Monday, June 5 2023
Day 1 – RECAP
So we are in Costa Rica! Arrived yesterday and here’s whats happened so far…I started packing last last night and Rachel slept over, we managed to fit everything in our bags and got 2h of sleep before waking up at 2am to go to the airport for our 7:10am flight. My dad drove us and we got there about 3h early and nothing was open till 5am so we waited around for a bit.
Then at 7:10am we boarded our flight to Cancun, but before that there were announcements saying there wasn’t enough room for all carry-on bags on the flight. We were the last zone and had big bags so we knew they would end up checking them and went up to the counter. We asked if we would be picking them up in Cancun or Costa Rica. The Air Canada attendant said he would have them go direct to Costa Rica. So, we got on the flight and were on our way to Cancun. When we got to Cancun we asked a guy outside how to get to Terminal 2 and he said it was far and that we needed to take a taxi. He lead us to one but I noticed it had no signage saying it was a taxi and no meter inside. I asked the driver if he had a meter and he just said no and to get in….so we did…Know I know this should have made us say “never mind we’re good” but we were really worried to miss our connecting flight and thought, its only a 5 min drive, we’ll be fine. He kept asking if we had a credit card and we did but didn’t really trust giving it to him to we said we would pay in American (cash) and he said it was $40 American! For a 5 MIN DRIVE. But we wanted to get out of the car without issues so we paid it and got out at the Terminal.
Then we get to our gate…oh, forgot to mention we were still paranoid that our bags wouldn’t go all the way to Costa Rica so we waited at the baggage claim for over 30min and then left cause we assumed we were good…I’m sure you can assume were this story is going…so we get to the gate and the women looks at our tickets and says “you picked up your bags right?” We were like “no we were told they were going straight to Costa Rica” and she said Mexico has different rules and the bags can’t go straight through and that we were given the wrong information…Soooooo we had to board the plane to Costa Rica while our bags stayed in Cancun. Fun! They said they would come on the next flight and that we would have to pick them up the next day. This was a problem seeing as we were staying in Monteverde, 2.5h from San Jose airport. But we boarded the flight and just hoped for the best. When we got to … hold on, backtrack, at the end of the flight just as we were about to land we had some CRAZY turbulence, like I’m talking butts in the air turbulence, it came out of no where and felt like a legit roller coaster. People were screaming, Rachel and I grabbed each others hands, holding on for dear life and the kid behind us was laughing like crazy like he was actually on a roller coster, which made the whole situation even crazier. Anyway that believe it or not actually raised our spirits from getting the luggage news. Once things settled down we could not stop laughing at the circumstances that had lead up to that point, and we hadn’t even reached our destination yet.
After we landed we went to the baggage claim hoping by some miracle that our bags would be there. But they were not. So we went to the baggage desk for Avianca and filed a claim. The man said they would be delivered to us the next day at our hostel which was a huge relief. Then we went to get our sim cards at a booth in the airport, but they only took cash and it was $120 for 2 plans. Since we separated our cash and put some in the bags we checked, we didn’t have enough to pay for the plans. So, we had to go to a currency exchange place to take out more money and then go back to pay for the sims.
At this point we were over an hour late for the shuttle which had been waiting outside but the driver was super nice and waited. When we got in the shuttle it said it would take 2.5h to get to our hostel. The driver stopped to get gas on the way and I ran in the store to get deodorant cause no way am I going without that till we get our bags. Then we continued on our way and ended up getting stuck in a HUGE rain storm and there was lightning and water streaming down the street, and the whole way there was up hill. At one point we had to pull over to another gas station to wait it out. It ended up taking us over 4h to get to the hostel, but the driver did amazing and got us there safely, so we are very grateful.
