I'm afraid (drinking shots never works out well for me, and Layla is even less of a drinker than me). We were then first in line for lunch (rice and beans, plus some really delicious plantain and another dish which was green and vegetarian but absolutely unidentifiable). Having scoffed our lunch before most people had even seen the queue, we both headed back for seconds (we felt guilty but not that guilty). When everyone else had finished, and we had all had Costa Rican fudge (not at all like our fudge) and a sip of moonshine mixed with some other stuff that made it taste like Bailey's (a drink I really don't like but which Layla has quite some enthusiasm for) we went to look at sugar cane being refined by oxen which was fun if a bit random. 

And then we were back in town around 4.30. Our first stop was to organize a trip for the next day and, having successfully done so (with ice cream to help), we went to My Coffee (unsurprisingly a coffee shop) to read our books. Whilst there I became entirely besotted with a small dog owned by one of the neighboring shop owners (and received many compliments on "my" dog from passers-by) and contemplated how to kidnap him - whilst Layla tried to dodge his licks (she still believes any dog with an open mouth is about to eat her, having spent her childhood in Spain where there are lots of guard dogs). The dog owner having reclaimed her dog, the coffee shop lost some of its allure, so we stopped off for a drink in the Lava Lounge, which we went to a couple of nights before. We contemplated food, but the combination of hot weather and a late lunch meant neither of us really fancied food and so after our pause for drinks we returned to the hotel to sit on our balcony, read, whilst drinking a local beer (let's skate over the ice cream...). 

Next morning we were up early for another trip: this time a combination which included tubing, rappelling and horseback riding in a privately owned of part of the rainforest. I can't quite imagine what we were thinking when we signed up for such an ambitious combination: our hotel owner sniggered when he heard our plans for the day and noted we had said we were too scared to do ziplining "but rappelling is much scarier". Tubing turned out to involve floating down a river in a large rubber ring which has a mesh on the bottom to stop your legs going through. It was occasionally slightly scary when the water ran fast (though I suspect that I would be alone in using the adjective "scary" for the experience). But it was also always really wonderful: it's just amazing to float down river, sort of under your own steam - despite the guide - in the middle of a rainforest. Layla and I got out of the water agreeing that we needed to go tubing again, and very soon. 

One might have hoped that our success in tubing would have given us confidence for rappelling. And it certainly gave us confidence enough to get the rappelling kit on. But I am ashamed to admit that when our cheery guide stood on the edge of a cliff and said in Spanglish "you just go down", my confidence failed. It was the lack of anything other than an empty void for the first 10 feet that was the killer for me I think: the jumping off point (which I am sure should not be called that) is further from the rest of the cliff than one would want and so the enthusiastic rappeller (or even the reluctant rappeller) has to make quite a leap of faith. I was not ready to make that leap. And nor was Layla. And so, I am ashamed to say, we shamefacedly backed away from the cliff with many apologies and started talking loudly about our eagerness to go horse riding. 

Horse riding proved to be as excellent as it always is. And the guide's disappointment at our lack of enthusiasm for galloping as obvious as it always is. Ah well. It was fun going through the canyon, and to see the rainforest from a slightly different height. And at the end it was also fun to find ourselves popping out in a field with beautiful volcano views, at an unexpected stable. Our guide warmed to us despite our lack of galloping (eventually), and showed us the dancing horses in his stable - and, best of all, gave us a small horse dancing demonstration. It was really rather lovely to see the clear bond between him and his horses...

We thought that this was going to be the end of the fun activities, but the guy who took us back to the hotel where we'd left our rucksack and clean clothes mentioned that we were entitled to use the thermal baths at the hotel should we wish. (Layla and I disagreed subsequently about whether this was an option offered to all those who dodged rappelling to ensure that there were no requests for refunds... I say yes but who knows.) In any event, we seized on this option with enthusiasm, and (after a quick lunch) had a fab afternoon trying the different baths and painting each other with volcanic mud. Eventually our skin was too wrinkled for any more warm baths and we then had a delightful time with a mohito and our books whilst we awaited the bus. 

Back at our hotel, we read a little (whilst Layla sobered up, lightweight that she is) before going out in the evening for really excellent pizzas (I know, not very Costa Rican but they were delicious).  I had my first nice glass of wine since coming to the country and all in all it was a delightful evening and a fine end to our time in La Fortuna.

