Motley of Thoughts: Costa Rica

It has been more than a year since I spent couple of consecutive days without responding to work emails or attending a work call. I needed a break and my wanderlust wife merrily agreed to accompany me. We literally booked this trip on a spur of the moment and then everyone started scaring us about COVID! We were so bored with the winter and NYC that we decided to go against all the odds and board our flight. Must say, it was a one of the great decisions I made.
Costa Rica is just what I wanted - crisp air, lush green landscapes, amazing food and a dose of Pura Vida!

We decided to drive around in Costa Rica. The main reason was to stop wherever we want, eat roadside food and wander around without any scheduling constraints.

Our first stop was in La Fortuna - small town near Arenal Volcano. Now this Arenal dude is pretty famous but extremely moody and shy. We were there for about 3 days and we got its glimpse for just over 3 seconds and people still called us lucky.
La Fortuna is a small town. It has some good restaurants. We especially liked La Fonda (amazing Salmon), and Soda Viquez (simple Costa Rican food). Oh, and I forgot to mention an Israeli restaurant we tried on our way to La Fortuna - 'Lands in Love'. It offers a splendid view and mouth watering vegan / vegetarian dishes. Loved the Shakshuka there.
The hanging bridge hike near Arenal national park is a must do and make sure you hire a guide. These guides are pretty good at spotting wildlife, and they also carry a telescope with them. We also did a couple of hikes in Arenal Volcano national park, spotted some interesting birds and animals. The jungle there is refreshing and aromatic. Highlight of the trip was an evening in Tabacon resort. This is an exotic place with natural hot springs full of minerals. We just threw ourselves in those springs and relaxed for a few hours. Talk about indulgence.

Next stop was Monteverde and on our way we ate at 'Cafe & Macadamia'. Again- breathtaking views of lake Arenal with some out of the world fruit smoothies and freshly cooked meals.
In Monteverde, we stayed at a boutique hotel - Hidden Canopy. This is owned by a 'Superwoman' Jennifer King. This lady worked in Silicon Valley, got laid off, went to South America as a scuba instructor. When she came to Monteverde, she fell in love with this place, bought some land. This land was just a cow pasture with a small shack. She then turned this piece of land into this beautiful hotel in the middle of a cloud forest. This place is just serene. Toucans, hummingbirds flying around, clouds hovering around and Jen's amazing team serving you some delicious breakfast. Talk about pampering yourself! And icing on the cake - tea time with freshly made snacks while watching a breathtaking sunset. We did absolutely nothing in Monteverde other than a nocturnal jungle tour and a couple of hikes at the crack of a dawn. Nocturnal jungle trip was a different experience, we saw a viper, a sloth bear and many other animals, bugs, frogs. I don't know I would do this kind of tour again given the way we end up disturbing those wonderful creatures. The guide said the animals don't get bothered by our presence but I am not really convinced. We ate at Cabure near Monteverde. It's an Argentine restaurant but offers some fabulous curries. Susana (owner) spent a lot of time in India studying wildlife and that's how she mixed up Argentine dishes with Indian curries.

Our last stop was Poas Volcano near San Jose. I highly recommend a place called Chubascos in Alajuela for their cheesecakes and other local dishes. We stayed in Poas Volcano lodge. This place was devastated during an earthquake 10 years ago but they got back on track and rose like a Phoenix. It's a fabulous place with brilliant artistic sense. I did a long hike there and got a chance to spot a rare bird - resplendent Quetzal. I was lucky to spot one given there are not many in Costa Rica especially this time of the year. Lethargy took over next morning and we decided to skip a visit to Poas Volcano and instead headed back to airport to catch our flight to NYC.

Overall, Costa Rica is a fabulous destination. You would forget all your anxieties, worries and just get immersed in its simplicity. People are honest, simple and they live worry free. It was a good change from NYC's hustle and bustle. The roads in Costa Rica are well maintained. Driving was pretty easy there. We did minimal research and found these places based on the recommendations from locals. I hope this article helps you plan your journey when you go get your dose of Pura Vida!

Pictures: Sneha Pendse