All in all, our travel days were quite an adventure, but hey, when life gives you lemons…Definitely made the first day of our Costa Rica Trip a lot more interesting. Now onto day 2:)
Monday, June 5, 2023
Day 2 – Monteverde
Welcome to day 2 of our adventure in Costa Rica! So this morning we woke up to a Roaster squaking at like 5 or 6 but we kept going back to sleep and got out of bed at about 8am. In the same airport clothes, we walked to a cafe for breakfast – The Orchid Cafe – which was such a cute place and the staff were very nice. We shared french toast and a fruit bowl and everything tasted SO good. Then we headed back to the hostel to catch the 10am shuttle to the Cloud Forest. We hiked around and took some nice pictures on the hanging bridges, but to our disappointment we didn’t see any wildlife. But it was still a beautiful hike. We then took the shuttle back and in the time we were gone my mom got a call saying our bags were on the next flight, and would be arriving today! When we got back, we went for lunch at a restaurant called Spectacolar Cantina. We each got a burrito which was really good and a German Shepherd kept coming by us and trying to eat our food so we called him “Dude.”
Then we checked the hostel again, still no bags, so we chilled in the room for a bit and then went to the grocery store to get water and some snacks for the night. On the way back we were surrounded by clouds cause of how high we are, I guess (maybe it was just fog, but it looked so cool). Just as we were finishing the math for our day’s costs, someone knocked on the door and we open it to see our beautiful bags being taken out of a mini van, and a beautiful sight it was. We got so excited and thanked the guy a million times.
So, we are back on track and never let the inconveniences spoil our trip. Now we have our bags and are genuinely thriving. Today was our only day in Monteverde, and tomorrow morning, we leave on a shuttle for La Fortuna. Overall, Monteverde is a cute town, and if you are looking for more of a hiking vibe, then it’s a nice place to visit.
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Day 3 – La Fortuna
We are sitting in the sun at a table outside a rest stop on the way to La Fortuna. We got picked up from the Cowboy Hostel at about 8 am, and it is currently 8:50 am, so we have about 2 hours to go until our next hostel. We have the entire shuttle to ourselves, which is cool. There is another dog here. We are naming him Spot. He’s so cute and was following us around…
We are back on the shuttle now and its very shaky so till later goodbye:)
Hi again! So we just got to La Fortuna and are currently sitting in The Lava Lounge about to have lunch before checking into our hostel across the street at 2. It is currently 11:36 am. The ride over here was pretty cool, the first 2h were on the shuttle, then 45 min on a boat with a beautiful view of the volcano. We joined a tour group on their boat and met three girls around our age. One was from Winnipeg, Canada and the other two were from the US. So there is a little update for now…
OH MY GOSH! This is literally the best hostel. The vibes are amazing and the people are so nice. We just booked some activities for the next few days with the staff here and it was so much fun, they have the best energy. We are now sitting in the hammocks, Rachel is reading, I’m obviously journaling and there is music playing. It’s so perfect. In a couple minutes we are going to change into our bathing suits and go to the Rope Swing nearby cause it is SO much hotter here than Monteverde. I’m so burnt and definitley need to start wearing sunscreen. Also, our room is a girls only 4 person room, its super small but we have our own washroom and locker. Overall it’s such a cute hostel and I think we’re going to really enjoy it here:)…
Hey again:) So we are back at the hostel now, after I last wrote, we went to the rope swing, it was about a 20min walk away and we had so much fun, I swung into the water twice and convinced Rachel to do it once. We hung out with one of the people who work at the hostel there and a new girl we met who was vacationing with her family from Virginia, they were a blast and we spent the entire time laughing our butts off to the point where people probably thought we were crazy.
