Costa Rica - The Land

I don't often get the chance to travel with someone so when I was looking for my next travel destination a friend of mine had just happened to post she had some free time and a month later we ended up in Costa Rica.

I was definitely in the mood for some Central/South American place to go as I have yet to really explore outside of Europe.

Costa Rica is a huge tourist draw these days as it's rated the richest and safest country to visit in Central America.  Ok so not really that interesting.  But we had our fair share of adventure getting off the beaten path.

I flew into Liberia in the north of the country in Guanacaste province home of the cowboys.  Flying over the country I could just tell what an amazing country I was about to visit in terms of the landscape.  We picked up the rental car and off we went with just my tablet for navigation to our first destination.  We hit the Great American Highway or the road the traverses the entire country to find it's a one lane road with the average speed of about 40 mph.  Well at least it was partly paved.

Our first destination was La Fortuna home of the Volcano Arenal made famous with its earlier evening lava spews that dazzled visitors.  While it's no longer spewing at the moment I have yet to see a real active volcano so it was definitely exciting for me to see.

 We had planned taking about 3 hours to get there which ended up in about 5 hours and arriving at night.  Luckily the road was paved and had only a few sporadic spots to dodge around boulders.

We made a pit-stop at one of the first microbreweries in Costa Rica as the scene here is just beginning to sprout up.  Lake Arenal Hotel Brewing had only 2 drafts at the time in a Dunkel and one IPA. They weren't that tasty which I amount to the water quality being low in this country.  They both had a kind of metallic taste.

Waking up to a giant volcano looming in the distance amidst palms, exotic fruit, and dense jungle is an awesome feeling.  The breakfast in the morning was that much better freshly made from some Costa Rican ladies.  The go-to for breakfast is the rice and beans which actually tasted better than it sounds.

We hiked the trail closest to the volcano where you were able to catch some of the old lava flow.  You need to pay at the parking lot and the lady there tried to rip me off through the weird conversion rate. Luckily I paid in dollars after being confused she was asking me for about 100 dollars.  This hike was legendary! Rainforest out to the open fields and lava flows to huge tall plants that made you feel like an ant.

Leaf Cutters

Lava Flow

Look at that guy

The best thing in La Fortuna was the hot springs.  The free ones! A lot of the resorts here charge up to $100 just to spend the day at their hot springs.  The free hot springs feel like you're in the middle of a jungle amongst the real Costa Rican families who come here.  This was probably the best part of my trip to sit in such a paradise.

The next stop was a drive back around the Arenal Lake and down to Monteverde.  This was the hotspot for ziplining and adventuring into the tropical forests with abundant wildlife.  The town here is small among hills with a lot of tourist traffic around.

I had only ziplined once before earlier this year in PA and nothing compared to these lines they had in Costa Rica.  1st Class.  Over 15 lines some where you could barely see the other side where you would end up.  Flying high over the forest trees was amazing.  Bring a jacket out here as it gets chilly.

Mr. Sloth

Next stop the Pacific Coast!

Welcome to Miami

One thing I always wanted to do was drive from Miami to Key West over the 40+ bridges on Route 1.  Over Thanksgiving I was finally able to do that and it lived up to its expectations.

Here are a few shots from the long weekend.

Miami Skyline

Rented a Mustang

Road to Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne

Fort Lauderdale

Key West Sunset

Oasis

Old railroad bridge

Ocean Drive

Barbados

I had a week off to be able to quickly decide somewhere to go.  With so little time to plan I wanted to go somewhere close-by with not much in the way of planning. Barbados is an easy 3-hour flight, that is when you don't leave from JFK. (worst airport in the world) You see so many people these days going on cruises to these Caribbean beaches and wonder if they are as nice as people make them out to be.  I opted for a place with an interesting bit of culture as well that I wanted to experience.

Unlike previous trips I decided to live it up a bit with a "nicer" hotel and rent a car.  I knew with a car I would be able to see the whole island with ease.  The first spot was on the quiet side of the island in Bathsheba.  Because it's exposed to the wind and waves it's where the beaches are rocky and surfers congregate to ride the waves.

East Coast Mushroom Rocks

I stayed at the Sea-U Guesthouse perched on the hill overlooking the ocean.  The place was beautifully calm with all the free coconuts you wanted.  And the hammocks oh how I love them.  I arrived in my car driving on the wrong side of the road as you do here.  Navigation is incredibly difficult as it's tough to follow which way the roads go.  The farther you are from Bridgetown the worse condition the roads are.  Also be careful when the roads get wet as traction will be at a premium.

Sea-U Guesthouse

Relaxation

The first night I opted for the dinner being offered by the hotel since it was the national dish of flying fish and macaroni pie.  And since it was a Monday it was free rum punch night! Going to have to try and make this for myself now.  I met the only other people staying here, which turned out to be a German couple.

The next morning I headed for the Andromeda Gardens just up the street.  Again I was the only person to visit maybe due to the fact rain was forecast.  Halfway through the heavens opened and I found refuge in the bathroom.  The lady at the office handed me an umbrella for the rest of my tour which enabled me to complete it.

Andromeda Gardens

Next I headed for the West Coast where it's more developed with the postcard beaches to go for a swim as the rain clouds died away.  I ended up at Payne's Bay for a quick swim and snorkel session.  Unfortunately I had no buoy to warn any boats I was below so I was reluctant to leave the swimming area.  So I saw a whole of three fish and headed back to the car.

