We were lucky because we had such beautiful weather. We even had glimpses of the arenal valcano. Couldn't see the very top, but could see most of it. It was a very cool thing to do.
We got our ride back to town and checked into the hostel. From there we got lunch, then onto the frog pond.
Costa Rica has a diverse range of wildlife and they have several kinds of colorful frogs. So at the frog pond there are several terrarium filled with plants and frogs. We had a guide explain the frogs and their life cycle. Since it was during the day they were sleeping. Our guide told us to come back at night to see them if we wanted to.
We went back to our room and hung out until it was time to go back to the frog place. We tried to see if we could find all the frogs. We spent about half an hour there. We used flashlights because they keep it dark so the frogs would be awake.
We walked to this restaurant for dinner but there was a line. So we stopped at a place close to our room. Actually I didn't feel like dinner. Bill had a banana split and Laurie talked herself out of dinner. So we got something to drink.
January 14, 2004
Today Laurie, Bill, and I walked up to the Monteverde Butterfly place. A woman gave an hour tour explaining about the insects they have and about the stages of the butterflies. They had lots of cocoons at different stages hanging up. They are just waiting for them to turn into butterflies.After the talk, we were brought into the netted forest to see the butterflies. I was kind of disappointed because we didn't see as many as I expected. They might have been sleeping still. It was still a good tour.
Afterwards we just waited around for our bus to come at 2:45. We said our goobyes to Bill. He is staying another two weeks.
The bus ride was long. The first part is unpaved with potholes everywhere. We stopped after 1 1/2 hours out in the middle of no where. Although there was an open cafe to buy food and drinks and use the bathroom.
We didn't arrive in San Jose until 7:30. We had to walk about a half an hour to our hotel.
January 15, 2004
We left the hostel about 7:15 and had to walk to catch the bus to the airport. We weren't sure where to catch it but we found it without a problem and the bus was there when we got there.
I don't know if I can say much about Costa Rica because I really wasn't there long enough to see much. The people are wondeful. Very friendly and helpful. That is what usually leaves an impression. I enjoyed it there but would have liked to have more time and see the coastal areas.
We took the 9:50 plane to Miami. We had to go through customs again. It is the second time in a week and I will have to do it again next week when we come back from St. John's.
We had to catch a bus from the airport to Miami Beach. That took forever. We found the hostel. It is nothing special, but the people seem nice. They have a pool here and many young kids come here. I am glad it isn't during spring break. Laurie and I are in a dorm room with two others. One guy from Providence, RI. He sailed on a boat as a worker about a month ago. He is still here. The other roommate is from Germany, but is a student at UMASS in Amherst. I gave her my name and number if she wants to contact me when I get home.
Laurie and I went shopping. I needed a bathing suit for St. John's. Had a hard time finding a one piece for this old and out of shape person. I think they cater to young and slim people who wear bikinis. I did find one though. I also bought sneakers. I have to start running to get in shape.
Laurie and I walked to the grocery store. We decided to stock up on food to take to St. John's. We thought it would be cheaper. We also didn't know what kind of stores are available where we will be.
January 16, 2004
Our flight wasn't until 4:50 so we had to hang around for quite awhile. At least we could keep ourselves occupied by doing laundry. I then just sat by the pool waiting for the time to pass. Our flight was by American. The plane was pretty empty. We were hoping to get dinner, but all we got where pretzels.
When we landed in St. Thomas we had to catch a taxi to get a ferry which took us to Cruz Bay, St. John's. From there it was another taxi ride to Cinnamon Bay. The taxi was basically a truck with benches in the back under a canopy. We met a couple on the taxi going to Cinnamon Bay also. They were very helpful and actually took the time to show us where our sites were. It was very dark so I am glad they did. Our sight was tucked up away from everything and it seemed like a long way up. The rocks were moist from the humidity so it made them slippery. The next challenge was to find a somewhat flat spot to set up the tent in the dark with just our flashlights.