Then we walked back and on our way met a dog that we named Pluto. He followed us for most of our walk until he had to poop, and we lost him. Then we went to the restaurant beside our hostel for dinner and shared a conejo? Definitely spelled that wrong but our friend that works at the hostel recommended it and it was pretty good. Very flavourful. So far we have not been disappointed by the food here. And now we are chilling in the common space by the pool and hanging out here the rest of the night:) Also going to try and find that Tropical Peach drink we had in Monteverde at the Spectacolar place cause it was SO good!…
Update. Last Night was so fun, we were sitting in common area, I was journaling while Rachel was reading and a guy sits down and starts chatting with us. He is from Brazil so he knew Portuguese which is cool. Then our friend that works at the camp came over with Dominos and we all played that for a while, and then the last round we all agreed that the winner would jump in the pool. OF COURSE that game I was the winner but they all said they would jump in with me. So we all ended up going into the pool and there were splash fights, races, competitions and it was a blast. Then we all got out and showered. Rachel and I put dresses on and came out again and sat with the others including a guy from Miami. We all played UNO and then somehow veered off to singing Adele karaoke style and 2 more girls came over, both from Saskatchewan, Canada. So far haven’t met anyone from Toronto yet. Then we all called it a night at about 11:30pm and went to bed. Currently it is 5:43am and I am sitting at the same common room table we were at last night. I got up early to journal and sit outside for a bit before our 6am breakfast and 7:10am bus ride to our Zip Lining tour. Well, that’s all for yesterday’s news, another great adventurous day in Costa Rica. Till later, goodbye!
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Day 4 – La Fortuna
Back again! So today after I last wrote Rachel came out and we got breakfast at the hostel. Then at 7:10 the shuttle picked us up to go Zip Lining. On the way we picked up a couple from Texas who were on their way to hike around the volcano. They were super sweet. Then we went Zip Lining with two other girls and 3 guides. The main guide was great and would use our phones while we Zip Lined to take photos and videos of us. We did 7 ropes and it was a blast. Then after we went under a little onning and the main guide told us the history of the natives in the area which was really interesting and Rachel and I bought matching volcanic rock necklaces, hers is black and mine is white. They also kinda look like a globe (Rachel noticed) which makes them even more meaningful. Then we took the shuttle back to the hostel and the same couple were on the shuttle again. When we got back we got smoothie bowls from Junglebowl beside our hostel and went to the hostel pool where we are now. In a couple minutes we are going to get ready to go horseback riding to the volcano which should be fun. So yea thats all for now…OH MY GOSH a guy at the hostel just pointed out a huge lizard that has been chilling on the tree beside us lol. Anyway till later, goodbye!…
Ok so it is 6:58am on June 8 (the next day). So here is your recap! We got out of the pool and dried off to go horseback riding. Unfortunately the shuttle was late and we had to move our pick up time from 1pm to 2:30pm. We just chilled in the hammocks and I got some fries. Then we got on the shuttle and the clouds were getting really dark so we knew we were in for a ride in the rain. On the way we picked up this family from a MASIVE resort. They were from the US went ATVing at the same time as our horse back riding. Rachel had never been on a horse before so it was CRAZY for her, and on the trail her horse kept stopping to eat leaves. We got a beautiful view of the volcano on the trail and walked through a lot of forests with these VERY loud monkeys. You heard them everywhere but they were so hard to see. I did see one at the end though. Then when we got back to the reception we met this dog that we named Fox. Then we headed back, oh, and it poured on us the entire ride so we were soaked, but it was still a really cool experience.
When we got back to the hostel we both showered and then had some beef nachos at the hostel bar which were SO good. Then we taught some of the other guests Slap Jack (card game) and met a new girl from Germany. We all played cards and then decided to all go to the karaoke bar. Rachel and I also did the footloose line dance and also sang Last Night by Morgan Wallen. There was dancing, singing and it was just so much fun. Also the Spanish singers were amazing! Then we walked back at 11:30pm ish, maybe later, and said goodnight! So thats the newest update till later, goodbye:)
Friday, June 9, 2023
Day 5 – La Fortuna
Hey! Didn’t have time to update throughout the day yesterday so here’s how it went…In the morning we all had breakfast and then Rachel and I left for our rafting tour. The bus picked us up and made a few stops on the way and the bus was specific to the rafting tour so our tour guide was on the bus. We stopped at a rest stop to get water and on the drive he explained the tour. When we got there we put on our life jackets and helmets, and headed to our boat groups. In our boat we had 5 people. The others were a couple from somewhere between France and Germany? (I hadn’t heard of it before) and a girl from England. Within 5-10min of rafting we went over a huge rock and I FLEW out of the boat and into the water. I don’t know fully how I fell I just remember my stomach grazing the rocks cause it was so shallow and then the guide on our boat grabbed me by the shoulders of my life jacket and pulling me back into the boat. I climbed back into my seat and started paddling again. It was crazy and scary but also so fun and my favourite activity so far.