Payne's Bay

There a man was washing some Aloe at the beach shower, which he then would sell to tourists.  He tried to get me to buy some which I denied but I did offer him a ride as he had no shoes and needed a hitch up the road.  Barbados does have a bit of a poverty issue here.  Money and jobs are hard to come by for the majority.  I dropped him off and explored the far north before stopping at the Rum monastery for a quick pic.

St. Nicholas Abbey

Ate dinner at a local bar or shack whatever you prefer, where it was me and four other guys drinking rum and smoking weed.  The four other guys that is not me.  I had a big glass o water.  Of course I went with the flying fish and macaroni pie again.

The last day with the car I again headed for the middle of the island to Welchman Hall gully.  This is where the earth has collapsed and given way for tropical plants and trees to grow.  I dinged up the car a bit scratching against a wall as I had to back up to an oncoming car down a dirt road when I got a bit off track. What's funny is they know I'm a foreigner by the license plate letter telling them that.

I made sure to carry the umbrella with me from the start and 5 minutes into my walk it started to rain.  But it made the atmosphere better considering I was in a dense forest of trees.  Only thing was it kept the monkeys from coming out.  It was a cool place to walk and take in some nice trees, caves, and bugs.

I headed for my new home on the South Coast right near the St. Lawrence Gap where the nightlife is centered.  Fred the owner of Maraval Guesthouse helped me drop my car off at the airport and shuttled me back to the house.  It's located right on the beach.

I took out the goggles and headed to the boat in the picture to start some snorkeling.  All alone I noticed an eel as the first thing I saw and immediately swam back in.  Probably harmless I was a bit freaked out.  What's wrong with me?!

That night I headed out to check out the Gap.  I ran into a guy on the street and being curious most of the time I gave him the satisfaction of a nice conversation which is all he asked from me at the beginning.  He said he was Rasta and told me he got high off good conversation.  We talked for about a half hour about his philosophy on life and how he doesn't believe in God.  He complimented me for giving him that conversation back asking questions about his life and what he believes.  He wanted to drink with me which I refused since I knew what he was after.  Ultimately he asked for ten dollars to buy a hamburger which I also turned down.  I have no problem giving money at times but I felt a bit weird about his situation considering he told me he no longer did drugs which I learned was a lie from Fred the next morning.

Sunset from "The Gap"

I left the Gap area walking back to the house while watching my back considering I was introduced to some guys he associated with.  I get to my corner and he's waiting there for me after having taken a van.  I approached him and said "You following me or what?" He acted surprised to see me and said "Get out of here!" So I did!

I explored the capital of Bridgetown the next morning and Mount Gay Rum Distillery.  The best part I found about Barbados was riding the Z Vans everywhere.  They run on the bus lines and carry people around like the bus does just in a van with awesome reggae or soca music blaring.  I found it really relaxing and awesome to ride them everywhere for 1 dollar.

Parliament

The rum distillery was excellent! Take my word! Never buying Bacardi ever! The tour guide was hilarious!

While going for a swim at Accra Beach I lost my goggles after having a final attempt at snorkeling in a wave.  But as long as the girl next to me lost hers in the same wave I didn't feel so bad.

At night I went to the Oistins Fish Fry which was the best experience of the trip.  Great food and great atmosphere.  People dancing, eating, shopping.  It was fantastic!

I realize beach destinations aren't for me.  Although places like Croatia and Australia don't exactly count for me as beach destinations.  While I loved the cultural aspects of Barbados, the beach was pretty much the only thing to do.  But thank God for rum!

Camping on the Beach: Assateague, MD

Took a little few day break down to Maryland to do something any human I think desires to do once in their life which is to camp on the beach. Waking up to a gorgeous sunrise and the fresh ocean air is one of those moments in life where you're completely happy with not a care or problem that can change this mood.

Bay Side Marsh Trail

There are very few places where you can "officially" do this on the East Coast.  Assateague National Seashore lies just south of Ocean City, Maryland, a place I went to year after year on family vacations growing up.  Yet here lies a fantastic piece of nature just outside the city I've never heard of until last year.

The popularity of the place has skyrocketed in the past couple of years as the proximity to DC, Philly, and Baltimore offer a vacation destination to a lot of people.  The 300 or so campsites on the island are quickly booked up beginning in the spring for every weekend available.  Luckily for me I had the flexibility to head down on a Sunday and stay until Wednesday.

The draw of the place is the beach but also the fact that there are wild horses that roam the island.  Do not get anywhere near them as they are wild and could be prone to kick you in the face.  And don't be a douche who leaves your cooler full of cake and what not out because they will get into it.

Saw these guys every day

There are three trails on the island where you can go for a 15 minute walk as well as a place to rent kayaks in the bay. (Closed when we were there before Memorial Day)  They also have a small museum esque place documenting the wildlife of the island and selling some little things.

Excellent kite flying!

Be prepared for freezing showers if you're on the Seashore side.  The northern part have nicer facilities.  But for me it's not a problem.

Watch the ghost crabs on the beach as any female with you will freak out and need to be carried on the beach.

Head to Berlin voted the best small town in America just 15 minutes away and go to Burley Oak Brewing!

Fire on the beach!