That title is because tomorrow I will show some “Crowded Views” (Not pleasant to me) of the beach as sort of a contrast and then the following day I will report on all my “Likes and Dislikes” of Punta Leona and why. And I know that one of these pix shows some of the crowds, but I included it here for the lush forest that Punta Leona has right up to the beach and the new maybe 15-20 story beachside hotel that is under construction on Mantas Beach as a part of Punta Leona Beach Club & Nature Resort.
Now some Mantas Beach views that I like . . .
When you walk from the current hotel, swimming pools, restaurants, and recreation areas, this is your first view of Mantas Beach, Punta Leona. Kind of nice I think.Continue reading “Beach Pleasant Views”
To live in a green world, absorbing both the oxygen and the green spirit is one of the greatest blessings of living in Costa Rica. I randomly picked these photos as representative of this spirit, though many others could have represented it just as well . . .
The sun rises in the east behind other mountains that are behind the one that my house is on the west side of. 🙂 Simply put, I cannot see much of a sunrise from my house or terrace that faces W/NW where the vista of little mountains I often share are located. But when I am not sleeping late, I can get out on my terrace and get what I call a “reflected sunrise” on those hills in the W/NW. This past week I’ve been sleeping as late as I could to help cure my sick stomach which is now finally well! (I think!) But these two early morning “reflected sunrise” shots were made earlier in March. The feature photo at top is a panorama of three shots on my Canon 750D and this shot below for email version was a quick snap on my cheap Samsung Cellphone! 🙂
The first shot on my cellphone is close, as I step out through my gate onto the road by the cow pasture and begin another walk. The second photo on my camera is a merging of 3 shots of the far mountains in a common panorama vista from my terrace. I love where I live! 🙂 Plus it is not far from some totally different vistas I can visit in rainforests, beaches or cloud forests. Pura vida! 🙂
The cow pasture across the road from my casita on a hill, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.And the distant view from my terrace, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
See the photo gallery titled: From My Roca Verde Terrace for many more similar vistas. And FYI: “Roca Verde” (Green Rock) is the name of the housing development where I live, named after the big green (moss-covered) rock just inside the entrance gate. 🙂
Atenas: “El mejor clima del mundo!” “The best weather in the world!”
Though I have mostly recovered from my cancer radiation treatments, I can tell from the quality of photos from this trip compared to the two other trips to Maquenque that I have not fully recovered in energy or creativity, but maybe these five shots will provide at least a glimpse of being in the rainforest here in Costa Rica.
This final post on the Rincón de la Vieja trip shares some scenery and a little more about the hotel and park that I hope provides a “sense of place” concerning this unique national park and adjacent hotel.
Sense of place is the sixth sense, an internal compass and map made by memory and spatial perception together.
~Rebecca Solnit
In the northwestern corner of Costa Rica there are volcanoes and ranches. Rincón de la Vieja is unique to all the volcano parks in this drier, western part of the country, reminding me of the southwestern U.S. with persons riding horses as common as bikes and wildness depicts the beauty and sense of place. Plus this hotel is a working ranch. Here’s two galleries and brief evaluations of both the hotel and the place.
Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín
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Hacienda Guachipelín is a large, old, ranch-style hotel on more than 2,000 hectors of land with more waterfalls than the park (8) and it is a working farm & ranch where you can actually be “a cowboy for a day” helping real cowhands or just take one of several horseback riding trips. And seasonally watch a rodeo!
All the typical adventure tours are also available like zip lines, white water rafting, tubing, rappelling, canyoneering, biking, ATV, hot springs & mud baths, a Spa, plus an on-property serpentarium, butterfly garden, Mirador (scenic overlook), and more trails than you will likely use!
My room was basic, comfortable and good for my purposes. It was a longer walk to the restaurant than some and if you need to be close, request that when making your reservation. They offered to move me but I need the walks!
The restaurant food is okay good, just not great, with the wait staff service also mediocre except for the separate bar which had great service! In high season or fuller capacity the restaurant is all buffet style and breakfast is buffet even in low season (now). I am not fond of buffets. 🙂 I ate my usual two meals a day here; a big breakfast from the buffet & omelette bar with an early, good dinner from the menu at outdoor Bar (one of above photos). Restaurant didn’t start dinner until 6:30.
The Scenery
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Sorry I failed to get photos of horseback-riders!
My favorite farm road!
Flowers everywhere!
Oropendola Waterfall.
Chorreras Waterfall.
Well-maintained Trails
Gorgeous trees!
Crested Guan in the Park.
Working farm.
Vistas from all over hotel grounds.
Working farm – Greenhouse for Tomatoes.
All national parks are well maintained here!
In foothills of mountains.
Vista from Hotel Mirador.
One or two trips to the park is enough to see most everything there. Had I gone a second time I would have done the 10-K walk to their largest waterfall, Cangreja Waterfall, but didn’t this time. Much of the rest is like a smaller Yellowstone park with lots of thermal activity from the volcano (hot springs, bubbling mud, steam or smoke, and yellow rocks from the sulfur).
