All posts by johncohn

Dominical to Osa

July 29, 2010 johncohn

(Delayed posting.. just got internet.. back in civilization .. Aug, 2)

OK.. so it turns out we have no internet or phone down here
in southern Osa.. no wonder on that.. there aren’t many humans down here. I can’t
say that I’m disappointed.. I’ll just have to blog offline and uploaded it
later.. It’s kind of nice to be off-line completely again. ..

So where was I .. literally ?

Ahh.. Domincal.. We woke today at Costa Pariso.. a really
nice place about 2km south of Dominical.. a favorite surfer destination.. The
grounds were beautiful .. and it was right on the Pacific.. We all went out
for a morning swim

Diane and I went for a run up and down the deserted 2KM
beach..

On the beach we came across a flock of vultures drying
themselves after yesterdays rain…

We admired how the mangroves came right out to the sea.. you
could see them vying

For the best beach placement..

Diane and I headed back and woke the kids for breakfast..

The folks at the hotel were quiet and nice.. which was a funny
contrast to the Surfer ethos the place gave off

We had fruit smoothies while w contemplated our day.. I
found I’d picked up a hitchhiker..

We decided our first order of business was to plant a
SamStone on the highest point

Of the rocks in the water.. There was a little island (at
high tide) with trees on top. Sam would have been up there in a minute.. so… we
would be too.

It was a little freeky.. high steep and crumbly.. with huge
crashing waves on the cliff facing the ocean..

Max placed the stone… we all sat there with our thoughts for
a bit.. We’d been to Costa Rica twice with the three boys It felt both good
and sad to be here now.. We all miss Sam.. he’s very much along for the trip in
our hearts.

We had another long drive ahead of us so we decided to spend
a few hours at the bech. The surf was great.. and the water was warm..
paradise..

We met a sweet beach dog

We went back to the hotel, checked out and headed south.. Right
away we saw this anteater crossing the road.. a good sign (why did the
anteater cross the road ? !,. because his Aunt lived on the other side)

The first half of the drive was easy.. good paved roads.. We
stopped for lunch

At the turn off to Osa.. A nice place… we had Casada.. (which
means ’married’).. it’s rice, beans, plantains and something else.. this time
the something else was eggs.

I couldn’t help laughing when I noticed the motif for their
restrooms..

Pretty sure that Frosty never makes it down this way

The last 70 KM (42 miles) took about 3 hours to drive.. We
had rickety bridges,

Huge potholes, dirt roads.. wow..
Even 6 small rivers to cross… some almost came up to the
doors of the car !

We sent Gabe out to check the depth on one..

S we got near our destination we started to see more
animals, Vultures, Parrots

And finally.. we were here !!!!

We’re at Casa Linda, the newer cousin of Casa Bambu. They’re
both made out of Bambu, up on stilts.. Thy have solar power, well water, real
bathrooms..and a 2 way radio.. All the windows are open.. no screens.. you don’
treally need them (though there is a bird in the house now..

We began our unpacking.. and exploring

I almost ran into a spider the size of my hand as I looked around
under the house..

The boys and I headed to the beach about 30 yards from the

house.. it was getting dark.. but we could see how beautiful it is !

It was getting dark so we headed back home to see Diane and

start making dinner..

Cooking dinner was a family affair.. We’d stopped at Puerto

Jimenz and filled every nook and cranny of our packed car with groceries.. A

guy there sold us some fish he’d caught that morning.. So.. Dinner was fried

fish tacos, Max’s mango salsa, Gabe’s guacamole and home fries..

We used cornchips, potatoe chips and even prongles to bread

the fish.. Yum !!

It was so good !!!!!

We spent about a half hour looking at Gabe’s movies from the

zipline.. then we realized we were all tired.. it wasn’t even 9 oclock .. we

all went to bed and slept great !

The beds have mosquito netting.. but I don’t think we need

them.. It was penty cool enough to sleep..

More tomorrow !

Nite all , Nite Sam !

-me

Tuesday night – Roaches !!!!

July 28, 2010 johncohn

It’s 10 o’clock at night.. i’m sitting under a shelter looking at the pacific ocean in the middle of an amazing storm.. driving rain thunder and lightening. We’re here in Dominical after a VERY long day of driving. We started in the very nice Biuena Vista Hotel in the mountains above San Jose.. it’s a cool old colonial style place..

(It’s a great place.. but hey need to work on their wireless security..They had a password to log in, but they like many folks they had left default passwords on their wireless router.. took me seconds to get in .. a hackers dream.. )

We went for a run around 6 am (we’re near the equator – the sun rises before six AM and sets before 6 PM) The near mile high elevation made for interesting running !

The view of the two neighboring volcanoes was stunning.. here’s Poas.. the one we visited later in the day..

We ran through coffee plantations.. the buds were still gren. but tasted of coffee if youbit into them.. which I couldn’t resist.

Every house had a dog it seemed.. they all gave us a friendly-ish greeting..

We woke the boys up for breakfast in the hopes of getting on the road early.. breakfast was delicious tropical fruit. .

We were on the road at 7:30 !!! (when has that EVER happened ? ) // First stop was a zipline canopy tour near Poas..

The streets were narrow, rutted and windy.. very beutifull..

