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arrangements. Getting off the plane and going through customs, we
were lured into excitement by the large flat screens depicting exotic
photographs of volcanoes, toucans and poison dart frogs. Soon thereafter,
we were greeted by a nice woman with our names on a sign showing us
where to get our baggage and where we should go to meet Luis, of
Tropical Expeditions (www.tropicalexpeditions.com). Luis took us on
a driving tour of downtown San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica,
pointing out some of the notable monuments, art centers, museums and
of course, the international icons of McDonalds and Taco Bell. The
majority of the population speaks Spanish, but then again, living only
one and a half hours from Miami, I felt right at home.
We finally ended at our destination, the Holiday Inn – Aurora, owned
by the Intercontinental Group. This had to be one of the nicest Holiday
Inns I had ever stayed in. We met Bill and Brad Cook for dinner in the
restaurant of the hotel to discuss our upcoming tour of their hospital and
also our prearranged ecotour. The upscale dining and piano
accompaniment was a relaxing way to end our first day in this exotic
country. The next few days were spent touring the city and the hospital
facilities.
Rafting the Pacuare River
Following our desire to be adventurous, the Cooks arranged an overnight
rafting tour through Tropical expeditions and the Pacuare Lodge. Class
four to five rapids we were told…the adventure was on. We were picked
up by shuttle that made several stops at other hotels to pick up some
Americans and some British folk, one couple on their honeymoon, a
father and son seeking bonding time and another couple on a one month
vacation through Central America. Clearly, we had very little concern
that our Spanish was not up to par.
Our tour guide was a lively fellow named Tito, employed by the Pacuare
Lodge, our ultimate destination. During the one and a half hour shuttle
tour through some of the most exhilarating and picturesque countryside,
Tito gave us a detailed history of Costa Rica, its people, towns, folk
lure, architecture and personal stories about his experience working in
the coffee fields. Surely, he must have been handpicked for our tour. His
charisma and sense of humor made the long journey at such an early hour
very invigorating. We made a stop for breakfast, where we were served
local foods at a restaurant located at the top of a hill overlooking the
valley. It was a nice break and great photo taking opportunity, not to
mention the last toilet break for the whole rafting trip, we were told.
Okay, so they did tell us to travel light for the one night stay and I thought
that was just to prevent you from bringing your valuables and extra your
necessities. What I failed to realize was that our luggage was going to be dry
bagged and then rafted down by another brave soul with two paddles in an
oversized raft. Fitted up in life preservers, helmets and a paddle, we were
instructed to get in the Pacuare River and learn how to swim towards the raft
in the event we were tossed out. This was the adventure we were looking for!
The raft ride into the Pacuare Lodge was not that intense, only Class 3 and
4 Rapids I was told. Not bad at all. With six people and a guide, the raft was
comfortable and the company was terrific with Tito also as our river guide,
pointing out natural flora and fauna, wildlife and waterfalls, when spotted.
The ice cold water quickly dissipated with the heat of the sun and I found
myself curiously comfortable in my Florida-thin skin. We stopped for lunch
on the river bank, which was prepared by the rafting guides as well. They raft
and they prepare food? You cannot ask for more than that!
We were warned about the frequent rains in the rainforest, where the river
was guiding us, and fortunately we just barely missed the downpour that
came through just after we arrived at the Pacuare Lodge
(www.pacuarelodge.com).
The Lodge itself is environmentally responsible inasmuch as there is no
electricity, no lights and you do not flush toilet paper. We were greeted by
the staff and led to our bungalows by our river tour guides. Tito carried our
luggage to our new home away from home and told us dinner was to be served
in about an hour. This was like no other bungalow I had stayed in. The place
was huge, private and definitely romantic. Minimalist but large
accommodations featured a large main bedroom with a small step down hallway
and inspired bathroom with rainforest water showers. Our friends were staying
in the honeymoon suite, which was worth the long hike to view its privacy,
its own swimming pool, magnificent view and outside porch with hammocks.
Dinner consisted of five star dining, tables located in the main lodge area
where you can sit with anyone staying at the lodge. We ended up sharing our
meals with the same people on our raft. After all, we were devoted to saving
each others lives out there on the rapids. Interestingly, Tito was also our
server and the raft guides were the chefs of our meal. We were able to relax
and kickback with backgammon and cocktails under the candle chandeliers
until dark. I even indulged myself in an in-bungalow massage.
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