This is a story-style travel blog featuring my adventure through Central America in the fall of 2023. I did a 17-day tour called Central American Journey, from the company Intrepid. We visited Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. You can read the blog in order, or about whichever destination intrigues you! Within my stories, I’ll offer some recommendations and some tips and tricks for a smooth journey. When I travel, I mostly do group tours and the reasons are:
* As a solo woman traveler, it is much safer especially if traveling long distances or to countries that can be dangerous in some parts
*The itineraries are amazing and usually include all of the things you’d want to see and do…and if not, there is free time to do as you wish;
*You don’t have to worry about booking transport, finding hotels, etc. Sometimes that can contribute to the adventure, but it’s also nice to sit back and relax and let your tour leader be in charge
* And finally…the new people you meet on your tour become your family, and I’ve made lifelong friends in these journeys. For myself, this has equal importance with exploring new countries.
This morning we have another pancake breakfast at the hotel, and it’s back in the van for a lovely scenic drive to the next destination, La Fortuna.
Costa Rica is the most popular and touristy countries in all of Central America, and is a democratic and peaceful country. They are one of the 5 countries in the world without an army! There is so much biodiversity here; a good chunk of the country is conservation and natural protected territory. There are over 34,000 species of insects in Costa Rica…yikes! But also, a ton of species of butterflies. Their culture is multiethnic, living together peacefully with laid back and friendly people. Their motto is PURA VIDA, and you hear it everywhere you go – as hello, goodbye, thank you…you name it. It translates to “pure life”.
The route to get to La Fortuna is an interesting one…we take the van to a lake, transfer everything to a small boat for a 45-minute journey across the lake, and then back into another van on the other side.
We’re lucky today, because our driver spots a sloth along the drive. That’s 2 days in a row! This one is a bit easier to see. And since we’ve stopped, we attract other cars driving by and soon there’s a whole bunch of people trying to get a look at the sloth.
We arrive into La Fortuna, a town named for its fortune because it has a large amount of tourist attractions and fertile land. It is situated near the Arenal Volcano. Last time I was here, I went to the hot springs at the volcano and also did a cave exploration so this time I want to do something different. The hotel for the next couple of days is Sierra Arenal, and our room has a great view of the volcano.
There is also a resident cat named Esmeralda, and we become friends.
And a fun fact: Marvin lives here in La Fortuna with his family, so he knows the town quite well!
We head out for lunch, and Marvin points out another mountain called the Sleeping Indian.
We end up at place called Balcon; we were to sit up on the rooftop patio but there is an afternoon thundershower so that’s not happening. We order some local beers, and I have the arroz con pollo. This is one of the best meals I’ve had this entire trip.
PRO TIP: in addition to arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), if you’re looking for some cool things to try in Costa Rica, here are some options: gallo pinto (rice and beans), chicken/pork or beef casado, sopa Negra (black bean soup), patacones (fried plantains), tamal (their version of a tamale, but wrapped in banana leaves). Some beverages to try are Cacique/Guaro (a sugar cane alcohol), Colada fresca (like a pina colada, but with guaro), For beers, you can’t go wrong with a Pilsen, Imperial, Bavaria or Rock Ice. And of course, coffee!!!!
I’m suffering from terrible headache today, so after lunch I head back to the hotel, but stop to have a look in a couple shops along the way. There are so many places on the main road to find some cool things to bring home.
PRO TIP: Some notable items to pick up from Costa Rica are coffee, any kind of wooden crafty items, artisanal chocolate, salsa lizano, painted wooden oxcarts, Boruca masks, handcrafted jewelry, and if you have room..maybe even a chorreador coffee maker!
The rest of the group brave the weather and go for a short hike just out of town, and they also stop in to meet Marvin’s family. Disappointed I missed that! When it’s time for dinner, I’m feeling much better so I rejoin the group at a cool place called Lava Lounge.
I order quesadillas, and there are a few dogs hanging around that would like to share. Haha.
There are also 2 restaurant cats; they hang out where they feel like, and even have a little house inside where they can hide away.
I had been doing some investigating to find a karaoke night and I found 2 spots in town where we could go have a few drinks and sing. We choose Sander’s Bar, and the host is super nice and I get to sing a few songs…I’m finally feeling better so my voice can actually handle it tonight. We even convince Adam to sing a song and he nails it! The locals that hang out there are also amazing singers, so it’s a super fun night.
This morning, we have breakfast at the hotel and get ready for our last big optional excursion of the tour. We are headed to Cano Negro, a few hours drive from here and close to the Nicaraguan border. Along the way, our tour guide explains what’s in all the fields we drive through…. farms that grow yucca, cassava and taro root veggies, all important in Costa Rican cuisine.
Cano Negro is a giant wildlife refuge; a wetlands site home to many migratory waterfowl and other land animals. The only way to explore this area is by boat, so we hop on for a 2-hour exploration on the Rio Frio.
The water is murky brown, so you would not want to jump in…you also may encounter a caiman or two! As we motor along, these cute small birds are flying alongside of the boat. I can’t tell if they’re having fun or if they’re mad we are in their territory. Haha. The pontoon boat is able to pull in close to the shores so we can have a better look at all the critters.
Here is a collection of pics of the wildlife we discovered…
This monkey was born with a genetic mutation that caused her fur to have less pigmentation.
We have lunch at the site, and I have the chicken fajitas Casado plate, with sides of rice, beans, salad and plantain chips.
To drink, some delicious fresh tamarind juice. We are treated to a surprise addition to the tour…a detour to meet Domingo, who grinds sugarcane for a living on his farm.
They show us how they crush the sugarcane in the machine and then we get to try some of this heavenly juice.
We head into the sitting area where we also get to munch on some raw cacao beans, sip their liquid chocolate and try their amazing coffee.
And it wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t also a shot of guaro (sugar cane liquor) to finish the day.
After the drive back to La Fortuna, I get dropped off on the main road so I can finish my souvenir shopping. I grab a slice of tres leche cake to bring back for me and Ivonne to devour, since she hasn’t tried it yet. Tonight’s dinner is at La Fortuna pub, a few minutes walk from the hotel and we get there right in time for happy hour. We play a few rounds of Jenga, and then a gentleman arrives to entertain us with his guitar.
Turns out this guy also has a computer and will host karaoke singers. Yay! So I get to sing again. Tomorrow, we will make our way to San Jose, for the last stop of this tour……
Everywhere On Earth With Erin 