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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.
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.
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Sorry I failed to get photos of horseback-riders!
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.”
– William Shakespeare
🙂
I am working on the “Trip Gallery” for this trip at: 2019-October-Hacienda Guachipelín, Rincón de la Vieja, Liberia and when that is finished, a book! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
“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
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.
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 Hotel for making all of these exciting tours possible! A great place to stay when in Uvita!
This trip gallery: 2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| My one selfie was with the volcano, here on the dining room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| The two side windows looked out on the Restaurant Deck and the lake Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| 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 |
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| Also where other hotel guests assembled before meals & for volcano & lake photos + bird feeders Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| 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 |
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| The first two days the maids left towel animals on my bed Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| See My Room Gallery for more photos of the room. Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Great Curassow male at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Great Curassow female at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Montezuma Oropendola at fruit feeder by my room deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
COSTA RICA NEWS:
Women elected to 5 of 6 leadership roles in Costa Rica’s new legislature
An online article in Tico Times.
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| A Valentine from Nature Photographed along a road or trail in the El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| Or maybe you prefer an Exotic Wild Flower for Valentines El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| Reventazón River Valley El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| One of Many Tributaries El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| My Guide Cristhian Ureña Martinez El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| More FlowersEl Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| More Flowers El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| More Flowers El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| Mosses and Ferns of the Cloud Forest El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| A Horse Farm Where We Found Birds El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| A Horse Farm Where We Found Birds El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
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| Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
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.
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| 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.
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| A pastoral vista like this sometimes requires a trip far away from a busy town, yet I found this one maybe 500 meters from my house as the crow flies and maybe twice as far walking the streets to this spot. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| The cow pasture across the street from my house. A stream runs under that row of trees on opposite side. On the other side of the stream and to the left is a little known street, Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| First I walk into town on Avenida 8 and turn left on Calle 1 making another left turn at next street, Avenida 10 for 2 blocks where I walk past our technical high school above. The pavement stops just past the school and I’m on a gravel road called Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| It is so cool to suddenly be in the country! Past Roca Verde it becomes a dirt road going on to Rio Grande village. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| After 200 or 300 meters on a rise you see Roca Verde up ahead, those roofs. Before I saw this, I saw the pastoral scene photo above, my opening photo. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| Then down that hill to a bridge behind the Roca Verde duplex facing the pasture. That house is about one block from my house! But seen here from behind on Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| The little stream opposite the cow pasture in front of my house. Which the above bridge crosses over behind the duplex. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| At the foot of the bridge I snap this shot of the cow pasture in front of my house from the backside. The duplex and two single family houses are to the right of those shrubs, all facing the cow pasture. Calle Nueva, Atenas, Costa Rica |
–JOHN MUIR, US naturalist, 1838—1914
If it the link works, here is the Google Map showing where I walked:
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| One of many vistas from Villa Blanca |
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| The main building seen from the chapel. |
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| sign at entrance gate |
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| Traffic on the road coming up to Villa Blanca. |
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| One view from outside dining area. White spot is chapel on the campus. |
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| You can come here each morning and milk a cow if you wish! |
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| One of many hiking trails. |
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| Trail exit to a hummingbird garden |
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| One row of cabins. There are a total of 36. |
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| Greenhouse |
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| There are nearly always clouds in the cloud forest! |
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| View Out My Kitchen Window Today It changes daily and above this is landlord’s fence covered in morning glories. |
See my photo gallery Flora & Forests
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| Yoga, Massages, Therapy and Detox are available in addition to pools, hiking, birds, views, etc. |
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| Expect to eat healthy and enjoy spectacular vistas. |
It is known as a Yoga Retreat, maybe the best in Costa Rica, but available as hotel, other retreats, or just to relax if you are willing to pay $221+ per night for luxury rooms in the mountains above Atenas with gardens, walking trails, a natural stream with waterfalls, and many optional activities, some at extra cost. Breakfast is included with all room prices. I just became aware of this and sorry I did not know of it for earlier visitors, though it is fairly new, this year I think.
They are offering us residents a Christmas Dinner with wine and entertainment for just $61 which I might do if I weren’t already scheduled for my jungle adventure at Selva Verde Lodge on the Sarapiqui River! They are likewise offering us a New Years Eve Celebration for $75 including fireworks! Yeah, just about anything you guys in the states have, we can find here, for a price! 🙂
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| The Retreat at Atenas |