We stopped at a halfway point where they flipped a raft and used it as a table for watermelon and Pineapple. So we ate that and then got back in the raft and at one point the guide let me steer the boat which was both terrifying and exciting. After the tour we all got back in the bus and headed to lunch at the same place we did karaoke the night before ironically. It was a nice meal and then the guide made everyone coffee and took us to the farming area behind the bar. He told us what each of the plants were and then we all sat under an onning and he asked us for 3 volunteers to help grind sugarcane. He kept asking and no one volunteered but these two little boys so he was like I need a girl and I volunteered. I pushed the cane into the grinder while one of the boys winded it. Then it all went into a jug the guide put it in shot glasses for us. It tasted… not bad… but not good…I don’t know how to explain it…but it was very sweet.
Then we bought our photos from rafting and decided to walk from there to El Salto (the rope swing). So we hung out there for a while and our boat guide actually came with us, as well as the English girl from the boat. I swung on the rope once and also jumped off the side rocks.
Then we went to a pharmacy to get cream for the many injuries I had acquired through our excursions. After that we grabbed ice cream at a grocery store which was their local ice cream, its like an ice cream sandwich but in a container that you eat with a spoon. Then we went back to the hostel and finished eating it by the pool and a few of the others joined us.
After that we all left to shower and change and came out again to play cards and get some dinner (we had the beef nachos again). Two guys from England joined us and later so did the others. We did some footloose, some people jumped in the pool and we had a blast. Then at around 11:30pm everyone decided to go to the bars but we were tired and had an early morning today so we decided to pass on it and had to say goodbye to everyone because we wouldn’t see them in the morning before leaving for Puerto Viejo. It’s crazy how close you can get to people in just a few days. We were in La Fortuna for only 3 days but it felt like a month because of how close everyone got so fast. I can’t believe we will probably never see these people again. Our friend who works at the camp made me cry with saying goodbye, it was so heartbreaking, but I guess amongst all the fun with solo traveling or backpacking, there is also the pain of saying goodbye. So now it is 5:28am and we have a shuttle coming at 6am to take us to the last destination of our trip Puerto Viejo. This trip is truly going by way too fast. At first, I missed people at home and was ok with going back, but now I’m having so much fun I never wanna leave. Anyway, that’s all for our journey to La Fortuna. Till later, goodbye:)
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Day 6 – Puerto Viejo
Hey again! So first I’ll update you on yesterday and then today. So we got on the shuttle and 2h in we stopped at a little snack rest stop and got some chicken patties for lunch. Then we kept driving and about 3-4h later we arrived at our hostel (Selina) in Puerto Viejo.
We went to the check in desk and the girl said she knew right when we stepped off the bus that we were Canadian, not sure how she did though, but she was so sweet. She checked us into our room or rather Tipi thing and gave us our room keys which are these colourful patterned bracelets that have a card on them that you can scan to open the door. Very cool. So we went there, got changed and walked to the nearest beach which is actually a surf beach but the waves weren’t bad so we could swim. We thought La Fortuna was hot but Puerto Viejo is even hotter.
Rachel went in the ocean for the first time and safe to say she still likes the pool better and the salt wasn’t her favourite but she did great and still had fun. We spent a couple hours at the beach and then came back, showered and grabbed our UNO cards to go play in the common area near the pool.
This place isn’t like the hostel in La Fortuna. Its very big, almost like a resort in some way, and there aren’t a lot of solo backpackers so it isn’t very social. We just played UNO by ourselves, got some dinner and then at about 7pm we called it a night and went to our room cause we were tired from all the travel between cities and getting up early. This hostel is also different in that the washrooms are like camping, so you have to walk to them outside, which kinda sucks but isn’t terrible. It is hot in our Tipi but there is a fan which helps a lot and we got a really long night of sleep.
