The flight from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu on 18 09th allow me a few aerial shots of the jungle rivers of Borneo meandering through the cloudy glass, X-rayed again before during a stopover our hand luggage, that makes sense. It will soon be dark and on the coast we can see the lights of Brunei, before arriving in the rain shiny Kota Kinabalu. After 5 hours waiting in a barren transit hall of the flight is at 0.10 clock on to Seoul, South Korea, where we landed at 6.15 local time. There are probably lying the most modern and largest transit area of the world with leather, free showers, etc. Nevertheless, very grueling 10 hours waiting period before it goes to Los Angeles. As we fly over the international date line, we come again on 19 September, however, at 11 noon local time clock in there, or 8 hours time difference. Since we have a valid visa for the U.S., we are first removed separately and questioned by several officers, then together again.
When I hear the stories of employees must ensure that the United States in the secondWorld War II had to accept losses rise, my aggression levels dramatically. You push again for an eye, with the suggestion that a re-entry without a visa never happen again.Unfortunately we have on the way back again through the U.S., I already balk at the neck hairs. Since there is no shuttle bus at the time, we are guided by an Indian for Ramada mounted between two approach paths. There is nothing for us but we reserved and paid more, because it does not clock is 15. Nothing matters, just kip first. Let us clock at 22.30 with a taxi to the airport and fly around 0.40 clock after Huston, Texas. There we are then wait at 5.30 local time and clock time must only four and a half hours on the plane to Costa Rica.People who plan their trip like that given what you expected. As we will soon add to aggressive monsters. As I write these lines, my aggression rises again so that I must make a break for me to not completely ruin the mood.
On 20 September, we finally arrive at 12 clock time in San José, capital of Costa Rica. Our luggage is great but actually arrived with us and Joseph receives from Ara-Tours warmly. We are billeted in the Hotel Barceló in the city and Andre bring our laundry to a neighboring hotel, which also has a dryer. A note in his luggage testified that it was controlled in the United States. When my bottle is a Duschgeel expired, and has all soaped clothes become discolored. I am hours cleaning and washing and all the metal is rusted.
At 9 clock the next day we have a Daihatsu 4Wheeler as rental cars and soon break out on the Poas Volcano. Initially, it is still overcast, but then put a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, which never stop. The volcano is packed into dense clouds and the interesting vegetation because of the rain only immediately recognizable by the roadside. We may go up high as we hoped at 2000 m to push through the clouds, but in vain. The $ 10 admission per person, we can save and return to us again. Everywhere torrents shoot across the road and sometimes the water splashes large pools of us so that’s possible for moments just flying blind. Now we try the great zoo in the near Grecia, but even there it is not advisable to leave the vehicle only for a minute. We decide to drive around town now for a wide area to the southeast, but our map is not very accurate and sometimes denied even the Navi. So we are at prasseldem rain over winding mountain roads that would guarantee the best views in good weather on a steep downhill road, which becomes suddenly between coffee plantations in a greasy trail of red clay. Soon we are faced with an adventurous bridge, which is shown with 2 tons maximum load. Our car has 1.7 tonnes, on the bridge are missing like the first two planks and digested through holes you can look down at the brownish waters of the Rio Tarrazu gurgelden fall. Since we do not know where the trail leads over there on, we avoid these Camel Trophy Attracktion and reverse. With several attempts, but then we do it, Santa Elena to reach high up on the mountain again.
Clock by 18, we arrive exhausted in Orosi valley of the same at the same lodge. Very cozy and led by a German couple. My computer can not boot properly for days, am with my reports back on again. André is also not the Internet. That’s why I’m already in bed at 20.20 clock, a new record.
The next day begins bright and sunny. Compared with the re-active volcano Turrialba smoke from his 3328 m high chimney. The higher Irazú left of it is still free. After a delicious breakfast we set off towards the Pacific. The pass through the jungle along the National Park-Macizo de la Muerte Tapanti up around us, and soon a dense fog and rain put one. The path leads some time on the watershed between the Caribbean and the Pacific and then we stop for some photos in the soup, where I discover many interesting plants, but the interest as a landscape photographer André not pure. Dine just before San Isidro El General, we in a small restaurant, just down again as a violent rainstorm comes. It’s also rainy and touristy little something going on.
A little further on Platanillo we visit the biggest snake farm in the country, where I study particularly native species. There’s too many of you most poisonous snakes, to us a renewed storm back into the car pitschenass forces. By amazing mountain forest with high tree ferns it goes into the coastal plain down to Dominica. Now we follow the famous Pan American northwest, past endless monocultures of oil palm trees, until we turn to the sea in Quepos and Manuel Antonio, we settle in at the hotel Karah.
Evening in the restaurant near the sea, we must move under the palm-leaf roof three rows of tables on the inside, so the drives come from the Pacific storm pounding the rain. But there’s frog concert at its finest. My computer runs surprisingly high again and I can still write on the balcony and finally download some chips. The thunder of the storm mixes with the waves, the pounding rain and the frog symphony concert to a single wild and blinding flashes light up again and again the white surf waves.When the storm is more violent, even silenced the amphibians as they come to this tremendous noise no longer.
Early the next day, it is still covered and dripping from the trees, I can watch from the balcony in the hotel garden had four agoutis and three young raccoons. After checking out we can leave the car and make us become hot and clear weather the Espadilla beach along the way to the smallest national park in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio NP 6000 colones is the entrance fee per person and soon split up our photographic ways.