The zipline place was idylic.. in a valley.. with a new fish pond. and wonderful gardens

The guides.. (jason.. and ????) got us geared up with helmets, gloves and harnesses. The zipline thing was AMAZING !.. They had 8 runs.. over deep canyons with waterfalls running beneath. the longest was 600 meters.. you went over 50 KPH on it.. totally mind blowing.. ! We had so much fun flying through the treetops..

From there we drove the short 15km to the Poas volcano.. We’ve seen Arenal, the bigger vactive colcano in Costa Rica.. but we’ve only seen poas from afar.. It was worth the trip. The drive up to the park was stepp an empty.. we hiked up to teh caldren.. it was really, really coo !.

The boys created a diversion to distract the guard sodiane could through a SamStone into the pit.. I think we’d be forgivien if they heard our story.. I hope so , at least.

We then hiked back a mile to the car in the most amazing nature trail .. no real animals.. but some imagined ones.. like this stump which looked like a pig..

and a stick that looked like a snake !

We saw an older extinct crater which is now a lake.

Then it was time for our drive down south.. We stopped at a market and bought what we though
t was food..

not all of it was edible.. liek this.. uh..m milk candy thing.. don’t ask..

Here’s Max gagging on it.

One of the porudest moments came minutes later..we have a nice stereo in the rental car.. it has and audio in port for things like ipods.. unfortunately.. it had a different input jack than we were expecting.. no prob!.. We stopped a t a local everythign store ( a Kmart !.. ina village of about 100 people). and bought 2 2 dollar earphones..
Max cut them appart and wired th e two ends together as we drove to link the ipod to the car stereo.. and voila.. we had weird techno music for all or driving.. A great cohn on the fly invention moment.. )I’m so proud of these boys making ability !!!!)

The drive.. well.. it was tough.. about 6 hours of unimaginably tangled and twisty roads.. top speeds of 30 MPH.. rain, fog, pot holes.. and THIS was the Panamaerican highway that links North and South America.. t was greuling.. but fun.. we were all good passengers.. we stopped often.. laughed alot and made it here safe !.

here we are gettign passed on a curve by a truck full of horses.. they passed the gasoline truck in front of us at the same time.. Oy Vey !!!

The road truly looked like someones knotted intestines.. and at this point. I feel like I went through those intestines.. if you get my drift..

We got to our hotel around 8.. tired bu happy.. We’re right on the pacific.. here’s the view from where I sit.. .. we’ll explore more tomorrow..

Moments after checkign in , I heard three screams .. I rushed out to find Max, Gabe and Diane all up on charis and counters.. they’d seen a HUGE roach !!!.. This place is full of life.. not all of it gorgious.. We were all lauging so hard !

There was no food open.. so we improvised.. we made nachos in the microwave.. and drank warm beeer.. Fit for the g-ds !.. Really. it

tasted so good !

OK.. that’s it for tonight.. gotta sleep.. More tomorrow..

Pura Vida everyone.. Pura Vida Sam.. !

-me

ps. Hope folks caught the premier of The COlony Season II tonight !.. I didn’t get to see it !.. Hope to find it onliine !!!! If you saw it.. what did you think ?

Monday night – pura vida !

July 27, 2010 johncohn

Greetings from Hotel Buena Vista.. just outside of San Jose Costa Rica in the mountains.. about 4-000 feet up. In spite of being at 8 degrees from the equator. .it’s actually kinda cool here.. It’s w2onderful to be here after a long day of travel

Gabe found a freind to play with in the JFK airport..

The flight was smooth and uneventful.. about 5 and a hlaf hours…
Here’s Cuba !

We got in around 6.. spent about an hour wokring on the car rental and got tp the hotel around 8pm. .. Max had arrived here about 2PM.. he was there waiting for us. It was so wonderful to see him there !.. We had only 20 min to catch dinner.

It felt good to sit down as a family … Both Diane and I had the instant reaction.. we should be five..

We had a wonderful time..

I ordered casado.. ‘weeding’>. the traditional Costa Rican meal.. rice, beans and soemthing else.. plantains.. and hot sauce.. yum !

Now we’re back in the room. getting ready for an early start down the coast tomorrow..

This is our last civilization for awhile.. so we’re really enjoying it..

Tomorrow we’ll be in Domincal.. then further down the coast.. More then

Night all.. Nite Sam.. it’s nice to be here.. we miss you..
-me

Sunday night – champions !

July 26, 2010 johncohn

Greetings from beautiful Jamaica .. Jamaica New York, that is.. We’re in a Holiday Inn near JFK on our way to Costa Rica.. ..We’ll be traveling in some pretty remote places in the far south of the

country so my blog posts will be spotty… but probably

interesting… check in for tails from the road..

Today was great !.. We started the day in Providence.. which is a really nice city !..

We were there for Gabe’s Lacrosse Tournament. This was the last game of the season.. and the championship. Gabe’s VT Select team was in good position at the start of the day.. they’d won all 4 of their games yesterday..

The game began at 9 .. as a bonus. my folks had driven down from Boston to watch Gabe play. It was hot .. really hot and sunny as the play started.. they won their first game . That put them in the final…

The final game was really. really exciting. we were playing a team from Massachusets. . The guys were down by 3 points just before the half.. Then they rallied and came back to wind by five. Both teams played really well. !

The guys were so psyvched that they’d won the championship ! They put on the championship shirts for a final photo op for the season.. but not before dousign the four coaches with ice water !.