In which Layla and Roz play dominoes in a Costa Rica park, and hike round a volcano

By Layla

It feels ages since we had a proper holiday so when we landed in San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturday, Roz and I breathed a sigh of delight - and then trepidation. We were spending the first day in San Jose itself and by all accounts this is a slightly alarming city lacking in charm. Perhaps it's just because we have been to worse cities (I'm talking about you, San Salvador!) but we unexpectedly found it rather nice! After arriving at our hotel, we walked to the nearby National Theatre. Costa Ricans apparently love theatre - there are a large number of theatres in the San Jose but the National Theatre is widely acknowledged as the best building in the country. Sure enough it was attractive, and sported a nice cafe where some smoothies and carrot cake welcomed us to the city properly. Afterwards, we strolled up a few streets to Parque Morazan.  I'd read that every Saturday the city puts on a 'love our city' festival thing in several parks around town but I hadn't imagined the extent of it. It was as though the city council has sat down, tried to imagine everything that's fun, and put it all in a park for everyone to enjoy for free. There was ping pong. Table football. Hula hoops (being enjoyed by all ages and genders). Chess. Scrabble. Draughts. Dominoes. A popular drum circle. Stilts to try. People dressed up in puppet-ish costumes accompanied by bands as they strolled around the park dancing with passers by. Cake to buy. Little tents where you could model elaborate things out of clay or plasticine, or build your own table football out of cardboard. Roz and I partook in some hula hooping, dominoes, table football, stilts (attempt only) and cake-eating, alongside the locals. It was quite delightful. 

We popped in to the Contemporary art museum in a cool big warehouse type space and had a quick look at their random exhibitions including a strangely transfixing video of people playing musical chairs... And then headed up to one of the city's hippest art/design/coffeeshop/restaurant venues, Kalu, and positioned ourselves there with our books for the rest of the day. En route home, we popped into a random bar for a final beer, and then home to bed, musing that Costa Rica prices are the same as DC prices. Alas. But otherwise: an excellent start to our holiday!

The next day we braved the public bus to La Fortuna. We'd heard a few stressful things about this bus but arrived perfectly after 4 1/2 hours and celebrated with veggie wraps and strawberry juice before locating our hotel on the outskirts of town. That afternoon we took a taxi to a waterfall and climbed the nearly 500 steps down. Really fun to be surrounded by jungle, and the waterfall was delightful. Afterwards we cabbed into town and settled down with our books in a coffeeshop, then the Lava Lounge for dinner, before walking all the way home. In the dark. Cab next time, perhaps...

Yesterday we had an early breakfast then tried to catch an apparently non-existent bus to Arenal Volcano national park. Luckily another couple was trying to do the same thing so we split a cab and soon found ourselves strolling (in torrential rain) along cool, beautiful little trails around Arenal volcano. The rain went off eventually (well it IS a rainforest so we can't really complain) and we climbed up lava, and looked at big colorful birds and plants and a giant ceiba tree and beautiful views. Til we found ourselves back at the rangers' station, approaching lunchtime, with no lunch options. The Arenal Observatory, an ex-Smithsonian-observatory-current-fancy-hotel, was a mere 8km away. In the now blazing sunshine. Thankfully passing drivers gave us a lift most of the way there but our skin went decidedly red in the sun! 

We were delighted to have lunch at last in an absolutely amazing spot overlooking the volcano. And then we saw the monitor of the volcano's activity and duly reassured, set off on more hiking trails (yes our legs are now exhausted!). The trails were lovely - one through rainforest, the other over hanging bridges, over a hanging bridge, and through beautiful farmland. All in the lovely sunshine. What an excellent day of hiking. 

We then shared a taxi with some others and headed to one of the area's big draws: volcanic hot springs! Our resort, Ecothermales, was one of many, and it was a delight. They had four volcanically-heated pools, some waterfalls, and we got there as night fell and little lights shone amongst the jungle foliage. We drank cocktails with little umbrellas and jumped into colder and hotter pools, and it all felt very cool and luxurious and quirky and lovely. Sadly I got too hot, so spent the rest of the evening lying on my bed under the air conditioner... But it was a lovely evening. 

This morning we're about to head off white water rafting. Wish us luck!