There is actually more to see and do on the hotel property than in the park, especially for the adventurer or the bird-watcher. And though I saw birds in both places, you see more on hotel property because it is more open and walking the farm roads is the best way to see and photograph birds. I saw 25-30 species, photographing most and got four new birds, “Lifers,” here: the Lesser Ground Cuckoo, White-fronted Parrot, Magpie Jay, and Western Wood Pewee. Very good for me! Plus I got two new butterfly species and some new snakes in their serpentarium.
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.”
–Sarah Kay
The ocean kissing the shore at Uvita, Costa Rica
One of the “Windows” at Playa Ventana, Uvita, Costa Rica
“Whale Rock” seen from boat on the ocean side and . . .
. . . Whale Rock seen from my hotel on the land side.
NOTE: We saw most of our whales somewhere near this rock which they seem to like! The name is because of their presence and not its shape. Here every July-October.
Cristal Ballena Hotel seen from boat in front of Whale Rock.
Whale Rock & the hotel are barely out of photo on right side of this photo I made earlier of Uvita and Whale’s Tail Beach or Playa Cola de Ballena from a plane. A truly unique place!
Made Possible by the . . .
The only all water national park in Costa Rica. Flag is because it was Independence Day.
I just keep loving this country more every day! 🙂
And I’m way behind on reporting events and photos from this trip with Tuesday at the hotel experiencing and photographing a moving sloth, 4 crested guans, a flock of toucans and other birds followed by today’s mangrove boat trip on the Rio Sierpe with an unbelievable collection of photos I’m still sorting. Another great day in paradise with a birding guide tomorrow on the hotel property and Friday the Nauyaca Waterfall. Never a dull moment when you are “Retired in Costa Rica!”
¡Pura Vida!
And continued thanks to Cristal Ballena Hotelfor making all of these exciting tours possible! A great place to stay when in Uvita!
This view from my room is the most memorable part of the lodge room. See More Volcano Shots Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
I had to be laying down on the bed to have the view inside, but outside is “in your face” Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
My one selfie was with the volcano, here on the dining room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
The two side windows looked out on the Restaurant Deck and the lake Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
This side view was also beautiful and where I caught the sunsets. (link to sunset photos) Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Also where other hotel guests assembled before meals & for volcano & lake photos + bird feeders Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
At about 5 pm each day one or two of the La Fortuna Expedition buses brought a crowd of mainly young adult backpackers for volcano, lake & sunset photos before their group dinner here and then return to their less expensive lodging after a day of whitewater, rappelling, zip lining, etc. Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
The first two days the maids left towel animals on my bed Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
See My Room Galleryfor more photos of the room. Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
AND the bird feeders were also next to my room’s deck!
Great Curassow male at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Great Curassow female at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Montezuma Oropendola at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
On the bus to Alajuela Monday a Tica mother with little girl about a year to 18 months old sat down in the seat next to me. The little girl kept looking at me and finally reached out and touched my arm and smiled. (Yes I had already said “Hola” and smiled at her, but she was slow responding.)
Later after mother and child got off the bus, an older man in the seat in front of me began playing his harmonica and quietly singing a beautiful, tranquil song in Spanish. ¡Pura vida!
The greatest self is a peaceful smile, that always sees the world smiling back.
This is our island in the Pacific Ocean that is similar to Galápagos Islands of Ecuador without tourism. It is a national park and research center and many say is more significant scientifically than the Galápagos Islands. (Darwin missed it!) It is also the island that the fictitious dinosaur project was on in the movies of the Jurassic Park. See this brief YouTube video of THE REAL JURASSIC PARK for a 57 second glimpse of the real island.
The island is 300 miles offshore and you sleep on the yacht and scuba dive around the island in the largest colony of sharks in the world! They let you on the island for brief day trips from the yacht but no nights there. Not a regular tourist spot! It costs 3 to 5 k per person for a minimum number of people on different boats for 7 days and just the shore excursion to the island costs $250 to $500 depending on which boat you are on! Cost includes bus from San Jose airport to Puntarenas dock.
Las Ruinas de Ujarrás This 1580 church ruins is the oldest to be found in Costa Rica near Orosi/Paraiso. It is now operated as a historic national park of Costa Rica. Paraíso Canton, Cartago Province, Costa Rica
Yesterday I lined up my taxista from Tuesday, Luis Martinez, and he met me at my B&B this morning at 8:30 and I got quite a tour from someone who has lived his whole life here and all in Spanish language of course! We could have gone all day, but I wanted a more relaxed afternoon and to not spend a fortune on a taxi! So we quit at about 11 AM.
Beyond this historic old church, Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, the other highlights were two miradors (vistas) Mirador Ujarras & Mirador Orosi which were both spectacular, Casa del Soñador or wood artisan shop in a historic log cabin near Cachi, several churches I had him stop for my photos of, and he added little extras like the oldest street and bridge in Orosi alongside which was his grandmother’s house where he was born! I chose to not see the botanical gardens this time which can take hours. But I have lots of photos to share in a future post and in my online photo gallery when I return home and have better internet connection.
Then I had a late lunch in a wonderful Italian Restaurant a longer walk from my B&B, but more than worth it and discovered that it is also a hotel (with this great restaurant) and it is where I will stay next time here if not at El Copal Lodge for birding. B&B’s are nice and quaint, but I’ve become spoiled to full-service hotels and lodges! Even in the jungles!
Tomorrow is the adventure of three buses home and who knows what I will see this time?
