Long in the sense that I had to work both Saturday and Sunday, and Saturday proved to be more stressful than I thought...! The group was scheduled for a few tours in the area of Rincón de La Vieja (an active volcano close to Liberia). First we were going to do a guided hike through the National Park with the guide who was with us for our Santa Cruz tour Friday...upon arriving to the road where we start our way uphill to the park entrance we found a roadblock...a car rally was going on and we would have had to wait until 11am to get through. So we turned around and went right back down the hill to Liberia, where the group got to spend a little more time looking around. I looked for sandals (no luck) and had some jugo de caña off the street, being sold by a local man...sugar cane juice is some good stuff, but it is sweeeeet! I had a cup and a half though, I have a terrible sweet tooth. But I was so stressed, and the guide was not the most helpful. In fact when we got to Liberia for our little detour he took off back to his house for breakfast!
We finally made it up to Hacienda Guachipelin where we were scheduled to have lunch and do our afternoon activity...horseback riding and rafting!
The guide only did the horseback riding with us, not the tubing. It would have been interesting if I had not been there, because he was suposed to go..!! I am no longer so impressed by this guide after this weekend.
The important thing is that the group had a lot of fun, despite our detour and the wait....they wanted to get right back on the river and do tubing all over again! I did too hehe : )
I am especially thankful to my parents for thier gift of Chacos at Family Christmas some years ago, as these all terrain sandlas have served me well rafting, waterfall rappeling and on river tubing tours...! Thanks for the Chacos, Mom & Dad! : )
Sunday was a long day too. We left at 5:30am from our hotel and started on the road to Monteverde. We stopped and had breakfast along the way in Cañas (where I thought of E's grandma, and wished I could call her!) and then continued and went up the road from Las Juntas. Wow I had forgotten how bumpy the ride can be, and my back and neck were killing me...!! We arrived late to our morning tour at the Reserva Santa Elena and got on the trail with a local guide who was very kind and knowlegeable. We finished hiking around 12:15pm and went back down to the neighborhood of Cañitas, where we did the Trapiche tour. The tour has changed a little in the last year, they now have a chocolate making area and they moved the sugar cane processing equipment to another area, So I am glad I got to see the new set-up and be prepared for the rest of the season. At the end of the tour we made candy as usual...I could eat a whole bag by myself in one sitting. So unhealthy but SO GOOD!!!! Our stop at the gas station turned into an impromptu souvenir stop...next door there is a little shop that sells jewelry and clothes and lots of original art, and I admit that I got some earrings and a ring that I am wearing right now. Going into that shop is always a risk for me, since I could easily spend my whole paycheck there!!! I have some gift ideas for friends and family before I go back to the USA.
We reached Liberia again by 8:30pm and were back at the hotel around 10pm. I slept like a rock, I was so tired. But the sleep did the trick because this morning I feel good. Hopefully this energy lasts the week!!!
PURA VIDA!
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