Over the next morning I get interesting plants and insects, deer, sloth bear, king woodpeckers, raccoons, one coatis, capuchin monkeys, iguanas and basilisks helmet in front of the lens. The latter have the habit of running only on its hind legs over the water and are so fast that they do not sink it. Why they are called in English also aptly Jesus Christ Lizard.
Of the howler monkeys, unfortunately I only hear the famous roar in the jungle. On the idyllic beaches romp from noon to people who are permanently employed in thieving monkeys, coatis and raccoons to be on guard.
Clock at 15.30 we set off again only to come soon to the north and on the Panamerican Highway in a strike-related congestion, which costs us more than an hour. Residents want urgently a high-water exposure, as the raging rivers inundate constantly from the mountains and their houses damaged. Again, it goes past the endless oil palm plantations and several storm fronts, which are almost flush from the street. About Jacó and Caldera we reach in the dark and get lost in dense fog Miramar 6 km winds up. An atmosphere like a Hitchcock movie. Up there we stay in a cozy Vista Golfo, while it continued raining all night.At breakfast, we can observe from the architecturally beautiful terrace pasted from many colorful butterflies and hummingbirds our first break and then on to Monte Verde. It’s been too long since I was here and so we promptly caught a parallel track that leads east from the main road into the mountains. Interfere only when more and more rock falls the way, we encounter a single car, and suddenly we have to cross a bridge over the foaming adventurous Aranjues Rio, we are puzzled and ask for the only two houses on the road. Since it’s raining again without ceasing and we have lost almost 3 hours, we give Monte Verde altogether, because there makes the weather certainly no exception.Now we take over and Tilarán Juntas of Arenal Lake to target. In the meantime, here are rows of wind turbines along the ridge. In Nuevo Arenal we read of a Deutsch Bakery, pass it and then return after some hesitation, but in order to einzukehren there. There are actually sausages with cabbage, meat loaf with fried egg and Paulaner wheat beer. $ 32 lighter and well fed, we go one step further and hire us in the wonderful Villa Ceiba with a magnificent view over the lake. The approximately 500 years old Ceibabaum spans large and wide over the land and André is strongly reminiscent of the movie Avatar.
Until bedtime, we write in the company of two dogs and a cat on the patio in the rising wind and pull back through heavy rain showers.
The next morning the loud noisy howler monkeys from the jungle. As it should have better weather in the north, we want to visit the Volcan Tenorio NP on the Rio Celeste, the manager recommended to us by the house. When refueling, Arenal is the right rear tire flat. Pumps it back on and go to San Rafael de Guatuso. There are changes to an employee of a gas station quick and free the already almost flat tire. The valve is over.We have a wide view of the height to the north of the Nicaragua Lake and its islands.Until we are at the Rio Celeste, it has been dressed and showered in the national park there already. So we go back on Fortuna to Arenal.
The volcano is actually free to see 14 to 16 clock after we just saw him last night for the first time. We go up to the Skywalk, which was fairly newly decorated. Have there shortly before departure that on television announcements. André, who is fluent in Spanish, presents itself to the owner as a press man from Germany and we get two free tickets when we make good advertising. A wise man At 14 clock, especially in a rain gap, it comes with two guides in an open grid gondola up the mountain across beautiful primary rainforest. A young couple from New York is also the challenge. Up on the platform there is a welcome drink and then it goes in the seat belt hanging on the wire and helmeted raging in 8 stations quickly downhill.
With solid work gloves while you hold the left and right of the wheel holding the rod. The views down to the rain forest, the lake and the volcano is a dream. If it still seems that the sun would. The total track length is 2.8 km long and the longest stretch measuring 750 meters, where it zooms 200 feet above ground over a wooded ravine. Especially memorable because it showed me from the summit platform of two young, each totally different colored lance vipers. We are barely at the base station, it starts to rain again.So we go back to Ceiba in order to redeem another voucher. After nightfall, amazing insects come to light.
Leaves shaped like catching grasshoppers, which are therefore referred to as a walking leaf, as well as many other katydids, moths and beetles. Because of course the occasional gecko lurking for prey. In addition, a gymnastic workout nearly 20 cm long stick insect like a dry leaf skeleton to me.
From the West is again attracting a violent storm front approaching with heavy rain, forcing us to the room. Must get out again at night and constantly feed the cat mewing at my door in my despair with chocolate.
The next day the weather will continue so horrible. Even the leaf-cutter ants can ruhn their work and only a green ribbon of leaf marking their way to work. So we go already visibly annoyed towards San Jose. Maybe it will work out again with a second attempt at the great zoo in the near Grecia, but in vain. So we stay for our last night in Costa Rica at the Hotel Orquideas one of the access road to Poas Volcano.
In the garden romp many colorful birds, including a blue peak Motmot, but it’s a lot for photos in the rain and low clouds have a 15 clock too gloomy.Only at night time as the moon is visible.
The next morning a fine rain, but occasionally blue holes in the thick cloud cover. We deliver from our rental car after we fill up again and taken to the nearby airport. After everyone has gelöhnt $ 26, we can fly through check-in and after 3 hours of waiting for South America, opposed the continuation of the rainy season.
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