 | GROUNDHOG TALES |
Costa Rica Trip Report by MS HARLEY | |
|
My Costa Rica trip was quite an adventure.The day before the trip I started getting a chest cold.We got to the Toronto airport to find out that the plane was delayed 3 hours for mechanical repairs. It actually took 4 hours.
Once on the plane the pilot told us that the airport we were going to would not stay open for our arrival so we would be heading for the international airport. I knew that meant an extensive bus ride since I had been there before. Once we got out of the airport in Costa Rica, a nice air conditioned bus was waiting to take us to a buffet set up for us at a luxury hotel 1/2 hour further from out hotel. I took the whole thing quite well until within the first hour on the bus I got motion sick in the bus bathroom sink (which didn't drain & didn't have running water). It was about a 5 hour bus ride. We arrived at our hotel at 2:30 am (3:30 our time). It was close to 20 hours from my front door to our hotel room door. The resort was very nice, but out in the middle of no where. It had no pay phones & took a full day to get a cot for Tim's daughter. We never did get a third set of towels. Our diving the first day started late, but it was a good day. Tim & Kat came along that day. I wanted them to see what we do. They enjoyed some snorkelling. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to dive & made sure everyone knew I might bail mid dive. I didn't know how I would feel & wasn't about to risk injury. I saw white tipped sharks, rays, eels, all kinds of schools of fish, not much coral. The wild life isn't as abuntant as in Cozumel. The bottom was mostly lava rock. The beaches were black sand. Visability at best was 30' & at worst 5'. The water temperature was usually around 84 C. I don't know the air temp, but it was hot...TOO hot to be comfortable. There was not a drop of rain. This was the driest month of the year, yet somehow humid too. On our second boat day, I stayed covered up. There was no need to get a sunburn & have to put a wetsuit over it. Well, it didn't occur to me that my face would burn, I had a really good base. It was badly water blistered by the end of the day along with a small patch on my neck that was exposed. It turned out to be the day the sun was closest to Costa Rica. I was a hurtin unit. :) I was offered several burn products. My face started to peel off the next day. The third day was a non dive day, I had planned to go on the 'Canopy Tour' with Tim, Kat & a large part of the Scuba2000 dive group. There was no way I could be in the sun that day, plus it was the peak of my cold. I stayed in. By the end of the week, I had used up several people's cold medication stashes. Dive days 3 & 4 were good too. My wet suit helped make the patch on my neck totally raw. It just stopped hurting today. The tank air was very dry & hurt my throat, but I loved every minute of it. I always felt the best while under water. My dive buddy took lots of pictures. I was in bed early every night, being a tad weak & not wanting to miss a moment of the diving I had already paid for. Kat came to bed after me & Tim entertained at the bar until late. :) I actually saw very little of them, they spent most of their time at the pool. On the last full day there, I got a second chance to go on the 'Canopy Tour'. I am afraid of heights, so this was a big deal for me. I looked at it as conquering my fears, like in the show 'Fear Factor'. I was the second one hooked up to the line & whizzing through the forest. What happens is, everyone gets trussed up in rock climbing gear, hooked to a pulley & carabiners. You then ride in a reclined position from one platform to another with one hand on the restraints & one hand on the line behind your head to use as a brake on the cable. It was a blast. The lines were 100 to 430 metres long, strung through the forest. You climbed hills, swinging bridges & ladders to get from one platfrom to another. I loved the speed. But again the sun was HOT! Too hot for a second trip around on the 11 lines. We all gathered for an elegant meal that night & visited in the bar afterwards.The trip home started at 2:00pm the next day & ended at my house around 1:15am. All in all it was a good trip, but I would not do it again & would not recommend it as a scuba diving hot spot. *Love* |