As ordinary, whilst making plans for a ride, I visited various websites looking for clues, evaluations, bargain accommodations, activities, and cash exchange rates. Generally, 1,000 colonies are equal to two US dollars. While calculating colonies, circulate the decimal over (to the left) three places and multiply to get the USA greenback equivalent. You might also need to observe that Costa Rica uses colones as the medium of trade; however, it also takes US bucks in maximum locations.
So with the help of my son Omar, who might additionally be becoming a member of me in this experience to Costa Rica, we commenced our research checking Frommers.Com, TripAdvisor.Com, Hostels.Com, GoVisitCostaRica.Com, Google Maps, and different websites to get quite familiar with that a part of the world. There were no flights to the San Jose airport, so we decided to fly Delta to the Liberia Airport (LIR). Liberia is placed in the Guanacaste Province that’s positioned in the Northeastern part of Costa Rica.
We took a taxi from the airport and checked within the Boyeros Hotel in downtown Liberia. The taxi fee changed to $15.00 for my son and me. There is, however, a good inexpensive manner to get to the middle of Liberia. You can take a taxi out to the primary street for approximately $4.00 and take the local bus for the handiest 50 cents. This is not an awful alternative for anyone who desires to see the country in the maximum cost-powerful manner by using the bus. That is how we lower back to the airport on our departure day.
The Boyeros changed into a nice hotel with a 24-hour restaurant and two swimming pools (one person and one child pool with a little waterfall). They additionally had double beds, cable TV, and warm water. The workforce does no longer communicate much English, so brush up on your Spanish before your ride. Many small lodges and hostels no longer have hot water, so usually check your room and turn on the water before the price is given specifically if you travel without making enhanced reservations as we did. They are also conveniently positioned at the bus line and across the corner from the bus station.
The fee of the room was $60.00 according to tonight, which was over our inn finances of $40.00 in step with night time, but the warm water and best pool was an awesome change off. We spent the day at the pool, getting adjusted and planning our subsequent circulate. We did not consume at their eating place. However, we walked throughout the street to a meals mall that housed Burger King and other rapid food eating places. It was packed with locals and some tourists. After consuming, we stocked up on water and headed back to the resort. My son Omar crashed out, and I stayed up and dealt with a Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight on HBO. Pacquiao changed into triumphant. However, I still assume that Floyd Mayweather would win if they ever met.
We got up early at about 4:30 AM to make our six-and-a-half-hour experience to the Manuel Antonio National Park, which turned into one of the locations that confirmed up on many websites and turned into an “ought to see” form of a location. I paid $12.00 to go to Barranca, which becomes approximately an hour and a half away. For $1.00, we took the nearby bus to the Puntarenas Bus Station. You should buy a bus ticket at the booth across the nook from where the buses line up. The bus to Manuel Antonio was $15.00 and became every other hour trip. We definitely have been able to take in the beautiful surroundings of the usa as we rode the highway in this at ease bus.
We arrived at approximately 11:00 AM in Quepos and determined to find a hotel there instead of Manuel Antonio, which turned into a brief 30-minute journey away. We walked approximately blocks and located the Park Hotel or Hotel Parque, which changed into situated on the 2nd floor over the Drage Pharmacy. It became very old-fashioned with the simplest bloodless water and no aircon; however, it did have cable TV and a ceiling fan, and the most effective value was $20.00 for the room that we selected with two dual beds.
We checked in and dropped our baggage, and scurried again to the bus station to preserve our adventure to the Manuel Antonio National Park. There is a $10.00 entry price for adults, and it becomes loose for my son, who is 11 years of age. It would help if you strolled approximately a mile on a gravel and dust road earlier than attaining the beach. The stroll turned into a chunk grueling within the warmth and with our backpacks, but the seashore became beautiful, and the water turned pleasant. We did not see any wildlife as it changed into promoted in their literature and on a few websites.
Actually, my recommendation might be to pass on going through the National Park and as an alternative cross on the alternative facet of the road and enjoy the seaside right there. There are notably more rocks and stones alongside the shoreline, and you cannot avoid taking walks on them as you input the ocean; however, the $10.00 National Park rate could then be used for a meal or two. After some time, the clouds rolled in, and it started to rain. My son was undaunted and persisted in swimming. After his hands and toes resembled raisins, we headed lower back up the pathway. We determined to eat at Chicken at the Run, located on the primary street and proper throughout the seashore, earlier than returning to the hotel.
We shared a whole rotisserie fowl, rice and beans, plantains, and a liter bottle of soda, which cost about $sixteen.00 for the entirety. Be mindful that the bird and different livestock you devour are possibly raised on the same water you are attempting to avoid whilst you got bottled water at some point of your stay. Just as you experience illness, cramps, and vomiting in Mexico and are warned, “don’t drink the water,” the same warning should also follow when traveling Costa Rica.
We scheduled the Mangrove Safari Tour for the following day, then jumped back at the nearby bus to Quepos for $1.00 and was correct in our room using about 7:00 PM. After our cold showers, Omar watched the Disney Channel in Spanish while I went to Bogarts Restaurant simply downstairs and to the proper, to apply the net to plan our subsequent actions. I checked the bus schedules at
The next morning we were given up early and checked out of the resort. We carried our bags with us to the excursion pick up the region in Manuel Antonio because we would get a bus to San Jose right after the safari excursion. We should be picked up at the inn; however, once I signed up for the tour the day before today, I did not know the exact name or place of the motel; to avoid confusion, I stated we’d come to the price ticket sales space vicinity.
Little did I understand that the mini-excursion bus would grow to be taking us right again to Quepos to an eating place much less than a half block from the motel to have lunch, which turned into blanketed in the $ sixty-five .00 in line with head price ticket charge of the tour. The food changed into correct and blanketed rice and beans, salad, and a desire for fish or fowl. The tour drivers regarded careworn and no longer very prepared. They stated it became a 4-hour tour. However, it ended up being about 2 hours. We eventually arrived at Damas Island to board the boat approximately 2 hours when we had been picked up. The river place turned into desolate, to mention the least.
