| If you are thinking of travelling to
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| | for most of the locals, but it's worth
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| Costa Rica, reading about my experiences
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| | every penny. The hot spring has about a
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| may help you decide what to see and do
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| | dozen huge pools each about 30 feet
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| while you are there. My husband and I
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| | across, two with bars in the center. Each
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| went there at Christmas on a 10 day group
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| | pool is a different temperature, from
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| tour with the Caravan company, a travel
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| | lukewarm to scalding. All the pools are
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| tour provider which also has guided tours
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| | surrounded by tropical foliage and
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| of Mexico, Guatemala, Copper Canyon and
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| | winding paths. It's entirely possible to
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| the Canadian Rockies.
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| | spend an entire day at these heavenly
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| The tour started in San Jose, the capital
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| | springs without getting bored.
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| of Costa Rica. The hotel was modern and
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| | Our group took a ride on the Aerial Tram,
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| quiet, with a great buffet of (fairly)
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| | which runs amongst the canopy of the rain
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| authentic food. Due to the tropical
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| | forest. Every now and then, a giant blue
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| climate, local produce of excellent
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| | Morphos butterfly would flutter around
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| quality is available year-round,
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| | the tram, so bright and iridescent it
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| obviously grown on small farms, not the
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| | appeared to be lit by a spotlight. We saw
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| giant factory farms common in North
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| | many birds and butterflies, but no
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| America. The local watermelons were the
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| | colorful snakes, unfortunately, though
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| most delicious I'd ever eaten, small
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| | there are supposed to be many varieties
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| (less than a foot in diameter), with
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| | of them in the rainforest. Also no
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| bright red, extremely sweet flesh;
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| | jaguars, as they are rare and very shy.
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| completely different from the pale,
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| | If you plan to hike into the rain forest,
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| tasteless, huge commercially grown
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| | even on groomed trails, be sure to wear
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| Californian and Mexico melons sold back
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| | hiking boots, not sandals, and also long
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| in the States. Rice and beans were served
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| | pants that can be tucked into those
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| at almost every meal, however there was
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| | boots. I'm not kidding when I make this
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| always a variety of spiced meat stews and
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| | recommendation : the rain forest floor is
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| also spicy vegetarian dishes. I'm not
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| | full of biting ants, both leaf cutter
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| vegetarian, but I love vegetables, so I
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| | ants and army ants, which have huge nests
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| was really pleased by the menu, and it
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| | several yards across. These poisonous
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| was one of the highlights of the trip.
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| | ants really bite, and I found this out
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| Bad food and noisy accommodations can
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| | the hard way as I and several other
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| really detract from a tour even if the
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| | people on the tour were wearing sandals,
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| scenery is great.
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| | and we found ourselves doing a skittish
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| On my last tour with Caravan, we went to
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| | dance to stop the insects from crawling
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| Mexico, and chicken was on the menu so
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| | over our feet and biting us. Still, I
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| often that to this day my husband won't
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| | came away with a swollen ankle due to one
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| eat any more of it. "All pollo'ed out,"
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| | ant which had managed to latch on. I
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| is how he puts it. But that wasn't the
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| | wonder how the local Indians who once
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| case this time; so obviously, even with
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| | lived in the rainforest dealt with this,
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| the same tour company, each tour is
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| | as they went barefoot all the time.
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| different, since the details are largely
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| | We also spent two days in the Tortuguero
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| arranged by local agents.
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| | wildlife preserve, heaven for
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| We didn't spend much time in San Jose
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| | birdwatchers. There were all kinds of
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| itself, just drove through it on the way
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| | exotic birds including Toucans. We also
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| to local attractions. But I noticed
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| | saw some small caimans, iguanas, and
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| barred windows and spirals of razor wire
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| | several species of monkeys. Surprisingly,
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| surrounding just about every house and
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| | given the humid rain forest, there were
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| building, and two armed guards at the
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| | very few mosquitoes.
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| exits of an appliance store, of all
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| | The most impressive crocodiles, about 15
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| places. In front of a bank, I could
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| | feet long, were not in the park but in a
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| understand it, but at a store selling
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| | river outside the game preserve. About a
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| washing machines? The tour guide said
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| | dozen of them could be seen from the top
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| that the local crime rate is extremely
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| | of bridge, basking in the water below and
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| high. In Mexico, I saw some barred
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| | sunning themselves on sandbars. The guide
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| windows, but little barbed wire. I am
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| | told us that locals had previously been
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| told that theft is a problem all through
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| | entertaining themselves by buying whole
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| Latin America, and an acquaintance who
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| | chicken carcasses and dangling them from
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| has travelled widely around the continent
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| | ropes over the bridge just above the
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| told me not to take anything valuable
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| | reptiles' noses to tease them. However,
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| along on my trip. However, even with this
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| | there was now a policeman stationed at
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| warning, the sight was really jarring.
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| | one end of the bridge to prevent this
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| I'm not used to that at all in Canada and
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| | practice, as it as lot like feeding
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| the States, and even the Caribbean
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| | bears, very unadvisable as it causes the
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| doesn't have such obvious problems.
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| | animals to become pests.
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| Despite the fact that Costa Rica is a
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| | We also went on a tour led by a
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| trendy retirement location for a lot of
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| | naturalist who fed fish to an 8-foot wild
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| Gringos, this would really make me think
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| | crocodile by hand, even going so far as
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| twice about moving there.
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| | to handle the animal and hold its tail.
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| Costa Rica is a volcanic area, and the
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| | The crocodile did not seem at all upset
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| tour group went to see two volcanoes, the
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| | by this treatment and made no attempt to
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| Poas Volcano and the Arenal Volcano. The
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| | bite; I suppose it knows when the tour is
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| Poas Volcano was at a high altitude,
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| | coming by and expects to be fed.
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| covered with a cloud forest full of
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| | We also spent a day at Jaco Beach in the
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| streaming, eerie mist unlike anything
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| | Manuel Antonio National Park. If you go
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| I've seen elsewhere. The crater, which
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| | there, come in the early morning, because
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| contains a bright green, highly acidic
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| | the park only allows a limited number of
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| lake, was poorly visible due to the misty
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| | visitors at one time, and once the park
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| conditions, but the just the walk through
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| | is full, those who arrive later have to
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| the forest was worthwhile by
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| | wait in a line outside the gate. The
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| itself.itself.
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| | beach was beautiful, clean with warm,
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| The second volcano we visited was the
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| | tropical water.
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| Arenal, and I highly recommend that any
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| | All in all, it was a very interesting
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| travellers to Costa Rica set aside a day
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| | trip, entirely different from Mexico, the
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| to visit the hot springs on the side of
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| | only other Latin American country I have
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| the mountain. I've never seen a water
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| | visited. It was a unique experience, well
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| park like this one! Admission is a hefty
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| | worth the money.
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| $25.00 US, probably priced out of range
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