Then this morning got out at about 8:50 for breakfast but first checked the front desk to see when surf lessons would be happening. They said it was at 9am so we decided to skip breakfast and get that done. Rachel didn’t do it but we met another girl from Ohio who did, so the lesson was just her and me. It was 2h long but went by pretty quick and it was a lot of fun, but I got slapped around by the waves A LOT. However, I stayed up on a couple waves and I’m going to try going every morning to practice before breakfast. We came back, had lunch and are now chilling by the pool waiting for some drinks called Soda Frutal, which looked good.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Day 7 – Puerto Viejo
So yesterday we just got cleaned up and had dinner at the hostel, nothing real special happened, we met some people in the pool and talked to them for a bit and that was basically it.
This morning I wanted to see the sunrise on the beach so Rachel and I got up at 5am and walked to the Selina’s beach. It was so pretty and definitely worth getting out early, but somehow I stepped in a red ant nest and had red ants all over my feet and legs biting me. It was pitch black out so I couldn’t see anything and just started running around to get them off.
But anyway once I got them off we walked to another little beach two seconds away and a kitten followed us the whole time which was cute. Then when we got back we waited till 6am for me to rent a surf board and then went to the Cocles Beach so I could attempt to surf on my own… Let me tell you solo surfing did NOT go well. I didn’t get up once. So we went back and I asked to do the 9am lesson again.
We ate breakfast and then I went with 2 other girls, one from England but who is working in New York and the other is working at another Selena in Costa Rica at the moment but lives in the US. The waves were a lot rougher today but I caught some waves and near the end he took us farther and I caught two big ones which was super cool. I felt like the waves just kept coming on the way back out and I again got slapped around a lot but I definitely wanna continue learning to surf cause the feeling of getting a wave is SO worth it.
The rest of the day we have just spent sitting by the pool, and it’s been chill. We are both so burnt, though. My nose is bubbling. I got waterproof sunscreen, and it still doesn’t do much because the waves take it right off. We are probably just going to wash up soon and get dinner or something. So until next time, goodbye!
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Day 10
Ok, so I haven’t updated in a while, here’s how the next few days went. I woke up at 5 the next day to surf but I was so burnt and in pain that I decided to skip it that day and sleep in. We got up later and walked into town to check out what was there. We first stopped at a little cafe that was sunflower themed and had a swing in the entrance for breakfast. It was so cute and we both got smoothies and shared a banana with a Nutella crepe. Then we walked around popping in and out of shops to get our souvenirs, and then once we shopped for everyone on our lists, we took a Tuk Tuk back to the Selina, which cost 2000 colonies. Then we just chilled by the pool for the rest of the day, and it was karaoke that night, so we were out a bit later and listened to that from the pool.
Then yesterday we woke up at 5am, finished packing our things and boarded our shuttle to San Jose airport at 6am. The ride was smooth and we stopped for breakfast an hour or two in. We got to the airport at about 12pm, 16h before boarding (didn’t want to pay for a hostel in San Jose), and then it was the waiting game… We went to a cafe they had before security and I decided to drink an iced latte (I never drink coffee). We also had some cake and FaceTimed our friend Jacob for a bit.
Then we went through security and found a nice table with a booth seat in the cafeteria to sit at for the next 8+ hours. During that time I made a ton of bracelets and took some laps around the airport to look at the shops. We watched a bit of Little Women and bought a burger to split which was $40 (GASP I know).
Time went by faster than we expected, and before we knew it, it was 3 am, and we were heading to our gate. We flew for 1.5 hours and then stopped in El Salvador to connect from there to Toronto.
And that brings us to now, we are on the flight back to Canada and I am so excited to see my home, I am going to miss this trip a lot though. It has been an experience of a lifetime and I cannot believe it just happened to be honest. The people we met, the things we did and saw! Nothing can compare. The flight is supposed to be about 4h so we should be almost half way soon and then home sweet home. Hopefully its smooth sailing from here onwards and I won’t have any more updates, so in the hopes of that, goodbye! And thanks for coming with Rachel and me on our trip to Costa Rica!
